Psalm 116 - A comforting Psalm today

I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice 

and my pleas for mercy. 

Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will 

call on him as long as I live. 

The snares of death encompassed me; 

the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; 

I suffered distress and anguish. 

Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!"

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. 

The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt

bountifully with you. 

For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, 

my feet from stumbling; 

I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. 

I believed, even when I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted"; 

I said in my alarm, "All mankind are liars." 

What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? 

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,

I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. 

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 

O LORD, I am your servant; I am you servant, 

the son of your  maidservant. 

You have loosed my bonds. 

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving 

and call on the name of the LORD. 

I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, 

in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. 

Praise the LORD!

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After an amazing weekend away in the mountains with my host family and the missionary family, I am back to work on various projects I am doing to encourage the team. I am slowly seeing them all come together and am excited to see the finished products. But today was a weird day. Part of it is I haven't slept much or well since before we left for our little mountain vacation (and in reality since before the gringos arrived and I got sick) and so am very tired. Part of it is I know Satan is trying to wear me down and discourage from focusing on the last weeks I have here in Peru. My homesickness hit me full force today and I felt bad because I got into a "fight" with my sister and we were both crying over Skype. It wasn't fun and made me really miss being home so that I could make things up to her. And it hit me just how much I miss being on campus to hang out with her or able to go home and hang out with my three younger siblings for the weekend or go to my brother's upcoming play (he just got a solo in the Marion Homeschool Assistance Program's performance of Pride and Prejudice). So between all of those things and being tired, I just felt defeated today. I sat and cried for a little while after talking to my sister and crying to My Love. And then I returned to the Psalm that I read this morning during our team meeting. Psalm 116 has pieces that just seemed to just fit with how I felt today. And it brought me encouragement at the same time. Especially the part about being delivered from my tears (if you know me at all you know that I hate to cry). And after being reminded of GOD's faithfulness, HIS love, HIS steadfastness, HIS constant presence, and HIS comfort... I felt a bit better and a bit more ready to tackle the rest of my day.

7 weeks (plus about an hour and a half at the time I am writing this) from today I will be boarding my final flight from Atlanta to home in Iowa. And I have to keep my focus on my various projects and tasks here otherwise I may end up going a bit crazy. 7 weeks to focus on life here. 7 weeks to find new ways to encourage the team. 7 weeks to find new ways to love and serve GOD and the people of Peru. Pray that I can have an open and ready heart these next 7 weeks. Prayers would be much appreciated if you think of me, especially these coming weeks as I am finishing projects and waiting to head home, but not wanting to say my goodbyes here. Your prayers mean far more to me than you could ever know or understand.

May GOD bless you and remind you of HIS presence today in some way. Maybe through a hug, a smile, a laugh, a letter, a Scripture or whatever else. 

p.s. here are just a few pics from our vacation to Cajamarca in the mountains. Check out my facebook for more. :)