A More Ominous Good

Running around the muddy yard, the 10 or so kids didn't seem to mind playing tag eternally, until one kid said, "This time you're 'La Llorona'!" I didn't understand what he meant and had never heard the term, so I asked him to explain it to me. 

"While we are sleeping, the bad, old lady comes to steal us out of our beds!" 

"She lives down there!" another one added, pointing to the basement, gated off with iron. 

I'm really into in-the-moment teaching opportunities and realized this was one of them.  I needed God's help.  I looked into the wide eyes of the kids staring up at me, equally hopeful of and terrified at the prospect of me chasing them, pretending to be La Llorona.

"Is there anyone who can stop La Llorona? Anyone stronger?" 

The kids were unanimous: "No way!" 

I looked puzzled. "Are you sure?" 

One sturdy, young kid with a penchant for biting me instead of hugging me shouted, "God is!!"

I looked up and out at the rest of the kids. "Really?" I asked. "Is God stronger than La Llorona?"

By this time they had caught on: "YES!!" They shouted in unison.

"If the bad, old lady shows up, do you know how to ask God to help you?"  My eyes panned the small crowd.

No one had an answer.

I shouted mine: "En el nombre de Dios, vayase!"

Heads perked up.

"Say it together!"

"In the name of God, get out of here!", the kids shouted in unison.  (Okay, I realized later I should have taught them "In the name of JESUS, get out of here!" so I'll make that adjustment the next time we play!)

We were ready to test it out. I backed into the far corner of the yard and waited.  They scattered...a few brave ones tiptoeing as close as they dared in the few seconds just before I...started moving toward them...lifting my hands as if to grab someone...but before I could take more than two steps, the kids shouted, almost in unison: 

"EN EL NOMBRE DE DIOS, VAYASE!"

I clapped my hands over my ears and shrank back in horror. I fled back to my corner and looked up, shocked, at the kids. "You stopped me! How did you do that??"

They were thrilled to explain that now they all knew how to stop La Llorona!

A few turns later (and no one got tired of this game!), someone said, "We should all be laying down, because she only comes at night, to grab us out of our beds." There was something awfully sweet and sad about how truly scared those kids were as they lay down on the ground and peeked up at me, probably wondering if their short prayer was really going to work when they were in a more vulnerable position. And it did!  You should have seen their faces as they realized that calling on Jesus to save them could stop the scariest person they could think of.

I know kids all around the world have stories of the "bogeyman" who is coming to get them.  How awesome to be reminded that it only takes a few words to banish the strongest negative force we might encounter. 

One Halloween we had a all-night vigil at a liturgical church I was attending. (Basically, we prayed and sang all night.) I left my shift around 10.30pm and as I walked down the steps to a lower parking area, I looked up at the small but towering church. There were sparse, autumn-shorn branches breaking across the building's vertical lines. It was a cloudy night with an almost-full moon. The scene was painted with every shade of gray and black. At the top of the church, spike-like crosses soared, looking even more menacing than that imposing sky--but in a strong, True way. I wondered: Do we worship a more ominous Good?

Escape from San José

Three friends and I decided it was about time I took my "new" wheels for a ride.  It was a new experience for me to be able to just jump in the car in a foreign country and go where I wanted.  (I haven't owned a car in 3 years!)  We spent a Saturday in a neighboring city, Cartago, driving through fields and herds of cattle to also reach the nearby volcano.  Here are a few pics (most of them mine, but I give props to Ryan M. for the good ones).

School Daze

It's pretty hard to get studying done in class...

...when the other students are so crazy!!

Thank goodness there's more to life than studying!

Most of these students in my first trimester have moved on to the mission field.  Only the Sears and I have stayed for a second trimester: Seth is in a blue shirt in the back and Andrea is sitting on the left.

Our school (The Spanish Language Institute) is dedicated to training people heading to serve God in Spanish-speaking countries, so there are a lot of joyful goodbyes throughout the year.  Goodbye to friends who are leaving...

...and holding on to those that are staying a while longer!

The Russian

After 90 days my tourist visa was set to run out, so my friends Seth and Andrea and I planned a morning at the immigration office. I was in business mode at 7am, needing to do a few things before we met up at the park by my house to head downtown.

I walked down the hill from my house to the park, which is practically empty that early in the morning. As I turned away from my normal route to school, I noticed a kid in a black hoodie. He stood out in my mind since there had been a series of robberies around the school by someone dressed the same.

I wasn't paying much attention to him until I realized he was walking in a trajectory that would cross his path with mine, and he would get there before me. I sped up because it felt a little weird...and so did he.

So I sped up a little more (and so did he) and soon I was sprinting down the sidewalk, my wheeled backpack swinging behind me, a few feet off the ground. I was approaching a cross street with cars that careen down the hill without regard, but I didn't care. At that point, I would probably have told you I'd rather be hit by a car than be robbed--as a matter of principle. :) Without looking, I charged into the street. The drivers are pretty gracious here so no one hit me. (Maybe the chase that was going on made them want to help me?)

While running through oncoming traffic (just 2 lanes--not that exciting), I started praying: "Lord, where should I go, especially if this guy DOES have bad intentions?"

I headed straight for the 24-hr mini-mart. I was probably out of breath when I got to the checkout stand and told the clerk I was feeling a little nervous. Maybe that's why she didn't understand me. :) I was hoping someone who knew the neighborhood would scope out the situation for me and make sure everything was cool.

Finally, she says that her manager will meet me outside. A few minutes later, a burly tank of a guy is at the store opening, gesturing with his finger that I should join him outside. Could this be the manager?

I cautiously obey him, noticing again that the kid in the hoodie is still hanging out just across the street from the store, watching us. The man explains he owns the store and asks me if there's anyway he can be of assistance.

I use vague, non-accusatory terms to describe the situation since I really can't guarantee that this kid really was trying to rob me, since he never caught up with me(!).

The man glances at me and asks, "Why did you pick my store to run into for safety?" I start to say something about asking God for help (why not be honest and share?), and he quickly looks disappointed.

In a few seconds, he rallies and with his chest thrust a little more forward says, "Obviously, everyone has told you about me. Why else would you come to ME for help?"

I fumble around a bit and come up with, "I hear your store is wonderful and I've been shopping there a few times!"

This is NOT what he is after, so he leans in and continues, "Everyone knows who I am. During the guerrita (little war), I saved this neighborhood. Now everyone knows that it stays safe because I scare the bad guys away. Do you REALLY not know who I am?"

All I can do is repeat that I'm glad to meet him so he continues, "They all know who I am, the good guys and the bad guys. I am...(I swear there was a pause)...The Russian."

Feeling like I may have just met a superhero or a character from The Godfather, I say, "Nice to meet you."

"My name is Alex."

"Great to meet you Alex, I'm Amy."

"I'm from Russia originally."

Thinking quickly, I respond, "My grandmother was from Czechoslovakia."

Alex beams. "Prague is beautiful! We are practically neighbors!"

Now that we have bonded, he tells me the story (As if I had a choice. My eye is still on the hooded teen, leaning against a tree across the street, reading a newspaper!?):

"There was a war here. Bullet holes in every store front." He gestures broadly with his thick, muscular, hairy arms--not an exaggeration.

Alex tells me how 8 years ago this place was overrun with gangs, shooting matches, and generally un-safe conditions. He owned a business and the gangs were making life difficult, so he and his son took matters into their own hands.

As he describes the artillery they used, the attack on their store and the shoot-out that followed, he raises an imaginary gun and takes aim at, you guessed it, the hooded teen across the street, still watching us. Ha!!

The Russian had to go to court because he was guilty of killing 3 people, but he was acquitted since it was in self-defense.

It didn't end there. There were other gun battles, knife fights, and he shoves up his sleeves and a pant-leg to show me the scars.

He tells me, "You are safe now because you know The Russian. I am always here and I always have mi amiguita (my little girlfriend) with me." And he reaches down and pats his pants pocket where I now see the outline of a gun.

I thank him and tell him we are all grateful he's around. My friends show up, wondering who this guy is. We are ready to leave for immigration, but he has one more request. He wants me to memorize his phone number so I can always call him if something happens. He'll show up and take care of it.

The kid with the hooded sweatshirt is gone by the time I leave.

I doubt I'll be calling The Russian, but I think meeting him made my month.

Sidenote: I just had to look up The Russian on wikipedia, because I knew I'd heard the term before. If an artist drew a dramatic version of MY Russian, it wouldn't look much different from this one of the Marvel Comics supervillain from The Punisher:

Mid-Flight!

NEW=
Blog design
Team
Role
Country
Resolution to start up blogging again!

At our Wycliffe International meetings for the Americas a week and a half ago, they showed us a video that might help us better understand the kind of ministry environment we find ourselves in. I'm sure you've experienced something a bit like this.

Green Eggs and I AM

Praise God for Iva May and her 5 hours of teaching this past week during our spiritual emphasis week at the Spanish school where I'm studying it. I think my favorite quote of hers was "If you make it, you will take it", referring to schemes we come up with to "help" God with His "Plan A" for our lives. Thing is, God has no Plan B and He has PROMISED to accomplish His Plan A. His promises are not like those that we humans make and try to fulfill, it's His very nature to accomplish what He promises. The great temptation is to hear a promise of God, be in a waiting-for-fulfillment period, and try to "help" God accomplish His goal by scheming up a Plan B. And you know where you'll end up! (If you don't, take a look at the stories in Bible and you'll find some Plan B's...it's not pretty!)

As a result of these talks, I've been studying God's promises (well, I'll be honest, they have been finding me--thanks, Holy Spirit) and it's amazing how tied they are to His Great Love for us. It seems that's WHY He promises anything to us, because of His unwavering Love.

Here's another awesome tidbit from the week, with thanks to Dr. Seuss for the original.

Green Eggs And I AM
By Elizabeth Wallace

My seminary course in Trinitarianism included several class lectures on "I AM" in the Bible. I wrote the following piece to fulfill the assignment of a creative project having to do with the Trinity.

I have wondered if Jesus had come at a different time how he would have communicated with His children. The following is a result of two greats in my life coming together: God, the ultimate lover of my soul, and Dr. Seuss, who had a love of the simple things of life. If Dr. Seuss had written theology books, instead of classics such as Green Eggs and Ham, I think it would have gone a little something like this.

Green Eggs And I AM

My name?
I AM.

I am I AM,
I AM I am.

I AM here,
I AM there,
I am I AM everywhere.

Father, Son, and Spirit are we.
We are one, but we are three.

I AM here,
I AM there,
I am I AM everywhere.

One in Three and Three in One,
Jesus is God, Jesus is Son.

Spirit's Power, Father's Plan,
Nail scars in the Son's pierced hands.

"What," you exclaim, "How can that be?"
Shhhh, my child, just rest in me.

I will not be put in a box.
I will not let you worship an ox.

I created it all-the family, the mountain, the tree-
We created it all, so you could grasp the "we."

I will call you here and there,
And I will go with you everywhere.

I AM here,
I AM there.
I am I AM everywhere.

Confused, uncertain, and having doubt?
Give up now, you won't figure it out.

Father, Son, and Spirit are we.
We are one, but we are three.

Adonai, Yahweh, Savior, Friend-
The aspects of me never end.

I will not be defined by just one name,
But I will love you just the same

So what should you do?
How should you react?
Learn enough truth to guard against attack.

Then let go of questions like "Why?"
And raise your voice in praise toward the sky.

Never to leave is my promise to you.
Stay focused, listen to me, and follow through.

Wherever I lead, wherever you go,
I'll be there, too, just continue to grow.

I am I AM,
I AM I am

On a train
In the rain
In a box
With a fox
On a boat
With a goat

Anywhere, everywhere you may go,
I am I AM is all you need to know.

From Prayer Essentials For Living In His Presence, Vol. 1, p. 71-72, ©2000, by Sylvia Gunter.
Available at www.thefathersbusiness.com.

Alcanzando...

If Jesus were Tico (Costa Rican), I think He would have attended Saturday's conference. I'll fill in the details in my next email update, but I can tell you now there was a lot of singing, learning, praying, and dedicating of lives to reach those who haven't heard...yet. And there was one gringa from the USA who made these weird hand signs...or is she trying to poke out Silvana's eye? We're not sure...

Angels Unawares

My first week in Costa Rica, I headed to Walmart to buy a few things no other stores had. The store is officially called "Hipermás" here, but they can't fool me! I was dragging my heels to shop there but later I found out that before Walmart was allowed to enter Costa Rica, they had to agree to a list of things so they couldn't take advantage of the situation or the people here. Employees at Hipermás have it good. I think mom and pop shops are probably still suffering because of the mega-store, but now I feel better for buying a fan there!

That day, I found the things I was looking for, well, most of them, and took a pit stop while my friend watched our cart. In the bathroom, out of nowhere, my nose started bleeding--hardcore. I've never had a nosebleed before and didn't know what to do. I had wads of TP holding the gusher in and had my nose in the air (for all the right reasons). A lady stopped me at the sink. "Are you okay? Here, you need a cold compress, let me get some toilet paper." She wadded up a bunch and splashed some water on it.

As she held it up to my forehead, she said "And now we need to ask Jesus to heal you," all matter-of-fact. Before I could respond (and she was not concerned about whether or not I agreed!) she started to pray, "Jesus, we know you can reach down and touch your daughter here and heal her immediately. Please do that for your glory." I was smiling and praying with her and she seemed encouraged when she looked up at me, so she continued, "Holy Spirit, heal and protect your daughter, that you love, so she can continue to live for you."

The nosebleed stopped immediately. She patted me on the back, told me I would be fine and that Jesus would take care of me, and told me again that He was good. I agreed and she went out the swinging bathroom door. I threw away the toilet paper compress and followed her out. I kind of had a suspicion that she wouldn't be anywhere in sight and sure enough, in the big, open, empty hallway, there was no one. My friend was the only person coming toward me. "Are you okay?" she called out. "Yes, but did you see anyone out here?" "No," she replied, and that confirmed it for me. Angels can look like well-dressed Costa Rican grandmas, right?

Food, Glorious Food!

No one can convince me that I suffer much as a missionary, because I really enjoy a lot about Latin American life and culture! As you move into another culture, one of the first things you might notice is the food, so I'll start there! I feel I need to point out that I believe I have successfully executed my duty as Nathan's auntie to introduce him to classic foods by bring Cheetos into his life! You can't get those in Peru, so there were several bags of Cheetos at my goodbye party at the airport. You can tell that Nathan enjoys them as much as I do if you check out his orange-y, cheesy fingers and smile!


My travel from Portland to Peru took 24 hours, and part of that was a 5-hour layover in San Jose, Costa Rica. Yes, I was heading to Costa Rica the subsequent week to start language shchool, but my cheaptickets.com itinerary just happened to take me through San Jose on the way to Peru! I landed in the international airport in Costa Rica at 5am, bleary-eyed from the all-night flight. I dragged my bags into the tiny food court where I found...Burger King! I'm not a fan of fast food, but this was a fun introduction to Costa Rican food. If you want breakfast at Burger King in Costa Rica you get: gallo pinto (rice & beans), egg, and coffee. It can also come with tortillas for a little extra. Yummy!


Once in Lima, Peru (for 4 full days), I managed to indulge in a few Peruvian classics. Those are "chifles" on the left: thin, crispy, salty banana chips, and that's "cancha" on the right, which is toasted corn (think really natural corn nuts).


As a special treat, my friend Deborah and I met at Mangos, which has a lot of my favorite Peruvian dishes, and is perched inside a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean. God does a good job of taking care of His loved ones, doesn't He?

Last but not Least

Something exciting is afoot at Wycliffe. It's possible that someone in your generation or the generation of your children will start work on the last language needing a Bible translation! Check out these facts from the Last Languages Campaign and read more by clicking on the links below.

For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT).

You just did something that nearly 200 million people cannot do. You read God's Word in the language you've most likely spoken from infancy — the language you understand best and that touches your heart. Read more.

~~~~

These remaining language communities are located in countries with high birthrates. That means millions of additional lives, will be touched over several generations, with the gospel.

Sadly, the mortality rate indicates 2.4 million people in these communities will die each year without hearing or reading God’s Word. Read more.

~~~~

Forty percent of the current language projects have been started within the past eight years. But so much remains to be done. Numbers don’t tell the whole story. It is about entire communities, and about making a difference for eternity. Read more.

Shocking culture

My Aunt Julie asked me for some observations when I first got back to the States six weeks ago. Now that I’m back online I thought I’d post a few here. You have probably had a culture “shock” moment or two, even if you've never left the States (one of the great things about living in a melting pot). It would be fun to hear them if you want to post them here in response to this blog!

Being back in the States means seeing Katie and Nathan almost every week. It means seeing my grandparents who just moved to Eugene from Santa Cruz (great timing for me!). It means going out to tea with my mom at her favorite cafe instead of having a “virtual tea time” over our computers. It means spending a morning showing pictures to the group of women from my Portland church who pray for me every month. It means experiencing autumn for the first time in 2 years. lt means eating at my favorite taco spots. (There’s no Mexican food in Peru!)

It also means missing warm weather, fish, and tropical fruit. It means not getting 10 hugs a day or more. It means not eating dinner at 9pm with the rest of the country. It means not being challenged daily to make myself understood. It means less physical and cultural adventures.

But there are cultural adventures here too! My aunt had asked about culture shock. Here was my response: “I have been enjoying myself so much I hadn't noticed too much. But today I got really overwhelmed, so I can describe that. It's VERY overwhelming to go shopping. We have so many wonderful options here at the healthy supermarkets (like New Seasons) that I spent the first few trips to the store oohing and aahing over yummy healthy treats like sparkling pomegranate juice(!). But the store today was Fred Meyer, a big Target-like store. It was so hard to find anything, and I found myself walking up and down the aisles several times looking for one small thing, thinking that it would have been faster to shop at three or four tiny little stores like I do in Peru, instead of trying to navigate this small city! :) (There are some tougher cultural issues related to shopping, but I'll write another blog on that later.)

I'm also laughing at myself a lot (something I learned how to do in Peru!) because I do all sorts of inappropriate things in this culture. Like talking to everyone in the stores. I just think everyone wants to have a conversation with me, and find out what I’m up to and why I'm here. In Peru, I would be chatting with each storekeeper, the person on the bus next to me, the person in line at the deli. People are friendly, but I also stand out and make an instant conversation starter. In the States, I’m run-of-the-mill and while I really like being incognito again I miss all the interactions themselves.

Probably my biggest faux pas is hugging everyone. The door opens, someone walks in, and right away I’m hugging them, and probably air-kissing them if I don’t catch myself in time. I’ve made folks very happy who are from other countries, but I've made some North Americans jump. The strangest thing to me is that I can’t remember NOT hugging everyone in greeting! I was frustrated when I realized it wasn’t culturally appropriate--which I guess is a bit of culture shock! Next time you see me, feel free to give me a hug in greeting--and make my day!

The Perfect Distractions

So I haven't been blogging since I got back to the States. I'm sorry to be out of touch with those of you who keep up with me here! I'll be posting now that I've got a computer again (mine died almost as soon as I got off the plane here). But the most wonderful distraction(s) have been my niece and nephew who have been the joy of this first month of my short time in the States. As you can see we're pretty happy to be hanging out together. Stay tuned for more on "re-entering" the US culture!

A Last Sunday

I was pretty happy that the worship team at my church in Huánuco let me join them my final Sunday in town. At the Saturday afternoon practice, I get bombarded by a host of new songs (in Spanish of course). I take notes furiously and then head home to search for the songs on iTunes. If I buy and then listen to the new songs all Saturday night, and Sunday morning while getting ready for church, I'm usually roughly ready to sing them in front of church! Or at least to sing "La, la la" to the right tune. :)

After the singing, the pastors surprised me by asking me to share with the church about my move to Lima (where I'll return after I visit the States this fall). They thanked my friends and church in the States (Cedar Mill Bible Church) for their donations which helped us purchase monitors for my Huánuco church this year. I was really touched as Pastor Juan prayed over me with the congregation.

After the service, the worship team had fun taking pictures with a friend's camera (mine is broken, hence the lack of blog entries lately!). But it was bittersweet, knowing it was my last ordinary Sunday in Huánuco for me. How wonderful to make such sweet connections with people that it means our departures will be at least a little bit bitter. I think my first prayer request when I moved to Huánuco 19 months ago was for friendships. Praise God for a lot of answers to that request.

Word Nerd

Here's a little fun with words in honor of my last week in Huánuco. I can't claim any special proficiency in lexicography, but am always up for a game of Dictionary!

When I asked Ammon Shea, the man who read the O.E.D., if he wanted to play a game of Dictionary sometime, he did me the favor of pretending I was sane.

“Do you have a specific dictionary in mind?” he wondered. “I would prefer Webster’s Third, if only because of all the bad blood between that edition and The Times.”

Bad blood?

It turns out that in 1961, when Webster’s Third was published, this newspaper ran a scathing editorial about it. “A passel of double-domes at the G. & C. Merriam Company joint in Springfield, Mass.,” it began, “have been confabbing and yakking for twenty-seven years — which is not intended to infer that they have not been doing plenty work — and now they have finalized Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, a new edition of that swell and esteemed word book.”

Then it twisted the dagger: “Those who regard the foregoing paragraph as acceptable English will find the new Webster’s is just the dictionary for them.”

Read the rest of the article...

Flitting Beauty

I had a visitor the other day. This butterfly spent over half an hour on the poinsettia tree outside my kitchen window. The most gorgeous detail in the smallest of places: a butterfly's wings. How often I forget the loving hand of the Creator, His penchant for beauty and art.

Days of Grace

I spent 10 days at the end of June on a ministry trip through the northwest corner of the state of Huánuco and into the state of Ancash (which was a dream come true). Want to see more pictures? Glance through them here on Facebook (even if you don't have an account).

Album #1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=134282&l=2ec3f&id=857665789

Album #2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=134601&l=37f3d&id=857665789

Ruins! Finally!

Pretty much since I arrived in Huánuco, I've been hoping to visit the Incan ruins at Huánuco Pampa, and so I took the trip up the hill for part of one afternoon while in La Unión. The taxi driver ended up being my companion, despite offers from everyone else in the car. I was glad for a second guide, one that you have to tip, who showed up at the ruins. Wandering around a high plain exploring ruins is better with two strangers than one.

Huánuco Viejo is a temple-fortress on the Incan "royal highway" between Cusco and Quito. Mmm, don't have many of those in Eugene, Oregon, do we? At every ancient site I've visited in Peru, there is evidence of how closely the culture is tied with astronomy. Usually angles are lined up so the sun shines through just so on winter solstice. I thought that was the case here, but actually this is just a small viewer in the temple that lines up with each of the doorways through which the Inca would have walk to reach the temple from his home.

Peru's natural, rugged beauty is complemented by its fascinating cultures, including those that we only know about through their ruins. I feel privileged to have the chance to visit such culturally important sites when I can. Even more importantly, I'm glad to hear that so many of my Peruvian friends have visited these sites, at least those nearby, as well. They have an incredible heritage!





The puma design marked a lot of the corners and tops of buildings and doorways here. You can see how closely the stones fit together. Sacsayhuaman's stones (in Cusco) have an even tighter fit so maybe they were just learning at Huánuco Viejo, hee hee.



This puma is perched at top corner of a staircase.

All of my Peruvian friends really chuckle at the picture below, but I LOVE these little huts that folks build in their fields to house them as they guard their crops, usually their family's main income. I want one! To go with my cow (long story).

Training the Trainers

Victoria, as you can tell from the photo above, is a power-house. She's been in ministry most of her life, currently serving in a church where her brother is the pastor. But she was in a slump spiritually when she heard about the training that was teaching Quechua women to teach the Bible to others. She attended the year-long course last year and credits it being a part of God's plan to equip her for an expanding ministry. This year she is part of the teaching team leading the workshops and giving the opportunity for growth in ministry to other Quechua women.

Our teaching team makes these lessons as learner-centered as possible. Group work allows for a lot of interaction, often allowing members of different churches, denominations and towns to get to know each other. It's pretty exciting!

In a culture where you don't want to be the odd-person out, where community identity is infinitely more important than individuality, writing your answers to questions on paper to present to the larger group is a stretch for these ladies...and it's worth it. The workshop participants get to learn from each other as well as from the teachers, who are learning a new educational strategy: Make learning possible, instead of feeding answers to their students.

One of the biggest distractions in class can be kids, who tag along with mom if no one else can watch them for the two-day long workshops. On Friday there were 3 kids making enough fuss that I eventually realized I'd be more useful keeping them occupied outside the one-room church. By Saturday morning there were 7 kids waiting for me. And by the end of that day, the neighborhood kids had found out where the fun was! I counted 14 kids making up games with me, singing songs we could remember, and telling stories. The best part was that I got to share the reason for lasting joy as we laughed and played together: Jesus in our lives and hearts!

Starting off right

It's midday, but the light is bright and clean like the early morning sun. I'd been traveling since 7 AM on the bus, heading into the countryside for the second Women of the Bible workshop this year. Arriving in La Union, I find my way to a pollería and order something off the menu. For 3 soles ($1 USD) I get to choose from a range of meals, all starting off with a huge bowl of soup which could be my whole meal itself. After truly enjoying every bit of lamb with beans and rice, I run into Vickie, Efegenia and Victoria on the street, the ladies I was hoping to meet up with. We headed up to the Assemblies of God church (in the photo above).

Our first order of business is to throw some sheep skins, yes sheep skins!, on the wood plank floor of the second story of the church. We then unfold mantas, or blankets, to make up our beds. It doesn't take very long until we are flopped down, laughing, all tired from our long journeys.

It's moments like these where cultural differences fall off like dead skin and we thrive in our similarities. It doesn't take long to make connections cross-culturally, especially when we're related by the blood of Christ. We had a great weekend together!

¿Qué tal Lima?

Although it seems I spend a little of each month in Lima, our capital city, I'm not usually site-seeing and don't take many pictures. But I'd love to share some of the sites with you, so here is a little tour I took with some friends I babysat for a weekend with my friend Clare.

After visiting the catacombs under the San Francisco church (a must-do in Lima), we walked the few blocks to the main plaza, or Plaza de Armas. I like the ornate brown "boxes" which extending off many buildings, designed to give a cloistered nun, or any woman, a view of the street's activity without revealing herself.

Every city is designed around the main plaza. I forget how gorgeous this one is. It still has the feel of a plaza, being bordered on all four sides by important buildings. A number of the streets leading to it are pedestrian only, so there's a lot less traffic than you'd expect. Maybe the amoured cars and machine-gun-carrying troops help discourage lollygagging as well.

Of course our tour included a stop at an ice cream shop, and then we walked down a beautiful street that used to be under a canopy made of glass. After it shattered in an earthquake, they left the framing in place so the street still feels unique. They call this Postcard Alley because that's pretty much all you can buy here.

Ingredients

I'm not a detail-oriented person, but it only takes a few tries in a ministry project before you figure out what are the essential ingredients. A basic one is funding. While we can generate our own resources in ministry, often the Body of Christ must get involved to make things happen. It's the way it was meant to be! How did Christ support His ministry? How should we support ours? How do we involve others? These were the questions we asked and started to answer at the Funding Workshop held in Lima a few weeks ago.

Leaders of indigenous associations came from all over Peru. We listened, talked, learned, discussed, and then retaught basic principles of funding projects shared by a friend from World Vision. We spent time on the internet looking at possible partners. Computers and the internet are new to many of these leaders so the learning curve was steep, but we made good progress.

At one moment in particular I was struck by how overwhelmed we can be by many things in life, and how quickly we forget to cry out to the Lord for help. He's not just God of the great traumas or great blessings, He's Lord of all, and deeply desires to be involved in every detail of our lives.

Can we even call out to Him to help us when we get stuck while searching for a web page? Does He care like that?

I just think about how much I want to help my friends when they run into something that overwhelms them, and I know that is just a shadow of the great love of God for each of us.