Feliz Cumpleanos.

Today I celebrate a man that has always fought for the underdog. 

A man that has always loved the unwanted children of this world.

A man that taught me from a young age that no amount of money compares to holding the hand of an orphan.

A man that has funded my dreams to walk with the least of these of Peru.

A man that points to GOD in everything he does...

A man that I call my Dad.



                                   HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!

        I love you and promise to meet you in heaven.

Seeing Peru through a nine year old's eyes.

My nine year old bother Taylor is here for the next six weeks and I am so excited to see Peru through his eyes.

I want him to see and smell the trash filled streets and hear what  he has to say..
I want him to play with the orphans and see they are the same as he is..
I want him to give to the beggar and see his young, pure heart open to loving the least of these..
I want to see him fall in love with Peru and want to change this country..

Living simply.

Check out LIVE SIMPLY 4 PERU's support video!

PRAY

There are times I find it hard to pray.

I don't know how to start.
I don't know where to start.
I don't know who to start with.

The Lost?
The Dying?
The Hungry?
The Lonely?
The Uncounted?

In Peru?
In the States?
In Africa?
In China?
In the WORLD?

My Family?
My Neighbor?
The girl I sat beside on the bus?
The beggar I gave to on the street?
The child I held in the orphanage?

I pray daily because I still believe that my God answers prayers.

One year

This weekend will mark ONE year since making Peru HOME!

One year ago I walked away from the American dream.
One year ago I felt as though God took away everything I had been living for...
One year ago I would have never guessed I would be standing here today..

I left my room where I had everything for a bed on the floor.

I left my family for children that didn't have a family.

I left college where I was studying to work in a nice school for special needs with MANY resources to help in a small school for special needs children with minimal resources.

I left my church of comfort for a church with dirt floors and people with scars that are unimaginable.. 

I left wanting more and found HE is all I needed..

Peruarbo

Saturday was my first day back at the feeding center/church in Peruarbo. 

As I walked down the dirt streets I felt the sick feeling of the reality of everyday life of the people I have fallen in love with. 

Walking into the church I saw smiling faces and was embraced by many hugs and kisses on the cheek.

I was asked to say something to the church or just talk about my time in the States with my family, but I couldn't.

I had no words.

How could I tell people that had nothing about how in the States I have everything.

How could I talk about my family knowing that there were kids there that didn't have one. 

How could I talk about this BIG, GREAT, LOVING God that I serve when I was questioning His love for these people. 

Saturday I held this little girl during church.
She is four and she lives with her fourteen year old brother.
As I held this motherless child she pulled out a small bottle of fingernail polish and started painting her nails.
A four year old painting her nails because she does not have a mother to do this for her.
A four year old that will live a life that I cannot imagine.

An Orange..

One day at the market as I was eating an orange, a little boy that was about 2 years old came up to me and reached up for the last half of my fruit..

I handed it to him and began to ask him his name...

I silently heard God say "thank you for the fruit, Maisie"..
It wasn't much but it was what HE asked for.. 
It was all that I had in my hands..

As I walked out of the market I thought of how sometimes God doesn't ask for us to give Him much just what we hold in our hands...

I want to give daily to the hungry, dirty, unloved children of Peru.