I’ve had a heart for missions and ministry, particularly to orphans, for a long time. Maybe it’s from reading so much about Amy Carmichael and Gladys Aylward, or from hearing stories of others’ experiences, or from sponsoring children through Compassion with my family and on my own. It feels like it’s been forever since I started dreaming about traveling overseas to minister in an orphanage.
When I thought about the internship I have to do for my major in school, the ultimate opportunity seemed to be to work in an orphanage overseas, but I didn’t really think it would happen. I started researching different organizations I could go with, and I found the one I’m working with early on. In February, they interviewed me over the phone and told me shortly after that I was accepted to go to Peru! What an answer to so many prayers and dreams.
Finances, though, seemed like a huge hurdle to overcome. The month-long trip is fairly expensive ($3,900) and I hardly had anything to contribute. I was supposed to have 50% of my support raised by June 1st. Amazingly, 100% of my support was raised by then! It’s amazing to me how money was such a non-issue. I always heard incredible stories of God providing for other people, but somehow I thought I was too much of a realist and a pragmatist for Him to do the same for me. Oh ye of little faith! My heartfelt gratitude goes out to all of you who contributed to me financially and prayerfully. Without you, I truly would not be able to have this opportunity, and please know that I am mindful of that as I go!
Okay, I’m sure you didn’t click on this page just to read my seemingly endless ramblings, so here is some information that may be of more interest to you. 
Dates:
- Flying to Dallas July 5 for orientation
- Flying to Lima July 6
- Ministry in Lima July 6-21
- Ministry in Cuzco July 22-28
- Ministry in Lima July 29-August 3
- Flying home August 4
Details:
I am going with three other girls, including the intern leader. We will be staying in hotels in Lima and Cuzco. I don’t have a lot of details about the orphanage ministry itself so far, but from my understanding, we will be working mainly in one orphanage in Lima and one orphanage in Cuzco. In Lima, we will also visit at least four other orphanages on day or half-day trips. In Cuzco, we will be working with a short-term missions team from a church. The general pattern for days at the orphanages seems to be doing VBS in the mornings, and spending time building relationships with the orphans in the afternoons.
Prayer Requests:
- Safety and no travel complications
- Good intern relationships
- Health
- Humility
- Servant’s hearts
- Relationship-building with the hosts and orphans
- Preparation of the orphans’ hearts as well as ours
- LOVE!
“If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:3)
