Mission Peru

by Jarrod McCourt, Glengate Alliance Church

Hey everybody, it’s our second last day here in Trujillo and I’m finally blogging. I’ve been wanting to blog all week but I haven’t had something specific to blog about. There’s been so much going on and God has shown me so many things, that it’s been difficult to pinpoint one solid example where God said “Hey Jarrod, I’ve got something I want you to see.”  In the midst of soaking in culture, communicating through a language barrier, finding out my role as a leader, building relationships with youth from another church and the people of Peru, encouraging our youth to engage culture and God, experiencing poverty to a level that I have never seen before and trying to hear God’s voice for myself. It has been a bit of a struggle for me to find the Peace that surpasses all understanding, but here on the last day I feel that I have found it.

On the day that I left Niagara Falls Canada to make the journey down to Trujillo Peru, I had gone over to a buddy’s house where a few of my friends were that wanted to pray for me before I left. After they had finished praying for me, one of my friend’s had felt that God said, “Jarrod that hat you are wearing, it’s staying in Peru.” This made me kind of excited but at the same time kind of sad because that meant I had to buy a new hat. I wanted to know who I was going to give this hat to and when I was going to give it to them.

When we got to Peru, my eyes were peeled. “Who can I give my hat to?” Even Jeff (not knowing what my buddy had told me back home) had told me when we were on our way to the beach that he wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up giving my hat to someone. This was confirmation to me from God.

As the days went by I was constantly on the lookout, trying to see who I should give this hat to but – nothing. I was getting anxious over this darn hat. As the week drew to an end, I had given up. I was done looking for this person and I told God that he’s going to have to make it happen because I just can’t picture it happening now. But then on our last night, God kept his promise.

We had an event with all the youth from the various ministries in the community. At the end of the event, each of the Peruvian youth was given a gift that they were to give to us. What was the gift? It was a Peruvian hat. I met a young man named Anthony. He gave me my Peruvian hat, and in exchange I placed my hat on his head and told him it looked better on him. He shook my hand and hugged me. I prayed for him in English (he couldn’t understand), he shook my hand and hugged me so tight. He hugged me again and again. He was so happy.

God revealed his faithfulness to me tonight. He proved to me that He always keeps his promises. He’s serious in everything He says, and holds us all so close to himself. He is so faithful to us, even when we lack in faith. He calls us to be faithful to him in absolutely everything that we do. I want to be able to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” – Matthew 25:21.  

I don’t know what that hat meant to Anthony. Maybe he really liked it. Maybe he wanted a hat but couldn’t afford one.  Maybe it was that he felt loved.  Maybe he was praying for a sign from God. Or maybe, just maybe God revealed His Faithfulness to him too.