The God Lens

Today we did not have any appointments or legal requirements, so we were able to take it a little bit easy.







There is a little sifting going on. A little sifting out of my own selfishness. A little bit of me recognizing how awfully much I pay attention to the way I feel about things, and how much less I focus on the way God sees things. It's a deliberate choice I have to make to dwell on God's point of view and not simply my own feelings and what I physically see.





It's choosing to see through the "God lens". Choosing to see through the God lens means seeing other's needs, other's hurts, and other's brokenness and responding selflessly. Seeing through the God lens means that I am allowing the Holy Spirit to direct me and not asking myself how it feels, how much it will cost me, or how uncomfortable it makes me. Seeing through the God lens means that I choose to look beyond hard situations, and look deeper into the heart of the matter. The hurt and brokenness hidden beyond outward displays of anger...that's what the God lens sees. Seeing through the God lens means seeing the promises of the Lord written all over a situation, especially when the situation seems the opposite. The God lens always urges me to extend its arms in complete surrender, even if they might be rejected.

I have much to learn. I am learning every day that how I feel about things isn't really so important in this big scheme, if at all. My feelings rock to and fro based on circumstance and what I can physically see. The Lord desires to do so much more than my human feelings will understand or ever perceive. When I make the choice to view situations, and the responses of those I love, through this God lens (after all, we have been given the mind of Christ) I finally begin to get to the heart of the matter. That is where I am finally able to know and understand the need so that I can stand in faith.


Today at nap time, Camila cried and threw a fit for a bit. She never, ever wants to go to sleep. If she sees us getting the bed ready for sleep or getting her pjs out she begins crying. I wonder if it is because of how much time she has spent in her bed lately, and her recent days with us have been filled with lots of play. It could be for a number of reasons, but it has been a struggle most days.
She finally fell asleep for a short while.



She woke up in a pretty good mood, and so we decided to take a moto taxi to the Plaza de la Armas (center of town, or town square) to take the boys to look for some goodies.



















This building was built during the rubber boom in Iquitos during the late 1800's/early1900's.





This building was designed by the same man who designed the Eiffel Tower.



I know nothing at all about this building! Haha!

We had a good time there, and also went on a boat ride to see Belen, the floating Venice of Iquitos. It was very neat. The people there actually live on the water like this. Their children play in the water and even small kids walk along the edge of the porches. We asked if children drown there. The guide told us that it does happen, but not very often. That most kids are taught to swim by the time they are two years old.







A lady was washing her clothes outside.



This was a little bitty girl paddling a big canoe. She was waving and smiling at us!




























The river goes up and down at different times of the year. The people's homes that do not float are flooded at the time when the river as at it's highest point, and they go somewhere else to stay in the city. The other people stay there (and there are a lot), and they go in and out by boat. Food is brought in on bigger boats. There are shops and hang outs there too. Crazy! It was an amazing sight!













On the ride home in a moto taxi Camila was waving to everyone. I said, "Adios!" She kept on waving and started saying, "Adios! Adios! Adios!"

When we came back to the hotel this evening, I went for a swim with the boys, and then Leelee cooked us some pancakes! When it came time for Camila to go to bed, and the preparations began, the crying also began.

I took her to the room where we sleep. (She sleeps with Danny and I) I laid down beside her and I decided to begin to say the 23rd Psalm over her in the middle of the crying. After the first time though, the crying had already stopped. Over and over I said the Psalm. I grabbed my Bible and began reading other Psalms, and then came back to the 23rd Psalm. Camila became very peaceful and even began smiling at me.

I was able to stare her in the eyes and pray over her for a while, while her big, beautiful, black eyes stared straight into mine. It was like she was locked, soaking in every word of the prayer. I laid my hand on her forehead and kept praying.

Camila normally sucks on her fingers when she is sleepy, scared, or trying to go to sleep. She just lay there peacefully as I prayed over her with her arms laying by her sides. She began to close her eyes and go off to sleep and never raised her hands, never sucked her fingers, and never woke up. It was like a blanket of peace had swept over her body and her mind. I know the presence of Ho brought her peace tonight, and it was because of the prayers going up for her...out payers, and those from thousands of miles away.

Danny and I both laid hands on her and prayed over her some more after she was asleep.

Today some huge milestones came to pass. Camila is really clinging to us. She gets jealous of Amaus, and he gets jealous of her. Danny and I are striving to take turns focusing on them as individuals, and together to help smooth the transition.

Josiah and Isaac are doing great. They loved the boat ride! Isaac picked out a blow gun today. Josiah got a cool set of pipes made from bamboo, and Amaus wanted a rain stick. They have amazing jewelry here made from seeds of all colors, although you would never know it is seeds they're made of because they look like beautiful, bright-colored beads.

I am gathering some things to put in our home to bring in some of Camila's culture. I am also collecting some things to save for her from Iquitos, and Peru in general, that she can appreciate as she grows up.








Camila likes to sit by her big brothers.