Well it is official, I am in love!

So firstly, I am absolutely in love with Peru! We have been here a little over a week and I am going to be sad saying goodbye! I have just really had such a great time here! (Sidenote for Dad– we ride around in motocars here. Which are motorcycles with seat things attached. No doors. No seatbelts. Oh yeah, and no speed limits. Just to give you a slight heart attack). I ate Suri, which is a grub that is so fat and juicy. yumm. Ha ha. I held a baby monkey in a village. And I held a boa at the zoo! ha It kissed me! I have met so many great people on the streets, in the churches, and in the prisons. It has been amazing.

 

God has been revealing Himself to me more and more everyday. I have never been so filled with joy in my life. I really have trouble not smiling. My jaws are pretty much always sore because I smile nonstop. Sometimes I just cry because I am so happy. I really am just overflowing with joy. Similarly, God has really helped me to share that joy with others. There are men and women in the prisons who were so unhappy at the beginning of the week, and by the end, they have the same contageous smiling disease. I love it! Several people at the prisons came to know Christ while we were there and it was just so awesome to see Gods presense overwhelm the room. Grown men in prison were on their knees balling, one man whom I really grew to love was touched by the Holy Spirit and collapsed to the ground. He said that he felt all of the sins that he had been hanging onto, and that had been burdoning him for a long time had been lifted off of him all at once. It was so awesome. I got to know him better throughout the week, and he was really such a sweet guy!

 

I have a heart for children, and we had an open air service in one of the smaller villages here. The kids there were all so precious! They craved the love and affection that I love to give! It got me so excited and ready for the river! I can not even wait!! But at the same time, I am really going to miss the people of Iquitos.

 

One thing that I thought was really cool and new to me happened on Thursday. God put it on my heart to speak at the mens prison. At first I was like — No God, someone else can just do this instead. But He assured me that I would do fine. So I prayed and searched His word, and I prepared a sermon on redemption. It is funny because when I volunteered I did not even know the real definition of redemption, but when I spoke to the men in the prison, they all understood it! God just really worked through me and I loved it! I am so excited to see what else He has up His sleeve!!

 

I love everyone in our group (with the exception of Grant who is makes fun of me — just kidding, I even love him!! ha ha) and we have such an amazing and accountable community. It really is a blessing from the Lord! We  have also been blessed with amazing leadership: Jesse, Carly, and Crystal. I love them all so much, and they are just so real. Our community is pretty much the besttt!

 

I know I was pretty broad with what I talked about, but I just know that if I get detailed with anything, I will end up typing 9 pages!! Ha ha! The moral of the story is that I love it here. God is really present and shining in everyones lives and really good things are coming out of it! I am just so thankful for all that has happened and for everything that will happen in the future!!

 

God bless!!!

 

Emily

 

 

Ps– Mommy, I can assure that I am getting enough calories. We eat a ton of rice, bread and pasta.. so probably I will actually gain some weight. ha ha! And I have eaten about 16 million cliff and marathon bars! No worries!!

 

I love you all!!!