Lauren in Peru: Something that truly touched my heart....

One of the most heart touching things that has ever happened to me, happened to me recently. As some of you know, I was able to be home for Thanksgiving. That was a blessing; I was able to see my family and a few other people. I have a family from Mission Arlington that still keeps in touch with me. They email me frequently and encourage me. Every time I get an email from them I am so encouraged because it is so cool to see God using them to encourage me, people that I used to minister to. It just so happens while I was in the States they emailed me about when I was going to come home again. I was able to go see them in Arlington and surprise the boys and pick them up from school with their mom. We had a great time together. I bought them some games for Christmas (early presents) and we played together Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land. The mom had told me the day before that since they were currently not going to church anywhere she had been saving her tithe for me for Peru. She said it is not much, but I want to give it to you. She said it was perfect timing that I was in the States and that she could give it to me. I thought that was so sweet that she had been thinking about me and the people in Peru. I was expecting her to give me about $20.00 because this family would be what you would consider “struggling to make it” in the states. We had such a good time together. We sang songs together from Bible study, played the gospel hand game, and just fellowshipped. As I was leaving she handed me a handful of cash. I had no clue how much it was at the time. When I was in the car, I counted it, and she had given me $650 dollars towards mission work in Peru. I was blown away and received such a huge blessing that day! With that money we were able to buy so many outfits for kids for Christmas that are in true poverty. She told me she wanted her kids to understand that they did not live in poverty that they had plenty. Since she grew up in Mexico she knew what poverty was and she was worried that they did not appreciate what they have since they have not seen real poverty since they have grown up in the States. I am humbled by here generosity. Below are pictures of our time together and then me shopping in downtown Lima with the money that she gave me.