Sierra Basista - Day 12

Being at Machu Picchu was absolutely amazing!!!  The Andes Mountains were so huge and beautiful and the Incan ruins were so cool to see.  It was awesome to see how most of their buildings or structures were still here after 600 years.  Our tour guide also explained that the Incans were actually short despite their very tall door openings and that no families lived there, only children and young people.  There were so many huge stones there and it was amazing that they were able to build all that they did on the mountain, including the trails that led to other places, such as the sun gate.  I can’t wait to see you all again soon!

Sierra Basista

Rebecca Fiecoat - Day 12

Wow, where to begin?  Again, this week has been nothing short of amazing.  Our team experienced a little change of pace as we traveled from Lima to Cusco, adjusted to high altitudes, had several train, plane, and bus adventures, woke up super early (I’m talkin’ 3 a.m.), and hiked up, down, and around the Andes mountains! Last week, I was reminded of God’s power by experiencing the power of prayer. This week, I was reminded of God’s power by experiencing the beauty of His creation! Hiking to the Sun Gate in Machu Picchu was breathtaking, both literally and figuratively!  God’s glory is displayed through His creation and I was reminded of how truly powerful He is!  I cannot wait to share pictures and stories!  Thank you all so much for all of your prayers.  We’ll be coming home soon!

Blessings,

Rebecca Fiecoat

Alyssa Crow - Day 12

After passing out upon arrival to Cuzco and tripping and falling down a mountain later that day, I am proud to be the troubled child of the group (No surprise to my family, I’m sure).  It was a hard day for me, but the Lord took my mind off of the pain at Machu Picchu. Being up in the mountains reminded me of God’s breathtaking power!  I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the snow topped mountains and the Incan city below.  Our God is so mighty and I am completely in awe of Him!  I can’t wait to be reunited with family and friends in just a few days.

Alyssa Crow

Kaylee Van Winkle - Day 12

“Patience is a virtue.”  When you ask the Lord for patience, He certainly will provide ways for you to practice.  Machu Picchu was a huge lesson in patience, especially waiting on the train to come, so we could get “home” by 1:00 am.  The Lord has definitely challenged me in that area.

Now, about Machu Picchu . . .  The Andes, are beyond beautiful and creation literally does sing of His majesty. I was so awestruck by the glory and beauty of the mountains.  It was so amazing to be able to walk around one of the 7 wonders of the world, knowing that our Creator was there with those people also. I can’t wait to share pictures and stories when we get home.  Hardly seems like we have been here two weeks.  Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support! 
He is amazing, was amazing, and he continues to amaze me!

Kaylee Van Winkle

Rachel Hartong - Day 11

Okay so I guess I’ll talk about the llamas, because of the VBS benchmark we’d created for Babylon. No, I didn’t get to kiss a llama!  We were warned that since tourists constantly try to pose with the llamas that they are professional “spitters.”  Anyway, we did run into several llamas during the hike to the Sun Gate, but they were pretty easy to pet and get pictures with; some even followed us up the trail for a while.  However, they still were not too fond of people getting close to their face so Sam and I didn’t try to kiss them. On the bright side though we still got several awesome pictures that we’ll be able to share once we’re home with all of you!

Rachel Hartong

Kendra Caddell - Day 11

Machu Picchu was amazingly beautiful!  When most of the group left for Sun Gate, Krista, Jake, Kyu, Josh, and I stayed behind.  My portion of the group walked around the lower portion of Machu Picchu and finally jumped through an open doorway onto an agricultural terrace overlooking the Andes.  It was so unreal!  Staring out at the mountains, I was reminded of just how big and powerful God is.  After taking so many pictures I lost count, I fell asleep on the grass and slept under the shade of a 600 year old wall until Krista woke me up.

Kendra Caddell

Andria Nelson - Day 11

After we walked around Machu Picchu, a small group of six made up of Kari, Becca, Rachel, Brenna, Sam and I hiked our way up to the Sun Gate.  The journey up was long and hard at times (even with so many water and picture taking breaks) but each step we took gave us a greater view than before. When we reached the top I got an amazing feeling seeing where we started and seeing just how far we had come.

Andria Nelson