Mission Peru

by Nikki Phelps

Now that we're in our last few days of Peru, I've been reflecting a lot on the experiences we've had. Countless memories have been made here, but the most encouraging moment for me happened at the day care. I was looking forward to it all day, but when we were finally on our way, I started to worry about the language barrier. I kept asking myself how I could possibly connect with these kids when we don't speak the same language, but the moment we got there I realized that all my worrying was for nothing. It became clear to me that God's love didn't need to be spoken, it could simply be shared.

God's love truly knows no bounds. I met a little girl named Andrea there, and her precious smile was the highlight of my week. The moment she jumped into my arms, I could see joy warm her beautiful face, and in return felt deeply humbled. To see this little girl so happy when she had so little really impacted how I look at my own life and made me realize how much I take for granted. It was so encouraging to see the excitement on all the kids faces just from a group of "'gringo's" (as the Peruvians would say).

This experience really taught me to be joyful in all situations as the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

I will forever be thankful for this amazing experience, and will never forget the power of wordless love.