The Ultimate Shock

Culture shock is an ever-present reality in my life.  One of the biggest things you have to get used to in another culture and language is feeling humbled.  Many of the things I grew up learning how to do are done completely differently in another culture.  First and foremost, there's the simple task of speaking (in another language).  Then there are things like eating schedules, different ways to clean a house, different ways to prepare meals, communicating in a less direct kind of way, learning to wait a little longer than you're used to, and the list goes on and on.  You start to feel a little incompetent at best and like a helpless child at worst.  

Yesterday I heard the verse Philippians 2:8 read at church: "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."  This verse and the rest of Philippians 2 made me reflect on the culture shock Jesus had to deal with.  I can't even imagine.  At least when you move from one country to another, you're still living in a broken sinful world, and people generally act the same since we all have the same human nature.  But imagine living in the beauty of heaven in perfect harmony with everyone and having all divine powers and then coming to earth, being born in a stable, dealing with humans on a daily basis, and then being put to death by the very people you came to save!  Now THAT would be a real shock!

Praise Jesus that he loves us so much that he was willing to do it.  Praise him that "he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped" (Phil. 2:6).  Praise God that Jesus has been exalted so that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-10).

As Advent approaches, let us be mindful of how Jesus humbled himself and joined our sinful culture so he could save us.  Let us remember that "we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses" (Hebrews 4:15) -- even culture shock.

"I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you my be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:17-19

From Fear to Faith

As soon as I got back to Lima at the end of August, I joined a spinning class that is offered at a park near my apartment.  I've never been to a spinning class in the States, so I'm not sure how this one compares, but as I'm cycling, I frequently think about how the class relates to the Christian life.

As we listen to various renditions of rock music from the 80's and 90's, our instructor shouts instructions and encouragement.  There are three positions that we rotate between - "siéntate" (sitting), "segunda" (standing), and "tercera" (standing and leaning forward).  She lets us know when to change position, when to speed up ("escápate"- escape), and when we should "aumentar la resistencia" (add resistance).

During the times when we're supposed to be cycling at high speeds or with the highest resistance, doubting and frustrated thoughts creep in as I struggle to do what I'm told.  I don't trust that the instructor knows what's best.  I don't trust that when she says, "ocho más" (eight more), she's actually counting and will let us quit after eight more.  I think about ways that I can keep my resistance low and make it look like I'm working harder than I am.  I wonder what the others around me are doing.  Are they "cheating" or are they working hard?  I think to myself that I would work hard and give 100% if I knew what was coming next.  I want to know that if I give 100%, I'll still have some left for the rest of class.

And isn't that exactly how we treat God sometimes?  He is our instructor; our perfect instructor.  He knows without a doubt what's best for us.  He knows what trials we must go through in order to be more like Him and in order to accomplish His purpose for us.  He knows exactly how to get us in shape, but we resist.  We try to find an easier way out, a way with less resistance.  We don't trust that He knows what He's doing.  We want to know what's coming next, and we try to control the situation and determine what's best for ourselves.

Just like ignoring the spinning instructor and taking short cuts prevents us from getting stronger, and may even injure us, ignoring God has serious consequences, too.  We don't grow to be more like Him, and we choose ways that lead us into sins that hurt us and others.

When I become overwhelmed by the future and what it might hold, fear starts to creep in.  "What will I do next year?" "What if God calls me to the mission field abroad forever?" "What if he doesn't?" "What will I do when something happens to my family?"  "What if I never get married?" "What will this year bring?"  Fear leads to insecurity, desperation, lack of hope, and many other harmful feelings.  But Jesus' words to the ruler of the synagogue in Mark 5:36 speak to all of these fears and their manifestations, "Do not fear, only believe."  

God is faithful, and even if the future seems uncertain and scary, we can trust completely in our God who created us, redeemed us, and daily renews us.  Even if we don't know what we'll have to do next or go through next, we know that it is for our good and that God will not abandon us in our time of need.  May God give us the faith we need to follow Him wherever He leads, no matter the amount of resistance or how fast we have to go or how long we must endure.  We need not fear; we must only believe.

"Do not fear, for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

May-July

Worship Wednesdays

There have been times since my arrival to Peru that I really wondered about the work we were doing here. Were we in the right place? Were we doing the right things? Were we wasting time doing one thing when we should have been doing another?

And that's the way it is in the life of any Christian I think. We wonder if our Christian witness is doing anything. We regret not saying something more or wish we would have done things differently. And that's why I've found so much comfort from 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

We also remember what Jesus told his disciples in John 4:36-38: "Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." Sometimes we are the sowers and never see the harvest, and other times we see the harvest and didn't have to labor sowing.

Praise be to God when we get to be a part of the sowing and the reaping in the ministries God has called us to! That's exactly what happened last Wednesday, July 6, in Lunahuaná. We had our very first Wednesday Worship there, and we were all truly blessed to be a part of it!

Anthony picked up the rental vehicle at 6 a.m., we loaded up the van, and then went to pick up the Eisold family. The Walls will eventually come as well, but since Sarah will be giving birth to their third child any day now, they stayed home this time. We arrived in Lunahuaná at 9:30, and we started canvasing and inviting people right away. While Katie and I canvassed, the others got things set up at our worship location, Hotel Las Brisas. Once that was done, we broke into three groups and continued canvassing the valley. Sandi and Annalise went with me, and they were great helpers. Annalise listened to what I said a few times and then started inviting people herself without any hesitation. She was great!

After lunch and a brief rest at the house where Katie and I used to live, I hit the streets canvassing again with our friend, Miguel, while the rest of the team went to Lúcumo (an annex of Lunahuaná) to hold children's ministry there. They sang songs, played games, and read a Bible story.

We all met back up at Hotel Las Brisas where we had a few kids waiting for us when we got there. Katie and Anthony led the children's ministry, Amiguitos en Cristo (Little friends in Christ), and I taught the adult Catechism and Bible class. We had 35 people in attendance for that hour, 14 adults & 21 children. Right after that we transitioned into the worship service for everyone. About 7 people left before the service, but 3 more trickled in later, giving us 31 people for worship. Pastor Mark did a great job with his first sermon in Spanish, talking about what it means to build your house on the Rock of Christ and His Word. We all participated in the service leading songs, prayers, and the Creed. We even had some of the people who came to our Thursday night Lunahuaná Bible study read the Scripture texts during the service. It was such a joy to see Katie's students, our Bible study family, and other friends Anthony and past short-term teams have made coming to learn more about God and worship with us! What a gift to actually SEE that our labor was not in vain and be reminded of God's faithfulness.

We said our goodbyes, packed up, and got back to Lima around 11:30 p.m. We were exhausted, but we can't wait to do it again on July 20. We'll be going there the first and third Wednesdays of each month. Thank you so much for being part of God's work in here through your prayers!

In everything we do, we remember the words of 1 Corinthians 3:7, "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." What a privilege it is to be working in God's fields!

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." -Philippians 1:6

MOST Ministries Team 2011

I spent the past month busily preparing for the MOST Ministries eyeglass and dental team that came from June 12-19. They were such a blessing for me, for the Peru mission team, and MOST of all for the people of Lunahuaná.

Lunahuaná is a district, and within the district there are 9 annexes. I would compare Lunahuaná to a county and the annexes to the towns/cities within the county. Anthony and I worked with the Municipality in Lunahuaná to prepare for the Third Annual Eyeglass clinic and the first Dental Clinic, meeting with the local leadership, inspecting the facilities (checking for restrooms, water, electricity, tables, and chairs), and advertising throughout the area.

On June 12, when the team of 14 arrived from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa, we picked them up at at the Lima airport at 5 a.m., and, after a slight delay with dental equipment, we were on our way to Lunahuaná.

We traveled to a different annex each day, one of which was on the other side of the river, and we had to cross two bridges made of branches to get there. Thankfully the locals helped us carry all the eyeglasses and dental equipment across. Even our municipality coordinator, Diana, who was 9 months pregnant crossed the river. (I said "was" because the day after the clinic ended, and two days after crossing the wooden bridge, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy!)

I don't remember the exact numbers, but we gave glasses to over 500 people and dental help to over 100. We distributed more than 700 pairs of glasses, as some people got two pairs, one for reading and for distance. Some of the people were in their 70's or 80's and had never owned a pair of glasses in their life. The expression on their faces when they could finally see was priceless! What a joy to be able to serve them in that way!

Not only were we able to meet the physical needs of many people in Lunahuaná through the team, it was an awesome opportunity to tell everyone about the Bibles studies for children and adults and worship that we will be starting in Lunahuaná on July 6. Anthony designed a pamphlet thoroughly describing the beliefs of the Lutheran church, which led to many conversations and opportunities for evangelism at the clinic. We also made a flyer with our schedule of events on every first and third Wednesday of the month, when we will be returning to Lunahuaná for Bible studies and worship.

MOST Ministries, Anthony, and I began planning for this clinic and scheduled the date back in October. At the time, we didn't know what great timing it would be, but God did. It was humbling, amazing and encouraging to see His hand in everything. From the date of the clinic and how it coincided with our move to Lima and the start of worship in Lunahuaná, to translators dropping out at the last minute and getting even better translators to replace them, God worked mightily throughout the week.

We are SO grateful to the team who came to help others see, both physically and spiritually.

Prince Caspian

Katie and I spent last night with Prince Caspian, cafecito (a little coffee), and keke (pound cake). Prince Caspian is one of my favorite books in the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, and luckily the movie follows the book pretty closely. Every time I read the books or watch the movies, I feel overwhelmed by who God is and what He has done for us.

Lewis's portrayal of Aslan is brilliant. Through Aslan, we get a glimpse of the multifaceted God we have - powerful, mighty, and just, and at the same time gentle, loving, and patient. My heart swells as I think about it.

In each of the other characters, I see myself; namely my faults and my doubts. I identify with Reepicheep's pride, Lucy's fear of going against the group to follow Aslan, Trumpkin's crabbiness, and Peter's self-reliance. The way Aslan changes their hearts through struggle, forgiveness, and guidance helps me see the way Jesus works in my life, and I am overwhelmed by grace.

Here are some of my favorite lines from the movie:

"But every year you grow, you will find me bigger." -Aslan to Lucy

"To know what would have happened, child? No. Nobody is ever told that. But anyone can find out what will happen." - Aslan to Lucy

"Go and wake the others and tell them to follow. If they will not, then you at least must follow me alone." -Aslan to Lucy

"It's not how I thought it would be, but it's alright." -Peter

If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, I HIGHLY recommend it!

February-April

A Good Reminder

This past week, my two main agenda items were planning for the eyeglass clinic we'll be hosting in June and preparing for a catechism-like class that we want to start next week with a few people from our Thursday night Bible study. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an English or Spanish catechism to help me with the planning, and I needed the registration lists from past eyeglass clinics and couldn't find those either. As a result, I didn't make as much progress with my tasks as I would have liked.

Today as Katie and I were coming home from Bible study in Lucumo, my phone rang. Cindy from Hotel Rumi Wasi was calling to let me know that they were cleaning out some storage at the hotel, and they found 2 boxes worth of stuff that Anthony had stored there. She wanted to know if we could come get it, so we stopped by on our way home.

We opened the first box to make sure it was ours, and sitting right on top was a Luther's Small Catechism in Spanish. There were 29 more in the box. We also found about 10 Spanish Bibles, some crafts and hygiene items that short-term teams had left, and, at the very bottom, the registration list from the 2009 eyeglass clinic.

The hotel workers had no idea why Katie and I kept looking at each other wide-eyed, smiling and laughing. Katie said it all when she looked at me and mouthed, "Thanks, God."

Thanks for what I was looking for, and thank you for the reminder that you're with us, in control, and faithful.

Strangers in a Strange Land

There are several places in the Bible that remind us that we are strangers on earth and heaven is our home. That always made sense to me on an intellectual level, but actually living as a foreigner has given me a deeper understanding of why it's important to see ourselves as strangers on earth, whether we live in our native countries or not.

As a foreigner, I'm able to observe the culture more objectively, and as a result it's easier to recognize aspects of the culture that go against God's Word. Because of the objective perspective, it seems easier to be in the world, but not of the world because of my lack of emotional ties to the culture and language.

I also don't get caught up in fashion and pop culture here. I follow what's going on so that I can join in conversations or have an idea of what people are talking about, but again, it's not something that consumes me. In the States I like to have clothes that are in fashion and look nice, and here I just wear what I have and don't care nearly as much. I think a big part of that is the fact that I'm going to look "out of place" and "foreign" no matter what I wear, so it's not worth the money or effort. I have what Katie and I like to call "the gringo card" which is like a free pass to not follow the cultural norms and not feel bad about it.

The language barrier is another thing that keeps my perspective objective as a foreigner. Even though I understand almost everything that's said, and I can communicate what I need to, Spanish is not my native language, so it's not my heart language. I have an intellectual understanding of the language, but I don't feel it. I think God has used that "unfeeling" Spanish heart of mine to be more bold in speaking His Word. I'm not as ashamed as I sometimes am in the States because I don't always feel what I'm saying, and I'm not as afraid of being judged since I will be here only a short time.

Because of my objective perspective, lack of many emotional ties, and the knowledge that I have another home (the good old USA), I don't worry about earthquakes or other natural disasters as much as the natives do. If something like that happens, they lose their house and everything they've worked for, whereas I lose a few possessions and, if things get too bad, I get to go home.

Along those same lines, living in a foreign land brings a greater appreciation and longing for home. As much as I love living in Peru right now and want to stay for at least another year, home is always on the back of my mind. I'm constantly comparing this foreign land to my native land, looking forward to my furlough in August, and thinking about what I'll do when I move back there permanently. There's just a very comforting, peaceful feeling that I get when I think of being back home.

So how exactly has all of this made me realize how brilliant God is when he describes us as strangers in a strange land? Well...

1) When you live with the objective perspective of a foreigner, you feel less attached to earthly things. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2

2) It naturally gives us a "foreign card" that excuses us from living like the world lives (the social norms), trapped in sin and meaningless activity. "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11

3) It makes us more bold in preaching God's Word because we have a limited amount of time on earth, and it doesn't matter if people judge us for it or not. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." 2 Corinthians 5:20a

4) It keeps us from worrying about what will happen to us in this world because we know we have a far superior home waiting for us that will bring us eternal comfort and peace. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

5) And finally, it gives us a longing for our eternal home with our Savior. "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." Philippians 3:20

You can't have Gospel without the Law, and you can't truly appreciate Home until you've lived as a Stranger. "Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:13

If Only...

A few weeks ago at Bible study, we were reading through Exodus, and someone mentioned the movie, "The Ten Commandments" with Charleton Heston. Most of the people present knew the story of Moses because of this movie. However, there was one man, Lucho, who had never actually watched the whole movie (it is a long one). We were teasing him about falling asleep, and he responded with, "Well, maybe if Moses was played by Chuck Norris, I'd be able to stay awake." That would make the movie more...uh...interesting, but I think a drop-kick, shoot-em-up Moses would stray a little too far from the Biblical text.

As humans, we are always coming up with excuses for why we don't follow through or ways that something could be better or easier. We see this throughout the Bible and in ourselves today. If only I were a better speaker, if I were older, if I were younger, if I was prettier, if I was faster, and on and on. And unfortunately, we make excuses like these for our weak faith and doubts.

How often have we heard things like, "I would believe in God if He still spoke to us today like He did to the people in the Old Testament." Or "If I had lived in Jesus' time and seen his miracles, it would be easier to believe." Well, if you've ever said this or heard this, you're in good company.

Exhibit A: People who had seen Jesus feed the 5,000 approached him and said to him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" John 6:30-31

They wanted a sign greater than manna from heaven. Ironically they were talking to God himself, the Bread of Life, "the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die." John 6:50

But the people did have a point. Their ancestors had seen the Red Sea part, they escaped the Egyptians, they were led by God in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. On top of all that, God sent them all the food they needed each and every day. It definitely would have been easy for that group of people to believe in God, right?

Exhibit B: The Israelites response upon seeing the Egyptians after escaping from Egypt and witnessing ten plagues: "What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Exodus 14:11-12

Their response after crossing the Red Sea and escaping from the Egyptians: "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." Exodus 16:3

Let's not forget the fact that they didn't listen to the Lord's instructions for collecting the manna (they collected for more than a day at a time), and shortly thereafter they made a golden calf and worshipped it.

It's easy to judge the Israelites in the Bible. One would think that seeing all those miracles would make it pretty easy to know there was a God and believe in Him. But I wonder if they ever thought to themselves, "You know, God promised us a Messiah, but that was (5, 10, 500, 1000) years ago. If I just knew how much longer I'd have to wait or who the Messiah would be or how he would save us, I would believe. If I just knew exactly how things would go, and if God would write it down and I could have a copy of this plan so I didn't have to memorize the whole thing, I could teach it to my kids so much easier, and then I would know that God is God and that he saves us."

Maybe the people in Jesus' time thought, "He teaches with such authority, and he does miracles, but I just don't see how he will be able to save us. If I knew exactly how he planned to do that, and he didn't talk in parables so much, I'd believe in him."

Well, here we are. Exhibit C: We've got a written copy of God's plan, and it reveals to us "the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ" (Ephesians 1:9). We know exactly when the Messiah came, who he was, what he taught, and how he saved us. We know how God worked from the beginning of the world to the time of Jesus to bring everything to completion. We even know how he continues to work today. I'd say we have it made.

May we all live feeling blessed and privileged to have access to the Word of God, the "words of eternal life." John 6:68

"...blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed...But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20:29, 31

God's Sense of Humor

I've been leading a Bible study on John for the past few weeks here in Lunahuana. I'm so thankful that we have a faithful group who comes to study the Word with us, especially considering the patience they have to have with me as I struggle to find the right words and struggle even more to pronounce them correctly. Their patience is commendable, as is their sense of humor.

Last night as we were studying John chapter 6, we were talking about Jesus feeding the 5,000. Before he performs the miracle, Jesus asks Philip, "Where shall we buy the bread for these people to eat?" Philip sees no solution to this problem, even though he's already seen Jesus perform several signs and miracles. I wanted to make the point that man is generally slow to believe even after witnessing amazing things God has done. So, I started translating that statement to Spanish, using the word "hombres" (men). I should have used "seres humanos" (human beings) or maybe even "el hombre" (man), because basically what I started saying was, "men are slow to..." and before I could finish my statement, all the men started giving me a hard time about being a feminist and pretended like they were offended. We all got a good laugh out of my mistake.

I've heard that people remember things better when they have emotional ties, like laughter, to what they are learning. This is just another example of God's amazing design. I love His sense of humor (Exhibit A: moving a schedule-oriented, on-time, blonde girl to Latin America) and the fact that He gifted us with them as well. Not only do we get to enjoy the laughter that comes from them, but it helps us learn more and be healthier.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then is was said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'" - Psalm 126:2

A Relationship that Never Fails

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." - John 6:26-27

Jesus was talking to people who were earnestly seeking him for the physical needs they had. They were more concerned about eating and being healed than the fact that they were in the very presence of God!

It's so easy to criticize them, but we are no different. In our prayers, what do most of our requests revolve around? Healing, jobs that provide us with physical needs, the people in our lives? How often do we remember to ask for spiritual gifts or to praise God for blessing "us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3)?

Last week as I was preparing for our DiLanedorf Bible study (DiLiberto, Lane, Endorf), I was convicted of desiring the physical above the spiritual for a long time in one area of my life. The text for our Bible study was Ephesians 5:22-33. Here's an excerpt:

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." - Ephesians 5:22-27

John 6 and Ephesians 5 made me realize I had been asking God to provide an earthly marriage relationship for me as my first priority rather than thanking God for the much more important and vital spiritual relationship I have with Christ, a "mate" who loves me unconditionally, gave up His life for me, cleanses me, makes me "radiant," and never fails.

Forgetting that Jesus' amazing love and faithfulness is more perfect than any spouse can provide, and going to Jesus to ask for that earthly relationship without praising Him for the spiritual one is exactly what the men did when they desired to be with Jesus so that he would give them a few fishes and loaves. They overlooked "the food that endures to eternal life" and asked God for much less than what He offered — ridiculously less.

Reading these passages doesn't make me want to get married less, but it does give me the perspective I need to get my priorities straight. It makes me grateful for the life I have rather than resentful about what I don't have.

Forgive me, Jesus, for putting earthly desires above the spiritual blessings you so faithfully provide despite my ingratitude. Thank you for washing me with "water through the word" in my baptism, that I might be part of your body and live with you forever. Amen.

"If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." 2 Timothy 2:13.

Turning the Tables

Recently, Katie and I invited some of our Peruvian friends in Lunahuana to experience a taste of America. We had them over for "brinner" (breakfast for dinner - that was fun to explain in Spanish), and we made them pancakes. It was quite an experience. First of all it was new food for them. They had actually never seen maple syrup before, and none of them had tried pancakes either. Second of all (and this was most interesting to me), they felt REALLY uncomfortable sitting at the table, passing the food, and choosing how much they wanted.

In the Peruvian culture, whoever makes the food also dishes it onto the plates and serves each person one at a time. No one chooses how much they want (which is probably why I've gained a few extra pounds - they are generous with their servings), and they don't have to figure out how to arrange it on their plate or anything. I think they were afraid of taking too much food and looking like a pig or taking too little food and offending the cook (Katie makes killer pancakes).

Watching our Peruvian guests squirm a little was actually somewhat satisfying to Katie and me. Not to be mean, but I think it gave them a taste of what we both experience on a daily basis, and how unsettling it can feel to operate in a different culture/language. Sometimes it takes being in that position to be able to relate to foreigners and know how to interact with them. Our guests understand us, and our awkwardness, just a little bit better now.

Gravel Roads

Walking the Tension

A fine line, a balance, a tension. Whatever you want to call it, it’s tough to find. It’s even tougher to maintain.

Here are a few of the tensions I’ve been trying to walk in lately:

o Knowing it is God’s mission and God doing the work, but not using that as an excuse to be lazy or unaccountable.

o Feeling sort of bored at times and unsure of what to do, but also realizing I need to be patient and still, trusting that God is working and realizing that busyness doesn’t always equate productivity.

o Looking ahead and planning my next steps while also living in the present and doing what I’m called to do now.

o Being humbly confident in the Lord. Many times I either feel broken and beaten or proud.

I listen to a lot of sermons online, and one pastor I listen to says that if you’re not feeling the tension, then you’re doing something wrong. He compares it to driving on a gravel road. If you veer to far to the left or the right, you’re in the ditch (I relate well to this object lesson – just ask my Dad). :) And he’s right. Jesus himself says, “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:14) Thank God for the forgiveness he unceasingly offers when we go in the ditch, and praise Him for giving us His Spirit and Word to guide us as we walk in the tension and try to stay on the slippery, slidey, sometimes mushy gravel road. I’m so glad Jesus never went in the ditch.

December & January in Peru

Isn't it ironic...don't ya think?

Last week I spent a few days in Lima getting things ready for the Eisolds' arrival. Part of that included cleaning the apartment. Over no more than two months, we managed to accumulate a cupboard full of plastic bags.

As you may have guessed from the picture, Peruvians are quite generous with their bags. If I buy six items at the grocery store, I usually get at least three bags. (Which I find interesting because Costa Ricans were super stingy with theirs.)

Anyway, it was apparent that we needed to change something, and Katie noticed that they started selling the reusable shopping bags, so I went out to buy some for the apartment.

I bought two bags and picked up a 2-liter bottle of water and an outlet adapter while I was there. The lady rang up my items, I got my money out of my purse, and by the time I looked up, I saw that she had neatly bagged my four items into two plastic bags.

Holiday Highlights

The past month has flown by! I haven't been blogging because I've been so busy. I'll be sending out a newsletter soon with more details, but for now, here are some highlights of the past month:

December 19 - Katie and I said goodbye to Anthony as he headed back to the States for two weeks. We missed him, and we're so glad to have him back with us!

December 23-26 - My parents and brother joined Katie and me in Lima & Lunahuana for Christmas. I gave my family traditional Peruvian hats called "chullos."

December 27-31 - Brooke joined us for our excursion to Cuzco and the famous ruins of Machu Picchu. AMAZING. (This was a self-portrait thanks to Brooke's new little tripod - she barely made it into the pic in time.)

January 1-7 - After my family left, I got to spend some time with Brooke in Lunahuana. It was nice to do all the tourists things in the tourist town that I live in - rafting, hiking, and trying the local delicacy, guinea pig. (It tastes like chicken). Katie and her friend, Marcy, made it even more fun.

January 8-14 - Faith St. Louis brought 15 people to serve in Lunahuana (specifically in San Jeronimo) on a short-term mission trip. They helped us with an English camp to promote the English classes that Katie is now teaching in San Jeronimo, in addition to her classes in Uchupampa. The trip went well - God's Word was preached, the kids got excited about Katie's classes (I think she's got about 25 in her class now), and we missionaries were greatly encouraged by the team. Thank you, Faith!

January 15-19 - Anthony and I ran around Lima (and stood in a lot of lines in Lima) getting things ready for the arrival of Pastor Mark Eisold and his family. They will be here this Saturday, January 22!!!

The next month will be just as busy as we help the Eisolds get settled, start making more ministry plans, and continue coordinating short-term trips. Thank you for prayers of thanksgiving and supplication for all that's happening here!

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." 2 Corinthians 2:14