Celebrating!

Today we celebrated life!  We celebrated with some of our Peruvian brothers and sisters as we spent our 'free day' with our family of God here in Peru, not on a ministry schedule, but learning, laughing and loving together making memories and taking tons of photos!

It started with our verse for the day, Isaiah 50:4 and continued with morning worship and praise led by the C/W mini band.  Some of us even learned some new music.  What a celebration it was.  Short, simple and sweet.  Being in His presence somehow always is!  Then off to a park in downtown Lima for personal devotions. 
 
We celebrated:
-  a first wedding anniversary, a 19th birthday and a 38th wedding anniversary and His faithfulness in each of these people's lives, with silly decorations and photo opportunities!
-  with some American food - a visit to Pizza Hut!
-  remembering our family and friends who supported us on this trip, by shopping for specific gifts and souveniers to bring home.
- choosing Christmas presents for family and friends!
-  witnessing a team member seeing the ocean for the first time (ever!) in her life!  She was amazed, her jaw dropped open, and her eyes were as big as saucers.  The waves were large, and getting a little wetter than she planned, but having a blast was fun for all of us!
- with singing!
- on separate busses - the gals bus and the guys bus!  Another unique way of getting to one another better.
- with Dunkin Donuts, or Starbucks, and ice cream while visiting the Pacific Ocean.
- making and enjoying 'meals on wheels'!  As the busses were driving through the city streets in heavy traffic, braking for all sorts of reasons, pb&j sandwiches were made and our box lunch was enjoyed.
- by playing at the water fountain park!
- the girls' bus even had a visit from M&M the clown and we were entertained.
- quietness on the gals bus on the way home as two girls read 9 chapters of Job out loud.
- a male choir as the guys sang on the way home at 10:00 pm!

It is late - very late, but I do want to leave this one thought with you.  Life is to be celebrated, not just a Christmas or a birthday of yours or a friends.  But we have so much to be excited about, and to be thankful for.  Every day remind yourself, "This is the day that the Lord  has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."  We may have not ministered through drama and conferences today, but we were the only Jesus many may have seen.