rachel's blog

April and May

2011-06-07T19:35:00.001-07:00

My good friend Mary came for a visit at the beginning of April. I had a wonderful time showing her the city, introducing her to the church members, and talking about all that has happened and is happening in Peru. We took a short trip to Iquitos which is in northern Peru for vacation. We saw birds, went fishing for piranhas, and scanned the Amazon for dolphins. It was an opportunity to get away from the work for a short time and just be an American without having to worry about my verb conjugation, or if I used the right word in the right way.
The library has been going well. There are a few new faces and a few old ones. Since beginning the new approach to the reading incentive program there has been a bit of a decline in attendance, but since the beginning of the new phase coincides with the beginning of school we are unsure if the lack of attendance is due to an increase in the children's other activities or because they just don't want to come anymore. We have added computers to the library with Internet access and once the children have read their book, they have been using the Internet to do further research for their projects. It is an opportunity for them to learn basic computer skills and is an added incentive to complete their books.
The week after Easter Sunday, the church split into two groups. One group meets in the Porvenir library and the other group rotates in three Peruvian homes. We are also planning to begin meeting out in Naranjal sometime in June or July. While normally the idea of a church split is bad, for us it is good since it means that the group has become too large to continue meeting as a whole. Etelvina has joined the Tuesday afternoon small group that meets at my house and it is exciting to see how three very different Peruvian ladies interact with each other and encourage each other in their faith and daily walk with God.
Ken and Suzanne Smith, Ken is an elder at Cedar Lane Church of Christ, came for a visit at toward the end of May. They came to see the work and encourage the church. I was able to take Suzanne shopping for a few souvenirs and she accompanied me to my Wednesday night bible study, where she was able to meet and share a meal with some wonderful women.
On Wednesday nights we have completed our study on discipleship and have begun studying through the Old Testament. We began in Exodus, since the group had already done a study on Genesis with Greg, and are just finishing up the passover. The study is intended to bridge the gap between Jewish history and the New Testament, giving new significance for why we practice, and believe some of the things we do. In addition to Luz, Lola, Paty, and Coki, Luz and Lola's boss has joined our group. Karem is a Seventh Day Adventist and it has made for some interesting moments. She seems to be searching for something that she is missing from her own church and enjoys the meetings. My prayer is that she will continue to attend our meeting and eventually show interest in meeting with us on Sunday as well.
The month of May ended with the Smiths, Ken and Suzanne, returning to the states, and the team preparing for the second annual Peruvian Missions Summit which took place the first few days of June. The retreat was wonderful. We spent time in worship and prayer, as well as talking through our teams various strategies, what has worked and what hasn't. Unfortunately, the team from Cusco was unable to attend but we were able to reconnect with the Lima team and offer them encouragement in their work. It was a great way to begin the winter (summer) season which is always busy with interns and special events.

What happened in February and March

2011-06-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

Since I will obviously never be a successful blogger, and not all of you read or receive my sporadic newsletter, here is the text from February and March:

The past couple of months have flown by. A small group of us went to Sylvia's parents house overnight, to study with her parents, and encourage them in their faith. We also took them a large print Bible, so that they would be able to study more easily. Her parents live on an alpaca farm in the Andes Mountains. We took a five hour bus trip to the small village near her parents house, then walked for over an hour, before finally reaching this beautiful valley high up in the mountains filled with alpaca. There was no electricity, or toilet facilities, and we slept in a large room, in our sleeping bags on top of alpaca skins. It was a time of fellowship between church members, and a time to share and pray with Sylvia's parents. The following morning, before returning to the village to catch the bus back to Arequipa, one of the alpacas gave birth to a new baby, and we had the privilege to watch the whole thing. It was weird, gross, and seemingly painful for the new baby. Overall the trip was a blessing for all, bringing the group of us together in a special way.
The work out at Naranjal with the children's Bible class continues to go well, and Greg, having returned from furlough is once again leading his adult Bible study with some of the members of the community. In addition to the studies that are happening at Naranjal we just completed our second latrine and there are plans to begin construction on a third. The agreement with the residents is that they must dig two holes of the right depth, width and breadth, and a group of men will construct the structure and plumbing that sits on top of the holes.
Megan returned with a large number of books for the library, and we have just started the third phase of our incentive program. We have structured this phase differently from the last two phases. I realized over the last several months that while attendance was up, and the children were eager to earn points, they were more focused on earning as many points as possible, rather than reading for the joy of it. Therefore, this time around each child over the age of 7 must read a chapter book which has been approved by either Larissa, Megan, or myself. We have a few children who come where are under 8, and those children are given the option of reading a book on their own, or working with an adult on reading skills/comprehension. The kids will complete an individual project of their choice to be presented to the group in order to attend the incentive party, rather than earning a specified number of points. I hope that this new approach will help them become invested in a longer book and learn to love reading rather than merely work toward earning a prize.
The church has also grown, with two baptisms at the end of March. Unfortunately I was sick and unable to attend the the baptisms, which one of the women gave me a hard time about when she saw me at church the next Sunday, but was told the service was a time of celebration and worship. The church has grown so much that we have begun the discussion of splitting into two locations! It is so exciting to see the church grow to the point where we fill a house. I look forward to the day when we once again have so many members we have to divide again. I continue to meet weekly with several of the women in the church studying with them and encouraging them, as well as planning the children's Bible curriculum and recruit volunteers to help with the teaching.
Thank you for all of your prayers for me, for the Christians here in Arequipa, and for the lost. Please pray for Lola, she has studied a great deal, with Greg, me and others, but has not yet made the decision to give her life to Jesus Christ. So I ask that you will pray for her, that she will make the decision to claim and proclaim the faith that I already see in her life.

My Bedroom

2010-07-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

Here are the long awaited pictures of my bedroom. It is finally clean! I've included a picture of my bookshelf which features some things from home.

Naranjal

2010-07-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

A few photos from this past Sunday.

Furniture (Part 2)

2010-06-22T08:47:00.001-07:00

The guest bedroom. For those of you in Tyler, this is where the money you collected went. Thank You.

Furniture (Part 1)

2010-06-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

As promised, the long awaited pictures of my furnished apartment!

Strike!

2010-06-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

Peru's beloved president Alan Garcia has decided to export the country's natural gas, which is used to power Southern Peru's vehicles. This will of course cause the price of petrol to increase, in turn raising the fare of all forms of public transportation from taxis to buses.

In protest of Garcia's decision, the majority of the buses in Arequipa went on strike today. This meant that when I walked up the hill this morning to catch the bus to language class I couldn't. I might have stood there longer, but Kyle drove by and shouted at me that the buses were on strike, so I should take a taxi. Well, my team mates will be the first to tell you that I avoid taxis at all cost, because I'm cheap, and I would rather walk. So rather than pay a taxi to take me to class, I took a collective downtown which was more than bus fare but less than a taxi. From there I walked about 1 1/2 miles (well that's a guess, it might not have been that far) to class. Thankfully in place of the buses, collectives were running back up to Graficos (my neighborhood) so I was able to return home without much trouble.

Later, I walked about a mile to catch a collective to take me up to the national school where I volunteer two days a week. When I arrived at the school, however, there was not the usual milling around of students and teachers as they arrived for classes. The gates were shut, and I realized that school was canceled due to the strike.

So today, I walked more than usual, spent more than I wanted to on transportation (though I really am quite cheap, and shouldn't complain) and accomplished less than I intended.

For those of you who don't know a collective (or collectivo) is a taxi that goes to a certain location that people can share to reduce the cost.

Another Monday

2010-06-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

Its hard for me to get up and going on Mondays. I think its partly because I have been culturally conditioned to dread Mondays. It may also be because I have a tendency to stay up later than I should on Sunday nights, but every Monday, as I stumble out of bed, look at my alarm clock and balk at the time, throw on some clothes, climb the hill to the bus stop, knowing that once again I am late for class, Alfredo will be waiting, well dressed and working diligently and take my excuse for tardiness for what it is, "It's Monday."
This week has flown by. The interns from ACU arrived Thursday morning. I volunteered at the public school for the second time, getting to know the students a little better. We had 14 kids at the library event on Saturday, and Sunday was a wonderful time of worship and fellowship as we shared one last Sunday with the Williams before they leave for Argentina. I am finding that life here is similar to life anywhere else in that I have good days, and I have bad days, and just about every day I don't want to crawl out of the warm cocoon of my bed and face the cold tile floor (if only my mother were here to bring me hot tea and toast every morning before I got up).
Whitney, the intern from Harding, arrives next Monday, the 21st, so by then the apartment will be nice and clean (since I will feel a compulsive need to clean before company). So look for pictures of my furnished apartment in about a week.

Neighborhood Association Meeting

2010-06-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

Last night my neighbors and I met with our landlady to discuss the recent increase in our shared water bill. This months bill was more than double what it was last month and we needed to decide how the bill would be divided. Naturally, no one wanted to pay more than they currently paid, but it was interesting to witness the interactions between the Peruvian residents and the landlady. By the end of the meeting, the issue had not been resolved, however it has inspired me to find creative ways in which to conserve water. Below are my top 5. Feel free to add your own.

1. Limit my bathing to one 10 minute shower every week.
2. Only flush the toilet once a day.
3. Rather than washing my dishes I will lick them clean, then disinfect them with lime juice.
4. Limit my loads of laundry to one a month, turning clothing inside out to prolong the time it can be worn before washing.
5. Continue to neglect mopping the floors of my apartment.

Reflections on blogging

2010-06-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that May was a busy month, and that is the reason for my absent posts. Unfortunately, it had more to do with my lack of motivation and not knowing what to write. Also, a part of me began the blog for the benefit of everyone back home, and after a month or so I began to feel like no one was reading, and so I stopped writing as often.

This past weekend all three mission teams in Peru got together for a retreat outside of Lima. I think what was most encouraging to me was just the time to reflect on what God has been doing in Peru, and to spend time with other Christians that have the same struggles I have been having. Just about everyone present keeps a blog or website and last night I stayed up later than I should reading over their past posts reading about their triumphs and disappointments. As I was reading I realized that if I want to be a faithful blogger, I need to write for me just as much as I write for you.

It also means that there won't be as many pictures as you may like (sorry Laura), but that I will write more regularly, and share more about what is going on with me, and perhaps a little less of what is going on with the work, after all, that is why I write a newsletter every month.

Eating out

2010-04-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Today I ate lunch at one of the neighborhood restaurants. Eating out in general can be costly here, just as it is in the states, however, eating at the neighborhood restaurants is often cheaper than what I would have paid to cook the same meal myself. For example, today I was served a bowl of soup and a plate of chicken, rice, potatoes, onions, and bell peppers, for the low price of 3 soles (approximately $1). And while the food was not the best food I had ever eaten, it also wasn't the worst. I might even say it was good.

Taking out the trash

2010-03-27T10:30:00.001-07:00

As a kid, my least favorite chore, next to feeding the dog, was taking out the trash. We lived on a big hill, and I the trash smells and every week I was suppose to haul the trash can down to the road and then bring it back up. As an adult living on my own, I took the trash out, but I continued my aversion to the task, even when all that was required of me was to carry a bag across a parking lot at my convenience without the hassle of remembering trash days or bringing the can back to its resting place beside the house.
Here in Peru, the task has become even more of a nuisance. The trash truck comes four times a week: twice on Tuesday and twice on Friday, once at 6am and again at 10am. The truck plays music, ours plays Christmas music, like the ice cream truck, and when you hear the music you know you can take your trash and carry it down to the end of the street and put it in the truck. Here there is no leaving trash on the side of the road for someone else to deal with. If you don't happen to be home at 6 or 10 in the morning, your trash doesn't go out! I so look forward to taking out the trash for the next two years!

A busy week

2010-03-22T11:27:00.002-07:00

This past week was a bit crazy. Last Tuesday evening I flew with the Smiths to Lima to take care of some business. The Smiths needed to go to the US Consulate so that Cora, their new daughter will be recognized as a US citizen. I need to go to the immigration department to receive my carnet, which is Peru's form of a resident visa. We were able to stay with the Yoakums, part of the Lima team, while we were there and I went to see Avatar in 3D at the theater there. We got home Thursday night, and started in on a long and busy weekend. Friday I went over to Greg and Megan's in the morning to meet with Alfredo, my language teacher, but we decided to meet in the afternoon instead. Friday night I was back over at the McKinzies for dinner with a family that helps run one of the libraries. It was a night filled with conversation, of which I understood about 20%. Saturday I went with the Smiths to a Library event, then we went all went to the hotel to meet with Emilio. Sunday morning I got up bright and early to go to Naranjal for a Bible study with the community there. Finally Friday afternoon we went to the Porvenir Gincana where I painted faces, and talked with w lovely Peruvian girl named Juliana.
While the week was busy, it feels good to come home at the end of the day and know I have been productive. Spanish is coming along slowly, or poco a poco, but I learn a little more each day so in a few more months I'll be doing just fine.

The last few days

2010-03-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

I have felt the need to post for the last several days, and have put it off hoping inspiration would strike and I could wow my many readers with the brilliance of my thoughts. Inspiration has not struck, and as it seems unlikely to make an appearance with in the next few days I'm posting anyway. Today I got an oven, put my bed together and put sheets and blankets on it. I still lack a refrigerator and toilet seat, but once I have those I will be able to move in.
I take language classes every week day for two hours with Alfredo and he said today I am doing well. I don't really feel like I am doing well, but it has only been three weeks, so perhaps in the next month or so I will see improvement. I feel a little useless at this point, I want so badly to talk with people and form relationships with the Peruvians, but I can't because I lack the words. So I will work hard on my Spanish and hopefully soon I will start to feel more productive.
This past Monday and Tuesday the McKinzie family and I went to Mollendo visit with Emilio's family. Unfortunately we were unable to contact Emilio so we spent the time visiting with each other. While I was disappointed I didn't get to meet Emilio I did get to spend some time getting to know the McKinzies better so it was time well spent.

My new apartment

2010-02-20T08:16:00.001-08:00

I hadn't planned on renting an apartment quite so soon, but one became available just down the street from the Smiths, which was ideally located and priced. The only major drawback was that it was unfurnished, but that seemed like a small hurdle in light of the other benefits. And so I rented the apartment. I am staying with the Smiths now, as it will take several weeks to get everything I need to move in, but here are some pictures of the bare walls.

...Saying Hello

2010-02-13T19:43:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Lima Tuesday afternoon having left Memphis the afternoon before. I walked out of the terminal and was greeted by members of a mission team in Lima who were gracious enough to host me while I completed the necessary paperwork to begin my resident visa application. The next day I checked in to my flight from Lima to Arequipa on Peruvian Airlines and began to wait. The flight was scheduled to depart at 7pm, however, it was delayed and I didn't even board the plan until close to 10 pm. I was met at the Airport in Arequipa by Kyle and Larissa Smith who drove me to Greg and Megan McKinzie's home where I would be staying. We talked a little on the ride from the airport, and we talked a little when I arrived at the McKinzie's and then I went to sleep.
These past few days I have gotten to know both the McKinzies and the Smiths better, and have tried my hardest to make friends with their children. Ana and Shaye are both adorable and while they could never replace the many children I love in the states, they have eased the longing that a lack of children would have inevitably created.

Saying Goodbye...

2010-02-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

I sit here contemplating how to begin this entry. There are so many people I could thank for making my farewell memorable and special such as my sister, Kathy, Sarah, and Mary as well as others; however, saying thank you for a nice party doesn't seem to be enough. What I need to say is thank you for letting me be a part of your lives. Thank you for loving me even when I wasn't very lovable. Thank you for being my family. These last few weeks have been filled with setting aside time to spend with all the people I love: special trips to the movies and zoo, eating pizza and drinking coffee. So to all of you I left behind, know you are with me still in my thoughts and in my heart, and to those I wasn't able to see know that I love you as well I simply ran out of time.

Traveling Tennessee

2010-02-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

These past few days I have been driving across Tennessee visiting with the church of Christ at Cedar Lane in Tullahoma, TN then stopping in Henderson to visit with some close friends from college, the Wilsons. As I sit on the edge of my seat typing away on Laura's computer, I realize these last few days I have been in a frenzy saying farewell to my family and friends, tying up loose ends here in the States that I put off until the last minute, and trying in some small way prepare for my looming departure. For tonight though, I will attempt to slow down, drink a cappuccino, play some Phase 10 and relax, drawing comfort from an interrupted routine that is drawing to a close.

Title

2010-01-27T10:32:00.001-08:00

This title is dreadful... please help!

Facing my fears...

2010-01-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

I've put off writing for weeks uncertain what to write, and unsure of what other people might want to read. However, I have reached the point where it is impossible to wait any longer, and so I write. As I sit here contemplating what can be said, worrying there is someone out there who will read this and think, that Rachel girl, she sure is stupid, I realize that quite often fear is what leads me to inaction. Whether it is fear of failure, humiliation, or rejection, I allow those fears to overcome my desire to get things done, or do things I enjoy.
God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous a to not be afraid because He is with him. So I pray that in these musings and recounting of my life God will be with me, and if you laugh at me, reader, at least I can't hear you.