Chirani, take two!

So last Saturday night I headed out of town to go back to the small village of Chirani in the jungle. The plan was to go back to this village for a couple of days to check on the Ole Miss students that had stayed behind to work for another 3 weeks. I wanted to see how they were doing physically and emotionally, and how the people were continuing to accept the gospel. What I found was all good! The students were doing great. A little stomach sickness, but other than that, all was good. The believers have continued to want to meet each night for a service with singing and Bible study. The women had started studying Ruth in their afternoon Bible study. They loved learning that story, and each day left anxious to know what was going to happen next! It's so encouraging to see them eating up everything they can! The men also continue to have a Bible study in the mornings. Please continue to pray for the spiritual growth in that village. Several are so eager to learn and grow in the Word, but there is still a need for a permanent leader to step up. Please pray that God will raise up a leader among these people as the believers continue to grow.
So, as I mentioned when I arrived in Chirani, the plan was to stay for a couple days. Well, on the day I was planning to leave, one of the ladies in the villages came to me all worried about how I was going to get home because there was a strike in one of the towns between there and Lima. The road was closed, so it was impossible to get through. Well, I did some asking around, and found out that was true! So the question was what to do? This little village basically has no cell phone service. In the whole village, there is one cell phone that occasionally gets service in one particular spot. The phone is hanging on a string from the roof of the house, so that it is in the exact place to catch that service. So one of the translators and I sat by the hanging cell phone for about an hour waiting for just a bar of service, so that I could call my boss. I finally managed to get ahold of my roommate, Mindy, who informed me that the buses weren't running, so I would be stuck in Chirani! There was no telling when the road would be opened back up. Now I can't honestly say I was disappointed...I love that village! Tuesday and Wednesday passed by with no change in the strike situation. Thursday morning, I finally got word that the road was open. So my 2 day trip turned into a 5 day trip! I ended up running out of some essentials like shampoo and bug spray, but it was totally worth it! I had prayed that the Lord would allow me more time in the jungle, and that's just what I got! Thank you Lord! I enjoyed those few extra days spent with the team and with those sweet people of Chirani. So I finally made it home around 9:30 this morning. Tonight I will get to sleep in my bed, but tomorrow morning, I leave with 80 teenagers for World Changers, Canta! Busy days in Peru - love it!!!