Our time in the jungle has flown by! We have experienced the Lord in countless ways, drawing closer to Him, one another, and the people in Peru. One thing that God has amazed me with is the love and hearts of the women in the villages. In several villages I have met women who poured love out to me, when I felt like I didnt even do much to gain their love. So often I would want to minister to women and build relationships with them, feel like I hadnt done anything, and then be blessed with women who come to me in love.
One example of this was in the village, Florida, I met a woman named Rosio who is 21. We talked one morning and played volleyball that afternoon. She was so wonderful. But honestly, I didnt feel like I had done very much to love or minister to her. The last night in Florida, however, she told me how happy she was while we had been there and that she was going to follow was when we went to Nueva York (our next village on the river). When we were packing up to leave the next morning, she ran after me with tears in her eyes, and helped me carry things down to the boat. She stayed by my side the whole morning helping move things to the boat. Her love and passion amazed me. The next day when we were in Nueva York, we were sitting in a church, and I turned around and there she was! I didnt expect her to actually follow us! I was so excited to see her! Not only that, but she also gave me a gift of fish that she had caught in the river that morning! Her love and giving heart amazed me.
Another time, a woman I had met came and gave me a bag of gifts- bracelets and things she had made. I gave her some beads and yarn. We were leaving for another villlage that day. Two days later she showed up in the village we had traveled to, and she gave bracelets she had made with the yarn and beads to all the girls on our team. It was awesome.
These women who have nothing and so eager to give to us and love us fully. God is so good in blessing me with these women and their love. I cant believe how many gifts I have recieved from them, when they have nothing to begin with. God is showing me that its not up to me, that he works through me and i just have to follow him. Even when I feel like I havent done anything, he is working in their lives through me. I may never know the impact I have had on their lives, and in return they probably dont realize the impact they have had on me.
