don't dye hair in foreign countries.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Aloe Vera and kickboxing
I never saw the day coming that I would think 8:30 was sleeping in.
These last days and weeks have been longer than what time tells us. Last week we started our missionary workout schedule. Otto wants us to be in shape for our trip in May to some towns in Northern Peru, so we all signed up for a month gym membership. wake up at 6:10AM five days a week, walk to the gym, lift weights and do kickboxing with this crazy, angry Peruvian leprochaun man who can't count. If eh's not there, an equally intense woman comes and does step aerobics-- which is actually harder than the kickboxing. So we do that for a botu an hour and a half, and usually fall back into bed if we have time after the 6 of us take a shower.
Afternoon siestas (naps) have been a new part of our routine. I"m really glad we're doing the gym thing though, we'll have more energy and be stronger eventually...
On Palm Sunday I collected palm branches and gave my testimony in Spanish. (Otto translated it for me to read) I was nervous and excited to read the page and a half of mostly foreign words, and I could tell many people really appreciated the effort from us, and I only got my toungue twisted a few times. It's been hard with the language ebcause we can only communicate so much, and so none of these people have known our stories, much of our deep hearts or hurts or what we are proud to say God has written on our lives. We know some of their stories but I wish we could connect deeper, but I know just being around can mean a lot, so that's what I want to do.
I asked God last week what one-word role He wants me to fill here, what/who he wants me to be. I asked this same question with my toes in the sand and the face of a bay staring back at me in Costa Rica a year ago, and the last word I was expecting was 'daughter', but I knwo that's what He said at that time. In Peru, God simply wants me to be a sister. I keep wanting complex answers or missions to do, even just be an 'encourager' or 'peace maker' or something like that, but God requires more than that, and less than that.
I began questioning the idea of sisterhood, and began thinking of Amy, my favourite sister. She is such a beautiful part of my life. I dont know how I came by my family, I guess God picke, and He has belssed me immensely through them.
I'm learning a lot about family it seems, now that I am away from them. I don't want to be a little sister or a big sister, just a sister; who has the key to the deepest way in to belss, that very identity and connection that is already won and fought for. I want to be there for someone. I may not always be reliable, if ever, but I want to be a place of peace, or refreshment. There are those people that you talk with and come away stained and heavy, but I want to be someone who leaves people refreshed, drenching the driest, hidden places that aren't talked about. A valley of new air or a river of blue sky, or shade passing over clenched eyes. Water for the birds to skim over, to reflect light.
As for now, we are all very sunbured and clinging to our Aloe Vera. yesterday was the last day of a 2 night sleepover retreat we had for the youth of the church. We couldn't hide from the sun at the beach, no matter how many times we re-applied our SPF 50.
The retreat was a lot of fun and I think the youth really apprectiated it and won't forget it. For a lot of them this is the longest they've ever spent away from home.
I never thought about this:
Jesus was a carpenter, and he died against heavy wood. With every nail he bent his back over to be hammered, did his hands know they were to be peirced one day.. that his shoulders woudl be dislocated to reach the holes in the cross, so he could stretch out his life to a blind world?
My first tears in Peru slid down my cheeks in view of the torture of Jesus on a white projector screen. It's easter, how can we not think of Jesus' victory by the narrowest path, at least once a year?
I have been learning God can claim victory by the beautiful things, by songs and the softest breeze left behind a strong woman's walk. But He also wins through the ugliest circumstances, even the forgotten ones, even the ones wished to be lost by time.
His is the most humble man I know, to come dependant as a child, and take his first steps on hard ground, to learn our language adn even be accused by our laws. To break bread with us and breathe the same air, and even die from lack of it, yet tear the curtain at the same time. He said "It is finished.' and i'm going to rest on the anchor that holds, even in all these things that crash harder than waves each day.
These last days and weeks have been longer than what time tells us. Last week we started our missionary workout schedule. Otto wants us to be in shape for our trip in May to some towns in Northern Peru, so we all signed up for a month gym membership. wake up at 6:10AM five days a week, walk to the gym, lift weights and do kickboxing with this crazy, angry Peruvian leprochaun man who can't count. If eh's not there, an equally intense woman comes and does step aerobics-- which is actually harder than the kickboxing. So we do that for a botu an hour and a half, and usually fall back into bed if we have time after the 6 of us take a shower.
Afternoon siestas (naps) have been a new part of our routine. I"m really glad we're doing the gym thing though, we'll have more energy and be stronger eventually...
On Palm Sunday I collected palm branches and gave my testimony in Spanish. (Otto translated it for me to read) I was nervous and excited to read the page and a half of mostly foreign words, and I could tell many people really appreciated the effort from us, and I only got my toungue twisted a few times. It's been hard with the language ebcause we can only communicate so much, and so none of these people have known our stories, much of our deep hearts or hurts or what we are proud to say God has written on our lives. We know some of their stories but I wish we could connect deeper, but I know just being around can mean a lot, so that's what I want to do.
I asked God last week what one-word role He wants me to fill here, what/who he wants me to be. I asked this same question with my toes in the sand and the face of a bay staring back at me in Costa Rica a year ago, and the last word I was expecting was 'daughter', but I knwo that's what He said at that time. In Peru, God simply wants me to be a sister. I keep wanting complex answers or missions to do, even just be an 'encourager' or 'peace maker' or something like that, but God requires more than that, and less than that.
I began questioning the idea of sisterhood, and began thinking of Amy, my favourite sister. She is such a beautiful part of my life. I dont know how I came by my family, I guess God picke, and He has belssed me immensely through them.
I'm learning a lot about family it seems, now that I am away from them. I don't want to be a little sister or a big sister, just a sister; who has the key to the deepest way in to belss, that very identity and connection that is already won and fought for. I want to be there for someone. I may not always be reliable, if ever, but I want to be a place of peace, or refreshment. There are those people that you talk with and come away stained and heavy, but I want to be someone who leaves people refreshed, drenching the driest, hidden places that aren't talked about. A valley of new air or a river of blue sky, or shade passing over clenched eyes. Water for the birds to skim over, to reflect light.
As for now, we are all very sunbured and clinging to our Aloe Vera. yesterday was the last day of a 2 night sleepover retreat we had for the youth of the church. We couldn't hide from the sun at the beach, no matter how many times we re-applied our SPF 50.
The retreat was a lot of fun and I think the youth really apprectiated it and won't forget it. For a lot of them this is the longest they've ever spent away from home.
I never thought about this:
Jesus was a carpenter, and he died against heavy wood. With every nail he bent his back over to be hammered, did his hands know they were to be peirced one day.. that his shoulders woudl be dislocated to reach the holes in the cross, so he could stretch out his life to a blind world?
My first tears in Peru slid down my cheeks in view of the torture of Jesus on a white projector screen. It's easter, how can we not think of Jesus' victory by the narrowest path, at least once a year?
I have been learning God can claim victory by the beautiful things, by songs and the softest breeze left behind a strong woman's walk. But He also wins through the ugliest circumstances, even the forgotten ones, even the ones wished to be lost by time.
His is the most humble man I know, to come dependant as a child, and take his first steps on hard ground, to learn our language adn even be accused by our laws. To break bread with us and breathe the same air, and even die from lack of it, yet tear the curtain at the same time. He said "It is finished.' and i'm going to rest on the anchor that holds, even in all these things that crash harder than waves each day.
"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. what I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered proclaim onthe rooftops. And do not fear those whoi kill the body but cannot kill the soul, Rather fear him who can destry both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."
And I also read and prayed this today with 4 beautiful girls:
And Jesus went throughout all the citites and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep wihtout a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
Pray for the women and men of Peru.
Friday, March 14, 2008
today
I am blessed. I'm sure of it.
I am listening to Oleaner by Sarah Harmer and my stomach is full of macaroni.
These people hug you so close to their hearts. This morning we had devotions with the pastor and we've been getting in the habit of ending it with hugs. We all are apart from our families, we spent time praying for them, and it really made me appreciate the beautiful creatures I am with now. There will be a time that I won't be with them, but today I am. I like thinking of people as creatures.
I got in to Emily Carr.
I had to re-read the email from my dad more than twice to make sure it was real. It was!
I want to paint a mural or leave something for the church here. On monday morning Otto and Jano (the pastor) is meeting with the head of a school for the disabled to work out a plan for us to meet with them regularily.. Generally I think we'll just be hanging out with them, I might get to do arts and crafts with them and play some games or just talk. Some of these kids won medals in the special Olympics, some of them are are only physically disabled, some mentally, and some both.
Next week Laura, Lisa and I are going to visit the home for women and children with HIV for the first time. Hopefully I can remember how to knit.
I've really enjoyed hanging out at the park this week with the ninos. Yesterday we brought bubbles and I started blowing them with one girl with a pink bike, and then a whole bunch of other kids came. There's something so magical about bubbles, I don't care what it is. They were carried away in the afternoon sunshine and the kids loved chasing them on the breeze.
The two boys I played soccer with last time were there again so we played a game this time, me and Daniel (who I call ronaldo) won, Bernardo was dissapointed I'm sure.
We met a woman in the park named Desenya. She was selling earrings and we were singing, so we talked and invited her to English class and she came both times this week. She always brings her little girl with big brown eyes in her wrinkled school uniform. We want to know and be known in the community, we have been praying this week for God to open up opportunities and really connect with the people he brings within eye sight, that we might bless them. Already tons of things are happening, and I'm so excited to see what is going to grow.
I saw sunflowers again today and bought 2 postcards.
I am reading and writing things like this in my journal which is being filled up fast...:
'God is no respecter of persons, and this is something we are reluctant to face. We would like God's ways to be like our ways, his judgements to be like 'our judgements. It is hard for us to understand that he lavishly gives enormous talents to people we would consider unworthy, that he chooses his artists with as calm a disregard of surface moral qualifications as he chooses his saints.' - madeleine L'engle (walking on water)
I want to read about the life of David. Every day I am reading a Psalm.
one last quote that is newly written in my journal:
"To be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda, nor even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. It means to live in such a way that one's life would not make sense if God did not exist. " - Cardinal Suhard
I want to write more to you but tonight is a dinner at the church for married couples and I need to go help set up.
So please pray for God to blow us away with divine appointments. We are asking God to teach us how to pray. Spanish is a beautiful language, but there is still one more lovely, and it cannot be foreign. I think about how God spoke light, and the whole world into existence.. it makes me want to be a writer.
I am listening to Oleaner by Sarah Harmer and my stomach is full of macaroni.
These people hug you so close to their hearts. This morning we had devotions with the pastor and we've been getting in the habit of ending it with hugs. We all are apart from our families, we spent time praying for them, and it really made me appreciate the beautiful creatures I am with now. There will be a time that I won't be with them, but today I am. I like thinking of people as creatures.
I got in to Emily Carr.
I had to re-read the email from my dad more than twice to make sure it was real. It was!
I want to paint a mural or leave something for the church here. On monday morning Otto and Jano (the pastor) is meeting with the head of a school for the disabled to work out a plan for us to meet with them regularily.. Generally I think we'll just be hanging out with them, I might get to do arts and crafts with them and play some games or just talk. Some of these kids won medals in the special Olympics, some of them are are only physically disabled, some mentally, and some both.
Next week Laura, Lisa and I are going to visit the home for women and children with HIV for the first time. Hopefully I can remember how to knit.
I've really enjoyed hanging out at the park this week with the ninos. Yesterday we brought bubbles and I started blowing them with one girl with a pink bike, and then a whole bunch of other kids came. There's something so magical about bubbles, I don't care what it is. They were carried away in the afternoon sunshine and the kids loved chasing them on the breeze.
The two boys I played soccer with last time were there again so we played a game this time, me and Daniel (who I call ronaldo) won, Bernardo was dissapointed I'm sure.
We met a woman in the park named Desenya. She was selling earrings and we were singing, so we talked and invited her to English class and she came both times this week. She always brings her little girl with big brown eyes in her wrinkled school uniform. We want to know and be known in the community, we have been praying this week for God to open up opportunities and really connect with the people he brings within eye sight, that we might bless them. Already tons of things are happening, and I'm so excited to see what is going to grow.
I saw sunflowers again today and bought 2 postcards.
I am reading and writing things like this in my journal which is being filled up fast...:
'God is no respecter of persons, and this is something we are reluctant to face. We would like God's ways to be like our ways, his judgements to be like 'our judgements. It is hard for us to understand that he lavishly gives enormous talents to people we would consider unworthy, that he chooses his artists with as calm a disregard of surface moral qualifications as he chooses his saints.' - madeleine L'engle (walking on water)
I want to read about the life of David. Every day I am reading a Psalm.
one last quote that is newly written in my journal:
"To be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda, nor even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. It means to live in such a way that one's life would not make sense if God did not exist. " - Cardinal Suhard
I want to write more to you but tonight is a dinner at the church for married couples and I need to go help set up.
So please pray for God to blow us away with divine appointments. We are asking God to teach us how to pray. Spanish is a beautiful language, but there is still one more lovely, and it cannot be foreign. I think about how God spoke light, and the whole world into existence.. it makes me want to be a writer.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
What we know so far..
Right now the sky is white and there's a breeze over the rooftops.
Yo necessito los lentes de sol.
I've kissed a lot of cheeks. The custom here is for all the girls to be kissed and kiss everyone whenever you say hello or goodbye. The men shake hands. I guess there's a bit of a catch 22 in this, but I don't mind it at all. Angelita, the pastor's wife loves it when we call her mami. They are a really fun couple, with 3 kids, one who just left for university for a year. Culturally, this is a really big thing for a kid to move out, tons of the middle aged men we've met still live at home with their mothers, sometimes even if they are married. Parents have a hard time letting go here, there are a lot of mothers who still make sandwiches and do everything for their kids, no matter how old they are.
Another Peruvian culture fact we definatly haven't seen the last of yet: people don't ever leave.
On saturday the church had a breakfast, and some of the people that came at 9 in the morning stayed until 10 at night. No big deal.
Today was our first church service. More kisses.
Each week one of us will be sharing our testimony. Sarah spoke this morning and Lidia is writing down translations so we can read it out in spanish. I hope the people will appreciate our efforts, even if we butcher the language. I'm going next week and I'll be nervous, but I'm also excited because no one really knows much about us yet.
I really wish I could speak spanish. It takes so much brain energy to always have to strain to understand, especially in devotions and sermons where I can only pick up the pieces of a few words and phrases I know. I wish I could have more than simple conversations with the people here, but I know it will take some time. We still laugh a lot. I get along really well with this one girl named Marina.. she always makes me laugh.
I've been drinking a lot of Yerba Mate.
Otto and Lidia funk are so Paraguayan, and I find it really comforting. They've had us over to their house a few times, which is just down the street. They baked us bread. I really like them. We went over and played wii a few days ago and Lidia made donuts. The way Otto talks is just like Levi Giesbrecht, with a lot of the same humor.
There goes the doorbell. It rings at least 10 times a day. So far I'm okay with that.
What else can I tell you so far...?
Oh ya, the big meal of the day is almuerzo (lunch). Breakfast and dinner are usually pretty small, usually just fruit or a sandwich. I'm okay with that too, tho it's such a huge transistion from Trek training when every meal was made for us, and always amazing. We're always cooking for ourselves here, and the fruit from the market is soo good. Guanabana and cactus fruit are our recent favourites.
I can see a river of blue sky now, which is my cue to leave you.
One last bit of insight:
On tuesday we're getting a baby monkey. Party on.
Yo necessito los lentes de sol.
I've kissed a lot of cheeks. The custom here is for all the girls to be kissed and kiss everyone whenever you say hello or goodbye. The men shake hands. I guess there's a bit of a catch 22 in this, but I don't mind it at all. Angelita, the pastor's wife loves it when we call her mami. They are a really fun couple, with 3 kids, one who just left for university for a year. Culturally, this is a really big thing for a kid to move out, tons of the middle aged men we've met still live at home with their mothers, sometimes even if they are married. Parents have a hard time letting go here, there are a lot of mothers who still make sandwiches and do everything for their kids, no matter how old they are.
Another Peruvian culture fact we definatly haven't seen the last of yet: people don't ever leave.
On saturday the church had a breakfast, and some of the people that came at 9 in the morning stayed until 10 at night. No big deal.
Today was our first church service. More kisses.
Each week one of us will be sharing our testimony. Sarah spoke this morning and Lidia is writing down translations so we can read it out in spanish. I hope the people will appreciate our efforts, even if we butcher the language. I'm going next week and I'll be nervous, but I'm also excited because no one really knows much about us yet.
I really wish I could speak spanish. It takes so much brain energy to always have to strain to understand, especially in devotions and sermons where I can only pick up the pieces of a few words and phrases I know. I wish I could have more than simple conversations with the people here, but I know it will take some time. We still laugh a lot. I get along really well with this one girl named Marina.. she always makes me laugh.
I've been drinking a lot of Yerba Mate.
Otto and Lidia funk are so Paraguayan, and I find it really comforting. They've had us over to their house a few times, which is just down the street. They baked us bread. I really like them. We went over and played wii a few days ago and Lidia made donuts. The way Otto talks is just like Levi Giesbrecht, with a lot of the same humor.
There goes the doorbell. It rings at least 10 times a day. So far I'm okay with that.
What else can I tell you so far...?
Oh ya, the big meal of the day is almuerzo (lunch). Breakfast and dinner are usually pretty small, usually just fruit or a sandwich. I'm okay with that too, tho it's such a huge transistion from Trek training when every meal was made for us, and always amazing. We're always cooking for ourselves here, and the fruit from the market is soo good. Guanabana and cactus fruit are our recent favourites.
I can see a river of blue sky now, which is my cue to leave you.
One last bit of insight:
On tuesday we're getting a baby monkey. Party on.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
numero uno, bebe.
I have been wanting to start this thing off with some poetic explanation of life so far, living with people I've only known two months in a foreign land where everything is beautiful and new and warm, to give you my most present thoughts and perspective in Peru; but I can't find my nice pen and my thoughts are still scattered in trying to grasp this new place of breathing.
I am sitting at a black table with my journal on my lap, in the courtyard between the church building and the room we live in, in the pastor's family's house. Above me is the sky, between me and the sun is a green canopy. I just looked down at my white shirt (actually Josh's) and apparently I dropped pizza sauce on it.
We live in a quiet neighbourhood. There are parks in the middle of streets with tall trees and green grass and some flowers. The buildings here are almost like the old western towns you see in the movies, only a rainbow sneezed pastels everywhere. From the roof I can see into many houses and courtyards. I can't even understand how big Lima is. Nine million people. ( uptop is a picture of a shanty town.. just people who carved their lives into the side of a mountain. they all just steal electricity, and its gotten to the point where the government almost acknowledges them, they bring big barrels of water each week for people to draw from. reminds me of the garbage dump village in Guatemala.. )
Tonight we are helping with English class again. The first time was two days ago. Roxy and I are helping out with the intermediate class, mostly working on pronunciation and reading comprehension. The actual class part isn't all that fun because we can't really translate, but class ends at 8:30 and people just hang around and talk, because they are so eager to learn english. On tuesday almost everyone stayed until 10, which is a small sample of peruvian culture. Many of the people on our team know zero Spanish, but we have already learned a lot, and the Peruvians love teaching us.
Yesterday we walked a lot. We went to the beach with Otto and a few Peruvians from ESL class, though where we went was actually an old garbage dump, but at least the wind was nice even if the waves came in with trash each time. Later we walked to Miraflores and had a picnic, which is sort of a tourist area with a a big park called El Parque del Amor.
I'm still getting over this cold which is pretty annoying. On the bright side though, this is the perfect time to get sick because this week we're just taking it easy and not jumping into any ministries yet.
I moved into our bedroom to sit on Lisa's dangerous mattress which sort of sways when you touch it. The room us girls sleep in is a long rectangular room filled with our suitcases and beds, and a small pathway for us to walk through. Behind my bed is a large, open window with white curtains, which separates me from the two parots. One of the parots name is Pancho, and he whistles at us and says 'hola', and occasionally squaks his head off at random, obnoxious times.
The showers here are electric, like Thailand, but we have no trouble with them compared to the toilet. At least I seem to have trouble. The toilets plug easily, and they don't use plungers here. Jackie is the church accountant and lives here, but speaks barely any english. So the other day I plugged the toilet completely, so I went to Jackie and we filled up two big buckets of water which apparently fixes the problem. She gave me one and told me to pour it in really fast. I didn't understand how this is would work without spilling everywhere, but she didn't offer to do the first bucket so I just gave'r. So, I poured an entire bucket of water into the toilet which had barely any water in it, and I flooded the whole bathroom floor. Of course everyone was watching at the time, lining up out the door, so we all got splashed and I was laughing so hard.. (luckily Jackie and everyone else was too.)
Jackie poured the next bucket neatly and solved the problem. I mopped up the floor with a rag on a stick. Good times.
I know we're still in our honeymoon stage, but I am so blessed to be in this place. It's so exciting to think how much is ahead of our team, where Jesus is waiting to meet us, what we will feel and cry over and hate eachother for, what we will sweat over and regret and laugh at 5 years later. The people we will know, that will help us know ourselves and our creator better. To be fully present in every moment is difficult when you have such hope for the next one.
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