Posts from Peru

August-December

2012-01-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate Shock

2011-11-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

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

2011-09-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Worship Wednesdays

2011-07-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

A Good Reminder

2011-04-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

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 some of the ridiculousness that we as humans create in culture. The superstitions and human traditions in this country are important to those who grew up in it largely because of emotional ties they have to them. Because I don't have the nostalgic or emotional ties to any of those stories or customs, I don't get overly caught up in them (like I maybe sometimes get caught up in a secular Easter or Christmas in the States).

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, it's easier to reject the ridiculous things that don't matter and keep priorities straight. "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...

2011-04-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-08T15:49:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

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

Everything an Adventure

2010-12-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

After explaining to people that we've lived here for 3 months now, Katie and I are frequently asked, "Ya estas acostumbrada?" "Are you used to it here?" We usually answer, "un poco mas cada dia," a little more everyday. And we are getting more and more accustomed to life here, but even daily tasks are so much different than they are in the U.S.

Our landlord had to explain to me how to wash clothes and how to mop our floor. I didn't even realize we owned a mop. In the picture below, that piece of carpet-like fabric is the mop. You slide it over the broom to use it. The little tub is our washing machine.

I live in the desert, so it's really dusty here. To prevent so much dust from getting in the house, every morning the Peruvians throw buckets of water on the dirt outside so it doesn't blow in. Katie and I don't bother to do that. We just sweep when it starts to look like we could plant things on our floor. That happens about every 2-3 days. Maybe in time we'll adopt the water-throwing custom, but for now we'll just live with the dust.

We used to eat out all the time because it's cheap, and we honestly didn't know where to get all the ingredients we needed to cook. Plus we don't have an oven, so that limits the things we can make. However, we've started cooking more frequently since we are learning which stores carry what food. All the "grocery stores" here are really just people's houses where one room at the front is set up like a store. The owners go to Canete (the closest city) and stock up on things for their store once a week. Fresh produce is sometimes difficult to come by, and for a long time I didn't know where I could buy meat. I bought some chicken for the first time last Friday. It's not a matter of finding some packaged chicken breasts, though. When I asked if they had chicken, she went to the freezer and pulled out a full chicken (feet and everything--minus the head), took it into her house (the back of the store), and cut off the midsection for me. It made me wish I had paid better attention to how to butcher chickens back when I was six and living on the farm. Below you'll find a picture of the chicken I took home and me getting it ready for the stir fry.

Little by little I'm getting "acostumbrada" to life here, but I've still got a long way to go. Until then, everything is a bit of an adventure. And I'm ok with that.

Vino

2010-12-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

My Panamanian friends, James Neuendorf and Milton Castillo, worked on this video and are presenting it now in Panama. It's titled "Vino," which means "He came" in Spanish (it also means wine, but not in this case). The video illustrates what it might have been like if Christ was born in Panama City right now. If you go to the Youtube page, you can go to the bottom of the video and turn on CC (closed captioning) for subtitles. You might want to have your Bibles handy to look up the verses that explain what's happening. The verses appear in the bottom left corner. Take some time to think about what it would be like if Jesus was born in your city in 2010. And praise God that "He came," continues to come to us, and will come again in the future to take us to live with Him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glGUzgz6lac

Limited Reality, Unlimited Grace

2010-12-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving came and went, and if it wasn't for all the Facebook statuses expressing excitement to over-eat and watch football, I would have completely forgotten.

There are Christmas decorations in Lima now, and Katie plays Christmas music around the house, but it doesn't feel like Christmas.

I used to love watching sports on t.v., at the stadium, or in the high school gym. Now these games hardly cross my mind. I've only watched one football game this whole season, and it just wasn't the same. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat weren't there. (That's probably a good thing since the only game I saw was Nebraska losing the Big 12 Championship. It wasn't nearly as exciting or painful as last year's Big 12 loss.)

I say all these things not to complain. I didn't feel sad about not being home on Thanksgiving, and I don't really miss the hustle and bustle of December or the excitement I used to have for a football game. They just don't fit into my reality here.

As I was reflecting on all of this, it made me realize just how limited our minds are. Even if we've lived one way for over 20 years, it's so easy to forget that way of life when living another, and it's impossible to really live and feel two realities at once. I know that it's freezing cold in Nebraska and St. Louis right now, and I've lived through 28 cold winters, but below-freezing weather is easily forgotten while experiencing springtime in Peru. And when I'm stuffed full of Peruvian cuisine, the feeling of hunger pangs are far from my mind.

With the humbling realization of my limitations, I begin to grasp just how mind-bogglingly amazing God is. He not only understands the realities of heaven and earth but also created and experienced both of them. I can't even keep track of two cultures at once, and God knows what's going on throughout the whole world in every culture right now, every detail of what has happened in the past, and what will happen in every place for all of eternity.

And to imagine that this God, this all-powerful and all-knowing Alpha and Omega, would humble himself and join us in our limited human reality in order to save us so we could live with Him forever, is incomprehensible. I will spend the rest of my life with my limited mind trying to fully grasp "what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe" (Ephesians 1:18-19). God's grace is literally the gift that never stops giving. And that makes it even more amazing, because my limited, sinful self will need that grace forever. And God knew that. He planned for it--even before I was a reality.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

2010-11-26T06:41:00.000-08:00

About three years ago, I read the book "Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold-Climate Cultures" by Sarah A. Lanier. It helped me understand what I had experienced living in Costa Rica as an exchange student, and I thought it would be a good thing to teach my Spanish 3 students at the time, since most Spanish-speaking countries are hot-climate cultures.

As I taught this unit, the students really struggled to understand why people in hot-climate cultures operated so differently than our cold-climate selves. They definitely felt like the cold-culture mindset was superior to that of hot-climate cultures. I did my best to explain that each culture has positives and negatives and that neither one is better than the other.

That was a great theory, but I'm struggling with the application. Now that I'm living in a hot-climate culture, it's sometimes difficult not to have those same feelings of superiority that my students had.

In her book, Lanier proposes that the primary distinction between hot- and cold-climate cultures is that cold climates are concerned with performing and finishing tasks in an efficient way, while hot climates are more concerned with maintaining a good relationship with the people they interact with. As a result, cold climates use direct communication whereas hot climates will say things indirectly for fear of offending someone.

These two differences, task vs. relationship and direct vs. indirect communication, are the most difficult for me to adjust to. My cold-culture mind struggles to find the positives in the hot-climate culture viewpoint. Let me give you some examples.

1) Our Spanish/culture teacher here in Peru explained to us that telling people you won't be able to make it to a certain function is seen as rude, and it's better to say, "Yeah, I'll try to be there," even if you know for sure that you can't make it. (Just for the record, she thinks that's silly, but she lived in the U.S. for two years, so maybe the "coldness" rubbed off on her.)

2) When we invite others to Bible studies, 90% of the time they say they will be there, and they actually show up about 10% of the time. It makes planning events kind of tough. Maybe we just need to come up with an indirect way to invite them to Bible study, so they don't feel obligated to say "yes."

3) Everything starts a good 15 minutes to an hour late because people don't arrive on time. I think sometimes they're late because they don't want to be rude and leave their previous engagement, or they talk to people on the way to where they're going. Obviously, there are many other reasons as well (most people here don't have cars, they work long hours in the field, etc.).

4) Because relationships take priority over tasks, tasks take a long time to complete. For example, when we go with our friend Nilda to advertise English classes or get ready for a birthday party at the center, she wants to eat with us at least once on our little excursion. The first time we went with her, we ate breakfast, lunch, and a snack. Also, we had to stop and talk to every person we ran into on the street that she knew (it's a small city, and she's lived here a long time). And every time we go, we end up being late for our next activity that day (like the birthday party we went shopping for in the first place or Katie's classes).

Perhaps I struggle most with these because on a personal level I highly value efficiency and honesty (maybe even more than your average cold-climate person), and in my mind the hot-climate culture prevents either from happening as often as I'd like. To me it seems like lying when someone says they'll be somewhere when they have no intention of going, and I really dislike being late to anything.

However, I realize that they have good intentions when they tell us they'll show up because they don't want to hurt our feelings. And fortunately, I highly value building relationships (in fact, it's kind of my job right now), so as long as that's happening, I can justify the time I'm spending on tasks that would take me much less time in the U.S.; and if the relationship-building includes food, even better.

I guess I'll just have to learn to be a little less scheduled, a little more patient, and say things in a nicer and less direct way. I could be learning worse lessons I suppose.

November in Peru

2010-11-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

Oh, Peru!

2010-11-14T05:40:00.001-08:00

My teammates and I have adopted a new saying that we use with frequency here. It's a multi-purpose phrase that can express so much with two little words, "Oh, Peru!"

Depending on how and when one says it, it can express joy, frustration, acceptance, and various sorts of amazement. Let me give you some examples.

Joy - Driving over ginormous sand dunes in a dune buggy with the sun shining brightly on a gorgeous day, and being amazed by the variety and beauty of God's creation. "Oh, Peru!"

Frustration - Going for a three mile run and being chased/barked at by at least 10 dogs (one of which is running frantically back and forth on the roof of a house, and you hope it doesn't pounce on you), having every other male between the ages of 14 and 70 make cat calls at you, and being honked at by about 20 cars (some honks are "hey, baby" honks and others are "watch out, I'm speeding down the mountain, and I'm not going to make much of an effort not to hit you, so get out of my way" honks). "Oh, Peru!"

Amazement (positive) - Running into the neighbors and their whole family as they are leaving the birthday party of their grandma (who died 2 years ago--yes, they still celebrate their birthdays long after they are gone), and having everyone hug and kiss you and run inside to get you some cake to take home with you. "Oh, Peru!"

Amazement (maybe not so positive) - Having a guy (someone you consider a nice, decent guy) ask you to go with him to Lima to the store where his girlfriend works and walk by her counter holding hands to see if she'll get jealous. This is apparently the best way to see if his girlfriend really loves him. He specifically wants you to go because she also has light skin (but not as light as you), and she told him that he couldn't find anyone prettier than her. Thanks for the compliment (I guess), but no thanks. Ever heard of trust? "Oh, Peru!"

Acceptance - Realizing that when taking public transportation, you will probably always be squeezed hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder with friends and complete strangers alike. Seatbelts? Not anymore. 5 people in a 5 passenger car? It's usually a minimum of 8. "Oh, Peru!"

Here are a few other "Oh, Peru" moments for your reading enjoyment:

--Excursions with our Peruvian friend, Nilda. I think her motto must be, "Why do something in 2 hours when you can do it in 5?"

--The horns of Peru. There's quite a variety - normal horns, siren horns, musical horns, handheld horns. Vehicles and people use them for various reasons (see the two mentioned above), in addition to "watch out, I'm merging along with 4 other cars on a two-lane street," "do you need a ride?," and "step on it!" Not to mention the horns people carry by hand and blow as they walk up and down the street trying to sell things. The local fresh bread seller comes by on his bike with his horn at about 6:30 every morning. Love it.

--Every party turns into a dance party. I really love that.

--The electricity goes out in the whole town at least once a week, sometimes for less than an hour, sometimes for a whole day. I'm waiting for it to come back on now so I can go take a shower...we have an electric heater for the shower. It might be a cold one today.

--Devotions and prayer in my back yard while looking at the mountains and the papaya trees, and feeling the warmth of the sun shine on my back. It doesn't get much better.

(And now it's time for a cold shower. Still no electricity.)

Oh, Peru!

OOPS!

2010-11-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

I am all too familiar with embarrassing situations and being the center of them. It happens even more frequently now that I'm operating in a culture I'm unfamiliar with and a language that I don't always understand. Let me share with you my most recent cause for "verguenza" (shame).

Katie teaches English at a community center, and the managers of the center, Pablo and Nilda, decided that each month they will have a party to celebrate the adult students' birthdays that month. Even though my birthday was in September, they wanted to include me in the October birthday celebration, which was a very sweet gesture. To prepare for the fiesta, Nilda, Katie, and I went to Canete (about 30 minutes away in bus) to buy food, decorations, and presents. At this point, I didn't realize they were going to be celebrating my birthday or that they'd get me a gift. Nilda saw a music box that opened and had a little diary in it that she loved, so while I wasn't looking she snuck off to buy it for me. At that point, Katie gave me the heads up that they were celebrating my birthday, and that I shouldn't ask questions when Nilda came back with a present.

We finished buying our things, and I went to the center to help decorate. The party started and things were going really well. There were about 20-25 adults there, and it was fun getting to know them and dancing and eating. Then the time came to open the gifts. We bought Spanish-English dictionaries for the students who had October birthdays, and Nilda had the music box wrapped and waiting for me. They had me stand at the front of the room, Katie presented me with the gift, and I opened it. I acted surprised, and I thought I should show everyone that it opened and played music and had a diary inside. So, I started lifting one side of it - the wrong side - and completely ripped the lid off the music box. OOPS! I glanced at Nilda, and she looked slightly horrified and pained that the cute little present was broken. Katie was trying not to laugh at me, and our Peruvian friend Christian was laughing at me. He kept looking at me and saying "mucha fuerza, mucha fuerza" (you're really strong) and cracking up. I had conflicting emotions. I felt horrible that I broke the gift that Nilda loved, I was embarrassed that all the people I just met saw me break a gift, and I also really wanted to laugh about the whole thing (and I did a little bit).

Before we left for the night, I made sure to thank Nilda again and explain that I could fix it (just needs a little glue). Later, we told the story to our friend, Gino, and ever since both Christian and Gino tease me about the incident all time, but I don't mind. In fact, I think it made us all better friends, and it's a never-ending source of laughter.

I think it's another example of how God can turn the mistakes in our lives into good. Thank God for grace, for working through us, and especially for working in spite of us.

October in Peru

2010-10-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

Always New

2010-10-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

Even though I've been studying the Bible and learning about God ever since I can remember (thank you, Mom & Dad & Holy Spirit), I continue to be amazed at the way God's Word is never old. I could read the Bible 100 times over, and I would find something new, interesting and encouraging every time. For that matter, I could read the same book or verse over and over and still find something new.

Over the past few weeks, I've been reading through Paul's Epistles, starting with Galatians. I've always loved Paul's writings, and they're applicable to every situation in life, but they've taken on a new meaning for me as I read them through the eyes of a missionary.

I've always loved it when a verse I have known, cherished, and even memorized comes alive for me. I think it usually happens because of my changing situation or perspective in life. I experience something new, and I go from understanding the verse on an intellectual level to understanding it on a deeper, sometimes inexpressible level.

That is exactly what's been happening to me as I read the prayers Paul writes throughout his Epistles. The first prayer that struck a new chord with me was his prayer for the Ephesians in chapter 1:16-18. It reads, "I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you..." (ESV).

Ever since I read that verse, I've started praying it daily for the people of Lunahuana and Lucumo and for friends and family that still haven't realized the hope to which they are called. It expresses perfectly what I feel for unbelievers. I pray it for myself, too, that I may understand more and more each day the "immeasurable greatness" of the hope we have by God's "glorious grace." (Check out all of Ephesians 1.)

Another prayer of Paul that I've rediscovered and identified with is from Colossians 4:2-4. "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison - that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak." I daily ask for opportunities to share my faith, and that I would know what to say when the opportunity presents itself. I ask that you would pray this prayer for me and yourselves as you go about your lives as missionaries wherever you are. And thanks be to God for his faithfulness in answering our prayers!

What a privilege to have a few little peaks at one of the many awe-inspiring demonstrations of God's surpassing wisdom -- the power of His Word and evidence that it is truly "living and active." (Hebrews 4:12)

From Tourist to Tourist Attraction

2010-10-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Not surprisingly, almost everyone in Peru thinks that I'm a tourist. In the streets of Lima, taxis honk thinking I'll need a ride to a hotel or tourist attraction. Waiters and waitresses call to us to come and eat in their restaurants. People try to speak to us in English because they assume we don't know any Spanish. Here in Lunahuana the people who work in the rafting business constantly advertise "canotaje" (rafting) as we walk by. A mototaxista tried to overcharge us today thinking we wouldn't know what a normal rate is for a ride into town. And I expected that. And most days I'm not too annoyed by it, although I hope the people of Lunahuana eventually realize that I'm living here.

However, in the past three days a new phenomenon has developed. Something that I wasn't expecting. Something that makes me laugh and ponder and feel a little uncomfortable.

The first time it happened, Katie and I were minding our own business at the nispero festival here in town on Saturday, watching the Miss Nispero pageant. Anthony wasn't with us because he was asked to be a judge of the pageant--another story for another time. Anyway, at one point this group of people from Lima started talking to us, and about one minute into the conversation, they asked if they could take a picture with us. Interesting. Katie and I stood next to each other, and one of the Limenians stood next to us, but quickly decided that she should stand in the middle. Ok. As soon as the camera flashed, a second person replaced the first, and we took another picture. And another. And another. At least after they took the pictures, they continued to talk to us for another hour or so and seemed like really nice people. They were excited for the work we would be doing in Peru and happy to meet us. After we parted ways, I looked at Katie and asked, "So, did you feel a little like Machu Picchu tonight?" Maybe we weren't quite as magnificent as Machu Picchu, but we definitely felt like we were a tourist attraction.

Then tonight, Anthony, Katie, and I went out to eat at a hotel restaurant near our house (much closer than walking all the way into town). There was a junior high school having a retreat at the hotel, so there were a good 20-30 kids there with about 10 chaperones. We were enjoying supper by ourselves in the restaurant until this group poured in. When a group of boys walked by, they yelled, "Gringos! Una foto, una foto!" We then heard them talking about getting their cameras so they could take a picture of us. We decided to shovel our food in and get out as fast as we could. We were about halfway down the sidewalk to the road when a girl came running out and asked if she could take a picture with us. Her mom came down to take it, and then about 4 more girls lined up to take pictures with us, one at a time.

I don't quite understand why we "gringos" were photo-worthy. Was it that they associated gringos with Hollywood or sports stars or McDonald's? Maybe they don't see many foreigners in their country? Maybe they would want pictures with Europeans or Asians, too. Who knows. But I can't imagine running up to a Peruvian or Asian or German or fill-in-your-own-nationality-an in the U.S. and wanting a picture with them just because of where they're from. It's interesting to me to think about what that might say about the influence the U.S. has in the world and the stereotype Americans have. And maybe I'm reading too much into it. I do like to analyze.

Whatever the reason, I still felt like a tourist attraction. And maybe I should enjoy it. It's the closest I'll ever be to famous.

Mototaxis

2010-10-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

On October 6, Katie and I officially moved to Lunahuana, the town where we will be doing most of our work. It's a small town up in the desert mountains, about 3 hours south of Lima. It's beautiful. It's sunny almost everyday, we have a mountain view from our bedroom windows, and the people are very friendly. I sometimes need a jacket in the morning and at night, but during the day, the temperature is very pleasant.

Katie and I live in what they call a "casa de campo," which basically means a "country house." It's very comfortable and cute, and we love it. There's a kitchen, living/dining room, and we each have a bedroom. The bathroom is in our backyard...a separate little building from the house, but it does have plumbing. :) Our house is a 25 minute walk to the Lunahuana town square, and that's where we go to eat 1-2 meals a day. We don't have an oven here, so we don't do much cooking. Plus, it's so cheap to eat in restaurants, it's not worth the hassle or the cost to try to cook ourselves. Below is a typical meal we eat for lunch. It's call "menu" and consists of two courses - these courses happen to be a noodle soup and aji de gallina (chicken mixture and rice), plus a drink. All this cost us 5 soles each. That's less than $2.

Sometimes we don't feel like walking the 25 minutes to Lunahuana (we technically live in Condoray), so our mode of transportation is a mototaxi. Mototaxis are basically motorcycles with two back wheels and a tent-like covering added. You can fit three people (if they're small people - Katie, Anthony, and I barely fit) in the back of one. The driver sits on the motorcycle part in the front. Each mototaxi is decorated with character, and Batman seems to be the decor of choice around here. I've also seen spiderman and wildcats and lightening decor. I don't like to look too touristy (I know my blonde hair gives me away, but I want to at least act like a local), so I don't want to whip out my camera and take a picture of one. As a result, I stood by our living room window one morning and waited for mototaxis to drive by so I could take their picture without them knowing. Below is one of the shots I got. I hope it gives you an idea of what a mototaxi looks like. I wish I could have gotten a Batman picture.

The votes are in, but we DON'T have a winner...yet

2010-10-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

A quick update on the elections from last Sunday...the biggest race was for mayor of Lima between Susana Villaran and Lourdes Flores. It was such a close race that they are still counting the votes and have to count every single one. Susana is currently leading.

Who Will You Vote For?

2010-10-02T08:15:00.001-07:00

There will be major political elections in Peru on Sunday (tomorrow). They are electing mayors for all the town/cities throughout Peru. It's been very interesting to be here and witness the campaign process in another culture. It's actually very similar to U.S. campaigns - a lot of mud-slinging and candidates who never actually answer questions posed. The mayor for Miraflores (where I currently live) is basically a race between two women. There's been a lot of drama in the past few weeks between the two of them. I'm anxious to see who wins.

The election process in Peru is quite different from that in the States. In Peru it is mandatory that everyone votes if they are 18 or older. They have a card that gets stamped/sealed when they vote, and they have to show that card at the bank whenever they go to make a transaction. If they haven't voted, they can't deposit or withdraw money. In order to get access to the banks again, they have to pay a fine. The amount of the fine depends on their yearly income. Also, they have a dry law throughout the country starting at midnight on Thursday (which is technically Friday) and lasting until noon on Monday. No one can buy alcohol or drink in public places during that time.

Next year will be another interesting election year here because they will be electing a new president. One of the major candidates for President is Keiko Fujimori, the 35-year-old daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori. Alberto is currently serving a 32-year prison sentence for his role in killings and kidnappings while fighting against the terrorism of the Shining Path during his presidency. Part of the sentence is also for embezzlement. Thus, the fact that his daughter is running is interesting because if she wins, she could pardon him and get him out of jail.

One more tidbit about elections here: it's perfectly normal and acceptable to ask someone who they are going to vote for. So, who will it be? Vamos a ver.

A Cooking Adventure

2010-10-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

Katie and I have been in Peru for almost 4 weeks now, and until last night we hadn't cooked a thing. We eat cereal, toast, or fruit in the mornings, and then we eat out for every other meal. Part of it is that we want to try all the amazing Peruvian food, another part is that the food at restaurants is CHEAP, and as we found out last night when we did cook-it's difficult and expensive to cook the food we know how to make.

We decided our Friday night entertainment would be to make supper and watch a sitcom from the states (we have the season on dvd). We were debating between making spaghetti and nachos. Anthony and I had a major craving for nachos, so that became our quest. Katie and I walked to the store in pursuit of the ingredients.

We started with the chips. Check. Now what about seasonings? They definitely didn't have the Old El Paso packets that I'm used to buying. What to do? Well, we could just brown the hamburger with onions and salsa and that would give it flavor. Salsa. Check. Now for the hamburger. We couldn't find any ground beef, so we decided to go with chicken instead. Expensive, but check. On to the cheese. No shredded cheese packets in Peru. We went to the deli counter to look at the blocks of cheese. Nothing really resembled cheddar or anything close to it, but we went with the closest thing we could find. Cheese, check. But wait, do we have a cheese shredder at home? A quick call to Anthony, who was waiting for us at the apartment - no cheese shredder. We look around the store for a shredder. Nothing. Hmmm. No beef, no real Mexican seasoning, no shredded cheese - these were not going to be the nachos that Anthony and I were craving.

Plan B - spaghetti. Katie and I went and put everything back that we'd already picked up, while one of the clerks by the seasoning section laughed at us. He had seen us pondering over which seasonings and chips to get earlier, and now we were back changing our minds. Oh well. We bought spaghetti, a jar of spaghetti sauce, some garlic, and some butter. Much easier than the nachos. We also decided to treat ourselves to cookies (the pre-made mix that you just have to add eggs and butter to), and we checked out.

Honestly, spaghetti has never tasted so good to me before. After eating unfamiliar (yet delicious) food for 4 weeks, something familiar and simple was the best thing I'd had for a good week. And the cookies, well, we tried. The dough didn't really look like it does in the states. We're not sure why. And the oven is different - it burned the bottom of the cookies. Katie and I spent 10 minutes scraping off the bottom of the cookies so they were edible. Dunking them in milk helped, too. I think the big problem is the stove/oven both have to be lit using a match (it's gas), and the cookies were too close to the actual flame burning in the oven.

The whole thing was quite an experience and was even more entertainment than we thought it would be. Thank God for my coworkers here and home-cooked meals. Maybe we'll try Mac N' Cheese soon. What a delicacy.

Weekend Update

2010-09-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning Anthony, Katie, and I went to Lunahuana for the weekend. As we sat in a restaurant eating our delicious Peruvian food (I’ll try to take more food pictures to give you an idea of what it’s like), we had some great conversation. A prominent topic of that conversation was how to share the Gospel with the people of Lunahuana. We shared the common fears of being rejected, saying the wrong thing, not approaching the subject in the correct way, etc.

It was comforting to know that my fellow missionaries have had some of the same thoughts and feelings I’ve had. We came to the conclusion that God will be with us, He’ll give us the words to say, etc., etc., etc. We paid for our meal, explored the surrounding area of Lunahuana, and then met with Pablo to further discuss the details of the English classes Katie will start teaching in October. After that, Anthony dropped us off at our house, and he went to his place to rest a little bit before the next item on our agenda.

When he came back to pick us up, he also found a Bible passage to share with us. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5: And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling. And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

How perfect! I got goosebumps as he read us this verse. What comfort to know that even the great apostle, Paul, feared and trembled as he shared the Gospel. And how did he do it? With a simple, but powerful message. Obviously, it’s still very important that we study the culture we’re working in, the language they speak, and good mission practices, but ultimately God’s Word and His saving grace will do the work.

Right after reading those verses, we went to visit Anthony’s friend, Jose Luis, and his family. It ended up that we got to celebrate his dad’s birthday with them. It was a very fun evening. The best part was that we were given a chance to share the Gospel message with the family. They are a Catholic family, but they said themselves that the person they most worship is the Virgin Fatima, one of their patron saints, I believe. Please pray that our relationship with them would continue to grow, and that they will fully understand the salvation they have through Christ alone.

Sunday we went to Lucumo, another town near Lunahuana. This town is much poorer. Many of the families do not have electricity or running water. We made about 5 or 6 house visits and gave the families Portals of Prayer after we visited with them. At one home, we discovered that the Jehovah Witnesses had already been there, and the woman of the house was going to Kingdom Hall to learn more. They’ve been preaching a lot throughout the area. This will be another interesting challenge - explaining why we’re different than they are and why what we say is the Truth. Prayers, por favor.

All in all, it was a great weekend. Katie and I can both tell a huge difference in our ability to understand Spanish. We love our classes, and they’ve helped us a lot. We just started our second week of them. The more we learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know. The Spanish in Peru has been significantly influenced by the Incan language, Quechua, so even simple words for vegetables and clothing are different here. Poco a poco. (Little by little.) I love learning something new almost every minute of every day.

Thanks for all your prayers. I’ll try to blog more often so that I don’t accumulate so much to tell about at one time. God’s blessings!

The Syllabus

2010-09-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

I've been in Peru for two full days now (almost), and I feel like I'm back in college again except for the fact that there are vineyards and mountains around me instead of cornfields, and there aren't many English-speakers or Lutherans around.

Remember the first week of school when the professors gave you a syllabus and told you everything you were going to have to do that semester? It got a little overwhelming and you felt like you wouldn't see daylight for the next five months. I sometimes feel the same way right now. There is so much I have to learn: people's names and backgrounds, how short term trips are planned, the history of the country/region so I can share it with teams who come, Peruvian Spanish, how best to serve the people here, and how to drive a stick shift...in Lima...in a bus...with a lot of Americans who are going to flip out about how people drive here (and rightfully so).

I was starting to feel overwhelmed by everything this morning, and then I checked my email. I saw that several people had left encouraging comments on my facebook wall promising prayers and giving well-wishes, and I got an email from someone with more very encouraging words, and all of a sudden I felt fine. I was up for the challenge. I was reminded that I don't need to learn everything this week, or this month, maybe not even this year. God will work through me somehow - maybe with me and maybe in spite of me - but I'll do my best, and there will be lots of prayers, and God's Word will be preached!

There are so many good things happening already. I love my team. I love the house and the apartment. I love the landlady (she's already watching out for us). I love learning new Spanish words and phrases every hour. I love the support I've already gotten from everyone back home. I love my alpaca blanket and the view of the mountains in the back yard and the sheep "baaa-ing" somewhere close by. Gracias a Dios por todo.

Update on life and plans in Peru:

Katie and I arrived late on Tuesday, and Bruce and Anthony picked us up and took us to the apartment. We ran errands in the morning on Wednesday, including registering for language school. Katie and I will take classes Monday - Thursday for the next four weeks, and then we'll go with Anthony to Lunahuana on the weekends to get to know people there. After signing up for school, we went to Lunahuana (about 2 hours away), and started getting settled in the house there. We've been meeting people, taking stick shift driving lessons (first one today for me), trying new food, and just learning a lot. We talked to some Jehovah Witnesses (our first house visitors) this morning.

I guess that's about all for now. I'll try to post some pictures soon. Thanks for the continued prayers!

It's All About Perspective

2010-09-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Perspective 1 - August, 2001, freshmen year of college - Almost everyone I meet at Concordia University, Nebraska is complaining about how small Seward is and how there is nothing to do. I, on the other hand, am thrilled because I finally live in a town that has Wal-Mart and fast food places (like 3 of them)!

Perspective 2 - July 7, 2004, the day before I leave for Costa Rica for 5 months - I am basically scared to death. I'd rather not go to Costa Rica, I just feel like I have to in order to learn Spanish well, be a good teacher, and graduate in 4 years.

Perspective 3 - August, 2010, living at home in Tobias, Nebraska again for the first time since college - I feel like I'm experiencing culture shock, and I grew up here! All the things my new college friends were saying back in 2001 now make perfect sense to me. (It's still a wonderful place - just different than I remembered.)

Perspective 4 - September 6, 2010, the day before I leave for Peru - I CAN'T WAIT to go to Peru and live there for 11 months! I'm still not feeling anxious - far from scared to death.

I think perspective changes are usually a good thing. As I look at the paragraphs above, I can see that I've grown a lot over the years. Tobias hasn't changed that much in 5 years; I've changed much more through my experiences and living somewhere new. Living abroad hasn't changed much in 6 years, but now I know Spanish better, I've traveled to several countries (CR was the first time I left the US), and I'm used to living far from home. I'm thankful that God has molded and changed me over the years and has prepared me for new things.

Far greater than any of my perspective changes over the years, however, is God's perspective change through Christ's blood. That is truly a life-altering change for the better! Without Christ's sacrifice on the cross, we are dirty, horrible, sinful people; but with it, we are God's spotless children who will live with Him forever in heaven. Amazing!

And thank God that that perspective doesn't change as long as we have faith. We don't have to worry about God seeing us differently and deciding He doesn't love us anymore. He loves us with an everlasting love, and He is the same "yesterday, today, and forever" Hebrews 13:8.

So, while you and I go through struggles and triumphs and continue to change our perspectives, we know we have a faithful God who will stand by us through it all, giving us reassurance and the hope of a perfect perspective in heaven.

Perspective 5 - August 2011 - TBA

Finalmente!

2010-08-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I feel like I've been thinking and talking about going to Peru forever, and now it's finally time to go! I leave September 7 - a week from now I will almost be in Lima! I have mixed emotions as I leave, although 90% of that emotion is excitement. I'm obviously a little sad to leave people and know that I won't see them for a long time, or even wonder if I will ever see them again (I can get a bit dramatic sometimes). I feel a little anxious wondering what to pack and trying to make sure I'm not forgetting to do something important before I go. But like I said, I mostly feel excited and ready.

The plan is that Katie (my future roommate) and I will fly from St. Paul and Omaha perspectively and meet up in Atlanta. From there we will take a 6.5 hour flight to Lima where Anthony and Bruce will pick us up. We'll go through orientation both in Lima and Lunahuana (the small town we'll eventually move to), and then start language school in Lima on September 13. We will be in school for four weeks.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support through this process. I meant to send thank you notes to all my donors before I left, but unfortunately World Mission is about 5 weeks behind in their gift processing (they just switched to a new computer system), so I'm not quite sure who to send thank you's to yet. Please know that I feel incredibly blessed to have all of you supporting me - whether it be through gifts, prayer, encouragement, or in other ways I'm not even aware of. God is using all of us throughout the whole world to further His Kingdom. What an amazing God we have! I pray that no matter where we are or what we're doing that our ultimate goal is "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."
Phillipians 2:10-11

Friend-Raising

2010-08-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

For the past few years, I’ve kept my eyes open for opportunities to work in the mission field in a Spanish-speaking country. As a Lutheran, I’ve been particularly interested in serving through Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) World Mission. However, after learning that a missionary working for LCMS World Mission needs to fundraise all the money needed for a year in order to support him/herself as a missionary, I put going to the mission field on a back burner, because raising that much money seemed like a daunting task I’d rather not undertake.

Then an amazing opportunity presented itself: serving as a missionary in a relatively new field in Peru, going to language school, planning missions trips, and helping start churches in the Lima area. It sounded so wonderful I didn’t let the fundraising deter me. I got the job. I was excited! And then I began the task of raising $22,000 so I could go.

I decided to write letters describing my new job and my needs to close friends, family, and former students first. It sounds simple enough, but it was stressful. I spent many hours thinking about and composing the list of people who would receive letters. I didn’t want to offend anyone. I didn’t want to make people feel guilty if they couldn’t help me financially. I didn’t want to make people feel obligated to send money. But I also didn’t want to not give people the opportunity to help spread the Gospel in Peru one way or another. More than anything I just wanted to tell others about the mission opportunity because I was so excited about it!

In addition to letters, I scheduled three presentations at different churches in the area. The churches kindly said they would take door offerings for me the day that I presented, so I started to work on putting together a presentation. Again, I put much thought into what to say. I didn’t want to give the impression that the only reason I was giving presentations was to get money. I genuinely believe that prayer support and other help is just as important as the money. I wanted to be sure to convey that message.

Thus, the fundraising process started with some anxiety and uncertainty.

Then I received a book from LCMS World Mission entitled “Friend-Raising.” At first, I thought it was just a gimmick we were supposed to use when asking for money--an attempt to make our ask for money seem less like an ask for money. I honestly didn’t read much of the book. I sent the letters, and I did the presentations.

And then things started happening that made me realize that friend-raising is a much more accurate term than fundraising. I got a call from a man in Kansas I had never met who wanted to support me. He had heard about me from his friend in Denver who is good friends with my parents. This same Denver friend told another woman about me, so a few weeks later I got a very encouraging and excited email from her. She happens to be a former student of my parents from the Denver days. My babysitter from 25 years ago not only donated to the mission work, but wants to have her first grade class correspond with first graders in Peru and help spread the Gospel that way. Another long-time family friend organized a porch party so we could get together with other old friends of the family, and it was great to be able to share the story of missions in Peru with them. Through my presentations at the churches, I received so many encouraging words and met kind, God-fearing people ready to support me in various ways and excited to hear news from the field. And honestly, it took my breath away to look at the first financial report and see the generosity of others.

What’s even more wonderful is knowing that all those people who sent money and told others about the mission work and heard my presentations truly are my friends in this mission. I can go to them to share my frustrations, my sorrows, and my joys as I work in Peru. I can depend on them to give me encouragement, prayer, and rejoice with me when things go well. What an empowerment as I get ready to serve in an exciting and challenging new mission field!

It’s a great example of how God uses the church body to support one another. Every person involved with a ministry has a unique and vital role. Some give, some tell, some send, some go, others encourage, and still others pray. Most do a combination of these things. Each job is necessary, and no job is more important than the other. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” I feel so blessed and privileged to serve as a part of the body of Christ.

And, as frequently happens in life, those things which we dread or seem difficult turn out to be the biggest blessings.

Peru Plans

2010-07-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Along with the new Peru adventure comes many questions: "When are you leaving...How long are you staying...Where will you live?," etc., etc. Going through the same round of questions repeatedly reminds of when I graduated from high school and everyone wanted to know what I was doing with the rest of my life (or at least with my next year anyway). Back then (9 years ago), I hadn't even thought of studying Spanish in college, let alone living for an extended period in a Spanish-speaking country. It amazes me how God slowly guides us where he wants us to go. What a blessing!

Please know that I'm not offended or annoyed by people asking me these questions. I love sharing this information, and I feel blessed that others are wanting to know. So, for those of you who haven't received answers to these questions (or maybe forgot them), here's a timeline for you:

August 1 - Installation at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Collinsville, IL, 8:00 & 10:30 services. All are welcome!

August 3 - Moving back to "The Good Life" in Nebraska to be unemployed for a month and live in my parents basement. :)

1st or 2nd week of September - Move to Lima, Peru to go to language school (it never hurts to brush up and learn the local dialect)

Late September/early October - Move to Lunahuana, Peru where I will be living until at least August of 2011

August 2011 - move back to the U.S. or stay in Peru...we'll see what God has in mind. :)

God at Work

2010-07-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

Throughout the summer we usually see more "men at work" signs than the rest of the year because of all the road construction. Frequently these signs cause us to groan or complain as the traffic slows and plans are changed or delayed. It's agonizing to sit in standstill traffic with our destination out of sight.

I think that's sometimes how we feel when God is at work as well. We have our own schedules or plans laid out with a certain timeline that we think is best, and then God goes to work. Our plans change. Sometimes the work is so slow there is no visible progress. We wonder if we will get to our destination with all the detours along the way. We see no end in sight and wonder if He is even at work.

Then things start happening. New lanes open up; more people are let in. New routes are available; possibilities increase. The ride becomes smoother, the journey easier.

God brings people into our lives to help and guide us. He gives us new ways of thinking or new options to pursue. Because of these changes we have renewed hope. With that hope also comes peace and trust in Him to make our journey easier.

I think it's important to remind ourselves that the "God at Work" sign is permanently posted, even when we don't see it. And rather than grown or complain when we come to slow spots or detours, we should rejoice because we know we've got a master worker designing the course for us and leading us where we need to go.

That's how I feel about Peru. I can see now that God has been working on me for years, preparing me for the awesome opportunity to serve there, and I'm so excited to be at this crossroads in my life! Sometimes the journey here was painful. I had to feel disappointment and discontentment to turn me in this direction. Sometimes I felt stuck or lost.

Other parts of my journey here were fun. I spent an amazing six months in Costa Rica that made me fall in love with the Spanish language and Latin American culture; and I enjoyed five years of teaching, which helped me learn Spanish better and gave me the opportunity to go on several mission trips.

God used each of these experiences (and more) to lead me to a new road. A road that is unknown and exciting. A road that will have detours. A road that will have many ups and downs. A road that will thankfully always have God at Work.