Perth!!

Well, after three days of training we are FINALLY arrived to Perth.  Training was fun.  It was nice to meet some new people and learn some things about Australian culture.  The one thinig I most remember from training is one of my supervisors saying “as a missionary you are constantly learning!”  God has proven that to me over the last 3 days.

We arrived in East Freo Wed. Afternoon.  Three of our new Aussie friends were at the airport awaiting our arrival.  They are so excited we are here to assist them in ministry over the next 2 months. 

Yesterday my teammate & I done a little exploring.  We mostly walked around town.  After we made a target run!  Today we are off to attend some Australian sports games.

Hello Sydney!!

After 30+ hours of flying and 4 airports we have arrived in Sydney safe and sound. Please, forgive my lack of updates. I had every intention of bringing my computer to provide picture updates but I decided at 2am of my departure date that I would not be dragging my computer all the way across the world.

God has been so faithful. We made it through security with very minimal problems(just ask me about the confiscation later). Some luggage got lost but now it has been found. By the grace of God, I have not experienced jet lag! That's a miracle considering jet lag was TERRIBLE last time I had a 12+ hour time change.

What I will I do?

Many people have asked, "Why are you going to Australia?" or "What will you be doing?" 

Well, I am pretty much interning with a local church.  There are some things they tell me I will be doing, but let me just say from past experience, what they say and what you actually will be doing can be two COMPLETELYdifferent things.  

I will be a this church East Fremantle Baptist Church in Perth, Australia.  I will be helping the youth and children's ministers and building some relationships with the young adults. 

Please continue to lift us up.  We are only 2 days away from our departure date!

Testimony

I am posting my testimony to let all of you know where I have come from, where I am and where I am going.

My parents divorced when I was 4 years old. My mom pretty much raised me all by herself. We never went to church when I was a child. However, I attended a church school so I knew some Bible verses and knew ABOUT Jesus.

When I was 12 years old my mawmaw started to get involved in a local church. I started going to church with her. I was in Sunday School one morning when the teacher asked me if I was a Christian, I said no. Shortly after that he asked if I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart. In April 2001, I asked Jesus to forgive me & save my life! I experienced some joy unlike any I had ever known!

I spent the next few years teaching Sunday School and in VBS. At 16 years old, I spent the 4th of July in Honduras helping with medical missions. That missions team planned to go to Peru the following summer, but that was never of God and His will. God still gave me a heart and desire for the people, along with the culture, of Peru.

A few years go by. My mom started going to church. Honestly, she was just a "Sunday Christian." I had started college and got involved with Baptist Campus Ministries. In Sept. 2008, the precious BCM director took the time to introduce me to Summer Missions. I thought it would be a cool thing to do. Then I was determined to be in South Carolina the next summer. Although, I said two things since that day, 1) I would go some place I never thought I would go and 2) If my parents were more for it, I would be going out of the country.

I had the opportunity to talk with a former summer missionary. I told her those two things several times during our one hour conversation. All I can remember her saying is "Britney, you need to think about this! Think about what God is calling you to do. Your parents may not be for it, but you need to follow God's will!" I, literally, could not sleep that night for those words running through my mind. I called my mom the next day to tell her I would be going to Peru for the summer. I think she learned very quick I was serious and there was nothing she could do to hold me back. My mom supported me more than I ever thought she would!

That summer in Peru definitely opened my heart and mind to missions. I learned a lot about all of the "behind the scenes" things that you would never think about. My time in Peru gave me a heart to reach out to the nations for His name's sake. I decided to give my life to missions! I went to South Asia the summer of 2010 and now Australia for the summer of 2011. And I know God is not finished with me yet!!

Hello!

I hope you are here, because you have received a letter from me and you would like to be a part of what God is doing among the nations. As far as summer missions goes, I am still trusting God to provide financial and prayer support. I know He will provide since this is His will. I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do over the next few months, as I minister with with East Fremantle Baptist Church in Perth, Australia. You will be able to keep up with me on my blog, which I will update weekly (at least).

Please be in prayer for me and the 13 other college students going to Australia! Pray for God to prepare us for the journey ahead. We leave one month from today!!

I thank God for all of you, your support and prayers. God bless each one of you!!

Back 2 Life in the U.S.

As of now I have been home nearly a week. I have adjusted to life back home pretty well, or at least alot better than I thought I would. It is still a daily process. I have to tell myself 2 or 3 times a day that I will be ok. I have taken a shower EVERYDAY since I have been home, it seems unreal. I still freak out everytime I see toilet paper in the comode and everytime I use toilet paper I want to put it in the trash can next to the comode, but then I remember that I can flush toilet paper in North America. For a little while I got so excited when I saw someone wearing a crimson Alabama football t-shirt, but then again I have to be reminded that I am in AL. The language differance was a little hard at first but I am back to English for now. I have not been sick at all since I have been home, and I just knew that I would get sick once I got home.

I also miss blogging. Yesterday I was constantly thinking "I have not blogged in 4 days. I need to blog." I think I may turn it into a weekly thing and just write about what God is doing in my life or some new things He is teaching me. I also learned how to knit while in Peru. I never thought I would pick up 2 new hobbies with this trip, but that is more than ok.

Over the past few days I have been busy, but that has been good. It has kept my mind off of Peru. I miss my teammates. It would not have bothered me to be in Peru for a longer term, but i know for now I have to be in the U.S to finish school and who knows what else.

I'm Home!

I left Peru at 11pm Sunday night and I arrived in Birmingham at 5pm Monday. I had to travel about 20 hours coming back, but really it did not seem like it. It really feels more like 8 hours of traveling. We got through customs and all security without any major problems.



ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!!!!!



It is so weird being the US now. I have gotten used to being a Peruvian. Whenever someone asks me a question my natural responce is to answer in Spanish, I freak out whenever I flush toilet paper (in South America you can not do that), and I know the language that everyone speaks. I just have to keep reminding myself that I will be ok. It was hard not to cry on the way home from the airport. Life as I have known it for the past 10 weeks is no more, but I have learned and seen some wonderful things.

the Last

Plane ticket - $1086

Traveling Expenses - $1553

SUMMER MISSIONS - PRICELESS

As of today we are 5 days away from being on our way home. We can finally count on one hand how many days we have left and right now it is hard not to start crying. We are in our last village and tomorrow will be our last full day in this village. I have learned so much this summer from I can go 8 days without a shower to knowing how much the world needs to know the one who died to take thier place. I have had fun but there also some moments I would not care to relive. I know there has been some people who have prayed for me and are still praying.

My moma, who let me come to Peru for 10 weeks and has been more than supportive since I said I wanted to come.

Mrs. Christy, Thank You so much for taking the time to talk to me about summer missions and answer my every question.

Willis family, thank you all so much for the neverending support and prayers, I thank God that He has put ya´ll in my life.

And many thanks to all of the churches who have supported me.

I have not come to Peru alone. I could not have done any of this without you and Jesus Christ being My Lord and Strength.

I ask that you please pray for us over the next few days. We leave Lima, Peru 11.30 pm August 2, and I will arrive in Birmingham, AL around 6pm on August 3. Please pray for us as we leave, that we will get through customs without any problems. And as we are about to be at home please pray 1. for our health, over 2 hours I am sure our eating habits will change dramaticlly and 2. we are going back to a differnet culture and language. Most of us have gotten in Spanish mode and everytime someone talks to us in English we even answer in Spanish.

Change of Plans

Yesterday we were about to leave Ica and go to our next village but we got a phone call saying there is a festival and we wouldn't be able to get out. So now we are in Lima and hopefully in an hour we will be headed to our last village. Brandon is not feeling so well right now, so we are waiting to see how he feels within the next hour. We arrived in Lima yesterday and last night we ate dinner at TGI Fridays. That was the best food we have had in 2 months. Hamburgers and Hiens Ketchup never tasted so good. And I got to go to Starbucks in Lima. I love my Starbucks!

We are about to be in the last village. This summer has went by so fast. This time next week we will be in final debriefing. It has been wonderful seeing God work through all things. I know this will not be my last time to be in Latin America. Please pray for us as we are about to be home. It is a completely different world. I can not wait to get a hold of some cold sweet tea, Jim-N-Nicks BBQ, and I miss going to Birmingham and going to see my besties at thier work. I don't know what I am going to do when everybody speaks English instead of Spanish, I have to take a shower everyday, and I can put toilet paper in the comode. It was hard coming home after I had been in another country for one week. I really can not imagine coming home after 10 weeks. It is not going to be easy, but I know I will be ok.

it´s our last week

One week from today we will be leaving our last village and on our way to final debriefing. This summer has been amazing. I never thought I would be in Peru for the entire summer. It is so amazing now to look back over the summer. Just 2 months ago 70 days seemed like an eturnity. God has worked in so many ways and I know I will never be the same. Please continue to pray for us as we are about to go home. And thank you all so much for all of the concern and support you have shown this summer.

STILL in Nazca.

Well yesterday I told you healtwise we are all doing fine. Today, however, Jon is not feeling good. It seemswhenever we tell everybody we are doing so well someone gets sick. I think now we are determined not to talk health issues.

In other news, we are staying in Nazca until tommorow morning. Then we go to Laramate for 1 day then we are off to our final 3 villages. :( I got the chance to talk to a friend last night and they said that they thought I would love Peru and woiuld end up staying, but I know I have to come home and finish school. So I am coming home in 17 days.

And I finally took a shower last night after going 8 days without a shower. I had to wash my hair 4 times before it would become clean.

We´re in Nazca!!

After getting up at 5am to get on a bus at 6:30, we have made it to Nazca. It was suposed to be an 8 hour trip but turned out to be 11 hours. There were not any combies going to Laramate (our next village) so tomorrow morning we will be on our way to one of our last 4 villages.

I have went 8 days without a shower but I think tonight I am going to give in and take a shower. We are in Nazca with some warm running water, so why not? I was trying to go 2 weeks but I still have some time for that. Going without shower has not been that bad. I have washed my hair and feet once in the sink. We travled through the desert today and that is my favorite place to go through. I am not sure why, but probably just because it is so different from any other places we have been. Healthwise we are all doing wonderful. I am going to miss all of my teammates this time next month. We have grown so close and now we have all of our inside jokes I don´t know what I will do once I don´t have them anymore. I have not gotten homesick hardly any this summer. Thanks to all of your never ceasing prayers and we have been safe 99% of our time in Peru.

I miss my Alabama more and more everyday, but I think it is just beacause we are getting closer to going home. I think most of us have our first week planned once we get home; where we are going, and even what we are going to eat and wear. We all miss some wonderful cold sweet tea. I most of all am going to miss this weather in Peru. It is winter time here because we are below the Equator. We have been on the Bolivia and Peru border where it was about 20 degrees at night. But during the day it does not get above 75 degrees and I am a hot natured girl from Alabama (NO exageration). This weather was made for me, I LOVE it.

50 Days in Peru!!!

We have now been in Peru for 50 days and 20 days from now we will be on plane on our way to the US. We are in Cabana right now and we will leave tomorrow. We have 4 villages left. For the past week we have been without internet access and I have not taken a shower in 6 days. It is not as bad as it seems. Our time in Peru has been so amazing. When we get home we have so many stories to tell.

Cuatro de Julio!

It is the forth of July and we are going to celebrate tonight with 2 village teams and maybe some fireworks. We arrived in Coracora yesterday after travling 8 hours on a miserable bus ride. Let´s just say we will be so glad when we actually see a paved road again. This weekend is more laid back than most days, so we are going to enjoy it while it last.

Most of the team has been sick over the past four days with a virus. Ashley & I have not been sick and we are praying that we do not. Please pray for them, it is not so easy being sick in Peru. We are now 29 days away from being at home. It´s not long but at times we may think it will never be here. It so wierd we are counting in days now because we have never really done that. As the tme is getting closer it is so easy to ponder on things that nedd to be done, all the school stuff, family issues, and all the choices we have to make. I found out a few days ago that the pastor of my home church resigned and now I don´t really know what the future brings once I go home. If there is one thing I have learned in Peru it is don´t worry about planning because things won´t turn out the way you planned anyway. I moved back home so I could be at church more and be more involved, and who knows now I may not even be going to the same church.

Life in Peru.

Today we areleaving Caraveli and we are on to the next village. Our time in Caraveli has been interesting, it is very full of Catholism, so much so that we do not use the word Catholic. The village team that is here goes through alot of persecution, the catholics will not listen to what they have to say. Yesterday we went to a local highschool and they were so surprised that the students actually listened to us. Yesterday and today Brandon has not been feeling so well. At first we thought he had the same thing Jon had about two weeks ago but now we dont think so. At 11:30pm tonight we leave for Coracora. We have only 6 villages left.

As of today we are one month away from being home. It is so strange now that we can count villages left in single digits and counting down days we are about to be in the twenties. For me it is exciting and sad at the same time, but I continue to ask for your prayers. Please pray that we will not lose our focus, we get more anxious everyday but I want my heart to be in all I do. And another prayer request, Kristen Seay is from Trussville, AL has been a missionary here in Peru for two years but now she is coming to the end of her term of service. She leaves with us, Aug. 2, please pray for her I know it is hard to leave a country no matter how long you stay, but she especially loves every bit of Peru.