An update on what I have been doing, what I am doing now, and what is coming next.
Since the end of May I have been in New Orleans joyfully serving and loving on the people and the city of New Orleans through the avenue of M-Fuge. I had a great summer. It was the first summer that Fuge was in New Orleans so we definitely had some obstacles to overcome and some major groundwork to lay. The team I worked with was amazing. Together we worked hard doing everything from changing our schedule, setting us apart from many other Fuge camps, to tearing down and setting up the auditorium each week.
My ministry site all summer was close to Tulane’s campus at a place called Evan’s park. There was no prep work done at Evan’s park, no site contact, and at the beginning there was not even any kids. Week two of camp I was sent to this park, not having the slightest idea what was going to happen and honestly not having the best attitude about it. So, we started from scratch. Me and my week two campers and adults started by praying and then we just began to walk around the neighborhood and knock on doors. Slowly, but surely we started to find kids and amazingly enough their parents trusted us enough to send them out the door and down the street to the park with us.
I truly saw the Lord answer prayers this summer through the work I was a part of at Evan’s park. We started out the first two week with only two or three kids coming each day, but then by week three as we prayed “Lord, multiply the kids that come to Evan’s park”, we saw twenty-two even twenty-eight kids come to the park one day. The Lord is so faithful. The ministry at Evan’s park might not have been organized or even ideal, but our ministry this summer was full of love. As the kids and families of Evan’s park waved goodbye to M-Fuge I walked away confidently knowing that we, as M-Fuge, had poured out genuine love on this neighborhood all summer. Love that could only come from Christ and the love He first poured out on us.
So, what does all of this have to do with what comes next? The Lord taught me so much this summer, but one thing He taught me was exactly where my ministry is. He showed me that this summer my ministry was in New Orleans. And now you are thinking, “Duh! You have been doing ministry in New Orleans all summer, of course your ministry was in New Orleans.” But it is so much bigger than that. Going into my summer in New Orleans I knew that I would be going to Peru shortly after camp was over. I began to worry that I would be distracted all summer with figuring out what life and ministry in Peru would be like.
The Lord is so faithful. He showed me again and again how He was using my ministry in New Orleans to completely prepare me for my coming ministry in Peru. He used Evan's park and the people of the community to specifically prepare me for what is next. He used the bible study material, the life and ministry of Peter, each week in a new way to teach me something new about His plan. His plan, that is so much bigger than mine and I become more and more thankful for that everyday.
In less than a week I will be getting on a plane and heading to Peru until December. I will spend my first week in Santiago, Chile participating in orientation with many other students who will be working in various part of South America all semester. My partner Rebecca and I will be serving in the town of Recuay, which is in the Ancash province of Peru. Much of our ministry will be based on relationships. We will get to know the people of Recuay and become part of their lives. We are told this could include helping wash clothes in the river, teaching in the local schools, playing soccer with the boys and volleyball with the girls, studying and sharing from the Bible, leading Bible studies, etc. We will know better what we will spend our time doing once we get there.
The Lord is so faithful. Even though I may not feel prepared I am resting confidently in the fact that the Lord is faithful and He has completely prepared me for my ministry in Peru. I cannot wait to see His plan unfold.
It is good to praise the LORD,
To sing praise to Your name, Most High,
To declare Your faithful love in the morning
And Your faithfulness at night
Psalm 92:1-2
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