JULY 1, 2009
In a strange way, it doesnt seem that long ago that I was on my last very cramped international flight coming back from Perú last summer. As the city started to disappear beneath us last summer, I remember coming to the realization that I may never see those boys in Cusco again. I could have never imagined that God would provide the opportunity to go back the very next summer. I am very excited to see the boys once again!
As soon as I land, the plan is to connect with Billy, and then he´ll take me to Kawai tonight. This way I can be ready to help translate for the medical team in the morning.
My prayer is that I will live out 1 Tim. 4:12 during this trip. Traveling alone is something I´ve never done before, but so far, I´ve found it just deepens my dependance on God.
...que mi vida sea para ti, como un perfume a tus pies...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
finally some internet!
Wow! I cant believe it has been a week already! I just have a little time here before breakfast, but Im planning to update more in detail later.
I just finished a week in Kawai. The center is sitting literally right on the ocean. It was unlike anything Ive ever done before. I really enjoyed working with a medical team, and it was incredible to see the impact that we were having in these kids lives. I met some really neat people on the trip, and it was amazing to see how quickly we came together. About a third of our team was Peruvian, and I enjoyed getting to know them, and get even more immersed in the language! :)
Yesterday was pretty hectic. There was supposed to be a transportation strike in Lima yesterday, so we needed to get up at 3 AM to be on the road a little after 4. Unfortunately, as soon as everyone was on the bus, it broke down, and we werent able to get on the road until 6. We finally made it to Lima and toured some catacombs and did some shopping in the market!
In the market I met up with the new group that I will be going with to Cusco. They are all from Scotland! Christy (a teacher from my school) was also here with the group. We spend the whole night at dinner laughing at eachothers weird words and expressions. They pronounce aluminum foil, like al-you-MIN-ee-um.
Were just about to leave for a bus tour in Lima, and then our flight leaves early tomorrow morning for Cusco! Please pray for safe travels and that our group will truly set an example for the people we come in contact with!
I just finished a week in Kawai. The center is sitting literally right on the ocean. It was unlike anything Ive ever done before. I really enjoyed working with a medical team, and it was incredible to see the impact that we were having in these kids lives. I met some really neat people on the trip, and it was amazing to see how quickly we came together. About a third of our team was Peruvian, and I enjoyed getting to know them, and get even more immersed in the language! :)
Yesterday was pretty hectic. There was supposed to be a transportation strike in Lima yesterday, so we needed to get up at 3 AM to be on the road a little after 4. Unfortunately, as soon as everyone was on the bus, it broke down, and we werent able to get on the road until 6. We finally made it to Lima and toured some catacombs and did some shopping in the market!
In the market I met up with the new group that I will be going with to Cusco. They are all from Scotland! Christy (a teacher from my school) was also here with the group. We spend the whole night at dinner laughing at eachothers weird words and expressions. They pronounce aluminum foil, like al-you-MIN-ee-um.
Were just about to leave for a bus tour in Lima, and then our flight leaves early tomorrow morning for Cusco! Please pray for safe travels and that our group will truly set an example for the people we come in contact with!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Hello, everyone!
I talked to Catherine this morning. She hasn't been near an internet cafe to update her blog, but asked if I'd do a brief update. She may have internet access Thursday when she gets to Cusco.
Catherine has been with a medical team in Kawai since she arrived (7-1). They are working in schools. The children are examined, and then, if additional care is needed, they are seen by an appropriate health care provider--dentist, eye doctor, etc. Catherine's helping with health education--showing kids how to brush their teeth, wash hands, etc. I believe she said they're seeing around 200 students a day! She's also been a "runner"--taking prescriptions to appropriate people, and she's interpreting when people have questions.
It sounds like the days are full, but good. When she called, they were traveling to another school in another town. On one side of the road you could see the ocean, on the other--mountains!
Tomorrow she is leaving with the medical team for the airport. They plan to leave super early as there is to be a strike at the airport. She asked that we pray there would be no complications with that.
Thanks for praying!
Jolene Wolter
I talked to Catherine this morning. She hasn't been near an internet cafe to update her blog, but asked if I'd do a brief update. She may have internet access Thursday when she gets to Cusco.
Catherine has been with a medical team in Kawai since she arrived (7-1). They are working in schools. The children are examined, and then, if additional care is needed, they are seen by an appropriate health care provider--dentist, eye doctor, etc. Catherine's helping with health education--showing kids how to brush their teeth, wash hands, etc. I believe she said they're seeing around 200 students a day! She's also been a "runner"--taking prescriptions to appropriate people, and she's interpreting when people have questions.
It sounds like the days are full, but good. When she called, they were traveling to another school in another town. On one side of the road you could see the ocean, on the other--mountains!
Tomorrow she is leaving with the medical team for the airport. They plan to leave super early as there is to be a strike at the airport. She asked that we pray there would be no complications with that.
Thanks for praying!
Jolene Wolter
Friday, June 26, 2009
5 more days
Hey guys, I would really appreciate your prayers over these next few days. Tomorrow I am leaving to go to Miami for my National Volleyball Tournament and will be leaving for Peru from there. July 1st will be very hectic as I will be playing several games, and then grabbing my things from the hotel room and heading for the airport. Lord willing, I hope to be in Peru that night.
My first stop is Kawai, on the Pacific ocean, where I will be assisting a medical team from Oregon with translation! I'm not sure whether I am more nervous or excited right now, but I know that I can't wait to see what God is going to do during this month!
My first stop is Kawai, on the Pacific ocean, where I will be assisting a medical team from Oregon with translation! I'm not sure whether I am more nervous or excited right now, but I know that I can't wait to see what God is going to do during this month!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Getting Closer...
Exams are over, and summer is finally here, which means I have time to get things together for Peru.
My plane tickets have finally been purchased (yay!!!) and everything is starting to come together. My prayer request at the moment is that everything else will fall into place smoothly and that I will have wisdom for the last couple decisions that I need to make.
Another thanks to all those who have given me advice for this trip. My dad reminds me daily that, "In abundance of counselors there is victory, (Psalm 24:6)" and I have definitely received it from so many of you. I am so blessed to have such a great group of people supporting me. Thank you!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Muy Bendecido ♥
My God
is amazing.
♥
Yesterday (Friday), after school, I received the rest of the money that I needed to go to Peru!! :)
I can even begin to explain how incredible God has shown his provision to be.
He is truly the God who "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine"!
Thank you all for your support and prayers, they mean more to me than you can know.
Now I'm waiting to get the final information from Billy, so I can go ahead and purchase the plane ticket I have on hold. I've gotten my shots out of the way (thank you Lord!), and everything seems to be going according to schedule so far!
I read this verse today, and it made me smile :)
I read this verse today, and it made me smile :)
Luke 12:28
"If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?"
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Journey...
So I was explaining to someone how everything started, and thought it would be neat to let you guys know how God really worked through everything to make this trip possible.
I had the opportunity to go on a 9 day missions trip with SouthLake Church to Cusco, Peru last summer, and we worked with the street boys down there. They were the sweetest boy you could ever meet, and so full of joy, even though many of them had been rescued from the prisons only weeks before. There was one little boy in particular, Oscar, who I sat by during lunch one day—he stuck by my side as I explained the pictures (from home) that I had on my camera to him in Spanish. He would ask me all kinds of questions, and he loved taking pictures of himself and his friends with my digital camera. Ahh..It makes me miss them all even more just writing this :)
I had the opportunity to go on a 9 day missions trip with SouthLake Church to Cusco, Peru last summer, and we worked with the street boys down there. They were the sweetest boy you could ever meet, and so full of joy, even though many of them had been rescued from the prisons only weeks before. There was one little boy in particular, Oscar, who I sat by during lunch one day—he stuck by my side as I explained the pictures (from home) that I had on my camera to him in Spanish. He would ask me all kinds of questions, and he loved taking pictures of himself and his friends with my digital camera. Ahh..It makes me miss them all even more just writing this :)
I can’t even tell you how much I loved Peru. Never have I EVER felt God’s peace, provision, and the total realization of just how powerful and beautiful He is like I did on this trip! I had the most incredible experience and would be perfectly happy doing something like that for the rest of my life.
I’ve always loved Spanish & been told that I was good at it. It’d been my favorite subject for a year or two, but still I came back from Peru wanting to soak up as much as I could as fast as possible. I wanted nothing more than to get as fluent as possible and go back again.
In January, I was looking at three possible trips to go on. Unfortunately, by March, two fell through and the last one was the EXACT dates of my volleyball national tournament in Miami, so that didn’t work out either.
In January, I was looking at three possible trips to go on. Unfortunately, by March, two fell through and the last one was the EXACT dates of my volleyball national tournament in Miami, so that didn’t work out either.
By this time, I was like, “God, what is going on? I’m doing this for you! Right??” After struggling with this for a couple days, I was talking to someone and began to realize that whether or not I go isn’t what’s important. God doesn’t need ME in order to carry out what he wants done. HIS will is what I should want to be accomplished—not my wants. My desire should be to be available for the things that God has for me—no more, no less.
However, as soon as I let go, and resolved to see what I could do on a more local level this summer, another opportunity presented itself. I was talking to the lower school principal of my school, and she suggested interning with Scripture Union (the organization in Peru that SLCA works alongside of on the our Senior trip to Peru & the church trip I went on the year before).One thing led to another, and Billy (the head of the organization) said he’d love to have me!
Lord willing, I’m planning to Intern with Scripture Union for the ENTIRE month of July. I will be returning to Cusco for 8 days while I am there, so I’ll get to see all the boys. I can’t wait! :) The rest of the time, I’m spending 4 days at the Center in Kawai (on the beach), and then 13 days in Puerto Alegria (which is in the MIDDLE of the rainforest, right on the Amazon River…I’ve heard SO many stories about this place from multiple people, and have always wanted to go there)!
I was reminded of something VERY important through this whole thing.
I always want to be in control, I always know what I want, and I never think that there could be anything better than the way I have it planned out in my head…and that’s when things fall apart.
But it’s funny, because it is when finally I surrender the control back to God that he finally shows me that his plans are far better than anything I could come up with on my own.
I came across this passage in Job 42 the other day and thought it fit perfectly. It’s right after Job had questioned God about why all these bad things were happening to him. After God replied, and revealed to Job all he(God) had done & made, Job felt extremely foolish:
Then Job replied to the LORD :
"I know that you can do all things;
"I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
Those last two lines sum up this process completely. What are my plans compared to the Lord’s?
I have everything “under control” and “planed out.” But, I’ve come to realize that God has plans for me that are SO MUCH BIGGER than I could ever try to create on my own!
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know!
So, now I’m finishing raising support for the trip. God’s hand has been so evident during this time and his provision has been stunning. He has brought me this far, and I know that everything about this trip is totally in His control. I’m thrilled to see what he is going to do between now and July. :)
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