Dos dias until PERU!!

In only two days, I will be leaving for Peru. The trip will be short compared to the one that I took last summer, very short!! Only one week, and two of those days will be spent in the airport or on the plane. That means that we have only 6 days on the ground in Peru...6 days to share the gospel, 6 days to be the hands and feet of Christ, only 6 days to disciple the believers in Peru. I have been overcome by how little time we have and how much we have to do!
We, we, we...it really is not about us at all nor are WE going to accomplish anything outside of HIM. Him, Him, Him...it should be all about Him, but somehow the focus is often shifted in the wrong direction, the direction of me and we. Pray that our focus this week will be HIM. I believe that our main purpose is going to Peru is not to change the country (or even a portion of it) but to be changed ourselves. We can be an encouragement to the believers there and even share the gospel with a few. However, I believe that God's main purpose in taking us to Peru is to change us so that we can return with our eyes open to the vast world around us, a world in which over a billion people have never heard of the name of Jesus Christ; a world desperate for the good news that we have kept hidden "under a bushel" for too long when we should "let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"
There are many prayer requests that I have for this week, but my main request of you is that you please PRAY. Pray for these requests or any others that God may lay on your heart, remembering always that the prayers of a righteous man avail much!!
Pray for the children in the orphanage that we will visit, pray for the administration at the school and the orphanage, pray for the team of local Peruvians that we will be working alongside, pray for safe travel and good working weather, pray for good attitudes and a team spirit, pray, pray, pray and thank you for your prayers!!
The week leading up to this trip has been simply amazing. I have gotten a lot of time to relax. Adam and I played chess outside on a life-size chess set on Monday. The weather was gorgeous and I even won a game (I think that he was slacking on the first game :-) It was my first time to play chess, and I can not wait to go back. Kate and I spent some time by the pool on Wednesday. Today and tomorrow I will be spent hanging out with Mom and Dad and Corey. God has certainly answered my prayer for a time to relax and catch up with friends and family. It has definitely been a wonderful last week of summer--well my summer at least. As soon as I return from Peru, the summer semester will begin, complete with classes and a research project. I am disappointed that the fun will end so soon, but also excited to be productive once again!
I can not wait until I write again. I hope to share with you many stories of God's glory revealed.
Much love and gratitude,
Sybil