A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY BROTHER BRAD AND DAUGHTER WHITNEY FOR KEEPING THE BLOG WHILE WE WERE IN PERU!!! YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB!


Our flight into Peru found our youngest student seated beside our oldest. Our youngest was a young lady who had been at BJ's funeral and was inspired by his testimony. The year before this she had gone to Chile with Awe Star.

The older student was on his first trip with us. God had orchestrated his coming with us in the way God does things. This young man has had a difficult life (unbeknown to all of us at this point). His grandmother had told him he was "spawn of the devil." His mother had disowned him. While she had three sons, she only claimed two to be hers. His brother had tried to drowned him when he was younger, which resulted in a two week hospital stay.

God had a plan for his life. He sought hard to find it, but found bitterness and people who let him down at every turn, instead. Still, through another broken relationship, God had called this man to serve him in Peru. His face seldom reflected the joy of his salvation. His countenance was filled with sadness, and he seemed defensive without provocation.

He and his seat partner struck up a conversation with the lady seated with them in their row. Now our young lady is quite the opposite of our aforementioned man. She is exuberant! Filled with life and joy!

As they shared with the lady, they began to talk to her about a relationship with Jesus. She could see the 'life she wanted' in the eyes of our young lady. Several of us aware of the sharing began to pray for them.

Jesus won!

He did not just add one more member to our family in the kingdom of God. He began to transform the life of our oldest male student.

This team began to pour into our brother. They could see that he lacked joy. He reported to us, "I don't smile." He begged us not to expect it. For one of the first times in his life he began to experience the love of the body of Christ! Every day, the team would celebrate together who we are in Christ. We encouraged and exhorted one another. Our young man was baffled. He had never seen people care about each other. This love had never been directed at him.

Over the course of the summer, God did a mighty work in his life. He came in believing God had called him into ministry. He was living a defeated Christian life. It was nearly impossible to see how God could use him as he was. He had head knowledge, but his heart was detached and broken. We wondered how God could use him to impact lives as he was.

God did.

As he made himself available to the Lord's purposes. God began to raise up a new spirit within him. After a week or two, a smile replaced the entrenched frown. Life and joy began to spill into others through him. The transformation was immediately noticeable. He received such affirmation, and God continued to replace bitterness with new and fresh life and vision.

While we were in Peru, this young man was one of many who would fast to seek God's will and direction for his life. (Many questions had been asked by the students about fasting. We did a teaching on the subject which God used to establish a new discipline in their lives.) He came to us with a culinary degree. His specialty was cheesecake. My personal favorite! While serving the Lord, God called him to Dallas to ultimately seek a seminary degree. He will have to pull up stakes from his southern home town farther east, and move to an area he does not know. He reports his father is supporting his decision.

The Word of God says, "and a child will lead them."

God began a work through the obedient life of one young lady on an airplane that had a permanent impact on the life of a young man who was hungry.

I wish you could have been there to see the transformation! This is one of the reasons God has called me into this ministry. I absolutely am filled with His joy over seeing a changed life, change lives! It happened many times this summer. Both in the lives of the Peruanas, and our team!

Truly, Praise God!

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