In hopes of lightening the mood of my blog world (it's been kinda....serious, lately), I've decided to give you some insight into a few funny and random (and here's hoping entertaining) cultural differences between Peru and the United States.
My source of inspiration has come from my current "roomie" Marta. She is Peruvian (though she has had a lot of experience with silly gringos), and she has been staying with me this month while she is taking a summer course at her university in Arequipa. It's been a lot of fun and very enlightening, to say the least. I've thoroughly enjoyed the company, and as the days go on, there are always little things that continue to surprise me concerning cultural differences.
So here you go, story number one. I'm going to try to narrate it as best as possible. Be on the lookout for future posts about the goings-on of the locas (crazy girls) in the bi-cultural apartment in southern Peru.
The scene: Jesus (our Peruvian friend, not the Christ), Marta, and I are watching some random movie called "All About Steve," with Sandra Bullock. Side note: I do not recommend this movie. I think there were MAYBE two funny parts. Sandy, not your best work.
Anyway, a character in the movie is walking down the sidewalk and puts a quarter into those antique-looking things you then open and take a newspaper out of. You know, very 1993. I can't even remember what they're called....but you know what I mean, I hope.
Marta sees this, sits up, and asks me what this contraption is. I explain that you pay for a newspaper, open the little door-thingy and take it out. She has this look on her face of absolute astonishment. I'm laughing already because I know what's coming next: "Pero solo sacas uno?" "But you only take one?"
"Yes, yes," I reply..."solo uno." She continues in this mode of disbelief and I'm forced to pause the movie. At this point I'm prepared to explain our random North American custom, while also realizing that I've never thought about the point she is about to make.
Marta: "But do people actually take just ONE newspaper????
Me: "Yes...I mean, normal people do. You pay for one, you take one.
Marta: "Yeah, but do people really JUST take one????
Me: "Si pues, chica....why would you want to take more than one?
The million dollar question: "Why would you want to take more than one?" Marta and Jesus are laughing hysterically at this idea of being able to open a box after inserting a coin and taking just ONE newspaper. I'm in awe over their awe. And the explanations ensue.
Reason #1 as to WHY Peruvians would want to take more than one newspaper: Peruvians would insert the coin and take all of the newspapers and go house to house and distribute them to their friends.
Reason #2: Peruvians would take all the newspapers and sell them on the street.
Reason #3: Peruvians would take all the newspapers and use them for "useful things," ie covering the sidewalks when you're painting a building.
Reason #4: Peruvians would take all the newspapers "solo por gusto" ("just because"). “Segun nosotros mas es mejor," says Marta ("according to us, more is better").
There you have it. The top four things Peruvians would do with all the newspapers they can get. Needless to say, this was a very entertaining conversation. More to come, I'm writing things down as they occur due to my faltering memory.
31.1.10
29.1.10
Forgotten love.
"She's forgotten her first love.....He's forgotten that she ever went away and broke His heart."
Just a quick thought as these lyrics of a Third Day song called "Gomer's Theme" echo in my room at this late hour: How many times in this life have I walked away and sought after something that isn't of Christ Jesus? More than I can remember, actually.
I just finished reading Hosea. I love this book--the imagery, the metaphor, the stories woven into it. I can see Hosea walking up, perhaps defiantly, perhaps exuding sadness--nevertheless, he has to pay to retrieve his wife after she has left him.
Christ died on the cross for our sin. Period. It is finished, it is completely paid up.
And yet over the last 15 months I've been brought to my knees in repentance more times than I can count, and that is still not enough. I'm Gomer. I'm Israel...I have a tendency to wander sometimes. I come back home because He has allured me and spoken tenderly to me (chapter2). He reminds me of His grace, of His ever-lasting, never-failing love. And I go home.
One of the things God has taught me a lot about recently is that I'm not perfect. It's one of those truths you always hear, but you have some moments in life where it is hammered into you a bit more; this is one of those moments. I'm not saying I want to wander from God. I'm saying that in my time of questioning, of doubting, of wondering what it is I really believe in, God is faithful to always come after me and remind me of His grandeur. Who He is and who we are to Him. Gomer, Israel...wandering prostitutes and unfaithful lands...But by His promise, a child of the King, a sheep with a shepherd who will always, always come after us.
Hosea 6:3; 14:4-5..............................Redemption. Rain. Grace. Healing.
Just a quick thought as these lyrics of a Third Day song called "Gomer's Theme" echo in my room at this late hour: How many times in this life have I walked away and sought after something that isn't of Christ Jesus? More than I can remember, actually.
I just finished reading Hosea. I love this book--the imagery, the metaphor, the stories woven into it. I can see Hosea walking up, perhaps defiantly, perhaps exuding sadness--nevertheless, he has to pay to retrieve his wife after she has left him.
Christ died on the cross for our sin. Period. It is finished, it is completely paid up.
And yet over the last 15 months I've been brought to my knees in repentance more times than I can count, and that is still not enough. I'm Gomer. I'm Israel...I have a tendency to wander sometimes. I come back home because He has allured me and spoken tenderly to me (chapter2). He reminds me of His grace, of His ever-lasting, never-failing love. And I go home.
One of the things God has taught me a lot about recently is that I'm not perfect. It's one of those truths you always hear, but you have some moments in life where it is hammered into you a bit more; this is one of those moments. I'm not saying I want to wander from God. I'm saying that in my time of questioning, of doubting, of wondering what it is I really believe in, God is faithful to always come after me and remind me of His grandeur. Who He is and who we are to Him. Gomer, Israel...wandering prostitutes and unfaithful lands...But by His promise, a child of the King, a sheep with a shepherd who will always, always come after us.
Hosea 6:3; 14:4-5..............................Redemption. Rain. Grace. Healing.
14.1.10
What goes around
comes around.
Last night I read Psalm 27. It's one of my favorites. I read through it and then looked at what date I had marked next to it: January 2009. Funny how God allows us to come back to something that we read a long time ago; it just goes to show how living and active the Word is.
The last part of the Psalm is what stood out to me on my most recent reading:
"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
God has blessed me in such wonderful ways over the past 12 months. When I talk about blessings, keep in mind that at the time, I didn't necessarily recognize them as good things. But in January of 2009 God gave me the promise found in Psalm 27. And in January of 2010, He is reassuring me of the same truth: He is good, all the time, He is good. I know that no matter what comes my way, I'm not alone. His Spirit is here, and He leads me through valleys of sorrow to rivers of joy.
2010 is going to be exciting. Life in Peru is wrapping up in about seven months, when I will return to the States. The million dollar question that everyone is starting to ask: "What's next??" Answer: I have no idea. Absolutely no idea. Stop asking. :) All I know is that I'll go wherever Christ tells me to go. (For those of you who want a more concrete answer, here is what is floating around in my head: Enrolling in a program for teachers of english as a second language [fairly desirable], grad school of some kind [not that desirable], working in the States at a low end job because I have no other option [this is my least favorite, by the way], coming back to South America for work/ministry purposes [this is my favorite, but who knows].)
Pray with me that my time here is fruitful. That I bear fruit. That God gets the glory in everything. That the life that I've planted here is left with roots founded in Christ, so that others see Him in me.
I do hope your new year has started out beautifully, and that whatever comes your way, you rejoice that God is in control, and that He is good.
Random: I have recently discovered some new music (new to me, at least). Check out Lindsey Kane and Ryan Delmore. Both are incredible musicians.
Last night I read Psalm 27. It's one of my favorites. I read through it and then looked at what date I had marked next to it: January 2009. Funny how God allows us to come back to something that we read a long time ago; it just goes to show how living and active the Word is.
The last part of the Psalm is what stood out to me on my most recent reading:
"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
God has blessed me in such wonderful ways over the past 12 months. When I talk about blessings, keep in mind that at the time, I didn't necessarily recognize them as good things. But in January of 2009 God gave me the promise found in Psalm 27. And in January of 2010, He is reassuring me of the same truth: He is good, all the time, He is good. I know that no matter what comes my way, I'm not alone. His Spirit is here, and He leads me through valleys of sorrow to rivers of joy.
2010 is going to be exciting. Life in Peru is wrapping up in about seven months, when I will return to the States. The million dollar question that everyone is starting to ask: "What's next??" Answer: I have no idea. Absolutely no idea. Stop asking. :) All I know is that I'll go wherever Christ tells me to go. (For those of you who want a more concrete answer, here is what is floating around in my head: Enrolling in a program for teachers of english as a second language [fairly desirable], grad school of some kind [not that desirable], working in the States at a low end job because I have no other option [this is my least favorite, by the way], coming back to South America for work/ministry purposes [this is my favorite, but who knows].)
Pray with me that my time here is fruitful. That I bear fruit. That God gets the glory in everything. That the life that I've planted here is left with roots founded in Christ, so that others see Him in me.
I do hope your new year has started out beautifully, and that whatever comes your way, you rejoice that God is in control, and that He is good.
Random: I have recently discovered some new music (new to me, at least). Check out Lindsey Kane and Ryan Delmore. Both are incredible musicians.
14.12.09
The Best Sunsets Come
...with clouds. They can be the kind that God has splashed across the sky in a seemingly haphazard manner, or the kind that are big, comfy, and settle deep into the atmosphere. With summer comes clouds here. I've been enjoying the sunsets from my roof--almost every night a plethora of color descends and the sky becomes a canvas, with blues, purples, oranges, pinks, reds, and yellows lighting up the heavens. Here are some pictures. Enjoy, and praise God.
9.11.09
I love Europe.
This is some of the food we ate in Lisbon: We ate and ate and ate some more. They had amazing pastries and coffee.
Above: A mill close to the lookout for the Western-most point in Europe, Cabo da Roca.
Right: They have some beautiful beaches in Portugal. We saw a pro-surfing competition, and later we got to surf!
Below: Susan and I in a historic part of Lisbon.
Below: Caroline and I at Parque Retiro in Madrid; all the girls: Susan, Brittany, Caroline and Julia (and myself in the middle).
Below: Pretty shots of a flower store, a street "bookstore" and the Retiro greenhouse in Madrid (with fall colors showing); Our very cool hostel.
8.11.09
On writing.
I recently read an article by Jon Foreman (the lead singer of Switchfoot, and probably a potential best friend, should I ever meet him) and he wrote that "Poetry can get under the skin without your permission." I love the truth of this statement, and I would say the same applies for anyone who desires to craft words into some sort of meaningful outlet, whether it's poetry, music lyrics, prose--it all has a way of creeping into the veins of the artist and shaping itself into something uncontainable, irrepressible...wild.
I am just finishing up a journal. I love completing something, writing until I can't write anymore and then saving those words, knowing that they're on a page on my bookshelf. I can access them at will. I can open the pages and find sacred thoughts, yearnings, and words that my hand produced. I write because it's the one creative outlet I feel like I'm actually decent at. I write because it's fun. I write because I get excited at the prospect of someone reading my words someday (is that vain?) :)
More than anything, I have realized that I write to glorify God. The words that spill from my pen onto the page are no accident. I can look back in a completed journal and find exactly what I was feeling on any given day, whether I expressed it as a prayer, as a poem, or as a simple catalogue of my day.
Starting a new journal for me signifies starting a new season of life. As I record the last words in my well-worn friend, I think about how excited I am to experience new blessings and new trials in the year to come. It's been a good year--a hard year, but a good year. The ride continues.
My prayer is that God continues to allow me to enjoy what He has given me, to His glory.
Here is an excerpt from my journal that I wrote when I was riding on a train in Lisbon, Portugal (a beautiful trip, by the way--more on that later).
**********************************************
Why is it that I search for beauty? I found myself trying to constantly stray from anything remotely ugly yesterday as we were traveling around the city.
God made us to long for beauty--Himself, namely. Things eternal, not of this world. Yet not everything in life is pretty. Sometimes it's ugly, hard, what-have-you.
I might be too idealistic. I might be in this stage of "maybe the next thing will be more beautiful than this" (see Ecclesiastes 3, which came to mind later). But what if it isn't? God doesn't promise ease, nor does He promise beautiful, happy circumstances all the time.
Therefore, in everything, whether it be physical surroundings or my lousy spiritual state, I should seek out God...even in the not-so-breathtaking moments.
He is there.
***********
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-foreman/goodness-precedes-greatne_b_322551.html
I am just finishing up a journal. I love completing something, writing until I can't write anymore and then saving those words, knowing that they're on a page on my bookshelf. I can access them at will. I can open the pages and find sacred thoughts, yearnings, and words that my hand produced. I write because it's the one creative outlet I feel like I'm actually decent at. I write because it's fun. I write because I get excited at the prospect of someone reading my words someday (is that vain?) :)
More than anything, I have realized that I write to glorify God. The words that spill from my pen onto the page are no accident. I can look back in a completed journal and find exactly what I was feeling on any given day, whether I expressed it as a prayer, as a poem, or as a simple catalogue of my day.
Starting a new journal for me signifies starting a new season of life. As I record the last words in my well-worn friend, I think about how excited I am to experience new blessings and new trials in the year to come. It's been a good year--a hard year, but a good year. The ride continues.
My prayer is that God continues to allow me to enjoy what He has given me, to His glory.
Here is an excerpt from my journal that I wrote when I was riding on a train in Lisbon, Portugal (a beautiful trip, by the way--more on that later).
**********************************************
Why is it that I search for beauty? I found myself trying to constantly stray from anything remotely ugly yesterday as we were traveling around the city.
God made us to long for beauty--Himself, namely. Things eternal, not of this world. Yet not everything in life is pretty. Sometimes it's ugly, hard, what-have-you.
I might be too idealistic. I might be in this stage of "maybe the next thing will be more beautiful than this" (see Ecclesiastes 3, which came to mind later). But what if it isn't? God doesn't promise ease, nor does He promise beautiful, happy circumstances all the time.
Therefore, in everything, whether it be physical surroundings or my lousy spiritual state, I should seek out God...even in the not-so-breathtaking moments.
He is there.
***********
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-foreman/goodness-precedes-greatne_b_322551.html
14.10.09
Springtime.
Hola a todos. I haven't written in awhile, but thought I'd do a quick update.
I love spring. I love how it begins and how it grows into summer. I love the breezes, the smells, everything. Spring here is beautiful. Purple flowers are starting to bloom, the grass is turning green, people are passing more time outside. It's the kind of weather you want for a picnic. It's the atmosphere that speaks of something coming. In my mind, the "something coming" with summer is newness.
Newness=change. I have never liked change. But I'm used to it now, very much, actually. Change can be good; it leads to growth. I have come to appreciate that, even though the pruning that often comes with change is painful.
I have no idea what is going to happen after December. I will still be here (I leave in August), but I won't have roommates, possibly for awhile. I have come to appreciate solitude in a way, and God reminds me that I'm really not alone. I have new ideas about ministry. Please be in prayer over new opportunities. I was talking to Miriam (another missionary here) the other day, and I commented on how difficult ministry is. When you couple that with a new culture and potential problems in that arena, serving others is "otra cosa" (a whole other story). Pray that humbleness comes, only because I'm being shaped more into the image of Christ.
Notice that my English is going away. I've started to take a Spanish class once a week for four hours at a time. I love it. It's been really good to be learning again, and I feel like I'm being productive. I've also started taking salsa lessons, which is a lot of fun...except when weird latinos who think they can dance want to enlighten me to the ways of their dance moves. No, gracias. At least I have fun stories, though. :)
I'm going to Europe very soon! I will spend some time with girls I met at training in Virginia more than a year ago; in fact, I'll celebrate my first year as a Peruvian in Lisbon. I'm truly looking forward to this time. Please pray that it is encouraging for all of us; also pray specifically that I don't look to these beautiful girls as my answer to any troubles I've faced recently. I will return to Arequipa, possibly to face other trials. But I know God is preparing the way.
Thanks for visiting my life through this blog. This is just a small piece. Sometimes I wish all of you were here to live life with me, to know this culture, these people. I'd ask one more thing: Lift up a renewal in my heart to see lost people come to the Lord. More than anything, ask for a softening of my heart. That's hard to admit in web-land...but it's the truth.
Much love. Blessings.
Run after Christ. I say that to remind myself, too. :)
I love spring. I love how it begins and how it grows into summer. I love the breezes, the smells, everything. Spring here is beautiful. Purple flowers are starting to bloom, the grass is turning green, people are passing more time outside. It's the kind of weather you want for a picnic. It's the atmosphere that speaks of something coming. In my mind, the "something coming" with summer is newness.
Newness=change. I have never liked change. But I'm used to it now, very much, actually. Change can be good; it leads to growth. I have come to appreciate that, even though the pruning that often comes with change is painful.
I have no idea what is going to happen after December. I will still be here (I leave in August), but I won't have roommates, possibly for awhile. I have come to appreciate solitude in a way, and God reminds me that I'm really not alone. I have new ideas about ministry. Please be in prayer over new opportunities. I was talking to Miriam (another missionary here) the other day, and I commented on how difficult ministry is. When you couple that with a new culture and potential problems in that arena, serving others is "otra cosa" (a whole other story). Pray that humbleness comes, only because I'm being shaped more into the image of Christ.
Notice that my English is going away. I've started to take a Spanish class once a week for four hours at a time. I love it. It's been really good to be learning again, and I feel like I'm being productive. I've also started taking salsa lessons, which is a lot of fun...except when weird latinos who think they can dance want to enlighten me to the ways of their dance moves. No, gracias. At least I have fun stories, though. :)
I'm going to Europe very soon! I will spend some time with girls I met at training in Virginia more than a year ago; in fact, I'll celebrate my first year as a Peruvian in Lisbon. I'm truly looking forward to this time. Please pray that it is encouraging for all of us; also pray specifically that I don't look to these beautiful girls as my answer to any troubles I've faced recently. I will return to Arequipa, possibly to face other trials. But I know God is preparing the way.
Thanks for visiting my life through this blog. This is just a small piece. Sometimes I wish all of you were here to live life with me, to know this culture, these people. I'd ask one more thing: Lift up a renewal in my heart to see lost people come to the Lord. More than anything, ask for a softening of my heart. That's hard to admit in web-land...but it's the truth.
Much love. Blessings.
Run after Christ. I say that to remind myself, too. :)
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