Time to PERUse: Last Post from Peru...At least for a while

09 March 2016

Last Post from Peru...At least for a while

How can I sum up my 9+ years here in Peru? In the midst of taking care of all the details for our big move to the US, I have been thinking a lot about all that has happened in the last nine years. The truth is I am finding it very hard to say goodbye to this amazing place I have come to call home (even now as I write this I am fighting back tears).

Many of the greatest blessings I have experienced as an adult have happened here:

I have grown as a person – learning to adapt to a different culture, and communicating in a second language.
I have been blessed to serve alongside amazing Peruvian and US brothers and sisters in Christ, who like me responded to a call to serve the most vulnerable. These servants welcomed me in to their midst, and have and continue to be an example of faith in action.
Serving with Food for the Hungry in Peru, God allowed me to serve in so many different ways (teaching community health promoters, coordinating emergency response, helping to design programs, monitoring and reporting, working with teams, writing curriculum, and training staff and community leaders). Serving with Food for the Hungry has been and continues to be an answer to my prayers – to be able to serve God and make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable using the unique gifts and skills God has given to me.
In Peru, I met, fell in love with, and married the love of my life, Cristian. In 2006 when I came to Peru, I could not have imagined meeting “the one” in Peru, but thankfully God’s ways are not our own.
In Peru, God allowed us to grow our family with the birth of two little ones – Caleb and Liana. In the last few years, we have made so many amazing memories with these two.
In Peru, God gave me an amazing second family in Cristian’s Family. Being close with Cristian’s mother, sister, brother in law, niece, nephew, and father is one of the biggest blessings about our life in Peru. Doris, my mother in law, has been the most amazing “Lita” (short for abuelita or grandmother). When I think of the distance that will soon be between us, my heart aches.
My heart also aches to think about having to say goodbye to the many friends I have been blessed to know over the years in Peru. When I first thought about moving overseas, I was a bit worried about finding community and feeling lonely – but God has always been so generous – putting so many amazing people in my life.

So what is next? Just as I took a leap of faith coming to Peru 9+ years ago, in less then a week, we will be taking another leap of faith as a family and moving to the US. While it is hard to say goodbye to Peru, we cling to the hope of God’s provision for us in this next season.

For me, I am excited to be close and connect with family and old friends. We hope and pray that God will also provide community for Cristian and the kids. At least for now we will be living with my parents, who are very excited to have us close and be able to spend more time as Grammie and Grandpa.

I will be continuing to serve with Food for the Hungry, from the US,as the Global Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Coordinator. I have been in this role part time for the last year, but after moving I will focus all of my work on supporting DRR programing throughout all of Food for the Hungry’s fields (like Kenya - where I made a recent trip to train staff - more on this in an upcoming post :)

For the next few months Cristian will focus on studying English. We are not sure about all of the details of God’s plan for our family in this next season, but we are praying and trusting that those too will be revealed at the perfect time.

Right now we are in the midst of saying goodbyes and wrapping up too many details of life in Peru. Please keep us in your prayers for our departure and our arrival and transition to life in the US.

Blessings,

Lauren