I recently walked with some friends of mine on a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Chapi located to the Southwest of Arequipa, Peru. We left Arequipa around 9:30 pm on a Friday night, taking a bus two hours outside the city, where we were dropped off in the middle of the desert to begin the walk across the desert to the Sanctuary, where hundreds of Catholics journey on the eve of the 1st of May. The actual hike took approximately three hours over sandy inclines and steep rocky descents.
The Apprentice: Building Relationships
I can hardly believe that I have been in Arequipa for over two months, the time has simply flown by. This past month I have been praying for guidance, for the people of Arequipa and specific individuals the team has a relationship with, and I have come to know and love. I am excited about Alfredo’s decision, and I remember the excitement in his eyes when he told me about his decision one day in language class. I am exited to see what God has in store for Alfredo, and pray that his wife, Judith will be influenced by the changes she sees in him.
Missionary Mom: Rogar
A brief update: I have been taking Spanish classes again the past 3 weeks. I am loving it! And Greg tells me he can already see a big improvement. Poco a poco (little by little). I am so thankful for my new teacher, Nancy, who comes to my home and sometimes teaches me while I have to hold Maggie (she is supposed to be taking a nap during this time). It is life, but we are making it work and God has been very, very good to me. Thanks to all of you that are praying for my language skills. Your prayers have been heard. Keep praying.
Crossing Cultures: No Tears in Heaven
Grief is an odd thing. It is something all people across the globe have in common, but the actual process of grieving the death of a loved one and letting them go is actually a cultural phenomenon. In the US, we have visitations, memo- rial services and graveside services. In some places in Africa, they express their grief dramatically, with loud wailing for long periods of time. In other parts of the world, someone’s death is received as their final honor, and the grieving show utmost respect and value for the lost.
Crossing Cultures: Lots to Learn
We live in the southern hemisphere. This causes some interesting differences in life that I did not realize be- fore we moved here. For example, the sun is strongest in the morning and gentler in the afternoon, which is the opposite of the States. More significant is that the seasons are also the opposite - June, July and August are the winter months, while January and February comprise our summers. Thus, when schools let out for Christmas, it’s also summer vacation until the first or second week of March.
Missionary Mom: Like a Child
It has been a humbling experience to live in this culture and not exactly be able to communicate how I would like. I am a people-person. I love to talk to people. But with my poor language skills (learning Spanish has not been my gift), I know that I sound like a child to so many. This has made me feel inadequate in so many ways. There have been many times that I question if I am really cut out for this role, but God has a way of using us despite our inadequacies.
Crossing Cultures: The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
One of the cultural differences that I have come face-to-face with on multiple occasions is dancing. While living in the States, if someone said they “went dancing” or were at a party where they danced, my mental image would have been of colored or flashing lights, heavy rhythmic music, and body movements that, for the most part, would be inappropriate for me to duplicate. Only those who are trained and participate in some sort of dance group would be able to execute the more “acceptable” forms of dancing, such as ballroom styles, tap or ballet. You know, the “nicer” dances.
This is not the case in Peru.
Crossing Cultures: Peruvian American
One of the most difficult things about being a missionary is a very basic fact. We are American. We were born there, grew up there, understand how to function there, and will always have significant connections there. We will never stop being American in some aspect, no matter how much time we spend elsewhere or how hard we try to open our minds to new perspectives.
A Peruvian Christmas
Last year, we had only been in Peru for a few months when the holiday season rolled around. We were able to get our homes decorated and a few American-style treats made, but we were still very early in the learning curve to knowing what we could and could not do here. We also had very little exposure to a typical Peruvian family’s Christmas celebration. However, this year, we know quite a bit more about the culture and have been able to learn from our friends as we go.
The Spinny Rainbow Wheel
When I’m pushing my Mac’s processor, a little rainbow hued circle appears, spinning where my cursor should be. It lets me know that the computer is working, but it’s going to be a moment before I can do much else. Sometimes I have the feeling that little icon is hovering around my head. We have a couple of things in the works here that are just waiting for the processor to catch up.