October 15, 2008
Sweet Family & Friends,
By the time you receive this letter our South America Regional Retreat will have passed, we'll have voted in a major election and I will be packing my bags to come spend a couple of weeks in the great mid-west.
I first of all want to thank you so much for praying with us over the last couple of months. As I write this we are 2 weeks away from hosting the SA Regional Retreat and we are very busy and very excited. It is your support and prayers that help sustain us as we work double time! Also, your prayers for our dear pregnant friend have been answered in a tangible way this month as we have been able to work to together with her to build a house on her mother's property where her and the baby will be able to live and grow away from the streets. Please continue to pray for Italo and his family, there is not much improvement in his condition but because of a doctor's strike and inconsistent medical care they may be sending him home where the resources to properly care for him are not available.
Another prayer update has to do with my contract decision. Again, I thank you all so much for your prayer, your encouragement and your kind words. It is with great joy that I have decided, with the affirmation of my dear community, to renew my contract for another 3 years. There were many factors that went into the decision and as I prayed and surrendered them to the Lord I felt a deep peace about continuing on in this community. We are still working out some of the details in terms of my role and how it may grow and change and I am so excited about the possibilities and the vision that I feel God has given me for this small stretch of future. More about this in coming letters since there will be more coming! 🙂
In other news, I hiked the 4 day Inka Trail last month with my dear friends, Linsey & David. It was an incredible experience and like nothing I have ever dared before. For many of you hardcore hikers it may have been no big thing but for me it was a true test of will, endurance, faith and hope. The last leg of our first day of hiking was at a pretty steep incline and when we finally rounded the corner and saw our camp I burst into tears — partly because I was so happy to have arrived and partly because I knew that the next day was supposed to be 5 times as difficult. I considered turning back that day– wondered how difficult it would be to catch a ride on a mule back to town– but now I cannot imagine having missed out on the intense beauty that is God's creation in the Andes mountains. We're talking 800 species of orchids, 700 species of butterflies, 30 different types of hummingbirds, moss that stores moisture to water the other plants during dry season, jungle climate, mountain climate, jungle-mountain climate and all along the way the majestic yet unassuming incredibly intelligent architecture of the Inkas. I cannot count how many times it took my breath away or how many times we just dissolved into joyous laughter/thankful tears but I do know that expanded my ever-growing understanding of who God is — in goodness, in attentiveness, in the details, in love and in faithfulness. Just when I think I'm starting to get a grasp on the magnitude of it all, I get drawn deeper in and I could not be more thankful. I've included a few pictures just to give you a glimpse.
Alright, with that I'll wrap it up for now. So much love to you all! This journey would not be possible without you– I know I say that every time, but its true. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Also– if you would like to buy/sell Christmas cards for WMF Peru then go ahead and shoot me an email: monica.ghali@wordmadeflesh.com and we will get you all set up. If you'd like to check out the designs they can be seen at www.wordmadefleshperu.wordpress.com you can also find news updates, and other fun things on our newly developed, aforementioned blog so keep checking back!
peace & so much love, monica n. ghali
—
Monica Ghali
America 344 – 3er Piso
Pueblo Libre – Lima 21, Peru
monica.ghali@wordmadeflesh.com
http://mghali.blogspot.com
http://wordmadefleshperu.wordpress.com