July: Peru

July was BUSY. The kind of busy where you look back and wonder, “How did we actually fit all of that into one month?” But somehow, through every crazy schedule, last-minute change, and moment where I felt completely overwhelmed, God was faithful through it all.

The biggest blessing of July was getting to serve on our mission trip to Peru. And if I’m being completely honest… this was a trip we didn’t feel fully prepared for.

The weeks leading up to Peru were a little chaotic (and by “a little,” I mean a lot 😂). We made a last-minute decision to drive up north to New Hampshire for a short camp nursing job— yes, 18 hours in the car with Ghost and all his fur included — and packed the day before for both that trip and Peru. The one thing I failed to plan for?

The in-between.

We finished that job, drove two days back home, and then were supposed to get on a plane to Peru the next day. Looking back, I’m still not sure what I was thinking. I think as we drove into Alabama, we both felt like the weight of the world was on our shoulders. We had an entire day to unpack, wash clothes, repack, and somehow prepare for an international mission trip. Then, at the last minute, I decided to add an entire suitcase full of donated supplies that unexpectedly needed to come with us.

I just kept telling Brandon, “Everything is fine.” 😂 And somehow… it was.

We landed in Peru not even really knowing what we had packed at that point, but almost immediately, it felt like we were exactly where we were supposed to be.

Because we were.

All the stress, the rushing, the last-minute packing, and the worrying beforehand didn’t matter anymore. God had already gone before us.

One of my favorite parts of missions is reconnecting with “my people.” There is something so special about serving alongside people who have shared pieces of this journey with you before. Missions creates a connection that is hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. I was reunited with friends I hadn’t seen in months and others I hadn’t seen in years. Each person on this team holds a special place in my heart for a different reason. There were friends who have become family, people who have encouraged me, spoken life into me, and walked alongside me in different seasons of ministry. One sweet friend reminded me years ago at a dinner table, after knowing me for less than a day, “God has bigger plans for you than you could possibly even imagine.”

I’ll never forget those words because he was right. God knew exactly what I needed to hear in that moment.

And once again, Peru reminded me of how good He is.

For 10 days, we traveled from Lima, Peru into the Andes Mountains, serving in six different villages. We set up medical clinics, carried supplies, loved on families, and experienced a beautiful culture and country.

We also went about five days without a shower… which is always a fun little detail to throw in there. 😂

We slept on floors wherever we could set up the clinics, using sleeping pads and blankets during the cold Peruvian winter nights. We traveled as high as 15,000 feet in elevation, where walking up a couple of steps could leave us completely out of breath.

Brandon also deserves a special shoutout for driving a stick shift through the mountains on some of the wildest roads I’ve ever seen — steep cliffs, no guardrails, tiny roads, and switchbacks that made your stomach drop. We used radios between vehicles to communicate about everything from cows in the road to trucks coming around blind corners.

It was an adventure, to say the least.

But the medical clinics… they were incredible.

Each day we saw around 100-150 patients, and the gratitude we received from these families was overwhelming. They thanked us over and over again, but the truth is, we felt just as blessed to be there. One little girl especially impacted us. She came to the clinic with a serious wound on her leg that had been there for months. Thankfully, we were able to provide wound care supplies, treatment, and education for her family to continue caring for it at home. Since returning home, we’ve received updates and pictures, and her wound is already healing beautifully. We truly believe that without treatment, her condition could have become much more serious.

Moments like that are why we just go.

We also had the opportunity to deliver medical supplies to a local hospital in the village of Ocros. Seeing all the donated equipment and supplies laid out was incredible. So many items that were donated by people back home will now help a community with limited resources for months or even years to come.

It was a beautiful reminder that every donation, every prayer, and every person who supports these trips plays a part.

Peru was amazing. I absolutely love the mountains there. They are breathtaking. Although someday, I would love to go back and experience the jungle as well!

When we returned home, there wasn’t much time to rest. The very next day, we had a speaking engagement at the church where I grew up. We had one day between coming home and preparing, but we loved sharing our story and connecting with people who have followed along, prayed, encouraged, and supported us throughout this journey.

We are incredibly grateful for every person who has supported us — whether through prayer, encouragement, finances, or simply following along.

After that, we finally got about three days to rest, spend time with family, and celebrate my birthday before heading into another exciting week: MOTION Conference with our church, Church of the Highlands. Brandon and his co-lead took on 13 boys, and I had 7 girls with my sweet co-lead. We absolutely loved it!

And that deserves its own post because God did something incredible during that week. Stay tuned for the next blog where we share the sweetest story of a teenage boy who gave his life to Jesus.

July was exhausting, beautiful, chaotic, and unforgettable.

And through every moment, God continued to remind us:

He is already there before we arrive.