Peru Reflections

Near the end of The Return of the King, Frodo says, “How do you pick up the threads of an old life?  How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand there is no going back?”

Even before I went to Peru, I knew I would not return the same person.  The evening after we had spent the day at the zoo, we went to a market, and my heart was not there.  Okay, so I don’t like shopping, anyway, but it seemed so incongruous after what we had experienced.  (Not a criticism toward the trip planners, who are awesome; just how I was feeling at the time.)

After shopping, we went to dinner at a Chinese (Chifa) restaurant where we had a room to ourselves.  Sean asked for people to share about the day, and I wanted so much to do that, but all I could do was cry.  

I cried for the people who have so little but give so much.  I cried for all the smiling faces of all those sweet childen, and for the hugs and kisses they gave us, the way they accepted us unconditionally without even knowing us. 

I cried for the beautiful country I was leaving behind, with its coastal plains, majestic mountains, and amazing jungles.

I cried for Jack, who lives in one room with his mother, sister, and nephew and has no father now, who has to walk 30 minutes to school in the dark, who plays futbol, the trumpet, and the violin, who is a leader in his church Bible study, who is fourth in his class academically . . . who means so very much to me and is such a blessing in my life.  I cried for the love he has for me and the love I have for him, love that can only be born and grow through Jesus.

I cried for how God has brought us together in a supernatural way because He knew how much we would bless each other in His name.

I cried for the people who don’t quite get it--those who have no idea how we can change the world simply by changing the life of a child.

I cried for the people with whom I had become close and to whom I would soon have to say good-bye.

I cried because I may never see Jack again on Earth.

I cried for reasons only my heart knows.

My heart was touched, and I will never forget it.

I know as time goes on, the Lord will reveal to me even more lessons that I learned on that trip.

So how do I “pick up the threads of an old life”?  

I don’t.  I am forever changed, and I pray that the change will be reflected in my daily life, in my encounters with my friends, in my encounters with people I don’t know, in my Compassion Advocacy, and in my job where I'm not even supposed to talk about God.

Compassion Peru--my heart is with you and with your people.  I will never forget you.