I won a trip for 2 to Peru!!!

Oh my goodness! I don't even know where to begin. Yes, I really did win a trip for two to Peru! I don't think I've even won a cake walk before! Wow! I am still in shock! I always said that if I ever won anything I wouldn't be one of those people on the phone calming saying, "I'm so excited, Regis" without any excitement at all in their voice. But when I found out I'd won, I started shaking and kept saying, "Oh my gosh!" over and over again. I felt like those people who I had made fun of because I couldn't muster any screams of excitement when I was talking on the radio.

OK, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me back up. A few weeks ago I was on my way home from attending my parents' sacrament meeting where my mom was being sustained as her ward's new relief society president. (That is another blog entry...wow, that was a shocker for all of us!) Anyway, I was driving home alone (how rare is that!) and was able to listen to the radio. I was listening to the Travel Show that airs on Sundays. The host of the radio show was telling the listeners about how she was going on a trip to Peru and was collecting donations of crayons and coloring books to take to the impoverished village of Wuilloq, Peru. I was in the middle of the book drive at the kids' school for orphans in Zambia and so that struck a cord with me. I knew Ben would also want to donate crayons or coloring books so I kept listening. The host went onto say that they were giving away a trip for two to Peru. To enter you needed to submit an entry in 200 words of less why you deserved to win. The winner would be selected today, when she would broadcast live from Peru.

I read a book last year, "The Peacegiver", which I highly recommend! We had an opportunity to meet the author at my parents' ward's book club discussion with the author. It was a life-changing experience for Ben, who hadn't even read the book at that point. There is a part of the book where one of the characters in the story talks about the word, "DESERVE". Another character in the story is complaining about how he doesn't "deserve" to be treated the way he's being treated, etc. The wise grandfather says in essence, "you don't want what you REALLY deserve. What you DESERVE is hell." The grandfather goes on to explain that without the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ we would remain sinful and the atonement would not have been available to us. Because of our imperfect nature, we could not dwell in the presence of a perfect God, and would thus, be consigned to hell as our fate. Fortunately, the good news of the gospel is that the atonement allows us to forgiven of our sins and thus we don't have to suffer in the place we "deserve"...

So, because of that powerful aspect of the book, my immediate response to the question "why do you deserve to win a trip to Peru" was, "I don't". Here is what I wrote in the email entry:

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I don't "deserve" to go. Really, does anyone? Travelling is a gift. It's a unique opportunity to experience a different culture and people that leaves us the better for it. Yet I always discover by the end of a trip that we, no matter the culture or geography, are more alike than different. Of course, I would love to see Cuzco, Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail and the Sacred Valley. But more than that I would love to be able to personally take donations collected from my children's school to orphans in Peru. I just completed heading up a service project with donations from the 3-9 year olds at my children's school. The children generously donated nearly 800 books and over 200 book bags to send to orphans in Zambia this summer. However, due to the high cost of travel I will be unable to accompany the volunteers to distribute the books and bags to the orphans. I would love to be able to do the same for children in Peru and then return with photos and video of the children that were helped to show the children the difference they made in the lives of other children.

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And so, there it is...I won. On Saturday, I received an email from the host saying that they were in Peru and did not have a copy of my entry and could I resend it. That tipped me off that maybe, just maybe I would be chosen. After church I came back to my parents' house in Tahoe and listen to the show via the internet. When Carlos started reading my letter, I was stunned. They asked me to call in.

We are very, very excited about the trip but more than that it really feels like a gift from Heavenly Father to be able to make a difference for these children, both in the village of Wuilloq, Peru and the kids at the school. We've been given no weight restrictions on our baggage by the airline. Just think of what that could mean for the children!!!

If you have any ideas of what we can do please let me know. I have some ideas and some contact but I know that there are others who will be able to provide suggestions to be able to make something amazing happen for the children. I know that my life has taken on new meaning and purpose this past year and I am excited to provide my neighborhood, community and the listeners of KSL with an opportunity to do something that transforms this village and impacts the lives of the young children at Dylan and Kate's school too, so that they see how they can make a difference in the lives of other children. What amazing people they will grow to be if they can get that fire of love and service when they are young.

Anyway, thanks for letting me share my good news. I am up to the challenge of collecting donations and planning how we can make a difference for this village. Let me know what you think.