10 days...

I can't believe I only have 10 days left in Peru. It really, honestly doesn't feel real. Praise God, I don't feel super stressed, yes, I am very busy and tired and am doing a lot, but it is getting done. I don't feel like I have so much to do and it won't get done, so that's definitely a blessings. We have 3 more days of school. On Friday I plan on giving my kiddos their goodbye presents (class pictures decorated with their names and a note along with a pencil and a snack) and saying goodbye, I will see them again at the Clausaura on Wed., but I may or may not get to see them all and I want to be sure to say goodbye. Oh man...thinking about saying goobye...I try not to  think about it too much. This weekend we have a wedding on Saturday and Sunday is our last weekend at church and Mary's goodbye party. Monday we have to go in to school to clean/decorate for the clausaura (final program) and Monday evening we (the teachers) are leaving for la Raya (a place 4 hours away where there are hot springs) and we will get back Tuesday evening. Wed. we will have to go to school in the morning to prep and then the Clausara is at 4. Thurs. we are supposed to go to school and clean everything up and we are planning to have the teachers over for lunch to say goodbye. Then, we fly out Fri. morning at 9:10 :O Busy...no? ;P There's some more things I wish I had time for...but I just don't think there will be. Prayers for me in this time would be great. I just need to focus on one day at a time and all the amazing things God has planned for it.

The one that Jesus loves

Each week we have a meeting of the missionaries from EMM. We usually study a book. Our current book is called "What's so Amazing about Grace." In one chapter he discussed how John describes himself as the one whom Jesus loves. We really should describe ourdelves in the same way. So often we define ourselves by our jobs, our frienships, our families, or our overall sucess...the problem with that? We aren't perfect and cannot be, so we will always mess up and that will affect how we then view ourselves. It is so much better to just simply define ourselves as the one that Jesus loves. Trust me, this is definitely something I need to work on, but it is so freeing; it takes away so much pressure. God gives us all this freedom and we sometimes still choose to live bound, I have no idea why...

"She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said."

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
    “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,  but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
~Luke 10:38-42

In three weeks I will be back in the United States. It's hard to believe. I am feeling a mix of emotions. On one hand, I am very excited to see my friends and family. It is also the end of the school year, and I am feeling kind of worn out and could use a break. On the other hand, it is going to be so hard to say goodbye to my kiddos and all of the amazing people I have grown close to this year. This past week I found myself thinking about all this a lot. It was consuming my mind, which was no good. God gave me a picture. It was of a girl dancing, happily, in a field. Things started to be thrown at her which hindered her from dancing. Then the things stopped coming, but the girl could still not dance because she was too worried that the objects would come back. God showed me that I need to focus on one day at a time and all of the amazing things that He has in store for that day. And to take the time to sit at His feet in the midst of craziness (like Mary).

Thanksgiving :)

Today was a busy, but good day:) Thanksgiving is not the same here, so we didn't have off school. After school, we went to the Kreider's house (a missionary family) for a Thanksgiving meal. We each brought a dish or dishes and we got to have a "normal" meal (turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin and apple pie...). After we ate we played some games and hung out for a while. It was fun. It still doesn't completely feel like Thanksgiving to me, I think especially because the weather doesn't feel like I am used to for this time.
I have been thinking about what I am thankful for, and I am really, truly thankful for this experience. God has grown me so much in this year; taking me out of my normal routine, to show me the things I need to change in my life. I've also gotten the chance to meet so many amazing, on-fire-for-God people. I've also been able to grow a lot in my teaching, especially in my classroom management. It's just another reminder of the importance of following God's plan because it truly is what is best.
I've also just really been reminded of the importance of not taking anyone for granted and always being thankful for those God has placed in my life.
"That my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever." ~Psalms 30:12

Two kind of unrelated and very different topics I want to write about :) :
Last Friday, I got invited to go over to one of my students' houses after school. So, I , of course, was kind of lost, but I finally found it, I think, but no one answered. So, I walked home and I got a call. It was my students' mom and so we decided to go somewhere downtown. It was a lot of fun to get to get to know the mom better and fun bonding time with my student. She has a son as well, so in the combi he rode on her lap and Micaela on mine. We went downtown and walked around and had ice cream. On the way back Micaela wanted to do riddles and we just laughed and laughed...it was a blast and I am so thankful for that oppotunity:)

Two of my second graders at recess:)

Yesterday was an interesting day at school. In the morning, just after school had started, I went to the office to make some copies. I was talking to Marisol and we heard this boom and the ground shook a bit. At first I thought it was an earthquake, but the ground didn't continue shaking. So, Marisol and I ran out the office door, and down the stairs there was smoke and Marga and Valeria (Valeria is Marisol's mom and they both cook snack for the kids at the school) ran out of the kitcken and were yelling for Marisol to bring the fire estinguisher. But she didn't really know how to work it or what do do, so we saw Miguel and yelled for him and he came and took care of it. The whole time I was just kind of like, I have no idea what to do, but Miguel told me to go to the top of the stairs and not let anyone down, so I did that. Apparently something occured with the gas tank and the hose came unhooked and was spewing out and there was fire involved. Apparently things were melted, even the pipes to the sink. It smelled terrible of gas and fumes, so we had to get all the kids up to the roof. Then the firemen came and we had to evacuate, so we went down the street to a soccer field where they have gym and waited there for a while. It was fun to hang out with my kiddos. I taught them a hand game and we played duck duck goose. There was also an impromptu soccer tornament. Finally, about 2 hours after this all began, we were able to go back to school and finish out the day. It was a scary experience and I am so thankful Marga and Valeria are unharmed (just some singed hair). God was definitely there in that situation, protecting us and keeping everyone calm.

Enjoy the Little Things

The other day my students in 6th grade had to write a biography, it was supposed to be on a famous person they researched. Some of them didn't do the research at home and one girl decided to do it on me. So she asked me the questions, and we got to what made you famous, and I said, I am not famous. And one boy goes, you are famous to us, and he said it very seriously, not like in a suck up way. It was cute. And it reminded me to cherish those fun little moments with my kids. Yes, they can be a handleful and difficult, but I need to cherish those little moments with them and let those be the things I remember. It really makes it all worth it.

"Everybody laughs the same in every language because laughter is a universal connection. "

I had a fun weekend, full of laughter. God definitely knew just what I needed. We've been finding out some tough situations that are kids are in and that has been really sad. But God definitely reminded me this weekend that there is so much more than individual situations. He's so much bigger. We need to cling to His joy and keep spreading His love.
On Friday night we were invited over to Bethany's house. A girl that used to be a missionary here (Angela)was visiting so they decided to have a party. There were some Peruvians there I knew well, kinda well, a little, and not at all. But it was so much fun to meet new people and hang out. There are three sisters that are just hilarious and a lot of fun to spend time with. We played Dutch Blitz, ate pizza, and watched Soul Surfer.
On Sat. Mary and I were invited to go downtown with Bethany, Angela, and the three sisters I mentioned earlier. There is a giant slide that is in a park you can go to (imagine the giant,  wide amusement park slides that you go down on a rug). We went and went down it many times, in a train, linking arms, etc. It was tons of fun and lots of laughs. There were many times after we got down the slide that we just doubled over in laughter. :) Next, we went to another park, with another slide. This slide was intense!! Three people wouldn't even go down it, it was scary. You start out going super fast, and then, near the end, there's this intense drop and you go even faster. The first time I flew off the end! Luckily I got my feet under me, but I only landed on them for a second and launched onto my knees. But again, we laughed hysterically:) The first time is scarier, because you don't know what to expect. Then we took lots of pictures at the park, it was a blast:) Then, later that night, I played games with my roommates and laughed some more:)
Sunday we went to a sushi making party at carrie's house. A blast as well. I had never had sushi before, and we made Peruvian fushion sushi:) So, I had a weekend full of relations, which was just what I needed:)

Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins..." 1 Peter 4:8

I have been in Peru  for seven months now and have less than four left. Sometimes I think about my experience and wish I would see something "big" happen. For example, the behavior of my kids is still not stable, one day they can be great and the next terrible. I want them to get better and stay better, I would love to see a marked change in them (especially in my 6th graders who have been a tough class for a while). Or you hear so many missionary stories about leading people to Christ. I don't feel like I have a "big" experience like that. This is what God told me, if all you do while in Peru is love on those kids, love the people you work with and the people you come in contact with, that's more than enough. Then He gave me this verse: "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing," 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. These verses show how important love is to God and I think we overlook it so much because we want to see something happen, we want a result. But I felt God telling me that I may never see one or it may be a while until I see one, but to just love. Love is enough.

Random Happenings :)

So, earlier this week one of the teachers asked me to translate a song for her. Each class was assigned a song for students' day that they must learn and teach everyone motions to. Her class got an English song. So, she had me come in with them while they were listening to the song, but I was like, I really need to be where I can stop and start the song if I am going to translate it. So she gave me the song and I went to the computer lab to work on it. Luckily the computer teacher had the lyrics in English, so I printed them out and worked on translating it. I was able to do it, which was exciting ( I looked a thing or two up of course, but I was happy).

On Monday afternoon one of my 6th graders came over after school. She checked out the Chronicles of Narnia in English and was struggling with comprehension. So she came over and we read (slash I translated) and then we played a game. It was a lot of fun and nice to get to spend time with her.

Today, there were 4 dogs in my 6th grade class! Apparently they are doing expositions for their communications class on pets, so they bring their pets in, and they stay with them all day. So, there were 4 medium sized dogs on leashes in my class. It definitely made things a little more difficult and added distractions. There were also kittens, a cat, and mice. But those weren't so bothersome because they were caged or boxed and not too large. I really found it rather funny:)

"Believe it or not but life is not apparently about me anyways, but I have met the One who really is worthy, so let me say, so long, self..."

God gave me an awesome reminder the other day, everything I do is not for me, not to prove I am good enough, it is for  Him. For example, I don't teach for me, to prove I am a good teacher, etc., I teach for Hime, because He wants to touch these kids and impart knowledge on them. Building relationships is not a sign of whether or not I am a good enough person, it is a gift from God because He wants to touch that person or use that person to touch me. It was a really good reminder and also reminds me that I don't need to carry that pressure. I just need to give it all to God and let Him work through the situations and truly give Him control.
"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." ~1Peter 4:7-11

"Empty my hands, fill up my heart, capture my mind with You..."

I haven't written in a while...you would think since I have a two week break from school I would have more time, and it has definitely been relaxing, but not a ton of time to write. The first week Megan and I took a bus trip to Chile to renew our visas. It was very relaxing. We walked on the beach, read in parks, took a tour of a national park, and just explored the area. I've learned that Chilean Spanish is MUCH more difficult to understand than Peruvian Spanish. They speak very quickly, cut off the ends of their words, and don't really pronounce the letter s. We kept having to have people repeat themselves, I think they thought we didn't speak Spanish well, but I understand here...haha! This second week MEgan and I bought the tourist ticket (the only time I will allow myself to be called a tourist ;)) and have been going to see some of the different Inkan ruins and famous sites. It's reminded me of how thankful I should be that I get the chance to be in such a beautiful place. I've honestly never seen anything like it and it still takes my breath away. Right before break we had a program at school to celebrate Peru's independence day. Each class acted out something that led to Peru's independence. At the end the teachers sang a song. It was kind of funny, the song was saying I have the pride to be Peruvian, and I am happy to be born in this beautiful land of sun:) And we wore red and white ponchos to make the Peruvian flag! I feel like my relationships with the teacher keep growing stronger, which is really exciting. I also keep seeing improvements in my language, which is also a huge blessing. I definitely needed this break to recharge, but I also definitely miss the teachers and my students.

Jeremiah 17:5-8

God always brings this verse back to me with new meanings or pictures, it’s such a blessing. One day my devotional was just what I needed to hear. It talked about how we so often focus on the external and situations, when really we need to focus on our relationship with God and deepening that and this will naturally fix the external. It had this quote: “Spiritual growth consists most in the growth of the root, which is out of sight, “by Matthew Henry. Then God brought me back to Jeremiah 17:5-8 and reminded me that a tree without roots can’t do anything, it can’t keep its leaves from wilting, it can’t grow fruit, it can’t do anything. It needs the roots and then these things happen. So, it was a good reminder to focus on my relationship with God and deepening that instead of my circumstances, people, or certain situations.

God Most Definitely has a Plan

So often I think about what may happen or try to plan things out, but today was a really good reminder that God has a plan much bigger and better than anything I have in mind. Sunday, Megan and I decided to go on a walk, because it was nice and sunny in the afternoon. Megan had the idea for us to go visit her host mother, so we called her and then started walking there. We were almost there, when we saw a girl (nineteen years old) running hysterically down the street screaming İayudame! (help me) with her dad running after her. She made it to us and threw her arms around me and held on tight.  When the dad got to us he grabbed her and started yanking her, but she had her arms firmly grasped around my waist so I went with them. He was very angry and yelling at her. I asked him if he could just wait a minute and let everyone calm down and he was like you don’t know what is going on here. And I agreed with him but insisted that everyone needed to calm down before she could go with him (she was obviously terrified and kept saying things like he is going to kill me, he is going to hit me). Luckily some men came around and tried to calm down the father as well. The girl just kept looking at me, with so much fear in her eyes and asking me to help her. At one point he was able to get her off of me and she was freaking out and a man was trying to help and I looked at the other men and was like please help, please help and they started gathering around him as well and I was able to pull the girl back out. Eventually the dad calmed down a little and everyone seemed in agreement that they should go to the police station and the girl was like please come with me, please. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I couldn’t leave her, for some reason she clung to me and found comfort in me and so I had to go. So Megan and I went to the police station with the girl and her dad (praying the whole way) and we were there for probably an hour. It turns out the dad was very angry because the girl had spent all day yesterday and all night with a boy and she’s been staying out late and not being responsible. The cop was really good at talking them through all their problems. By the end the dad was much calmer (he had even cried at one point) and seemed willing to work things out. I honestly felt like he wasn’t going to hurt her and he honestly wanted to work things out. He even apologized to me and thanked me. The girl was still a little upset and afraid, but much better. And the officer assured her that if her dad hurt her she should return and the officer would take care of it. I didn’t really get a chance to talk to them personally or pray with them or anything like that, but I definitely feel like God worked through me in that situation. Afterwards, I kept wondering, why me, why did she choose me to latch onto. I never met her before, yet she kept hugging me tight and just crying in my arms. I felt a strong feeling while all this was going on that I just needed to exist, just be there for her (which kept her dad from being able to pull her away) and love and care for her as Jesus would even though I had no idea who she was, what she had done, or if I may ever see her again. I just knew I couldn’t leave her. I felt God telling me that I may not understand what He’s doing, or see many of the results, but that I just needed to be there for her, that my actions would speak loudly. I hope more comes of the situation, I hope she was able to see God through me. All I know is that God definitely worked through me, because I wasn’t really scared, I was trying to reason with the man (in Spanish), and I felt like my actions just flowed and it was definitely all God. It’s just an amazing reminder that God can and will use us I amazing ways and we just need to trust in His plan and be willing to go with it.

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1Peter 4:8

"Empty my hands, fill up my heart, capture my mind with You..."

The title for this entry is a song I have been listening to a lot lately (it's by Tenth Avenue North, if you are interested). I feel like God has also really been calling me to do this as well: empty my hands of anything I am carrying and trying to do in my own strength, fill up my heart with His love and let that be enough (not to need the approval or attention of others), and for my mind to be captured on Him (meaning to let go of worries and thoughts of the things of this world and be focosed solely on Him).
So, here are some updates of things I have been up to...Last Saturday was super busy. In the morning we went to a wedding for a couple at our church. It was supposed to start at 10:30, it started around 12. Nothing was super different, except it was a little longer. They had a worship section where a group led a few worship songs and then the pastor did a sermon before the vows. After the service they went to the reception, this was close to 2, but we were unable to go becautse we had the March for Jesus. With the kids and teachers from school, we marched in a parade through Cusco with other churches and schools. We had signs, and balloons, and sang songs as we marched. This was over around 4:30 and some of the teachers said they were going to the reception, we thought it would be over by this time (and we thought we definitely couldn't go like we were dressed for the march, but they all said we were fine, we were going to dance anyway), but a little later we called someone and they said they just served the food, so we went back. We got there about 6 stayed until about 8, apparently it wrapped up around 9. It was a really fun day.
This week we had teacher appreciation day. I feel like it is celebrated a lot more here. So many students (even some that aren't mine) hugged me and told me happy teachers' day. I also got a bunch of gifts and cards. It was very sweet, I definitely felt appreciated. We also had off Friday for Teachers' appreciation day. On Thurs. one of my 2nd graders (a son of a missionary that also teaches at the school) had a birthday party, so we took all the kids from his class to his house right after school (we had 8 people plus the driver in our small taxi; it was Rocio (the 2nd grade teacher), me, four second graders, one 6th grader, and another older girl :O). It was a good time and fun to get to spend more time with the kids, Rocio, and Letty outside of school. On Saturday it was Wendy's (the third grade teacher) birthday. So she invited me to come to her house for her birthday. It was just me and a few of her family members. It was a lot of fun and I was really honored that she invited me.

Me dancing with the bride at the reception

The bride making her entrance

The 5th, 6th, and 7th graders held up signs (that said Jesus loves you) for the march

Mary and Martha

At the Home of Martha and Mary (In Luke)

 ³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
   ⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

This passage came up a lot for me during training. I felt God really telling me that I was like Martha, I did too much and worried too much and this could sometimes lead me to overlook Him. I needed to be more like Mary and sit and listen. Like I said, this verse came up all the time for me during training, but I hadn't even thought about the verse while here, to be honest, until someone mentioned it the other day. Then I was reminded and I felt God telling me I needed to revisit it. I had kind of been feeling off and like I recently wasn't giving God the time He deserved, and re-reading this verse just really convicted me. I can get busy and focused on worldy things and not spend the time with God that He deserves. Reading this verse this time it really struck me that Mary didn't just sit at Jesus' feet and listen when she had nothing else to do, she sat and listened in the midst of craziness when she could have been doing so many other things, but she chose, what Jesus calls, the better thing, the only thing that is needed. It was a very good reminder of where my priorities should be.

Da me lo que necesito, para ser como tu....

Dame tus Ojos: Marcela Gandara

dame tus ojos quiero ver

dame tus palabras quiero hablar

dame tu parecer...

dame tus pies yo quiero ir

dame tus deceos para sentir

dame tu parecer...

dame lo que necesito

para ser como tu

coro

dame tu voz dame tu aliento

toma mi tiempo es para ti

dame el camino que debo seguir

dame tus sueños tus anhelos

tus pensamientos

tu sentir

dame tu vida para vivir.

dejame ver lo que tu vez

dame de tu gracia, tu poder

dame tu corazon...

dejame ver en tu interior

para ser cambiado

por tu amor

dame tu corazon

dame lo que necesito

para ser como tu...

I'll try to put that in English for you:

Give me your eyes, I want to see

Give me your words, I want to speak

Give me your mind

Give me your feet, I want to go

Give me your desires to feel (that's the direct translation, but it doesn't sound 100% correct, but maybe that phrase just doesn't translate well)

Give me your mind...

Give me what I need to be like you

chorus:

Give me your voice, give me your breathe

Take my time, it's for you

Give me the way I should go

Give me your dreams, your desires

your thoughts

your feelings

Give me your life to live

let me see what you see

Give me your thanks, your power

Give me your heart...

Let me see your interior

to be changed

for your love

Give me your heart

Give me what I need to be like you...

I have fallen in love with this song. I heard some of the teachers listening to it at school and came home and looked it up. I have listened to it atleast once daily since. I wanted to learn it and I love the words and the theme. Just seeking God's everything so that everything you have isn't yours but His. The line toma mi tiempo es para ti (take my time, it's for you) has really stuck out to me as well, I want to work on having that attitude more, seeking how God wants me to spend my time, because it's His, not mine. Also, dame lo que necesito para ser como tu (give me what I need to be like you), and just seeking to be as much like God as I can. If you want to hear the song, here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLku3J7O33g 

Birthday Blessings!

I was definitely blessed on my birthday. My roommates decorated my door, covered the stairs with toilet paper I had to break through, and made me strawberry shortcake for breakfast. And Esther made me applesauce so I can make an applesauce cake with cream cheese icing (my favorite that my mom usually makes me for my birthday but I didn't think I'd be able to make because there's no applesauce here)! At school lots of my kiddos wished me happy birthday and gave me hugs:) Some even game me presents; I got flowers, a keychain, silly band, and bread. They are so sweet. My sixth graders and their homeroom teacher threw me a surprise party! They all brought in snacks and cakes. My favorite part was when they each went around and said something to me. Many thanked me for coming so far to be with them. One said I was the best teacher she ever had. My one boy that's new and in the begining wasn't trying at all, but now is trying and really getting it, said you were able to get English into my head, which made me smile and feel good, because I feel like he now believes he can learn English. Another boy said I was very special to him and that he knows I am far from my family, but that they are my kids and he hopes I can confide in them. Another girl said, I know we misbehave sometimes, but thank you for being so patient with us. It all ment a lot to me, especially since they can be a somewhat difficult class, it was good to see how they do care for me. I had to tell myself, don't cry, don't cry...haha! And tomorrow the teachers are coming over for a birthday party (for both Megan and I because our birthdays were one day apart), so I am excited about that.

In other news, I had my first parent teacher conferences today, and they were in Spanish :O...haha It seemed really scary, but it really wasn't. The classroom teacher talked more than I did. I made some speaking errors because I was nervous, but I feel like I understood really well, which is exciting. And when we would have a little time between parents I was able to chat with Rosio and Pamela, which was nice, becasue I felt like I got to know them better.

On the Other Side...

It's kind of funny...there's a team here right now from Millersville University. The same group (not people) that I came on a missions trip here in 2008. Actually, two of the people that are here were on my team, and one of them I know from college! On Sunday they did some stuff (like sing and talk) at church and today they were helping out in the classrooms at school. It was kind of wierd to be on the other side of it this time, to be in the crowd with the Peruvians as they preformed on Sunday and to be the one telling them how they can help me out in the classroom. Sometimes I still feel in schock that I am actually living in South America and doing all this. But it really is a blessing:)

Praise God for Flexibility!!

I remember back in training when we had to do a stregth finders test. One of my top 5 was adaptability. I remember Stacy saying, "oh, that's good for where you are going!" Was she ever right! Not that I am not still challenged by it at times, but that adaptability God has given me has been a blessing. There is the whole time thing, if something starts at 11, it is perfectly normal to show up at 12 or later. Another example is, that when it gets to be winter here our school schedule gets pushed back by 20 min. because it is so cold in the morning. One day at our morning meeting they were talking about this and were like, oh, we'll start that tomorrow...haha...can you imagine doing that in the states?! People would be in an uproar, but here it's perfectly normal. But this week has definitely been a week of flexibility. Yesterday (Friday) we had a parents' day program. On Wed. I ended up only having 2 out of my 4 classes, because they were practicing. Thurs. 2 out of my 5, and Friday I ended up having no classes at all (but this was kind of fun, because I got to hang out with my classes and help them get ready). Wed. after school, we stayed late to make flowers for decorations, and Thurs. until 7 decorating. And it was all pretty much a last minute decision. So, praise God that that kind of thing doesn't really bother me too much! In a way it is kind of nice to not be ruled by time.
The program turned out really good, they really went all out with dances and outfits. I added a picture of some of my second graders. They did a traditional dance with traditional outfits. Too cute!

"Trust involves letting go and knowing God will catch you." ~James Dobson

The title was just a quote from one of my devotionals this week that I really liked. It was a good, relaxing weekend :) On Saturday morning some of the teachers met for breakfast which was a lot of fun. And then at night we went to a youth thing that our church was having. Youth groups are a bit different here, it's like teeneagers until you are married, so there was quite a range of ages. A group is here from Canada, so they lead it. It was a very nice message and I was sitting next to one of the teachers who is a lot of fun, so I laughed a lot :) Afterwords, there was a concert downstairs, so we joined that. At one point there was a big circle of people holding hands and just dancing in God's joyous presence. Then a smaller circle formed and pulled Megan and I in. Then I realized the big circle had grown around us and we were in the middle! But it was a lot of fun! I felt like I laughed a lot and was just really filled with joy which was awesome! The church had a marriage conference all weekend, so Sunday church was packed! It was a really nice service (although a little hard for me to focus, because you had the guy preaching in Spanish, a guy translating the sermon into Quechua, and a guy translating it into English off to the side for the Canadian group. And then with lots of people and crying babies, it made it hard for me to concentrate, and that's what I need to do to understand the Spanish sermons. But I still got the gist) and a lot of people gave control of their lives to God and the marriage conference seemed to really make a lot of people want to work on their marriages as well, which is really exciting. Afterwards there was a meal. It was really nice to have activities at church outside of church. It helps you to get to know more people and it gave me more of a sense of belonging to the church as well.
I have been reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan. It's a really good book and it's basically about how many have forgotten about the Holy Spirit. I definitely felt the Holy Spirit's presence this weekend and feel like He was speaking to me (through people, through the bible, etc.). I also, again, got the feeling that I am where I am supposed to be at this time in my life, which is very comforting. I definitely feel like God is molding me in this time which is really exciting.
"But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel." ~Jeremiah 18:4-6

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him..."

Jeremiah 17:5-8 has just been continually coming up ever since my training to come here. It's really been neat to see how God has used one verse in so many different situautions. And also, how He keeps showing me new meanings of the verse. Like this week, verse 7 ( “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him") really stuck out to me and I realized I kind of breezed over it before. I more focused on the part where it says to be like a tree planted by the stream (to really make sure my roots are deeply rooted into God). God recently pointed out to me that it says  “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,  whose confidence is in him.They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream..." That that is how we become like the tree with our roots planted by the water, by trusting in Him and having our confidence in Him. That just never really clicked before, even though I have read the verse a lot. I feel like trusting in the Lord, I generally understand the concept (not that I can't learn more or always do it), but putting my confidence in God I don't feel like I completely comprehend (so if you have any thoughts I would appreciate them). I mean, I am thinking along the lines of having confidence in Him and not my own abilities, but then I think He gave me my abilities, so maybe just remembering that and realizing it's not my own strength? Or having confidence in His plan for me, but how does that differ from trust? So, I definitely need to keep seeking wisdom on the topic, but I am excited to learn more and that God is showing me new things.

Surprise Blessings!

I was reflecting today, and I was surprised at how supported I have felt while here. Today, I got a letter from someone that took me by surprise (I just wasn't expecting it) and they told me how much they enjoy my newsletters and they share them with their small church group. It was definitely a blessing to hear. My mom also writes me often and sent me a package and my dad wrote once too. I also get letters from my sister and drawings from my nieces and nephew which make me smile. I've also just gotten a lot of encouraging facebook messages and e-mails and good skype conversations. The amount of suppport kind of surprised me for some reason. Maybe because I had so much trouble with my funds or some of the responses when I said what I was doing. But all that doesn't matter, I feel supported and blessed. Praise God!

"Eres mi sombra de día, mi luz en la noche, pastor amoroso, no me faltarás..."

Today made me smile. In the morning I go down to the playground where my second graders line up. I love greeting them and getting an extra chance to chat with them. One of the kids was being a dinosaur and trying to eat my coat...haha...but that's not the point of my post. When I walked with them up to their class I had a little girl holding each hand and one holding the back of my coat.  It made me feel very loved. God definitely shows me His love through kids.

The title of this post is a song we sang this morning (on Thursdays before school we have a time of worship with all the teachers). It's been in my head all day. It roughly means you are my shadow by day, my light in the night, loving pastor, you don't fail me. I have noticed a lot of the songs here have had the line no me faltaras, like you don't fail or forget me. This is a really good reminder, just that God won't fail us, that everything that happens is for a reason and He will use it to better us and to shape us more into the person He wants us to be.

Things I love about Peru:

• The culture in general; it's very warm, welcoming, and caring.
• Teaching in a christian school and getting to talk about God with my students.
• How loving my students are.
• The ability to freely hug and communicate with my students (like they will just come visit our house:))
• My students are easily pleased by the simple things.
• God's definitely here and moving.
• The people's passionate spirits.
• Speaking and learning more Spanish.
• THE MOUNTAINS!!
• The less rushed, more laid back pace.
• The other teachers at Promesa.
• All the people God has placed in my life here.
• Fresh fruit from the market.

And I am sure there are definitely more that I can't think of at the moment. I think it is always good to take a minute to list the positives in something so that you don't overlook them :)

I had a nice, relaxing weekend. Friday night we (being me and my three roommates) made cookies and watched a movie. On Sat. went grocery shopping and did some school work, then watched a movie at night. Sunday was election day, so we couldn't have church or any meetings. It really felt like a vacation day. In the morning I read my bible and spent time with God, we made chocolate chip pancakes and had a worship/prayer time. Then we took a walk to the Brubaker's to eat lunch and play games. It was nice to be in a family setting. Then we walked home, made pizza for dinner and watched another movie (haha...I promise Fri. was the first I've watched a movie here) (oh...and fun tidbit...you can get movies here for like 4 soles (like less than $2...they would definitely be illegal copies in the U.S., but it's not here and it's what they have). It was definitely a needed, relaxing day. And today at school was good, I feel like things went pretty smoothly, which was really a blessing!

In other news, last week I went to a professional soccer game, and while we were waiting for it to start, a camera crew came by and filmed us and made us do a chant and dance...so I guess I was on Peruvian T.V....haha!
Also, as I mentioned, yesterday was election day, we are still waiting on results. There is one candidate that was in the lead, but I've heard he wants to run Peru like Hugo Chavez runs Venezuela and make all the foreigners leave...not positive, I've just heard that from a few people. But, from what I understand, they need a certain percentage to win, and nobody will prob. get there, so they'll have a run off between the top two competetors. And theis same guy (Ollanta) was in the same position last year, but lost in the runoff. So continued prayers for the one that would be best for God's plan to win would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A Pleasant Surprise :)

This morning we had our first random drop in! Here, it is very acceptable to just stop by someone's house or to call just a bit before you go over. At 8 this morning (I was awake, but still in my PJ's, and Megan was still in bed)our doorbell rings. I was like who could that be...I tried to look out the window to see, since I was in my Pj's, but I could only see their legs. So I went downstairs to look and our phone rings, and it is one of the teachers from the school (actually she was a teacher from the school, but she got someone to replace her and is moving to Italy shortly; she will be missed)saying she was outside. She always told us she was going to come see our house sometime...haha! So I let her in and Megan cane down (also in her PJ's). It was so much fun. I love that she just randomly dropped in. We had tea and banana bread and talked for a while, it was really nice. I like the fact that it is culturally acceptable to visit without as much planning, I think it fosters relationships more. What a fun way to start the day!

I just realized the funniest and most exciting thing! The picture to the right is me and a little girl I met when I was here last time (3 years ago). Her and her little sister loved the Sapo (frog) song that we taught the kids. She would always find Alyssa and I and say "Sapo, sapo, Mamacita!" She is in my second grade class! I thought she looked really familiar, but I couldn't quite place why. Then I looked at the picture again and realized it was her! So fun:)

"I won't sit back and take this anymore, 'cuz I'm done with that, I got one foot out the door, and to go back to where I was would just be wrong...I'm pressin' on..."

"You are my Prince of Peace and I will live my life for You..."

I've been a bit busy with school starting and all, I am sure the further we get into school the better that will get. And right now we are still doing work for the UGEL (the like Peruvian head of schools, and they have changed the foormat on this document we have to do quite a few times). School has been going pretty well.I have some behavior problems in my classes, which is definitely difficult (so prayers for them and wisdom for me in that situation would be awesome). The kids are super loving though which is great. Something funny is that many of them like my hair. One little girl said I have hair like a Barbie...haha! And they like to touch it, they are funny:)
Yesterday the teachers got together at someone's house and had a lunch and worship session. It was a lot of fun to get to laugh, talk with, and worship with them. I really like the group of teachers. They are very loving and caring and make me feel like I belong. Two weeks ago I had to miss a day and a half of school because I had a stomach bug and when I came back they were all asking me how I was and telling me how they prayed for me:) I am definitely learning a lot from the people here! They are super caring, loving, and look out for the welfare of others, which I love.

Some Things That Might Interest You

• We drink evaporated milk- the first time my host family gave me milk I just poured it from the can into my cup, it wasn’t very good. When they saw me do that they were like no (and one of the kids was like, “you don’t know how to drink milk?” haha), and they showed me the proper way. You put some milk from the can in the cup, then hot water, then sugar. (I actually just found out not everyone does this, there is actual milk…it comes in a bag)
• We drink hot lemonade (and most juices); I think this might be because drinking water right from the sink isn’t a good idea, at least not for me, so they boil it.
• Animals walk in the streets. Especially dogs, they are everywhere, and all different breeds of dog. I also tend to see flocks of sheep, cows, and bulls walking on non-busy streets. On Sunday a bull started walking right towards me. I was kind of frightened, but I just moved out of its path and it didn’t bother me at all. The animals tend not to. Sometimes the dogs will bark at you, but mostly if you leave them alone they leave you alone.
• In case you didn’t know, they eat guinea pig here (it is called cuy). Generally it comes like the whole thing (head, face, and all) on a stick. My host family gave me some for breakfast one morning (luckily just a piece, not the whole thing), I did not like it at all. It’s really tough and I did not like the taste at all. It’s a delicacy here though.
• The normal greeting/farewell is a hug with a kiss on the cheek.
• We eat breakfast in the morning, but they call it drinking breakfast, because it tends to be more like that. We eat lunch around 2 or 3 (now more like 3, because we eat lunch when we get home from school. The kids don’t eat lunch at school, but they do have a snack time, where they can bring or buy a snack). And lunch is generally large, it is the biggest meal. We eat supper around 7 and it is generally very light, just like some tea and bread or sometimes they eat a little leftovers from lunch.
• You know in the states if you are crossing the street and a car turns the corner or something it will generally stop for you? Or how sometimes cars stop and wave you to cross? Yeah, not here. The road has to be very clear for you to cross because they won’t really stop for you.
• One day when we went to a polleria (like a chicken restaurant), there was a chicken foot in my soup. They eat the skin off of it. There was also part of the neck.
• You can’t flush your toilet paper. Something about the pipes being too small or something along those lines. You put it in a garbage can. You also generally need to carry toilet paper with you because most bathrooms don’t have it.
• The mountains are gorgeous! There’s nothing like them in the U.S.
• Most have washers but not dryers. But the washers don’t really get the dirt out of your clothes, so things with dirt on (usually socks and the bottoms of pants) you have to scrub by hand before you put it in the washing machine. You hang your clothes on a line to dry. The only problem with that is that it rains a lot, randomly. So, it’ll be like, oh no, it’s raining, go get the wash off the line, it’s sunny, put it back out, it’s raining again, take it back down, etc.
• If you are in a group setting and have food it is rude not to share. I learned this almost right away when Megan (another English teacher here the same length as me) brought her breakfast with her to our teacher prep time. Bethany (English teacher that has been here for three years) told her about this and she cut up her mango and passed it around so everyone could have some. I really do like the idea of it, because it shows you care about the others around you.
• The movies here are pretty much all American, just dubbed in Spanish. No movie theaters though.

“In my head rang the words that my Father said; you’re never far, I will be where you are, and when you come to me, you can bet I will open my arms. Welcome home you, I know you by name, how do you do? I shine because of you today, so come in sit down, tell me how you are, hello son, it’s good just to see your face…”

As for the title of this blog, this is part of a song (Welcome Home (you) by Brian Littrel) that I have been listening to and has been in my head a lot lately. I think it is such a wonderful representation of how our relationship with God should be and it shows how excited God really is when we come into His presence and how much He longs to know us. I feel like my relationship with God has been growing deeper which is really exciting. I feel like God called me here to grow me a lot, it may not always be easy, but He is with me and loves me and the growth is so good for me.
So, this past week was the first week of school. School started on Tuesday. Monday was the first chance we got to decorate rooms, so it was busy! I have three classes (two 2nd grades and a 6th), so I had a space to decorate in each. I also tried to help the three teachers out as much as I could because that’s a lot to do in one day. I was at the school from 8 in the morning until 7 at night. The first few days of school were a little crazy. We had some scheduling conflicts, so things changed around a lot. We also didn’t have our books until mid-second day and I don’t have notebooks or journals yet because I got here after they ordered things. I consider myself a pretty go-with-the-flow, more relaxed kind of person. In training we took a strengths finder test and one of mine was adaptability, and I remember them saying that will be really good for where you are going. It is definitely the truth, and I am working on being more adaptable. Things are extremely relaxed and go-with-the-flow here. So, it definitely takes some getting used too, I definitely don’t think it is bad. The kids are definitely very active and chatty as well. I wasn’t really ready for how different it would be teaching here. The first two days were a little rough, their attention spans were extremely short (especially in 2nd), and they didn’t really want to listen (more so than I am used to). But I just was reminded that I am just going to have to keep trying different things to see what works, and break up the class a lot to hold their attention, and I just prayed hard and asked God to be my strength and the third and fourth days were definitely better. The kids are super loving though. I really enjoy that. And there aren’t as many like restrictions and what not here, so the kids hug you a lot and they even told us in training (at the school) to give the kids a hug and kiss (a kiss on the cheek is the greeting and good bye here) before they leave to make them feel loved and welcome here. I really do enjoy the kids a lot and just the people and their warmness in general. It makes you feel cared for and important. Okay, so I should share a funny kid story…Friday all the kids commented on how much they liked my necklace. One little girl especially liked it and she asked where I got it. And I was like it was a gift from a friend. And she goes, oh from Miss Megan (the other English teacher here from the states). I said to Megan, yeah because your my only friend…haha…I love kids and how their minds work
In news other than school, I finished language classes this week. It’s good and bad. Bad because I loved my teacher and loved the classes. I feel like they really helped to improve my Spanish. But good because this last week I finished at school, hustled home to eat lunch, then rushed to get there and between traveling and class it’s almost a 4 hour process, so needless to say, I was exhausted. The last two weekends Megan and I have gone on adventures to find things, especially teacher supplies (I am definitely kicking myself for not bringing more of that stuff with me). It’s definitely an adventure here because, generally you have to go to separate stores to get each thing, like if you want folders or notebooks you go to the libreria, if you need like computer stuff or hardware type stuff a ferreteria, we went to a plasticeria to get Megan a flyswatter, etc. We did find one like big flea market type place that had lots of varieties of stuff. Oh and I have been here 3 weeks now (wow!) and next weekend Megan, Mary, and I are moving into our apartment! (I will definitely miss my host family though) Okay, I’ll stop now, this is already very long.
Prayer request: There are a lot of festivals here (especially near where my language class was) and I hear they are like religious type festivals and there is a lot of drinking. I walked by one and I was shocked at how much alcohol I saw, and there were lots of kids there watching that, which is sad. Don’t worry, it’s not like dangerous to me or anything, I just feel the need to pray for the people and against the festivals, so if you would join me in that that would be awesome! Thanks! <3

I Should’ve Brought My Rain Boots!

I have officially been in Peru for 2 weeks and 3 days. The first week went kind of slowly, but now I can’t believe it’s been over two weeks already. Sorry I haven’t updated sooner, I am currently living with a host family and they don’t have internet. Now I am able to walk to this internet café. Not next weekend, but the following (March 12th) I will be moving in with two other missionaries into a house with internet. Like I said, I am currently living with a host family. They are really nice and take good care of me. At times it is a little difficult because they don’t really speak English, but my Spanish is definitely starting to come back and we play charades sometimes. They have three kids too, which is fun. My host dad works at Promesa as well. School starts this Tuesday (March 1st). The last two weeks I have been here we have been going to school 8-2 (like we normally will) Monday-Friday and doing lots of prep. This has been a nice time to get to know the other teachers better. There still seems to be quite a bit to do before school starts, but I feel at peace about it, praise God. But prayer for the first week of school would be great. I know it is going to be different and challenging at times, but I am very excited for school to start.
As for the title of this blog, it rains here a lot. Like, it can be sunny one minute and torrential downpour the next. It generally rains at least once almost every day. And when it rains the street I walk often (from the house I am living in, which is uphill) becomes a river. So, I am so wishing I packed my rain boots. I thought about it, but then I thought they are large and how often would I really wear them…the answer to that is a lot! Apparently now is the rainy season (also known as summer, but it isn’t generally warm, unless the sun is out). About a month more then it won’t rain as much they say. I’ve also been told it is warmer in their winter (June, July…). They say the sun is very strong during the day, but when the sun goes away the temperature drops drastically.
I would be lying to you if I said it was always easy, or I never got homesick, but it is definitely getting easier the more I am here and with the more relationships I build. I know this is where God wants me to be and I know it’s not always easy because it’s out of my comfort zone, it’s different. But I feel like God is going to use this experience to drastically change my life and I am very excited about that. I just need to focus on the positive and all the wonderful experiences I am getting here and not the few I am missing. I can just see so many things God has already shown me while here and it makes me excited for how much more he will teach me! Not taking anything or any moment for granite is definitely a big thing God has taught me. Another is about being weak. During my training before coming here, I started to realize that I really don’t like to be weak. Through my time here God has already shown me that it’s okay to be weak. In fact, I need to be: “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” 2 Corinthians 12:9. I need to be weak and realize I can’t do this (or anything) on my own; I need to rely solely on God, each day. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 17:5-8 (hence the title of this blog). I was reading over it the other day and God showed me how it tied into strength. God has been bringing this verse to me often, and I feel it is very important for this time in my life. I feel He has really been calling me to be like a tree planted by the water with my roots so very deep into Him. The other day He reminded me that a tree with no roots or very shallow roots can be easily knocked over, it is weak. A tree with deeply embedded roots is much harder to knock over, it is strong, and what makes it strong? Not the tree itself, it is the same in both circumstances, but the roots (God) are what make it strong.
Praise God I am starting to adjust to the altitude. My stomach was not happy for a while and doing simple tasks made me breathe hard, but it’s definitely getting better! I get stared at a lot, haha. Of course skin color comes into play but I think my height has a lot to do with it too. One of the kids from my host family was introducing me to his cousin and he was like, this is Kristy, she’s tall isn’t she! My curly hair may have something to do with it as well. I found out they love curly hair here, probably because it isn’t very common. I do love the people here, though. They are very loving and welcoming.
I have started to be able to find my way around somewhat. When I first got here I thought it would take me forever (everything kind of looked the same at first). I am currently taking Spanish classes at a place in San Blas. It is about a 45min. to hour commute. I get on a combi (it’s like a bus- I will explain more in March’s newsletter) and ride for about 35 min. Then I have to walk up to the place where my classes are (and I mean up, there are lots of steep inclines here, I swear I’ll have legs of steel before I leave ;)) which takes about 10-15 mins. So from that I am starting to learn more of the combi stops and how to get some places, which is nice. Well, I could keep going…but this is already getting long, so I’ll stop now. If there’s anything you want to know that I didn’t talk about just ask!

If our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?

"Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
What could stand against..."

We sang this song at church the other day and it really stuck out to me. I feel like it really fit my current situation. God wanted me in Peru and He provided for me to get there. Nothing is stronger than Him...even though the large sum of money I still needed seemed pretty large and strong, it could ot stop Him and His plan. Through this God has really shown me so much that if He calls us and we listen He really will provided...no matter what. And I can really see God touching people in my life through the work He is doing in me, which is really exciting!

Currently I am in the Miami airport. One flight down, two more to go...I have a 5 hour lay over here in Miami. It's going well, other than me having no idea what I am doing (in reguards to flying and the airport), but people have been generally very helpful :)

God amazes me :D

Before the month of December I had 25% of my funds to go to Peru, last week 54%, today 90% :O I am astonished, blown away, thrilled; I just can't even come up with words to describe how I feel. God really provided for me and I think my story definitely shows if you follow God's calling He will provide for you. It may not happen immediately, or in your timing, but it will happen. We (I know I do) so often underestimate God and His love for us. He wants to take care of us, we just have to trust in Him and let Him.
PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!

Hi!
So, I decided to start a blog, just as another way to keep in touch with people when I am in Peru and to share what God is doing in my life. Writing things down really helps me to process as well. Right now I am kind of between training and leaving for Peru. I hoped to leave by January...but my funds weren't quite there. I need to head out by mid-February to make it for this school year. Funds were coming in very slow...but God is amazing and in December my funds more than doubled and I am now at 54%. I know God will provide, because I know this is His call for my life. I just have to keep trusting. So prayers would be greatly appreciated. And if you'd like to join me in my mission in any way, that would be appreciated too. If you feel called to donate financially here's how to do so online: http://emm.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=78
Thanks for all the support!