Going Home.

A year ago today my beautiful friend Kristin went home to be with our Lord Jesus Christ. Though unexpected for all those she left behind, her passing into the heavenly realm was very much expected and anticipated by God the Father, to His glory.

I vividly remember every moment of that day—every phone call, every prayer, every tear and every hug. While my heart aches for friends and family left behind, I can only thank God for making her already beautiful and joyful countenance completely perfect.

Philippians 3:20-1 says “But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.

All I know to do today is what I did a year ago: As tears stream down my face, I lift up my hands and sing praises to God for keeping His promise that He has prepared a home for us, and that I will see Kristin again.

To those who did not have the honor of knowing Kristin, rest in the fact that she was a vibrant witness for Christ and that people saw the joy of the Lord in her. She was loved by Dan, Cindy, Jessica, Jonathan, Brooke, and so many more family members. She was utterly cherished by a wonderful man named John. She has so many meaningful friendships, and everyone was blessed by Kristin, and, ultimately, Jesus in Kristin.

To those at home who knew her: I wish I could be there with you to remember her, but know that my prayers are with you as you celebrate her life.

Watermark song lyrics that have spoken hope into many circumstances proclaim this: “Arise and be comforted, for the Lord, he is good to the weary…For the Lord, He will renew their strength…For the Lord, He is good. 

Storytime with Sarah.

My posts are getting more lengthy because I have accumulated so many interesting things (to me at least), to mention. Some topics will be short, others quite involved. First, I am frustrated that I don't have internet in the current apartment. So, when I do get the opportunity to be online for more than 40 minutes, it is a big deal. I have so much to catch up on, and I've been pretty busy. I'll move into the new apartment in Yanahuara around the end of this month or the beginning of December. 

First of all, I LOVE this city. I don't know it well yet, but I just know I love it already. The people I've met so far are nice, and I do feel semi-safe. :) I love the atmosphere-it is "small town" but in a city. There are a few things that are annoying: Construction here seems never-ending; there are "traffic cops" that blow their whistles for no reason at all; people here think I'm an alien or something because I look very different. Perhaps the worst thing about AQP so far is our current apartment. The location is great, but it is just too loud. For example, yesterday and today we have received wake up calls at 5 am. What kind of wake up calls, you ask? About 5 sledgehammers knocking down walls in our building, right above us. Needless to say, I've had about 9 hours of sleep over the past two days. Steve tried to help us out by coming over and talking to them, but we can't do anything about it. I cannot wait to move out of downtown, as cool as it is, to somewhere I can call home. 

Over the past few days, we've been shopping for apartment stuff and going to English/Bible studies that Nicole teaches, which I will eventually take over. I have enjoyed going and seeing what I will be doing. Arequipenos are nice, and so much easier to understand than Limenos. Nicole, Steve and I have been hanging out: we have made dinner, watched movies, fixed things in the current apartment, etc. They found this place that has puppies and cats for sale, and they want me to get one. We'll see....maybe in the future, if only to see if I can keep it alive, thus being able to care for children. :) 

We went to the market yesterday, where I met Gregoria, my new fruit lady. She was so sweet and kept saying how cute and nice I am, so that made me feel good. The market was fun, but I need to learn how to barter. Someone sold me a melon for way too much. If it weren't for other tourists here, mainly fair-skinned Europeans, I'd be the only blonde-haired-blue-eyed gringa in Arequipa. 

I'm currently sitting in Cusco Cafe, which has free internet. I love it here, but am excited to explore the city and find other cute spots. I need to also be a tourist for a day and take some pictures and explore. Yesterday, Nicole and I came over to the cafe (where I always get Cafe con leche) to check out current events, given that the election had just happened. I wasn't surprised to hear that Obama had won, but instead of getting tons of info from CNN or Fox, I got much of my information from facebook; it was so hysterical reading people's statuses on facebook. I was so entertained by all of you in the States, so thank you. You're passion, zeal, and humor told me very much about the state of our country. On a side note, praise God that He is still in control, not any one person. 

Other fun things: 

-I hear more American music here than anything. Sad day. Yesterday Fergie's "Clumsy" came on, and I also heard "Sarah" in Saga while we were shopping.

-Oh, shopping. It's an experience in Peru. Plaza Vea is fun: It is Walmart, basically. Siglo Veinte is a cheaper version, but kinda sketchy. It's huge and has everything. The Mercado is also huge and has tons of great food. There are cute tiendas here with cool stuff, as well as "normal" shops: Topitop, Estilos, and Saga. Saga is somewhere in between Sears and Dillards, and it has tons of stuff. When you buy at Saga, you pay for everything separately, which is an adventure; you pay for the TV in electronics, cookware in the Kitchen section, blenders and coffee pots in another section, etc. It is very involved. 

-The airport likes to cancel flights, I've decided. Our plane was canceled from Lima to AQP, then Kathy and Pam's flight was canceled from AQP back to Lima. We made it, miraculously. Needless to say, I won't be surprised if I show up in the future and my flight was canceled. 

-Right before I left Lima, I watched the GA/FL game at an American bar...it was awful, I was with all Florida fans, who I really think are the most obnoxious people on earth. While we were at the bar, there was an earthquake. Don't worry, Mom, I'm fine. I never heard where the epicenter was, but it was a nice shake. 

-My taxi driver the other day started asking me if I was married. He thought I was married to Anibal, and I quickly put that to rest. Then, he kept insisting I was married, so finally I just agreed with him. Big mistake. This led into a convo about family planning, "planificacion familial," I think. He basically was asking me why my fake husband and I don't have kids yet, and he wanted to know the best way to prevent that from happening, and how I, specifically, did that. I'm not kidding. It was weird at first, and I kept trying to change the subject, but he wanted to talk about it, so I just started making up answers. I would have been more concerned, but he was just an old Quechua man with 5 kids. Who knows, maybe he was just curious for his own sake. 

On that sketchy story note, I think that's all for now. There is finally some Spanish music playing in the cafe, and I'm happy. :) I'll be touch. 

For Him.

Crisp, biting air pierces my lungs

Dancing lights speak of promises yet fulfilled.

Feet grace new roads, expectant-

I fell in love. 

Tears softly run down 

creating cool streams-

Proof of life. 

Only good; whispers of assurance

He has said: It is time. 

Great things are coming...

Good things.

Praise God for unexpected surprises. He is always good about showing His love to us in the little things. Picture this: A park. Green grass. Blankets. Good books. And....sun. This afternoon, Sandi and I laid outside in a park across from the apartment. It was so delightful to feel the sun's warmth on my cheek, to see blue skies, no clouds at all. I don't think that this afternoon could have been any better. 

For those of you who have yet to hear me whine about my current home, here is the reason why I am so excited about sun: There is no sun in Lima, Peru. Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but most of it is true. Lima doesn't get very much sun, at least not at this time of the year. So, here's the good news: I am leaving Lima on November 1 for Arequipa, which is really my home, and which also happens to be sunny 300 days of the year. I've definitely learned in the last two weeks that I am a girl who needs some sun in her life. :) 

I've had some good days recently, mostly hanging out with friends here. This feeling I have of not being able to do anything is about to change with my move south. Among other things, Sandi, Jessica and I have been hanging out a lot, roaming the city, drinking coffee, shopping, watching Lost (it just doesn't get old) and various movies with Austin and Anibal. We had a Halloween costume party last week for the ESL class, and that was tons of fun. The longer I stay in Lima and meet people, the more I do like it, and I will miss new friends. 

The other day I sat at Starbucks for 3 hours. It was so good. I finished reading The Shack (thanks for the loan Chris Black, I don't even think you knew I had it...I'll mail it to you in Brazil). My take on the book: It is a good read--fun in the sense that it makes you think. It is quite introspective. Here's how I look at all the spiritual stuff, though: To everyone who thinks the book is the be-all-end-all of things, just pick up Scripture. The Bible, the Gospel, though offensive, is what the author draws from, and it is far more accurate and life-giving than any novel. So my advice, for what it's worth, while I know not much, is just to read the Word of God and fall in love. 

Other funny tidbits that I have for y'all, if you're still reading after I spouted off about The Shack...

*Spanish here, at first, seemed like a breeze. Oh, it's absolutely not. I find myself saying "como?" more than any other word. I'd love to practice with people, but I need to understand them first. I think it's just that Peruanos speak really fast, and there are a lot of dialectal differences as well. 

*My taxi driver the other day thought I was from France. Wow. I don't even know what to say to that.

*I am going to turn into a chicken before I leave Peru. I'm convinced that these people eat more chicken than anything else. 

*I was excited the other day when I passed a local store and actually recognized it and the merchant in the store. The previous day I'd seen a man outside the store dancing with his daughter/sister. It was really cute. They were just salsa-ing, no music. Well, the next day, I saw him again. I know this sounds weird, but it was almost familiar....like I was actually home. I saw a complete stranger twice, but it was something recognizable. 

*Peruvian movie theaters are an experience...good, but interesting. Here is a movie NOT to see: Ceguera, or Blindness. I thought it would be a good, interesting, "intellectual" movie, but I was wrong. Sandi and I walked out of the theater. Don't ask, I can't even think about it. I lost 8 soles on that awful creation.

*I've now seen much of what is available as far as shopping goes. Jess and I went to the Black Market the other day, which was interesting. I can't say I'll go back there. Then, we went to Jockey Plaza, which was really fun and nice, very much like an American mall. Today Sandi took me to a "middle of the road" plaza, where we went to Topitop, also known as "La gran tienda peruana." This cracks me up. Everyone here seems to love this store, and it is does have good stuff for decent prices. Maybe someday I'll embrace Topitop and actually buy something.

*There is a new creature in my life. I call her Devil Cat. The apartment I am currently in houses a kitten. Don't ask me her name, I couldn't tell you. Jessica got her for 5 soles, which is about 1.50. That should tell you something. If you know me at all, you know that I hate cats with all my being. Well, this cat KNOWS that I hate it. I'm telling you, she is after me. She is a white furball roaming around, looking at me with her freakishly beady eyes, always ready to pounce on me or draw blood from my limbs. She can be semi-cute sometimes when she lets you hold her, but most of the time, she acts possessed. Since Jess left for Arequipa for a week, Cat has started to confuse me with her owner. Please come back soon, Jessica. 

*Now onto the BIG THING. Everyone interested in making fun of me/Peru, READ THIS (ie, all my Athens friends...) I saw llamas for the first time today. It's only taken me over two weeks. I was in a taxi and happened to look to my right and saw a park, where two llamas were roaming around. I didn't have my camera, and there was a a fence separating me from this glorious sight. All hope was restored in this moment, and I can die happy now: Sun and llamas in one day.  

Last funny thing, and then I'll leave the blog-world for another 10 days or so. First of all, happy halloween from Peru. Let me explain Peruvian halloween, as I know it at this moment. I've heard that Halloween falls on the same day that Peru celebrates its criollo music. So, most Peruvians, if they choose to celebrate something, are going to celebrate this day in their culture. Well, Sandi and I forgot to buy candy so tonight as we are watching a movie, we suddenly hear cries of "Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!" Apparently some kids do celebrate halloween, and we ended up having to hide from them, which made me sad because I would have loved to have seen some costumes. This year we embraced the ABBA fad that is currently taking over in this country and attempted to be ABBA-esque (it failed). Maybe I'll start working on my llama costume for next year...

The longest entry ever...get ready.

So, I've made it to Peru. I'm in Lima until the 28th of October, when I will be shipped with all 30 bags (more on that later) to Arequipa. I've been so blessed to be surrounded by such welcoming people. My teammates on REAPSouth are amazing, and I feel so loved. Praise God for that, and for His Body. 

Here, in no particular order, are random updates, first impressions, fun stories, and whatever else I can think of that might be of some importance...

I left Atlanta on a night with perhaps one of the best sunsets ever. As the plane was taking off, I could see the clouds and the sun rays starting to mix together. We soared through clouds and were eventually suspended above all of them. I got to see the sunset from a different perspective, and it was magnificent. After having left my parents at the gate (yes, they got to go to the gate with me), I started to get emotional, but the Lord comforted me with His natural beauty in the clouds, the colors, and the knowledge that I am following Him.

The plane ride was uneventful. It lasted a lot longer than I thought, but I made it without any bumps or bruises. I think the funniest thing must have been what others saw when I was hauling my luggage through the Lima airport. Here's the deal: I had to repack a lot of stuff at the Atlanta airport so that I would not have to pay 300 dollars; instead, I only ended up paying 200. I, however, did not want to carry as much with me as I ended up taking. I had 3 massive suitcases, a HUGE backpack, a little backpack, and my purse. Oh yes, I looked amazingly touristy. Trying to get all the luggage from baggage claim to the area where they kept the baggage carts was interesting. 

I was greeted by my whole team, which was such a blessing. It's been a privilege to hang out with the Weavers, the Austins, the Stones, Kristen, Melissa, Kathryn, Austen, Jessica, Sandi, and Steve. I've loved being with them. Because it was difficult the first day or so (I cried a lot the first day I was here), I don't know what I would have done without them; the Lord has blessed me indeed. 

First impressions on Lima: Gray and icky. Honestly, sort of depressing. However, after having been here almost a week and feeling like I am getting a bit more acclimated, I think the city is starting to grow on me. I haven't seen too much of it, and I have no clue where I am most of the time, but when the sun comes out and it warms up a little, it's kind of nice. The longer I stay here, the harder it will be for me to leave. I am looking forward to getting to Arequipa and being able to unpack and settle into a place. From what I hear, Arequipa and I are going to be great together: sun, color, and beautiful places. 

Today was the first day I actually did something on my own: I got myself from the Missions office on La Florida to the apartment I'm currently staying in. This might sound like a small thing, but it wasn't for me, for various reasons: 1. I'm still trying to get in the groove of speaking in spanish and remembering so much that I've lost over the years. 2. Like I said, I have no idea where anything is or what anything is called. 3. The driving here is insane, and if you get a taxi driver who doesn't know where he is, that can't be good. Praise the Lord I got a good one who knew where he was going and I was able to tell him where to go (only because Kristen wrote all of it down for me). 

Other observations: 

-Starbucks is pretty good here. I can't wait to find some local coffeeshops, though.

-I've been going to the English classes that REAP does and they are so fun and the people who come are wonderful.

-The first songs I heard in Lima were "Bad Education," "I think I'm turning Japanese," and U2's wonderful anthem "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Wow.

-Milk here is not too bad. It's definitely not the same, but it's not awful.

-People love their money. Merchants are really particular about how the money looks, and if they don't have change, they might not sell you something. Or if they don't like you, they might not sell you something.

-There are some expensive places to live in Lima...I mean, NICE places. 

-I went to an AMAZING church on Sunday called Arco de Noe....it was outside of Lima, but the people there were so wonderful. I also was able to see a very different side of Lima than the nicer district we're in, which is called Miraflores.

-The food here is not agreeing with my stomach. Make your own conclusions. 

-There are a fair amount of American things...we ate at Chili's tonight, and it was actually better than Chili's at home; KFC was also pretty decent (this does not necessarily mean that my tummy is happy).

-I have seen more beautiful golden retrievers here than at home. :) 

-Shopping is so different, por varias razones. 

-Someone actually told me that something about my face didn't look American. This absolutely made my day. Then I said my dad was Spanish, they said "ohh...yes." 

-I have to wear earplugs when I sleep. Y'all know about me and quiet at night....well, imagine sirens and horns and traffic and people. It's tons of fun.

I think that's about it for now. As if you needed anymore. I told you it would be long. I have been on the go a lot, so when it's time to sleep, I crash. I've tried to write stuff down to tell everyone (if you know me at all, you know about my recent memory problems :)....

A Dios le bendiga. Praise God for life, wherever it finds me. 

Check out Prov. 16:1-5, 9 and Col. 1:21-23. 

One day to go.

I've been home from Richmond now for almost two weeks. I leave for Peru tomorrow. My head is in Peru, my body in Georgia, and my heart torn between family and friends who are now scattered throughout the world. I can't wait for some stability as I get settled in my new home. 

Being at home has been a bit strange. It's continued this feeling of transition. Praise the Lord, though, for good times spent with family. It is a blessing to have such a family as I have. My friends have also been wonderful during this time--I've felt so loved. My heart is truly full because of the love of Christ that I've seen and felt in the people who surround me. So to all of you, thank you so very much. 

I don't have words to describe what I'm feeling right now. As I sit here trying somehow to avoid finish packing, I keep remembering how this is one moment in time in which the Lord has been preparing me for 22 years. More moments in time will come just like this one, all involving change. Just because I might feel a little nervous about this change, I trust that He has given me everything I need to accomplish the task. And here is the task: To be with Him every day and to make Him known among people who don't know the Truth. I am expecting that God is going to do great things. He will keep me in the palm of His hand. 

Better late than never.

I have been meaning to write again since before time in Virginia ceased to be. Alas, this obviously didn't happen. Instead, time was spent mostly with friends. Potential precious moments accumulated more quickly as time passed increasingly fast. I can only say to friends left behind, about to be scattered: Thank you so very much for blessing my life. Each of you made the last two months wonderfully beautiful. The love of Christ is exemplified in His Church, and my heart is full resting in the knowledge that our love for one another was and is so glorifying to God. I miss you all very much and anticipate when I get to see everyone again. 

As I sit here listening to "Soundtracks of Li(ves)" that various folks gave me, I am reminded of how humbled and awed I am at being able to claim such friendships that span the globe. The most magnificent thing is that we are all working for a common purpose, and our bond is in Christ Himself. We are suspended together in time that was spent in sweet communion with one another and with the Lord Himself. 

Something God has taught me recently: I cannot live by "what ifs." I can't worry about future "what ifs," and I must live in the present. I must be vulnerable to this moment and praise God for where I'm at NOW, and for what He's preparing me to do in ministry in the coming years. 

The theme of leaving is still prevalent in life. My heart aches for those I leave behind, yet I am thrilled to be moving on. People ask me "Am I excited????" I never know what to say, except this: I am excited to know that I am doing what God has called me to do for this season in life. It isn't a jump-off-the-wall-excitement per-say, because I'm not necessarily excited about the hardships I am about to face; however, I go into this season with great expectation that God will move mountains. I know that He is going before me, behind me, and that He will be beside me as I leave the States to make a new home in Peru. 

Here is something from Don Miller's Through Painted Deserts. I copied it in my journal a few months ago because I knew it would continue to speak to me through these months as I prepare to move my life to South America. Praise God that He is allowing me to leave to follow Him. After all, it isn't my life anyway....I go where He goes. 

"I could not have known that everybody, every person, has to leave, has to change like seasons....Everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons....It might be time to change, to shine out....I want to repeat one word for you: Leave....Don't worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed."

Then the Lord told me this: 

Just go. I am with you every second of every day. Leave in search of more of me. You will find me, because I'm everywhere. It's that simple. But believe, and put one foot in front of the other in faith that I go before and come behind. This life is about me after all. I just take you along for the ride.