We are home. .. well, almost all of us! And I think I speak for all when I say, we miss peru! Everyone, but Tasha. She is still there. She is scheduled to fly out tonight at 6:50 pm. And won't get back to Kiev until tomorrow sometime. Please pray that all will go smoothly and that she will arrive safely home. She flew through Europe coming to Peru and did not have to have a visa to connect in Amsterdam. Her flight on the way home was through Atlanta. Well, you have to have a visa to even connect in Atlanta and she didn't have it so we had to scramble and find her a way home. You should have seen us. Me on my computer searching for flights on one website, while talking on the phone with Delta to see if they could re-route her and tasha beside me and then Matthew on her other side on his computer searching for flights. We were quite a sight! And we managed to find her a flight and luckily, there is a hotel right there across from the airport (just built in this past year) and so we went across the street and got her a room and settled in and then made it back to the airport in time to get on our plane. We had gathered our group way early so we could be first in line to check in. God is good to have put us there so that Matthew and I would have time to handle this last hiccup in our travel plans. Had we been any farther back in the line, we would not have had time to do what we did to make sure Tasha had a way home and a place to stay while waiting on the plane! Thank you Lord for the travel mercies you give us even when things don't go exactly right!
The last day of camp was awesome! We have been equipping the Peruvians to run camp and they did on Friday! We had to leave early because our fight to Lima was earlier than last year. We had intended to just modify the schedule and end camp early, but the Peruvians said, "No. We will have a full day and run it ourselves!" And they did. What a wonderful blessing to see that we are equipping the Peruvians to share the gospel and run this camp without us! To see that our mission was indeed a success.
So, we played, said our goodbyes, and enjoyed camp one last day! We had roses for the female Peruvian helpers and Snickers for the guys. The Peruvians surprised us with a gorgeous!! leather plaque that had everyone's names engraved on it around the borders. And Tasha, who will be working with the Orphans in Ukraine, prayed for the Orphans here in Peru and it was a special time of fellowship together. Our day flew by since we had to leave early. And then the campers and Peruvians made a tunnel for us to run through to our bus! Each day we greet them at camp with a tunnel to run through and we got our first chance to run through a tunnel. I got on the bus and was sitting between Tuan and Aaron and just wept! I was apologizing to boys that they were stuck with the weepy girl! and I looked up and ALL the girls were crying. It is just sad to leave the friends and children we have been pouring out our hearts to all week and then to just walk away. It is a mix of joy and sadness. But I am sure many will return!
We headed back to the hotel and showered and packed up to go to the airport. We left the hotel at 3:00 pm Peru time (2:00 pm MS time) and went from Trujillo to Lima, then Lima to Atlanta and then finally home in MS! It is a long hard trip home after a day of camp, but the most rewarding tired you'll ever have.
Thank you for praying for this trip and the children and people of Peru! Please continue to pray for them as well as Tasha as she tries to get home. I'll update when she makes it safely.
I'll be arriving in Peru for my full time work in April. I am excited about working with all of the short term teams that will be coming down. I have a new website for that work and covet your prayers for ALL of the groups that will be visiting Peru! check it out at www.lucillegoestoperu.blogspot.com
