Fix Bayonets!

For the past few weeks, it has had its challenges. As I enjoyed my class with Brian Newberry in San Bartolo for a good four days studying 1st, 2nd Timothy, and the Book of Titus(the Pastoral Epistles) it was refreshing to be outside of the major metropolitan region of Lima and just get some time alone with the Lord. The view was perfect! Our hotel was sitting into the cliff at the beach, much like those Greek hotels you see nestled into the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Except for us we had the Pacific and the waves and rocks were just a few stairwells off. Following this class would be a nice 3 or 4 day weekend until our class on the Book of Acts would start and would be the course to salute our semester 'Good-Bye'.

This three-week class has been a bit tough for me personally as I have had barely anytime to have the amount of quiet time with the Lord that I want. At the same time, I've been losing sleep and as winter draws in little by little it's been pretty difficult to keep a cold away as now its been the fourth or maybe the fifth time that I've had a cold this semester, but it's been great at the same time because in these trying times I've had some of the best conversations with the Lord. These conversations have come up when I've set whatever time I can find in my day and the things the Lord has showed me have been....like a tall glass of lemonade or glass of water as I've many times in my youth whenever I played soccer, played outside, rode my bike around my neighborhood during the ever draining South Florida summer heat. Right after those revitalizing glasses of lemonade or water I felt like I could just throw myself back in the summer heat having fun with friends and not worry about coming inside for awhile.

This semester has had more challenges for me than I anticipated, but if only I could tell you the sweet savoring taste of victory that the Lord has allowed me to inherit without making it sound like an understatement would be a challenge in itself. It's great to see that even when you haven't a lot of time in God's Word and you are being bombarded by the enemy's attacks, the Lord will whisper the simplest but quite the best means of encouragement that I don't think any famous general from our history(U.S.A.) could muster from within his being. Though at this last leg of the semester...the home stretch I've noticed that I've had to fix my bayonet so to speak. Spiritual warfare is going to be so much more personal and so much more intense if I'm not careful because of my lack of time to recooperate from the trials and battles day by day. As the trials become much more overwhelming I won't have time to reach for my sword or M16, but reach for my bayonet or dagger. This semester is coming to a close and I will be home in West Palm Beach, Florida again on May 19th and will be working...Lord willing to raise money for next semester's tuition and serving with my Youth Group again at my home church Calvary Chapel Royal Palm Beach. In the mean time, I'll be schooling it up and I'll be State-side May 19th and planning on returning to Peru in August for my last semester to graduate.

God bless you all~!

-Daniel