Things UnTweeted

I just got back from a 4 day trip into the heart of Peru.  Oxapampa is definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.  During the time I was there, I had no internet, and of course, no phone.  It was really a good fast for me, but I realized halfway there that, if I'd had a working phone or internet, I would be Tweeting and/or FB status updating every few minutes.  There was so much to see and do.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, for all of you who follow me on Twitter), I could not flood your mobile devices with a myriad of Tweets.  However, I did save up everything I might have said.

So here's my trip to Oxapampa: Twitter/Facebook style:

Thursday:
6.30am - Way too early in the morning to smile...


7.34am - Nine people, one van, a mess of luggage and no breakfast. We're off!


12.30pm(ish) - The MOST amazing mountains!

1.30pm(ish) - Going down is worse than going up. Oooh...:-(


3.00pm - Like America...but SOUTH. I feel like I'm going to see a balloon-suspended house any minute now!


4.00pm - The COOLEST restaurant!

5.10pm - I might NEVER complain about a gas station restroom EVER again!


7.40pm - 12 hour trip, complete with twisting roads, nasty bathrooms, interesting restaurants, and even some projectile vomiting.  Finally, we are here!


8.30pm - Norwegian Jewish man, speaking Spanish with R. Foekens' accent.  I love P. Casar already!


9.30pm - And the two English speaking girls have decided to abandon me to stay elsewhere.  Spending the night in the hostel with three who DON'T speak English...not exactly what I was hoping for...


10.15pm - Late night dinner with the team.  Everyone's feeling better with food in them.


11.15pm - I think this sleeping arrangement will be OK...I'm practicing mi español, while Yolanda practices her English.


Friday:
8.30am - Have you ever woken up, gone outside, and seen mountains that are HIGHER than the clouds? Oxapampa is beautiful!




9.20am - Just entered a store and saw a tv show playing in its natural habitat. That's right: Dora the Explorer en español!


11.44am - Perfect weather DOES exist. #oxapampa


1.47pm - Just made my Veggie Tale nostalgic day! It's a real cebú!

For those of you who are missing out: watch this

2.49pm - Y'know, just monkeying around

3.52pm - Official worst thing to do when you're a guest in someone's house: break their toilet. Yeah...that was me.


4.50pm - All. My. Fault.

5.47pm - Two hours later, I have learned that one second of "Oh SNAP" (quite literally) might necessitate a much longer solution.


5.49pm - I've also learned that Peruvians know how to get things done.


7.40pm - Sketchboarding in the center of Oxapampa.

9.30pm - Rap with P. Stan and P. Cesar in a local restaurant.


Saturday:
8.03am - For anyone who doesn't know this already, roosters do NOT wait for dawn for an excuse to crow...

11.50am - Quite possibly the most incredible chicken I've ever eaten.

1.40pm - No idea what this is, but it tastes awesome!

3.26pm - In the 70s will NEVER be hot enough weather for a cold shower. Brrr!


5.33pm - Mountains win over oceans. The sea is beautiful, but mountains never stop taking my breath away.


8.22pm - Inspired to do more evangelism with the #christianfarmers bracelets, after watching them presented in Spanish.


Sunday:
10.49am - Getting ready for church service in Oxapampa! I think I've officially been to 16 GG churches in 3 countries.


11.50am - Church service in Oxapampa

12.47pm - Getting ready for a 12 hour ride back to Lima with full van: including a child who needs a spanking more than any child I've ever known.


7.11pm - There's snow here! :)


9.30pm - Trying to talk our way out of a ticket that would have cost P. Stan his license...It worked, praise the Lord!


11.17pm - 10 hours spent in the van, 5 cop stops, 2 children, relatively no sickness (yay!), and a few cramped backs later: We are back in Lima!








Mis palabras en español para hoy (especially useful to me, Ang, and any celiacs out there): "No puedo comer trigo."

Feliz Cumpleaños Perú! ... y Karen.

So today was the equivalent of the 4th of July in the USA.  It's Peru's birthday.  In 1824, Peru officially became free from Spain.  I'm sure there's more to the story, but no one tried to give me a history lesson today, and I just haven't had the time to research it for myself.


Today was also Karen Collins' birthday.  In honor of these events the house was filled with people from church, bringing cakes (we ended up with 6!), and presents for Karen.  Everyone enjoyed P. Stan's arroz con pollo (Ecuador style), and a special kind of South American sausage (I can't remember the name) prepared by Gustavo.


I'm not sure if any of you have ever been in a room full of people speaking another language.  It's different from church.  At church you exchange a few pleasantries, sit down and listen to the message, and then say a few more words and a goodbye to the people around you.  Today was different.  Children, adults, teenagers, young people, old people.  All gathered together.  All speaking Spanish.  It was a little daunting.


But as the afternoon progressed, I realized that I could still manage pretty well.  I was forced to listen more than talk, and to listen intently, in order to understand what was being said.  And there's nothing like having no other way to communicate to force a person to practice and expand their vocabulary.  Already I understand a lot, and today I was able to tell people about my family, about Baltimore, about my roomie (I miss you, Angelica!), and about my past couple of weeks here in Lima.


Something else that I've noticed already, but still surprises me, is that I've made some pretty close friends, even though I've never been able to have a deep conversation with them.  Two in particular, are already dear to me, even though their English vocabulary is only slightly greater than my Spanish one.  And, of course, there are a few friends who speak English wonderfully, and I like to spend most of my time around them.


Overall, the Body is still the Body, in Peru, in Baltimore, in Budapest, in Canada, in France, and in Poland.  Language is not such a thick wall.  I can allow myself to be edified wherever I am.




Plenty of other things have been going on as well.  On Tuesday I got to spend the day with a group of friends.  We saw the center of the city, where all the government buildings and the president's house are.  We traveled to the top of a mountain, where we saw the cross of San Cristobal, and got an amazing view of Lima spread out far and wide (it's about the size of Rhode Island!).  Then we had lunch and browsed the museums and shops in the area.  I finally got to have some ice cream...all I can say is that Peruvian ice cream is 10 times better.  


I've also completed one Bible college course.  P. Stan and P. Lajos did a six class course in having spiritual discernment.  Half the class was in Spanish, but I still managed to take good notes.  We'll see how I do on the final exam, but this will be one credit I can add to my Bible college transcript. (yay!)


There's plenty more that's going on.  Things that interesting to me, or new, or funny.  But, for some reason, writing those things isn't always the easiest task.  There's been quite a lot that's happening in me that I can't translate into typed English (kind of like how, even when I can understand a message in Spanish, I would never be able to sit next to someone and translate it for them).  Today was the halfway point in my time here.  Today I went from feeling pretty homesick, and planning every minute of the 10 days following my return; to starting to feel a bit sad that I only have two weeks left here.  I guess I still have some learning to be content to do.




One last thing before I close this post out, and it's the thing I least like to do.  First, I want to thank all of you who are reading this, and especially the ones who have commented here or messaged me to tell me that they've been edified by what I've written.  You all build me up so much.  It's astonishing and humbling to see that more than just my mom is reading this (no offense, Mom!), and I really appreciate the feedback.  I do want to just throw this out to anyone reading, though.  I'm still several hundred dollars shy of actually having this trip completely covered.  Yeah, I made it, but I'm also pretty highly in debt to my parents right now, and I'm not really going to have any money for groceries until a month after I get home.  If you're able to contribute anything at all, it would be much appreciated.  As always, no pressure.  The support of prayer is certainly as useful (if not more) to me.  And if you've given me anything already, thank you again, so much.  You've made this trip possible.  I'm letting you all know where I stand, but I'm trusting God to provide the money.


OK, not the note I want to end on, so here are some more Spanish words: one nuevo sol to the first person to comment and tell me what song this is in English (try not to use the rest of the internet, please):


Todo lo creaste
La tierra, cielo y mar
Los cielos son tu tabernaculo
Gloria al Dios Altísimo

Dios del cielo, maravilloso Dios
Eres santo, santo
La creación muestra su majestad
Eres santo, santo
Dios de la creación
Dios de la creación

Cuando amanezco
He de celebrar Tu luz
Si tropiezo en tinieblas
Volvere a ver tu cruz

Aleluya, Al Dios de la creación
Aleluya, Al Dios de la creación

Dios del cielo, maravilloso Dios
Eres santo, santo
Muéstrame Señor tu corazón
Eres santo, santo, santo

Los Niños

Just wanted to compose a short post about the children I've encountered here.


As most of you know, I'm kind of a child magnet (in the least creepy of ways).  I've been working with kids in a myriad of capacities for around a decade now.  I know how to talk to kids, now to play with them, even how to teach them (somewhat).  I love making friends with children.


Lima, Peru, has presented a challenge.  It's not as easy to befriend a child when you can't even speak her language.  Or so I thought.  Last Saturday, at the wedding, I found out otherwise.  I had my camera out, and when three amigos pequeños saw that I was pointing it at them, they had fun posing for pictures, and then looking on the screen to see themselves.  The two little girls wanted a picture without the little boy, but he kept pushing his way in.  With my ninja camerawoman skills, I managed to snap a picture of the two girls just before the boy jumped forward.  When the one girl saw the picture, she threw her arms around my neck and gave me a big kiss on the cheek.  I was in.


A little later, the girls came over and asked my name.  I told them, and then they told me theirs.  Jasmin, Radha, and Misael (sp?).  The girls turned to each other, whispered together for a couple seconds, then turned to me and said in English together: "You are beautiful."  These little girls broke through the language barrier and made me their friend, just like that.  Sunday evening, during church, I made a little bird out of a sticky note, and gave it to Rhadha.  She immediately sat me down and made me show her how to do it.  When I tried to make her an origami elephant (a much harder feat), she tried to have me show her each step of that as well.  At one point, she was asking me a question.  I knew the answer to it, but I didn't want to tell her.  I didn't have the words, so I just shook my head.  She turned to her friend and said something like "She doesn't understand what we're saying."


Since then, Radha comes and gives me big hugs each time she sees me.  I can't tell her stories or jokes or everything I want to.  I'm pretty much limited to telling her that I love her and that she's pretty.  But it's OK.  More isn't needed.




Then there's Juan David.  Karen and I went to have lunch with him and his mother last week.  Juan David soon realized that I would make a great playmate.  He pulled out all his toys and showed them to me, and blew bubbles with me, and dragged me all around the room looking for his pencil (which we never did find).  Whenever I'd say something in English, he'd ask: "¿Qué significa? ¿Qué significa?" until Karen told him what I was saying.  The fact that I didn't speak much Spanish amused him.  At one point he brought me a dictionary and asked me to find a, and then to find z.  I'm not sure if it impressed him very much that I found both.




In summary, though, I think I've learned not to be so worried that I can't do the same things or be the same person in another place.  Did I break through the language barrier with these kids?  Somewhat.  Are these children still enjoying the fact that their vocabulario de español is bigger than mine? Undoubtedly.  But who I am doesn't change just because of where I go.  I'll still love children in any part of the globe.  And, thankfully, they'll still love me.




Mis palabras en español para hoy: Jesús le ama los niños en todo el mundo.

Learning to Sit Still...

I've never been good at sitting.  Even now that I'm "grown up," I'm rarely able to sit without crossing and uncrossing my legs, or tapping a foot, or at least twisting and turning around in my chair to see what's going on around me.  Anyone who's seen me at work can testify that I'm not one to stay seated at one desk, but am usually bouncing around the classroom to help any kid that even looks the slightest bit lost.  It's not always that I'm eager to help everyone.  Sometimes it's just that I'd rather be on my feet.


One of my reasons for coming to Peru was that I didn't want to spend the summer "sitting."  Last year I found a job that, at best, was somewhat challenging, but didn't give me a whole lot to do over all, and left me with rather empty stretches of time when nothing was going on.  I felt like a lot of my time was wasted last summer, and I didn't want that to happen again.  Sparing myself the grief of looking for a GOOD six week job was just a big bonus.


So I'm here in Peru, expecting that I will be kept busy, constantly going places and doing things.  That's what the missionfield is, right?  At least I should be kept captivated and interested by the difference in the culture, and what I see around me.


That's not exactly been the case.  There's been church, outreach, Bible college.  I've been to a wedding, and I've gone with a friend to see the ocean.  It's not that I've had nothing to do.  But during the day I'm finding big gaps of free time.  I can't just hop in my car and go someplace.  I can't just pick up the phone and call or text someone.  So I have a lot of time to sit, and think, and read, and pray.  It's funny, really.  One of the reasons God brought me here was to force me to be still.


I'm learning a lot.  I'm gaining a vision for Bible college in the fall.  A specific message really answered one of my biggest issues.  P. Stan spoke at a ladies' Bible study yesterday about laying what we have on the altar.  He said that God doesn't want us to lay what we have down because it's precious.  The gift isn't more precious than the altar.  It's when it's ON the altar that it finally becomes worth something.  It's hard to lay things down and then let God take them.  I so desire to always have control.  I've found that nothing I do works, though.  When I strive for the thing I want, I have no peace and no satisfaction.  When I avoid that thing like the plague, thinking that it's the right thing to do, I'm really no more giving it up than when I was reaching for it.  The thing to do is to place it in the hands of God and then just let Him do what He wants without my interference.  It's not an easy thing to do, but it's the best thing.  Here in Peru, the problems and struggles that I had in the U.S. have not gone away or lessened.  But maybe I just needed to learn to rest.


I'm not completely worry free.  My money worries aren't gone, my heart struggles haven't relented.  I'm not suddenly 10 years older spiritually.  But I'm here, I'm resting, I'm learning, I'm growing.  I'm Martha being turned into Mary.  God's personally got some work to do in me, and if the whole reason I came to South America was so that I would hold still long enough allow Him to do that, then I'm OK with that.


Mis palabras en español para hoy: Espera en Dios.

Cosas Nuevas y La Boda de Karol y Enrique

Lots of things happening in the last few days.  I'm starting to adjust to the pace of life here.  It's not that it's a very different speed, but that it's more of a different canter.  In the mornings I've been getting up, creating some semblance of a breakfast, and sitting down by 9am for morning devotional: usually with Grace Hour (no Daylight Savings here).  Then the afternoon is pretty much free, with a late lunch/early dinner around 2 or 3pm.  The evenings vary, depending on the day.


New things:  Let's see, so far I've ridden in taxis and buses, and even in one of those little three-wheeled car/motorcycle things.  I've been to the mall, eaten at the food court, shopped in an open air market and in the grocery store.  I've gotten to try a couple native drinks and desserts.  Oh yeah, and I got to sing at a wedding of someone I've only just met, and I "caught" the bouquet.  But that's getting ahead of myself.






The wedding was on Saturday evening.  Earlier in the week (Wednesday night, in fact) I got to meet the sweet, the kind, the talented and all-around incredible Helem.  One of the first things she asked was whether or not I could sing.  When she found out I could, she asked me to listen to "Deciphering Me" by Brooke Fraser.  It was the only English song being sung at the wedding, and she thought maybe I could help her with it.  By Friday night, it was decided that I would sing with her.


Friday night and Saturday afternoon were spent setting up.  Christmas lights on the windows, tall vases and dividers on the stage, and flowers around the room (the church looked incredible when we were done, by the way).


Finally, it was Saturday evening, and all the guests had arrived.  It took longer than normal for the wedding to start, though: because the bride was almost an hour late!  As Karen told me, in the United States we would worry that the bride had gotten cold feet, but in South America brides are supposed to be a little late, and are sometimes as much as an hour and a half behind schedule!


The ceremony itself was not unlike an American wedding.  There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen walking down the aisles.  The groom seated his mother, and then the bride walked down with her uncle (or brother or cousin: I'm not sure which).  A song was sung, and then P. Stan preached (en español).  Then came preparation for communion, during which Helem and I sang.  Then communion, the vows, and the exchanging of the rings, and the pronouncement of man and wife.  All in Spanish.


It got really interesting a little later.  Instead of throwing her bouquet, Karol decided to get all the girls in a circle around her.  Then she closed her eyes, spun around, and walked toward one girl to hand off the bouquet.  I had already sung in her wedding.  I had already managed to get into her bridesmaid picture.  Helem had said earlier that I was a part of everything there.  Karol stopped and began to walk, angled slightly away from me.  As she walked, though, she began to turn.  A second later the bouquet was in my hands.  I've wanted a wedding bouquet for the past few years, ever since I began to go to weddings for people close in age to me.  Suddenly here, in Peru, it's finally happened.  The older ladies all began to ask where my groom was, and a few people joked and said that I'll be getting married in a year. No se.


The sad part is that I don't think I'll be able to bring my bouquet home.  I'm drying it out, and praying the customs officers in Miami decide to let me keep it, but I don't expect them to.  I'm pressing one rosebud to keep.  It's alright, though.  Wedding bouquets do not bring husbands (not that I'm particularly looking).  But Helem is right.  I'm here, and I'm a part of what's going on.  God's little ways of showing that HE is the One Who loves me are not missed.  God is speaking directly into my heart, some of the same lessons I should have already learned, but He's patiently teaching them to me again.  God is doing something here, and I am a part of it.


Mis palabras en español para hoy: "Las muchas aguas no podrán apagar el amor."

Dias primeros

La iglesia de Lima

¡Estoy en Lima!


Amid my second full day in Peru.  Already I have much to think and write about.  And already I have two languages trying to make sense in my head.  I'm finding that listening and reading Spanish is much easier than creating my own sentences.  But, then again, it is only day 3 out of 32.  My goal is going to be to have at least one blog post contain a few paragraphs completely en español. 


Already there is much to write about.  My flight was definitely a new experience, but I hadn't flown since infancy, so that may have had something to do with it.  No major complications, other than leaving more than 2 and a half hours late from the Miami airport.


First impressions of Peru:


When I arrived at the airport, there was a bustle of people.  And when I left to ride back to the Collinses' house I noticed how crazy the traffic was, and how pedestrians really do not have the right of way.  And yet, at the same time, I could see that people know where they are going, and are awake and alert on the road.  Somehow, among the flow of people and cars, things run smoothly.


It's winter here, which means temperatures stay in the mid-60s.  It's perfect for me, and I can be comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt.  It doesn't really rain in Lima.  In fact, the heaviest rain is happening right now, in the form of a heavy mist.


Last night I got to attend my first service at la Iglesia de Mayor Gracia.  I loved learning songs like Everlasting God, At the Cross, and Shout to the Lord in Spanish.  P. Stan introduced me to the church members, and preached in English with translation.  Afterward I met and talked with a few girls my age.


I love that, no matter where I go, Greater Grace churches are always the same.  The same Spirit, the same Body, the same friendship with our liberty in Christ at the center.


Many events and trips coming up.  I'll write more in depth about things later, and keep watching for pictures and videos!


Las palabras en español para hoy: "Se que mi Dios me ama."

Un Corazón en Fuego

Enjoying my last full day in the United States until mid-August.  Well, not really enjoying.  Running around realizing all the little things that need to be done that aren't being done, and trying to make everything perfect for tomorrow morning (even though I probably won't sleep tonight) is more like it.  But that's not the point of this post.


Today's Grace Hour really spoke to me this morning. The message from Dr. Stevens, as well as the discussion with P. Scibelli, was about keeping our hearts on fire.


To me, this is what my summer trip is all about.  A few months ago, as I saw summer approaching, I began to wonder what I was going to do.  Working as an aide in an elementary school meant no income during the summer, and after a spring semester of full time Bible college, most summertime evenings were going to seem more empty.


P. Scibelli's right about this time of the year.  It IS easy to feel lethargic and spiritually asleep during the summer.  But I can't have that.  I experienced that last year, and saw how damaging it was to me.  After three years of Bible college, I'm still not perfect.  I still get tired and hurt, I still get discouraged, I still get thrown off course.  I know how easily my heart my heart can grow cold.  This summer has to be different.


My time in Peru is going to be about taking steps of faith, and letting God do something incredible in my life in a new place.  There are some things here that I will be stepping away from, and situations that I want to hear from God about.  Peru is going to be mission life, team life.  I want to see what God has for me, and experience foreign missions before I graduate.  I want to learn to soul win in Spanish, and to share God's love in ways that are far outside my comfort zone.


I don't know what God has for me starting tomorrow.  But whatever it is, it's fuel for a heart that's burning.


Mis palabras en español para hoy: "Confío en mi Salvador por todo, para Él es fiel y verdad."