A few weeks ago Abraham approached me and asked if I was willing to volunteer a few hours a week at one of the national schools in Porvenir. I was excited about the prospect of doing something with my limited Spanish and that would allow me to create and build new relationships and opportunities for sharing the gospel. I met with Abraham over lunch to discuss the details of working with the school, and then we visited the school, met with the director, spoke with the English professor, and agreed on times that I was available to come and lend my English expertise to the students.
Crossing Cultures: The Peruvian Poor
Poverty is a global reality. Every country has some percentage living below the poverty line, as defined within their economy and cultural norms. Despite the fact that Peru has a strong economy and is a growing force in the world market, the percentage of the population that is considered poor remains in the 30% range, in comparison to the US’s percentage of about 12%.
Missionary Mom: Momentum
Things are happening around here. It is very exciting to be a witness. You all pray for us back home, and I want you to know that God has answered many of those prayers. Months ago, Larissa wrote an article about our work feeling like a roller coaster. I really liked her analogy. Sometimes it seems like it takes forever to climb the hill. We have definitely been there. But once you peak and start coming down, it goes really fast. Life seems fast right now. A roller coaster ride is full of multiple up’s and down’s, but for now I am feeling the adrenaline rush that comes with the ride down. Many of the things I mention in this article are a repeat of news in other articles. But I wanted to share with you, from this missionary mom’s perspective, what it feels like.
A Word on Unity
There is no doubt that unity is God’s will for his people. There is no doubt that the church has found unity to be among the most difficult aspects of its life in Christ. Though there is always so much to say on this subject when it comes down to brass tacks, I just want to celebrate with a simple word of praise the fact that we have unity with other Christians in Arequipa.
Mark as Gospel: Jesus' Kingdom Ministry (1:21-2:12)
Jesus announced the kingdom in word and deed. Mark’s first story about Jesus’ ministry holds these two together perfectly. Jesus enters the synagogue to teach. An essential aspect of his identity is teacher. Mark tells us, however, that he was not just a garden-variety instructor. The authority with which he taught was astounding. From this point on, authority will be a key word for Mark. As will be evident when we come to some of Jesus’ particular teachings, he was a man with extraordinary insight into the will of God revealed in Scripture.
CUDA View: Summer Preview
This summer will see the beginning of a number of new projects for ICDU and I want to take a moment to let you know about them. While the natural flow of events has pushed the start of these to the summer it couldn’t come at a better time. Not only are we ready to start involving church members in projects but this summer we have three interns to help with the work! Last year Aaron was with us as we began getting to know the people of El Naranjal and this year our interns will help us continue the work we’ve begun there.
The Responsibility to Evangelize
Our method is sometimes referred to as “friendship evangelism”. That just means that we don’t spend our time recruiting in more direct ways, like knocking on doors, holding large meetings, or advertising. Rather, we have chosen to step into the lives of the people around us, walking alongside them, learning from them, and watching for opportunities to guide them to the life found in Jesus Christ. It’s slower than other methods, but we prefer to grow depth rather than breadth and leave behind a movement that can carry itself and will no longer rely on us.
The Apprentice: Crossing Cultures
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.
Missionary Mom: A Good Place
I am home. It really means a lot to say that, because I just returned from a 2 week stay in the States. (If you weren’t aware of this, it’s because we kept it top secret--I surprised my sister for her college graduation.) Before we ever left for Peru, Greg would tell me how important it was to stay on the field at least two years before returning. Many times, if missionaries return to their homeland too soon, they don’t want to return to the mission field. I am 3 months shy of that 2 year marker, and it was a difficult decision to make. But we decided that the reason for the trip was important enough for me to go. For the record, I traveled with the two girls and Greg stayed here in Peru.
A Word of Hope
By now most readers will have heard about Alfredo’s baptism. Our joy is still overflowing. It is wonderful to think about what God will do with him, especially as we ponder the cultivation of indigenous church leader- ship. So much of what we want to see in the future is only signified in God’s saving work in the present. This is where hope comes in, the trust in what we do not yet possess. Our Wednesday night study of Genesis has brought to mind once again how long and winding is the journey to receive the promise and how hard is the call to trust that God is faithful. Walking with Jose Luis and now Alfredo, the struggle to live new life in them becomes a struggle to trust God in us. We proclaim in Arequipa the promise for those who were far off, to be received in part already though not yet fulfilled. Our hope, then, is that God will bring to completion what he has begun in these men and, through them, in this city.