from Alley

Well we are packed up and heading out for our Sunday/Monday marathon day home.  I am affectionaltely calling this mission trip the Good Will Tour of Peru.  We have done much work for the Kingdom of God.  Some of the work has been physical like moving dirt and painting, much of it has been relational like VBS and birthday celebrations, but most of it has been spiritual work like ushering in the Mighty Presence of the Spirit of God into each place we have gone.  It is easy to become overwhelmed in these places of need...but easy to ask the power of God to come.  My two favorite moments of ushering in the Holy Spirit is first when we went into a squatter village to find a soup kitchen to help serve in the next day.  We found the two woman who run the soup kitchen.  They are caught between a change in jurisdiction and municipalities and they have been without government assistant for food for months.  As 6 of us stood around and listened to their heart wrenching story of beauracricy and hunger, there was not much we could do in a tangible way, but that is when you ask for the Spirit of God to come.  We asked for the Father and Sustainer of all to be their Jehovah Jireh (Provider) and to come and bring spiritual and physical nurishment.  As we left I trusted that the Lord himself would step in  and do the work...we were just the vessel he used to usher in His presence.  The second favorite moment of ushing in the Holy Spirit was when we marched in the parade for the Peruvian flag day.  I know you are thinking crazy that a spiritual memorial stone could be a march, but I promise you the Lord was everpresent in that place.  As we march in our red Peru sweatshirts and the children from Hannah's Home marched in red ponchos we ushered in the Kingdom of God.  I was mindful of the Lord's prayer as I marched and prayed, Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  There is much corruption in Chilca and the children's home and the community has come under much attack because of the enemy.   As we marched past the officials the crowd was cheering (probably because the Gringo's looked hilarious doing the Peruvian march) but the offficials stood and joined the clapping and cheering.  My heart was about the burst with the cry out to God....May the Favor of the Lord surround Hannah's Home like a shield.  It was a powerful moment with the Lord to usher in that presence and favor.  Those two moments like millions of others the Presence of God has been great.  Each face that I looked into dark beautiful eyes and kissed their cheeks I was talking to the Lord about His blessing and His purpose for their life.  This earth is not our home, that is so obvious in places of deep harsh need like Chilca, Peru....but it is also true of our comfortable places of plenty.  This earth is not our home...I long for the day when we stand in perfection with all peoples of the earth in the FULL presence of our King of Kings.  But until that day comes....I will continue to pray, "Your Kingdom come, your will above all Father on earth as it already is in Heaven."!!!!
Ally