Peru - The Irony of the Water Crisis

PRAY FOR PERU!!

If you have been following my Facebook at all in recent days, you've probably noticed that Peru is in a serious crisis caused by heavy rains in the highlands which have created landslides throughout the nation. With rainfall reaching nearly ten times the normal amount, landslides are wreaking havoc throughout the highlands and the desert, coastal region.

Crops have been washed away, produce has been lost, more than 60 people have died, and thousands have been evacuated from their homes. Friends of ours are facing the clean-up of such destruction as their house was filled with nearly 3 feet of water, which has since begun to dry leaving clay-like mud on everything it touched.

Ironically, despite the excess rain that has fallen, there is a water shortage in the nation's capital of Lima. Because water is coming down from the mountains with high levels of dirt, branches, and garbage, the water plant is unable to keep up with the purification process. This has led to water being cut in homes throughout the capital for the past 4 days.

Free water distribution sites were set up around the city to give water for cleaning and flushing toilets. People lined the streets for hours waiting their turn to fill barrels and buckets with water. Drinking water is sold out nearly everywhere, and even the places that do have drinking water for sale have begun to charge double or triple the price and limit the quantity one can buy.

There are food shortages as produce has become limited and prices have sky rocketed. Some supermarkets have increased prices of produce more than five times their normal cost. The shelves are nearly empty of non-perishable items.

Preschool, elementary, high school, and university classes were cancelled throughout the nation Thursday and Friday, and they have also been suspended Monday and Tuesday. Some provinces have cancelled classes until April 3rd due to the prediction of more rain in the upcoming weeks.

My heart is broken, but God is teaching me a lesson in gratitude. Thankfully, in our home we have had water for a few hours each day. The pressure hasn't been great, but it's enough time to fill up buckets, wash the dishes, and bathe before it gets turned off again. I've taken a shower (if you can call it that) with a bucket for 3 days now as the water pressure isn't even strong enough to push the water through the shower.

However, yesterday as I was feeling frustrated with the water situation, I was nearly brought to tears by my brother-in-law who had to be evacuated from his home with only the clothes on his back due to the river that flooded the property of the mission where they live. His almost 2 year old son, oblivious to the situation, running around and playing with a smile on his face, and his wife remaining strong even when all she wanted to do was cry.

I was reminded to be thankful - thankful that my house has been unaffected except the lack of running water, thankful that even though the water has been inconsistent, it comes and goes just long enough to save some, thankful that my life has been relatively unaffected by the landslides, thankful that the days off of school gave me time to work on my Master's courses and get ahead on my lesson plans, and thankful that despite my husband's job being at high risk due to the rising sea levels, he has also been safe and unharmed.

It breaks my heart that those most affected are some off the poorest of the nation.  Many farmers have lost their crops, and some have lost animals in the landslides. Those closest to the rising rivers have lost their homes and nearly everything in them. House insurance is nearly non-existent in Peru, and aid isn't always available. My heart breaks for those affected.

I'll leave you with some pictures from the last week. (Most of these I have taken from Facebook and news websites. I hope I don't get in trouble for that!)

 Helicopters taking people from affected areas.

Woman carried away by the landslide escapes by grabbing debris and crawling to shore. 

A cow carried away by the landslides. They think it belongs to the woman above.

BCM (Bible Centered Missions) property after the river overflowed at 2 a.m. Thursday morning. Forty people had to be evacuated.  

The home of my brother-in-law and his family who serve as missionaries at BCM.

 People lined up with barrels and buckets to receive water.

People buying water at the supermarket on Thursday before it sold out and prices tripled.

Mother's Day & Christ's Unending Love

Today is Mother's Day! What does that mean to you?

For me it's a day to celebrate the woman who brought me into the world. The very woman God handpicked to be the perfect mother for me. God knew before I was born what my life would be like, my struggles, my joys, my wants, and my needs, and He chose my mom, Melinda, to be just the person He knew I would need to get through the good times and the bad times. Even though I'm a continent away, she still helps me when I need it. She does bank transactions for me, helps with legal documents when needed, and is a daily support and communicator. I can't imagine my life without her!

Then there are those of you who see Mother's Day as a struggle; a day you'd rather just stay in bed. Maybe you lost your mother years ago or perhaps she passed away just last week. Some of you, my dear friends, come from homes of negligent mothers, absent mothers, or abusive mothers. Others of you have tried to become mothers yourself but have faced the pain of infertility, miscarriage, or possibly even the loss of your own child.

As you read this post, I don't know who you are, where you are in life, or what type of mother you have/had, but know that for those of you who see Mother's Day as a day filled with pain, I grieve with you.

I have seen on the faces of children and witnessed it from the very hearts of friends the pain of an absent mother. Be it students at school, children at the Children's Home, or friends, I have seen the pain. Mother's day celebrations at school are wonderful... IF you're a child with a mother who will be there. Talking about the greatness of my mother is a way to honor her, BUT a friend may see it as bragging as he/she longs for the embrace only a mother could provide.

However, no matter what situation you find yourself in, Christ is able to comfort even the deepest of pains, fill the biggest voids, and love in a way not even a mother could love her child. His love for us is unfathomable, deeper than any love a human could give. His love is unending, self-sacrificing, and forgiving. He shed His blood in order to break the separation between God and humanity so that we could have an intimate relationship with Him. He wants intimacy so deep with each of us, so deep that our very sin brings tears to our eyes as we fall to our knees in repentance.

Recently, I witnessed this love in earthly form more closely than I've seen before - walking the ocean's shore, watching a boy push his 90 year old grandmother in a wheelchair and sharing memories of his childhood together. Doing whatever it took to make his grandmother happy, fascinated by her and caring for her in ways deeper than I have witnessed. In those moments, observing these two, I began to understand the depth of the love this boy has for her, and I was able to comprehend her desires to provide for him and do whatever it took to make sure he was taken care of, too. It was a beautiful sight, a mark left in my life, and a glimpse of Christ's love for the church - unconditional, self-sacrificing, intimate love. 

Wherever you are today, if your earthly mother has been absent from your life or is someone you'd rather forget, my prayer for you is that you spend time in prayer today and ask Christ to fill that void. I also pray that if this be your case, you have found someone in life to call mother - a woman who has mentored you, an aunt who took you in and cared for you as her own, or the mother of a friend who was there for you even when your own mother wasn't.

You my friend are loved, you are valued and cherished. Your life is important, so please, use your talents, use your heart, and go out and make a difference in this world filled with pain and darkness. Take Christ's love with you and change the world - one person at a time.

Make Gratitude an Attitude

At the start of every year we are all encouraged to make a goal for the new year, a resolution as many would say. Often times those resolutions involve measurable goals - losing weight, spending more time in prayer or reading the Bible, accomplishing dreams, etc.

In 2011 I set out to lose a certain amount of weight (which I did, but since have gained it all back). 

In 2012 I committed to reading the Bible chronologically.

In 2013 I set my mind on praying for every nation while reading through Operation World Prayer Guide to the Nations. 

All three years I achieved my goal {not to brag or anything}, and at the end of the year I felt pretty good about myself. However, I also recall at times throughout the year feeling down on myself as I fell behind in my reading and/or praying or hadn't lost the pounds I had hoped to each week. The times I felt down though, only pushed me to try harder, to catch up, and to be more faithful in working toward the ending goal.

This year, through conversations and prayer, I've felt challenged to set a different kind of goal, a resolution that can't be checked off the list quite so easily. If you receive my email updates, I challenged you to do the same: Make gratitude an attitude - be thankful more and complain less. 

How did I come up with this goal?

In my previous post I typed up a list of things that make living in the USA more comfortable {at least in comparison to my life in Lima, Peru}. One evening, while having dinner with my boyfriend, Javier, I was talking about things I missed about being home {in the USA}, some of the exact things I mentioned in my list. After my mini complain session, he pointed out that even though I'm supposedly lacking things in Peru, I have much more than most people and that I have been blessed.

Another evening, after a seemingly rough day, I had quite the attitude. As I went on about how awful my day was, Javier reminded me that even on my worst days there are people who have been through situations a lot more difficult and challenging than my own. Trust me, at first I was mad at his unsympathetic response, but after some thought I realized that really my day hadn't been THAT bad after all. So what if I didn't sleep well the night before, my students talked too much, and I didn't have the ingredients I needed for the meal I planned to make. I have a bed to sleep in, I have a well paying job, and I have food to eat. Not to mention after I calmed down I got a hug - an embrace some only long for. 

You see, Javier {and other Peruvian friends of mine} have been a blessing to me. Living in Peru has been an eye-opener, a rude awakening at times. Having grown up in Peru and with a life very different from my own, Javier does a wonderful job at reminding me what's important in life. Daily I'm challenged to give thanks without complaining and to live humbly, always willing to help those in need. 

You see, in Peru I live a somewhat glamorous lifestyle. I have a {sometimes} hot shower, internet, cable, and proper electricity. I have a washer to wash my clothes, plenty of space to house guests, and an income that supplies all of my necessities and then some. I am blessed; my life overall is very easy even in Peru where things are at times "uncomfortable" for my American upbringing.

Therefore, from that came my resolution for 2014: Make gratitude an attitude - be thankful more and complain less.

God has blessed me so that I might be a blessing to others. However, if I only ever look at the negative side of things or recall how things used to be when I lived in the States, I will never reach my full potential in Christ. I have been given more than I could ever ask for or imagine, nothing I have do I deserve. Therefore I have no reason to complain about anything, for everything I have is a blessing from above. And that my friends is why I choose to focus on giving thanks this year, because how can I complain about something that has been put in my life as a blessing from above. My cup runneth over.

If you have resolutions you'd like to share with me {or ask me to pray for} please feel free to do so. I'd love to hear what God has asked some of you, my readers, to focus on for the year 2014.

Resolution #2 for 2014 - Be less selfish. Maybe I'll explain that one more later...

{Insert Thanksgiving Title Here}

30 days of Thanksgiving.

I promised you a post of the 30 things I found myself thankful for during the month of November.

It was hard some days to choose exactly what I was most thankful for that day. As I pondered what to write down each day, I realized more and more how blessed I am. There are a whole lot more than 30 things the Lord has blessed me with, but in attempt to focus in on a specific few, I tried to narrow it down to one or two things a day. Here's my list of Thanksgiving Thankfulness:

• #1 God's timing and His plan for my life. - It's amazing how the timing for me to be here in Peru has worked out, but even more so than that, I never imagined coming here would change my life as drastically as it has, and I couldn't be happier about His plan which is unfolding more and more each day.
• #2 My apartment that has everything I need. - Some days I find myself complaining that I live too far from things, or I wish I had this or that in my apartment. However, daily I'm reminded that even with the things I don't have, I still have a lot more in my apartment than most people. I am blessed with a decent monthly rent and all the furnishings I need to live comfortably. The little things can be added little by little.
• #3 Safety to and from a concert. - We ended up getting off a bus in a very sketchy part of Lima. I was a nervous wreck taking a taxi the rest of the way after hearing more and more bad news about taxi problems. After the concert, I was also nervous finding a taxi as the location of the stadium wasn't in the safest part of town. 
• #4 Money to buy food and other necessities. - I have truly been blessed with a salary much higher than I need to survive. I enjoy going to eat with friends and being able to pay the bill for everyone or inviting people over to my house for an "American" meal. I never have to worry about where money will come from to buy food, and I have enough left over to pay large amounts toward student loans each month.
• #5 Kids Alive ministry and the friendships I've made because of it. - I first came to Peru on a mission trip with Kids Alive in 2007. I fell in love with the kids at the children's home and the family care center. In 2009 I met Javier through Kids Alive, and I also developed friendships with others also working with Kids Alive. Many of those friendships I still have today even when other friends have come and gone. 
• #6-7 Even in a bad mood Javier makes me laugh. Even when I'm selfish he loves me enough to change his schedule so we could enjoy dinner out. - Javier scheduled class even though we had talked about going out for a special birthday dinner. I was pretty upset and acting selfish. Later he changed his schedule to do his class another day, and we were able to go out as originally planned. I was thankful for the nice evening out and a chance to eat at a fancier restaurant than we would normally choose.
• #8 A weekend to relax and enough plans to not be bored. - Weekends can get pretty boring if I have nothing to do. They tend to be the days I get most homesick. After two weekends of no plans, I was thankful for a weekend to relax but also a weekend to enjoy getting out of the house a bit other than to just go to work.
• #9 Family. - I'd be lost without my parents (and my brother) and their support. Even though they are far away, I know that they will always love me. I can always confide in them and trust their opinions as well. 
• #10 Javier. - His 30th birthday was November 10th. I'm thankful for the 4 years of friendship we shared, and I'm more thankful now for the relationship we've begun.  I never would have picked him for me, but now I see that no one is more perfect for me.
• #11 Job: Coworkers & Students - Even on the tough days the hugs and kisses I get from my students make me feel better. I've enjoyed getting to know my co-workers better, too. While they will never be my friends from NPE, they are still pretty special people.
• #12 Another year of life. - Happy birthday to me! I have been so incredibly blessed with 27 years of life thus far. I'm excited to see what the next 50 years bring.
• #13 Safe taxi driver to take me to school. - For the whole story read a few posts back (The Saga of the Taxi Drivers).
• #14 Friends. - It's funny what happens when one moves far away. The people you used to rub shoulders with on a daily basis seem to disappear and sometimes even close friends can become distant. It's a hard adjustment that I tend to take personally. I still find it interesting the people who contact me on a regular basis are sometimes not the people I would have considered my closest friends before and my closest friends (or so I thought) are some of the people I hear from the least. {Not to offend anyone.} I'm thankful for friends from home who check in on me to see how things are going, and I'm grateful for the new friends I've made while being here.
• #15 God's unconditional love and salvation. - Sometimes I get pretty hard on myself when I start to ponder all the sins I commit in a week. I'm grateful that God loves me despite my filth and that He forgives me even when I do the same stupid things over and over again.
• #16 Worship event. - The timing of this night was perfect as I had been longing for true worship. It was a great night of live music, lights, and a message to remind us that we are just a speck on a speck on a speck yet we are made in God's image and held highest among the creatures of Earth.
• #17 Unexpected plans. - A friend called to get together after church. It was a nice afternoon out, and I got my first haircut here in Peru...a much needed shaping up.
• #18 Package with goodies and gifts from my parents, my brother, and my dear friend Dana. - Despite the annoyance of going about 45 minutes away to get my package it arrived in tact with more goodies than I ever expected to receive. A nice pick-me-up for a Monday afternoon.
• #19 Technology to contact loved ones and friends. - I'd be lost here without my cellphone, Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook, and all things like it. It's so nice to know that friends and family back home are just an internet connection away, and I love my nightly phone calls from my boyfriend when we aren't together.
• #20 Running partner. - Now that the weather is getting warmer it's been nice to get outside and be a bit more active. I didn't realize how much I missed running, and even though I'll never be a marathon runner, I like a short jog every once in a while.
• #21 Co-workers who become like friends. - I enjoyed a nice afternoon out for ice cream with one of the Christian girls at work (we are two of the few who are believers). It's nice to share a common bond with someone, and it's been enjoyable how easily our friendship has formed.
• #22 Sunshine, capris, sandals, and 79F temperatures. - It's finally starting to feel like spring {or summer}. I'm excited for a change of wardrobe.
• #23 Successful shopping and dinner with mis cunados. - I've already been adopted into the family as a sister-in-law. I guess that's a good thing. Javier and I enjoyed an afternoon of Christmas shopping and then we invited one of his brother's and his wife over for dinner. We had an enjoyable night of talking and getting to know one another.
• #24 Love from family, Javier, and friends. - I received quite a few messages this week of people checking in to see how I was doing. It was a blessing to say the least as I had been quite disappointed I would be missing out on Thanksgiving. Javier cleaned up the dinner dishes and everything from the night before without having to be asked, and my family...well they love me no matter what. Again, I'd be lost without each one of them.
• #25 Protection during a temblor. - Shortly after the students left school the ground began to shake. At first it sounded like thunder, but within seconds I was running out of the classroom door to the patio along with the other staff members. It only lasted a minute, but we stayed outside for a while to be sure we were safe to enter again.
• #26 Prayers of friends. - It's so good to know that there are many people praying for me back home. I feel your prayers surrounding me daily. You have no idea how much it truly means to me.
• #27 Clean house. - There's nothing I like more than to sit down at the end of a long day and enjoy a freshly mopped floor, the smell of Pledge on my tables, and a clean bathroom sink. Things here seem to get dirtier 3 times faster than my apartment in the States. I guess that's an effect of living on the side of a dust covered mountain.
• #28 Student comments that make me laugh and the opportunity to share my faith with 4th grade students. - See #11. Not a day goes by that my students don't give me a reason to laugh. Even when they disobey, there's something to smile about at the end of the day. It was also a blessing to be able to openly share my faith and beliefs with fourth graders today as they are studying world religions and the teacher asked me to speak about Christianity. 
• #29 Opportunity to live in Peru. - I'm thankful to live in a country where daily I am humbled by how "rich" I am; I am learning to live with less, bless others with the things God has given me, and be grateful for what I do have without complaining about what I don't. 
• #30 1 month of officially being Javier's girlfriend (even though we technically began dating in early September) & only 3 weeks until I go home. - I have never met someone who makes me laugh so much, makes me feel beautiful even when I feel ugly, and calls me daily just to see how I am. I'm excited, also, to have 5 weeks at home to spend with my family who I miss so very much, catch up with friends I haven't seen in a while, drive a car rather than being driven everywhere, and enjoy a bit of "normality" for a while. Now if only Javier were going home with me...

There you have it folks. My 30 days of Thanksgiving all typed out for you. I hope as you read through these that you, too, were able to feel a sense of gratitude for the blessings (big and small) that you have in your life. We truly are blessed beyond our comprehension. From the pillow you lay your head on at night to the food you have on your table, and all of the extra luxuries that surround you every day you my friend are blessed. Never forget, not even for a moment, that Christ loves you, and He has given you abundantly more than you will ever need in this lifetime. There are people dying in this world each day from hunger, pain, and lack of appropriate resources. Count your blessings, and give thanks to Him from whom those blessings flow. 

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving

November has arrived - my birthday month, a month of Thanksgiving, and the start of the holiday season. As I think about Novembers past, I recall the smells of autumn - pumpkin pie baking in the oven, leaves burning outside, etc. I remember birthday dinners with my family and helping Mom prepare the Thanksgiving meal. However, this November will be different. Family dinner with be a Skype call, Thanksgiving here is only something talked about not observed, and smells of autumn are replaced by signs of spring. Yet no matter if I'm here or there, Thanksgiving and it's purpose will forever be near and dear to my heart whether I eat a traditional Thanksgiving meal or not.

This month I've committed to recording one thing a day I'm thankful for. Some days I get to the end of the day and feel ashamed that I've grumbled too much and been thankful to little. I'm hoping that this challenge will refocus my thoughts, enable me to see the positive things throughout the day, and cause gratitude to be a natural response even on the tough days. I may not post my items of Thanksgiving publicly each day, but I do promise to compile a list to share here at the end of the month.

It only feels appropriate, though, to begin my sharing my first day of Thanksgiving publicly to get the month started off right. Last week I blogged about being homesick and missing some of the comforts of home which indeed I do. However, even on the days of homesickness there has been one person that has been able to make me laugh and help me to forget my sadness. I had no idea when I came to Peru what exactly the Lord's plan for me was here other than my job, but little by little the Lord continues to unfold His perfect plan for my life in ways I never imagined. In the last 3 months my life has done a complete 180 in a lot of ways, changing faster at times that I can wrap my head around, but even on the bad days I couldn't be happier.

For that, today I am thankful for God's perfect timing and His plans which are bigger than I could have ever dreamed. Four years ago when I met Javier, I never imagined we'd have the friendship and relationship we have now today. Even 8 weeks ago when we started unofficially dating I wondered what in the world we were doing and if we were ruining a good friendship. Then, hearing him talk with my parents and seeing them tear up earlier this week and as he asked their permission to make our relationship official as boyfriend and girlfriend all doubt was erased. (I'll spare you the full story of Javier and I, but you can ask if you'd like more details.) I have no doubt in my mind this is God's timing - just like bringing me here to Peru when I was thinking I wouldn't be back for a few more years.

God's plans and His timing are unfathomable. He always has the best in store for His children, and even on the tough days He never leaves our side. He does not give up on us...EVER! And for that, I give thanks because even on the dark days God is bigger and His ways are wonderful.

Dust, Mice, and Dirty Dishes

Some days I catch myself complaining about the little things I miss about being back home in the States. I miss having hot water when I turn on the faucet to wash dishes, earwigs as opposed to mice, and a carpet and a vacuum rather than tile, a mop and a broom. Instant coffee doesn't taste the same as Mocha from my Keurig, and I always turn on the gas but neglect to actually light the oven. I find myself saying, "You know what I don't like?" quite often, but Tuesday a friend put things into perspective for me when he asked, "What do you like?"

I think the honeymoon phase is over. I'm reaching the point when normally I'd be returning to the States and putting to use all of the things I was missing during my month long summer visit to Peru. However, this year it's different. I think it's settling in that the luxuries of home are a distant memory. After the conversation with my friend on Tuesday, I decided it was time to focus on the positive, the good things in life here.

I have a very suitable place to live with running water, electricity, internet, and cable.
I have food in my cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer.
I have a wide variety of clothes to wear.
I have a job that pays well so that I am able to pay down on my debt.
I have friends who care for me and check in on me regularly.
I have a family who will fight for me no matter what, even when I'm a continent away.

God's really been working on my heart recently, humbling me and breaking me as I realize the blessings that have been bestowed upon my life. We don't realize how much we take for granted until it's gone or until we meet those who live much simpler lives than we ourselves do. I've really been having to put things into perspective, and I'm doing my best to think twice before I speak negative words.

Despite missing some of the comforts of home, I could not be happier at this moment in time. God is working in some pretty incredible ways in my life, and I am beyond excited to see how He guides and directs me in the upcoming weeks, months, and years. God is beyond faithful, and even when we can't see it He has the best in store for each of His dear children. A year ago, I never would have imagined I'd be where I am today, but God had something different in mind. Now I've officially been in Peru one month and two days, and I somedays still wonder if I'm going to wake up from this crazy, wonderful dream.

God is so Good!!

I Stand in Awe

At the beginning of this month, I was given a challenge by more than one person to write a daily Facebook post of 3 things I'm grateful for at the end of each day. I didn't start it right away because despite my addiction to Facebook (for the reason of communicating with Peruvian friends), I don't prefer to do posts every single day. However, after about the third or fourth time being given this challenge, I decided to take it on and see what happened.

At first the challenge was easy. I didn't have any problem coming up with three things to be grateful for. I mean it's obvious, I have a great family, wonderful friends, a job I enjoy, more things than I really need, and add to that the love of the Father, and I'm covered. What more could I ask for? I began the challenge using up the obvious thanksgivings. However, I soon realized that those obvious things, only lasted a few days, and I found myself struggling to come up with new ideas. I also realized on the days I had great days with little complaints, it was much easier to be grateful than on the days that things didn't go exactly as I had planned. 

Needless to say, I have learned a lot this month in the way of thanksgiving, and I'm excited to continue the lists for the remainder of the month.

I'm in awe of the goodness the Lord has poured out upon me. He's given me way more than I deserve, and the opportunities He's presented to me are far greater than I ever would have imagined for myself. 

I am amazed that God would choose me, a sinner from a small town in northern Indiana, to spread His word and minister through living life side by side with Peruvians on the other side of the equator. Even though I have been there only about a total of 8 months, the impact Peru made on my heart will never be forgotten, and I pray that is true of my impact in Peru. I stand in worship and gratitude for God's goodness in providing money to send to Peru for the Oasis Christmas Outreach. I never imagined that after a week, the church would have given 3/4 of the money needed, and we still have 3 weeks left!! I'm grateful that even though I am physically distant, I am still able to help the Peruvian children and my Peruvian "family" that are dear to my heart.

I'm in awe of the one and only Savior who promises to always be with me and who guides my path each day. I would not who I am or where I am today without His love pressing me onward. 

Just as the children's song goes: God is so good. He's so good to me!