Blessed

So although I'm in America, this journey isn't over. This is actually my first night to myself to just sit and think about how God's remained faithful and gracious towards me this last year. Blows my mind. Tonight I just want to share a little bit of this with you!

I got home last Saturday, and I start work this Monday. This is a huge deal.  I was terrified leaving Peru without a job. I spent HOURS every day looking for jobs in Nashville my last couple months in Lima, and kept getting rejection emails. I didn't have enough experience, and speaking Spanish isn't a big deal anymore. So I finally decided to just stop looking and just trust the Lord would provide me a job when He wanted. Praise Him and that He wanted me to have one soon!

I start at Mercy Children's Clinic as one of their Front Office Receptionists, and I'm soo excited! This job is a perfect match for me right now. They're a Non-Profit ministry that serves all children in Williamson County, whether they have insurance or not. So I get missions, administration, babies, and Spanish all in one job. That's God's faithfulness my friend, and NOTHING of my own doing. 


Just wanted to brag on Him for a bit!

Ya te extraño, Peru

I leave this country for good tomorrow, and that weirds me out like no other. 

I like change, but this whole jumping into the unknown doesn't seem to tickle my fancy much.  It builds my faith in God and His promises, which I'm assuming is why he's sending me back without knowing anything about my future.  It's just a new kind of adventure.

Speaking of adventures, I've had the awesome opportunity to go on many adventures in the last 10 months.  I won't share them all with you know, but I do want to share what I will and will not miss about life in this crazy town (I know this may seem so random, but all week I've been walking around saying to myself "I won't miss this" and "Aww man I'm going to miss this!).

I will miss...
Cheap public transportation
Cremoladas
Fresh bread every morning
Walking everywhere
The Llorenses
Living on the beach
Visits to the orphanage
Patty Arroyo
Arturo Tovar
Erika Beltran
Santiago Tapia
$5 meals at Chilis
Trips to Pamplona
Ice Cream before trips to Pamplona
Spanish
Speaking Spanglish and everyone understanding it
The Olsons
My church
The stairs on the beach
My daily faces I see while running
Mountains
Adventures with Tammy
Cheap prices

I will not miss...
Men whistling at me no matter if I'm wearing shorts or 5 pairs of sweat pants
Putting on shoes while doing laundry so i don't get shocked
Fish smells
Pig smells
Poop smells
Poop on babies, poop on the streets, your poop, my poop, poop in general
Throwing all toilet paper away
Combies
Standing with 95 of my fellow Peruvians on a bus while 5 more get on
Bad logic
Taxis preventing me from crossing the street
Taxis profiling me
Taxis offering me a ride while I'm running and obviously have no money on me
Pollution
Car alarms


America, be nice to me please!

We Run Lima

I'd like to tell you all a wonderful story...

Pre-story:

For the past 6 months Tammy and I have been exercising. This is a big deal for several reasons: 1. We go at 6 am Monday-Friday. 2. We've progressed a whole stinking lot since we started in October. 3. The accountability between us keeps us both going because neither of us would do this sola.  BUT we're going to complete 10 laps this Thursday/Friday, which is meeting our goal. So whoop whoop!

Story:
In October or November Nike hosted a 10K called "We Run Lima".  At that time I could walk up 250 stairs at a decent pace, but that was it. Needless to say, I did not participate in this event.  BUT I SHOULD HAVE! They gave away the most awesome T-shirts. They're orange Nike Dry Fit shirts & say "We Run Lima", and just pure awesomeness that I have had to see people wear every stinkin' day since then!  I've said atleast 15 kazillion times "I WANT THAT SHIRT!!"  So Tammy and I crafted a plan to get one.

We always said that we were going to take 20 US dollars and another T-shirt to the beach in the morning and offer to buy/trade shirts with some random person. Sounds like a golden plan doesn't it?! Yeah it does!

Well, 6 months later, I still had no shirt. Time is running out!  They had us a going away party last Wednesday, and Tammy and Tony started it with a gift for each of us.  I was totes not expecting a We Run Lima shirt, but that's totes what I got!

Tammy and Tony went to Wong that afternoon and when they came back, Tammy saw a man with that shirt. I believe her exact words were "Tony! That's Gerica's shirt! Go get it!!" And he did.  He walked up to this guy, who just happened to be a lawyer, and began to talk to him about his shirt. Then he asked if he could have it, and the lawyer man looked real confused.  Then Tony offered him $20 dollars and another T-shirt, and he agreed. He walked with them to their apartment and changed shirts and collected his money! *Side note: He had tattoos and muscles. And my shirt still smells like him after 2 washings!* 

My friend Patty's mom said this was all for love. My love for the shirt. Tammy's love for me. Tony's love for Tammy. And the lawyer's love for some money!

Moral of the story: Take chances. Or at least make friends who take chances! You may get an awesome shirt and a cool story!

 

It's that time...

It's time to reflect, and may I say that I do not like this time.  I know it's good to reflect on everything God's done in me this past year, but it makes leaving more difficult.  So instead of doing that now, I'm going to make a list of things that I want to do before I leave. Maybe I'll actually do them if people hold me accountable!

1. Love on those orphans as much as I can in the last 3 times I see them!
2. Take at least 50 more photos.
3. Hang out with Erika and ONLY speak in Spanish.
4. Run 10 laps around the park by the beach.
5. Exercise every (weekday) morning that I have left.
6. Dance on a crowded bus, and document it.
7. Learn. Learn. LEARN about what the Father's got planned.
8. Find a job!!
9. Pray without ceasing.
10. Love people, even when it's difficult.
11. Go to the good bakery on Wilson at least 3 more times.
12. Make another Pinterest craft.
13. Get interpreters assigned to trips through the end of May.
14. Eat at the red roof menú.
15. Go back to Barrio china.
16. Not cry when I leave.
17. Find out what the lawyers at the shady law office really do.
18. Go to Minka.
19. Memorize at least half of Romans 8.
20. Get a "We Run Lima" shirt.

Let's see if all this happens :)

James 1:27

One little month left.  THIS.IS.CRAZY.

So much to do, so little time.  I'm crazy excited for what the Lord has in store for the next 4 weeks, but I must admit, it's going to be sad to see them pass by. This whole experience seems to have flown by, and there's no way 10 months have passed since I first got on a plane for Peru.  More on my mushy feelings later. Now, let's talk about babies.

While we were on a team retreat in the jungle in February, a man on our team told us about an orphanage just outside of Lima that had about 800 children currently staying there.  I first thought, "This is crazy. There's no way. He's exaggerating." But he wasn't.  A week later Jim took Tammy and me out to Ventanilla to see it.  We just went to the baby room, and it broke my heart.  I must admit, I just went to a corner and cried for a sec, and then realized that God put me there to love on those babies, so I had to dry it up and do just that.  Every Friday since, Tammy, some other short term missionaries, and I have taken a 2-3 hour bus ride out there to do that.

This "home" is different from most orphanages, in that it receives support from the government and various churches from the US, even though it is not a Christian orphanage.  They don't adopt the children out of the orphanage either, which I don't understand at all. Everything here is very institutionalized.  They wake up. eat breakfast, go to school, eat lunch, go to their career center, eat dinner, go to bed.  They eat in a large cafeteria together (except for the babies), and they cannot talk during meal times.  The dorm that talks or is late must wash the dishes for the entire community, and let's face it,  I could be quiet for 20 minutes if it meant washing 800 plates!  The older kids that we see do not look unhappy or anything. They all greet us with words and the cheek kiss, but that's about all the interaction we have with them.  Our focus has been to help in the baby room because there's about 30-40 babies and 4-5 workers in there. We try to come at lunch time to help feed all those hungry little bellies! It's mass chaos at times, but so fun and rewarding. I want to tell you about some specific babies to think about/pray for, and hopefully I'll get some pictures of each of them next week!

Lunch time with the first group!

First, I want to tell you about Lucy.  This girl is a MESS!! She's about 1 and a half pushing 2, and she is all personality.  The first week she seemed like a bully, especially when she was tired.  She climbed up in a high chair all by herself just to get away from everyone and fall asleep! No worries, she woke up just in time for lunch!  Lucy is a priss. She'll rear her hand back like she's going to hit you, but if you tickle her, she'll die laughing and just fall in your lap.  She loves to be held and hugged, but likes to do things on her own as well.  Like I said, I thought she was a bully at first, but she just has too much personality for such a little body!

Lucy and her snack that first week

 Then there's Jolisa.  She's probably 3 going on 4, and she's a diva. Not too bad, but she wants things her way.  She loves to dance with me, "ride a lil horsey" (caballito caballito!), play with my finger nails/try to bite them off.  She, alone with the rest of them, say "cargame" (carry me) with the pitiful whiney face that I don't buy at all.  She always acts like we're bff when I'm there, but the next week she asks me my name again!  Oh well, I love making that girl laugh and just have fun for a little bit.

Jolisa is on the far left, the only one you can see her face!

 Finally, there's Christian.  Christian was the first baby that we connected with, and he has won our hearts over.  He's about 7 months old, and just adorable.  I call him Mountain Man Miguel because that's what he looks like!  The little babies like Christian are usually in jumpers or walkers or cribs when we get there, and we just wait for the slightest whine and then pick them up and love on them.  Tammy has taken a deep interest in Christian, and he loves her back. Last Friday the workers told us that he doesn't interact with them like he does with Tammy.  The first 2-3 weeks, he was always mad.  It's summer here, and they keep them bundled up in long sleeves and pants, and they're just miserable.  After several hours of intense interaction with him, Tammy got him to smile.  We both saw it, and it filled our hearts so much.  The past few weeks he's been all smiles, and who doesn't love a toothless baby smile? 

Christian and I the first week. He's so much bigger now!

I want a such a better life for these babies.  I want them to get all of the love and attention they need at such a young age.  I want them to prosper. I want them to be healthy and happy.  I want them to have a family that loves them, that tucks them in, and that teaches them about the Lord. I want them to know they're special and unique and loved and wonderfully made by someone who knew them from the beginning of time. 

I've been wanting to post about the orphanage community I've started going to for a while, but it's difficult to really explain what its like just through simple words.  Until you've seen their faces, wiped their noses, smelled the smell, and heard their cries, I don't expect you to fully understand. I do, however, expect you to pray for these little faces and personalities that you don't know and may not ever know, because that's what we as Christians are called to do.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27 ESV)

falta un poco

i've only got 6 more weeks here, and it just really hit me today.  there's a lot that's going to happen, that needs to happen in this short time, so pray for guidance, wisdom, and patience this last little bit!


on a lighter note, things are going great.  we've got bust with random little things lately, but it's a good kind of busy.  i've started traveling with Tammy to an orphanage every friday. it's a long bus ride, but totally worth it.  i'll make a full post about that real soon. promise.


i just wanted to do a short post to say that i'm alive and well. my goal is to post atleast once a week from here on out.  i'll try my best not to let you down! 

Productivity

We had a team retreat in the jungle last weekend. This created a particularly productive day today.

Today I...
Crossed the Andes Mountain range, from east to west.
*That included jungle heat, snow-capped mountains (15K ft!), dry desert, and humid coast!
Caught up on my emails and interpreter assignments through the end of March.
Washed my dirty laundry from the retreat.
Went grocery shopping.
Made cilantro-garlic pesto with Melissa.
Plucked my eyebrows.
Made strawberry juice.
Skyped Aaron, Rachel, Rosalie, and my parents.
And today is Aaron and mine's ultimo mesario (that's an 11 month anniversary for you non spanish speakers)! So I get to skype him again!

It's been a good day! (except for the fox news and friends music specials. they're awful!)

Overwhelming thoughts

Today has rushed by. The past 2 weeks back in Peru have rushed by. I have to cherish these moments here more.

Since going home to the states and coming back, my outlook has been distorted, not in the good way.  I loved being home. I loved being with my awesome family, my wonderful boyfriend, and my crazy friends, and, of course, my snuggy ruggers. I didn't want to leave all that behind again.  I was ready to be home and to stay there. But the LORD has put me back here in Peru for a little while longer...

Last week I was able to go back to Vilcas, and was blessed by seeing my friends there. I love that little village in the middle of nowhere Peru, but that's not what God has put on my heart for now...

You see, as I was homesick, I started looking for and applying for jobs in Nashville. Any job that I qualified for that I could find, I sent in a resume.  In the urgency to get home, I forgot to sit and ask God what he wanted from me. He revealed that today.

Today, like every other day in this land, was random.  I seem to start out each day with no set plans, but usually have a full day.  After my morning walk and nap, running around town a little, and lunch, my friend Corrie called me and wanted to hang out.  Corrie's like a little sister that gets up 3 times a week to walk with her mom and I, and we love her for it! We went to McDonalds to get smoothies (cuz they're cheap and delicious!).  While sitting in outside McDonalds, some little boys came around selling candy.  This isn't unusual. Many kids and adults come around with their sad stories and puppy dog eyes begging for money all over the city. It really frustrates me when they're in the really nice parts of town dragging their babies and using them to exploit money from tourists. Whoever invented the words "propinita and invitame" in the Spanish language should be hit 40 times with a wet noodle! (For you English speakers, they're basically saying "give me a tip" and "buy me something".) Anyways, I usually either get annoyed with this, feel extremely awkward, or give money to the next beggar I see. Today was different though...

There were first two little boys that couldn't be any older than 5 at first.  They came in McDonalds and stuck their candy in my face as I shook my head no. Then the guard kicked them out, and another older boy joined them, giving them more candy to sell.  Then this man who I'd seen just hanging out in the same spot yesterday came up to them and looked in their bags and talked to them for a while. When they dispersed again, the man just watched the two small boys intensely. Not like a fatherly watch, but a "you better do your job" kind of watch.  I hate to assume that this guy was like a pimp to these boys, but that's exactly what it looked like. This is the second time I've seen an a group of begging kids, babies even, report to an adult for instructions. My insides burned and rumbled.

Although I wasn't present, I learned from Passion Conference that there are approximately 27 million slaves in the world today. Read that again. 27 MILLION men, women, and children all being used for labor, trade, and sex.  Women in hope of a better life being scammed into a living hell.  Men sacrificing themselves in order to protect their family from the ones holding them in bondage.  Children begging late into the night to buy their food from someone who's using them and robbing them.  It is believed that about 15,000 of those are in the USA.

And what are we doing about it?  Not enough.

As I sit in my plush apartment, my mind races with ideas of what I can do to stop this injustice, this cruelty.  As believers, we are called to do something for those who need help.  Christ says in Matthew 25 "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me".  I'm not saying we hand out money to everyone that asks for it, but God will us the discernment to know when it's okay that we can feed the hungry, clothe the needy, and visit the oppressed. The people we encounter, we can help them. Not only can we help, but we are called to help. Called to give. Called to love.  

But still, giving kids a McDonalds cheeseburger and walking away still leaves them in the same situation tomorrow and the next day. They will still be forced to beg for money for someone else to take it and control them.  We, as a group of believers, have to stand up against this and fight it. There are several organizations listed below in which I encourage you to get involved. Give your time, money, and prayers to supporting them and fighting for the lives of so many around the world who aren't able to help themselves.  Slavery didn't end in the USA until people stood up and fought for it, and it's crept its way back in again. 

I have no clear answers of what to do, but I know that God has called me to pray for these people, love these people, and care for these people.  Ask Him what you can do to glorify Him in this as well.

www.ijm.org

www.tinyhandsinternational.org

www.thea21campaign.org/