Musings of a Wanderer

Love is all around us...

2011-02-14T11:59:00.004-06:00

I generally agree that this is a hallmark holiday generated to pick our pockets etc. etc. BUT this year I thought, you know, let's STICK it to 'em by *actually* making it an all out celebration of love and friendship and life. So that's what I'm doing. Won't you join me?

Seeing the Beauty and Goodness in Front of Us by Henri Nouwen

We don't have to go far to find the treasure we are seeking. There is beauty and goodness right where we are. And only when we can see the beauty and goodness that are close by can we recognize beauty and goodness on our travels far and wide. There are trees and flowers to enjoy, paintings and sculptures to admire; most of all there are people who smile, play, and show kindness and gentleness. They are all around us, to be recognized as free gifts to receive in gratitude.

Our temptation is to collect all the beauty and goodness surrounding us as helpful information we can use for our projects. But then we cannot enjoy it, and we soon find that we need a vacation to restore ourselves. Let's try to see the beauty and goodness in front of us before we go elsewhere to look for it.

Also, I say "heck yes!" to this sentiment. Thanks filmpunk & marke:

May your day be filled with joy and love and grace and connection -- you deserve it!

with love, mng

favorite time of year

2011-02-04T11:10:00.006-06:00

I think I can safely declare that this is my favorite time of the year in Lima - especially this year. Besides the fact that its sunny-make-you-want-to-dive-into-any-body-of-water weather and that we have a fabulous little city garden throwing down roots in the ministry center backyard, its also TUTORIA TIME. What's that you ask? It can be loosely translated as "Back to School" Educational Assistance Time! (the seasons are reversed this side of the equator).

I just love hearing about the successes these children have had in the previous school year, to see the proud joy on their mothers' faces as they tell us how well their little girl is counting or how her son finished first grade with all "A+"s. Its not easy for these women and their children. Many of them are on their own trying to raise their family and pay the bills as an essentially single parent, but when they choose to stand up anyway and say my child WILL have a good education and they commit themselves to it, well, that's one of the most beautiful things I've ever had the privilege of witnessing. To sit with them and to help them evaluate their needs to see how WMF Peru can help and then hear them say "I will work hard so that my child can meet his educational goals", especially knowing many of the hardships & often poor access to education they themselves experienced, its hopeful and incredible. The icing on the cake is getting to send the ladies home with fresh parsley, basil, mint, chives and cucumbers (some friendly albeit ravenous worms included) from our very own garden. Makes me giddy from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Can't wait till all those gorgeous green tomatoes start glowing vibrant summer red. Its possible I'll lose it altogether from joy but its a risk I'm willing to take...

Watching both mother and child grow in responsibility and liveliness respectively has been a gift stretched out across these 5 years that I have been here. I am so thankful for the people who came before me and did all the hard work of establishing and promoting this program. I know for a fact that those first interviews were some of the most difficult and I am so grateful for their commitment and perseverance [ahem, Langleys, Sarsah, Jose Luis...:)].

And of course THANK YOU to all the people who have said prayers for these families and donated from their resources - you are an integral part of this team. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

If you think of it, say a prayer for them - if you'd like to chip in click HERE and designate your gift to "Peru Educational Assistance".

One of the amazing girls in Educational Assistance Program
Our garden in its earlier more worm free stage :)

getting back on the creative train...

2010-10-12T16:40:00.004-05:00

recently became a participant in the collaborative artistic community/production company and it has been an inspiration beyond what i could have ever imagined. it has literally gotten me back on the creative train!

hitRECord.org -- check it out.

an example: i submitted a collage of bus tickets that i made last year and then pprescott used it as a background for this fab poster she cooked up with a photo of hers...

cool, right?!

for some reason this collaborative community has given me the courage to try many of things i've always wanted to delve into. i think it helps that we met at just the right time in my life AND that its 2010 no regrets, but whatever the case, i am loving it. i've done voiceovers, videos, written tiny stories, recorded background vocals and contributed paintings and collages. now, i want to learn how to be a better REmixer. even outside of the site i am feeling more inspired to observe and create and engage the world around me.

so i think i'm just going to roll with it :).

and that is your random update on this fine tuesday afternoon.

peace & so much love!

a simple woman's daybook: august 2010

2010-08-01T13:28:00.006-05:00

Back in Lima after a glorious visit to the Estados Unidos. Weddings, newborns, reunions, gardens, summer heat, back and front porch sitting, amazing and inspiring people, rasberry cupcakes... what more could a girl ask for?

outside my window. . .
I'm choosing to celebrate Lima winter, its crisp and cold and perfect weather for soup creations.

I am listening to. . .
alternating between Rhythm: reduce. reuse. recycle. A mixed tape created by b.hanson for the sister and Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons

I am thinking. . .
about how amazing this week has been being back in Peru and catching up with friends, how I really need to clean the house before going back to work on Monday and how I really want to do something creative today.

I am thankful. . .
for the beautiful moments I was blessed to spend stateside, affordable fresh produce, and collaboration.

from the learning room. . .
I've been learning a lot about the true faces of Love, the deep healing nature of forgiveness, and how to take better care of this one body I've been given.

from the kitchen. . .
invited friends over on Friday for a humble Egyptian lunch out of my Arab Table Cookbook. Favorite part: homemade arab flatbread :).

I am wearing. . .
warm fuzzy pajamas, wool socks & slippers, big blue fuzzy robe. Standard winter attire.

I am hoping. . .
for a good start to the work week, loads of motivation and good, healthy communication.

I am creating. . .
a frame for my earrings, a sketchbook for the arthouse exhibit, and a cookbook stand.

I am praying. . .
for our local community and the worldwide WMF community.

around the house. . .
post vacation cleaning is definitely in order. As soon as I finish this post I'm on it...

I am reading. . .
"All About Love: Visions" by Bell Hooks and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig

one of my favorite things. . .
is sitting on my parent's back porch drinking ginger mint tea under the stars with friends and sweet family. also, cooking out of my sister's garden :).

a few plans for the rest of the week. . .
go to work, pick up the Langley's from the airport (yahoo!), and help Anni & Giancarlo cook for their engagement party!

several picture thoughts i am sharing. . .

1. On the farm in Peabody, KS
2. With 1 hour old baby Isla Jo
3. Chillin' with Mr. Lucas
4. Celebrating at Sarah & Sebas' wedding
5. Fresh produce from my neighborhood market (all for under $4!)

Coming to the States! Supporters Gathering!

2010-06-11T13:00:00.003-05:00

hey friends -- i know its been a long time since i've written here but i did promise in my last letter that you could check in here for some news about meeting up in July for those of you in the Des Moines area! here are the deets -- i'm very excited to see everyone who is around and available!

Date: Thursday, July 1
Time: 7:30-9 pm
Where: 14072 Lakeview Dr.; Clive
What: Getting together to catch up, eat a yummy peruvian appetizer & heavenly cake, and give you all an update on the work in Lima that you have so generously supported me in :).

if you don't have facebook to rsvp to the event i created -- leave a note in the comments letting me know if you'll be able to make it! you only need to rsvp in one spot :).

i'm in dsm for the first two weeks of july and i can't wait!

big hugs to you all :).

the best compliment ever

2009-09-16T17:00:00.003-05:00

today erick & i went to visit a friend who used to live on the streets. he welcomed us into his home and in the course of conversation he gave me my favorite compliment ever:

"you know monica i've always liked your style, its part hippie part peaceful and it always made me feel at ease."

needless to say, that made me pretty happy.

but more importantly, he's doing well and the visit was such a joyful experience. he read us some of his writings and shared some of his dreams with us and it was such a hopeful time. i'm so proud of him and all the other youth who are pressing on in their lives away from the streets.

thanks to everyone who made my trip to egypt and the states so sweet & special. i'm glad to be back in lima but i miss you all already. *sigh* :).

love & peace to the people...

a simple woman's daybook

2009-06-22T15:45:00.006-05:00

decided it was a good day to blog but where to start? i ended up wandering to blogs of friends and revisited monica klepac's. she has been keeping a "mother's daybook". i love it! i'm gonna try it! that's where i'll start! so here we go...

outside my window. . .
I'm enjoying a rare moment of beautiful sunshine breaking up the usual gloom of Lima winter which is now upon us. amazing.

I am listening to. . .
its one of those rare moments when the iPod is on shuffle. I'm very much an album person but today I'm enjoying the odd transitions like the one that just happened: the beatles right into the dixie chicks :).

I am thinking. . .
its going to be an intense week -- we have a discovery team coming in, some pressing deadlines, a baby shower to throw, plus some pending conversations/appointments that have potential to be a tad complex. still I'm looking forward to it.

I am thankful. . .
that vacation is just a month away. I'm really looking forward to seeing family and the best friend tie the knot!

from the learning room. . .
we've been reading Jean Vanier's Community & Growth as a community. its a challenging reminder for us of why we are together doing what we're doing. this week's reading is on the importance of spiritual direction & mentorship.

from the kitchen. . .
tomato, basil & mozzarella sandwiches with peruvian yellow potato chips for lunch. curried butternut squash & pear soup for dinner. winter is soup season -- you get warm AND it lasts all week if you make a big enough pot :).

I am wearing. . .
long-sleeve thermal shirt under orange tank, brown cords, smart wool socks and, of course, the big blue fuzzy house robe.

I am hoping. . .
on a small scale to make some more headway on our Youth Development program proposal this afternoon. on a larger scale for the people of Bagua & Iran.

I am creating. . .
collages! and trying to make something out of the old windows we had to knock out of the ministry center...

I am praying. . .
for our community's health. everybody is feeling a little under the weather in all sorts of different forms.

around the house. . .
we finally bought another book shelf -- all our books have homes now, so great!

I am reading. . .
actually just this morning I finished reading Acting: The First Six Lessons by Richard Boleslavsky and I loved it. its a quick but beautiful little read. definitely transformed my view of what it means to get up on stage. also made me really want to get back up on stage... :)

one of my favorite things. . .
is that one of our dear friends who left the street & went to chef school just got his first job as a cook!

a few plans for the rest of the week. . .
finish this stage of the program proposal, welcome & host the discovery team, get a new exercise rhythm going, get vacation stuff a little more organized, enjoy this last week with the Langley's before their vacation...

a picture thought i am sharing. . .

i love these girls! had a chance to go spend easter with them and the rest of the WMF Bolivia staff in El Alto which was amazing. also just got word that Cara (blondie) is engaged! such joy!

the demolition :: a few photos

2009-05-28T17:05:00.002-05:00

hey friends,

if you want to see a few photos of the demolition thus far go HERE!

love love so much love.

accion gringo! dale gringo!

2009-05-25T17:26:00.002-05:00

if you speak spanish, you might think these videos are hilarious.

whatever language you speak, check out these two short clips of Brian helping out with the demolition of the back part of the new WMF Peru Ministry Center.

we've been praying, hoping & begging for our demolition license for what feels like months and finally last week we had that precious piece of paper in our hands. finally our amazing crew was able to get to the incredibly hard work of demolishing & hauling out the back part of the building deemed unusable by the municipality. once this is done we're looking forward to:

planting a garden!
painting and putting finishing touches on the first floor!
getting our operating license!
the dust settling!

as we had our prayer & worship meeting, i couldn't help but smile as the ground shook a little and we could hear the steady pounding in between songs. absolutely, music to my ears...

domingo de palmeras

2009-04-05T16:22:00.003-05:00

"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "

Matthew 21:5

just basking in the gentleness of our king today & thought you would like to see my beautifully weaved palm branch. peace be with you, brothers & sisters.

the new logo!

2009-03-30T14:21:00.005-05:00

well, here she is! word made flesh's new logo!

more thoughts on the redesign to come -- for now, be sure to check out the new website: www.wordmadeflesh.org

some other picture albums to check out if you're interested...

pics of us mostly moved in to our new offices HERE

pics of some of my most recent creative endeavors HERE

WMF has a new look (!) & my april prayer letter

2009-03-26T15:53:00.007-05:00

you may or may not know that WMF is getting a new look this coming monday march 30th. in addition to the "new look" the new website will include blogs specific to each fields & other goodies. so get excited and be sure to check out or website on monday.

also, quick note, i posted more pictures of the center (pre-furniture) on my facebook account -- pictures of our workspaces with the furniture all setup are coming soon! being semi-moved in and beginning to work in that space is like something out of a dream. we're all just soaking it up! thanks again to each one of you who has made and is making this all possible for us. we know we wouldn't be where we are without you.

for my prayer letter this month i went back to letter style knowing that they would be printed out on the new letterhead but if you want to go ahead and check out the content here it is. its a long one so get comfy!

love to the peeps!

April Prayer Letter

“So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.”
Psalm 143:4 & 5

March 15, 2009

Queridos,

There are some days in your life where you just can’t stop smiling. Days and moments that suck the power out of the dark ugly times that often threaten to overwhelm. Hours full of joy, hope and redemption that can sustain you for weeks or months, hours and moments where I know I must let the fullness of God’s goodness wash over me and soak into every pore of my soul because its going to be that understanding of God’s faithfulness that I will be called to remember when life and the road marked with suffering and injustice seem too much to take. It will be in the remembering that we will be empowered to move forward.

Since last Monday evening I have been remembering our dinner with B. B is a dear friend of ours who used to live on the streets but has since returned home to live with his mother. He is now working in the mornings, training as a boxer in the afternoons and studying to become a chef in the evenings. It has become something of a tradition that on Mondays after his class he stops by the house where David, Sebastian & Erick [WMF Staff] live for a bite to eat, some conversation and to lift weights. Us girls often crash the party to help with dinner, watch a movie or just to say hi.

This particular Monday, the one I’ve been remembering, B arrived a little late and out of breath. He was smiling ear to ear and the first thing he says to us is that he has some Bible verses he wants to share with us. We were caught by surprise in the best way possible and finished eating dinner so we could give our full attention.

Right there on the simple front porch of the boys’ heat stricken house B began to tell his story. How he felt jealous when other kids on the streets were being offered jobs, how that first job that he got working landscape was what opened the door for him to leave the streets, how boxing taught him a discipline he never dreamed of, how so many times he had heard the story of Jesus from us & from others and then one day in a park outside his house one more brother shared with him one more time and that was the time that he accepted Jesus into his heart, how even still things weren’t all easy but he knows that God is with him and makes all his accomplishments so far possible. He told us of how drugs and alcohol had a hold on his life until he met Jesus and how it’s only by the grace of God that he resists the pull he still often feels towards those vices. He told us how he wants to be a great boxer and a great chef and that one day he wants to open a restaurant/boxing ring where you can get dinner and watch a good match.

And that was just getting started, he then asked us to bow our heads and pray together because he wanted to share with us from the Word of God and if you’re going to share from the Word you should always ask God for guidance. We thought this very wise ☺, so we prayed and the he read to us from Psalm 40:

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

Then our dear friend told us of the struggles he faces now. That there sometimes things are hard at home, that sometimes he can’t get control of his temper and that he hates it when he lashes out at his sister. He shared how last Sunday it was worse than usual and he grabbed his stuff to leave his house, how he got on the bus to go to the park where he knew he could find friends drinking to forget their troubles but how once he was on the bus he realized it was also the bus that went to the church where he had attended before. He told us of how he went back in forth in his mind wondering whether to take the road to the park or the road to the church. He told us of how he was asking for God’s forgiveness the whole time and how by the grace of God he ended up at the church where they read from Psalm 40 and how he couldn’t believe that they chose that Psalm and those verses that seemed to be specifically for him. He then told us about the pastor’s sermon imploring the people that “their yes be yes, and their no be no” and how again he knew that this sermon was specifically for him. He shared with us how that night he decided that night to say a wholehearted “yes” to Jesus and “yes” to life away from the street and all its trappings. Then he smiled, complimented Linsey on the food and asked if there were seconds to be had.

We all laughed and told him how proud we are of him. How it’s an honor for us to share life with him and how he has taught us so much. I couldn’t stop smiling and thanking God for the privilege of sharing in that moment. For the privilege of sharing life with beautiful, resilient, genuine, humble B and so many others like him that are still trying to find their way. In the taxi, the whole way home, I went over and over the redemptive details in my head so that I would be able to remember. So that when the streets felt especially dark, or the suffering of our friends particularly intense I would be able to call on that experience of God’s faithfulness to complete the good work that he started in B. That I would be able to remember, praise the Lord and continue pushing forward.

As we move from the office we’ve been renting for the last 2 ½ years into our very own home we are, of course, thrilled [even with all the manual labor! ☺]. And even though this is all so exciting and a moment we have all been anticipating since the close of the Casa Job in January of 2006, we can’t deny that we made some beautiful memories during our time in the office. We decided to spend our last time of worship as renters singing in each room of the office and sharing memories from our time in each of those rooms. We laughed and we cried and we were overwhelmed with thankfulness. We remembered how much growing we did as a community in that little space and we knew that it was good. We could even see how perfectly it was for preparing us for where we are going now and all that is ahead. It was an amazing way to say goodbye and hello!

Speaking of change, as you have probably already noticed, Word Made Flesh has a new look complete with a new logo! We are all really excited about this and feel that this is a better expression of who we are and where we are now as an international community. Be sure to visit the website [www.wordmadeflesh.org] and keep your eye out for the next issue of The Cry which will introduce the redesign in more detail. It will also include some of our staff reflections about where we’ve been and what this new logo symbolizes for us.

Things are always changing, aren’t they? As a rather sentimental person, that can be tough for me sometimes. Reflecting on and integrating rhythms of remembrance is really helping me to make more sense of all that has come before and allowing me more freedom to open the doors to all that is yet to come. Thanks be to God! And, as always, thanks for sharing in the journey with me.

So much love & peace to you all,

Monica N. Ghali

monica.ghali@gmail.com
http://wordmadefleshperu.wordpress.com

To see pictures of the progress in our new ministry center go HERE!

sneak peek: march prayer letter

2009-02-17T17:37:00.004-06:00

the sunsets have been gorgeous lately -- i took this picture from my roof a few weeks back and i just love it so i thought i'd share.

to get a sneak peek at my march prayer letter go HERE

some great places to visit

2009-02-03T15:24:00.005-06:00

hey friends & fam --

greetings from sunny, sweaty and water balloon filled lima. i hope you are well, wherever you find yourselves. we've had an incredible first month of 2009. vision-casting, re-focusing, dreaming big, re-focusing again and just being together. it has definitely required a lot from us physically, mentally & emotionally, but it has been incredibly enlightening & encouraging as well. we're freshly back from staff retreat and starting to really hammer out our outlines for the programs this year. just stopped by the blogosphere to direct you to some more interesting world wide web destinations-- love to the people & enjoy!:

1. WMF Peru Ministry Center Catalog

this is the product of brian & i's dreams, sweat & tears :). we put together this catalog so you could have a better idea of the needs we have to get the new Ministry Center up and running. check it out, get involved, tell all your friends :)...

go HERE for the catalog

2. For pictures of our workday on a aforementioned Ministry Center go HERE.

3. To keep up with the haps of WMF Peru subscribe or check back regularly with our blog: http://wordmadefleshperu.wordpress.com

first prayer letter of the year!

2009-01-15T14:13:00.004-06:00

hey everyone --

merry christmas, happy new year.

if you still check this blog have a sneak peek at my first prayer letter of 2009.

love to the peeps!

February Prayer Letter is HERE :)

fasting & praying for italo

2008-08-03T10:21:00.002-05:00

dear friends & family -- our hearts are heavy today as we share with you that a friend of ours who spent much of his time on the streets of Lima has been hit by a bus and is in the hospital in a coma. he's a young boy about 12 years old. sweet, mischievous, and funny. many of you may remember me telling you about a girl, Katty, who passed away after being hit by a bus and being in a coma for almost a year. Italo is Katty's little brother. so needless to say their family is broken and hurting terribly.

so we're taking the day to fast and pray for Italo and his family. join us in any way you like.

just your typical community nite

2008-07-26T12:29:00.002-05:00

amazing things heard at a WMF Peru community nite:

1. a little background: isa is a very curious and intelligent 8 year old. she asks tons of questions and we almost always oblige. she also spends a lot of time around adults. this particular sunday evening we were having a rousing conversation about androgyny. surprisingly, isa asks no questions but a little bit later says:

"there are girls, and there are boys -- how come there are no birls?"

2. isa sets up a hair salon in the living room and is one by one escorting all of the women present into the stylists chair. she asks me to take my turn but i'm on my way out to the store, i promise her that i will take my turn as soon as i return. reportedly -- while i was at the store -- isa declares:

"when aunt monica gets back i'll have to style her hair. its gonna be a total nightmare!"

3. Sarah, totally serious:

"i can't wait to start my rap career. i already know what my name will be: rap kaat sarah. but not like 'cat'. k-a-a-t. i'm actually already working on my first rap."

4. while playing catchphrase:

Brian (giving clues): the LOGOS of God!
Us (guessing): Jesus, the Word, Scripture
Brian: uhhh...
Us: Holy Scripture, the Word, JESUS
Brian: okay, yah, so what's Jesus' last name?!?!
Us: Christ?!?
Brian: YES!

Memed!

2008-07-09T18:17:00.006-05:00

i've been a lame blogger of course-- nothing new -- so thanks to a friend and an interesting new [relatively] concept we're back to the races...

i've been memed by the fabulous daphne eck coppock, the incredible brent anderson AND the illustrious linsey higgins!

Here's how it works:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

My random/weird facts:

1. i seem like an extrovert but it turns out i'm actually something of an introvert. at least that's how i'm testing these days. don't worry, nothing too extreme, still pretty close to the line.
2. i love big earrings. i'm a sucker for them. anytime of day or night with a t-shirt or formal wear. with a fox or in a box.
3. i never used to watch TV but now that i don't have a TV and "TV on DVD" is all the rage i seem to be making up for lost time. i'm a little embarrassed by this one. don't judge :).
4. i can tell the difference between waters and i know which ones i like and which ones i hate. this dates back to the dining commons at Taylor where i could tell the difference between the water from the left machine (yum) and that of the right machine (ick). you think i'm crazy but i got it right every time my friends tested me. good brands of bottled water: cielo, vida, mountain spring. bad brands: san luis, san mateo, dasani, aquafina.
5. i'm a serious packrat/i believe there will be an eventual use for everything we just need to wait for the inspiration to come. sometimes the storage gets a little tricky but its worth it. reduce, reuse, recycle! make art! redemption!
6. i would love to be in a real live broadway musical. singing, dancing, acting, big hair, drama, on stage, big crowds, the whole bit.
7. i'm a draft-boxer. i hardly ever write an email on the first take. its a nasty habit as many emails get stuck in that black hole. i'm working on it...

i meme Travis, Marcia, Andrew, Beth, Shmem, Kim and Lindsey

a picture is worth a thousand words

2008-04-15T14:00:00.006-05:00

pictures of the new center can be found here.

pictures of easter/beach fun can be found here.

as i was scrolling through my recent [previous] posts i found that i never made these exclamatory remarks:

we bought a house for the new center!

the wmf peru community has a home!

thank you for your prayers, your support, and your generosity!

understatement of the year is that we're excited. much construction/demolition/re-working/fund-raising take 2 is yet to come. for now hopefully the pictures of the dedication we had in february will be fun to flip through.

and the people were thankful.

downright ironic

2008-04-11T13:42:00.004-05:00

i'm just trying to help you out here by demonstrating an oft discussed english language concept.

irony.

read the previous post and then continue reading this one. then, discuss.

hooray! its fall!

glorious fall, still sunny & warm but with a decidedly cool breeze and a definite need for the long-sleeved waffle hoodie in the evenings. and the skies are still clear and blue. its the calm before the perpetual fog but i love it all the same and instead of being a sign of impending doom (drama!) like usual, its actually been a very peaceful, calming and lovely autumn for me so far this year. of course its only been a few days, but i'm hopeful.

servant team dos mil ocho is fabulous. lima feels way more accessible. the church i'm attending is overflowing with grace, & love, & openness & truth & quirkiness (an answer to prayer). the young boys are growing up. younger boys are appearing. more babies are being born. more suffering but also more joy, more trust, more hope & even more love (also an answer to prayer).

i make no promises except for this: love overflows in my heart for you and God is good.

happy peace filled fall! (read "spring" for those of you up north). abrazos.

smiling sun and ocean view

2007-11-25T15:45:00.000-06:00

today i saw the ocean from my roof top.

which means its summer.

which means i'll be able to start blogging again.

(don't try to follow my logic, i'm practically untraceable. but i do love you.)

peace & love & lots to catch up on. mng.

i am tired! i am true of heart! you are tired! you are true of heart!

2007-09-07T14:03:00.000-05:00

October 2004. a freezing, dark, night in an unfamiliar city at the top of the earth. i cried under the weight of what felt like the heaviest stuffs of the untangible world. to myself. to the emptiness. to God. and then i read this. i clung to this:

"You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there, if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

Psalm 139:5-10

Sept 2007. a gray, damp, chilly city at the edge of the sea. the smell of fish and the teasing hints of spring. an alien in a foreign land wherever i go. i cry under what feels like a similar weight. different but the same. to myself. to the emptiness. to God. and then a friend mentions this. the liturgical calendar falls on this. Brian chooses this for our community meditation:

"You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there, if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

Psalm 139:5-10

and God's faithfulness is more true to me than ever before.

a wave of sickness swept over the masses...

2007-09-07T13:46:00.000-05:00

if you get a minute could you give a shout out for the staff & servant team here in Lima, Peru. we've been struck with a bout of unrelated illnesses. a little bizarro world like. anyway we'd appreciate your support in this.

love to the people. peace.

aftershock

2007-08-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

hey everyone, thanks for your prayers for Peru. keep it up. hard times are ahead.

the news is reporting 500 casualties overall but our friend, a volunteer firefighter, was down in Ica helping with the rescue effort and said there were already over 700 bodies in the town square of that city alone. some of the more remote towns still haven't even been contacted. it is the dead of winter, people are without food, water & shelter and as they get desperate the looting and the rioting increases.

the good news is, Peruvians are coming out to help their fellow countrymen. we tried to donate blood yesterday and were put on a waiting list. all the blood banks in all the hospitals are full! also, there was a healthcare strike going on that they canceled to help with the earthquake victims and all over the city we are seeing collection palettes outside of major stores and plazas where people can donate supplies.

still there is dire need.

if you want to help out i recommend going through World Vision. this link allows you to donate to the cause in Peru.

it is difficult to continue on with daily life knowing all that is happening just two hours south of us and feeling helpless to do anything. we are still exploring the possibilities with some of the local churches but right now we just continue to pray. and then every now and then we feel another aftershock and my heart hurts so much for those people whose lives were destroyed in the span of two minutes. it will be a long road ahead, and we must try very hard not to let their suffering slip out of our minds.

i also mentioned that the Servant Team was coming, and after 4 delayed/canceled flights and severe weather in Houston, they are finally here. thanks for your prayers for them as well.

again, thanks for checking in. keep on keepin' on. love to you all.

sunshine + the earthquake=interesting day down south

2007-08-15T22:59:00.000-05:00

hey! the sun came out today! we haven't seen her beautiful shining face in Lima for months so that was a sweet surprise.

Menores was pretty great this morning. L and i prayed together to start out the morning. he began by saying he didn't know how to pray and when i explained that it can be as simple as just talking to God about whats going on he agreed to give it a shot. heartfelt, honest, simple, refreshing are the words i would use to describe it.

if any of you have read about the earthquake that hit Peru this evening this is me checking in to say i'm safe as is the rest of my team. david and i were at the coast when it hit, it was a very surreal experience and a lot of people were quite scared. some buildings have come down in the center of town where many of our youth spend their days & nights so we're hoping to go check on them some time tomorrow. whoa. i just felt an aftershock right as i was typing. whoa. anyhow, the quake lasted about 2 mins and was a 7.9 on the richter scale. the center was 90 miles SE of Lima in the water. pretty wild stuff.

please be praying for our friends. many of them live in the parts of town where structures can be unstable and unreliable. also for the people living in Ica & Chincha where the quake hit the hardest.

also, my servant team arrives tomorrow. how crazy is that? pray for us on this one too :).

peace & love. grace & truth. always. mng

back in limaland

2007-08-08T21:21:00.000-05:00

its true! i'm back in limaland and have hit the ground running to get ready for the servant team that's coming next week! and even though i feel tired and the skies are grey i haven't been able to stop smiling. the reunions have been sweet, birthdays have been celebrated, soccer has been played, hugs all around, then if you throw in a few airport runs, a beautiful friday night of prayer, followed by crazy laughter on the cab ride home -- you have yourself a pretty great first week home.

being in the states with many of you was a blessing. i know i've said it, but i'll say it again. thanks for coming out to see me, for making such an effort to encourage me whether by presence or email or sweet gestures. i wish i could express how much it meant to me.

family time in canada was irreplaceable. i seriously adore my family. iowa was gorgeous as always, the tall corn, the rolling hills, evening drives around Saylorville, the amazing people and the Palmer's goodness. the retreat was excellent, i admit i was slightly nervous, but it reached into my being in a deep and refreshing way. it is a privilege to count myself among all of the amazing friends i met there who are serving Jesus among the poorest of the poor all around the world. colorado was full with beauty & emotion & reconnection with old & new friends. and wow, there's just something about those mountains & blue spruce trees...

of course the time always flys by and i always wish for just a little bit more. i guess i'll just never be able to have my fill of you all :).

anyway, i wanted to catch you up to speed and check back in from this side of the equator. also, Dad said i should post my most recent prayer letter as well for those who don't receive it so thats below. (if you would like to receive it just shoot me an email).

okay, so in summary:

thanks, love you, keep on keepin' on!

besos.

*************************************************************

Dear Sweet Friends & Family,

It was another Tuesday night on the streets and I was looking for my friend C to wish him a happy birthday. He turned 13 on the Sunday before and Sarah and I were hoping to take him out for a celebratory lunch of salad, french fries, rotisserie chicken, & Inca Cola. When I finally saw him I ran up to him to pitch our idea. Before I knew it there were tears streaming down his face. He left his home shortly after his birthday last year and the passing of this one was a sharp reminder that a year had passed. He had spent his birthday on the streets and hadn’t even remembered until that moment when I came running up to him. I hugged him. I grasped for something to say but no words came to my mind, so, I just squeezed a little tighter.

Then the most amazing thing happened. The other boys began to notice C’s tears and gather around. I started to push them away because I thought they would tease him. I couldn’t have been more wrong. First came the questions “Por qué estás llorando?” “Why are you crying?” “Qué pasó amigo?” “What happened, friend?”, and then the “Why didn’t you tell us it was your birthday?” “Its not too late to celebrate!” “happy birthday!” and there were hugs, lots of hugs. And I sat in the middle of the beautiful circle of boys and listened to them encourage each other and tell stories of birthdays forgotten & dreams of better ones to come.

C’s good friend J piped up, “The devil doesn’t want us to have good things, that’s why we need to pray to Jesus for truth.” I nodded and wiped the tears from my eyes and C’s eyes. Again the words failed to come to me and I was in awe at the face of Jesus so clearly reflected in those boys’ eyes. Through J’s words truth was spoken into darkness. We talked a little about what J meant by that. We agreed that it is never too late to celebrate a birthday, that our God is a God who gives second, third, fourth and ninetieth chances, and that just because its been a year doesn’t mean its too late to go home and/or try to make things right. Another group of boys came over to hug C and before I knew it I was in the center of a huge circle of boys and girls playing their instruments and singing every version of the happy birthday song they could come up with. During a lull in the impromptu celebration I got up and hugged them both and we agreed to meet for that celebratory lunch the next week, their songs filling my ears as I walked away.

The whole idea of truth has been, and what it means to see truly has been surfacing in a lot of my thoughts, conversations, experiences & prayers. Amidst the suffering, finding truth and clinging to it is essential. Seeing things as they truly are, through the eyes of God, completely changes my point of view when I am able to get glimpses. At a conference about ministry to at-risk youth, which we recently hosted, I had the opportunity to share about the privilege it is to search for the “hidden treasures” that are the youth. Treasures that are seen and discovered when we are searching with the eyes of God, and when we are allowing truth to break down the lies we’ve been told about what makes a person valuable.

C and his friends who gathered around him are hidden treasures and I am blessed to know them. They push me forward in the search for truth and in the fight against the lies that so often surround us, and I hope I do the same for them.

Please pray for us as we walk this road together, that we would cling to truth in all things and ever be seeking to see ourselves, and the world through the eyes of God.

Please pray as well for the new Servant Team. We are excited to welcome these six incredible girls into the Lima community for the next four months. Pray for me as I lead them, for our community as we receive them, and for them as they integrate and open themselves to what God has for their time with us.

It was a joy and a blessing to see and communicate with many of you over the past month. You have encouraged me and inspired me in ways you probably aren’t even aware of. Time with you is priceless and I hold it in my heart as a treasure. Thank you a million times over. I attached a field update for those of you I wasn’t able to see face to face.

I am here because you make it possible through your generosity, your encouragement, your prayers, and your love. You amaze me.

Thanking God for you!

love & peace,

Monica

contemplation & transformation

2007-07-16T11:21:00.000-05:00

is the theme of our WMF staff retreat which is going down in Nebraska City as we speak. the first three days have been full with new faces, fun conversations, celebratory toasting, hot tub soaking, ultimate frisbee craziness (in 100 degree heat), futbol match watching, excellent eating (i've had bacon at every meal so far), challenging expostions & discussions, and rich worship.

after last night's session Aaron continued to play his guitar as we reflected on the evening and we let these words wash over us.

Arise O Lord
Lift up your eyes
Don't forget I'm helpless

Oh you lead me to waters and pastures so green
Oh you pour out your oil and choose goodness and mercy for me

No, I will not be in want

You're with me
I will not fear
You comfort me
I will not fear

what a good word.

thank you to all who i have seen and talked with along this N. American journey. you have made the path easier to walk as you have walked alongside me. more to come on those adventures (with pictures).

pray for us, we'll pray for you. love to the people.

n. america=bottomless pit

2007-06-26T18:21:00.001-05:00

i'm back in north america and i've become a bottomless pit. i know. wild.

just thought you should know.

love to the people.

cheers to pop, and a happy birthday to you ma!

2007-06-17T18:11:00.000-05:00

i love you guys!

and hilarity ensued

2007-06-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

Every Wednesday morning we spend 3 hours singing, teaching, snacking, playing and chilling out with our friends from the street. Mostly boys ages 10-17, and every week I break down laughing hysterically at least once, I almost poke an eye out at least once and I feel surprised/blessed by them at least once. Its probably my favorite time of the week. Here's a taste...

Top 5 hilarious/great moments from the last month:

1. Who has a friend named Jesus?

First of all I have to explain something. In Latin American culture knowing someone named Jesus (pronounced 'hey-soos') is like knowing someone named John. So with that in mind... Sarah is leading sing time with the guys and we're jamming away to this song and one of the lines is "Jesus es mi amigo" ("Jesus is my friend"). So Sarah stops and asks "Who here has a friend named Jesus??" and we all respond enthusiastically "I do!" "Me!" except for J, he shouts out:

"I do! He lives like two blocks up the road from my parents' house!"

2. Yo tengo una queja (I have a complaint)

Imagine the tallest kid in the class, then imagine organized racing games with a group of people who have only ever played pick up street soccer and lastly imagine David, our tallest (and whitest) staff member participating along with the boys. Okay, that's your setting.

So its chaotic, everyone is shouting, hardly anyone understands the rules/how to follow rules and those that do are either defying them or yelling at everyone else for defying them, but above all the voices we hear D (tallest of the boys) shout out:

"Yo tengo una queja!" ("I have a complaint!")

the first thing thats funny is that everyone gets suddenly quiet and gives D the floor (an attentiveness i wasn't able to achieve to save my life that day). so he strolls out the the middle of the concrete court and says:

"So how is anyone supposed to win a game like this when David over there has the twin towers for legs?"

and thats it. thats all he wanted to say. everyone flipped out laughing and the chaos started right back up where it left off as D strolled casually back to his team.

3. Does anybody know where the baby Jesus fled to?

When talking about the story of Jesus' birth and how Mary & Joseph took baby Jesus and fled from Herod, Linsey posed the question "does anyone know where they fled to?" and one of the boys shouts out:

"Su barrio de Monica!" literally translated "Monica's hood!"

aka: Egypt

4.When asked about the prodigal son, D retold the story like this:

"Well the son got a little selfish, he wasn't thinking straight, so he went and spent all this money on things that don't really matter and then he was like chillin' with the pigs and he was all 'how did i get here' so he split from there and went back to his dad's place and when he got there he said i'll just be a worker or whatever but the dad wouldn't let him he told him 'no, you're my son' because that's what you're supposed to do when you're a dad, you love your kid."

5. What gift would you give?

Last week we were talking about the wisemen and the gifts that they gave to Jesus and how they each represented something about Jesus' life. It was really neat and the boys were into it. So at the end Linsey asked them "what gifts would you give if you could give anything." some of the answers included:

"i would draw him a picture"
"my heart"
"a song i wrote"
"my life"
"i would make him something"
"my time"

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."
Matthew 18:1-5

sweet homecoming & the days ahead

2007-05-29T11:41:00.000-05:00

my hood at sunset/me playing with the setting on my camera.

randomness:

1. apparently i missed a lot of those classic books you're supposed to read in highschool. i'm not sure when. anyways, i finally finished 'The Great Gatsby'. stellar. what else did i miss out on? please feel free to let me know and i will begin reading accordingly. also, if you love to read and exchange book knowledge check out goodreads.com ('My Links') and let the fun begin.

2. 24 days until i'm home home on the range. for the first time in a year. so exciting. here's the schedule:

June 22-30: Montreal & Ottawa visiting fam with the fam
June 30- July 13: Des Moines! Yippeeeeeee!
July 13-23: WMF Staff Retreat
July 23-25: Des Moines (take 2)
July 25-29: Denver & Ft. Collins to witness the Shan tie the knot
July 29-Aug 1: Des Moines (the final take)
Aug 1: Back to Lima

I will let you know about a couple official get togethers at my parents' house but other than that let me know if you'll be around because I would love to chat/drink caribou/eat good food/laugh like crazy/share life stories/re-discover all the loveliness that is iowa with you :).

3. our community has the opportunity to share with pastors from all over S. America at a conference in two weeks. please pray for us as we prepare. everyone will be speaking at least once which is a little scary for some of us but exciting at the same time.

4. since half the staff has to be stateside for the retreat please keep the other half of the staff in your prayers as they are only 3 people and will be carrying the field for a while. they're amazing, they'll do a stellar job, its their sanity we're hoping will stay in tact :).

5. spent the day on Sunday at a friend's house who used to live on the street. we made popcorn and watched Happy Feet with her and her two precious kids. now that is good for the soul. and the movie is stinkin' adorable too. try it some time, you won't regret it.

end ramble.

miss/love/can't wait to see you.

this is the fourth Sunday in a row...

2007-05-20T11:59:00.000-05:00

... that i've gone to get the Sunday morning paper and the sweet little lady at the newsstand greets me with "hola! como estas mi reina!"

for those non-Spanish speakers that translate to "hello! how are you my queen?!"

so four times in a row, that makes it true right? maybe i will get that castle with the tower room i always dreamed about as a little girl...

but anyways, three things, real quick:

1. Congratulations to my amazing sister who graduated yesterday with TWO majors. The girl is one smart cookie (definitely smarter than that palakurthy kid) with this super huge heart. And she's just all around amazing. She made a beautiful impact at Taylor and she'll go on to make a beautiful impact wherever the road takes her. Now let's all pressure her to start writing on her blog again, who's with me?... love you, Marcia!

2. Thank you for your prayers and your inquiries about Chris. Grief is a long process, as many of us know, and leaving behind street life not a short road either. Chris is back and forth. He'll be in the home one day and back out another. He'll ask me to go with him to visit the cemetery and then he'll disappear for a few days without a word. And I think its really normal. But the thing about Chris is that his heart is beautiful. His desire to learn isn't waning. He's a precious child of God no matter what. So, if you will, keep praying for Chris. It will be a long road. But we can be confident that God started something there and he is faithful. Let's keep holding Him to it :).

3. The search for a new ministry center is still on full force so if you could be praying for us about that too we would really appreciate it. Pray for wisdom, patience, unity, favor in the eyes of the landlords & the state institutions that will need to give us liscenses and permits. We're all so excited but we also want to do this well and continue to be attentive to the Holy Spirit's leading.

with love & hope.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T21:33:00.000-05:00

mothers are amazing to me. seriously.

not to mention that i am one of those people who believes my parents are one of the best things that ever happened to me.

so happy mother's day to all you amazing women, but especially to you mom. i love you and i love doing life with you. forever & always.

the most genuine laugh

2007-05-08T15:08:00.000-05:00

i'm pretty sure that i can now pinpoint the moment in my life when i laughed the most genuinely. it will sound like nothing to you but i'll try to describe it anyway.

baby J was bawling her eyes out coming up the stairs to Sarah & Linsey's apartment (we ARE a rather frightening bunch) where ironically we were planning to celebrate her 3rd birthday. and even though D (a friend who sells candy and other wares downtown & J's mother) promised her a million times that "mommy wasn't going to leave her behind" she hung onto her with a champion's grip. as Linsey and D chatted i slowly set up all the barn animal figurines that Sarah keeps at the apartment for just such visitors. i made sure not to look at J so as not to intimidate in anyway. i just set up the animals in front of her on the coffee table hoping it would help her feel more comfortable. i walked away to do something in the kitchen and then came back and sat by the animals on the floor. i picked up the cat and said "meow", then the pig "oink", then the cow "muuu", then the duck "cua cua" (that's quack in spanish, if you were wondering) and so on. no audible response but the look in her eye told me she was interested. i walked away again, you know, to keep the suspense levels high & let her think about her next move if i decided to play Old McDonald a second time.

i sat down again and picked up the cat. "meow". stare. "meow" (a second time). stare (unbroken). one of the adults asks me a question so i get into the adult conversation. a few seconds later i turn to make another go at it only to find that unexpectedly and quite stealthily J got the bunny (don't ask how he got mixed in with the barn animals) and had it two inches from my face. as soon as i turned towards her she bopped the bunny at me and let out the most adorable high pitched real sounding "MEOW". so i did the only thing i could think to do. "meow". and the bunny meowed back. and then, where there were tears and suspicious eyes, a smile broke free and then, more assertively now, the bunny said "MEOW".

and then it escaped, the most genuine laugh i have ever laughed. i felt it come out of my heart, well up in my soul, and then spill out into the room. and then again. and again with every little squeaky "meow". i just couldn't help myself.

and that's it. i told you it would sound like nothing. but i guess that's what makes it so incredibly special. to me its a moment i will never forget.

here's to many more moments of genuine laughter for you and me and everyone we know. cheers.

"One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes." -- A. Saint-Exupery

the end of an era (for now at least)

2007-05-01T20:14:00.000-05:00

well, after years and years of adding things to our list of programs and hardly ever taking anything away we've come to the decision that it would be best for all involved to go to the streets as a whole group once a week instead of two littler groups twice a week. i see the benefits of this and i see the difficulties it causes, i rejoice in how far we've come and yet i feel deeply nostalgic and sad to be preparing for my last tuesday night on the street (for now at least... who knows what the future holds... i'm learning that i sure don't).

just wanted to let you know. if you read this tonite pray with us, change is always hard, even if its for the better. pray against confusion and rifts. that above all understanding, grace, and love would reign and that our relationships with our friends would only strengthen.

and of course, pray for us all, broken, wandering, souls searching for that next step, then taking it, then hoping we won't fall too hard.

love & peace be with you.

Stop what you're doing and pray for Chris*

2007-04-18T01:02:00.000-05:00

Just got back from the streets. Long night. Trash was being burned, songs were being sung, tears were being shed and I felt compelled to get this up before going to bed even though that meeting is going to come around real quick in the morning.

Our dear friend, Chris*, has been off the streets for a month in a group home, a total 180, stopped huffing, started going back to school, started to have hope in a brighter future, started building community that wasn't on the streets, started seeking God, started saving up so he could take his grandmother, who is the only relative who has ever cared for him, a gift and show her that he was off the streets-- that is, until this morning.

While he was on the internet last night a friend from his old neighborhood told him that his grandmother had passed away in January. This morning he went to the house he grew up in and his nightmare was confirmed. Since no one knew how to find him... well, its three months later now which is just salt in the wound. He is devastated. He feels guilty. He believes he is completely alone now. He can't see the point of any of it anymore. To him, this cancels out all the good things that have been happening in his life. With tears rolling down his cheeks he told me that the only thing he wanted was to be able to give back to her all that she gave to him, to be able to hug her and tell her he is sorry and that he loves her. He blames the streets and himself for robbing him of every good thing he's ever had but still he's choosing it as his refuge tonite.

We begged him to come with us back to the home where he has been living but he declined and told us he would call in the afternoon tomorrow (today, Wednesday) if he felt up to it.

I don't share this so that you'll feel sorry for him but rather so that you'll fight for him. So that you will intercede on his behalf in a time when this precious friend is so vulnerable.

Pray for him, beg for him, cry out to the Lord for him. That he would be able to/feel free to mourn. That truth would be real, and that the lies would vanish. That fear, doubt, self-loathing, depression & confusion would be far from him -- though they are real, that they would have no authority over him. That he would be able to see clearly. That he would be given the strength to choose the life giving. That God would use us to encourage & support him. That his new found hope would not die with the news about his grandmother.

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20

*Name has been changed

"If its in my head, does it count?" or "to Chile & beyond!"

2007-04-16T23:56:00.001-05:00

There are so many things I have blogged about in my head. Hopefully those are forthcoming. For now, I leave you with this, a link to Linsey's account of our trip to Arica, Chile (no schopp dog towers this time) to pick up her resident visa. She is now official and I traveled for the first time on my resident card which i finally recieved a few months back. Very nice picture, right? (my head is small, but not that small, you'd think they'd spring the extra bucks to get the propotions right for an official gov't id but, hey, its more fun this way right?!) Anyhow, enjoy...

The Misadventures of Monica & Tanya in Chile

[picture removed for safety reasons]

Another Sunny Day at Lurigancho

2007-02-22T09:01:00.000-06:00

I don't really dress up for work here in Lima, unless of course I'm going to jail. That's when the skirts & the sandals and the cute little purses are dusted off and put to use. be sure to choose light and airy clothing because the sun is always blazing where we're headed.

i live a strange, strange life.

i'm not kidding though. we went to visit our friends in prison yesterday and those are the rules. required dress is skirt & sandals (nothing all black), you can bring in almost anything barring alcohol, drugs, weapons, and your keys. so we get dressed up, buy lots of cookies, make a worksheet on prayer to give to the boys, ride the bus an hour and a half outside the city, drop our keys off with random woman selling snacks outside the jail and start the journey in. (note that should you find yourself at jail without skirt & sandals you would be able to rent from any one of the 50 booths set up outside for that very thing)

Lurigancho (the prison) may be the strangest place i have ever been in my entire life. once you finally pass through security (which resembles an amusement park line-- except for the part where they feel you up) two strange things happen: 1. you pass through a flower garden with a huge sign made out of stones in the grass which reads "Bienvenido" ("Welcome") and 2. the presence of any sort of security system all but disappears. there are no cells, just pavilions. official looking men can be spotted every now and again but even then their function is unclear. there are all sorts of people-- prisoners-- milling about selling trinkets, snacks and their services to carry your bag or help you find someone you're looking for.

a minute to explain: Lurigancho is the poor man's prison. sometimes they send people there for no reason at all, just to get them "off the streets". reform is an unknown concept and injustice is the watchword. if you don't have someone pushing for you on the outside your prison stay could be indefinite for no good reason at all. in this prison you work for food, to send money home, to get your papers pushed through. you jockey for position. you try to stay out of the rough pavilions. and you pray that you don't get on anyone's bad side. its a really loose system and though each person is assigned to a pavilion its pretty much a free for all. men accused of murder mingle with boys who stole a wallet to put food in their stomachs. if you don't have anyone watching your back its a pretty scary place. well, even if you do have someone watching your back its a pretty scary place.

so we're in, and the wandering begins. we know generally where the boys will be but since they can move pretty freely between pavilions and there isn't really an official list or someone in charge they could be anywhere.

we rely heavily on fame.

mostly Sarah's fame. i'm in by association. it amazes me everytime how willing people are to help the "hermanas" (sisters) as they call us. and usually within minutes of being there Sarah sees someone or someone sees Sarah and we're off. the first contact is crucial but then from there you can pretty much get all the information you need to find everyone else you want to see. the boys from Grau (the street where we meet) keep tabs on each other even if they weren't really friends on the outside and its a well known fact that news travels to and around Lurigancho like wildfire (ie, when the Langleys adopted Natalia they recieved numerous phone calls of congratulations from prison before any of us had even had the chance to visit and share the news). In short, being recognized as the sisters that visit the streets with milk and bread helps us get where we need to be more effectively than if Brad Pitt himself was requesting the visit.

so we go, wandering and greeting and standing to chat here, sitting to pray over there, searching for him up the stairs, just around the corner, down this hall. pavilion 2, then 4, then 11B, then 20. we won't make it to 21 today.

okay, maybe you don't want to know all the details. gosh, i'm not even scratching the surface.

the point is. i hate going to prison because its a terrible place. rambunctious boys become somber young men and tender hearts become quickly hardened. but i love going to prison because its important. some of the most resilient people, young men, i have ever met are still keeping hope alive in there. and to have the privilege to sit with them for a moment, give them the news that they haven't already heard, share a prayer, hear their dreams for when they're free again, to give them some bible verses & a worksheet (word searches are surprising treasures for passing time and exercising the brain) on what it means to pray & communicate with the God who hears, giggle about how i'm chubby or they're chubby, or just encourage them to "seguir adelante" ("keep pressing forward") is worth all the strangeness.

to see C smile so big.

to hear J thank us for coming.

to hug M and to tell him that even though he is so scared, he is not alone in there and to see his face light up at the prospect of a history book and a visit from Rae & Natalia (looks like we're going back next month :).

to listen as D and S talk of their daughters and how they want to do better by them.

to laugh with A (he IS chubbier) and celebrate that he'll be free in 4 months.

to hear about O's love of his jungle home and plans to beeline straight there upon release.

to say "yes, i remember you're here. i know its hard." and "yes, i will pray" and "we can't even begin to fill in the gaps for you but we know a Savior who never stops walking beside you".

thats why we come.

and the visiting hours pass, just like that. and so we said our goodbyes and left with sticky, sweaty, weakened bodies and heavy hearts. still, we left knowing we would go back. because no matter how terrible or strange, there is always that glimmer that proves that redemption is real and that maybe one visit, or hug, or word will be what God uses to keep the flame of hope alive. not to mention that it changes us. it challenges us. it adjusts my perspective. looking into the eyes of the oppressed and seeing their smiles humbles me in ways i cannot even begin to describe.

pray for our dear friends as the open their hearts to truth and as they continue to hope that there can and will be renewal for them. pray for us, that we would know more deeply what it means to be present to our friends. pray for justice in this city, there are people here who want things to change -- peruvians who desire something different for their country, for their people -- that they would have the courage to speak & that their voices would be heard.

thanks for listening (reading?) and praying, i know that was a lot. now, if you'll please excuse me, i need to go put on my holey jeans & t-shirt for work :).

love & peace be with you.

when all there is, is betrayal

2007-02-12T01:43:00.000-06:00

when the waves you loved so much as a child threaten your life. when the people you love most, aren’t who you thought they were. when the people you were counting on, choose to turn away from you. when the doctors leave a woman, no, a girl, open on the table for 6 hours because she can’t prove she’ll be able to pay for the c-section. when a boy works all day, earns money and uses it to feed his family’s bad habits instead of going to school. when a girl realizes that he’s walking away, but she’s still holding a baby in her arms. when a man finally escapes from the streets into a better life, and then they find a way to pull him back. when children all over the world wake up with the fear that this day might be their last. when you give your life, your heart, your soul… and its not enough. when you think its over, but its not. when your heart is supposed to be your ally, but it gives you away. when your own body does things you promised it never would. when your eyes are dry, completely, and then more tears come. when you want to give yourself fully, but something holds you back.

"He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you." Deut8:15,16

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for you Father, has been pleased to give you the kingdom” Jn12:32

is the thing to hold on to.

pray with me?

highlights

2007-02-05T09:30:00.000-06:00

Most Exciting Moment: breathlessly arriving at this crazy little sports bar only to be told it was completely full and sorry we could not come in but it happened to be right as Hester returned for the touchdown. the man at the door was nice enough to hold the door open so we could see the replay. we had the appropriate celebration right there on the street and then frantically hailed a cab to get somewhere where we could watch the game.

Most Depressing Moment: Fumble on the snap? numbers 1 & 2. or maybe it was the two interceptions in a row? or maybe just the second half in general?

Half-time question: Who's jersey would you choose to wear for an extended amount of time?

Linsey (Colts) -- 33 Rhodes (Cuz look at him, he's running all over the place)
Adriana (Colts) -- 63 Saturday (Because thats cool, his name is Saturday)
David (Bears) -- 8 Grossman (Because he's a Florida boy, and he DID lead the Bears to the Superbowl for the 1st time since 1985)
Me (Bears) -- 80 Berrian (Because he's just stinkin' amazing-- and remember how he flip caught for a touchdown last week?)
C-bass (cheering for the Bears) & Sarah (cheering for both teams) remained undecided.

Post game feelings: Well done Colts, well done Dungy. iheartlovie. the BEARS were in the SUPERBOWL. that was just practice. we got 2007 all wrapped up.

Post game photos: Can you tell who was cheering for who?

for now, my friends are blogging for me

2007-02-03T18:07:00.000-06:00

its been a really long few weeks. linsey's blog just scratches the surface.

pray for us, we're getting hit pretty hard over here. i will share soon. i want to share.

for now i only have the energy to say, i agree with travis.

go bears!

if you were wondering to yourself...

2007-01-14T15:28:00.000-06:00

"self, what is the most stressful way to watch a football game and even more specifically one that goes into overtime?"

the answer is ESPN NFL online Gamecast. staring at a digital football screen waiting for the yardage to pop up. waiting to see if they would go for it. waiting to see if the field goal was good.

and it was.

and we're going to do some research on somewhere we can actually watch the players playing next week's game because, oh baby, the bears are movin' on!

end football rant that you don't even care about.

its the small joys :).

Las Fotos

2007-01-11T12:42:00.000-06:00

Okay friends, I put the pictures from the family fun into a couple albums through picasa so if you feel so inclined you can take a browse on through them.

1. Pics from family time in Lima through Christmas-- includes pics of my neighborhood and a couple from our office/nursery

2. Pics from our family trip to Pisco-- where you can find PENGUINS. I guess I am really amazed by this and I talked about it so much that for my birthday my friends made me a birthday crown with a penguin on it and then gifted me black & white (penguin colored) earrings, "March of the Penguins", "Happy Feet", and a penguin finger puppet.

3. Pics from New Years, the Beach, the Birthday and up until my parents departure on the 8th.

okay, good times :).

Christmas with the Family in Lima

Pisco!

New Years, Beach, Birthday & Beyond

ohhh baby!... merry christmas, happy new year and a fantastic birthday too!

2007-01-10T00:54:00.000-06:00

Well, we DID have the Long December listening party (huge success) for those who were wondering and then, well, it came true. Long December indeed. Beautiful, stressful, sad, joyful, change-filled long December. I don't even know where to begin... we pulled off a Christmas party for 140 of our friends who live on the streets and then another one for about 25 of our friends (& their children) who have moved off the streets, we delivered christmas baskets to 20 homes, said goodbye to the amazing Servant Team (tears were invovled-- i miss you guys), my family came to spend the holidays, we went to Pisco, we went to the beach, we enjoyed the novelty of Christmas in the summertime (seasons are reversed here), and walked with the youth through what can often be the hardest time of the year when people emphasize being with family and the abliliy to give and recieve-- for our friends this is often not a part of their reality. Its wild to feel such joy (being with my family and community) and such deep pain (being with our friends as they struggle) all mixed together and sometimes in the same moments.

Okay... but the biggest news of all? Ohhhh baby. That's right, I'm an aunt! Okay, not like a related-by-blood-aunt but pretty dang close. After 9 months of papers and meetings and visits and prayers Brian & Rachel (and Isa) were approved for the adoption of a precious 7 month old peruvian baby! I am very pleased to introduce to you Natalia Marie Langley:

We were all overjoyed to spend Christmas with Natalia-- Isabel especially was bouncing off the walls ready to start getting to know her new baby sister. Natalia is such an answer to prayer with her smiles and her easygoing personality. Thanks be to God, He has blessed us so richly.

As for me, well, I couldn't be more thankful for the sacrifice my family made to come get to know Lima and spend Christmas here with us. I know it wasn't a usual Christmas and I know it wasn't exactly comfortable but they were amazing and flexible and spread joy everywhere they went, just like usual :). I am so thankful for the grace they gave as I clumsily tried to play hostess. In addition to getting to know the city and tidbits of daily Lima life we took a family trip to Pisco where we saw tropical penguins. PENGUINS. in PERU. My friends might ask me to stop talking about it. But who knew there were penguins in Peru? There are. More importantly we had a great time relaxing together, swimming, laughing, talking, watching cartoons in Spanish and reading fairytales every night before bed. We returned to Lima and spent New Years observing a few Peruvian traditions (more on New Years at Linsey Higgins' blog). After saying goodbye to Marcia & Mark (tear), my parents & I hit up the beach with the friends and it was great. Woke up the morning of my birthday to the sound of the ocean and a birthday breakfast overlooking the water. Those who know of my love of the ocean know that I was a very happy 25 year old :).

So that's a quick (or not so quick?) overview. I'll get some more pics up soon.

If I don't say it often enough, I'll say it again. I am so thankful for all of you, my friends & family who have been such an incredible support. Can you believe its been a year in Lima? Friday is the official one year anniversary of Lima life. Could never have made it without you all. So much love to the people.

Hammock Dreams & the brink of Long December

2006-11-29T23:24:00.000-06:00

Happy late Thanksgiving to all, I'll start out with a "thanks" in honor of that late greeting if I may. Thanks for your prayers. Our trip to Bolivia was fantastic, and safe, and beautiful, and relaxing, and encouraging, and refreshing. Total hours spent in bus = more than 35. Did we cause a raucous playing Bingo on the bus? Yes. Did we get treat bags? Yes. Did we sleep soooo good? Not quite. But we had lots of snacks and good company, there's not much more you can ask for.

Basically we worked our way into the altitude by spending a night in Puno (Peru) on the edge of Lago Titicaca and then traveled the next to day to Copacabana (Bolivia) other side of the same gorgeous lake, and spent three days of retreat and reflection there with the Servant Team from Bolivia. After that we traveled to El Alto and spent 3 days with the community of WMF Bolivia. We painted Cara's (Boliv STC) apt, stared at the mountains which some of my team was seeing for the first time (hey, those are pretty good first mountains), they showed us around their amazing center (which made us all the more excited for the center we are raising money for), invited us to share in their chapel time (in a chapel built by friends), showed us around El Alto, took us down into La Paz to the modern art museum, set us loose in Dieciseis market with a small amount of bolivianos and the task of finding an "outfit" for community night, had a rockin' community night, played some fantastic push-up poker (all other forms of poker are dead to me :) and just spent rich moments talking and reading and sharing and laughing.

In Copacabana we sat in hammocks for the majority of the days. Okay, actually, everyone else hiked and explored and I sat in the hammocks for the majority of the days. Basically taking in the freshness and the beauty, hydrating myself and reading like my homeroom was depending on me to win us "pages for pizza". Dabbled in some Rainier Maria Rilke (i am heart-ing poetry more everyday), finished The Kite Runner (incredible book) and am half way through One Hundred Years of Solitude (super well written, super weird). It was glorious. Even had a fabulous dream that my four former bolivian dwelling friends came to hang with us in the land of hammocks & hippies.

Favorite Copa moment: Tuesday evening hike. There's a hill overlooking the town and the lake that has the 14 stations of the cross marking the path to the top. We hiked the stations in time for the sunset and a Vespers service on top. It was breathtaking view, sweet company, and a really meaningful way to celebrate and physically remind ourselves of the present reality & importance of solidarity with Christ. I feel like lately I have been learning so much from the rich parts of the history of the church that is often times hidden among many hurtful things that we often think of first. I still have so much yet to learn.

On the way home we stopped for a day in Arequipa (Peru) where we able to visit with friends, Linsey, new WMF staff who is there attending language school like I did this past February and Raquel, Franklin, Jordan & Alan, the sweetest little family who are friends we knew from the street in Lima who are now living with their family and striving to make a new life for themselves away from the city. Everytime I see them they bring such joy and inspiration to my heart. Remember their corageous struggle as you pray.

I am so thankful for time spent with my incredible team and for time spent with the Bolivia community. Both groups of people continually amazed, encouraged, and loved me in beautiful ways. Just what the doctored ordered, I would say.

In other news, Tim and I made falafel today-- from scratch. That's right. And it was AMAZING, like, seriously yummy. Destroyed my rubber scraper and may have cooked a chunk of red plastic into one of the balls of tomayah goodness, but that's hardly the point.

And my sister gets here in 16 days, and then the rest of the crew in 23. yep. Ghali's take Lima by storm for Christmas. Please contact my parents to send me all kinds of Christmas presents :) (just kidding mom :).

Also, be praying for the servant team and for me. They have two weeks left to go. Two weeks. That's not much. Its going to be crazy. I'm going to miss them a lot.

And I have already begun the daily doses of N'Sync Christmas and we will be having the official "Long December" listening party on Friday, don't be afraid to join us from the comforts of your own homes. If you don't own or, know someone who does own, the aforementioned tune... get on that.

Okay, there's a lot of info for ya, what do you think? Want some pictures from the rockin' trip? okay, here goes...

Boliv & Peru Teams hanging out on the beach and laughing really hard (not at, but with) the fact that a dog just up and peed right on Ben's backpack after we were so kind and fed him the leftovers of the best trout ever.
Up on the hill after our hike, before our Vespers service
The team and I before heading down
Thought you should see a pic of us paying up during pushup poker, where your arms are your currency...
Huayna Potosi being held by Tim. He sees his first mountains, and then immediately conquers them, what can I say?
Inside of the chapel at the WMF Bolivia day center
The "outfits" we ended up with after an hour at the market
Staff lovin': Wes & Heather Goertzen, Cara Strauss, & Me representing for Bolivia & Peru
My amazing, patient, fun, flexible team before getting on the shadiest busride of the trip which included three or four random and quite long suspicious stops. iheartsouthamerica.

A Quickie...

2006-11-10T06:50:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to touch base real quick and ask for your continued prayers:

Its been an emotionally charged week as we have spent time remembering and celebrating Craig's four years of service to the youth here in Lima, trying the best we can to help the youth say "goodbye" well and then to do the same ourselves. We sent him off last night and in about 5 hours he will be with his love getting ready to be married and start a new part of his life. We will miss him, but it is with such joy that we look towards the future with him as well.

Pray for the community as it adjusts to the transition. We're a body over here and when we send off a member it takes a little time to recapture the rhythm.

Pray for C-bass, Klaust, & Manuel, the guys that he has been living with and caring for in these last years. That they would press into each other and encourage each other during the time of change.

For all the youth that said goodbye to a beloved friend.

Also, this afternoon I will be traveling with the Servant Team to Bolivia for a retreat with the Bolivian Servant Team. Puno, Copa, and then all the way to El Alto. We're all really excited (but exhausted toooo!). Pray for our travels and that it would be a refreshing time of reflection & relaxation & connection for us (STCs) and the teams.

thanks for your prayers,

beso, mng

Drastic Measures & Iowa Lovin'

2006-10-29T21:55:00.000-06:00

lots of sitting still and thinking in spanish = lots of pent up energy =
drastic measures = the shortest my hair has EVER been:

PLUS...

Linsey (new & wonderful addition to our staff) made the following unprovoked comment:

So, I recently drove through Iowa for the first time on my way to Omaha and I thought to myself, 'I should send a memo out so everyone knows how beautiful this state is'.

that's right... i been sayin' it for years :).

(41-10, beautiful numbers)

love, love, love, mng

2006-10-18T01:11:00.000-05:00

Just got back from the streets.

Felt the need to process it with you.

J is discouraged. M is dirtier than ever (usually=lots of cocaine). F is jealous that one of the other boys is living with some WMF staff and that he's not, he feels like he doesn't have any way out. L wants to serve God but finds so many obstacles in his path.

All are fighting for survival. All are asking to be loved.

And me, I feel so helpless. I feel like sometimes what I can do or what I'm called to do just isn't enough.

But I'll never be enough. So I'll go to sleep now and wake up tomorrow and try to do it all a little bit better than the day before.

And I'll pray & you'll pray, and we'll do this thing together.

And yes, we are having a 12 hour superhero movie marathon tomorrow. So come on over, noon to midnight, Craig's place, some of the coolest guys in town will be there.

love to the people, mng

Silliest Post Ever

2006-10-16T12:02:00.000-05:00

Two things:

1. Football (as in the USA kind) doesn't come on TV here very often, its almost always Futbol (the rest of the world kind), either that, or poker. So the big news is: the BEARS are on TV tonite! YES. p.s. they are soooo going to the Super Bowl this year (Rex, don't you DARE get hurt).

2. If you are a Taylor Alum please laugh with me at this email my sister so kindly forwarded along to me:

Just thought you should know whats become of Taylor in the years following your departure. This is not a joke.

It is hilarious. However, I am very upset. I just keeping saying they've stolen the joy of Airband from me.

-----Original Message-----
From: Taylor Announcement [mailto: donotreply@taylor.edu]
Sent: Thu 10/12/2006 3:59 PM
Subject: URGENT AIRBAND UPDATE

We oversold Airband! To accommodate the extra tickets which were sold, we will be performing twice tonight: once at 8:00 PM and once at 10:00 PM. The first show will be open to students, faculty, staff, parents and other members of the community. The second show will be a "student's only" show (all students who see the first show are invited back for the second show as well!). ADDITIONAL TICKETS FOR THE 10:00PM SHOW WILL BE ON SALE AT THE DOOR. Thank you all for your flexibility!

8:00 PM - Community Show (students, parents, faculty, staff, etc.)
10:00 PM - "Student's Only" Show (students only)

Sincerely,
Adam Pechtel
VP of ICC

Campamento!

2006-09-30T00:24:00.000-05:00

We went camping!

Good times had by all. A travel journal was started. Campfires were had. Food was cooked. Wood was chopped. Stars were seen. Refelections took place. Rivers were conquered. Stumps were burned. The Little Prince was finished. Friendships were deepened. Pictures were taken.

Here's the proof:
That's the crew
We're fun...
Craig & his stump
Isn't it gorgeous? And its only 1.5 hours from where we live in the big gray city. Katie & Kristy are in the little hut on the hills. Look really close and you'll see they're smiling for the picture.
Okay, so I look upset but I'm not, I'm just showing you two things: a. this is the face I had to make for my Peruvian resident card which I had a hard time pulling off (think little kid who can't stop giggling in the doctor's office) and 2. look what the river did to my hair! that's how it dried without gel or anything. for those of you who know my insane hair, that's pretty amazing. I basked in the softness of it for the rest of the trip :).

Happy Anniversary!

2006-09-21T10:20:00.000-05:00

Monday was the official one month anniversary of the servant team being in Lima so we're getting out of dodge to celebrate! Blazing sunshine, lazy river, glorious foothills here we come.

Praise the Lord for He has been good to us. Pray for our trip that it would be a full time of rest, reflection & connection. And of course, safe camping.

love to the people.

Days are funny things

2006-09-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

So many things can happen in the course of any one day.

Back when Isabel was still a four kid* (she's a six kid now) her bedtime ritual always included asking everyone present "what was the best part of your day?" followed by, "what was the part that you didn't like?" It was always fun to see what she would answer and good for us to think about, but its been awhile.

So in honor of "four kids", the team & I asked each other those questions on Monday.

And when you really start to think about it you realize how much there is to sort through in any given day to be able answer those questions. And sometimes I'm surprised that 'the best' & 'the part I didn't like' get all tangled up in each other. I think we all found that.

Going to that place was terrible, sad, depressing but the conversation I had with that person made the place fade away for just a second. And that conversation was important, joyful, humbling, beautiful.

I never thought I could be this sad, lonely, foggy, but God put it on her heart to call, to pray, to speak wisdom and that reminds me of the deepest truths.

Redemption in the works. All tangled up.

But if we never asked the questions then we might miss it and the days might just pass and we might just think of that day as "bad" or "good" when really there is so much more all packed in there and so many other adjectives that want to be used :).

Remind me of that, okay?

love to the people *beso*

*a four kid = a kid who is four years old

Okay, unas fotos...

2006-09-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

The boys prepared us a beautiful book study breakfast so we feasted and then pondered together the insights of Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning.

I love having people in my home & I love their music filling the room as we all just chill (Katie gracing us with some morning music)

This is us playing Limaland (get it? like Candyland, but not...) to help the team review orientation info.
Front Row: Kristy, Katie, Benjamin, Klaust (Friend & WMF volunteer) Back Row: Tim, Me, Manuel (friend of WMF), C-bass (National WMF Staff)

Grrrrr...

2006-09-12T13:50:00.001-05:00

Hasn't happened in awhile. Got too comfortable, that's what happened. Lost the whole stinkin' post. All I wanted to say is that we played the Amazing Race: Lima Edition and my team came home with the win. It was spectacular. And, even better than that is how sweet & fantastic & thought provoking the team is. And I had some pictures. Okay, so I wanted to say a lot more than that but instead I´ll say this:

I still think Macs are beautiful, sleek, fun, creative, state of the art machines but I'm going to go ahead and strongly advise that no one purchases a MacBook until they get the kinks worked out because you don't want to find yourself waiting around for three weeks while they replace your logic board, etc. and well, if you surf the web you'll find that my baby is not the only one undergoing this extensive (and I hear slightly painful) operation. In summary please be patient with me over the next couple of weeks seeing as how computer access will be/has been extremely limited.

And I'm sorry the post got lost.

And I miss you.

love to the people, mng

Arrived!

2006-08-26T12:08:00.000-05:00

Servant Team is here, safe and sound. I love them. I really do. Orientation week ends today with a solidarity walk. Wow, wow, wow. Thanks for your prayers! Don't stop now! More to come once I figure out when my day off is :)... *wink*

"The Return of the Blogger" or "The Year of MNG & the Rockers"

2006-08-16T13:45:00.000-05:00

How many times have I sung this song? The one that goes kind of like this:

I haven't written in awhile. Sorry. Things got kindof crazy around here. Or maybe sometimes its easier not to try and articulate thoughts that I can't even get a grasp on myself...

Lyrics vary.

It has been an interesting couple of months. The return to Lima after time spent in Iowa/Illinois has had its extreme highs and lows.

Highs:

The Visits-- first Jara & Emily (of WMF Omaha), then my dear roommate from Taylor (E. Kage in the flesh). Both were refreshing, engaging, challenging, relaxing, hilarious and downright fantastic. Photos don't lie folks, they just don't.

Being with the Community. Which also expressed itself as going camping in celebration of Peru's Independence day. What a fantastic time. Beautiful area, sunshine, good food, and unbeatable company. Maybe one day I'll just post a blog of camping pictures! For now here are two...

Chillin' with the younger boys-- Friday mornings, the day we spend with them (singing, acting out bible stories, playing soccer, coloring, getting thrashed in checkers), is quickly becoming my favorite time of the week.

Field Trip with aforementioned group of boys-- this was our first adventure outside the city with this group and it was a blast.

Celebration Day with the youth that have returned to their homes-- we shared testimonies of God's faithfulnes, celebrated birthdays, and laughed till our sides hurt (see video :).

$18,000 has already come into our Ministry Center fund-- wahoo! We haven't even sent out the video yet... (see link 'Peru Ministry Center Project' for more info)

Fantasy Football has officially begun and I can feel it in my bones-- team MNG & the Rockers is going to tear it up this year!

Servant Team arrives on Friday!!!

Lows:

There is a certain heaviness that comes with daily facing into the realities of street life with its police raids, hospitals who won't treat the poor, teenage girls about to give birth to a new generation of street children, older boys with no options, people we love suffering- passing away- fighting disease. I confess I don't always know how to deal.

Honestly I have been in a bit of an unexplainable "funk" and let's just say that I don't naturally love the unexplainable. Logic. Reason. Something graspable. Cause & effect. That's my style. Unexplainable funk can be a rather isolating & uncomfortable place to be but somehow I know the Lord is comfortable with it and (the nerve:) would like me to be as well -- Drop that need to explain it and pick up that ruthless trust -- Be okay with being uncomfortable, if that makes any sense.

The happy ending to that story would be "and now I trust and I've learned so much and it was hard but now its great." Truth is I'm still struggling through it. I get mad, I feel joy, I get sad, I have bouts of hyperness, There are moments I just want to sleep it away and others that I can't help from dancing like a madwoman around the apartment.

Why haven't I shared this earlier? Maybe I was afraid to tell you that sometimes its really hard. Maybe I too worried about what you would think. Maybe its easier just to try not to think about it. But in the end we were created for community, and you're my community no matter how distant. So there it is.

Oh, and the Servant Team arrives on Friday-- still a lot to do to get ready for them!

Mom says many of you are praying knowing that Friday is the day the Servant Team (which I am responsible for) is arriving. My heart is encouraged by that.

So, in closing: Sorry for my silence, thank you for your patience and thanks for walking it with me whether high or low.

love to the people.

El Mundial

2006-07-10T18:38:00.001-05:00

So the World Cup is kindof a big deal in South America.

Our church has a family like atmosphere, we get there around 11:00 am, we sing lots of songs (as many as we feel like), we take time on announcements, we sing "happy birthday" when appropriate, the sermon is conversational and usually as long as necessary and afterwards everyone stays and chats and greets and spends time just being. All in all we're around till 1:00ish. That's the way it usually is.

Not this Sunday. I have never seen La Vina empty so fast in all my months. Cesar, our pastor, requested only 4 songs, no announcements and his sermon was the shortest I've ever heard. Everyone cleared out in quickest way possible without being rude. 12:15 and the place was almost empty. It was the finals of the World Cup, you know.

And so the whole country stopped to watch. It was intense. It was glorious. They played hard. Pirlo is the man. But so is Henry. And finally the team I was cheering for took home the win.

And did Zidane REALLY head-butt Materazzi in the chest? Really?? Head-butt???

We joked that it might of been because of a "your mama" joke but it turns out today that might have actually been the case. Wow.

Head-butt or not, hats off to Zidane for a career well played, Buffon for a an amazing second half in the goal and to the Italian team for a flawless five penalty kicks and the heart to take it home in the end.

Heres to Peru in the World Cup 2010!

Everyones got dreams :)...

An Answer to Our Prayers

2006-07-02T12:03:00.000-05:00

I asked you to pray. And you have. And we did, all together as a group those two nights at my house.

I know I wrote those requests but even as I wrote them they could still feel so far away...

Lord, dispell the lies that are told to these youth daily.

Lord, protect the little ones, they have yet to know addiction, they are so talented.

Jesus, if you could please just make it a little easier on *fill in the blank* she's trying so hard.

But in reality, will it ever be? Will it ever change? Will the lies stop coming? Will that chance ever come? Will we recognize it when it does?

Well, thank you for praying even in the face of the questions because Jerson & Junior start music school on July 8th. With smiles on their faces they announced to the group yesterday that Inparres (another organization we work with regularly) was able to help them register after they officially got accepted to study music at a school downtown. This announcement was met with cheers and clapping from the staff and all the other younger boys we were meeting with at the time. Murmurs of "those are our boys" & "la gente de Grau, nuestra gente (the people of Grau, our people)" could be heard as the boys picked up their instruments and we began to worship together.

Its a chance for them. Its a restoration of dignity. Its away from the streets. It might seem small but its huge to them. And its huge to me. And its huge to the God who hears our every heart cry.

Thanks for praying :). Don't stop now...

World Refugee Day

2006-06-20T10:36:00.001-05:00

Today, June 20th, all around the world, there are people being forced to flee their homes. They are forced to run in fear with no place to rest or find refuge. Everyday we should remember them, everyday they should be in our hearts. So let's use today as the starting place. Let's join with the world and amplify the voices that are being muffled today.

Latest Statistics: 20.8 million refugees

Latest statistics indicate that of the 20.8 million people of concern:

*8.4 million are refugees who have fled their countries due to civil wars and ethnic, tribal and religious violence and who cannot return home
*6.6 million are internally displaced persons - people forced to flee their homes, but who have not crossed a border
*2.4 million are stateless people
*1.6 million are returnees
*773,000 are asylum seekers
*960,000 are others of concern

Check out this link for more information: World Refugee Day

Que Vida la Mia

2006-06-14T14:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I must say, I will be excited to hear Reik blasting from the ever present radio every third song. I mean, I missed it so much I downloaded it from iTunes just to to have a listen or 30 over the past week. Oh, sweet Lima, 6.5 hours until we are united once more. Thanks to all who are praying, travels have been blissfully uneventful so far.

Can't believe I have an apartment on the other side of this plane ride. If you haven't heard that story, I'll tell you some time, it oozes of God's faithfulness and a rhythm that does and doesn't make sense all in the same moment.

Des Moines, Chicago, family, friends, finales, bonfires, bocce ball, sheesha, motorcycle rides, turnberry sandwiches, coffee dates, iowa sunsets, corn on the cob, sibling cuddling, driving, the easiest of conversations-- its been real. I will miss you much.

Lima, la comunidad amada-- let's hit it.

love to the people.

Leaving On a Jet Plane...

2006-06-12T19:38:00.001-05:00

I know, I know... cliche post name but hey, sometimes the creative juices just don't flow.

Back to Lima Wednesday morning. It has been amazing being here and sharing life with family and friends on the stateside. Thanks to everyone who made it such an incredible time.

Don't be a stranger, I love letters :), so if you want my new address drop me an email!

so much love to you all!

Te invito

2006-05-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

I marvel at today.

Today the tables were turned. The sound of Invítame, pues "Invite me to eat" fell away and from the same lips came, Guárdalo gringa, te invito "Put away your money, I invite you".

I squirmed at first, I have so much, and even though these two friends are no longer on the streets I know they struggle to make ends meet for their families. But when I looked up the only thing I could do was accept. And then I couldn't stop smiling at the gift they had given me. A meal, yah, but a meal with them, from them as a friend. Its hard to find the words. I felt so blessed. So we sat and ate with some younger boys and my smile just got bigger as I watched them interact with the younger boys almost like Ma & Pa. Encouraging them, keeping them in line, empathizing with them, guiding them. God has done a mighty work in both of their lives and now they are serving him. And the boys, they listen, because they know that they people who are talking have been in their shoes.

Beautiful. Honored to be a witness.

On the Road Again

2006-05-04T08:35:00.000-05:00

Well, friends this month will be a bit of a travelin' month. Today David, Klaust and I are off to Arica, Chile to do the 'ol hop the border and get more time on our tourist visas routine. Should be a good time, I mean, a beach is involved and if you don't already know how I feel about the ocean and the beach let me tell you. I love it. I can't get enough of it. Just the smell makes me want to smile and smile and smile.

The next traveling endeavor will happen at the end of the month. The 25th of May to be exact. And I am excited to say that it will be a trip back to the states, back to warm, sunny, hog loving, sweet corn growing, open spaces everywhere Des Moines, IA. I hope to be able to make contact with many of you during the three weeks I am home. I am really excited to be near friends & family again soon. (three weeks from today!)

So that's a quick update. I'll post some more when we get back from Chile. love to the people!

A Burning Stick Snatched From the Fire

2006-04-21T19:47:00.001-05:00

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.”

Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

Zechariah 3:1-5

The other day at staff worship we spent some time reading and meditating on these verses. One of the staff members shared with us a picture that came to his mind as he was praying. The Lord gave him a vision of all of us scattered along the street where we go to hand out milk and sandwiches on Tuesdays & Fridays. We were all in conversation with different youth that we know and, unbeknownst to us, right there on the streets, their clothes were being lifted off of them and exchanged for new, clean garments. No one moved, no one noticed, but it was happening. Christ was there in that dark place moving, changing, rebuking, claiming, and renewing. But we didn’t realize it.

My heart was touched and challenged in two ways specifically:

1. Our Lord & Savior is moving among the youth of Lima. The filthy & old are being exchanged for the clean and new. The one who accuses must be rebuked because these youth, just like all of us, are burning sticks being snatched from the fire.

2. We, as a staff, and myself in particular, need to continue to open ourselves up to allow Jesus deeply in to the center of my life, self & ministry—to open my eyes and my heart to become acutely aware of His constant presence among us.

Please pray for our staff community as we seek the Lord’s heart in the ministry here and for the youth we have all come to love so deeply:

Anna, Luisa, Jose Luis, Sebastian, Samuel, Esther, David, Craig, Rachel, Brian, Sarah and myself.

so much love to you…

Elections: Round 2

2006-04-21T19:40:00.000-05:00

A quick and probably incomplete review of the elections situation (when there are 24 presidential candidates its even confusing for the Peruvians):

Background Note: Everyone over 18 in Peru HAS to vote or else they pay a pretty hefty fine.

Top Three Candidates

Lourdes: A strong female candidate. Known to run in wealthy & political circles. Focus on improving education and healthcare as a means for curbing some of the economic and social difficulties that the country is facing. Very popular in Lima but not as much in the provinces. Some of the poorer communities are afraid she will have a presidency like so many others spent pleasing the few wealthy and ignoring the pleas of the poor majority. Others just aren’t ready to elect a female.

Garcia: Ex-President of Peru. 2 presidents ago, Garcia started out strong. Economy was doing well, things were relatively peaceful, people were happy—or at least they thought—and then they discovered it was a false prosperity & happiness as it turns out that his presidency was marked with corruption and printing money. Moral of the story: printing money never solves your problems. Garcia learned this the hard way as his term ushered in an incredibly scary era of terrorism & guerilla warfare. So why is this man running for president again (and in the top three)? He says he has changed, he says he knows better now, and he is an incredible speaker. His target generation is the youth (who HAVE to vote whether they are informed or not) and he is doing a good job of getting their votes. He also is getting a lot of the “No way do I want Peru to go way left with Ollanta but I don’t want a woman president either” votes.

Ollanta: The most leftist of our candidates, while not as extreme as Hugo Chavez of Venezuela or Evo Morales of Bolivia, he does fall in that camp. He talks of rewriting the constitution and changing trade agreements with the States, both potentially wonderful and potentially dangerous moves. He is known as the advocate of the indigenous and more impoverished people of Peru. He is also quite militaristic with a bit of a violent history. Very popular in the provinces, not as much in Lima as many are afraid of a violent militaristic regime that may come as a result of his inexperience in political circles.

Most of the people I know, even though not wealthy by any means, voted for Lourdes and now that it looks like she is out are talking about voting for Garcia in the second round just because they don’t want Ollanta, not because they want Garcia. Some people I know voted for Garcia, again not because they like him, but because they think he has a better chance of beating Ollanta in the second round. But the word from the provinces (excluding Arequipa—I don’t remember exactly what happened but something about Ollanta making a nasty comment about Arequipeños so he’s not the fave out there either) is that Ollanta is the popular vote. Its very interesting how different the city and the rural mentality is in all of this.

Alright so that is not exactly well researched information but it is what I have picked up from being here during all this so yah, there you have it. We will be going into second round voting in the middle of May so please continue to pray for Peru and South America during this critical time.

love to the people!

Forza Ganoto and My Servant Team

2006-04-20T15:57:00.000-05:00

Forza Ganoto: Portuguese for Strong Chubster and the name of the beautiful new bike I bought today down on Grau. The boys knew I was very concerned about having a cool name for my bike but they wanted me to make a quick decision so they refused to translate the name until after I decided whether or not I would buy it. They think they are really funny but I don't care. I love my bike. My strong, chubby, bike.

AND

I officially know who the members of my first servant team will be! Yay! I am really excited about the group that will be coming. Thanks for your prayers during this process!

And the Winner is...?

2006-04-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

Please pray for Peru today and throughout this week as they hit the polls to vote for our next president and infulence the future of this country.

For more info, BBC style, check out this link:

The Elections!

The Joys of Life in Lima

2006-03-29T17:12:00.000-06:00

There have been a lot of incredibly tough moments since being back in Lima and in coming days I would like to share a little bit about that but for now please join me in praising our Lord for the beautiful moments, for:

A day outside the city where tough, drug addicted young men, are allowed to become carefree boys playing soccer, splashing in a swimming pool, taking undisturbed naps and enjoying a meal they didn't have to steal for.

A night where 4 former street kids come to share their struggle with us (the staff), share lunch, and spend time praying together to the God who has saved us both. To be able to hear them give testimony to God in the midst of their continuing struggle humbles and strengthens my heart.

Seeing Juan and Angelou for the first time since returning to Peru.

Shopping with my peruvian brother for groceries and then cooking with my peruvian family. In short, sharing life with them.

Cuddling with my three year old buddy (son of one of the former street girls) while watching his favorite movie about caballos & "woof woofs" (horses & dogs).

The leader of our staff community humbling himself before his community and washing our feet as a symbol of his committment to Jesus and to us.

Celebrating birthdays!

The Good Samaritan told Lima street style via a skit and the attentive wide eyed looks of little street boys as they watched and wondered if a River kid would REALLY stop to help a Park kid or not.

A very good "oferta" (deal) on a dish dryer, colander, mini-pitcher & glasses for that apartment I will have in coming days :).

Spending time with the Discovery Team from Michigan and watching them discover Lima for the first time.

Understanding most of the sermon on Sunday! (thank you language school)

La Día de Celebración (Celebration Day) coming up this Saturday. A day we will spend with kids who have been off the streets for 2 months or more. A time to celebrate them and the work of the Lord in their lives. A time to encourage and spur on those who are working so hard to break the cycles of poverty & oppression in their lives.

The gathering of representatives from all the Word Made Flesh communities in Sri Lanka. What a time of coming together, unifying vision, sharing hearts and encouraging one another.

Praise to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever.

love to you all.

In Memory

2006-03-16T21:22:00.000-06:00

Here's to a life well lived and a friend who will never be forgotten. Kim, I celebrate you today.

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.

5 Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.

7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.

8 I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips,
as you know, O LORD.

10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
may your love and your truth always protect me.

12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.

13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

14 May all who seek to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.

15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
be appalled at their own shame.

16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"The LORD be exalted!"

17 Yet I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.

The New Barrio

2006-03-14T12:23:00.000-06:00

How excited am I?

After a beautiful busride into the sunset, through the Andes and along the coast I have arrived safe and sound in Lima. Yesterday I moved in with Sara, Eduardo & their son Carlitos. They are an incredible family and my room is nice, simple and spacious. After settling in I took a walk with Sarah Dobrin (3 hours-- we had a lot of catching up to do:) and then I made this little video for you. Click on the link and enjoy!

My New Room

My New Address:

Bolivar 146
Pueblo Libre
Lima 21, PERU

ph. 011-511-423-8909

¡Goodbye Arequipa!

2006-03-11T21:36:00.000-06:00

Thank you for your prayers, I have survived language school :). The time has come to say goodbye to sweet Arequipa, ABC Español Institute, and the beautiful community that has been such a joy these last 5 weeks. I had my last class Friday morning and was sent off in style with empanadas, Fanta, Inka Cola and chocolate cake. I also gave a moving speech in Spanish using only the subjunctive. Okay, so that last part is an exaggeration. It wasn't ALL in subjunctive, that would be silly. Okay, okay, okay so it might not have been "moving"... or a "speech" per se...but I definitely did say a few SPANISH sentences all in a row :).

Things I will miss:

*Salsa/Merengue/Hip Hop/Aerobic dance classes. I feel so healthy. And totally hip.
*The garbage trucks. They blast classical music as they cruise around ridding you of your waste. Sigh.
*My profesors-- they have shared their spanish and their lives with me and I am better for it.
*My Peruvian family. Lots of love, lots of laughs, and fresh fruit juice every morning :).
*The community of friends-- it has been a blessing to live and laugh and struggle through the language learning process with them. Good thing everyone has to pass through Lima to get out of Peru!

Things I am so excited for:

*Bus ride through the Andes tomorrow afternoon. I secured my self a second floor seat at the very front. Talk about a panoramic view! So what if it is 15 hours...
*Being back among my beloved community in Lima!
*Moving in with Word Made Flesh volunteers & friends, Sara & Eduardo, who have graciously offered to host me for a couple months while I find a place of my own.
*Seeing my friends from the streets and settling into life with them.

Please pray:

*The servant team applications for this fall were posted today so now we begin the process of praying and preparing for their arrival in August. Please pray for wisdom as we look through the applications and start forming the teams.

*Safe travels via bus

Lots of thoughts as of late... would love to share more in the near future.

Also, had the profound privilege of writing for the Spring Issue of the Cry (Word Made Flesh's advocacy journal) on Brokenness. If you want a sneak peek check out: The Cry Spring 2006

love, love, nothin' but love!

Fresh Out of the Peruvian Blender

2006-03-02T16:22:00.000-06:00

Join me in my morning joy...

Tomorrow morning, if you have a blender, put these things into it:

Bananas
A mug 1/4 full of evaporated milk and 3/4 ish full of water
A little bit of sugar (to taste)
A touch of vanilla

Blend & enjoy the Peruvian delicacy also known as:

Plátano con Leche (Banana with Milk)

I know its not very exact (ahem... yes, i am psycho about following the recipe in most cases), but such is the nature of life here and I'm learning to like it a lot.

Note: Mangos or Strawberries can be substituted for bananas, in which case you wouldn't need the vanilla.

Note #2: More regular milk and less water can be used instead of the evaporated milk/water combo so I'm told.

Cachivachera

2006-03-02T12:58:00.000-06:00

After a little bit of discussion about life and other related things Abby, my grammar teacher, let out a musical giggle and exclaimed:

"¡Eres una cachivachera!"

A little bit more conversation and I realize that she just said:

"¡You're a pack rat!"

So there you have it, file it away.

That one is for you roommate :).

And Marcia, where is the love? (has been played 3 times during this internet visit).

We only got one life... live it with love. I gotta agree with the Blackeyed Peas on this one.

More to come after I finish my homework. One week left at the institute! Yippee!

A Couple More for Daddy...

2006-02-23T11:47:00.000-06:00

Chris and Phileena Heuertz are the Executive Director and Director of Community Care for Word Made Flesh. I was blessed that they were visiting the field during my first week in Lima. It was great to spend time with them and to observe as they encouraged and challenged our community. Chris took this picture when the three of us hit up the ice cream store for some fruit cremoladas.

What a group! This is the North American half of Word Made Flesh Lima Staff plus the beloved Chris and Phileena.
Back Row: Chris, Craig, David, Rachel, Brian
Front Row: Phileena, Me, Sarah, and Isabel

Without a Home

2006-02-22T16:26:00.000-06:00

I got locked outside of my house the other night for a grand total of 30 minutes and it might have been my first glimpse (emphasis on glimpse) of true helplessness.

I came home to find everyone asleep and the house barred up for the night thus nullifying the usefulness of my key. After I rang the doorbell 3 times (counting calmly to 30 inbetween each ring), I thought of calling the house and realized that I did not have one cent on my person. I was stranded on the street with no where to go and no money.

Completely helpless. Nothing to protect me. No one to save me. No options. The faces of my friends in Lima entered my mind. How cold and scary the nights become when you have no where to go. How terrified they must feel in neighborhoods far more dangerous than this one.

I rang the bell three times in a row this time.

Tears started to fall as I thought of them out there (I'm sure a few fell for myself as well), maybe together, but often times so alone As I stood there I could feel the heaviness of vulnerability and I started, just barely started, to understand what they might feel like each night, and even day, with no one to turn to and no where to go. No options. Why it might be easier just to be hard.

5 times in a row now and a few pounds on the door. I decide that maybe if I shout I can wake up the other student living in the house to come get me. Someone finally comes. Honest mistake. They thought I was in, I wasn't. Now I am safe again. Warm in my bed. But they're not. Their cries for help are often silent and unheard. Even in my vulnerability and moments of fear, I could see my bedroom window. My bedroom. Through it all I knew I had somewhere I could go, I was never in real danger. I am humbled and reminded that I must constantly be going to the Lord for them. He is the one who will hear them. He will be the refuge. He will call them His own and tell them He has a place for them.

Our Jesus has known poverty in the deepest sense and He will go to the dark places. ¡Praise the Lord!

We must not forget to petition on behalf of the vulnerable children, the beloved and honored of God. I can't say it enough, pray for them, pray for me, tell me how I can pray for you.

As a friend always says... you have my love.

This is the View...

2006-02-22T15:36:00.000-06:00

Beautiful, eh? This is Pueblo Libre, our hood. I took this picture one of the first weeks that I was here in Peru. Watching sunsets on Sarah's roof was something that definitely made the transition easier. Notice the park out front and the cliffs in the background. Lima ain't as bad as they make it out to be :)

This is Sarah and I in Arequipa at the Monasterio de Santa Catalina which was built out of white volcanic rock in 1579. The nuns lived in seclusion for almost 400 years before the doors were opened to the public. This day was a bit cloudy so you can't see the volcanoes in the picture but I'll try to post one of them soon.

Jennifer & Craig braved 13 interesting hours in a air conditioning free bus and came for a visit. big smile. We spent a few wonderful days with our friend Raquel, talking, playing cards, and enjoying those foods that are hard to come by in this country (a.k.a. mexican cuisine, steak & the café mocha). For those of you who don't know, Craig is on staff in Lima with me and Jennifer was my Servant Team Coordinator back in the day (back in Lima for a visit). It is in her beautiful footsteps that I follow as I lead my first team in August!

¿Carna-val? ¡More Like Carna-motoroil!

2006-02-17T12:14:00.000-06:00

Carnaval Update:

1 major mojar
2 minor mojar (both came through the window of a bus)
2 near mojars (I was forced to run for my life)
2 averted mojar (I begged for mercy from a 12 year old boy & I saved myself and others on the bus from a major incident by slamming shut the windows and holding them shut the whole time we were stopped in the stop light-- one boy pointed at me and shook his head)

AND

1 motor oil-ing-- that's right-- you heard me-- motor oil. 8 little boys smearing motor oil all over my face and neck and clothes (mom, go ahead and send me that pair of jeans I left behind :). Don't worry I haven't broken out in hives yet.

Prayer Request: For the lives of those little boys because if I ever see them again...

Ok... just kidding. sort of.

Real Prayer Requests:

1. 2 weeks down, 2 more weeks to go of language school. Learning has been going great. Please pray for wisdom as I decide whether I need to stay longer than the four weeks.

2. Pray for my friend who is living in Arequipa with her family. Its a struggle for her as she rebuilds her relationship with them as their adult daughter.

3. My heart would be open to how God is using this time in Arequipa beyond language study.

4. The staff back in Lima as they spend this month revisiting our vision and the goals of our field and ministry in Lima. May the many meetings draw them all closer to the heart of God and effective ministry among the children we love.

Going to the beach with my family, then Craig and Jennifer are coming to visit! What a weekend this will be :).

Love to you all!

Carnaval

2006-02-07T11:58:00.000-06:00

First of all, for those who were worried (sorry mom), I made it home safe and sound yesterday after some wandering around and, of course, with the help of the watchiman. Everyone at my peruvian home & school found this quite hilarious. You´re probably all still in shock that I´m writing twice in one week but I thought I should resolve the issue of me being lost for those who might worry (i love you mom).

Since I´m here I should tell you that classes today were GREAT. My conversation teacher, Abbycita, is wonderful and so delightful. I already love classes with her. More from her later, she´s totally hilarious. My grammar class was with Pedro, yes, the same who played the trick, he´s working me hard but its great. A couple of the things he taught me today are going to make my Spanish life a million times easier as soon as I can change my bad habits:). So that´s the schooling update.

"Fun" fact: The month of Februrary is dubbed Carnaval in most parts of South America. This is the month out of the year where young boys right up through old men fill water balloons, squirt guns and buckets and "mojar" (get wet) anyone they choose. This is accepted by all of society. Women and foreigners are targeted. 2 strikes against me.

Mojar count as of today:

1 major mojar (they were on both sides of the street, they saw us coming, what could we do?)
1 minor mojar (came through the window of a bus)
2 near mojars (I was forced to run for my life)
1 averted mojar (I begged for mercy from a 12 year old boy)

Funny fact: My peruvian mom has taken to calling me "Moniquita" which, directly translated, means "itty bitty Monica". ha.

I have to blow this popsicle stand right now but more come... oh, i bet you´re holding your breath:).

besos y abrazos!

A Great Weekend & the First Day of Classes

2006-02-06T12:09:00.000-06:00

Well here we are in Arequipa!

The first few days were spent relaxing and getting to know the city a little bit. We sat in the Plaza de Armas, visited a historic monastary built out of volcanic rock, and enjoyed some Turkish cuisine. Saturday was a day for reconnecting with a dear friend I knew in Lima. It was wonderful to spend the day with her and her son (wow, the difference between a 2 year old and a 3 year old is unbelieveable). We met them for church and lunch on Sunday as well and then we had to say goodbye to Sarah as she headed back to Lima, I miss her already:)!

Last night I moved in with my peruvian family. The have an adorable little house and they have given me a room on my own with a huge desk perfect for all that studying I am going to be doing this month. Whew! I am looking forward to getting to know them better.

Today a las 8:30 my studies began. I took a little test (oh boy) and then Pedro, the director of the institute, and I tried to hash out what the month will look like according to the results of the afore mentioned exam. It was all quite serious and academic until he played a trick on me by offering me a chocolate that burst a clear liquid everywhere when I took the first bite. Yah, laugh it up Pedro. I think we´ll be friends. So, in summary, I survived my first day AND they didn´t even give me homework (how sweet).

Fun fact: We are living under the shade of one of the top five most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

Funny fact: I have no idea where I am. I got off the bus at a place that seems familiar, hopped in here to write you and now I am going to try and find my way back to the O´Brien´s.

Okay, here´s my address for the next month:

Julio O´Brien
ATTN: Monica Ghali
Urbanazacion Bancarios N-20
Jose Luis Bustamante y Rivero
Arequipa, PERU

love to you all...

On and Off the Streets of Lima

2006-02-01T16:10:00.000-06:00

Its hard to believe that tomorrow evening marks three weeks in Lima and that the next part of this journey will begin as I head off to Arequipa to learn a bit more about the Spanish language. The days have been full. Here's a bit of the shadow and the sunshine...

Going out to the streets has been a tough experience these last few weeks. A few times I came home so heavy with the pain and the darkness that I found it difficult to will myself up the stairs to Sarah's apartment. There is a war going on in the streets, a war where children are caught in the cross-fire. As we walk from the church where we meet to pray, through the plaza and past the construction on Grau to eventually turn onto Iquitos I can feel the suffering in the air as the voices of upwards of 100 kids fall on my ears. I never remembered there being so many, or even that they were so young. The first couple of times I could hardly bear being there. I felt pulled in a million directions and completely helpless. As I struggled to pray through the nights since, I have been able to have conversations here and there that remind me of God's presence even in the darkest places and even though the heaviness still lingers. Please pray for the hearts of these little ones, many of them have no where to turn.

Pray for *C who told me, just before running to play soccer, that his favorite story is the one of Jesus dying on the cross and raising again even though he's not sure why he likes it or why it happened.

Pray for *J, at the young age of 10 he has become hardened and angry by the things he has experienced in his year on the streets, he holds us all at a distance.

Pray for *O who lost his mother a month ago and now finds himself alone on the streets of Lima.

But the shadow does prove the sunshine...

I had the privilege of some amazing encounters over the past couple of days that have encouraged my heart and reminded me of the depth of God's goodness. Here are two of them:

The first was a visit with Sarah and Isa to a friend we'll call *Chris. We went to celebrate his birthday. He's at home now. He's attempted this a couple times but this time it seems to be for real. His village (for lack of a better word) has gathered around him. His family has welcomed him. His grandmother's face fills with joy at the sound of his voice and his smile is genuine and bright. The son who was away has come home into open arms. Even though I had only heard of Chris up until this point I don't know that I've experienced anything quite so beautiful in some time.

The second is one that makes me smile from ear to ear every time I think of it. As I sat next to Sarah in church on Sunday thinking and praying and struggling to understand the spanish blaring through the speakers I felt Sarah tug on my shoulder and point behind her. Standing there was a dear friend from my time in Lima a year ago. She smiled brightly and led her beautiful three year old boy into the pew next to us. You might think this trivial but the thing is, the last time I saw my friend she was living on the streets and what I had heard was that she was back at home which was about 1 and a half hours away by bus from the church, yet she was there, of her own choice & deciding. After the service we had lunch together and she came back with us to the flat where we talked for hours. If you knew my friend before you would have been smiling at the fact that she didn't stop talking for about a half hour straight knowing that she used to have a very hard time sharing about her life. She told us of how she finally cut the ties of an abusive relationship and is loving her job working with an organization that helps educate young children about the dangers of street life. It was an amazing afternoon because I could see the radiance of Christ in her and a beautiful calm in her son that hadn't been there before.

Pray for her and for Chris and the others that have gone home. It can be a hard and lonely road at times. Let's be sure to fight for them from wherever we are.

gots to go celebrate a friends birthday and then enjoy my last night in Lima (and maybe catch up on some LOST :).

love, love, love to all the people. con carino.

*names have been changed to protect the privacy of the youth

ABC Language School

2006-01-26T09:11:00.001-06:00

Location: Arequipa, Peru

Class Dates: febrero 6- marzo 3 (if everything goes as planned)

Class Structure: 4 hours a day, 5 days a week

Living Situation: With Julio O'Brien and family

Yay! It looks like its really going down. Hopefully we can push through into the realm of being able to have complete converstaions after this is all over. Now all we've gotta do is find some cheap tickets to the beautiful south of Peru. Sarah might come with me to visit some friends. I'm looking forward to learning and to reconnecting with a friend I knew in Lima on my servant team who is now living in Arequipa near her family.

Welp, just wanted to let you in on the good news... more to come later!

Ahhh, tiempo, no?!

2006-01-21T15:46:00.000-06:00

The common greeting with my friends on the street has been as follows:

Me: "Hola!" (Hello, in that excited voice when you're seeing someone you're really excited to see)

Youth: "Ahhh, Monica, tiemp, no?!" ("Ahhh, Monica, been a while, eh?!" very casually with a smile)

and then we hug and both smile and catch each other up as best we can. sometimes just for a second other times we sit for a bit. a lot has happened in a year but sometimes there just aren't words to say.

A little over a week in Lima and loving it. It has been a week of observing and taking it all in. Two nights on the streets, visits to the homes of friends who have returned to their families, and my first encounter with the younger generation of the streets. My emotions are definitely mixed. There is struggle in the adjustment in a world that I knew so well a year ago so much has changed. Much of the change is for the better, nonetheless, it is change. Yet so much joy in reconnecting with friends who are doing well. Girls who used to be on the streets who are now part of the work to help others break the cycle of street life. Amazing.

The way ministry is being done here is being restructured and refreshed all for the better which is an incredibly exciting thing to be a part of even if it does mean saying goodbye to some of the things that I was used to including the Casa Job which was a big part of my time here before. I am excited to learn from the staff here and to be able to transition into this new way of life. So many beautiful things are happening in Lima right now and I am honored to be able to join in any way.

Also found out that I like olives if they have cheese inside, and artichokes steamed and dipped in garlic butter. Who knew?

love, love, love to the home front-- your prayers and your encouragement are a blessing beyond blessings to me and to the one who hears all. peace out for now...

Good Morning Lima!

2006-01-13T10:58:00.000-06:00

Wow. Here I am. Sitting at Sarah's computer (which is in LIMA, PERU) that she is so graciously letting me use to let you all know that I made it safely from Des Moines, IA to Lima, Peru. Whoa. Repacking bags, going through customs in Lima AND Mexico City, eating my last Palmer's sandwich, and 15 hours later I arrived. The whole of the American staff was there in bright colors to welcome me back and settle me into an adorable room at Sarah's place where I will be camping out for the next couple weeks at least.

I don't really know what more to type at this point. Our day starts soon. We ate mangos for breakfast and sweet canela y clavo tea (no roaches, Jane!). All the girls on staff are going out for lunch, I'll probably run to the Metro to pick up some deodrant (yep, I knew there was SOMETHING I was forgetting :) and then out to the streets tonite to see my dear, dear friends and meet others for the first time.

Saddle up your horses, we got a trail to blaze, this is a great adventure :).

love, love, nothin' but love.

T-minus 6 hours...

2006-01-11T23:26:00.000-06:00

until we hit the airport... 12:20 am we touch down in Lima

love, love, love-- keep in touch

i'll pray for you, if you'll pray for me :)

see you on the other side.

I might have left a piece of my heart in Chicago and Happy New Year to all...

2006-01-04T15:34:00.000-06:00

I got in the trusty Lumina (borrowed from my oh so gracious sister) to start the annual holiday trek to the Windy City and into the arms of my beloved Taylor friends and I had to laugh at how the cornfields and open rolling hills along I-80 brought me to tears. Haven't cried about leaving since that Hallmark commercial last month. I guess the time has come. The proverbial "they" seems to think its not healthy to hold it all in anyway. So I mourned the open spaces that I will soon be trading for the sad city and then prayed for my friends who have spent all their days on those streets. I felt deeply thankful for this place, but also that I will soon be going to be with my friends in Lima.

And you can laugh at me for loving Iowa but its home and "they" usually say thats where your heart ends up.

Its not so much Iowa itself as it is the memory and the familiarity of it all. The feeling of space and beauty that is a secret kept between me and my favorite spot along the drive where the sun makes the hills sing just as it sinks behind them. Its the fact that these are the roads to thrift stores with my sister, to the movies with my buddies, to a sandwich and conversation with the bf and back home again to sit at the fireside with my parents. Its the fact that the people I love live just around these bends.

And then I arrived and heard the hearts and laughs of treasured friends. We did nothing, and that was everything. I was blessed by their presence. So many surprises and so much love mixed in with some tears. I couldn't feel more supported. So I left a part of my heart with them to take care of for me while I'm gone.

Let the count down begin: 8 days

and tomorrow I enter my early mid-twenties, look out world...

Happy New Year-- may it be full with a beautiful balance of the familiar and the mysterious.

love, love, nothin' but love.

2005-12-25T22:24:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

"Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!"

(The 3rd and arguably most beautiful verse of O Holy Night,
pointed out to me by my sis)

It is with compassion that He came on Christmas so long ago...

"With pity we keep our distance, our altitude, our sense of elevation. Compassion, on the other hand, is 'suffering with.' It's similar to the word, 'companion,' which means 'a person who shares one's bread,' only in this case we share not just bread but passion-- pain, isolation, social disregard and political disdain. Compassion is invasive, it will not leave us our privacy."

-- Doug Nicolas, Street Children

Supporter's Dinner

2005-12-20T10:49:00.000-06:00

Well I must say I am blown away. Last night was such a blessing in so many ways. For those of you who weren't able to make it you were definitely missed. For those of you that were, thank you for your presence.

The food was excellent thanks to my mother and our good friend Tina. I tell you, they've been working hard since Friday. I kept thinking that if Techy (a peruvian friend who cooks amazing meals at the drop in center) could see us now she wouldn't be able to stop smiling and laughing at our attempts to create an autehntic Peruvian meal. We ended up with rice, smooth mashed potatoes, Peruvian Chicken, Carapulcra, lots of fresh fruit, our version of aji and of course Paneton. All topped off with ZUKO to drink: Chica Morada, Maracuya, Fresa (Strawberry), and Durazno (Peach). I was so proud of how adventurous everyone was! I think the meal definitely made people more excited about visiting Peru someday :).

As for my part, I set up stations around the house to let people know more about the different aspects of my past and future involvement with Word Made Flesh Peru. It was really good for me to set up and pray over the different aspects of my coming life. It is less than a month now before I leave. January 12th 7:15 am.

I got a chance to share more details and answer questions which I was excited to do. I was overwhelmed by the encouragement that I received. I am incredibly honored to be partnering with such amazing people that God's heart for his beloveds around the world would be more and more deeply understood and expressed through us.

So in summary, thanks for a wonderful evening, feel free to get in touch with me anytime! (monica.ghali@wordmadeflesh.com)

From Brokeness to Community

2005-10-17T17:47:00.000-05:00

Thank you for this weeked, for a chance to share and love and laugh and cry and be completely honest-- or at least more honest than I have been in a really long time. Thank you for Whit, Shmem, & Jo. Thank you for Brent, Regan & Mandy. Thank you for people living life well and for salsa dancing. Thank you for difficult discussions and screaming off mountain tops. Thank you for Evergreen & Garden of the Gods. For hippie stores, long skirts, and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Thank you for water fall lunches and city view bonfires. Thank you for "Friends" and for relaxation. For homemade meals and the prayer of the sacred heart. Thank you for four mattresses in one room and four girls in one bathroom. Thank you for fixing us and the love that will not let us go. Thank you for great music, great car dancing, and people who care.

Thank you Jesus.

Commissioning and a Highly Anticipated Reunion

2005-09-20T15:09:00.000-05:00

Two days to go until I am back in Omaha with that beloved Word Made Flesh Community. This is the weekend of my commissioning with the Mission. It will be great to see everyone and spend time with all of them again and also to have my mom & dad come share in all of it with me.

It is also going to be a weekend of reunion-ing with the female half of my Peru Servant Team (collective cheer). And, yes, that does include Jennifer T. Green the famous Servant Team Coordinator in whose footsteps I am honored to follow. I am looking forward very much to our time together.

If you would like you can definitely be praying for this weekend. That it would be a good time of connection and vision casting-- and for the months to come, that my heart would continue to be strengthened and humbled as I continue to prepare for the trip back to the streets of Lima.

Thanks for checking in on me-- hope to talk to you soon... peace

What a summer!

2005-08-17T20:46:00.000-05:00

Its been quite a summer. My body, mind & heart have been all over the place figuratively and literally. Lots of traveling to be with lots of beautiful people. Weddings took me to Kentucky, Illinois (twice), Indiana, and Michigan. My new "job" took me to Omaha and my amazingly hilarious, outspoken, & loving family (that's right, 54 Ghalis) took me to reunion in Florida. Maybe this is a good time to mention that it is NEVER a good idea to go to Florida in July or August, not even for a bunch of supposedly heat ready Egyptians.

All in all it has been a great summer. My heart is learning to accept change as a difficult, yes, but, more importantly, a beautiful part of life. Hand in hand with that comes the word patience ringing in my mind. Must be patient with myself, with co-workers, with the ones i love most and desperately wish to be closer to. Must be patient with my body, with my heart, with my mind-- they don't like to be rushed, they musn't be rushed. And of course it doesn't stop there and as I dig deeper I find myself praying for courage. Praying for the courage to be patient, the courage to be disciplined and to take the time to truly and fully seek. Courage and patience are connecting themselves so closely together in my life these days as I encounter the hearts of God's creatures. I want to take the time to understand, to understand what's really going on and in turn I need the courage to risk it, to put myself out there knowing the results may not be exactly what I had in mind. All may not go according to plan. And you know what-- I think that may be okay :).

The pictures are little tastes of the summer. Omaha with Chris and Jara, a great time of understanding the past and dreaming for the future. Family Reunion, big, better & louder 2K5. And the Wickstra wedding was the last of the weddings for this spring/summer season. until next time... peace.

A woman for president...

2005-08-10T00:32:00.000-05:00

We were all a bit tired to finish the discussion that began 'round the sheesha last night but it has definitely made me ponder a bit.

The question was:

Hypothetically speaking, if a man and a woman, who were equal in EVERY way politically, both ran for president-- the only difference between them being their gender-- which one would you vote for?

You think its easy but its not.

Oppression is real. Maybe I'll tell you about the girls in Peru sometime. Its related, I promise :).

Thoughts?

Goodbyes are hard and I'm finding I'm not so great with change...

2005-08-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

The thing about it is that sometimes you wish things weren't so drawn out and other times you wish they weren't so sudden.

The world lost a beautiful person on Tuesday. As Esther said "Ireland will never be the same". And she's absolutely right. Tony Page was a man of greater honor and deep compassion. He made the best french toast even when it wasn't french toast day, he put up with destroyed "football" fields, broken glass and a messy group of American hooligans in the most gracious way possible. Deeper still, he was extremely sensitive to what was going on with the people around him. He let me stay in the kitchen when I couldn't make it through the day. He comforted me sincerely when I phoned him with despairing news. He shared his story with us. Maybe it sounds cliche, but he laughed AND cried with us. He gave to us so much and I think the lot of us would agree that he made our time in Ireland more beautiful because of who he was in our lives. Wish I could have been with him and Maureen one more time. Join me in praying for Maureen (Tony's wife), his children and his new born grandchildren. It takes a lot of courage and strength to push on through the pain.

Cheers to Tony and the life that he lived, may we all be bearers of grace the way that he was. All my love to the emerald isle.

2005-06-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

How can you resist?

Graduation Celebration Past, Wedding Extravaganza Ahead

2005-06-11T10:42:00.000-05:00

So this is it. My little Markus Porkus graduated from high school. I mean, he is a college freshman in most official ways. My little brother? awesome. sigh. The time REALLY flies, it feels like just yesterday he was wrecking havoc on every youth group gathering and now he is one of the jr. high leaders! And if you met him, you'd know why. He's amazing. He always has been he's just expressing it more and more these days and its beautiful.

The ceremony was short and sweet and to the point and the party was my mom's, meaning it was amazing. The woman doesn't know how to throw a mediocre bash. And the cake, oh the cake, if you have never had one of Gloria Olson's cakes you need to get on the ball www.gloriousdesserts.com. The yum factor is overwhelming. If I ever have something relatively important to celebrate again I will be sure to order one of her cakes and invite you, you must try it...

Sissy's home too, teaching me a whole heck of a lot because. What the heck? I mean she knows more about history than anyone else I'm in contact with and she cares about the world deeply. She cares about people deeply, and I look so forward to sharing the summer with her and Mark.

Next week marks the beginning of Summer 2K5 Wild Wedding Weekends (allitteration is intentional) my sweet Lindsey Marie marries the dashing Marky Mark Meyers in 8 short days. and then 6 days after her the real live Diddy is taking himself a bride. Unbelieveable. These are two of my most dear college companions. It is wonderful to watch them in their joy and an honor to be with them as they enter into these beautiful covenants just like the roommmate did only months ago. But this isn't it. We'll take a break for July and then come August, get ready, for the Hewitt and Wickstra Weddings! I know, the mind reels there could me. I guess getting married is all the rage these days (wink). I always have been a few steps behind the times...

All my love to the marrieds and the almost marrieds... you are beautiful and your joy overflows and I love you.

Back in the States for a bit...

2005-05-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

Well, its been a long time since I have been able to post. Okay, that's a flat out lie. I just haven't posted since Peru. I guess its part of coping with all the life change. But the point is, I am going to try to be back now. I am preparing to head back to Lima at the end of the year and I really want to make this a place where I can connect with anyone who would like about life now and life as it will be. It always seems to be changing. So just a little heads up on that, hope you'll join along for the ride. More to come...

A day at the Casa Job...

2004-11-09T16:56:00.000-06:00

Hello friends...

Its been a little over a week since we have returned from our trip to Bolivia and what a week it has been. It was back to the Casa Job, tutoring, Generacion, the streets and the schedule of Lima life. Last Friday we had a vigilia (all night prayer vigil) for the ministry of Word Made Flesh plus Mia and Jennifer (my servant team leader) discovered, inquired about, signed a contract for, painted and moved into a new apartment all in the last 6 or so days. All that to say it has been a bit of a whirlwind-- but a fun whirlwind mind you:).

As I flipped back through my blog entries I realized that I have never really outlined a normal day at the Casa Job or really detailed the ins and outs of that ministry. Casa Job is a huge part of our time here. It was named for the Job of the Bible. The kids chose the name because they felt that they could relate to Job and the hardships he faced in his life. They know what it means to feel hopeless and abandoned but at the same time the Casa is a symbol of God`s care for them. We go there three times a week on M, W, F.

8:15 am We leave our house to catch a bus and arrive at the CJ around

8:30 am. When we arrive the kids are either gathered outside the door waiting to be let in or the boys lounging around in the front room of the CJ getting a few more moments of shut eye while the girls are in the patio tending to their children. We greet them all with a kiss and head upstairs to help get the CJ ready for another day. This usually involves taking the clean clothes and towels off of the drying lines and filling water in the clothes washing room.

9:00 am We meet as a staff to assign jobs and pray for the day. Someone will supervise each of the bathrooms and the laundry room, hand out toothbrushes, assign chores, take attendance and so on...

9:30 am The first 15 kids that arrive before now are allowed to enter for the day at this point the door is shut for the day. Everyone gathers on the patio to share prayer requests and say a prayer for the day. Often times if any kids were taken in to jail it comes out at this time and we spend time praying for them. At this point the kids can sign up to take showers or wash clothes during free time, they must also sign up for a chore to help cleaning up at the end of the day. Oh and we cannot forget the brushing of the teeth-- a sacred time of day as each of the youth search for the brush with their name on it and make sure that you give them an adequate amount of paste:).

This is where I stop knowing what time things happen. After we take care of all the above said family business we gather around two big tables to share a meal together. One of the youth leads us in a prayer thanking God for the food and asking him to watch over our friends on the streets, in the hospitals and in the jails and then the chowing begins. Each morning we get a bowl of quaker and two breakfast rolls filled with different delicacies from avocado, to ham, to egg, to blackberry jam. Nothing goes to waste as all the kids share and pass to each other\take willingly anything that others do not finish.

After breakfast we all gather back on the patio for a time of singing and a devotional led by one of the staff members. On Mondays we break into small groups to spend more time in prayer together. The time of singing is often my favorite time of the day as the kids play different instruments and sing words that they know by heart. When they are awake it is quite a sound that comes from that patio. I love sharing that time with them.

Following Bible time there are different activities and free time. On Mondays we got to the stadium to play soccer and volleyball while on Wednesdays & Fridays there are workshops and classes that the kids can attend. In their free time they can shower, wash clothes, play fuzbol, draw\color, play cards, read or just hang out. A lot of good conversation and healthy competition comes out during this time:). I love playing cards or just sititing with the kids inbetween their showers and such.

2:30 pm Everyone gathers back in the dining room for lunch. Did I mention that the food is absolutely incredible? Well, it is. Esther works wonders, especially with the small budget of the Casa Job. The kids rave about her cooking and they definitely missed her while she was gone with us in Bolivia.

3:00 pm After a great meal everyone scatters to begin their chores and get ready for the end of the day.

3:30 pm We say our goodbyes and the kids head back out to the street with their bags of food for later. The staff gathers to pray and then another day at the Casa Job has come to an end.

I love the atmosphere at the Casa Job. It feels very much like a family. Everyone contributes, the kids benefit from their time there but they also have responsibilities and consequences when the responsibilities are shirked as well as rewards when they are done especially well. More than that there is an atmosphere of love and care and respect. We have a good, we meet the Lord, we gather as a community and break bread together. I have made friends that will always be in my heart during my time spent at the Casa Job. So there you have it-- a day in the life of the Casa Job....

My time is up for now-- thanks for listening and caring and of course for praying. So much love to the home front! Until next time, peace out.

New Address

2004-11-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

Hey Everyone!

Yep, I know, I owe an entry for this week-- right on. I will write that a little later this evening, for now I wanted to let you know that our mailing address has changed. My leaders moved to a new apartment so if you want to send anything (do it, it will be good for your soul and mine .... wink) this is the address to send it to:

Monica Ghali
c\o Jennifer Green
Jose Morelos 144
Lima 21, Peru
SOUTH AMERICA

okay, more to come mas tarde....

Adventures in Bolivia and the Return to Lima

2004-10-30T15:22:00.000-05:00

Cannot belive all that I have seen and experienced in the last couple of days. I never would have imagined that in coming to Peru for a servant team I would also swim in Lago Titicaca, visit the floating reed islands, la isla del sol, and experience the beautiful country of Bolivia including the simplicity of El Alto and splendor of La Paz. While we saw and did many amazing things (You do not see sunsets and stars and mountains in Lima), our main purpose there was to experience the culture and the ministry of the WMF field over there. It is hard to sum up all that we observed and I know that we only scratched the surface during our time there. I enjoyed very much the chance to meet the women that they minister to and my heart breaks at the thought of their nights spent in the halls of the brothels where they work to survive.

I sit here looking for the words to express and I am at a loss. The best way may be to simply share some of the things I wrote on our observation day. We started in El Alto at the drop in center and made our way down into La Paz stopping at different points throughout the day to journal. This is what I wrote:

1st stop

A street called Carasco looks empty and painfully normal this morning. Doors are shut and the streets look clean. There is hardly a soul in sight. The graffiti and trash I expect to see are minimal. The few stray dogs weave in and out of our steps. Andy turns back to say we have already passed nine brothels. These streets that are almost empty now he says will swarm with men come nightfall. It is hard to believe. Hard to believe a placea can seem so calm in one moment and be so full of such activity and suffering and pain and addiction in the next. This place is my nightmare veiled in quiet and stones and metal doors that serve to both to keep things out and keep things in.

I remember the late night conversations with my dearest friends in which we would whisper our deepest fears to each other. Talking of rape and exploitation and abandonment. Today I have seen it. Today I have been confronted with this reality.

As we walk on the streets begin to fill. With every step we take there are more faces. And as Carasco fades behind us we enter into a sea of humanity. It does not appear that there is any order and yet everyone seems to know exactly where they are going. Including our guide. Here I am met with the overwhelming smell of garbage and rot. I dodge the feces in the street and step between buses full of people on their way. Behind one set of wheels and in front of another. Avoiding this puddle only to step into that one. Each woman selling her wares... large bags of wildly colored rice cakes of every shape and size. Heart shapes held together by a deceivingly sweet looking gluey substance. The sun is beginning to shine, the women wear long skirts and sweaters and are wrapped tightly in varying shawls and garments. Modestly they cover every part of their body. And then I see her-- only in a quick moment. She is naked. Bare completely for all to see. Hanging from a newspaper stand. The only clue to the secret life of El Alto. She is gone as fast as I can pass but she is a reminder that there is something. Something right below the surface.

Everything moves faster now. The music seems loud and abrasive and my senses are overwhelmed. I could become a vegetarian in this moment-- meat hanging all around as we slide through the closely knit stalls of the market we have entered. I stand staring down a street where you could find anything you ever needed if your patience would allow you to search. People everywhere-- bodies gliding in chaotic order. Children ramming trucks into my toes as I pass over this space on the cobblestone street. Is this real? It is, and it is called "ceja" or "eyebrow" because it is the edge of the alto before we begin the descent into La Paz.

2nd stop

As we leave the ceja we must pass through its heart where 200 different types of potatoes sell and every herb you could ever want lies piled high in bags of all shapes and sizes. We are near a corner now where Andy flags a bus. We are in the bus now where we see a dummy hanging from a noose with a sign that threatens the same fate to any unassuming thief. Yes. Andrea says she knows of at least 6 or 7 times when it has happened-- the lynching and the public burning. It is allowed by Police because it seems to work. But does it really? I notice my own nervousness as we begin the descent. But in my heart I know that it is not just here in El Alto that the human race needs healing.

La Paz comes into view now and we all gasp despite ourselves. For the countless time this trip I can truly say I have never seen anything quite like it. A city descending on a mountainside into a valley surrounded by hills and snowcapped mountains. The sun shines bright with mas fuerte and I am surprised to hear Andrea say that it is even more beautiful on a clear day.

3rd stop

As the day travels on and we travel further and further into La Paz the green space increases and the number of public transport vehicles has drastically decreased. Personal vehicles line the roads and rush past we walk. There are no bars on the windows here, no mummy like figures here and the only women in traditional dress are carrying their children and hoping for change from a generous passer by. We find ourselves at a posh coffee shop, walls lined with modern art. I do not hesistate to leave my bag by my chair and head to the bathroom. There is relief in the cleanliness of the place. And yet there is an odd feeling filling my heart. The tears threaten to tumble out of my eyes and I sit quickly trying to process what is happening. This is the first time since leaving the USA to be in a place that is so much like the places there and to what I will be returning to. I cried today tears of sadness and fear that I will go back easily to places such as this where our host families of El Alto, the girls of the Casa Esperanza and our precious street children of Lima would never be allowed. It is hard for me to understand how everything will fit together how all of what I love here will be reconciled with what I have known before. I do not place blame nor do I resent home or the USA or anything like that. Its just that I do not want to forget. I have seen the descent from rags to riches. It took place before my very own eyes today, the separation is painfully real, and I do not want to walk away unchanged. Lord, take this and mold it into my heart teach me, Lord. You are a God of redemption and there is redemption offered for every part of your creation-- rich and poor. You are a God of grace, thank you for your grace for me and for us all. May the weeks to come in Lima be a precious time with kids and deep time of preparation for a new life at home.

journal entry from the last day in Bolivia

So much suffering. More than I used to think. I believe I used to find suffering attractive, something I wanted to be compassionate about and join to in other people so as to help and understand and maybe feel good about doing the "right" thing in the process. Being here and reading more and understanding more I am beginning to realize that suffering and comapssion are not in anyway a game or a place to be entered into lightly with hopes of personal satisfaction. It is a deep and dark place where the cries of the people will dig deep into your soul and leave marks that cannot be removed.

It means real true sacrifice and entering in without thought of escape. It means following in the footsteps of Jesus and his journey into the depths of darkness to lay His compassion on us. It means allowing our picture of God to grow and expand. To see Him as giver of life and the one who enters most ultimately into every human heart never denying what He sees there. He promises to collect each tear. He promises to to hem us in with his hand behind and before us and to search us and know us and care for every anxious thought (Ps. 139). But also it is in and through compassion that, "our humanity grows into its fullness". Compassion also means , "full immersion in the condition of being human" as Henri Nouwen says in the book Compassion.

I know the thoughts are a little haphazard (such is the way of the journal) but I hope that helps to explain a little of what has been going on in my heart and mind as a result of our time in Bolivia. I must say it was an interesting and great experience. The family that I lived with was so kind and I enjoyed the short time I was able to spend with them. Their two little boys hung out with me in my room playing cards and listening to music and they brought me a lot of joy. The nine year old was a constant talker and at one point asked my everything I had was written in English and did I think in English? The three year old was the cutest kid I have ever seen. He asked me at least 40 times a day in a high voice with a huge smile, "¿Que estas haciendo?" "What are you doing?". For crying out loud, I would be in the bathroom and he would knock on the door and yell it to me. I loved it.

Also, many of you know that four of the most fantastic guys in the world also make their home in El Alto. Yes, its true I got to spend some special time with Scott, Jon, Brent and Drewman. It was an incredible blessing to see them and get a glimpse of where they are living and working. I even got to see the school where Jon is teaching including the his highly organized classroom and gym space. I got to see Scott in action leading a day at the ropes course for the ladies of the center. Drewman showed his skills as he leaped 16 feet into the air to help us complete our last team element, he is also a fantastic seller of meal tickets. And of course, I got to hear Brent pray in Spanish and to see him using his amazing photo 101 skills. He has gotten calls from National Geo but he's still deciding about that offer...:). Their house is a wonderful little place in El Alto with an amazing view. All in all it was good for the heart. Want to hear more about them (or not really at all but at least laugh a little) check out www.elalto.blogspot.com.

So thats Bolivia in a nutshell. It was funny to be there and miss Lima so much. I felt sort of odd in this. Bolivia's beauty far surpasses that of Lima and the fresh air of Bolivia should have convinced me to stay forever. Still, everday that passed that I knew there was Casa Job I missed it so much. Therefore when Thursday rolled around I was sad to say goodbye but so happy to be returning to the streets of Lima and the kids that live there.

Our journey home was quite an adventure in and of itself. We started the morning without any tickets. Caught a bus and boat from El Alto to Copacabana in Bolivia on the shores of Lago T along the border of Peru. Decided to hop the next bus into Peru instead of sticking around for lunch and upon arriving in Puno, Peru decided to try for a flight out that night instead of sticking around for the night as planned. When we saw Mia and Jennifer running toward us from the airline room we knew something was up. The word was there were no flights for two days unless we caught the one that left from Juliaca in an hour and a half. Juliaca is at least 45 minutes to an hour away. We do not have tickets. We THINK there MAY be room. Two taxis and half an hour later we are in the Juliaca airport waiting. Mia and Esther get tickets and start to board. Ten minutes before the flight takes off the flight attendant calls out that there are 6 more seats empty so the rest of us grab our bags and hop on. Jane's ticket says "Mr. Koehler", mine says "Mark Ghali", and Aaron's says "Aaron V". Talk about tight security. So, 1 boat, 2 buses, 5 taxis, 1 plane and 6 cities later we land in home sweet Lima. Whew! It was quite a day.

Last night I did get to go to the streets for a quick moment. It was wonderful to see the kids again and I am anxious for more time to talk with them and to catch up with their lives as of the last ten days. Seems like its been so long even though it was just over a week. Sometimes I wish I could find the words to explain to you all about these kids. Its funny to find yourself loving someone you can hardly communicate with.

Maybe this will give you a little glimpse. One of the boys I have grown very fond of (the same one who helped me with my lice) leaned over in Bible time and asked me if I had a favorite psalm. In the same breath he told me that he did, did I want to know which one it was? I nodded and this is what he showed me:

Psalm 142

A maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.

I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour our my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
men have hidden a snare for me.
Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, "You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living."
Listen to my cry,
for I am in desparate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.

Then the rightous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.

This is his song and the song of many of the youth.

Yep, its definitely great to be back.

Now it is six weeks and counting. Keep the prayers and the emails and the comments coming! So much love to the home front.... peace, until next week...

2004-10-30T14:41:00.000-05:00

here is the team and friends chowing on helado in La Paz, Bolivia!
[back row: Jennifer (servant team leader), Esther (WMF Peruvian Staff), Aaron (Servant Teamer) front row: Jane (ST), Jill (ST), Mark D. Hewitt (ST), Me (ST), and Mia (WMF Staff)]

the lost blog...

2004-10-19T21:45:00.000-05:00

just wrote a beautiful blog to you from the border of bolivia and well it had to happen to me at least once. it is all lost without hope of retrieval. but now my time is up at this internet cafe and i still have to pay even though i have nothing to show for my time. so i guess i am going to go ahead and hang my head in defeat.

just so you know I will be in Bolivia for 10 days with my team and a few of the staff members visiting Lago Titicaka and the Word Made Flesh field in El Alto that works with the women that are involved in the Brothels there. It is a very different ministry from the one we are working with in Lima so it will be quite an experience.

Please pray for us as we travel for health, openness to this new place and the voice of God, and for those that are still in Lima holding down the fort there. Also pray for us as we have officially hit the 2 month mark. That means two more months to go may they be full and beautiful as the first two have been. And of course pray however the Spirit leads... he has the words that I do not have.

I do not know if I will be able to use a computer in Bolivia again so if not I will blog immediately upon my return to Peru. I miss you my friends and my dear family and I love you very much. peace out until next time...