Exactly What I Need

This past weekend Becca, Carmen, and I went with Tommy on a hiking adventure. We went to a place called Laguna Llaca, which is only an hour outside of Huaraz. It was absolutely beautiful and a pretty easy hike, exactly what I needed. We stood on a glacier, went in an ice cave, and heard an avalanche.

When we planned and set out on this adventure I did not know how much I would need it. Pretty early into the trip, however, I discovered that it was just what I needed. I needed some fresh air, and some new scenery. I need to spend the night away from Recuay. I needed to see and explore some of the beauty of Peru. I needed a fresh perspective. I needed to feel small next to the mountains. I needed some good laughs and some good conversation. I needed a reminder that I serve a sovereign God. I needed a reminder that I am exactly where God wants me. I am thankful that I serve a God who knows exactly what I need even when I do not.

The LORD is gracious and righteous;

our God is full of compassion.

The LORD protects the simplehearted;

when I was in great need, he saved me.

Be at rest once more, O my soul.

for the LORD has been good to you.

Psalm 116:5-7

Learning to Love

The last two weeks at Utcuyacu Becca and I have been teaching the kids commandments from the Bible on Mondays and stories from the Bible that demonstrate those commands on Thursdays. We decided that the only place to start was with the greatest commandment, and then move on to the second greatest commandment, for Jesus tells us that “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” These lessons have got me thinking about the word “love” a lot. Becca and I are teaching these kids at Utcuyacu how the Bible tells us to love, but often I wonder if I am loving in the same capacity Jesus did and commands us to.

Since being in Peru I have had many people ask me variations of the same question, “Do you just love it there?” My response has often taken me a little longer than one might think, and lately I have been responding with, “I am learning to love it.” It has not been a “love at first sight” experience for me, but I am learning to love Peru. I see God’s grace everyday as He pours out more love on me. As a result of His love and grace I am learning to love Him, His people, this place, this season, and His plan.

I do not love waking up at 4am only to walk outside to go to the bathroom.

I do not love taking a warmish shower only sometimes twice a week.

I do not love spiders in my bedroom.

I do not love washing my clothes by hand.

I do not love when dogs pee on my feet.

I do not love being whistled at while walking down the street.

I do not love teaching English to rowdy first graders.

I do not love not being able to communicate with anyone I see.

I do not love consistently being late for things.

I do not love how long it takes for water to boil at 11,000ft.

I do not love living out of a suitcase.

I do not love the smell as I walk through the meat market in Huaraz.

I do not love when class is cancelled without any notice.

I do not love stepping in cow manure on the way to school.

But I am learning to love….

I am learning to love eating rice and potatoes three times a day.

I am learning to love a lot of extra free time.

I am learning to love the twelve animals that live in my backyard.

I am learning to love walking everywhere I go.

I am learning to love going to the market almost everyday.

I am learning to love riding the komby.

I am learning to love the hats and skirts all the women here wear.  

I am learning to love that Peruvians greet everyone they see.

I am learning to love washing all our produce.

I am learning to love being called a griega.

I am learning to love just sitting outside and starring at the mountains.

I am learning to love only getting online twice a week.

I am learning to love the little neighbor girls that randomly knock on our door.

I am learning to love Dina who own the store down the road.

I am learning to love Humberta’s adventurous spirit.

I am learning to love the construction workers that eat at Humberta’s everyday.

I am learning to love random festivals in town.

I am learning to love Gloria who serves us lunch everyday.

I am learning to love the families in Utcuyacu.

I am learning to love my eleven third through sixth graders at Utcuyacu.

I am learning to love all the students at Javier.

Thank you Lord for teaching more about your love each day. Lord thank You for first loving me. Let all my love for You and for others only be an overflow of the love You are pouring out on me. Lord thank you for a love that never fails, overwhelms yet satisfies; a love that is stronger and higher, a love that is patient, kind, and humble. Father thank you for a love that set me free, keeps no record of wrongs, and works all things together for my good.

Jesus le dijo: “Amaras al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazon, y con toda tu alma, y con toda tu mente. Este es el grande y el primero mandamiento. Y el segundo es semejante: Amaras a tu projimo como a ti mismo.”

Mateo 22:37-39

Hot chocolate thoughts.

It has been a while since I have posted, but things south of the equator are still going well. This weekend will mark being in South America for one month, and Tuesday will mark three weeks living in Recuay. You would think this might be the part where I say something like, “Time is flying by, I can’t believe I have already been here a month!”, but that statement is not true. Honestly the last three weeks here in Recuay have gone by at an incredibly slow pace. We are just now beginning to see things pick up. It has taken quite a while to fall into a routine here, but I think we are beginning to find one.

Things are always subject to change, but this is what we are finding ourselves busy doing. We are teaching English and Bible five days a week. We teach at a school in town, called Javier, every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Over the next several weeks we will rotate each day we go seeing first through sixth graders.  We visit two classes each day for twenty-five minutes each. (Ex. Tuesday: 1^st grade A and 1^st grade B, Wednesday: 2^nd grade A and 2^nd grade B, etc) This means that we will only get to see each class at Javier five to six times the whole twelve weeks we are here. We are also teaching in a town twenty minutes away, called Utcuyacu, every Monday and Thursday. This school is very small and Becca and I each have our own class for an hour each day. Becca teaches a class of about six first and second graders and I teach a class of about eleven third through sixth graders. In addition to our daily teaching schedule we cross the river, behind our house, every Tuesday afternoon to visit and have bible study with a couple families in the town of Ocunan.  Also on Friday afternoons we travel back to Utcuyacu to spend time with the families of the community doing bible study and playing with the children.

When reading this you might think this is a packed full schedule, however, we have come to realize that it is really not that packed. Even with lunch every day at Humberta’s, trips to the market and internet café, walking several miles every place we go, and doing random daily tasks like cooking and washing clothes by hand we still seem to have a lot of time on our hands. A lot of time to do things such as read, journal, memorize scripture, think, talk, drink hot chocolate, and play the occasional Spanish card game. *Hints the reason for the title “Hot chocolate thoughts”. 

Hot chocolate has quickly become one of our favorite things here in Recuay.  There are many reasons for this. One is that on a cold night as we huddle in the kitchen after dinner hot chocolate is one thing that keeps us warm. Two the way you make hot chocolate here is extremely fun, and very tasty. (They use this special chocolate bar that is very rich and full of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Melted in sugar water with evaporated milk, you just cannot go wrong.) Three sitting around the kitchen table drinking hot chocolate brings lots of great conversation, Spanish card games, and lessons from the Lord.

A recent lesson the Lord has been teaching me through many cups of hot chocolate and many intent looks into His perfect law is concerning all this free/down time we have had the last couple of weeks.  I few days ago I found myself using the word “bored” a lot, like several times a day. This was all due to the fact that I spend hours a day reading and journaling and just sitting around. This lack of a schedule was becoming monotonous and I found myself not knowing what to do with all this extra time. A few days after I made this discovery about the word “bored”. It dawned on me that this word and feeling is totally not from the Lord. I have become convinced that at the beginning of time when the Lord created and ordained everything in creation the word “bored” was not on his mind. So instead of sitting around thinking about how bored I am and what things I have not done since being here in South America I began to think and recount what I have been able to do.

-I have been able to spend more time in the Word listening to the Lord’s voice than I ever have.

-I have been able to catch-up and continue my goal of reading the Bible through this year.

-I have begun another season of memorizing a significant amount of scripture.

-I have spent time reading books and listening to sermons by people who are wiser than me.

-I have greatly increased the vitality my prayer life.

-I have learned apart from TV, internet, friends, and family, to rely on the Lord in every circumstance.

- I have learned to be content in this new place, for this new season, trusting the Lord’s plan is bigger than my eyes can see.

So I am counting these past few weeks of “boredom” as a gift from the Lord. A free gift He did not have to give me, but one He chose to give me solely out of His grace and love for me. These moments have been a great opportunity to dive into God’s Word and discover great and marvelous things about Him. Despite the work and ministry I have the opportunity to do here in Recuay over the next three months I am looking forward to taking every moment, the Lord gives me, captive. Being transformed by the renewing my mind, so that I will be able to discern what God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will is.