...shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...

Faithfulness

2011-04-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

There are countless words I could use to describe this past month but I choose to use sum it up using the word faithful. It’s a word we associate with God because we know it to be true yet it’s a word that we are consistently learning the true definition of. Maybe we are constantly learning of His faithfulness because we are constantly forgetting it. All I know is that God is faithful and He has proved that to me in several ways this past month. Allow me to share.

First of all God is faithful in the work He is doing in Pamplona. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Our work in Pamplona is not for nothing. God is moving in the hearts of some of the women there. It seems as though each week we are able to sit down and read the bible with women more consistently than the week before. They are hungry and they are searching. Some are searching to deepen their relationship and others searching how to begin that relationship. For example, Nila has been a believer since a young girl but has drifted from God. Seeing her recent desire to study the Word every time we come to her house has been astounding. In the beginning she always put us off but after we shared with her the parable of the farmer scattering the seed (Luke 8) and how in order to grow we must water our root to make it strong, we have seen a strong desire in her to make her root strong. Not only is she soaking in the Word but she is sharing it with her neighbors. Another example is a woman named Celia. She is not a believer but has quickly become one of the women we are closest to due to her hospitality for us. The fact that she recognizes she has not yet accepted Christ in her life but needs Him tells me it is only a matter of time. Another woman named Yolanda has had a rough life. Several times that we have visited with her she has been led to tears as she pours out her heart to us. She desires to change her life and have her sins erased. I believe she is on the verge of professing Christ as her Savior. Praise God for taking us to Pamplona to share with them what they hungering for. Soon, very soon, I trust we will see several women come to profess Him as their Savior and when that day comes there will be a party in heaven and amongst us. God is faithful in producing fruit from our labor.

Pamplona is about an hour bus ride from my house, sometimes more. Some days I spend a total of 3 hours traveling back and forth from Pamplona. Three hours that could be used spending time with the people and not traveling. Let me preface all of this by saying that it has been incredibly difficult for me to share “half” of my life with these people. Sharing my life with them throughout the day but then when night comes I return to my fancy apartment (“fancy” in comparison), take a shower, use the internet, cook dinner, wash my dishes in an actual sink with running water and then turn on my fan to feel a breeze as I crawl into my bed that in many places would sleep four children. I am not saying anything is wrong with the small blessings that God gives us although most of us take them for granted. The issue for me is that because I have been called to minister to these people I want to share my life with them, not just part of it. Pamplona is by no means the safest, cleanest and easiest place to live and I did not want to be a burden on a family who already struggles to survive nor could I claim land and build my own “shanty”. This led to the question “How will this work?” Within a day of fervently praying for this, a sister-in-Christ who lives alone with her daughter opened her home to me. She would not see me as a burden to come into her home (which is the size of the bedroom I am living in now) but she would see it as a “blessing”. At the end of this month I will be moving to Pamplona. God is faithful.

My life took an unexpected turn this past month. This personal issue that took place could have easily destroyed me. Satan could have attacked me in a countless number of ways. He could have devoured my heart, my mind and my ministry. At one point I even questioned giving up and coming home. But what Satan could have used for his “good”, God used for His. God’s faithfulness throughout this past month has been beyond anything I ever could have imagined. Why? Because I don’t think any of us realize or give credit for just how big God is and sometimes it takes trials for Him to show us and/or remind of that. No matter what life throws at us Psalms 73:23-26 tells us “I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destination. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on this earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” God has reminded me He is all I need. He is enough. I am His child and He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28) which is already playing itself out. Praise God for His faithfulness during the storms and that when we are weak He is strong.

We never know what today is going to bring. Our plans don’t always come together as we hope. Life brings us trials and what we see as “detours”. I don’t claim to have it all figured out (God knows there is so much for me to learn) but the one and only thing that I find to be true and eternal is the love and faithfulness of God. When we trust in Him and His faithfulness, His peace will guard our hearts and minds as well as exceed anything we can understand (Philippians 4:7).

Please pray for:

- The ministry in Pamplona including the names of the women I mentioned above.

- That God’s will be done as I move to Pamplona.

Thank you for your love, prayers and support. May God bless each one of you as we fix our eyes on Him, the author and perfector of our faith.

Brittne

End of the Road

2010-07-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

The time has arrived where I begin to say my goodbyes. I started this journey 2 years ago. I can hardly believe it is over. The past few months I have been traveling and working in villages, doing what I do. I just returned from my last village trip which I was so blessed to have spent with friends from my home church (Fusion) and my mother. Our week spent in Lambrama was amazing. We stayed very busy and were able to see the Lord at work in the hearts of several people. It was a great trip to end on. One that will always be cherished.

As for now I am in Lima. Soaking in this last week I have with friends and family. Appreciating the culture instead of sometimes complaining about it. Embracing the small things I will miss. And reflecting on all the memories and things God has taught me during this phase in my life. I have learned contentment, how to love others and demonstrate that love and most importantly how to depend on God for all things. When I was weak, He was strong. When I felt alone, He reminded me He was there. When I felt inadequate, He demonstrated his adequacy through me. When I needed someone to talk to, He listened. When I needed rest, He opened His arms and held me. Its apparent that I would not have made it through these past two years without God. Nothing was of me, but all of Him. I am not the same person I was two years ago. God has changed me. He has taught and showed me things that will have forever impacted my life and that I will always be grateful for.

So what is the next step in my future? Well, that is a good question. In regards to long term, I am not sure what the answer is to that. I know I want to do missions regardless of where I am. I will share with you, that one possibility I am praying about is coming back to Peru for a few months next January. In regards to what is next for my immediate future, I will be moving in with the padres in Fort Gibson, OK. And on August 25th I am heading for a 2 week trip to Haiti. Why, you might ask. Well, during my time in Peru, the Lord brought me an amazing friend. A friend who later became a boyfriend. Someone I am so blessed to have in my life. His name is Parker and he was a journeyman in Peru but transferred to Haiti after the earthquake. So my trip to Haiti will consist of spending time with Parker and also working along side teams from the states constructing cement houses. I am very excited for this opportunity the Lord gave me.

Thank you all for your prayers and support over these past 2 years. I could not have done it with you all. Please pray for direction for my future. That the Lord will reveal His will and that I would be faithful to listen and be obedient.

Not Ashamed,
Brittne (Aka Brenda to those in Peru)

On the road again...

2010-02-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

After a couple of months in Lima I will finally be on the road again traveling to Cabana on Thursday. It was nice to have some restful time in Lima (mostly just to be in one place for an extended period of time) and to be amongst friends day after day. It was also great to have my family here for Christmas. I cant believe so much time passed without us seeing eachother! God really blessed our time together.

During my time in Lima God gave me the opportunity to volunteer at an orphange. Its amazing the kind of blessing it has been to me. I have developed such a deep love for these children and enjoy every minute I am with them. It saddens me to know I wont be able to see them for another month but anxious for when that time comes.

Recently, a friend from the IMB who is serving in Asia came to see Ryan and I. It was so great to see her after 15 months. Its amazing the relationships God puts in your life that really last and that you continue to feel blessed from. I am truly thankful for Christian friends.

I will be returning to Cabana where I have served for 6 weeks. I am really hoping and praying to see alot of fruit from this trip and excited to see how God is going to use my team. I think its great to be going back to a village I have previously worked in because I already have relationships and trust built among some of the people.

I know these next several months will be challenging but I want that. I want God to challenge me in a way that will continue transforming my life. I want to be able to find my contentment in him alone and not in the circumstances of my daily life. Please be praying for me during this next month and mostly for the people we will be working with.

I love you all and thank you for your prayers and support.

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

No worries....Im still here

2009-11-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

I am sooooo sorry it has been forever since my last blog update. Things have been so busy and I have been traveling so much. So this blog is going to be bullet points to get everyone caught up on my life for the past month.

- My vacation to Spain was amazing! I absolutely loved the Spanish culture. We saw and did some wonderful things. One of my favorite things was seeing La Sagrada Familia, a Catholic Church that is still in construction designed by Gaudi. It was mind-blowing. I cannot believe someone had the kind of creativeness to design something like that. Absolutely phenomenal! Another favorite moment from the trip was when Jess and I rented mopeds and drove them around Barcelona. Soooo fun! It was my first time on a moped so I was a little scared (because I was awful) but eventually I got the hang of it. Seriously....when I move back to the states, I want a moped!
- While we were in Spain, my team got us moved into a new apartment. It turns out we couldnt stay in our old apartment due to the fire damage. Our new apt. is great! We each have our own room and the house is much more spacious than our last apt. Perfect for parties :) We are going to buy paint today to begin painting and making it more homey (I really dont even know if that is a legitimate word but oh well). Anyways, its so neat to continually see how God provides. He is so faithful!

- When I got back from Spain I went on 3 trips. One trip was to Ayacucho to train pastors on storying which went great. Another trip was to lead a church team from the States to a village named Pampachiri. The purpose was to see if they would like to adopt this area for ministry. Again, this trip went wonderful and it was really neat to see the excitement of the church to reach these people who are literally located at the "ends of the earth". My last trip was to Cabana where I previously worked for 6 weeks. It was good to see friends and continue ministering to them. One morning our team was in the square studying the Bible when a curious lady approached us. She was interested in hearing about the bible so I shared the story of Creation and Fall with her. I will never forget how shocked she was when I said that Adam and Eve ate the apple. She had never heard that story before! It just goes to show how much of a need there is everywhere because still so many people have not heard!

- Now I am in Lima getting some rest....well not really. I have been playing catch up since I have been back and still have yet to have a restful day. But believe me, once my to-do list is finished I am giving myself a whole day of sitting on my behind and doing nothing! Then there is much work to do in Lima.....but AFTER my rest day of course :)

-I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of one of my best friends tonight. She is passing through Lima on a mission trip. I wont really be able to hang out with her but I will be able to see her :) Also, my family is coming for Christmas. Wooooo! I am so anxious for them to get here.

Thanks for all your love and support!

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Counting My Blessings

2009-10-13T08:59:00.001-07:00

I have had a few busy days back in Lima. Its been quite busier than I anticipated. A few days before I was to return to Lima I found out that our apt. had caught on fire. My roommate was there and somehow our laundry room (that has our gas tanks) caught fire. Praise the Lord she escaped. Fire fighters came and were able to put out the fire before it spread throughout our apartment and there was no damage done to our belongings.

When I first heard about what happened I was pretty emotional. I was so grateful my friend was okay and that no one else was involved. I was thankful for all of our things being undamaged. I was overwhelmed and freightened at the thought of "what if?". I was sad to not have a home to go back to etc. However, the next day the Lord really got a hold of me and helped me clear my head.

Lately He has been teaching me about finding contentment in Him alone and not in things nor circumstances. I felt like this situation tested me to see if I really do find my joy and contentment in Him and in Him alone. It has been an eye opener to reveal where my heart really lies. I have been able to really analyze my faith and see areas of needed growth. I love how the Lord is so patient with us and how he gently teaches and shows us how to be more like Him and be closer to Him.

Throughout this situation He has been so faithful to provide for us. My roommates and I each have a place to stay here in Lima which is a huge blessing. And even though we are still living out of a suitcase (which is difficult at times) He is helping me count my blessings throughout this. We have always heard the phrase "count your blessings" but its amazing what it does to you and your faith when you really do count your blessings and praise God for those. I am truly learning how to count my blessings in every circumstance/situation whether it be in a village with limited comforts or in Lima dealing with an apt. fire and its amazing what it has done for me. One of the biggest blessings for me to always count is knowing my God and Savior and having an intimate relationship with Him. Circumstances may change throughout my life but my relationship with God and pleasure of knowing and growing in Him never will. That my friends, is something to be grateful for every day of our lives no matter what our circumstances may be for the day!

Tomorrow my roommate and I will be leaving for Spain which is another blessing to count. I praise the Lord that during a time of craziness, He provided us a fun vacation for us to get away and relax. He is so good to us when we are so undeserving.

My First Combie Ride

2009-09-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

This post was suppose to be posted about 2 weeks ago after our arrival in the village of Cabana but due to poor village internet, I was unable to do so. However, I am now in Lima for a few days to see a doctor for some stomach issues and can now update my blog successfully. So here you go...

We safely made it to Cabana after 2 days of travel. Our travel ended with a 4 hour combie (van) ride up a curvy mountain. Combies are probably the worst form of transportation in Peru seeing as though they seat 15 people but there always seems to be at least 20 people inside. When we arrived in Puqio to buy our tickets for our travel to Cabana the following day, we were first in line. Therefore, we were able to choose our seats. Of course, we chose the first row that seated 2 people thinking we wouldnt be in the back where it is hot and wouldnt be in the middle where it is crammed. The seat chart made these seats look the most appealing. So, we gave Martin shotgun and Ellen and I took the first row. As we loaded up the following morning seated in our seats, we noticed a skinny padded row seat that faced us giving us less than 2ft from our seat to this seat. I thought "Surely they wont put people on that row. Ellen and I are taller than the average Peruvian. Our legs are longer. We would have to share the same leg room. We wont fit." But then I remembered, this isnt America, this is Peru...of course people would sit there facing us in a crammed uncomfortable setting. Therefore, I had an old man sitting in front of me, facing me with out knees crammed together leaving me unable to move my legs for over 2 hours. The best part was Martin (our Peruvian teammate) who was comfortable in the front seat looked back and said "I was wondering why you guys chose those seats. They are the worst!" We thought "Thank you Martin for informing us now!" Needless to say, it was quite the ride.

Still Gettig Use to Cultural Differences

2009-08-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can’t tell you how many times I have said “that would never happen in the US.” I think I am starting to appreciate my own country more and more. One of the many things I have learned about Peruvians is that they ALWAYS cut in line and it drives me crazy. Last week in Lima, Ryan and I were in line to buy some things at a corner store. We probably had about 3 people in front of us and 2 people behind us. When another register opened, the people behind us went to it. So the people who arrived after us are now checking out before us. I looked at Ryan and said “That would never happen in the states. People don’t cut in line”. Then, the Peruvian guy standing in front of us started laughing and turned around and said “Your right. I lived in the States for some time and it’s very orderly there. Then I came back here and it’s taking some getting used to. But I guess if you can’t beat them then join them right?” It was so funny because at this point I am so embarrassed that he understood what I was saying but so thankful he agreed with me and didn’t take offense! I’m starting to learn that I can’t always say what I want when I want while I’m in Lima because more people understand English there.
We left Lima Last Friday and our travels began with a another funny story that you know could and would only happens in a foreign country. We were traveling to Matucana for a couple of days to check up on the believers there. We hoped onto a bus and before we were about to leave they made everyone get off the bus. We really didn’t know what was going on other than we were suppose to leave our stuff on the bus, get off that bus and get onto another bus. So we hop onto another bus and as we are driving through town we started gathering information as to what is going on, as well as keeping our eyes on the other bus that was following us with our things. Apparently, the bus we were originally on didn’t have the right documentation they needed to drive and because police were up the road, they decided to ‘cheat the system’ , in a sense. Then after the 5 minute drive and passing the police, we finally pulled off to the side of the road and got back on the original bus. We were glad to find out we weren’t getting robbed!
After a good relaxing break in Lima and checking on Matucana , we are on the way to the next village where we will be working for about the next 7 weeks. We hit the half way point yesterday and will finish out the next 7 hours today. Prayers would be appreciated for continued safe travel as well as for our time in Cabana.
Will write soon of more adventures and the great work God is doing.
Thanks for all you support and prayers.
Love,
Brittne

2009-08-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

This summer has come to an end. It was great being able to serve the Lord in Haurochiri and Pomacanchi the past 2 months. But I'm not going to lie, Its great to be home. I'm starting to understand how nice it is to have daily hot showers, a nice warm bed to sleep in and good homecooking. Some of the many things I used to take for granted. Its been nice to be with friends, go to the movies, go out to eat, cook together and go shopping. Oh and best of all my friend/roomie and I just booked a trip to Spain. We will be leaving in October. We are so excited! It will be nice to be able to get away for a week. During our time in Pomacanchi we were able to meet many Europeans who were doing volunteer work. We got to know several Spaniards and one in which we plan on meeting up with during our time in Spain. We were able to witness to her so its great that the Lord will put her in my path again.

Next Sunday we will be headed to Ayacucho City to train pastors on evangelism and storying. Then headed to a village for about 6 weeks. Afterwards....Spain here we come!!!

Pomacanchi!

2009-07-18T23:11:00.001-07:00

These past few weeks, my team and I have been serving in Pomacanchi, about 12,000 feet high. Its about 2 hours outside of Cusco (this is where Manchu Pichu is) and 24 hours away from Lima. We had heard there are several believers in this village. So, we went in with the vision of teaching the believers to "have church" regularly so that they would continue to meet after we leave. But, making headway in accomplishing this goal didn't come until after several difficult times. We have had team illnesses, team disagreements as well as personal issues and struggles. We believe that spiritual warfare has been evident in this trip. Therefore, one day we spent the afternoon in prayer individually and as a team. It was after this when we really begin to see everything fall into place. I think God was trying to teach us to slow down and truly seek Him instead of coming in with our own "game plan". We were really able to see the power of prayer because of the amazing things God did afterwards.

Continue to pray for the lost of Pomacanchi, the believers of Pomacanchi and for our team. We have a little over a week left in this village and want to the Lord to use us beyond what we can imagine. At the end of this month we will head to Lima and then to Chosica for a 3 day end summer debriefing. Then, finally I will have some rest and relaxation in Lima after a good but wearing couple of months.

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Going out in Style

2009-06-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

After spending 3 weeks in Haurochiri, it was time to leave. Our time there was good. The Lord blessed us with several close relationships.

- Lillian, a new believer and her mom Tina who owns the hostel we stayed at. Lillian is an amazing girl who desires to be obedient to the Lord and her mom Tina is a fiesty woman who really began to take us under her wing before we left.

- Some engineers from Lima who were staying in our hostel. They are in Haurochiri working on a water project. They were alot of fun!

- Cayo, a man we were able to share with several times and grew to love.

- Rayda, a owner of a restaurant where we ate everyday. She is one of the sweetest women who was always taking care of us. I was able to knit several times with her and share stories from the bible while doing so.

These are just some of our closest relationships we had during our time in Haurochiri but we were able to share the gospel with several others. The Lord truly blessed our time in Haurochiri. The Lord provided all of our needs and even other things that might have seen insignificant. For example, my birthday. I had the expectation that my birthday would be like any other day but the Lord really made my birthday special even in a mountain village with few friends. That day He gave me several opportunites to share, placed people in my life that provided food, food and more food, gave me an amazing lunch with friends filled with laughing and even provided me an amazing birthday cake/party that night in the hostel. It was truly an amazing, unique birthday.

I love that our Lord is so awesome that He even provided for my selfish need of wanting my birthday to feel special, because looking at the big picture that is insignificant. But, our God is so big and loves us so much that He even goes above and beyond!

Not Ashamed,

Brittne

Midnight Hiking

2009-06-20T12:05:00.001-07:00

So we have been in Haurochiri now for about 2 1/2 weeks. Things have been going good although they are alot slower than they were in my previous village. The Lord has given us many oppotunities to share and has put many great relationships in our path.

The other day we discovered a house church in a nearby village that we have visited on several occassions. We were so excited and encouraged to know there was a group of believers meeting regularly. So, last night we made the hour hike down the mountain to teach on evangelism during one of their weekly meetings. We thought the meeting was 8-10pm but we were wrong. When we got there we found out that is the time for their Tuesday night meetings, their Friday night meetings go from 9pm-2am. We were thinking thats pretty cool, but how are we going to make it through a 5 hour Spanish service when we are already exhausted. Becuase we had already planned on going back that night due to one of our teammates staying back sick in Haurochiri, we nicely explained we are sorry we cant stay for the 5 our service because we have to get back to check on our friend.

We started the service with prayer and had about 8 brothers and sisters in Christ with us! Then Ethan and I taught on the Great Commission and gave them tools to use to minister to their community. I was able to share a story with them from the bible and teach them the method of storying. They all seemed to like it and will hopefully use it in the future to reach out to their lost friends, family and neighbors.

Ethan and I had a great time with them and I know we left encouraged by their passion for the Lord. Seriously, to spend 5-6 hours in prayer every week as brothers and sisters in Christ is amazing! It makes me feel guilty for the times I complained about having to go to church for 1 1/2 hours once a week growing up. Their love for the Lord was evident and it was so neat to see and be a part of. One thing I love about the believers here is that they all call one another brother and sister. The first thing they would say to me is "Hola Hermana" which is "Helllo Sister" and every time they would speak to me they would begin with "Hermana". I love it because it keeps me reminded that we are family. These believers all the way in the mountain villages of Peru are my brothers and sisters in Christ!

Ethan and I left the meeting about 10:15pm and decided to make the hike back to Haurochiri. We had a friend accompany us to make sure we didnt get lost on the path. He is a really nice guy from Lima who is working construction in the plaza in this village. We had a little bit of an opportunity to share some of our beliefs with him on the hike up which was really neat. As I am writing this, I cant believe we hiked up a rocky mountain pathy at 10:30 at night. We made it back to the hostel at 12:30am. We are crazy! We were exhausted when we arrived, especially me since I hate hiking! But thanks to God that he gave me strength to endure especially since it was all for His glory.

Miss and love you all. Please be praying for our last remaining days in Haurochiri and more specifically for: Cayo, Rayda, Lillian, Marisella, Angel, Rosel, Edwin etc.

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Arrival in Haurochiri

2009-06-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

We arrived safely in Haurochiri last night about 10 pm. It was quite the ride. We were in a run down bus traveling for 7 hours. Over 6 of those hours was on a rocky dirt road. Most of the way we had the side of the mountain about 2 feet from our window and the other side was looking straight down the mountain. This was one thing I was afraid of but the Lord really comforted me last night. I was never once scared. I trusted that the bus driver drives this route all the time and it would all be okay. The Lord definitely protected us and to tell you the truth it was quite an adventure although it was the most uncomfrotable ride of my life. I loved it! I just kept thinking "Wow, we are truly taking the gospel to the ends of the earth! We dont have anything else to offer besides God´s truth. How cool is that!"

I am so excited to see how the Lord not only uses me in Haurochiri but how he teaches me. This village is nothing like the last village I was in and I praise God for that in the sense that I wanted to experience something different. I have already been stretched in many ways and will continue to be. Nothing about living here is "comfortable" but God didnt say "Go and be comfortable, He said go!" However, I might add that it is absolutely gorgeous here! We traveled up and over mountains and now in the top of a mountain valley. We are surrounded by God´s beauty!

I love and miss you all and thank you so much for your prayers! So far I am being stretched but am enjoying every second of it.

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

New Village

2009-05-31T08:51:00.001-07:00

This past week, all the summer missionaries arrived and we had a 5 day training/orientation. It went really well, leaving the students better prepared for village life and ministry. My team and I seem to get along pretty well and will hopefully work well together this summer. I am excited for the new adventures to come! I hear this village will stretch me and I am anxious to see how. I will try to update my blog as my schedule and internet access allow.

Some random things about Peru:
1. While sitting at a stop light in the streets of Lima, people will always try to sell you something. They walk in between the cars holding up their product for sell. These are some things my friends and I have seen for sell: flowers, drinks, snacks, magazines, reading books, a giant anatomy book, newspapers, rulers, dental floss, cell phone car chargers, finger nail clippers, movies, cd's etc. If you dont make eye contact at the vender or the product, they will leave you alone. But, the second you show an interest in what they have, it sometimes takes a minute to get them to leave your car window. The good thing is when you actually want or need something they are selling, it saves alot of time not having to go to the store. But it doesnt stop there, people will try selling you things as you are walking down the street or sitting in a restaurant as well. In fact while in a restaurant I have bought Q-tips and sunglasses. Quite random, but helpful.
2. Also, while sitting at a stop light, people will perform all kinds of talents in the streets. They will balance things one their head, perform tricks and perform acrobatics. Their purpose is to give you an entertainment that you will be willing to pay for when they finish. I have actually seen some really cool things performed. Last week there was a group of guys doing flips and jumping off one another. It was really good. Its neat to watch but at times sad knowing this is the only way they earn money.

As other cultural differences come to mind, I will do my best to put them in my blog. There are some things I have already become to accustom to that I dont even realize its different from my own culture, ha-ha. It has already become normal.

Please be praying for my team and I headed to Haurochiri. Thank you!

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

God is on Fire!

2009-05-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

First off I want to share a neat experience with you guys. About a week ago Edgar and Karen (the family I am very close to) asked me to give Jarrod, their son, his first haircut. When someone does this, it means they are the child’s godmother and certain expectations are met to fulfill the tradition. Money is given, presence at the child’s first communion and baptism are all part of taking on this role. However, with Karen and Edgar these expectations were not expected of me. They wanted me to cut Jarrod’s hair only to show me how important I am to them and to have a part in their family. Therefore, I gave Jarrod his first hair cut! It might sound silly but it really was special to me. Oh and the funny part is that the hair is given to the godmother. Therefore, I have a bag of Jarrod’s hair that I have no idea what to do with, ha-ha. So needless to say, I guess all this makes me the godmother of the cutest Peruvian baby ever!

Okay, on a more serious note, these past 2 weeks in the village have been extremely wonderful. There were 2 back to back college teams that came to minister in Matucana along side of me. Both teams did such an amazing job and were so much fun to be around. Although it was busy and at times stressful trying to figure out what to do with 20 gringos in one village, the goal was accomplished. The gospel was spread and God was glorified! About 15 people accepted Christ into their hearts. It was truly amazing to be a part of. What fills my heart with even more joy is that Edgar, Karen and Tracy all accepted Christ and followed that decision with baptism! I am so excited for the work God is doing in Matucana. Yeah, the priest may hate us being there and preach against us in mass, but he can’t stop the power of the Holy Spirit. Praise God for that!

Right now I am in Lima preparing for all the summer missionaries to arrive on Monday. It’s nice to have a few days to relax and spend time with friends. After the summer missionaries arrive a 5 day orientation/training will follow. Then I will start working in a new village called Haurochiri alongside 2 other summer missionaries including Ethan, a friend from SBU. I am so excited to begin ministering in a new and different village. I pray that the Lord would use me as greatly in Haurochiri as He did in Matucana.

I will do my best to keep you updated on my new adventures and the work God is doing!

Thanks for your prayers, love and support.
Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Cultural differences

2009-04-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

There are some cultural differences that I believe I will always find funny. For example, the majority of Peruvians believe that if you drink a cold beverage you will get sick with a cold. This explains why all beverages here are warm. It is very difficult to find a beverage that has been refrigerated. Maybe their logic is that if something cold goes inside your body that your body is bound to get cold and then sick. However, they eat ice-cream all the time which would clearly oppose this reasoning. So the mystery remains on why Peruvians think this way. But, I can’t help but laugh when I get in trouble by them for drinking something cold on a rare occasion. Last week I was sick with a cold and as I began feeling better, I found a refrigerated bottle of water. Of course I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity of buying a cold bottle of water, so I purchased it. Immediately, the woman behind the counter said “No, you don’t want it cold. You are going to get sicker”. I couldn’t help but laugh and reassure her I would be fine. Within the next couple of days, my friend and teammate Ellen found a cold bottle of water and bought it. She probably got lectured 2-3 times that night about drinking a cold beverage. It just cracks me up every time!

Another cultural difference is how being called “fat” is not offensive here. It’s like calling someone tall or short. It’s a fact about someone. But, being an American, it makes for an awkward moment when someone calls someone else fat who is standing right there. It’s my nature to automatically respond by saying “No you’re not fat” even though, let’s face it, this person probably is overweight and they are most likely not offended what so ever. It’s just a reflex I have being from America where such words can get a person slapped across the face. Another example of how this is not offensive is that my friend/teammate who is a Peruvian says he calls his mother “Gordita”. This translates into English as “Fatty” or “Chubs”. But the funny thing is, his mother loves it when he calls her this. If he didn’t, she would think he is mad at her. Oh and I just love it when they call me fat, haha. Its just something else to get used to.

Okay so now, on a more serious note, things in Matucana have been going well. I had a great weekend! Edgar (the father of the family I am very close to) had the brilliant idea of taking a whole day to play sports. He was so excited about it, as was I. So this past Saturday we took several hours to play volleyball, ultimate Frisbee (which they loved) and soccer. Afterwards we went back to their house where Karen had prepared a national dish called “pachamanka” which was delicious. Afterwards one thing led to another and we were learning how to salsa. Then that night we made no-bake cookies and watched a movie together. It was such a fun, relaxing day with my Peruvian family. The next day Ellen and I went back to their house to cook lunch for them. We made chicken fajitas, Velveeta cheese dip and guacamole. I must say, it was delicious and they absolutely loved it! I never have a dull-moment with them! We are in the process of sharing stories with them and are approaching the last story. At this point I will ask if they would like to make a decision to follow Christ. Please be praying for them!

Thanks for your support, love and prayers.

Love you all!
Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Matucana Otro Vez!

2009-04-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Since I have last updated my blog, a lot has happened. My team and I ministered in Matucana for another 10 days. Things went really well the last week we were there. The day before my team and I headed back to Lima, a couple from the states came to Matucana. Their church adopted Matucana and they send people down throughout the year. That week while they were there, three people that we had been sharing with accepted Christ!!! Procesa, Gary and Salvador all became Christians. I have mentioned Salvador many times in my blogs and newsletters. We became really good friends with him. I am also happy to say that Gary and Salvador both were baptized along with two other believers who had yet to be baptized. Procesa will be baptized in the near future. Thanks for your prayers!

It was a nice to be home in Lima and see everyone (as the other 5 teams returned to Lima as well). It was awesome to hear all the work the Lord did in their villages. During my time in Lima, it was decided for us to come back to Matucana because all the work the Lord is doing here. Therefore, April 5, five other people and I returned to Matucana.

I was so excited to come back and see the people I had become so close to. It feels really good to be back here and continue the work the Lord is doing. Things have been going really well so far but have been a little slow due to last week being “holy week”. Now that all the celebrations are over, things should begin to get busier. This past week I storied twice to Edgar and Karen (the family I have become really close to. Words cannot describe how much this family means to me). I love seeing how anxious they are to learn more about the bible and I can see they are spreading that excitement. The other day they told me they knew some people who want us to come and teach them about the bible as well. Yesterday, they introduced us to this family and we have set up a time to go and story with them. It’s awesome to see people hungering for the Word. We have become used to being the ones going out and finding people to share with but lately the people have been coming to us. The other day one guy desperately grabbed Martin from the street, stating that he wants to be changed and begging Martin to come to his house and share with him. One thing I continually tell myself is to never buy into Satan’s lies of “people don’t want to hear the gospel”. There are people all over this world desperately seeking truth and its lies that Satan puts into our heads to keep us from sharing it.

We have a lot of new work going on here that I would like you guys to be praying for.
1. We are starting a new house church at Salvador’s for the new believers.
2. We are beginning to minister to a nearby village called Matachanka.
3. We will possibly be training a group of believers on evangelism in another nearby village called Collana.
4. We are trying to reach out and minister to the teenagers in Matucana.

Also please pray for:
1. The salvation of Karen and Edgar and all others we are sharing with
2. My Spanish
3. My teams unity and for wisdom and direction from the Lord
4. The new belivers

Thanks for all your love, support and prayers.

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Good to be back!

2009-03-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

It is so good to not only be back in Peru but to be back in Matucana (the village we have been working in). I recieved a warm welcome back when I returned. I have had numerous people tell me how much they missed me and were awaiting my return. It feels good to know you are loved and missed!

We have been staying extremely busy since we have been back in Matucana. Not only do we have old relationships to continue to build but we also have several new ones. Its hard to balance what little time we have left but we are trying to be as productive as possible.

I want to share 2 stories. First, as I mentioned in my previous blog, we had met a drug addict named Victor right before I left for the States. Yesterday we went to his house to visit him. He made us lunch and we talked for an hour or so about his life and problems. He feels very ashamed of the person he has become and I believe he truly wants to change. We were able to share the gospel with him. While sharing with him words of truth such as God can change you, there is hope and God loves you, the look on his face was priceless. It was a look of longing for what Christ has to offer him. When we asked if he would like to make any decision to follow Christ he responded by saying he fears that if he makes that decision he will fail or disappoint God. That broke my heart because I could see in his eyes how bad he wanted Christ in his life. We will continue to visit with him throughout this week. Please be praying for Victor and that he will make God the Lord of his life.

The past few days we have been spending some time with a family (I mentioned them in my previous blog as well as posted a photo of them). Sunday they had us over for lunch and I taught them to make cookies. I also had some gifts for them to open which included a bible. When they opened the gifts their faces lit up! They were excited to have recieved the gifts, especially the bible because they have never owned one. It was neat to sit down with them afterwards and show them how to look up verses. The next day we returned to their house. During this time we were able to share part of the gospel with the father of the family, Edgar, who had been asking questions. We were able to discuss differences between Catholistism and Christianity and back everything up with scripture. When our discussion ended, he said it was all very interesting and beautiful. This family has become so dear to me and I am so glad they are showing an interest in the Word. Please pray for our time with them this week and that we will continue to have meaningful discussions with them about the Gospel.

God is doing some amazing work in the hearts of people here. We have many people showing an interest in what we have to share with them. However, I want more than just an interest. I want to see people come to accept the love and grace of God! I want to see God change people! I have been convicted lately of not praying with enough faith. Therefore, when we pray for these specific people I have mentioned as well as the other people in Matucana, I want us to pray having a faith that they WILL come to know and accept Christ. Please join me in prayer! Also I ask that you will pray for our teams guidance from the Lord. We have some decisions to make coming up that are extremely tough to make.

I love you all and thank you for your love, support and prayers.

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Back to work

2009-03-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the states yesterday. The Lord blessed me with the opportunity to go home and be apart of my brothers wedding. It was a beautiful wedding! Although it was extremely busy during my stay, it was wonderful to be home and see friends and family. I am now back in Lima and getting ready to return to Matucana (the village I have been working in) tomorrow.

Things is Matucana have been going very well. The Lord has tremendously blessed our time there. We are training the house church, storying, discipling believers, teaching bible studies, building relationships, teaching English etc. So as you can probably tell, we have several things happening in Matucana thanks to the Father. They each take time to prepare for but I am surprisingly enjoying that part. Its nice to really sit down and dig through scripture to form a lesson. I guess I take after my Dad, haha.

We have some good relationships with people in Matucana. Salvador is one of them. He is a good friend of ours who has been absolutely wonderful to us. He has basically made his home our home. We have not shared the Gospel with him but I trust that time is coming. Just waiting on God to open the door. Please be praying for him.

In Matucana, there are many who are truly desiring to learn more about God's word. For example, we have been storying to the family who runs the hostel we stay at. Almost everytime we finish a story, they are quick to ask when we can story next. There was a college team who came up last week to work in Matucana and a group of them storied to them EVERY night! This family is thirsting for the word. Please be praying for them. Also, a man (addicted to drugs) who we met on the street about a week ago (who was also drunk at the time) seems to be searching for truth. He started asking us if a drug addict could be saved and changed. We told him "of course, God can change anyone". That same week some people from the college group began ministering and storying to him. He was given a bible to read and search for answers. It seems he genuinely wants to be changed. Please be praying for him. These are just a couple of examples, but there are several others in Matucana who are craving truth. God is at work in these people hearts and its awesome to see and be apart of.

We only have 10 more days left in this village and there is still alot to do. Pray God would help us use our remaining time wisely. Thanks for all your love, support and prayers!

Not Ashamed,

Brittne

Hospital or Carnival?

2009-02-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, I just want to share an experience I had last week with everyone.
First, I had been sick with a cold for about a week. My partners and I had scheduled to go to Chosica (a nearby town about an hour away) to get some things we can’t get in Matucana. Although I was not feeling that great I decided to go anyway. Chosica is down the mountain and while traveling the pressure in my head began to be unbearable. I guess pressure change made my congestion worse and my ears began to ache so bad I could hardly stand it. It was some of the worst head pain I have ever had. Also, I could barely hear anything. So, as soon as we got to Chosica I decided I had to find a doctor. But there were no private doctors, only the hospital. So, off we went to the hospital.

This is where it gets interesting. Picture a hospital building completely opposite of what an American hospital building would look like. It reminded me of a train station. When we walked in there were people and lines of people everywhere. Babies crying, people sitting in pain waiting to be seen by a doctor, and construction going on. I thought to myself there was no way we can wait this long in these lines. I was sure it would take all day. However, I was in so much pain, I didn’t have a choice. We began to push our way through people trying to figure out what to do. After talking to 3 or 4 people, we got directed to an office. We went into the office and had to tell them what was wrong with me to see if my problem was worthy enough to be treated. They decided it was. We then got sent to what looked like, a ticket booth at a carnival. There I had to pay for my visit...a whole $1.66. Yes, my hospital visit was $1.66! We then had to go to another line to input my information into the computer. Then we had to go back to the office so that I could be seen. When I went into the ROOM, it was full of 3 other patients and 3 or 4 nurses. One lady was lying on a hosptial bed about 3 feet infront of me hooked up to an IV. So, there I sat in a chair with a guy on my left hooked up to an IV and a woman on my right who was moaning in pain. We were all being seen at the same time. I got my blood pressure taken along with my temperature. Then off to another line to get to the room where I would be diagnosed and receive a written prescription. After I received my prescription, we then got sent to the pharmacy in the hospital just down the hall. Yes, we waited in line again, this time to give them my prescription. Then back to another line to pay for my prescription (which was a shot). After paying, we got sent to another line to pick up my prescription. After receiving the prescription, we got sent back to the original office so I could receive my shot. But before I could recieve my shot we got sent back to the pharmacy paying line to pay for receiving the shot. Then back to the office line. Finally in a room of 6 or so people I received my shot. The whole visit consisted of going from line to line but ended up only taking about an hour and costing $2.66! It reminded somewhat of a carnival, and how people go line to line for different rides and every now and then go to the ticket booth to buy more tickets. It was quite the experience. And yes, eventually with other meds and time my head and ears began to feel better. I am still a little sick and my ears are still slightly clogged but it is nothing like the pain I experienced that day.

First couple weeks in Matucana...

2009-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

First of all let me say "Praise the Lord"! My stomach is finally better. I have had no problems in the past few weeks. Thank you all for your prayers.

Life in Matucana has been wonderful. It is absolutely gorgeous! We are surronded by green mountains, rushing rivers, waterfalls etc. Evertyime I go on a run I am just amazed at what God created. Side note - It amazes me how strong Peruvians are, even into their old age. Today when I finished running and was walking back uphill I came across an old man who was pushing a bicycle with a big cargo platform built on to the front. This isnt no ordinary bike. I asked him if he needed help and he said "sure". So I began to help him push his transportation thingy up hill back to Matucana. I tell you what...I about died. Here is his old man who is probably in his 80´s and he does this everyday and here I was struggling to even push it half way. The people here just amaze me. They are such hardworkers and so stinkin strong!

It hasnt been too much of a rough adjustment. We are staying in a hostel and there are plenty restaurants in Matucana to keep us fed. The food sure is good and sure is unhealthy, haha. Carbs, Carbs and fried foods are the only options. I think my favorite food is lomo saltado, which is kinda like a beef stir fry and my favorite dessert is arroz con leche, rice and milk. Its so good....Im getting addicted to it! There is a family here who I am getting very close to. Edgar works in his mothers restuarant that we eat at almost everyday and his wife Karen has a little food stand in the evenings that I eat at almost every night. They also have two kids. The girl, Tracy, is 10 years old and has been attending our English classes. She is precious. The boy, Jared, is probably about 2 years old and is the cutest kid ever! I already got dibbs on being his godmother; they said I could take him back to the states with me, haha. But anyways, I absolutely love this family! I visit with them everyday. Plus seeing as though they are the ones who serve the best arroz con leche ever, I have a pretty good excuse visiting them. Please be praying for this family and there salvation. They have invited us over to their house one day for dinner but the date hasnt been set yet. Pray that the Lord will prepare the hearts to hear and accept the Gospel.

We have ALOT going on in Matucana and continue to get more things going! We sure are staying busy. We teach English classes 2 days a week, play sports 2 days a week, house church weekly, house church training weekly, several different discipliship trainings with believers happening throughout the week, a new weekly bible study started in a nearby village, storying etc. Plus we are in the process of getting a new bible study and dicsipleship training started in another nearby village. Today will be our first meeting over there. Also we are still working on getting a bible study started in Huariquina, another village. We are having difficulties getting this one to take place but it just takes patience and perserverance. As you can see the Lord is doing amazing things in Matucana. We have bulilt amazing relationships with people whom we have all grown to love. Please be praying for these specific people and their needs:

1. Jose, Elizabeth and Keyla - Believing family who are being trained to faciliate house church.
2. Edgar, Karen, Tracy and Jared - Good friends who need Jesus.
3. Maribell, Emerillo and their kids - Hostel managers we have been storying and sharing the gospel with.
4. Zoila and Jessica - Two catholics who have been attending the biblestudies in Hauripachi. The bible study actually takes place at Zoila´s. Yesterday at the study, it was just them two. Disappointing at first because no others showed up but rewarding in the end seeing how God planned it that way. We had a great study and was really able to lay the Gospel out and way to salvation for them. The Lord is tugging their hearts. Please pray for their salvation. We are going back to Zoila´s Wednesday morning to teach her and Jessica how to make no-bake cookies :)
5. Isabel, Janedit, Keti and others who are new believers. Pray for their growth.
6. Jose Acosto - Christian man who the guys have been discipling. He is struggling in his faith.
7. Salvador - A baker across the street who we have gotten really close with. We hang out with him all the time! He is a very nice guy but is still lacking salvation. Pray for his salvation.

These are some specific people we have been working alot with that need prayer. There are also other prayers requests. Please pray for the direction and wisdom of our team. There seem to be daily decsions regarding our ministry. Also please pray for my Spanish. I still have such a long ways to go and at times it can be discouraging.

The Lord has been awesome! Sometimes it makes me laugh to see things fall in place. Its easy to get caught up in what to do, where to go, who to talk to but eventually the Lord does His will. I can just picture God kicked back with his feet up watching all his little details fall into place while we are down here stressing out over what to do. He is truly and totally in control!!!

This is a basic update. Thank you for you prayers! Prayer is huge and so powerful. When you guys are back home praying its the same as you guys being right here in Matucana. You are in this ministry as much as I am. Please, please be praying for those specific prayer requests. I truly believe in the power of prayer.

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

The time has come

2009-02-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

First let me give everyone an update on my stomach. Last week I went to the doctor and got more tests ran. My team was suppose to leave on Monday for our village but because I had to return to the doctor on Monday, our departure date was pushed back til Tuesday. When I went to the doctor, I found out I have an infection in my small intestine and its possible I have IBS as well. I started taking the prescribed medication Monday. However, my doctor wanted me to wait 4-5 days to leave for the village in order to see if the medicine takes effect. Since my village is only 4 hours away, my teammates Martin and Greg went ahead to begin ministry in Matucana. I will taxi out and meet up with them on Saturday. So, I have had a few days alone in Lima to relax and get last minute things done.

Matucana is more like a small town rather than a village. I will be staying in a hostel with hot water...Praise the Lord! Matucana also has restaurants, hotels, internet etc. I feel like I will be spoiled this trip. However, I am choosing not to use the internet much (maybe a few times). I want my focus to be on the ministry. Therefore, I will have limited communication for about 2 months. But, I will try to update my blog a time or two to keep you guys updated on village life, what the Lord is doing and prayer requests.

Matucana has a believing family who has started a house church. It is our goal to help strengthen the house church and disciple this family. I believe I will also be mentoring their daughter and discipling their new believing daughter-in-law. It also came to our knowledge that a womens bible study has been started in one area of the village as well as 5 new believers....all women! The Lord is doing amazing things in this village and at this point it seems to mostly be through women. It appears I will have my hands full seeing as though I am the only girl on my team. At first I became very nervous as my feelings of inadequacy arised (mainly because Im not fluent in Spanish). However, the Lord has reaffirmed me that this is where He wants me. He knows what I am capable of and He still chose to place me in Matucana. After all, nothing will ever be of the works of myself, only that of the Holy Spirit. Being reminded and mindful of that takes the pressure off me. Isnt God good? All we have to do is be faithful and allow Him to do the rest.

Also, the school in this village is allowing us to come and teach in the school! This is so huge! To have the opportunity to share the Gospel and tell bible stories in the school is a huge open door and is very uncommon. Already the Lord has provided opportunities for ministry in this village. I am very excited to see what the Lord does in Matucana and how he uses my team.

Please keep all the enhancement teams in your prayers. Pray for our strength and guidance. Also please pray for the people in the villages we are working in. Pray the lost would be open to hearing and accepting the Gospel and those who are believers will have their faith strengthened.

Thanks for your prayers!

Not Ashamed,

Brittne

Im living in Peru!

2009-01-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

So I have finally arrived at my final destination. It is crazy to think I began this process over a year ago! I am so happy to be here. But I must be honest, I was a little sad to leave Guatemala. I fell in love with Guatemala. Not only the beauty and culture but the people! The people in Guatemala are so wonderful. I became really close to my host family and was beginning to make several Guatemalan friends. Therefore it was difficult for me to say goodbye. Saying goodbyes is something I have done my whole life and I have learned it doesn’t get any easier and it never will. It’s hard to accept the fact that this will continue to be something I must do throughout my life. Every time I leave a village…there will be goodbyes, every time mission teams come and go….there will be goodbyes, every time IMB missionaries leave the field….there will be goodbyes, whenever I leave Peru…there will be goodbyes. I think this is one of the hardest things for me in life because I easily become attached to people and develop such a love for them that I can’t imagine not seeing them again. But I think this helps emphasize the importance of sharing the Gospel. If I don’t share the Gospel with these people in a way that they fully understand and accept then there is a good chance I will never see them again. The only way I will see most of these people again is if I see them in heaven. But in order for that to happen they need to hear the Gospel and accept it.

Anyways, let me get to Peru now. I am sure most of you want to hear about my life here so far. Well let me first say that my life in Guatemala and my life here are like night and day. I don’t think I need to continue to tell how wonderful Guatemala was. I believe my blogs and pictures did Guatemala some justice. Well, Lima, Peru is quite different. Lima contains about 7.6 million people and is located in a desert. Most of the time we have to take a taxi to get around unless it’s close enough to walk. Generally if something is more than a 30 minute walk, we will taxi. Generally we can get where we need to go for no more than 6 soles with is $2. Also, the people in a big city in Peru are pretty similar to people in a big city in the states…not very friendly. Let’s just say living in a small town where people are personal (sometimes too personal, ha-ha) and honk and wave as you drive by and living in a huge city where you don’t see the same person twice are two very different ways of living. However, seeing as I won’t be in Lima very often I really won’t have to adjust to “big city living”. Once I get to the villages I will have more of the small town feel again :)

I am living in an apartment with 3 other girls. Jess is also a journeyman with the IMB and got here about the same time I did, Kristen is an independent sponsored by her church and Claudia is a Peruvian who is sponsored by a church in the states. I love them all and I am so glad to have them in my lives. And this goes for everyone on my team! I could not have asked/imagined having a better team. It amazes me how fast I fell in love with these people and truly consider all them my family. The Lord seems to bond missionaries.

Okay so what have I done since I been here? I had a few days just to get some rest, unpacked, grocery shopped (and yes, the grocery stores here are the same as in the states, if not nicer) and help out remodeling part of the mission office. Since then I have gotten to know my team through several get-togethers at the Weaver’s house, have had several “dinner nights” at our apartment with friends, began training etc. Our training started this past Monday and goes to this coming Tuesday. We are learning about what to do in villages and how to story (it’s a missionary term for telling a story) stories from the bible. Each day we have been learning a story and then gone out in groups of three and practiced storying to people on the street. Each group has continued to story with the same person each day to build the relationship. Tomorrow we are having our first “house church” in the office with these people we have been storying to because they have all showed interest in continuing to learn about the Gospel. Please be praying for these people and for the church to get planted. After training ends my team (REAPSouth) has a prayer retreat at a nearby camp for 2 days. This will be a good time of fellowship and prayer. I am looking forward to it. Then after we return from “the camp” I will be sent out to my first village trip for 5 weeks along with 2 others. Please be praying for me as I prepare for this.

Also, please be praying for my stomach problems. I am trying to get a new doctor here and it looks like I will be getting a colonoscopy. Also please pray for all those we were able to witness to in Guatemala. Pray the Lord would work in their lives and make themselves known to them.

I love and miss you all! Thank you for your prayers!

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Feliz Navidad Indeed!

2008-12-31T05:59:00.000-08:00

I want to first of all thank all of those who prayed for me during Christmas time. God definitely answered all of our prayers. I had an amazing Christmas! A couple of friends and I went to Lake Atitlan (the most beautiful lake in Guatemala) and stayed 4 days. For Christmas Eve we went to a restaurant and had a wonderful dinner. Later we went back to the room and had our own candlelight service followed by scripture reading, prayer and singing Christmas carols. It was a wonderful night! Christmas morning we opened some presents and later had an amazing traditional Christmas dinner at a local restaurant (owned by an American). My Christmas was new, different and exciting. The Lord truly blessed me and showed/taught me several things.

1) I don’t need family, friends, presents, food, etc. to celebrate the birth of my Lord and Savior.
2) He reminded me that my life is His and that it is all I have to give. Me missing Christmas at home with family is nothing compared to Him dying on the cross for me.
3) I realized even more just how amazing God is. Christmas is a day specifically set aside to celebrate the birth of Christ and worship Him but I still found myself with all the blessings.
4) This Christmas I kept more of my focus on the true meaning of Christmas than I ever have before. It was so nice to not have a lot of the distractions that so easily come along with Christmas in the states.

The Lord was really so good to me during this Christmas season. He blessed me with an amazing time at the Lake but more importantly He comforted me and helped my keep my focus on Him and not the traditions. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that Christ was the truly the center of it as He should be everyday of our lives. And if He is not, I would encourage everyone to make Him the center because you will find your lives so much better when you live it for God than when you try to live it for yourselves.
Oh and Happy New Years! Love you all!

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Parasites are not fun

2008-12-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

So as some of you guys know I have been having problems with my stomach since I have been here. At the beginning I just kept thinking it would pass because my stomach was just adjusting to new food. However, it never passed. The past few weeks I have been getting some exams done at a clinic and have been informed over and over again that I have a high amount of yeast. Well, I got on some meds to treat yeast and it didnt help. So, last week I finally got sent to a specialist in Guatemala City. After another exam I found out a have a parasite called blastosytis hominis which often gets mistaken for yeast. But, because it is a very contraversal parasite, the doctor is not sure the medicine I am now on will work. So, that is kinda the update on my stomach. Thanks for your prayers and concerns.

During the midst of all this in Guatemala City I was blessed to have an IMB missionary couple (Helen and George) take me in to their home and take care of me. I was also able to go back and stay with them this past weekend. It was so nice to have family interaction, flush toliet paper (yes, this was very exciting for me), bake cookies, put up Christmas lights, relax by the fire and watch a movie etc. I am starting to learn all the little things that are so easily taken for granted. It was a very relaxing and blessed weekend that I as so appreciative to have had. I have realized I am ready to get to Peru and get half way settled. Its starting to become hard on me here to not have any kind of "normal" life or "normal" routine. Thats why all the little things like cooking and hanging Christmas lights this past weekend was so great because it was normal! Plus we were able to watch a big firework show at one of the Guatemalans house along with other people from the church. It was a great time of fellowship and good for practicing my Spanish. The people were so wonderful! Above is a picture of me and Becca (Helen and George's daughter) drinking 'ponche'. Its a traditional drink here. Its kinda like a cider with chunks of different fruit in it. It was really good!

One more thing...Ryan and I have started volunteering at this medical clinic outside Antigua. The village is called San Andres. It is about a 25 minute bus ride. Yesterday the clinic had a Christmas party for the poor children in the village that Ryan and I were honored to be apart of. There was music, dancing cartoon characters, pinatas, food, drinks, candy toys etc. The happiness the children had was astounding. They were so precious! The women who started this clinic really have such pure and compassionate hearts. I believe they did all of this with their own funds seeing as though they only charge about $0.40 per doctor visit and at times nothing. Ryan and I both feel so blessed with the opportunity the Lord has given us to serve there. Please pray for our relationships with the other volunteers and workers so that we may be able to share the Gospel with them.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. Love y'all!

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Burning the Devil....what?

2008-12-16T16:14:00.001-08:00

So I just wanted to share with you guys that there is a national annual celebration here of burning the devil. It happens all over Guatemala. I didnt actually go to it but I saw some pics and video from it. It seems pretty crazy and actually kinda freaky. It was the most awkward looking devil. Statues of Jesus and in ths case Satan too, seem to always be pretty weird and creepy looking here....I dont know why. But anyways, check out this pic and see for yourself.

The Lord is good!!!

2008-12-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

So....the weekend at the beach (for Thanksgiving) was absolutely amazing!!! We stayed in this gorgeous house in a more secluded area about 50 yds from the black sanded beach. I spent the whole weekend relaxing in hammocks, suntanning on the beach, boogie-boarding, watching movies, playing games and eating American food! I cant put into words how much I enjoyed it!
It helped make Thanksgiving alot easier on me when we arrived there.

Oh and funny story....apparently in the middle of the day a kid broke into our house while we were all there! We didnt even know until one of the neighbors came and told us he scared some kid off that was climbing back up our house for the second time. He only got away with about $10. However, the guy that takes care of the house we were staying in, found out about it and said he knew who it was. So he escorted David (the guy that got stolen from) to the kids house to get his money back. It wasnt the money...it was the principle. Plus, David got to witness to the family of the boy a little bit through the situation. But, its pretty crazy to think a kid climbed up the balcony into one of our rooms and stole from us in the middle of the day while we were all there! Thats a brave kid.

The other night some of us went to "The Messiah" concert. It was in this 5 star hotel in Antigua which was absolutely amazingly gorgeous!!! I think the hotel used to be ruins before it was transformed. Needless to say it was one of a kind. But anyways, it was the perfect way to get us all in the Christmas spirit. Oh and the central park here in Antigua is streamed with white Christmas lights. It is so beautiful. "Its beginning to look alot like Christmas...."

All is well with me and I am learning more about the Lord and His Word each day. He has blessed me tremendously in more ways that I can count. I am loving my time here and I am loving learning Spanish (well at least most of the time). But, it was encouraging for me to recently hear from people how well my Spanish is improving....Thank God!

Anyways, I think thats all for now. Love and miss all you guys. Please continue to pray for all of our lost European friends, our host families and our teachers. Also pray that I would figure out whats going on with my stomach. The test results from last week showed I had a high yeast build up in my stomach which can cause stomach problems so I have been taking some medicine. However, its not completely better so that may not be the only problem. I go back for another exam next week. Also, please pray for my grandpa who is having some health problems. Thanks! God Bless!

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Im still alive and kickin!

2008-11-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

For those of you have been checking my blog in high hopes of reading a new update on my life in Guatemala and have found yourself disappointed time and time again…I apologize. I admit I have been slacking on keeping my blog updated. Anyways, I have been having a good time here in Guat. I have officially conquered Spanish…ha-ha not really, but I am trying. I have hiked up two different volcanoes and saw some amazing views. The Lord has definitely blessed my time here. This weekend my group and I are going to a beach house to celebrate Thanksgiving…YAY! We are all pretty excited to get away and cook some American food. But, it will be hard and different not being with my family for Thanksgiving.
This past weekend the son in my family graduated from vet school so the family threw a big party. It was my first Latino party! There was dinner, music, dancing and needless to say, alcohol. It was a fun night and I felt like I was able to get closer to my host family. I am really enjoying them. Then on Saturday night I went to a big festival /concert with some of my European friends.

So here is some things that some of you may find interesting about Guatemala:
1. Never flush toilet paper. Always put your used toilet paper in the trash can. It makes for a great scented bathroom, lol.
2. The water heater for the shower is actually directly on the shower head with a bunch of wires hanging. It’s quite interesting.
3. Lunches are the biggest meal of the day here and always accompanied with homemade tortillas.
4. “Chicken buses” are the main means of transportation here. They are dirt cheap. However, they are everywhere! They usually have pretty crazy drivers and like to fling dust everywhere in the air as they roar by. I am learning patience with “chicken buses”.
5. The meat section in the market is enough to make an American question eating meat here. The meat is usually just hanging out in the open from some sort of string and the smell is not pleasant. When I bought ham from the deli in the supermarket, the meat was sitting right before me (in the open) on a platter and when I said I wanted ½ lb they grabbed the meat with their bare hands and sliced me half a pound.
6. You have to pay extra money to get your bagel toasted.
7. There are police officers holding huge guns infront of every bank and more expensive stores. They are even in the back of semi trucks full of pop! I take people have robbed pop trucks a time or two.

I am sure there are other things that people would find different about Guatemala. But, this is all I can think of right now. It is just all starting to seem normal to me. Although, I must admit, the culture shock has been minimal here in Antigua. I have my room cleaned for me along with my sheets changed weekly, I have all my meals served to me, I don’t have to worry about bills, there is so many tourists here that it makes many of the restaurants and café’s very nice and accommodating to a westerner and some cool vacations on the weekends. So, I have nothing to complain about. My time here has been awesome!
I do ask that you guys pray for all the relationships we have built here. We have befriended many Europeans and have had a lot of opportunities to share with them. Pray that they would know God is existent and He is the way! Also, I ask that you pray for my health. I have had problems with my stomach since I have been here. I am in the process of trying to figure out what’s going on. I went to the doctor yesterday and I am getting some tests done to see if I have some sort of bacteria or amoeba in my stomach.
Alright well I love and miss everyone and I will do my best to keep my blog better updated. Thanks for your prayers and support!
Not Ashamed,
Brittne

Hot Chocolate with rice....yummm...not really!

2008-10-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Hola!
I am in Guatemala! YAY! We arrived last Wednesday afternoon. I moved in with my family, who can’t speak English, so it has been interesting. I have two other roommates from the school. One is from Germany and the other Iceland, but come this Friday I will be by myself until a guy arrives from Europe November 2. I started my tutoring last Thursday. I go from 8-12 Monday – Friday. I feel like I have already learned so much and always find myself eager to get back tutoring. Mi maestra se llama Brenda. In English that means…my teacher’s name in Brenda. She is great and we get along very well. I will be with her for about three more weeks until we switch teachers. I pray God would allow me enough Spanish to share some of the Gospel with her.

Guatemala is absolutely gorgeous! It is filled with lush trees covering the mountains and hills surrounding the city. Antigua also has two volcanoes. One is active and one is stagnant. My group plans to visit the active volcano one weekend. We will camp out for the night on the volcano and roast marshmallows and hot dogs in the lava!!! It’s going to be amazing! Antigua is filled with very European architecture…some of which are ruins now. But, they are gorgeous and it gives the city much character and plays a part in bringing so many tourists here.

So far I love it here and every day I realize how blessed I am. Please pray for my language learning and me and my group’s safety here in Antigua because there is a lot of criminal activity that goes on. But, most of all pray I would be focused of God. I have already found myself getting so distracted with other things that I have not spent as much time with Him as I should. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, love and support. I will update my blog as soon as I have more news from Guatemala! I love you all.

Oh and side note…I wrote this blog while I was sitting on my roof yesterday and when I finished, I realized I was stuck on my roof because apparently the door that goes to the roof automatically locks and I didn’t have my keys. Luckily, my neighbor, Andre (who is a Korean Catholic Priest/Missionary)was on his roof and He volunteered to help me. He went down to the front door of my house to ring the doorbell to inform my family that I was stuck on the roof and I needed someone to open the door from inside. Funny thing was…no one was home. The couple from the house next door was also down on the street telling me no one was home. But then, Andre helped me climb over the fence onto His roof and I then went down through their house….which is actually where my partner, Ryan, is staying but He wasn’t there. So, I eventually went to another friend’s house and waited there until dinner time when I knew my family would be home. So yeah…I hope that gives everyone a good laugh.

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

One week at home!

2008-10-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!
My time at FPO in Virginia has come to an end. It was extremely difficult leaving. My days there consisted of learning about missions and much more, fellowshiping with amazing mission-minded brothers and sisters, jogging with some of my best friends, playing volleyball on Tuesday nights, going to waffle house at midnight and basically having an amazing day...everyday! I learned so much and feel so much more prepared to head to the field with the tools the IMB provided me. I made amazing friends that I feel will be lifelong! I already miss them like crazy! It was hard and emotional to say bye...but how awesome it is to know we will all be serving God around the world!

Like I said before, the Lord taught me so much at FPO and I grew tremendously! He has really given me boldness that I have never had before. I feel now more than ever, that every person I come into contact with is a opportunity to share Christ in anyway possible. Whether it be sharing my testimony or asking how I can pray for them or simply telling them God loves them. If I know in my head that I am not ashamed of the Gospel then I need to show through my actions that I am not ashamed of the Gospel! This is something the Lord helped me come to realize at FPO as I was reading Hebrews 2 when it says that Jesus is not ashamed to call me His family. It blows my mind that someone so perfect and holy is not ashamed to call me, a sinner, His family! If Christ is is not ashamed to call me His family then why should my actions show I am ashamed of Him? He is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I no longer want to live my daily life portraying I am ashamed....because I am not!

Right now I am home with friends and family. I am blessed to have this last week to spend with them. However, things are going to be very busy as I have places to go, people to see and packing to do. Please pray that this time at home would be sweet and somewhat relaxing. Pray I would say goodbyes appropriately and really be able to expess what people have meant to me. Also pray that my transition to Guatemala would be good. In about a week, I will be moving to a different country and living with a family I have never met and who cant speak English! It will be very interesting. I guess I will probably become very good at sign language, haha. Thanks for your prayers and support! Love you guys!

Not Ashamed,
Brittne

FPO update:)

2008-09-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hola!
I am so excited to have a blog set up! But, please bear with me as I work at making it the best blog ever! Anyways, I am a little over half way through training in Virginia and I cannot even begin to describe how much the Lord has taught me. He is so good and the more I learn about Him the more amazed I am. I am truly blessed to have the privilege of serving Him in Peru. Some people consider serving the Lord cross-culturally as a sacrifice, but I do not. I like the way one guy said it “Why consider it a sacrifice to Him when he considered it a privilege to die for me?” I feel just as Paul the apostle did. In Timothy 1:12 Paul says “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service”. I am truly thankful to God and for the calling He has given me.
FPO has been such a great time! I have heard some amazing speakers and acquired great tools that I can use on the field. I have also made such amazing, godly, lifelong friends. It is so amazing to meet people here from all over the states that are going to places all over the world as well as encouraging being around so many people who all have a passion to reach the nations. It is going to be extremely difficult leaving these relationships behind but it will be exciting to get future updates from them around the world.
I thank those who have been praying for me and ask for continued prayer. Pray that I would continue to learn more about God’s word and stay disciplined in spending time with Him. Also, pray the Lord would be faithful in giving me boldness to proclaim the Gospel and share my testimony among the lost people here in Richmond. The Lord allowed me to share the gospel with three individuals last night. Pray the Lord would work in their hearts and they would come to find salvation in Him. Thank you all for your prayers, love and support. I love you all!

Not Ashamed,
Brittne