Surprised by love

When you go on a trip to another country there is a lot of things that are different and that can surprise you.  I learned this again today, our first day in Peru.


Let's go back a bit to the very beginning which started with us waking up from our 3 hour nap because we got into bed at 4:30 a.m. Peru time and were up for breakfast at 7:30.

Although tired, you are energized by the newness of the place, the newness of the language, and the anticipation of the day.  Next thing you know you are on a bus from the comfortable beachside community you are staying in to the southern part of Lima, a place that not even people who live in Lima know of, called Flores De Villa.

As you get closer and closer to this area, you realized that the landscape is changing, the buildings are getting less finished as are the roads, and eventually you are going up a step hill to Flores De Villa where there is no asphalt, no grass, only dirt roads and worsening buildings.

By all worldly standards you are headed to the dump, because that is where Flores De Villa is built.  Upon an old garbage dump.  But as I was saying, you are surprised.  The people are vibrant, they are loving, and extremely welcoming.  It's like they have known you forever.

It's as if God is connecting you on the most basic of human connections, your heart.  Not only do you meet people you have never met before, but you meet people your wife and daughter encountered 5 years ago, who you only know through pictures and beautifully written letters about faith and there love for us.

But again you are surprised.....by how much they love you and the relationship that you have, which for me was previously only experienced through story, pictures and letters.  You realize how much they have to give to you.  How your lives have been connected even though you live on separate continents, thousands of miles apart.

Josh and Walter, Jr (Note the soccer goalie gloves Josh got for him.  He cried with joy.)

What connected me to today with our Peruvian family was not only the connection of the heart, but the connection of God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus.  God brought us together to a place where our impacts on each others lives was concretely experienced and felt.  It is hard to put into words the love that they shared and the impact our relationship has had in their lives.  Today I experienced that same love on my end.

This beautiful family who was two dimensional to me, became three dimensional and possibly four dimensional.  They became real......in the flesh.  They became real from their heart.  They became real from their spirit.

I realized as we were meeting that take away the language barrier, take away the different places we live, take away our different economic circumstances, and we are people, people who struggle, people who sin, and people who are put on the earth to love.....love one another.

Today I felt the love of Christ through Walther, Marta, Walther Jr., Hemina, Jasmine, and Jean Pierre.  I hope they too experienced that same love...love that is universal, that is without boundary, economic circumstance, and geographic location...the love Jesus himself gives to all who respond to his calling of...... come follow me.

Walter, Jr & Sr met us at the airport... 2:00am

Today I was surprised by the power of love.

Lance