When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
John 13:12-13
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Iquitos, Peru with the Union College Global Health Nursing course. Iquitos is the largest city in Peru with no road access; one must travel by plane or boat down the Amazon River to arrive in Iquitos, making it very isolated. During this trip we traveled to many small villages, where we were able to serve over 1,100 people, providing medical care, medications, education, support, and God’s word. While there, it was very easy to see less-than-ideal living conditions, or to focus on the things that these people didn’t have. Rather than spending my 12 days there focusing on the negative, I decided I was purposefully going to seek God sightings. From that moment on, each and every day I saw God at work, working through us and with us.
I saw resilience and strength in us all as we awoke to a flood our first morning in Peru. The positive attitudes of those around us, and the ability to make light of the situation was glorious. It was a perfect example of the saying that “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.”
During our clinic days, I saw our students interacting with the people of Peru, touching, hugging, listening, and caring for them. I was amazed by the positive attitudes and the servant hearts. Working with individuals who were sick, who had very limited access to medical care, yet who always had a smile on their face made it easy to see God. In fact, God sightings were crystal clear on these days. The grateful hearts, the smiles, the laughter and the tears, the care that was given, were all examples of God using our hands to help his people.
I saw God working in us by building and strengthening relationships. The ability to pray with my students and to observe them praying with families we were serving is a vision I won’t soon forget. Playing with the children, comforting the mothers whose children were sick, providing encouragement and kindness to those we served, reminded us all that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and now in return it is our job as people of God to spread his word and his love. This is what we did in Peru. This is what we should continue to do each and every day.
Seeing God’s goodness, remaining humble and thankful, remembering that serving others is what God wants us to do, and sharing his love with others; these are the reminders and blessings I received from the beautiful people of Peru.
Proverbs 22:9 “When you are generous to the poor, you are enriched with blessings in return.”
Dear Heavenly Father, help us to look for you each and every day. Help us to use our hands to serve your people, spreading your love, your joy and your kindness to those we meet. Be with us as we share your word. Be with our brothers and sisters in Peru, as your love shines bright through them, reminding us that your love reaches far and wide. In your name we pray, Amen.
