Hold on to What You Believe

I
I can't promise you that I won't let you down
And I
I can't promise you that I will be the only one around
When your hope falls down
But we're young
Open flowers in the windy fields of this war-torn world
And love
This city breathes the plague of loving things more than their creators

I ran away
I could not take the burden of both me and you
It was too fast
Casting love on me as if it were a spell I could not break
When it was a promise I could not make

But what if I was wrong?

But hold on to what you believe in the light
When the darkness has robbed you of all your sight

And now this land
Means less and less to me without you breathing through its trees
At every turn
The water runs away from me and the halo disappears
And the hole when you're not near

So what if I was wrong?

But hold on to what you believe in the light
When the darkness has robbed you of all your sight

So hold on to what you believed in the light


--Mumford & Sons

Please Be My Strength by Gungor

I've tried to stand my ground
I've tried to understand
But I can't seem to find
My faith again

Like water on the sand
Or grasping at the wind
I keep on falling short

So please be my strength
Please be my strength
'Cause I don't have any more
I don't have any more

I'm looking for a place
Where I can plant my faith
One thing I know for sure

I cannot create it
And I cannot sustain it
It's Your love
That's keeping me

Please be my strength
Please be my strength
I don't have any more
I don't have any more

And at my final breath
I hope that I can say
I fought the good fight
Of faith

I pray your glory shines
This doubting heart of mine
And all would know that You

You are my strength
You are my strength
You and You alone
You keep bringing me back home

Oh, You are my strength
You are my strength
You and You alone
Keep bringing me back home

It's You and You alone
Bringing me back home

With every breath I take, every heart beat
Sunrise and the moon lights in the dark street
Every glance, every dance, every note of a song
All a gift undeserved that I shouldn't have known
Every moment I lie, Every moment I covet
I'm deserving to die, I'm earning your judgment
I, without the cross there's only condemnation
If Jesus wasn't executed there's no celebration
So in times that are good, in times that are bad
For any time I've had it all I will be glad
And I will boast in the cross, I boast in His name
I will boast in the sunshine, boast in His rain
What's my life if it's not praising You
Another dollar in my bank account of vain pursuit, I do
That count my life as any value or precious at all
Let me finish my race, let me answer Your call

Yet by Switchfoot

All attempts have failed
All my heads are tails
She's got teary eyes
I've got reasons why

I'm losing ground and gaining speed
I've lost myself or most of me
I'm headed for the final precipice

But you haven't lost me yet
No, you haven't lost me yet
I'll sing until my heart caves in
No, you haven't lost me yet, yet

These days pass me by
I dream with open eyes
Nightmares haunt my days
Visions blur my nights

I'm so confused
What's true or false
What's fact or fiction after all
I feel like I'm an apparition's pet

But you haven't lost me yet
No, you haven't lost me yet
I'll run until my heart caves in
No, you haven't lost me yet

If it doesn't break, if it doesn't break, if it doesn't break
If it doesn't break your heart, it isn't love
No, if it doesn't break your heart, it's not enough
It's when you're breaking down with your insides coming out
That's when you find out what your heart is made of

And you haven't lost me yet
No, you haven't lost me yet
I'll sing until my heart caves in
No, you haven't lost me yet
'Cause you haven't lost me yet

Sometimes by David Crowder Band

Verse 1
Sometimes every one of us feels
Like we’ll never be healed
Sometimes
Sometimes every one of us aches
Like we’ll never be saved
Sometimes

Pre-Chorus 1
When we’ve given up
Let Your healing come
When there’s nothing left
Let Your healing come
‘Til we’re rising up
Let Your healing come
Where You go, we will follow
Where You go, we will follow

Chorus 1
It’s Your love that we adore
It’s like a sea without a shore
We’re lost in You, we’re lost in You
It’s Your love that we adore
It’s like a sea without a shore
We’re lost in You, we’re lost in You
Sometimes

Verse 2
Sometimes
It’s like we’ll never atone
For all the love we’ve known
Sometimes
Like in a smile or a song
When you feel it come
And that feeling’s gone
It flies

Pre-Chorus 2
When we’ve given up
Let Your healing come
When there’s nothing left
Let Your healing come
Feel it rising up
Let Your healing come
Where You go, we will follow
Where You go, we will follow

Chorus 2
It’s Your love that we adore
It’s like a sea without a shore
We’re lost in You
We’re lost in You
It’s Your love that we adore
It’s like a sea without a shore
We’re lost in You
We’re lost in You
It’s Your love that we adore
It’s like a sea without a shore
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid
Just set your sail

Bridge
And risk the ocean there’s only grace
Let’s risk the ocean there’s only grace
Let’s risk the ocean there’s only grace
Let’s risk the ocean there’s only grace

Flushing Toilet Paper

Part 1: Remembering TO flush toilet paper

As I warned you all, I went home for vacation to the good ol' US of A, and went back to Cincinnati, OH.

In my head, I wrote a blog called "You Know You've Been In Peru to Long When... The Re-Entry Edition." Somehow, that blog never was written. But my first anecdote would have told you about me being in the Miami airport, going into the women's bathroom, seeing toilet paper in one of the toilets, and leaving that stall, forgetting that you can put toilet paper into the commode in the United States. Yeah, that's bad. What's worse is that I did it TWICE!

I had way worse "re-entry shock" than I have ever experienced culture shock. I got really excited about drinking tap water, and even more excited about drinking from a water fountain, which I hadn't even seen in almost a year and a half.

And for all of you who are waiting to hear with bated breath...yes, I ate my fill of Chipotle. First and last meal in the States, plus several times in between.

Vacation was truly wonderful, an excellent time for much-needed rest and recuperation. It was also great to see so many family and friends.

My favorite part, however, was sharing in three different churches the amazing things God is doing in Peru! And if I missed seeing you, I'm sorry, and I will catch you next time!

God blessed me SO MUCH during vacation. All glory to his name!
And here are a few of my favorite moments:

Part 2: Remembering NOT to flush toilet paper

So, I am back in Cusco, Peru, excited and ready to finish my twenty-seven months in Peru, excited to see more people come to the foot of the cross, excited to see three churches planted!

Here's the news: I finally have a partner!! Kathy, Emily's former partner, will be working with me for the rest of our time here. We are already off to a great start! This also means that, once again, my church plant sites are changing. We will continue working in Lamay and Coya, with our third site being Santiago, where Kathy and Emily have already made progress.

Prayer Requests:

• For our team, as we once again acclimate to changes
• For meeting places to hold church services in each place
• For continued outpouring of God's Spirit in us, and in the people we are ministering to
• For my family at home
• For our contacts to be firm, available for meeting, and to have open hearts

Thanks for all your prayers and support!