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.

A Glimpse into the Library Project

It has been a week since we kicked off the program with the teachers here, and it has been quite an adjustment for me.  First of all, I feel like I am officially working part-time.  We are hiring Manuela to work an additional day in the house to care for Cohen so that I can have the freedom to work with the schools on Thursdays.  This has been different for me.  Even though I have always played an active part in the ministry here, I have either been pregnant, nursing, or tending to a toddler.  Now that Ana and Maggie are in school and Cohen is weaned, it seems that I have entered into a new phase for my ministry role here in the library program... and I love it.

I am in contact with a professor I studied under at Harding who teaches staff development conferences all over Arkansas.  I am basing my entire curriculum of reading strategies on some books that I bought in his class.  I skyped with him last month to talk about our program and get some feedback and advice on how I was doing it.  He told me that if I want to see results in this first year I need to have as much face-to-face time as I can with the teachers.  It is a modeling system.  I model for the teachers, they model for the students, the students model for each other, and hopefully, by that point, the majority of students can use the reading strategies independently.  I have taken his advice to heart, and I have coordinated a class visit with each of the teachers once a week and a monthly meeting for all the teachers to come together and discuss and share what has worked for them throughout the month.

It is all very exciting.  I am enjoying the curriculum planning, I am learning more and more about the Peruvian methods of instruction (ways I can learn from them and suggestions for improving upon what they do), and I am developing a whole new set of relationships with Peruvian women that are share a common passion with me—teaching children.  I had a one-on-one meeting with a teacher this week that asked if I might have extra time to meet with just her outside of class.  She expressed to me that the teachers are not given much support and don't have the opportunities for staff development.  She really appreciates the opportunity she is receiving through CUDA and considers it a huge blessing to her work.  That made my day, and it opened my eyes even more to see that the children aren't the only ones lacking in educational support.  We will serve such a purpose in providing staff development opportunities for the teachers.  Something I know I took for granted in my home country.

As I learn, I hope to journal my thoughts and share with you all back home what is going on.  It is an exciting road that we have started, and I look forward to the ways in which God uses this work to bless the futures of many Peruvian children.  Please pray for the teachers and directors that I will be serving beside: Rosa, María Rosa, Betty, Graciela, Erasmina, Nadia, and Mariela.  Thank you for your support and the prayers you have lifted on our behalf before this time.

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.

Living Libraries 2012

We are off to a great start in the Living Library program.  After three years of opening community libraries and struggling to make them work, we have a new strategy, and I am very excited to share this with our supporters.  In our community libraries, the people in the neighborhoods were very supportive and encouraging toward our goal of seeing the library succeed.  However, we learned that getting members of the community to volunteer their time free of charge was next to impossible.  After seeing several open and close, we chose to invest all of our man-power into the Porvenir location.  I believe that the children that attended those Saturday library events appreciated every moment they spent there.  But at the end of last year, we received a final word from the Miraflores mayor asking us to leave the building because he wanted to use it for other purposes.  I was really bummed over this situation.  How could a mayor not see the benefit of this community library.  But politics are politics, and they definitely played into that situation.  I was very sad for the children we served, but we had no choice.  And looking back, I think it was God's hand closing that door and pushing us toward another opening.

So we have a new plan.  And I am so excited to share this with you.  First, I need to fill you in on Naranjal.  We have a long-standing relationship with the people of Naranjal.  We decided to open our final community library there.  I worked during the summer months with the children at that location.  It was a very short time, during a very wet rainy season.  Only 4-6 kids came to the events, but I pray that over time that program will grow more and more.

Now for the brand new part!  We are collaborating with three different public schools this first year to try a new method in promoting reading comprehension in the lives of these students.  We are targeting just the third grade classes.  I know from my experience as a teacher and my time here, that the key to making this a success is equipping the teachers.  We had such a problem with finding a volunteer base in those community settings.  Why not go to the places where people are passionate about the kids and already trying to teach them?  So that is exactly what we have done.  The staff at these schools are thrilled to have the extra help and staff development opportunity.  Here is how it is all going down:

1. Alfredo and I met with the staff at all three of the locations.  They have listened to the plan, know what is expected from them, and have signed a formal agreement stating that they are on board.
2. Alfredo and I made a visit to the classes the last Monday in March in order to have the kids evaluated at the beginning of the program.  I am hoping that this assessment coupled with an end-of-the-year assessment will show positive results.
3. I am planning the first meeting for the teachers where I will begin to share my knowledge on the subject of reading comprehension strategies.  It is my hope that we will meet once a month to discuss how it goes in the classes.  I am excited to build these relationships with the teachers involved.
4. I will make visits to the classes once a month to do an example lesson using the different strategies.  We will also provide the classes with a start-up school library (if you have donated books in the past, they will either be found in Naranjal or these schools.  And don't hesitate to send more!)
5. Our plan is to incentivize the students that perform well in the program half way through the year and then end of the year.

A couple of stories I would like to share with you that happened this past Monday:

I walked into the all-boys school class, and a little boy shouted, "Profesora!" (which means "teacher" in Spanish).  It was a little boy, Joel, that came to our library location in Porvenir.  I also ran into one of our girls in the all-girls school.  It is such a blessing, and affirmation from God, that we will still be serving the same children that could have come to that community library location.

In one of my assessments with a third-grade boy, I could tell he was one of the sharper ones.  His reading fluency was excellent, he answered every reading comprehension question with ease.  I got to a question, "What is your favorite book?"  He told me that he didn't have one, shrugging his shoulders.  I asked, "But do you like to read?"  He looked up at me, "Yes.  But I don't have any books to read.  That is why I can't tell you my favorite."

That, supporters, is a huge reason you are making a difference here.  It is my hope that we can make an improvement in reading comprehension, but something simpler than that is to make it easier for these children to have free access to books.  It is my prayer that they will discover a world of knowledge through this program and the stories that they will have access to read.

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.

Café Connection

Café Connection is (finally) open for business!  After delays by the carpenter, electrician, plumber, painter and the rain we were able to open our doors on Feb 17.  A few days later we invited friends and contacts to the cafe so they could see the place and try the different drinks and baked goods.  We are very excited about the opportunities this new business presents us with.  Not only do all profits go towards expanding our development work but we now have a solid base of operations for reaching out to the college students just down the road.  We are confident that God will use this location and ask that you pray that He do just that.  Here are some pictures so you can get to know the place, that is until you are able to come in person.

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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.