My Arrival

I’ve arrived safely! Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan—we ran into some unexpected inconveniences, but God has been so wonderful. He’s totally taken care of our health and safety. In fact, I had a swollen tonsil Monday morning and, after praying for God’s healing, it was completely back to normal by Monday night. Praise the Lord!

We had traveled for over twenty-four hours, so when we got on the plane from Lima to Tacna I wasn’t even excited for anything but sleeping; but as soon as we were in the air and I could only see dirt outside my window I was awake and excited—I would be in a whole new world in less than two hours! During our descent to Tacna I saw hundreds of boxes that didn’t look large enough for humans to fit in—they were groups of houses. Welcome, new lifestyle!

Ana, Laura, and I were picked up by my sister and some church members. I was thrilled to finally be there! We all piled into a van, and I was introduced to the Tacnan driving system—all I will say is that, as aggressive as I am when I drive, I wouldn’t feel comfortable driving in Peru...ever. We went straight from the airport to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Tia Ayda-Lyda, Ana and Laura’s host mother.

I was blown away by the way everyone lives here. Walls, doors, and ceilings are often designated by sheets. It makes for a very beautiful and eclectic home, but also reminds of how blessed I am.

A thousand pictures cannot capture even one view from Tacna. I had looked through Stephanie’s photos many times and was not at all prepared for what I experienced in the first 24 hours. Nevertheless, I will share some pictures with you. These pictures are all taken from the second story of the church, but from three different angles. It basically looks like this EVERYWHERE you look:

I gathered as much sleep as possible throughout the trip, but all of the resting only added up to about 3-4 hours of sleep in 35 hours. I was completely exhausted.

After spending the day in Tacna, meeting and kissing face after face, I was overwhelmed. At the last real event of the night, a welcome party for some other missionaries who arrived the same day, it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. While earlier in the day I could comprehend basic conversations in Spanish, I could no longer understand anything… and it didn’t bother me because I lacked energy to contribute. By the end of the evening I had lost almost all of my enthusiasm for this trip and wanted to go home. I felt trapped.

When we finally arrived at Brian’s home I was shown to my room that Stephanie and I would share for one week. Minutes later I lay in my bed, quietly crying. I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and saw no way out of this situation. Before I fell asleep I remember praying Lord, I know You’ve called me here, and I know it is for Your glory. Please help me glorify You in everything, even if it feels this terrible the whole time.

I slept so well I completely forgot where I was. When I awoke to the sounds of Spanish in the other room, I thought it was gardeners outside my house. Once I opened my eyes I was instantly filled with excitement! I’m in Tacna, Peru! I have surrendered my life to God and have just begun an adventure! I’m sure I’ll struggle again, but God has definitely renewed my body and spirit after an 11 hour sleep. Besides that first night, I have been completely happy here. I love the people and the food, and I’m picking up the language really quickly! I can’t wait to see what else God has for me!