In a valley so sacred, a miracle has been born.

For those who have missed my wonderful blog entries, I apologize for my long delay, but I am in the Sacred Valley working at Casa de Milagros (House of Miracles), which is an orphanage owned and operated by an American couple. My time has been nothing short of incredible. Sometimes God just calls his followers to be still. I have been able to do just that here. It is so beautiful and so calm here that it is almost hard not to sit still, take in the moment, and glorify God for His amazing creation and this amazing place. I would not doubt that miracles are indeed made here. Thirty lives have been touched by the adoption efforts of these wonderful people and the family that lives here. Marie and Allen Nelson as a family unit have four children of their own, whom all would probably claim to be 100% genuine, purebred Peruvian.

Surprisingly to me, the orphanage is very large. I feel like it is almost like a small college campus. Casa de Milagros use to be an old estate for some ritzy Peruvian that probably had two homes, one in the city of Cusco and perhaps one out in the country with a plantation sort of feel. When the family bought this place, it was apparently unlivable and in a state of shackled ruins. Today the place has been turned into a magical wonderland with a river that runs about two hundred yards in front of the main housing complex and then a mountain that follows along the background to provide the perfect backdrop to such a magical place. If you were here, you might think you were in Disneyland and that you could just see the magic in the place and the faces of the children as they live happily in extended love and freedom in the arms of those who take care. For instance, the other night I literally watched the moon rise over the mountain across the river. I did not intend to see such a beautiful sight, but it was miraculous to say the least. To think of it, I am not sure if I have ever seen the moon rise over the mountain like that. I always thought the sun was the only one that could do that.

Speaking of suns, there is a little girl here by the name of “Sol,” which means sun in Spanish. She is absolutely adorable. If you are in need of a good laugh, she is certain to provide it. My Spanish is constantly improving, but she repeatedly calls me, “Amigo,” which is a common thing here, especially when someone wants you to buy something. Her little accent is what makes it so precious. She typically has pigtails with a huge grin across her face. In my week here, I have only seen here cry once over something very silly, but then again what kids do not cry about something typically very silly? She is one of my favorites to sit at the dinner table with.

While enjoying my stay here at the orphanage, the staff is very keen on the idea of creative expression. When I arrived, Marie asked me, “What would you like to do?” I kind of just looked at her and shrugged. Usually, on mission trips, I am given a list of things to do before my time ends wherever I am. Here, they encourage volunteers to design and carry out their own projects, which can be just as simple as spending time with the kids. It does not have to be anything grandiose. I have never ever drawn and painted a mural on a wall, but that is exactly what I am doing here. I have painted a Colorado type landscape with a barn and shack of a cabin. There is a moonlit night sky with mountains in the background. I will be sure to post pictures some time later on the blog with my finished project. It has been awesome to do something I have always wanted to do in a dreamlike sort of sensation! This is certainly one of the best mission projects I have ever done.

I have just completed a book called The Shack. If you have not read it, you must put it first on your reading list to check out. It is a wonderful book with an intriguing conversation between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The book has given me a new image of what I would like my relationship with God to be. If you read it, you will understand the dimensions of the indescribable events that take place in the book. You may even have a new understanding for God’s love, beauty, and acts of forgiveness in this limited lifetime. Check it out!

Well, my access Internet time is limited here in the middle of nowhere in Peru. I promise to have more updates and blogs soon when I have access to Internet fast enough to upload it  But then again, that can be a joy in of itself. I have never before been able to say, “I am in the middle of nowhere, and I have no access to my email right now.”