My plan vs. God's plan

I landed in Lima, Peru the evening of Monday March
5th, on Tuesday afternoon I was in the Amazonian jungle… by the
Wednesday evening, God was making it abundantly clear that this place was to be
my new home! Just like that, so fast… it kind of took my breath away! I had
left England thinking that I was going to be travelling on with the Iris team
throughout South America and then return to Peru after a few months but I have
an absolute certainty that I am supposed to stay here in Peru now and focus on
the work that He has readied for me. His timing, as always, is perfect

Health Teaching with Urarina
leaders
The place that I will soon be calling home is “Aurora”….
“The City of Light”. It is an indigenous training centre on the banks of River
Maranon just a short boat ride from a large town called Nauta. The principle
focus of the work at Aurora is to share the Gospel message and disciple
believers, so laying the foundations for a transformed life. Then there is the
community development component which includes teaching and training on a
variety of topics including health, agriculture (malnutrition is one of the
biggest problems in the depths of jungle), trade, literacy and small engine
repairs (the majority of day to day travel is in little boats powered by these
engines. Without them, you are well and truly stuck!). The founders of Aurora,
David and Stephanie Palusky have already developed a close relationship with one
tribe, the Urarina in the years that they have been visiting the Peruvian
Amazon. Their heart is to continue developing this relationship while also
reaching out to other tribes that have not yet heard the Gospel, using the
modern technology that David is developing (http://www.renewoutreach.com/). I’m not
entirely sure yet what my exact role will be at Aurora (still one of my most
commonly used phrases is “I don’t know…!”) but I am confident that as I continue
to step into this new season, the Lord will continue to make His exact plans
abundantly clear. I do know, however, that I will be helping to meet the medical
needs of different tribes as they come to Aurora. There will be clinics for
actual treatment but our main focus will be on teaching so that illnesses can be
avoided and general health can be improved.
Since leaving Aurora, I have been with some of the Iris
team travelling from the jungle to the Pacific coast. This started with 3 days
on a boat, locally known as a lancha. This was a wonderful experience as we all
lived in our hammocks for those 3 days and 2 nights! We got on the lancha in the
hustle and bustle of the port at Iquitos, found a space big enough for the 5 of
us and hung our hammocks in a line and settled in to swing our way through the
next 3 days. It was a glorious (if somewhat smelly and noisy!) time and one
which I would love to share with any of you who want to come visit! Then there
were too many hours spent in uncomfortable buses bouncing through the mountains
(not quite so glorious!) We are now staying at a beautiful coastal town,
Mancora, as we wait for parts to come from Lima for a broken down car that was
left in Piura for repairs.
I hope to be back at Nauta and Aurora by mid-April when
Marcos, the Brazilian pastor who oversees the day to day runnings of Aurora
heads into the jungle for a month to revisit and share the Gospel again with the
28 villages of the Urarina tribe.

The river front at
Aurora
I am so excited to see how God reveals all the details of
what He has been preparing for this time and this place.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill
cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on
the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light
shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father who is in Heaven” Matthew 5:14-16

post by Bridget Carrol