Navidad Market

In the center of Cusco is the Plaza de Armas (every town has a central plaza). On Christmas Eve , the plaza is packed with vendors and buyers preparing for the Navidad (Christmas) celebration, which starts with a big dinner at midnight on Christmas! I went down to the plaza for a few hours with a couple friends, to get into the spirit of Navidad. Above are some of the sights. Some will appreciate the fact that the pile of food in front of the Quechua lady with the white hat (bottom left) includes guinea pig, a delicacy in Peru.

White Christmas?!

See that bit of white? Especially in the far corner of the yard? That's our White Christmas! We had a flash thunder/jungle-rain/sleet storm last night at our White Elephant Party, and ended up with a yard that made us gringos think of our perfect Christmas: a white one!

The Andes

Ok, so I admit it, I'm in love. No, it's not a guy - it's these mountains!! You can find many great shots of the Andes on Google Images, but here's my favorite that I took on the plane heading to Cusco, 11,000 feet up from Lima (sea level). The Bensons, who I'll work with in Huanuco, invited me to join them for their Christmas plans - 5 days in Cusco with several other families who work with SIL. We flew in yesterday. Our 1st plane was grounded because of weather, the 2nd because of mechanical problems, and then our luggage was "missing" for 30 min. Well, we found it, so it all ended well. I'll be here until Wednesday--a wonderful chance to relax after an eventful month!

Irma

Meet Irma, my brilliant Spanish tutor! She has been a wealth of information, not just about the language, but about life and culture in Peru. We end up talking about spiritual things too, which is exciting. She is a blessing.

San Felipe

Last Monday I moved into the Peruvian home I’ll live in until the end of January and started Spanish lessons. Things settled down and that I felt like I was getting into a routine.

But on Wednesday I developed a rash (from eating mango skin--not recommended for anyone!) and I had to go to the ER on Thursday morning. The IV drugs they gave me didn’t seem have any effect, so I was admitted to the hospital. Two days later, things were looking much better. I was recovering well, but they still wanted to keep me for observation while they dropped the dosage of the drugs they had me on. So it’s Tuesday evening and I was only just discharged this afternoon! I am so grateful to get back to what I now call “regular” life in Lima, Peru!

The San Felipe hospital was a small, local, very nice place with a great staff. They were very patient with my little-but-growing Spanish, and it really was a good chance to learn a lot more.

My plans have changed for this week and I’ll not be going to Huanuco to the women’s training week. But this means I'll be here in Lima, now able to attend some SIL meetings and connect with two people (regarding the dictionary project) who I thought I was going to miss. We lay the plans, and God directs our steps! "In his a heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

Please pray for complete healing and strengthening. Thank you for your prayers ALL of the time. Don’t hold back if you feel a prompting to pray – it is probably because there is stuff going on that I haven’t been able share with you. Pray even if you don’t know what for!

A small flood of blessings

God is not silent, and He chooses lots of ways to show you that He cares and is watching over you.

Sometimes in the littlest things:
Like finding out that Peruvians have a tradition of buying MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS FOOD, Panettone, and eating it in on Christmas Eve. I had to hold myself back from stuffing one of these giant, Italian bread/cakes into my suitcase as I left the States, only to find every store in Lima is stocked with these - some relocating whole aisles of groceries to make room to carry a large-enough supply of Panettone for the month of December.

Sometimes in very big things:
Like, after planning to meet your friend Heather in Lima at the beginning of December (she's down here visiting her brother and sister-in-law), you RUN INTO HER in a city of 7 million people. Yes, run into her ON THE STREET IN LIMA!! Her sister-in-law recognized the lady I was with, and called out to her. It felt like it took Heather and I a couple of seconds to realize what was going on!

What kind, loving encouragements from God!

Feliz Cumpleanos a Mi!

My new SIL friends know how to celebrate! I had a birthday lunch on Sunday afternoon, and a birthday dinner on Monday evening! They made me feel so special and welcome. I have to gush about the plate (above) from dinner: look at all the veggies! That's chicken on the left (honey chicken, to be exact) and there rest is all from the garden! Wow. There's also a corn appetizer on the small plate - In Peru, they call all corn "choclo" (not "maiz"), and most of the corn here is large, white, and sweet. It's delicious! What a great birthday gift from the Lord, to get to know new people, new food, and this new city.

Lima, Peru!

One week ago I landed in Lima! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, and for all of the encouragement that's gotten me this far. It's amazing to be here! Sometimes I can't believe I haven't just gotten lost in some part of the States that I don't recognize. Lima is a very large city: 7 million people. The people and the food are fabulous. There are a million little differences, some easy, some frustrating, but I'm enjoying getting to know my new surroundings.

Here is my new favorite bush! I don't know what the name is, but I'll add it once I've learned it in my Spanish lessons!

My home on wheels

Seriously! Everything I took to Peru fit into these 4 suitcases. I was pretty impressed. I had to ditch the purse at the airport (2 carry-ons means 2 carry-ons on American: no extra purse!)

I can't remember how much it all weighed, but it was close to 225 pounds. It's cheaper to take it with you on the plane than to mail it to Peru, but it was still pretty expensive! I'm glad I'm here for over a year - less wouldn't seem worth it. :)

I'll be living out of these suitcases for another week before I move in with the Peruvian family I'll stay with for 2 months. Thank you to the Wycliffe Boutique where I got one for free and to Beth, who gave me an old-school hard case one that has been wonderful. Thx to Target and TJ Maxx for the other cheap, but wheeled pieces that have been so nice! Mom, can you believe that $18 backpack has lasted through 2 trips to Peru!

Auntie Amy

Lucky me, I get to babysit Baby Katie tonight for the last time before I leave for Peru in *6* days! Here's the two of us at lunch after church on Sunday. She's 8 months old and has 7 teeth. I guess I can leave her in the care of her two wonderful parents, but I sure am going to miss her!

I'm Official!

Sunday, I was introduced to my home church in Portland as a missionary candidate. This is a blessing to me and a step forward towards becoming a commissioned missionary with Cedar Mill Bible Church! Here I am sharing my story with the church body:

Just for fun

Honest Hymn Titles...

• Blest Be the Tie that Doesn't Cramp My Style
• I Love to Talk About Telling the Story
• I'm Fairly Certain that My Redeemer Lives
• Spirit of the Living God, Fall Somewhere Near Me
• I Surrender Some

...may it not be so!

The Numbers

4 – the number of pages of my single-spaced 10 pt Arial To Do list

16 – the number of days until I leave for Peru

5 – the number of books in my Spanish self-taught course

85 – the percent of monthly support I am currently receiving. (Praise God!)

3 – the number of weeks I’ve been house-sitting in SW Portland

9 – the number of months old my niece will be when I leave for Peru

2 – the number of services I’ll be sharing in at my home church next Sunday

0 – the number of times I’ve second-guessed moving to Peru to work with Wycliffe

Countless – the number of minutes I’ll be missing family and friends, but thanking God for His hand of direction and His peace.

Portland photo album

Leaving my home in Portland is bittersweet. How nostalgic can you be when heading into a ministry that you've been preparing for and dreaming of for years? But it's healthy to be in the moment, and right now I'm feeling the sad part of this goodbye.Clockwise from upper left: Union Station, Ladd's Addition, St. John's Bridge, local color

Meet Jose

Jose (not his real name) a Quechua man in his 40's, has been helping the Bensons on the Huamalies Quechua translation for over a decade. 9 months ago, he left his family behind in the village where he lives, and has been receiving linguistic training at the SIL center in Lima. Jose will finish his year of training just as I finish my 2 months of Spanish language learning in Lima, and we'll be able to start working on the Huamalies dictionary once I move to Huanuco. Please pray for our ability to work together, and for my preparation to facilitate this project.

Baby cries

I'm riding in a car with a friend, her sister and her niece, and the whole time the niece (affectionately nicknamed "Porkchop") is crying--that wet, sloppy sobbing that calms to a few snorts, and then she remembers what she was doing and picks up again. Nothing is wrong--she just doesn't want to be in the car seat one whole row behind her mama.

Well, I'm in the know, and it's all good: we're heading downtown to meet her other aunt for lunch, and Porkchop is going to be so happy, so well-loved-on and well-fed. But Porkchop doesn't have the capacity to grasp that at 9 months. So, she keeps on with the sloshy sobbing and we get to giggle and coo at her to try and calm her down.

Even in that moment, I knew this was the perfect picture of where I'm at. During this waiting time before Peru, I catch myself sniffling and whining, wishing I was "there yet". Yes, I do have more perspective than Porkchop because I've learned about the love of my heavenly Father, and I have the adult faculties to understand the concepts of preparation and journeying. But, this picture works for me because, on a grander scale, God knows where I'm going and why, and He is ultimately responsible to get me there in one piece...and it's really His show once I get there. God is growing in me the faith in Him that I'm convinced Porkchop should have in her mother. And I can't wait 'til I get "there".

O my WORD!

I have to admit I wasn't really prepared for how overwhelming it would be to visit the Wycliffe USA headquarters in Orlando, and the SIL and Wycliffe International headquarters in Dallas (see pic above). I guess I forgot for a bit how much the mission and vision of Wycliffe is the same as what God has given me - to see the Word of God heard and understood by every person. I didn't prepare myself for how intense it would feel to be right in the middle of a huge work God is doing to get His written Word to the people of the world still waiting for it. If you can stop and visit either of these centers, I recommend it. Through art, displays, museums, hands-on activities, and media presentations, they tell the story of the need for Bible Translation and how God is enabling us to meet it. (Find out more at http://www.wycliffe.org/wbt-usa/home.htm)

What am I up to?

Wed-Fri: Finalize car settlement details, train on computer software for dictionary, catch up on emails

Sat 9/9-Mon 9/18: In Florida and Texas for Wycliffe orientation and visiting SIL Headquarters and GIAL (Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics), meeting with Linguistics Advisor at University of Texas at Austin

9/19: Start packing, Schedule goodbye/missions info gatherings, Finish immunizations, Etc!

10/15: Target Departure Date!

Falls in the Cascades from our all-school trip this summer

Where in the world is Huanuco, Peru?

Via satellite, you can see the town where I'll be living in Peru!

http://www.fallingrain.com/world/PE/10/Huanuco.html

Click the word "Satellite" under the map, and then use the + and - buttons next to the arrow keys to zoom in and out.

Musings

I think I've officially entered the last phase of leaving my "normal" life. It's surprisingly okay at times, and then really overwhelming. I guess that's to be expected. I don't mind so much not having a permanent home, but I struggle with not knowing how God is going to provide for my finances. I am actually excited about being lost in a new city, not speaking the language fluently yet, and trying new foods and new ways of interacting with the world. But I do wonder how it will be to try and stay in touch with friends in the States, and even American culture in general. Will I be one of the long-haired, long-skirted super-missionaries I admire but am a little scared of becoming? Will I know what happens on the next season of Lost? More importantly, will the Quechua people I'll be working with be able to understand me and God's love through me?

Here was God's answer to my musings this morning. Maybe He will put your musing to rest as well with this truth: Phil. 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Dinner Pix

Dinner with Jan and Bruce Benson, with whom I'll be working in Peru.

Memories of SIL

For SIL folks: Just for the fun of it, here's a snapshot of yesterday afternoon in the office.
For the rest of you: Don't worry if this doesn't make much sense to you...that means you're normal!

I'm sitting at the table in the sociolinguistics office cubicle, looking out the window. The phonetics department are practicing back velar tonal vowels behind me, low, high, low high. The survey class and their prof and TA are having a meeting to my right, quietly discussing something I don't understand. :) Morph and Syn over my left shoulder is laughing about something, well at least MaryAnne is. LACL is up to something too--actually I just checked and it's James, the TA, talking with a student. He caught me smiling and lowered his voice. I'm a pretty pathetic observer, disturbing my subjects like that. Paul (Academic Coordinator) and Kevin (Anthropology) are working quietly (as usual - which is surprising to me given Kevin's dramatic outbursts at times). And the Business Office is running at it's typical low hum. By the front doors, the staff mailboxes are overflowing a bit. Some of us haven't checked them for days and they're brimming with reminders. I'll finish packing up the cards, notes, and CD's people have been handing me to mail to our staff member Bekah, who had to go home sick last week. We miss her!

Thank you to everyone who is making it possible for me to be here. It's a privilege and a joy!

The Soundtrack

How do you tell the story of what God has done in your life? I was trying to figure out what to share at the Oregon SIL chapel, when God answered: tell My story in your life - and use music to help you do it. What a great idea! :)

So last week, I shared "My Life in God's Story, or God's Story in My Life--THE SOUNDTRACK". I sat at the baby grand piano on stage and talked through the various times and ways God has interacted with me and taught me about Himself. Interspersed were songs that allowed us to praise and worship in response. Here are the songs we sang, as well as the themes they related to in my life.

Knowing You - Theme song of my talk
I Lift My Eyes Up - Learning to turn on Him while growing up
There I None Like You - Trusting that He cares for the suffering in the world
Take Me In (to the Holy of Holies)--> Hosanna (in the Highest)
- Learning about the fear of God (His Majesty, in addition to His friendship)
Psalm 52:8-9 - Knowing who I am in Him, even if my exterior is weak or sick
Galations 2:20-21 - Dying to myself and Christ living in me
Empty Me - " "
Living Water - " "

Teaching Linguistics!

I led my final lecture for the summer this past Monday, on Endangered Languages. I'll put some stuff here soon about that subject (one of my big passions). Here are some pics of class.

The Three Amigas

Two of my new, dear friends at Oregon SIL. MaryAnne, in the middle is working in Africa, and Rebekah, on the left, just finished a year of working with Wycliffe Dinner Theater, which travels the country sharing the story of Bible translation through drama. We get to pray, laugh, sing, walk, and of course talk together. What a blessing they've been to me!

WHO ARE MY STUDENTS?

Please pray for the 24 students in my class and for the over 50 students studying at Oregon SIL this summer.

Many like Jessica (not her real name) are still looking for what the next step will be in here life. I have committed to Jessica to pray with her over the summer, and listen with her for God's voice and direction.

Others, like John and Janelle (not their real names) have come here from Asia, and will have their first child after they return there at the end of the summer. They are wondering how God will use them into the future that area in that area.

Sharon (another pseudonym) is from a local Native American tribe and is learning about linguistics in order to see her language revitalized. I'm praying she will be inspired by the vision that we have for this kind of work because of Jesus - He loves her language and culture!

A little humor

HEADLINES
What would be our newspaper captions if Old Testament events happened today?

Crossing of the Red Sea:
Wetlands trampled in labor strike. Pursuing environmentalists killed.

David kills Goliath:
Hate crime kills beloved champion. Psychologist questions influence of rock.

Guess who's coming to dinner?

What an incredible evening! Bruce and Jan Benson were visiting Eugene, Oregon, for one more day when I drove down from Portland on Tuesday evening. They are the couple doing translation work that I will be supporting in Peru. My parents hosted dinner for all of us on Wednesday, and we spent several hours telling stories, sharing visions, and marveling over how God has brought us together "for such a time as this".

Sometimes when I tell people I'm moving to Peru for 2 years, I share the story in terms that any non-religious person could easily buy into. There are social justice benefits to a language development work that every person can appreciate. But after Wednesday night, I haven't been able to hold it all in! I want to share with everyone what GOD is doing! I have been excited about this idea of working with the Quechua, and the reality of it is really overwhelming. As I learn more about how I can help, and the experiences and training I will receive, it reminds me of when a friend describes meeting the man they are going to marry. That perfect timing, the perfectly aligned goals and interests, the complementing strengths.

The players in this drama number in the tens of thousands (80,000 Quechua speak just one of six languages in the area), but God has been leading us together for "such a time as this". It's humbling, scary, and exciting to be part of God's grand story, but it's the call of a lifetime!

Moving Day!

I can hardly believe it! I'm stacking boxes up to move to my storage unit on Saturday, and may not see most of the stuff in them for 2 years. It's an odd and exciting thing to be removed from one's possessions.

If you're in town and would like to help me move, I could use a few more people on Saturday (June 3) from 10-12, lunch included! Let me know if you can make it.

Amy
(Check out the Andes below.)

Power Lingo!

Righteousness goes before him
And prepares the way for his steps
Psalm 85:13

Lingua Lingo

It's a little scary thinking about learning another language (Spanish) and then starting to work with yet another (Huamalies Quechua). And it's exciting too because I really love languages. I love the way they work differently, sound differently, and reflect different cultures.

But learning Spanish - learning it really well - was troubling me. I had to keep giving up control of how much I would learn and when - something I wanted to spend a lot of time on, and I haven't been able to. I'm doing a little Spanish self-study now and hope to take a class this summer while at SIL, but it has been weighing on my mind.

But then came my Spanish lunch last week. My old Latin America department at Northwest Medical Teams all went out for lunch together to speak ONLY Spanish, and invited anyone to join them. While we were chatting (I was only able to put simple sentences together), I started getting a lot of great feedback! My old boss (and good friend) was even saying how amazing it was that God was preparing me so well for Peru! Now that's what I call giving glory to God!

It's true, He does prepare us for the road He takes us down. For example, I have a friend who is supporting three of her friends going through cancer right now. I don't have what it takes to go through that, but God is giving to her what she needs right now. And He's doing the same for me. And for you! Glory to God!

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.

From Weight of Glory, by C.S. Lewis

Daily Blog coming soon

Well, it probably won't be daily, but for those of you who'd like a window into this adventure as it unfolds weekly, check back here for stories from every day life.

"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither."
C. S. Lewis