August has been a time of transitions and adjustments. I have now been in Arequipa six months, and culture shock has set it. I would love to write that this month has been the most productive yet, but that just isn't the case. One transition we have made was going from having interns all summer, to sending then home at the beginning of this month.
Missionary Mom: Broken
Jesus came to heal the sick and care for the broken. Everyone needs him because of brokenness. I have been taught this in Sunday School since I was a little girl, and I know in more mature terms that this is the truth I hold onto in my faith today. Jesus makes us whole. He says to come to him and he will give us rest. He is God of the broken.
Mark as Gospel: Parables (4:1-34)
Mark does something strange with his concentrated little section of parables. Rather than focusing on the primary content of Jesus’ teaching, Mark presents an integrated set of parables that seem self-conscious. That is, they are teachings about the dynamic of Jesus’ teaching. The first parable--the parable of the sower--is in fact the parable about parables. The following shorter parables support and develop the main theme of this meta-parable. So it is that Jesus paradoxically uses parables to teach about parables. This may seem a little confusing, but the section, once we grasp its underlying point, is where the challenge to the reader really begins.
ICDU View: July Recap
July has been a good month for ICDU. The latrine project was kicked off the last weekend of June and each Sunday this month we’ve gone out to work on the holes. The digging goes rather slowly, even with a jackhammer, because after the first foot or two the ground is basically solid rock, but our increased presence in Naranjal has already had noticeable benefits.
The Apprentice: Going to School Part II
I have been working with the secondary school in Porvenir for over a month now, and I am learning so much about the Peruvian school system and the expectations of the students. I work with Profesora Mercedes Castilla Mayorga as she teaches her students English.The 5th grade has been learning the past perfect tense, and the 1st grade has been working on colors. The students study English for one hour and twenty minutes every week, something Prof. Castilla would change if she could, since it is difficult to learn a language when you only study it once or twice a week. Next week the students take exams, and the following week they are out for winter break.
Missionary Mom: Have You Heard?
The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. God is definitely at work in this world whether we are on board with it or not, and the Holy Spirit is preparing lives to be “sons of God.” Our work here is all about spreading God’s kingdom. I have learned in the almost 2 years that we have lived here that God provides the increase, and there is a big reason that patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit.
Culture: Why Does it Matter?
For those of us from the USA, the word “culture” typically carries a different meaning than for other people groups. In the states, when we use the word culture, it usually implies some sort of status or exposure to fine living that includes the arts, theatre, literature, etc. We also might refer to cultures within the country so as to define a slice of the population and their sub-culture that differs from the general norm in some way.
A Word - July 2010
The last month has flown by. We’ve inaugurated the latrine project at Naranjal and Villa de Socabaya (see web links below) and made another micro-loan (thanks to the lenders!). The interns have been figuring out how to integrate and learn amid the oddness of our “regular” schedule, and now the bulk of their time has passed. We’ve had some regular visitors for Sunday communion the last few weeks, though the committed core group remains small.
Mark as Gospel: Conflict with the Religious Authorities (2:13-3:35)
The episode involving the paralytic set Jesus on a path of conflict with the religious authorities, though the situation is more like smoldering embers that will burst into flame later. For now, the guardians of tradition are perplexed, irritated, and perhaps wounded at Jesus’ disrespect for their position. In the following stories, Jesus will consciously stick his finger in that wound, unafraid to provoke a reaction in exchange for gains in proclamation of his kingdom way. These leaders become a foil for his teaching, and in the heat of the conflict Jesus’ rhetorical flourishes are all the more stunning.
CUDA View: Friendship
Have you given much thought lately to the reason missions is important? How do we view those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus? In our churches there exist many answers to these questions. Lost, seeking, potential new brother/sister, another number on the roll, or fallen? Sometimes it seems like those are the only options available to us. As if people were unworthy of our time or friendship unless they are interested in a Bible study or coming to church with us.