When I agreed to move to Peru for my internship with MTW, I had no idea what would be ahead of me. I had only met the Henson family once. I knew little to nothing about Peruvian culture. Oh, and by the way, I didn’t speak Spanish.

For my 11-month internship in Peru, I agreed to teach and homeschool three missionary children in Cusco in all their American school subjects. As a former guidance counselor, I had worked with students frequently, but teaching, lesson planning, and classroom management were an entirely different world. It was a risk. Would I enjoy teaching every day? How would the children and I get along? Would I regret leaving my beautiful life in Dallas? Would it be worth the risk?

Before my internship, I had only been to Peru once for 10 days. During my trip, I met the Henson family on a whim. My friend and I were traveling together when she got very sick, which led to my connection with the Henson family. They found out we were traveling alone, just the two of us, and took us to their home. Since I wasn’t ill, I spent the day in the Hensons’ house chatting about our stories, living cross-culturally, and our hearts for missions. I returned to the U.S. the next day, with a full heart encouraged by their radical hospitality. A few weeks later, Kristen called me about a potential opportunity to teach her children. As I had a dream to pursue missions since 2019, it was an easy yes.

The Lord so graciously provided what I needed for my internship: a classroom to teach in, a fully furnished house, all the documents required in time for my visa process, and all the financial support I needed. I quit my full-time job and left my very vibrant life in Texas. While it was a bittersweet time, I had peace that God had opened the door for me to move to Peru and would continue to provide for me.

I began my teaching job three days after moving to Peru. While I was nervous at the beginning, I quickly discovered that the Henson family and I were a perfect fit. I have three brothers, so teaching three boys every day came naturally to me. The chaos that comes with three boys was not a surprise, and I delighted in my students. We quickly bonded with one another. But that doesn’t mean my internship didn’t come with struggles.

Humbled by a new culture

In my first few days in Peru, I realized that my two years of university-level Spanish were not going to cut it for living in a Spanish-speaking country. While my job was in English, my life outside of my classroom was all in Spanish. I knew moving to Peru without speaking Spanish would be a challenge; however, I deeply underestimated how much it would affect my identity and pride. In those first few months, I was completely dependent on friends for help with Spanish. I couldn’t order for myself at restaurants or answer basic questions people asked me. In the U.S., I was highly independent and rarely asked for help. My friends called me “the life of the party,” whereas in Peru, no one knew I had a personality because I couldn’t speak. I was instantly humbled in every way.

Along with not speaking Spanish, every aspect of my life was different. The currency and cost of living were different. Instead of driving to work, I walked everywhere or took taxis. The measurement system was different. The food I ate daily was different. Church looked different. I was surrounded by beautiful mountains, which varied greatly from my life in Dallas, where everything is flat. The altitude of 11,150 feet made breathing difficult. The streets were constantly filled with pedestrians (who, by the way, do not have the right of way in Peru). I had to watch out for street dogs (some are nice, some are not nice). I couldn’t drink the water. Truly, every aspect of my life changed.

I deeply enjoyed my job, but the rest of my life was a challenge. Doing basic tasks that required little to no effort in the U.S. took 10 times more of my mental capacity. A few months into my internship, I was exhausted all the time. I began to wonder if it was worth it. I remember telling the Lord, “What more do you want from me? Every part of my life is different. I have already given you everything.” Then, I was reminded of the story of Abraham and Issac in Genesis 22. God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his only son. I can only imagine how Abraham must have felt, but Abraham continued to be obedient and offer his son. At the end of the story, God spares Isaac, commends Abraham for his faith, and blesses him.

While reading this story, I thought, “Wow, how did Abraham feel after his son was spared?” Because if I am being honest, I would have felt initial relief, but then I would have been angry. If I was Abraham, I would have thought, “Why did God make me go through all of this if He was just going to spare Isaac? Why put Isaac through this? Why put us through the emotional turmoil?” And I realized that’s exactly how I felt. I felt like I had given God all I had. I felt like I had laid my entire life on the altar, along with everything I cared about. And instead of feeling blessed like Abraham, I felt exhausted and discouraged. I wondered if God was really seeing my sacrifice. I felt like I had given him my “Isaac” and had nothing to show for it.

As I wrestled with this, a few days later, a song was released by Elevation Rhythm called “At the Altar.” I was journaling about my experiences when I heard the song. The chorus says:

“Where the tears of the desperate
Reach the feet of the Savior
Nothing I wouldn’t offer
There’s no waste at the altar
Where the heart of surrender
Meets the hands of the Maker
Nothing I wouldn’t offer
Thеre’s no waste at the altar.”

I immediately started crying as I was reminded that nothing is wasted at the altar. There is nothing wasted when we surrender it to Him. I was reminded that the Father sees every sacrifice I have made for Him and given to Him. There is not one bit of out of sight or grasp. He sees my struggles with identity and pride in language learning. He sees how I miss my friends and family. He sees how I miss the way I am seen and known in my own language. He sees how I miss my American comforts and conveniences. But I was reminded that above all, God cares more about my heart than my sacrifice.

“The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”- Psalm 51:17 (NLT)

He sees my heart and the sincerity of what I offer to Him. While I may not have the same blessing as Abraham, that doesn’t mean my sacrifice is in vain. Even if he uses my surrender differently than I expect, it isn’t wasted. He can use all things for my good and for His glory. We have no idea how God will use our surrender. In the midst of my surrender, He has continued to refine me. He has continued to recenter my focus on Him. He has continued to realign my heart with His.

Over the continuing course of my internship, I have seen God continue to show up in the mundane. While I may not be living in the middle of the jungle, translating the Bible from an unknown language, I know God is in my classroom. I see Him when my students and I pray together and discuss our Bible verse of the week. I see Him when my students ask me questions about my story, and I get to share about how God has moved in my life. I see Him in the way my students and I laugh together. Sometimes I think that we are tempted to believe that God only works in the “big moments.” However, I continue to see God in my obedience of showing up in the quiet, everyday moments. We never know how He can turn an ordinary moment into a holy one, but if we aren’t obedient, we may miss out on the opportunity entirely.

I never imagined I would intern in Peru with Mission to the World, but it has been one of the best “yeses” of my life. The Lord has grown me, stretched me, and He continues to surprise me. I am grateful to continue serving as a long-term missionary with MTW in Cusco. I can’t wait to see how God continues to grow my life and ministry here. While living overseas never lacks its challenges, God continues to remind me that He can use anything and there is no waste at the altar.

Interested in serving? Our 1-11 month internships are open year-round, but summer internships are limited! Get started by January 20!