Church Life

Church life has its ups and downs, as any church knows. We go through dry spells, and we go through times of feeling blessed.  Just lately, I have witnessed blessing.  One of those blessings comes in the form of a theological class that Greg teaches through CUDA.  It is a five-trimester program that takes any student willing to explore the Bible as story, spiritual disciplines, and other practical issues.  I sat down with one of our church leaders the other day that is participating in the third semester.  I asked her how the class was going.  She said, “Megan, I so wish that everyone could go through these classes.  I am learning a much deeper meaning to the Bible than I have ever experienced.”  Because of some of the leaders from our house churches being in this theology class, they have structured the study material for all the house churches based on what they have learned so far.  This is both exciting and rewarding.  I have seen the hours that Greg has put into his curriculum for this class.  It is really exciting to see that hard work come to fruition.  I take for granted the many lessons I learned growing up in the church.  I take VBS, church camps, and youth rallies for granted.  I take for granted the opportunity I was given to attend a Christian university.  It is such a joy to see this theology class give people the opportunity to study the story of God, and for them to express the interest of teaching others.  They are people that were never given the opportunity to study the word of God in this way.
 
I just recently attended a missionary women’s retreat in Lima where we went through an intense five day study of the Exodus story.  I couldn’t help but make so many connections from Moses and Israel’s journey to the gospel message we teach from Mark.  I came home spiritually refreshed, but one of the first things I shared with Greg was that I had to study the story of Israel more deeply with Areli (one of my dearest friends here that I disciple in a weekly meeting).  Praise be to God!  She joined the new semester of the theology class that Greg is teaching.  I am so excited to see her eyes opened even more to God’s story as she explores the messages from the Old Testament this semester.

Every Wednesday afternoon, I wait for Greg to get home so that I can walk to the bus stop and meet Etelvina (one of our Peruvian sisters) and Bethany (my Australian teammate) in Porvenir, a neighborhood in Miraflores.  We meet at the corner of the street and then walk about eight blocks to Sandra’s one-room home.  We are always greeted by Sandra’s beautiful smile and the sweet giggles of her 7-month-old son, Harold.  We have enjoyed this weekly meeting together as we go through the book of Mark with Sandra.  She is such a delight in this study, and one of the biggest lessons that she latched onto was the promise of Jesus to multiply our families when we give them up for the sake of following him.  She is attending our Sunday meetings regularly, and I love to see our family welcome her and Harold into the fellowship we are so blessed to share.

It is hard to know how many will show up to our house church meeting sometimes, but this past Sunday was a record.  We actually ran out of seating for those that attended (there were over 20 in attendance).  I know that we will still have meetings in the future where numbers are low, and I am still not one to measure God’s success in this work as the number I see on a Sunday morning.  I guess just recently, I have been blessed to see the family of God be just what it is––family.  Caring to share something new with those around them and feeling burdened to teach it to others.  Continuing in the journey of seeking God even after baptism with brothers and sisters in the Way.  Feeling like one can be welcomed into a group of people that come from many different walks of life and still be seen as someone that “family” will care for in good and bad times.  Church life can be ugly, but when it is beautiful, it is one of the greatest blessings that God has given us.

First Time for Everything

There's a first time for everything.
 
Moving to another country is a fresh encounter with a whole new set of 'firsts'. And, looking back, it is encouraging to see all the challenges you've faced and it is deeply satisfying to realize "It's all good, God is truly with me. All the time". And it is so true. He is with us, always, in the big things and in the little things. So here's a look at God's provision in my recent past: 

• First time to figure out which meals to make for my family when I don't have all the ingredients I need easily accessible or even available in the first place
• First time to ride on crazy combis (small, jam-packed buses) with a toddler, a couple of bags etc often jumping on with a running start and jumping off without a complete stop
• First time to feel small earthquakes that shake my home and send me scurrying outdoors with my kids and husband
• First time to haggle with taxi drivers, telling them "I know it doesn't cost that much to get me there"
• First time to watch complete strangers  kiss my baby girl on the cheek and head even when she's in the frontside carrier (they try with Lorenzo but he pretends to shoot at them! ...)
• First time to be asked by a Peruvian pre-K teacher to come talk to her about my son's behavior at school! (It wasn't all bad :) 
• First time to figure out how to pack, organize, deal with moving companies to get a container 3,700+ miles away, discovering how many truly amazing helpers it takes to get all that done
• First, and last, time to eat Peruvian Chinese food at a mall's food court
• First bout with foreign bacteria getting comfortable in my intestines
• First time to begin working on the foreign mission field with a part of my team while joining an existing team, simultaneously taking advantage of their extreme helpfulness and learning new team dynamics 
• First times learning to tune out late night and early morning parties in our new neighborhood 
• First time to experience first hand how helpful and loving complete strangers can be when it comes to helping you settle into your new home and neighborhood
• First time to experience the joy and familiarity that exists in a house church 
• First time to completely, utterly, fully rely on God since, let's be honest, there is not much we are completely sure of here and even less that we can pretend we have control over

With this godly gift of hind-sight, let's look at our past and thank God for always being with us! My prayer is that this will help remind us to trust Him with our future with honest and happy hearts.

I Choose to Praise

Being in a new place and being away from home and what you are use to can be hard. We have been sick most of the time we have been here, have had troubles with the language and had times of not understanding the culture. I have had a couple of memorably bad days already where I have just ended up in tears and frustration. I have realised through these times that it is good to take time to celebrate and praise the Lord for the things that bring joy and happiness no matter how small or big. So there are a couple of things I want to share with you and hope you can celebrate with me. 
 
We have now been in Arequipa for 6 months! It seems like such an achievement as this is the longest I have been away from home. I could not have dreamed of all the things we have done, seen and been a part of already in these 6 months. Our new church family have welcomed us with open hearts and it has been such a privilege to walk with them in faith.
 
We have finished our Spanish lessons and can hold a relatively good conversation, which in turn is helping us to make some new friends.
 
I am also surrounded by teammates who don't know me so well but have opened their homes and hearts to us. It fills me with so much joy to be able to share this experience with them.
 
And lastly God’s amazing grace…what a beautiful gift. He has given me strength. He has soften my heart when it has been so hard. He has provided so generously in ways I didn’t even know I needed.
 
So I praise God for these things and ask that you will with me as well.

Extending Family

Each month we get our church groups together for a “Celebration” Sunday.  We focus on time spent together, on the kids, on communion.  In March we decided to shake things up a little after Abraham, who used to meet with one of our groups, came to propose a joint meeting with the church he is currently leading.  After running the idea by the church, everyone was in agreement and looking forward to meeting new brothers and sisters. 
 
Together our two groups rented out the cafe on a Sunday morning and gathered around the patio.  All told we had over 50 people in attendance (children included) and enjoyed a good morning of singing, study and fellowship. Both groups were encouraged by this shared time, as we were reminded again that God's family extends beyond whatever smaller group we call our own.

Desert Provision

Earlier this month Megan, Larissa, Bethany, and I went to a renewal retreat with missionaries serving across South and Central America. The theme of the weekend was Exodus, and everyone was encouraged to find their place in the story.  
 
I've been in Arequipa for two months. For nearly a year it has felt like the desert, a place with constant longing and constant transitions. It was easy to place myself with Moses at the burning bush as he wrestles with his calling.
 
Yet Moses's questions resonated with my heart. God had patience in answering his every fear, knowing the great things he had in store. And God used the week to remind me of all the provisions we have been given in the past few weeks. Important questions have been answered and fears have been relieved. 
 
Evan loves school...we have a permanent place to call home...our container has arrived. There are still more uncertainties and insecurities, but I am reminded that our God is the God of provision. Even in the desert.

Philippians Prayer

I had the gift of leading a devotional among the team in the past week as part of our team meeting.
 
We read Philippians 4:4-8. If you haven't read it lately, read it. Through the stresses of the day, the difficulties we face, our challenges, our distractions and our emotions. The words ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus' are truly wonderful words. If I genuinely reflect on the times I have prayed for God's work in my life I can see a peace that I would not ever have otherwise. If you reflect on it too, I believe that you will find the same thing.
 
I also have a default position, which is using God as a Lucky charm (only praying when I ‘need’ or strongly desire something). I’m sure God knows that is my normal heart, so every time I read it I feel like God had me in mind. God knows what we need, of that I am certain. But not only that, he gives us the assurance that only He is able to; that the master of the universe has our concerns in mind and through Him we will have a peace that we can’t understand, but can be ever-so grateful for.

Outreach

If you haven’t heard about CUDA’s community development program, you should visit the CUDA blog and read this post.
 
Recently, some participants in this program and other neighbors began studying the Bible.  It is always our hope that CUDA beneficiaries will be interested in talking more about faith or reading the Bible, but we try not to make anyone feel pressure to do so.  Instead, we talk openly about our own faith and make invitations to have personal conversations.  Very often these invitations come to nothing, but sometimes a seeker will take us up on the offer.  
 
Then there are the times when program participants invite us to share more with them.  That was the case for the community development program.  After we had got to know each other a little, some of the ladies in the program were chatting with me after a meeting, asking what I do in Arequipa.  This is a common question, and I usually explain that I moved my family to Arequipa because we want to tell people about the kingdom of God by serving in different ways, such as through CUDA, and by sharing the Bible with people who are interested.  Before I could get to an invitation, they asked if I would be willing to study the Bible with them.  Those are fun situations for a missionary—when you can just say yes.  This is not a fairytale story, though.  These women live hard lives, and they work whenever they can.  It is difficult to find a time to meet with them, so our studies are sporadic.  I’m praying that we can find a regular time and really get into the story of Jesus together.
 
Another Bible study has come out of a loan group.  After finishing the biblical business ethics class that is part of their curriculum as borrowers, a few of them requested to continue studying.  Paty and I meet every Thursday with this small group to read Mark.  Alcoholism afflicts one participant’s life, and we have tearfully begun to work through difficult family dynamics.  Paty and I were glad to have Mark Clancy visit from Lima recently and play an encouraging role in the study.  Sometimes it is hard to see they way ahead, but we trust that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.  It is a blessing to be reminded of that when other Christians visit and reflect the light.

Family

It is good to be home! We had a great furlough, but were tired by the end and ready to get back. Our Sunday meeting was like a breath of fresh air as we settled back into the rhythms that are most familiar to our family. The group met at the Gray’s home for our celebration meeting, which is when all the house church groups come together to share. We all contribute some food items toward a meal together, spend time in worship, collaborate on a lesson for the kids, and open the floor to anything that anyone needs to say. It is beautiful.
 
Having been gone, this still feels like the beginning of the year, since we’ve missed a few weeks. I enjoyed seeing friends and piling all our kids on the rug for high energy songs and a hilarious drama led by Megan about Moses, kicking off a series on average people that God used in powerful ways. I hadn’t realized just how much I miss the relaxed, familial feel of our meetings until I joined them again. I love these people, my brothers and sisters in Christ - Peruvian, American and Australian alike. They are my people and without them, this would not be home. 
 
I am proud of this family. We constantly push for growth, learning how to live out our faith in community, focusing on establishing habits that cultivate a faithful life. Greg has challenged each person in the church to give 1 sol every week, all year. I am excited to see what can come of little sacrifices, giving of what you have, however little it may seem, because I know God loves taking bits and pieces and building beauty. He does it with our individual lives and will now have a new chance to use our community to bless others. Another new effort is in our church-wide verse memorization. We have introduced a new verse every month for the last year and many of our attendees, children and adults, have met the challenge each time. This year, we are tackling a longer passage of scripture a little bit at a time, so that after a few months, everyone will be able to recite several verses in a row, engraving more and more truths on their minds and hearts. 
 
This family is still young. We have many people in attendance who haven’t decided what they think about the whole thing, but they keep coming back to find out more. Some have stepped up into leadership positions and we are continually thankful for their hearts and willingness to dive in. All are welcome, and no one has all the answers, but we know that we’re better together than apart.