Genesis 28:15

I’m sitting in the airport in Pucallpa waiting to go back to Cajamarca, with a few more mosquito bites, (counted 84 on my legs) lots more pictures on my phone which are yet to come, four new sisters (cheesey), a LOT of joy and a little bit of sadness in my heart. I’ve met some pretty amazing people since we last spoke, this trip I’ve had to say goodbye to people that I don’t want to say goodbye to! Like I’m having to leave somewhere where I feel I belong and it goes against everything I want to do. Admittedly my time in Peru has not gone as planned: I haven’t been as busy as I expected, my Spanish was much worse than I’d thought - and it’s now much better than I could ever have hoped. The people here are so different than what I expected and have blown me away with their felicidad (happiness) and their perseverance (more to come on this). Whilst anticipating leaving what is now one of my favourite places on earth (amongst the ranks of the Yorkshire Dales and Moshi Christian Children’s Centre) I’ve definitely wished that I could just go home. I have to leave somewhere I feel a sense of ‘belonging’ and my instinct is to yearn for  home where I know I have a place. I miss my Mum, I miss my dorky brothers and I miss my Pa. I miss Cutsyke Christian Church and Regent Chapel and I miss my best friends. I miss smoothies, vegetables and Yorkshire accents (and Yorkshire puddings). I don’t know what awaits in Cajamarca. By now I figured that time would be flying by - everyone I spoke to said that after the first month time will just whizz by, but I’m two months in and there’s not much whizzing. BIG respect to those who uproot their lives and commit themselves to stay here, it feels difficult just dedicating a bit of my ‘gap yah’. Another unexpected thing is that I’ve met such amazing people in Pucallpa who make saying goodbye so hard- I’ve found somewhere I feel I belong in PERU. Where they can’t pronounce my name and still make fun of my Spanish!! The Lord has truly blessed me and shown me an essence of His kingdom in a way I’ve never seen it before. In my heart I know that is the true reason I feel such a sense of belonging, because I felt God’s love and presence here. So despite it being 20 degrees colder, 2800 metres higher and so far away from mis amigas, Cajamarca holds promises from the Lord that He’s there with me and where two or three are gathered there He will be. That I belong there because He will be there with me - I’m travelling with my best friend and as God’s daughter I’m a member of His kingdom, going from where His kingdom is coming to where His kingdom is also coming - in other words all over Peru - God’s people are all over the world in fact! His invitation to join this family extends to all- to accept his love, to receive his salvation and to realise that we’re here to seek justice and righteousness and to love the One who gives us life. When I shift my perspective to this truth it doesn’t matter where I am or where I’m going today. If God is with me then I’m secure whether on home ground or in South America. Wherever God is I need to be, and He tells me ‘I am with you and will keep you wherever you will go’ just as He promised Jacob in Genesis 28. God is with the people that I’m leaving behind at TEC, with the children at the Orchard. He’s with each family that welcomes me, and my own little family in the last house on the edge of the jungle where I lived with Rachel, Courtney, Danielle and Sharee for the past two weeks (and BOY did we feel the presence and love and joy of the Lord during this time!). He’s at the Cacho apartment in Cajamarca where I will soon be and with the people at Centro Cristiano Vida. In these places God is leading and teaching His people, it just doesn’t matter WHERE I am. The Lord says “come.” and the privilege for me is that I can follow Him and I can belong to Him and find my identity in Him. Last night our Bible study leader Mark said “If you’re held by the Father you’ll go where He goes. The ultimate question is will you chose to belong to Him?” God is so gracious in showing me how I can choose Him rather than following what I want or staying somewhere because I feel I belong there. Where I truly belong is where God is and where He wants me to be, and He provides me with the strength to choose Him.