One Way to Look at It: Recovery Takes Time

I spent the better part of the month of July taking care of sick kids.  Stomach bug followed by a random fever followed by a head cold that led to a cough and passed to the baby who quickly developed bronchitis and required shots and breathing treatments.    And I went through a few of those myself.  Needless to say, I didn’t get out much.  

But I did spend lots of time calming ill children, trying to help them be comfortable enough to rest and heal, fighting them to get down another dose of medicine.  They were unhappy and resisted my efforts, not understanding the benefit that would come if they would trust my intentions and let the prescribed solution work.  They were exhausted, stuck in a vicious cycle of not resting well due to feeling bad, leading to feeling worse due to being extra tired.  I knew they needed sleep, but they struggled to relax.  I was fully focused and invested in their well-being, but they weren’t experiencing well-being at the time and didn’t understand why I wasn’t fixing everything faster.  

Have you made the metaphoric jump yet?  

It hit me one night as I tried to soothe a flailing baby who was just tired of coughing and needed real rest:

I’m the baby and God is the parent. He’s working to make it better and I’m just crying my eyes out that life is hard and if this is His concern for me, why does it sometimes seem all wrong?  I end up frustrated with God for not snapping His fingers like Mary Poppins and having everything swoosh right back into place.

I must remember that this world is broken, even splintered to the core in places.  Kind of like a tire swing that has been given a violent shove, the world got off kilter when sin entered and we are holding on for dear life as our reality flips and spins and sways.  If you're facing the right way and holding on well, it can be fun.  But then the tire spins and the ground seems to tilt the wrong way and your hand slips and you can't tell which way is down, and it's at least unsettling, if not downright scary.

And the thing is, God isn't doing it to us.  He is right there with us, caring for us, fully focused and invest in our well-being, even if we are not experiencing it at the moment.  Our fear or loss doesn't change that.

Sometimes I must accept periods of recovery, when things aren't going well for real reasons that need time to be set right again.  When I experience unwellness, it's natural to want it all better, right away.  But just as I want my children to trust my efforts, intentions and timing, so must I trust God's for me. 

One Way to Look at It: The Kingdom

Jesus likes parables.  He used them to illustrate lessons in a variety of settings and circumstances.  He understood that in order for us to try and wrap our minds around intangible, deep spiritual truths, we must equate them to something familiar, something we can grasp.  

We still benefit from this approach.  Images of lesser things can give us new perspective on God and His work, bringing us to a fuller understanding.  I know it helps me.  When I push myself to dig deeper into a concept or question, clarifying pictures often come to mind.  And as one whose job is to teach others truth in understandable ways, this has proved to be invaluable.

One concept that Jesus explained by image time and again is that of the kingdom of heaven.  He likened it to a mustard seed, yeast, net, treasure, and more.  It was an idea too broad to be captured by one simple view, but is a multi-faceted, rich presentation of all that God is doing.  It is central in what we do and teach here in Arequipa.

But why does it matter here and now?  If it is what God will deliver ready-made at the end of time, why don’t we just keep our noses clean and wait patiently for His timing?  Lots of parables talk about readiness, so let’s just focus on being ready ourselves and sit tight.  Right?

Consider it this way:

I like my house clean.  My family knows this and pitches in, but when it comes down to it, I’m the only one who can tweak and polish the last little details to my satisfaction.  I value completion.  For now, I am teaching my kids how to clean up, giving tips, instructions, developing their ability.

Let’s keep it real; we live in this house and it gets trashed just like everyone else’s.  It’s a constant work in progress. But let’s say I am leaving the house for the day and I ask my kids to get started cleaning up while I’m gone.  I tell them that when I get back, we’ll finish up together.  They know that at the end of the day, the house will be clean and that the final product will not have depended on them.  I told them I would help and I’m the real polisher in this situation.  I’m not truly demanding any particular performance or perfect results delivered at an exact time.

But I am expecting participation.  They have time and enough know-how and understanding to head in the right direction.  The only wrong action is lack thereof.  Their progress will directly affect the result; I won’t undo what they have done.  There is value in each minute that they choose to spend completing what I have requested of them.  It is an active, honoring, obedient love that contributes to what I value seeing completed at the end of the day.  

Shift back to the kingdom of heaven.  Everywhere Jesus went, things were put right.  Bodies healed, spirits encouraged, sins forgiven, arrogance condemned.  The balance shifted, if only for that moment, and things were as they should be.  This was the teaching by example, showing us how things can and should be when the King’s influence shows up.  He was demonstrating to us how to “clean up”.

Then He left.  He told us to keep cleaning up until He returns to finish the job.  We all know the world is trashed.  But rather than throwing up our hands in despair or simply withdrawing to a safe, quiet corner to wait for Him to come to all the work, we are to roll up our sleeves and dive in.  He teaches us how, gives little instructions, tips and strength.  The final product doesn’t really depend on us.  He is the real power in this situation.  He is not demanding anything in particular.  

But He is expecting participation.  The only wrong action is lack thereof.  He won’t undo what we do, but will use every bit of kindness, hope, service and love in constructing the finished, beautiful, restored world that He knows can be achieved.  There is value in each moment that we choose to do what He has asked of us, when we live out an active, honoring, obedient love.
It can be discouraging, when we tire and feel like our efforts have been wasted.  It can be overwhelming, when we look up and see all the brokenness still unaddressed.  We can feel beyond inadequate, understanding Moses’ plea for God to send someone else.  

But the faithfulness He asks is just that to do the work He puts before us.  That person who needs encouragement.  That class that needs a leader.  That family that needs a financial boost.  That single mom who needs a babysitter and a night out.  That lonely person who needs a kind word and invitation to friendship.  That broken person who needs to be reminded that Jesus is head over heels for broken people.  

It’s hard.  It’s needed.  It’s our job.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

— Paul, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Taking Sabbath

Something I love about my personal walk with God is when I am struggling in an area or trying to learn something new he just has a way of putting the right words of encouragement or teaching in my path to guide me in the way I should go.  This happened just recently for me.

Every year we meet with the other mission teams in Peru for a retreat.  Greg and I were super stoked about this “get-away” because the last time we took a family vacation was our last furlough (almost a year and a half ago).  You may think that sounds crazy, but in reality, when you look at visitors coming in, interns staying for extended periods, the time when the other missionary family is away for furlough, conferences or campaigns happening, time goes by quickly.  I will admit, my ministry partner sometimes struggles with work-aholicism.  We do have our day-off in the week for rest, no Spanish, and time with our kids as a family, but I miss taking that weekend trip to see family of friends just to “get out of town.”  In my heart and mind, I have been back-and-forth in what is biblical for taking vacation.

I realize there is a side to maintaning a healthy well-being, and sometimes a vacation is how we rejuvenate ourselves.  I realize that we are in charge of taking care of our family, and that might mean taking a vacation in order to get away from everything and make them feel important and loved.  But on the flip side of that, something that doesn't sit well with me is when I hear people from the states telling missionaries, “Take a break.  Do something American.  You deserve it.  We know how hard it is for you there.  It is fine to enjoy the luxuries of your home.  Take some time off.”  Let me explain...

I am convinced that Jesus fulfilled the law.  One of those laws was in keeping with the Sabbath.  There are multiple examples of Jesus pointing out that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.  So what does “taking the Sabbath” look like for me in my ministry right now?  I have been thinking about this a lot.  So I look at Paul- a fellow missionary.  Do I ever hear him say, “Take a vacation.  Take a break.  You deserve it.”  No.  What do I hear him say?  “Persevere.  Take courage.  Persevere.  Die to yourselves.  Persevere.  Run the race.  Fight the good fight.  Persevere.”  Hmm.  That sounds a bit different.  So then I look at the ultimate example- Jesus.  What does he say?  “Disciples, let's take a break from this world.  I mean, look at me.  I grew up in Heaven for pities sake.  Let's find a resort somewhere and reenergize ourselves.  I can't take these cultural differences for much longer.”  I don't think so!  

How did Jesus take Sabbath?  

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

— Mark 1:35

Jesus took Sabbath in resting in the arms of his Father.  That was rejuvenation for him.  That is what kept him going.  That is what prevented burnout.  

So we took this retreat last week with the other mission teams (which can I just tell you was an absolute blast!).  I was so relieved to get out of Arequipa, but something tugged at me in my thinking about “needing a retreat.”  I live among people that have never been outside of the city where they were born.  I live among people that work solid days from sun-up to sun-down Monday through Saturday.  I live among people that can't afford “vacation” and would look at you like you were crazy if you asked about their “vacation days” in their work schedule.  I felt a bit guilty.

Shortly before leaving for the retreat, I read a blog post from a missionary mom in Thailand.  She wrote about living radically and what that means.  “Radical” has become a pop-Christianity culture word lately.  Many would say that moving to a foreign country is living radically, but that isn't what this girl's message was.  She said something I needed to hear.  Living radically is about living in the presence of the Lord.  Living radically is basking in the presence of our Father and laying it all at his feet.  She quoted from Psalm 27:4  “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

During our retreat, different missionaries shared at various times.  One of these times, Greg led some thoughts about reflecting over the year.  He shared that he has learned a lot in the book of Acts regarding Paul's life and example.  As much as we want to idolize Paul as THE missionary example, he is just like one of us.  At one point in his story, he writes to the Christians to say, “Look at what the Lord has done through my ministry.”  It isn't about Paul.  It isn't about what he has done.  It is about what the Lord has done THROUGH Paul's ministry.

The next day, another missionary shared about “Sabbath” specifically.  This is the point in my course of thoughts where something just seemed to click.  Our brother pointed out that God rested on the seventh day.  We have the Sabbath because God made that day holy.  It wasn't just because God needed a rest.  It was because “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good...Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Genesis 1:31;2:3)  Sabbath has everything to do with stopping to rest, and looking at what the Lord has done.  Stopping, and realizing that we are not in control.  God is.  Stopping, and thanking God not for what we have done, but for what he has done, and knowing that it is good.

Sometimes, I need a week-long retreat to step away, stop, and look at what the Lord is doing.  It isn't me.  He wants me.  He wants to work through me, but I am totally dependent on him.  And living radically isn't pouring myself out day after day until I reach burn-out.  Living radically is living in him.  Living radically is pouring myself out day after day, but taking the time to go to that solitary place and basking in the presence of the only one that can fill me up.

I am so thankful for the time of Sabbath we were able to share with our fellow workers in Peru.  Greg and I will come home with our family for furlough the end of next month.  You can count on us living it up on Tex-Mex and doing some fun “vacation-like” things as a family.  But what I am most excited about is sharing what the Lord has been doing through our ministry.  I can truly look back over the last two years and tell you, “It is good!”

Presence

I am a missionary.  “Duh, I knew that.”  I know.  But what you may not know is what that means is different for me than you (probably).  

People ask me questions.  Lots of questions.  “Why do you do ?”  “Why don’t you believe ?” “How do I teach my children about ?” “How do I make so and so stop ?  And because I’m a missionary, it’s assumed that I know.

But I don’t. I’m a Christian wife and mother, and I’m slogging through this mess of a life just like everyone else.  All too often with a rotten attitude about it.

The questions used to rattle me.  Our American focus on education and testing means that when there is a question, we should have the right answer.  And if we don’t...bad grade.  I really don’t want to get a bad grade in being a missionary.
But now I imagine it this way: If I were walking up a hill behind someone and came to a difficult step over a rock, it would make sense to ask whoever had made it over that rock to reach back, grab my hand, and steady me so that we can continue on together.  And that’s often all the questions are really aiming for...requesting that someone provide a boost, a steadying presence in this continual climb toward growth and well-being.  They are asking, “Are you available to walk with me? Or am I in this on my own?”  

Now I’m not as thrown off by questions.  There are lots of things I don’t know, lots of answers that haven’t been mine to wrestle.  But I have already crossed lots of rocks, already asked God lots of questions and sought His redirection in how to think and live and love.  I can lend a hand. 

Folks, Jesus was all about giving a boost, being a steadying presence, and walking with anyone who approached Him.  

Therefore, we should be, too.  

It’s not about having answers.  It’s not about fixing people.  It’s not about condemnation, judgment, categorizing, condescending, managing, entertaining, legislating, or constructing.  No gimmicks, tricks, bullet points, illustrations, do’s, don’t’s, or how-to’s will suffice.

It’s about presence.  His in us.  Ours in the lives of others. His kingdom is wherever He is and how his arrival changes the world.  

They are hungry for Him and are asking us if He has come near in us.

Back Home

We had several people ask us during our time in the US if we were glad to be home or were enjoying our time at home.  That is an interesting concept for our family because “home” is a pretty fluid thing.  Beyond having spent chunks of time in several different places in the states and then leaving for another country, we have also moved several times while in Peru.  And with the sheer number of homes we stayed in over a two month furlough, we started referring to wherever we would sleep as “home”.  

But Peru really is where we feel at home right now.  It’s where our family has grown into who we are, with two of our kids having spent hardly any of their lives in the US.  We have been changed by our time here in ways that are hard to express, but our assumptions and expectations are different.  After traveling, this is where we feel like we can relax and rest and settle back into our life.  

We are blessed that our churches, families and friends welcome us so readily and find somewhere to fit us back in for a while.  We never lacked for a place to stay, people to see or things to do.  You loved us and our kids, asked about our lives, bought our coffee, invited us into your homes, and even had a baby shower for Aria.  Even though Peru might be where our family calls home, no matter where we traveled, we never felt out of place.  You made us feel right at home with you, too.  We appreciate you and the ways you keep us in your thoughts and prayers and hearts.  We truly enjoyed the opportunity to have spent time with you.  
And after all that, since you asked, yes, we are glad to be home.

Kindred Spirits

If you are a fan (like me) of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea, you might use the term “kindred spirit” for a that dear friend or friends in your life that just get you.  They are the people that you don't have to explain yourself to, that care about you, the ones that you actually try to keep up with and they keep up with you.  I am a relational person.  I love social networking like Facebook and blogs because they are ways that I keep up with others and try to let others keep up with me.  Living in a foreign land, I have learned that these types of social venues are good for me.  Since I am such a social person and my Spanish has been on the side of lacking for the majority of my time here, Skype and social networking have helped me with not feeling a loneliness that I think I would have if I didn't have the internet.

So some of you may be thinking, “Where are you going with this?  Remember, you always have God.  He is the only one that can fill that void.”  Nothing is wrong with me (I hope) so that I don't realize this about my heavenly Father.  This isn't a bad reflection on my marriage.  This girl just needs to have some of those kindred spirit connections in addition to God and a loving husband, and it has been hard to find here in this foreign place.

I remember going through the emotional roller coaster before making this move of being excited about the work, but incredibly sad to leave behind family and close friends.  Some of you may not know that Greg, Kyle, and Larissa all grew up together in Tyler, TX.  They were all good friends in the same youth group.  I remember telling Greg that it wasn't fair that we were moving so far away from everything I knew and it wasn't so bad for him because we were moving there with his friends.  This was also at a time when we had another teammate that grew up with their Tyler group.  Greg, knowing that I am an emotional basket case that has highs and lows that change in a moment, consoled me that day and said, “Megan, maybe God has a kindred spirit waiting for you in Arequipa that you don't even know yet?”  Greg knew my “kindred spirit” language at this point, and it did the job for that day.

Well, here I am 4 years later.  To be honest, I have felt like I give about 85% in most of my friendships here, and I am lucky to get 5% in return sometimes.  That is how it feels.  We have many godly members of our church body that are true friends, but there is something about finding that person that you just know you click well with.  You know?  God blessed and encouraged me so much in this last month with two girlfriends that just might become Peruvian kindred spirits to me...

This last month has been a stinker in two ways.  First, my grandmother (who I am extremely close to) got really sick.  It is the first time that I have felt the burden of distance to family weigh so heavily on me.  I can't just make a quick trip home.  I had a conversation with my father about the possibility of coming to see her.  Tell me I am a pessimist, but all I could think is that I might not get to ever see or talk to her in person again.  This absolutely broke my heart.  I had this conversation with my father right before a house church gathering.  One of our dearest sisters, Etelvina, arrived to the meeting first.  Even though I had washed my face and “put on my smile” she immediately asked me, “Why have you been crying?”  (Peruvians are so blunt sometimes.)  I explained the situation to her in the midst of my blubbering and tears.  In the meeting that day, I couldn't get through the songs.  They seemed to all trigger thoughts and memories I have with one of the greatest heroes of my life, my granny.  I shared with the church that day why I was so emotional, and I asked for their prayers.

That night, I got a phone call.  It was Areli, Etelvina's daughter, who is seeking God right now.  She couldn't come to the meeting that day, but she heard through her mother what was going on.  She called to tell me that I would have peace in God, that she cared for me, and that she was here for me.  I haven't told her this (and I will), but that phone call meant the world to me during a time that I was feeling extreme loneliness.  She is someone I enjoy hanging out with.  She is someone that genuinely cares for me.  She went the 85% that night.  And I answered with the 15%.  That is friendship.

The other big stink bomb that occurred this month is with our house.  Our landlord decided to raise our rent significantly (which all of our Peruvian friends said was not right or normal), and we decided that we would look for a different place to live.  Moving is such a pain here.  It would be our 4th move, our interns arrive in June, and we know how stressful the looking and moving process can be.  To tell you the truth, I didn't really let it bother me.  I had received the news of my grandmother (and decided to take a trip to see her the first part of May), and I was over my head in the library work.  I honestly can't tell you if I was experiencing peace or just choosing to ignore the worry that I could have dwelled on.  That Thursday, I was teaching in one of the third-grade classes and my phone rang.  I ignored it.  It rang again.  I tried to silence it.  When it rang the third time, I thought that maybe there was an emergency.  It was my neighbor and good friend, Nadia.  I told her I would talk when I got home from the schools.

I returned home, and as I passed the door leading to their side of the house (our homes share the same lot), I thought I should ask what was going on.  She came to the door, looked at me, told me she had heard about our conversation with the landlord (her cousin), and burst into tears.  I hugged her.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  She wanted us to stay.  We actually have a relationship with our neighbors (which has been hard to cultivate in this culture; people stay to themselves).  After a 30 minute conversation with Nadia and her mother, I returned to my house.  Greg was in the front room, and I told him that I felt like I had experienced one of the most beautiful moments of my time here in Peru.  Nadia and Anita (her mom) checked on houses in the neighborhood, suggested scenarios for what we could try, and told us more than once they didn't want us to move.  Nadia has become so dear to me, which you know if you read my monthly articles.  This situation confirmed to me something that I feel like I always have to question here—true friendship.  What a beautiful moment.

In order not to leave you hanging, our landlord came to the house this week, and he lowered the price of the rent.  We aren't moving.  Praise God.  And I told Greg in retrospect, Nadia and Anita are a deal of a lifetime.  You can't “rent” good friends and neighbors that will look out for you.  God is good, and I feel so blessed by these friendships at this point of my Peru journey.

Special Prayer Requests

Moving Again

The McKinzies are moving again. As usual, now that the initial year's contract is up, the owner is seeking to increase the rent significantly. The process of even finding other options is time-consuming and stressful, and the move itself will be costly. I pray that God would help us cope with the circumstances and find a house that meets our needs within our budget. 

Solar Panel Project

The team coming from Cedar Lane to install solar panels in a poor community will arrive in Arequipa on June 15. We are struggling on our end to ensure that things are ready on schedule in order for the project to be as beneficial as possible to the people we intend to serve. There are some cultural and logistical issues yet to be overcome. We request that you pray for their resolution and for the project to be a blessing in every way.

What Is My Purpose?

How would you answer this question if a seeker asked you?  This month, I was blown away by a conversation I had with my neighbor.  We have studied through the ministry of Jesus, and we have had some really good conversations.  We talk about life, what God was doing in sending Jesus, Jesus' message, and how that message affects the world today.  We share a lot in common.  We are both teachers.

I started our "English class" by asking Nadia why she hasn't started back to work.  She taught 4th grade in a private Catholic school last year, and it was my understanding that she was still teaching there.  Apparently, her contract ended and instead of renewing, she decided she wanted to work in the public setting where the pay is higher.  Since the school year has already started, Nadia was hoping for a maternity leave to open or some other emergency opening.  Nothing has come up so she is exploring other jobs.  She has worked as a secretary before and she had finished one part of an interview for a secretary's position.  I asked her if she liked that kind of work.  She shared that she loves to manage and she loves the interaction she has with different people as a secretary.  I thought this was all interesting, and I told her that I hoped she found a job soon.

She looked very intently at me, and asked, "Megan, I have something I have been thinking about for awhile, and I want to ask you what you think.  I want to know what God's purpose is for my life.  I want to do whatever it is, but I need him to tell me.  How can I figure this out?"  I was not expecting this, but God has been weaving a beautiful friendship between Nadia and me--it is a friendship of genuine trust and respect.  If I said anything eloquently after this question it was an act of the Holy Spirit.  We just recently studied the passage in 1 Peter in house church about "being prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have."  This was my opportunity.

I explained to Nadia that God has one purpose and plan, and we have to ask ourselves how we fit into that purpose and plan.  I used to quote the verse in Jeremiah 39 that is so popular "for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…"  I always took that so personally.  And while I believe that our Father is a personal God, he is not talking to individuals in that passage.  He is talking to his people, Israel.  God's purpose was going to happen through a people that he chose.  He continues to fulfill that purpose through his "people" today, the Church.  So when we define "my purpose" we have to take a serious look at the story of God and how we fit into that story.  I decided to share my own personal story that some of you may not know.

I decided that I would serve God as a missionary in the public school system of the United States.  Well, you see how that worked out.  I met a guy in college that I happened to fall in love with.  He had this dream to go to Latin America and be a missionary.  As we fell in love, decided to marry, and formed a dream together, I decided that I would just have to forfeit some of "my dreams" for the sake of a partnership in the gospel.  I would still be serving God by ministering to children (probably in the church and as a stay-at-home-mom), it would just look different than what I had thought.  Maybe my masters in curriculum and instruction was for nothing, but I thought it was the right choice at the time.

Well, four years later after being in the field, look at where God has led me.  I am working in the public school system of Arequipa.  Influencing the lives of children for good and loving and supporting them is my passion.  I never would have known that this would happen here, but I think that God blesses us with passions and he desires for us to use them for the sake of his kingdom.

I asked Nadia, "Are you more passionate about secretary work or working with children?"  Children are her passion.  I explained that that may not be what will happen right now, but as long as she is living for God and trying to glorify him with her actions, she is fulfilling his purpose.

All of a sudden something clicked in my head.  I had been in a meeting earlier in the week with Alfredo and the staff from Put Them First (to discuss their library we helped start) and they mentioned wanting to hire a librarian full-time.  They had recently raised funds from the states and had the budget to hire a Peruvian for one year.  I hesitantly shared this with Nadia not knowing if she would have any interest in working so far out of the city.  It ended up she was very interested.

We continued to converse on the topic and I chose (I think the Holy Spirit was just telling me to go for it) to be very frank with her.  "Nadia, many might say that it is coincidence that we are here right now.  I don't think it is coincidence.  I moved in this home.  You wanted English lessons and came to me.  You are seeking out God's will, and you decided to talk to me, a missionary, about it.  We both teach and enjoy discussing it.  I work with a library program and know of a job.  You need a job and love working with kids."  I told her that I didn't know why God had put us together in this way.  Maybe the whole reason is for her to have a job.  Maybe God wants her to find Jesus and faith through our study.  I don't know, but I don't believe it is coincidence.  God has a plan.  He has a purpose.  All I can do is try to live for him and glorify him with my actions.  I told her that I pray for her every day.  We left that meeting closer than ever.  We will see what the future holds.

As far as this week being the future, it looks like she is getting the job.  Can you believe it?  Nadia will be one of the four teachers I work with for the pilot of our school library program.  It doesn't get much cooler than that.  Man, we serve an awesome God.

Rainy Season

I grew up in East Texas, which means I was no stranger to a good thunderstorm.  It rained anytime in the year, and the streets might be freely flowing with water, and that was just another regular day in which everyone went about their regular activities and the water drained away.  

Then I went to Abilene Christian University, where it rained less, though still at times throughout the year.  When we had a good downpour, parts of the city would flood, so you would be redirected from using full underpasses or you might have to slow down on some streets to slosh your way through.  I remember one day slogging my way back to the dorm through a veritable lake in the parking lot on campus.  Daily life didn’t really change with rain, but it was more problematic to deal with and might affect optional activities.

Moving on to Arequipa, Peru.  We now have a true rainy season, as in it only rains around the summer months, mostly in January and February.  The rest of the year is dry and sunny almost every day.  When it does rain here, it is what we would call a shower rather than a storm, as there is very rarely thunder or lightning.  However, it causes major problems throughout the city.  

When it comes to a family home, the main issue is construction.  Homes here are built with additions in mind, which means the roofs are flat and left with rebar and partial frames to add another floor.  However, this also means that water will likely collect there and seep through the ceiling into the home.  Leaks are extremely common, leaving residents cleaning up water, rearranging their homes to avoid damage, and even being on the roof in the rain, sweeping away the excess.  

On a broad scale, the city is not designed to drain water, which means the streets flood and drainage gets backed up.  Basically, the sewers fill up with rainwater instead of household drainage, and some of the overflow comes out on the streets or even in homes.  This means that the city will turn off our water, either to repair breaks or simply to prevent residents from adding to the already burdened sewage system and allow it to settle back to a more normal level.  Thus, ironically, when the city and our homes are inundated with water, we have to deal with a lack of it as well.  

Electricity is also affected, as Arequipa depends on hydroelectric power.  The plant uses screens to prevent any debris from clogging up the system.  Thus, when the waterways are overrun and washing away even more trash, the city must turn off the system to clear the screens and resume generating energy.  Blackouts are most common, but there is also the occasional brownout (when electricity levels are lowered, so that lights in the home will turn on but remain dim, and most appliances will not turn on at all) to ration the reduced amount of electricity available.  

Streets are another question.  Some flood and are literally rivers for half the day.  Others are damaged and full of potholes, which is serious because the city has so many small taxis that must navigate these with extreme caution, slowing down traffic in many parts of the city.  The city works to make repairs quickly on clear days, but they often don’t last long once the rain starts up again.  One main street that runs alongside the river has a chunk washed away due to the force of the waterflow in that area right now.  The flow of traffic is either slowed down or redirected altogether.  This year, the city reported that 60% of the roads have been damaged, and some bus lines chose to stop running altogether for a couple of weeks rather than risk their routes.  

Beyond all these infrastructural issues, the individual is affected.  The majority of the people here take buses, which means walking to the appropriate street corner and awaiting the correct line, if it even runs.  They might have to walk through water several inches deep.  Passing cars splash through the streets and may soak pedestrians.  This often means that someone will only venture out for necessary things such as school or a job, and avoid optional outings.  Clothes dryers are a rarity, with most people line drying laundry on their roofs.  Thus, getting soaked to the bone means you are delayed in getting dry.  And when there are days with no water and clothes must dry slowly in the house, if at all, many are unmotivated to take any step out the door that is not required of them.

We are blessed by having a fairly dry home and ease in transportation, whether in a cab or a personal car. I still enjoy the rain.  But my Arequipan friends and neighbors do not share my view, and probably never will.  They just see how it makes life hard.

Follow

This past week, in a Bible study with a searching friend, we finished the time of Jesus's ministry in Mark 10.  We have read the multiple stories of Jesus revealing himself as Lord over demons, disease, nature, and death.  Sometimes Jesus asks the person with faith to not tell anyone what he has done for them.  Sometimes, he instructs them to go back home and tell everyone what has been done.  One of my favorites stories, the story of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5, is an incredible example of this:

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.  Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.  So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.  And all the people were amazed." (Mark 5:19-20)

Wouldn't you have loved to hear his story?  I cannot imagine.  It is no wonder to me that the word used to describe the people's reaction was "amazed."

This past week, we had some really good conversation.  Chapter 10 opens with the Pharisees trying to catch Jesus with a divorce question.  From that encounter, Mark jumps to the little children and Jesus.  But then comes a story that to me is the fireworks of Jesus's gospel message: the story of the rich young ruler.  Take a few minutes and read it again to refresh your mind…

I asked my friend, "Was this young man good or bad?"  The obvious answer is good.  Jesus lists the commandments and the young man states that he has kept all of them since he was a little boy.  Also, what exactly was the young man asking?  Here he has come to Jesus.  He calls him "Good teacher."  Throughout the study we have been answering the question Mark constantly throws in our face, "Who Is Jesus?"  This man has obviously heard about Jesus and the good things he has done.  I don't think that he truly knows who he is after reading the outcome of the story, but he thinks that Jesus may know the answer to a question that many people still ask today, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"  I think it is interesting that Jesus lists off the commandments as if the young man is tallying all of them in his head.  How many want a check-list?  Isn't it easier for Jesus to just tell us what to do so we can check it off of our list?  The young man thinks he is covered.  He has been a good person keeping the commandments since he was a little boy.  But no.  That is not where Jesus stops.  Jesus DOES tell him what to do.  "One thing you lack.  Go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me."  We all know how the story ends.

So my friend and I talked.  We discussed what exactly went on in this story.  Now, I think that there is an entire sermon series on Jesus commanding us (not asking) to take care of the poor.  Jesus does not tell the man to simply get rid of his possessions.  He tells him to sell his possessions AND give to the poor.  I think it is very important to emphasize that point.  But to stress something else in this story, I want to ask, "What do you want from Jesus?  What are you taking away from Christianity?  Have you followed the commands?  Do you believe in the 'Good Teacher'?  Have you secured your place in eternal life?"  I believe that many can list off the things they have done to make sure they can answer that question with an affirmative.  But "Have you been saved" is NOT the gospel message of Jesus.

Jesus asks the man to do one thing.  The thing that has been keeping this man from truly doing what God has been professing throughout the Old Testament and through the message of the Christ.  And after he has done that one thing, he is told to do what?  Follow.  Following Jesus is the theme that runs throughout the entire book of Mark.  It begins with those fishermen that left their nets and happens to so many people touched by Jesus throughout his journey.  The man goes away sad, and Jesus has one of his most incredible "teachable moments" with his disciples.  They talk about the rich and how hard it will be for them to enter the Kingdom, but something clicks with Peter:

"Then Peter spoke up, "We have left everything to follow you."  "Truly I tell you," Jesus replied.  "no one who has left home or brothers and sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--along with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:28-31)

What a promise!  Accepting the message of Jesus is not checking things off a list.  Accepting the message of Jesus is not simply believing in a "Good Teacher."  Accepting the message of Jesus is believing in him and choosing to follow him whatever the cost.  Many believe.  Few follow.  Following is not easy.  Even in Jesus's encouragement of "a hundred times as much," he inserts "along with persecutions."  He makes it loud and clear that he understands the cost, he will reward you for what you give up, but it is not an easy journey.

But Mark does not stop with this story. Chapter 10 ends with another blind man that Jesus heals. Unlike the blind man in Chapter 8, he immediately restores sight to this man. Everything is becoming more and more clear to the disciples. (God is a literary genius.) So at this point, my friend speaks up and says something that tells me she has been paying close attention. "Megan," she starts, "Jesus doesn't tell him to go away or go tell people back home. It says, 'Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.' " My heart couldn't have been happier at that moment. Mark was emphasizing the point that a person who truly knows Jesus will want to FOLLOW him. That, my friends, is the gospel message of Jesus. Whatever the cost.