Day 37- Cookies are the bridge to any friendship.

Frienship cookies

“Miss! Miss! Queremos unas galletas! Puedes comprarlos para nosotros?! Por favor, Miss!!!”

“ Miss! Miss! We want some cookies! Can you buy them for us? Please, Miss!!!”

This week the ARRIBA students did not have a academic course to go through. We had Spanish tutoring followed by cultural learning and Spanish listening. This week was called SPANISH EMPHASIS WEEK. It’s called such because all we were supposed to do is practice our Spanish. Every day after two hours of Spanish tutoring, we went out into our neighborhoods or to a more touristic part of Lima to practice our Spanish, listened to Spanish, or learn more of the culture. On Monday, Dani and I were walking to the market in our neighborhood when four little girls ran up to us from their house. We had never seen them before, but they kept calling us “Miss, Miss,” grabbing out hands and hugging our legs. They could tell we were white. They could tell we had money. They wanted some cookies. They conveniently live right across the street from a little “tienda” that sells cookies, fruit, juice, etc. After debating to myself whether or not we should start a habit of buying things for everyone we meet, I decided…sure why not. The cookies don’t cost more than 50cents. So we bought them some cookies and started talking to them on the sidewalk. Dani had some gospel tracts in her purse so we handed them out and started asking questions about church. I was talking to a 12 year old girl who told me that she went to the Catholic Church down the street. I was going through the tracts with her in my limited Spanish. I was asking her what she had to in order to live forever with Jesus. She knew she was a sinner but she thought going to church and helping other people was sufficient for eternal life. I couldn’t get very deep into the Gospel message because I simply don’t know the Spanish words yet. However, I tried to explain that no matter how hard we try, we can’t do enough good things because we’ll always be doing bad things too. The only perfect one is Jesus and we need him in order to spend eternity in heaven with Him. I don’t quite know if she understood my jumbled up phrases and my thick American accent, but it was a good time of getting to know some of the girls in our neighborhood. We sat on the sidewalk from close to 45 minutes before the girls started getting tired of trying to figure out what we were trying to say. After that, Dani and I played volleyball with them for another hour or so. We talked to one girl’s mother who was selling pastries from her doorstep with her little baby girl in hand. We told her we lived in the area and asked if we could come around again to visit. She seemed pleased with our efforts and confirmed that we could come by again. A few days later, Dani and I were walking up the hill from the bus stop. These same little girls ran up to us once again hugging our legs and holding our hands. They didn’t ask us for cookies this time. They were just happy to see some friendly faces from the white girls who took the time to talk to them. Hopefully over the next 10 months we’ll be able to bring them to church with us and build a greater friendship. Simple cookies can build a friendship not only with some “gringas” but hopefully a newfound friendship with the Creator as well.

Day 31- Wading through the waters

               After 31 days of drowning in unknown words, strange foods, and severe staring, I think some of us are getting to the point where we are no longer gasping for air. We’re finally able to understand enough of the conversation that it doesn’t sound like we are listening underwater. We’re still splashing in the waves and sometimes our ears still get water logged, but we no longer feel like we’ve been thrown overboard and are kicking fiercely to stay afloat.

                Last week JR was talking about his Mid-week prayer meeting at church. He said that there is a group of guys who pray with him every week during the prayer meeting. They always want to pray with him and he always agrees, but he doesn’t know exactly what they are saying. This week, however, was different. He was able to finally understand the words they were praying on his behalf. Jr said he almost started crying. He didn’t share with us what these men said, just the fact that they really do care about him. They want to see him succeed and have a profitable time here in Peru. They are cheering for him and praying for him without fail. Take a deep breath, JR, and enjoy the sweet fellowship with these men.

Today is Sunday the 24^th of June. I’ve been in Peru for 31 days. After 40 hours of personal Spanish tutoring and countless times of saying “No entiendo” (I don’t understand), I was finally able to grasp most of the lesson in Sunday School. Each week I hop around to different classes to see which one I want to help once I become more fluent. Today I sat in with the teenage girls. Heidi (who is also from the U.S.) gave a lesson about David. We talked about his youth and his valor. His weakness and strength. But mainly we focused on his firm confidence in God. No one in their own strength would willingly volunteer to fight a giant. But David knew his God was stronger. We think of David as being so brave, but his God is the same as ours. The same God that killed the giant and defeated countless armies is the one we serve today. Do we see him that way? Or do we back away from challenges thinking we’re too weak to face them? I’ve heard this lesson since I was a little girl. However, I’ve never thought about it as hard as I had to think of it today. Since I’ve been here, I’ve had to think twice as hard to comprehend a simple Bible story lesson. Through the past few weeks, I’ve learned that having to think this hard is not a bad thing.  The simplest Bible stories can be seen in a whole new light when concentrate hard enough to translate each word in your mind. David had a “confianza firme en Dios.” He had a firm confidence in God. Do I?

Psalm 27:13-14
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Day 22- Why am I in Peru?

Four weeks ago, I was in Colorado. People were asking me why I was going to Peru and what I’d be doing for the eleven months that I was there. I would say, “Oh, I’m going to be a short term missionary: discipling girls, leading a bible study, counseling at camps, etc.” I initially thought my goal for this year in Peru was to be a blessing to those in the church that I’m working with. All of my answers had to do with me and what I was going to be doing in the lives of the Peruvians. Well now I’ve been in Lima for three weeks. I no longer think I’m here to change lives. I think I’m here for God to change mine. My reason for being on earth is to bring glory to God. My life should constantly be pointing to Him. However, in order to be able to disciple others in their walk with God, I must first evaluate my own relationship with Him. I can’t lead anyone further than I myself am.  This week in our classes we’ve been looking at the “missions statement” of Paul. In many of his epistles he tells the believers that he wants them to imitate him. As we looked deeper into the epistles, we saw that Paul wasn’t saying that he wanted the believers to imitate his human qualities. Rather, Paul was imitating Christ. Therefore, he wanted the believers to imitate his Christ-like qualities. If the believers were imitating Paul they would result in imitating Christ. That got me thinking…Why am I in Peru? I’m not in Peru to make my friends back home think I’m spiritual. I’m not in Peru to be seen as the amazing gringo from the states. I’m not in Peru to draw attention to myself. I am in Peru to bring glory to Christ and to let Him use me in spreading the news of his saving work on the cross. But I can’t do that if I’m constantly thinking of how this year of my life will look when I tell people in the future. I can’t bring glory to Christ if I’m seeking all the attention as a young white girl from North America. The only way I can glorify God this year is if I give up my prideful attitude and let him guide me this year.  Now I know that this year, God is going to shape me, smash me down, mold me again, over and over until I am his true vessel. I can't form my own shape. He is the potter. The only way I can be a blessing to the people here is if I am in my rightful, humble place with God. Only then will He use me to disciple the girls or encourage the members of the church. I think that's the purpose of my year here: to let him shape me. Hopefully I'll be able to be an encouragement to the church, but I don't think that's my main purpose. Not until I get my own heart right. 

Day 16- Twenty Seconds of Comfort

I usually would never admit this, but I know I’ll have worse experiences while I’m in Peru. Here’s the thing…I went three days without a shower this week.  It’s winter here in Peru. I’m not saying that it’s freezing cold. Usually the days are fairly warm. However, the sun only stays out for approximately twelve hours. So the water in the water tank doesn’t have enough time to warm up in the sunshine. Normally in Florida when I’m at the pool or the beach with my friends, I pride myself in being able to handle the cold water. In Florida, as soon as you get out of the water, you start to warm up again. However…this is different. You don’t warm up after these showers. It’s not just a little chilly. It’s like taking an iced shower. I know athletes take iced baths all the time for their weary muscles, but my muscles are fine! I don’t need to ice them! So as I’m taking a shower, I’m practically doing a backbend trying to get my hair wet enough to make the shampoo sudsy, yet keep the rest of my body free from the falling ice droplets. I finally take a deep breath and step under the running water just long enough to rinse off before I grab my towel and try to get warm again. My family has been trying to get the electrician over to the house for the past few days to fix the water heater. Hence the three days without a shower. The family told me the heater would be fixed tomorrow. I think, “Ok, I didn’t sweat at all today. I can go a day without a shower and just wait for the warm water.” I thought this twice before I realized that in Peru, “tomorrow” does not always mean tomorrow. So finally I man up enough to take another frosty shower. Finally the electrician fixes the water heater. Yes! Finally a warm shower! Here in Lima there are three settings of water temperature. The middle setting is the normal cold water. If you flip the switch to the right, the water gets a little warmer: just enough to make the mirror a little foggy.  If you flip the switch to the left, the water is supposed to get a little bit hotter: just enough to thaw out my skin from previous week of cold showers.  I get in the shower and flip the switch to the left. I relish the warm water for about twenty seconds. Then all the lights in the house go out and I’m left taking another freezing shower…in the dark. I decided that next time I take a shower, I won’t be greedy. I don’t need to thaw out during every shower. I just need to make the mirror a little foggy. 

Day 11- Please leave your shoes at the door

A phrase you don’t often hear in Peru. “Feel free to take your shoes off.” Dani once went barefoot in our house and got a few remarks from our host family. They didn’t think it was disrespectful (at least not from what I gathered). However, they did think it was strange. Taking off my shoes is one of the simple pleasures of Friday nights. On Friday nights, all the ARRIBA students gather at the Carlton’s house for a meal, games, and a whole night of the English language. Being able to speak English freely is a privilege I’ve never thought about before. However, after struggling to communicate through my first week in Peru, I’ve come to cherish the hours spent with my ARRIBA team speaking freely without having to think about each word before it comes out of my mouth. At the Carlton’s we talk about the differences between our host families and what we are struggling with at the time. It’s strange to think I feel blessed to have both a shower curtain and a toilet seat. Others on the trip have neither. However, those others have hot water to shower with. I can’t decide if I’d rather have hot water but no curtain, or a curtain but no hot water: a decision many have never even thought about. It’s the simple things that make this experience exciting. I can’t wait for the week when the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen will all be in the jungle J

Day 8- Lost in translation

I’ve never been good at explaining my thoughts. I keep my emotions inside and don’t care to share with those around me. For the past 20 years that has been by choice. Now, it’s because I can’t adequately express myself in words that will be understood by those around me.  It’s not that I don’t know what I’m feeling. I do! I know exactly what’s going on inside my head and in my heart. I just can’t get it through my brain and out my mouth. Here’s the thing. I know approximately 50 words of this language. Even those don’t help me express myself. Those only serve to help me ask how one is doing, where the bathroom is, and how much something costs. Ok…that might be an exaggeration. Sometimes I can remember how to ask what time it is too.  When I was in the states and people would ask me how I was, I’d always say “fine,” just because it was normally a quick question as we were passing each other on the sidewalk. Now when people ask me how I’m doing, I say “I’m well,” because that’s the only thing I know how to say. On Sunday at church, someone asked me how I was. I said, “estoy triste,” hoping to convey the fact that I was tired. Someone later informed me that I had told the person I was sad.  I quickly tried to explain that I wasn’t sad, I was just tired and had mixed up the two words. He kept asking me why I was sad. I wasn’t sad! I simply confused the words! I’m at the point now that I would LOVE to say something other than “I’m fine.” I just can’t seem to pick the right words to express my feelings. 

Delayed Day 1- Be a missionary

Fourteen years ago, a blue-eyed, curly haired little girl sang timidly, “Be a missionary everyday. Tell the world that Jesus is the way.” Sitting in a church in America, the song didn’t mean much to me at the time. Tonight (Friday the 25^th), the song has a whole new meaning. After applying for our visas and eating our first Peruvian meal (Cow’s heart…surprisingly delicious) we went to the local MK’s school. The kids were having a music program to honor and thank their parents. Each child gave his specific reasons for giving thanks to his parents. Although every letter of gratitude was different, one common theme reoccurred. The kids were thankful that their families lived in Peru. At the end of the program, they sang the song “Be a missionary.” The song was set in a whole new light for me. These kids weren’t merely singing about going to Africa or Asia or some other far off land. They were already there. It wasn’t simply a song that ought to be taught to the children’s program at the local church. It was a way of life that was taught through the lives of their parents. “Be a missionary everyday” has never sounded so sweet.