Carla Peru: "Oh how beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who brings good news,
the good news of peace and salvation,
the news that the God of Israel reigns!" -Isaiah 52:7
After 5 of our team members met up with parents, sisters and Maxine we headed to a lakeside village named Copacabana (not the world renowned beach in Brazil, but probably more beautiful between the mountains and the highest lake of its size). There we spent a few days before heading to Cusco, Peru. Probably the biggest highlight of the parents' visit (and my whole year) was having the privilege to go to Machu Picchu.
The ancient city on a hill was very impressive and all that, but I was more astounded by God's awesome beauty in the surrounding mountains. At first when we got to the top of the mountain, it was very misty so you could only see some walls and a few very chilled-out llamas who didn't look to impressed about all the tourists trying to take selfies with them….. But as the time went by, God spoiled us every now-and-then by opening up the view for a few second and leaving us to stand in awe before his creation. After a good stroll to the Inca Bridge, he cleared the sky completely and we were able to experience Machu Picchu and all the majestic mountains around the site with perfect clarity. Mountains and stars, definitely two of my favourite things. It makes you realize just a little part of how big God is and how small you are.
I felt that same feeling in my heart one morning when I got up from a good night's rest on our straw mattress in a mud-brick house situated in a tiny village in the mountains of northern Peru. Half-asleep I stumbled out of the room to brush my teeth and I was taken aback by the awesome beauty, 360 degrees around me. I couldn't help but worship the Lord for what He has made. There we spent a lot of time encouraging the local church, handing out Bibles and praying for each person that God sent on our way. It was amazing to see how God softened specific people's hearts and planned for us to encounter them, and during those divine encounters we didn't really do anything, we just went and God worked through that. With the mountains constantly reminding me of God's greatness it was just so obvious that God wants to have relationship with his children. Even though we are small and useless and He is awesome and beautiful, He still speaks to us and He desires to be intimate with his children...all of them. What a privilege it is when you can see a beautiful old Peruvian lady's eyes light up with this realization, causing her to fall to her knees and give everything that she is and has to the God of the universe.
I pray that the amazing people that inhabit these mountains never ever get used to the beauty they are surrounded with and that God will keep on revealing himself to them through His creation.