A new season.

I have been home for nearly 2 weeks.  I have annoyed my family as much as possible with endless stories and spanish lessons.  I have somewhat begun to feel normal behind the wheel of a car.  I don't stress out about the tap water, and THERE IS ICE IN MY WATER.  

Being home is good.

But, being home is hard.  

Sometimes it's hard to explain the way I feel, and it's hard for anyone to understand.  I have cried and mourned.  That season is over.  

But God is good.  A new season is about to begin.  Soon I will start law school, and I look forward to seeing how God will use this Peru experience in my future.  I look forward to returning to Arequipa one day and visiting my Peruvian family.  Until then I am enjoying showers with hot water and pressure and giving thanks for all of the things I took for granted before.

So this is it for now.  My final blog post.  As I type that I breath a sigh of relief.  I want to say thanks for joining me in this journey.  Thanks for following my blog and faithfully lifting up this mission with prayers.  

On an ending note, I was asked, "If you had to describe your time in Peru in just 2 words, what would they be."

"Potatoes and Jesus," I said.  

I ate a whole bunch of potatoes.  And I spent a whole lot of time sharing Jesus, praising Jesus, learning more about Jesus, and leaning on Jesus.

So, I made a video and titled it "Potatoes and Jesus."  Cheesy - just like me.  Pictures are able to express everything so much better than my feeble attempt at blog posts.  So, if you have some time I hope you check out it out.  I do apologize because it is a bit lengthy, but heck, I'd say a 15 minute video to summarize 9 months isn't too shabby. 

So, goodbye….thanks... & enjoy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yixqx-H2wIg

Despedidas & Cake

The congregation after my last service with San Lucas Church

What in the world is a despedida?

Madison, you should know better than to use Spanish words.  Come on now, use English please.  You are back in the USA.

Despedida is a going away party, a goodbye party, a farewell party.  I think you've got the idea.  Pretty much any sort of get together can suffice as a despedida, and I had 5. 

Despedida #3 at the school

1. Bible study group:  Cake and prayers at the ladies' Bible study I joined and attended.
2. Children's Home: Cake and sodas, hugs and pictures, and a giant card made from all my kiddos.
3. School: Cake and sodas, dancing and a homemade card (in English) from one of my high school classes. This one was a surprise that they planned all on their own.  
4. Youth Group: Snacks, cookies, and sodas.  Games and prayers. Oh and dancing. 
5. Church: 4 CAKES, sodas, prayers.

Despedida #5 with all the CAKESSS

Despedida #4 

On Tuesday, Padre Ricardo told me he would give me a ride to the airport and would be by to pick me up.  When I heard the honk and looked out the window I expected to see his little car.  Instead he was driving the big van and all of the kids from Casa Hogar were with him to take me to catch my flight.  Once at the airport 5 of the youth leaders showed up along with my Peruvian Mom - Naty.  30+ Peruvians all saying goodbye to the Gringa.  See picture below...

Coming to an end.

With everyone who went to the airport to say goodbye.  Pretty special. 

I'm in Lima right now having just finished my first leg of my return trip to the States.  I'm coming home.  July 15 is here.  My 9 months in Peru is over.

Where did the time go?! How is that possible?

This was meant to posted some weeks ago, but every time I sat down to write it I couldn't come up with the words.  

I am filled with all sorts of emotions right now.  First I'll start with the emotion of gratitude.  I am incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity.  I am so grateful that I had so many incredible supporters who made this possible through financial donations and PRAYERS.  I am so grateful to have enjoyed 99.9% of the last 9 months.  (The time I went to get a haircut, didn't know how to explain what I wanted due to language barrier issues, and walked out with the craziest, thickest, BIGGEST bangs wasn't exactly enjoyable.  That is the .1% I refer to.)

So as I have established, I am grateful.

But I'm also sad, really really sad.

My wise sister in law wrote me a couple of weeks back, and she put into writing the words exactly what has been going through my mind.

"What ways you have been broken, changed forever! Oh HOW you have been made full! Emptied! And made full again! I can only imagine the tears that bubble up into your eyes as your heart bursts forth due to a lack of words. As Beth Moore once said, "Tears take us somewhere words cannot.  Tears are the liquid language set to the tune of the Holy Spirit's groanings." (romans 8:26)."

Boy have I cried these last several weeks.  But then again I'm a cryer.  I cry when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I really want some ice-cream, and when I can't seem to fix these dang bangs that the Peruvian hairdresser so kindly gave me.  

Ok, back to my sister in laws wise words.  She said the following…

"I intercede two things for you today.  Grief & Hope.

She wrote to me about grieving because she knew how so terribly difficult it is for me to leave this place, these people, this mission.

I know you are grieving this season ending.  The things you've seen, the streets you've walked, the people you have come to love.  Will you ever see them again? Did you make a difference?  

She talked about hope because I've had many a conversation with her regarding where to go from here, what's changed in my heart, and where I feel He is leading me now.  

Your future, Madi, is not dependent on you.  God wants you at your destination more than you do! You have such a bright future For HE IS YOUR ANCHOR. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..." (Heb. 6:19)

So grieve and hope she says.

Y'all, something is going on in my heart.  The plans I was so sure of before, I'm not sure about anymore.  As I start a period of reflection and discernment on what to do next I ask once again for PRAYERS.  

So all in all the point of this post is to say I'm coming home.  My time in Arequipa has come to an end.  I'll be back on American soil eating all of the Chick-fil-A and Tex-Mex food I can get my hands on.  I can't wait to visit with everyone in person, share my stories, and talk incessantly about my experiences.  Stay tuned to here too, because I have a couple more posts coming (the question is when it will get done ha). 

Santiago Apóstol

 Villa Ecologica - the district of the city where the church is located

Back in May we had a mission team here and working at Santiago Apóstol, a small humble mission that the diocese has on the outskirts of Arequipa.  On my days off from teaching I went out with the the team to help with the work – mainly dealing with the walls and improving some of the aesthetics inside the church.  Ok, I admit maybe I even took off a day from teaching my classes to go and help.

Pictures taken during the week working in the church

Then this Sunday, the leaders of the youth group that I am a part of had the idea to take hot chocolate and bread to share with the congregation after the Sunday afternoon service.  I was excited to get back out there and spend more time with this community in worship and fellowship.

Serving hot chocolate

Some new friends

Please pray for Padre Alejandro, the priest of this mission, and for the families and children of the community.

Break from school!

Several weeks back the kids had a week break from school between semesters.  With no classes for an ENTIRE week, Kym and I took advantage of the opportunity to do some fun stuff with the kids!

On Tuesday afternoon during the week we all loaded in the van and headed to a dinosaur park here in Arequipa.  With playgrounds, snacks, and games we had a great afternoon.  I wore myself out in the giant inflatable slide for a solid 40 minutes acting like one of the kids.

Wednesday morning we loaded in the van again, this time traveling further outside of Arequipa to a small "pueblo" with a really great pool area.  With several different pools, a playground, and an area to go exploring down near the river there was plenty to do to keep us entertained.  For lunch, we cooked out and had our "almuerzo" while sitting in the grass and sunshine eating yummy potatoes, choclo (GIANT corn), and beef all with our fingers :)

Then Thursday afternoon Kym and I carried 12 large pizzas, 30 VERY chocolatey and yummy cupcakes, and 2 movies to Casa Hogar.  We hung out in their dining room, where they had hung up blankets to cover the windows to achieve a movie theatre effect, and watched some of my favorite movies - Frozen and Hunger Games.  I got home and realized "YOU BIG DORK, you didn't take any pictures!" So, no pictures from this day…Sorry.

This week was such a special time loving on the kids and sharing lots of laughs.  I can't believe that my time here is already coming to an end.  I am so thankful for the memories from this week, and thankful for my supporters back in the States.  I was able to use some of my extra budget to help pay for the costs during the week.  So thanks supporters, you made this week possible :)

Prayers, please!

I had a couple of people recently mention to me that they liked how I included prayer requests on one of my previous posts.

So now I'm calling all you praying' folks out there and asking for your help with prayers for the youth ministry in the Iglesia San Lucas (Saint Luke's church). As you may remember I have been helping with this ministry since January, and it has become very near and dear to my heart.

We have a group of leaders (there are about 10 of us), and we have been working to really grow this ministry and reach out to the students in the Colegio San Lucas (Saint Luke's School). As of recently, we have begun having our reunions on Saturday mornings. The students in the secondary grades have weekly tests on Saturday mornings (How awful, huh? Tests on SATURDAYS?!?!) Anyway, the students stay after their tests and we play games, sing praise songs, and have small group time with different themed talks.  It's a HUGE challenge because it is such a large group (50 - 100 students), but every week things go a little more smoothly and I think our group of leaders is finally getting the hang of it.  

So, please pray for:
- The group of leaders. For patience, wisdom, enthusiasm
- The students from the school. For good attitudes, excitement
- The continued growth and success of the ministry



And check out the slideshow of the pictures I took at our last reunion!

Semana Santa y Pascua

Holy Week and Easter!

Palm Sunday -  We moved the pews and chairs into the street in front of the church building and had our entire service outside.  It's a good thing, too, because there is no way all of the people that came to the service would have been able to fit inside of the tiny sanctuary.  A new experience for me was when we all got up out of our chairs in the middle of the service, palm branches in hand, and began walking around the neighborhood following the cross and singing praises.



Wednesday - Shortly after arriving at the school on Wednesday Kym and I found ourselves in the middle of an earthquake drill.  Although this has nothing to do with Holy Week I just had to share because it was so hilarious.  The kids evacuated the building and then began walking in circles in the courtyard.  The hilarious part is that they had pretend victims.  A kid from each grade had their face painted red and was carried away on a stretcher.  It was pretty interesting to see a different kind of disaster drill and the way they do things.  Then toward the end of the day a group of the high school students performed a Stations of the Cross for the rest of the school before dismissing for Easter break.




Thursday - Early early Thursday morning Nati and I boarded a bus headed for Juliaca.  (Remember the youth group from Juliaca had asked me to play the part of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in their Stations of the Cross?)  Kym didn't want me to be alone on the bus, so I asked Nati if she would like to go.  Her son is the priest of our church there so she agreed to be my travel buddy.  That night after arriving in Juliaca we went to the Maundy Thursday service.



Friday - Padre Luis and the youth picked me up from my hotel at 5:30 am!!!  We traveled out to Tariachi, the hacienda outside of the city limits of Juliaca, where there is a little chapel you may remember from a couple of blog posts ago.  Show time was set for 8 am, but since things here run on "Peru time" it was more like 9 am before we got started.  SO MANY PEOPLE CAME TO WATCH! It made me a little nervous - I mean I haven't had much acting experience ;)    The whole production was pretty incredible.  The youth group did a great job of putting it all together and coordinating the whole thing.



Saturday - Back in Arequipe I started off the day by going to a youth meeting for several hours that morning.  Then I went to Casa Hogar to hang out and do a small Bible lesson with the older girls.  Then I rushed home, packed an overnight back and went back to the church.  San Lucas had a Saturday evening candlelit service and afterward some of the youth put on a small skit using sheets, lights and shadows to tell the story of the crucifixion and resurrection.  After all of that, we (the leaders of the youth group) had a Vigilia (vigil) and spent the night at the church - Hence the overnight bag I packed.  A group of 10 of us stayed up until 4 am singing praise songs, having a Bible study, playing games, and praying for one another.




Easter Sunday - After just 2 hours of sleep we woke up at 6, ate breakfast together, and got ready for the Easter morning service.  A kind of funny story: After communion I was standing in the back trying to take some pictures when a woman asked me to hold her dog as she went up to the front.  The dog didn't like the woman leaving him and immediately began barking and whining.  There I was standing awkwardly in the back with the dog as everyone turned to see what the commotion was.  After the service Kym and I came back to the house.  Honestly, after the busy week full of skits and services, Easter was a little uneventful which allowed us a day to get some rest, relax, and rejoice in our risen King!

Church Services and Alpacas: Another Adventure in Juliaca

I went to Juliaca last weekend with SAMS missionaries Kym McDaniel and Kathy Decker.  It just so happens we are all Texas gals, so you know it was a good time!  Kathy keeps up with the blog/newsletter for the diocese and wanted Juliaca to write about the church there, so Kym and I went along.  You may remember Juliaca from one of my first blog posts - it's the city where we worked my first week in Peru that had the very intense 4 day city-wide strike.  Praise the Lord, this time we did not experience another strike.

A picture on the floating islands

Friday: 

We left a day early and detoured to Lake Titicaca.  It's the highest lake in the world and is HUGE.  We toured the floating islands - manmade floating islands where the only  visible technology is a solar panel.  Then we toured the Taquile Island an island with about 2,000 residents.  Life on that island is definitely like stepping into the past - WAY INTO THE PAST.  No cars and small paths instead of streets makes for a completely different life-style than we are used to. 

A group of girls on their way to school 

I made some new pals on Tequile Island

The sanctuary now

Saturday:

We woke up early on Saturday ready for a full day.  We had 3 services in 4 hours, the first of which was at the church so I had the opportunity to see the finished product of all the work we began in October.  The first was a service for people with disabilities.  Padre Luis has started this ministry for the disabled, and the little church was filled with faithful servants of the Lord all suffering from a number of disabilities -  blind to deaf, to amputees, to those confined to wheelchairs.  It was a very impacting and memorable service.  

The courtyard before

And after!

Kathy and I with the birthday boy.

Service #2 was held at the cemetery in Juliaca where a family had a memorial service for their mother who passed away several years ago, and service #3 was an 18th birthday party!  A family welcomed us into their home, into a little room that serves as a chapel inside their house.  We celebrated the Eucharist.  We made a toast, had birthday cake, and got to join in on the Peruvian tradition of shoving the birthday cake in the face of the birthday boy after making a wish.  

Peruvian tradition: birthday cake in the face.

After the three services we took the priests to lunch.  Afterward Padre Luis wanted to take us to an Inca Cemetery outside of the city.  We drove there and saw some beautiful sites.  I must say - I'm constantly amazed with Peru and the various different types of terrain, all so beautiful.  I'm constantly reminded of how good our God is.

An overview of Teriachi

Sunday: 

Sunday morning we traveled out to Teriachi, a working hacienda, outside of Juliaca where Padre Luis has a Sunday morning service every week.  The owners have agreed to let Padre Luis use the chapel that would be empty otherwise on Sunday mornings.  We arrived at 8:30.  The service wasn't until 11:30.  So what did we do?  Well, we played with the alpacas, of course.  The family that lives on the ranch and cares for the animals was excited to show us all their animals.  After playing with the animals the youth group arrived.  With still a couple of hours 'til the service, we began rehearsing for the Stations of the Cross, a small play, they plan to put on during Holy Week. And yes, I said we...

With members of the youth group during our rehearsal

I mentioned in my last post I am now an actress.  HA.  They have asked me to return to Juliaca and be in their play.  Just guess what part they want me to play….  Mary.  When I asked why they told me, "Because you look like her."  Hmm, I had never heard that one before.  But, I gladly agreed, and was excited that they thought of me and want me to be part of their production.

After our rehearsal, the service started.  The pews were filled and it was another great service.  Afterward the people came to the front and Kathy and I prayed for them individually and in families.  I would just like to add how grateful I am that God understands my prayers in Spanish, despite all of the grammatical errors I undoubtedly make. :)

After the service ended we were standing out front with everyone visiting and meeting the people, when a couple of alpacas wandered up.  Only in Peru do find yourself playing with alpacas after church.

Padre Luis giving the alpacas a snack

And here are some other pictures from the weekend:

New jobs and new ministries

Here's an update on everything from school - to youth - to Casa Hogar - to my new found talent as an actress...

Starting with the school…
Classes at Colegio San Lucas started back up again at the beginning of March.  It was a crazy several weeks getting back into the swing of things and taking on some new responsibilities.  

The first two weeks of school Kym and I were THE English teachers, not just helpers.  With no books, curriculum or material we pulled together lesson plans and began teaching the primary grades.  Then after those couple of weeks a teacher was hired.  After a big meeting to discuss the whole English program (the Director, the English teachers, and Kym and I) we made some changes that we think will benefit everyone - students and teachers.

So, I am now teaching English in the secondary grades (equivalent to our 8th - 12th grades).  The teacher that had been teaching these grades wears many many hats in the school and is stretched incredibly thin.  This is allowing him a little bit of a break, and also giving me some more responsibilities.  The secondary grades do not have as many hours of English class each week, which allows me to lend a hand in the library when Kym needs help, and in the primary classes (as I was doing last year). 

Yes, we are working with the basics right now & please ignore the face I am making... 

So that's the update on the school! Now for the youth…

I mentioned previously that I have begun helping out with the "grupo de jovenes" (youth group) at Iglesia San Lucas.  It's been really awesome to see all the hard work the leaders are putting in striving to grow and improve their ministry.  And it's paying off - the group has grown, and each Saturday when we meet it's more and more fun!  I can't explain how grateful I am that this group has welcomed me in, made me a part of everything, and given me the opportunity to help out.  

And now Casa Hogar…

Several of the older girls have asked me lots of questions since I've been here about boys.  And it got me to thinking - these girls don't really have anyone to talk to about any of the issues that teenage girls face. I don't just mean boys... I mean everything from leaving home and going into the world, choosing a career, choosing a good group of girlfriends, what to look for in a future husband,  starting a family, being a daughter of our King, and being a woman of God. So, I asked Kym, Padre Daniel and Señor Pedro (the director of the home) if I could start a small group with the older girls at the house.  They all were very encouraging of the idea.  Now on Saturdays when Kym and I go to Casa Hogar to do Bible studies, I break off with the older girls and we have our own Bible study.  We have had 2 thus far, and man is it a challenge!  It's hard enough leading my first Bible study, much less in Spanish! But the girls seem to understand me, they seem to like it, and I'm hopeful for the months ahead. 


And now the one you have all been waiting to hear about, my new found talent as an actress…

We had a service for the World Day of Prayer at both of our churches here in Arequipa.  This year we prayed for Egypt, and the group of us putting on the service dressed up as Egyptians from different time periods - ancient Egypt up to modern day.  Well I love to dress up (my friends and family who really know me are shaking their heads in agreement), so I jumped at the opportunity to dress up as the ancient Egyptian.  I even found a black wig for $6 because I didn't think a blonde Egyptian would quite cut it.  All or nothing, right?  The service went well! We read the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman from John 4,  prayed for the country of Egypt, and did a short time of self-reflection.  

Rehearsing the week before

And lastly I have some prayer requests!

1. Colegio San Lucas: for the teachers, students, and parents.

2. The youth group at Iglesia San Lucas: for the leaders, youth, and its continued growth

3. My ministry with the older girls leading the Bible study at Casa Hogar

Roof Dog Week

This post is about the week of February 16-22 - I'm only a couple of weeks late this time - Hey, I'm getting better!

So, every February a team from Christ Church in Plano, Texas comes to spend a week with the kids of Casa Hogar. They call themselves the Roof Dogs.  I may have mentioned this in a previous post but here in Arequipa there are SO MANY dogs that live on the roofs.  It's so strange to me, but it's totally normal here.  Anyway, the team named themselves the Roof Dogs a long time ago and have had the name ever since.  They have been coming for years and years and have built some incredible relationships with the kids.  The kids look forward to the visit from their Tias and Tios (Aunts and Uncles) every year, and I was fortunate enough to be included and get to join in on all of the activities.  They welcomed me in, brought me a big bag of treats from the States, and at the end of the week they initiated me as a fellow Roof Dog.  I can't begin to explain how wonderful they all are, how wonderful the week was, and how thankful I am for the experience.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we spent at the kids' home playing games, making crafts, singing songs, and doing Bible lessons (where we focused on the Beatitudes).  On Tuesday we took a little side trip and traveled 2 hours in a bus to a camp in La Joya which had horseback riding, a swimming pool, and obstacle course type games.

Thursday we also took an afternoon trip to the mall where the kids got to order whatever food they wanted before spending several hours in Happyland - a giant arcade with games and prizes.  The Roofdogs also brought lots and lots of new clothes, shoes, backpacks. One of the days they turned one of the rooms into a little shopping area where the kids got to try on new school clothes and "go shopping."

The last day all of the kids put on a performance for all of the Tias and Tios.  They did a number of dances, from traditional dances to pop.  One of the older boys even dressed up in a dog costume and did several dances - it was hilarious!

And since pictures say 1,000 words I'll let the slideshow do the rest of the talking.  (Photo credit to Tia Kelly, Tio Nozar and Tio Allen - some of the pictures you will see in the slideshow I stole from them)

Sal y Luz del Mundo

A couple of weeks ago (February 7-9th) I helped out with the youth camp.  Kids from all of our churches and missions in Southern Peru came.  We focused on Matthew 5:13-16, and the theme was Sal y Luz del Mundo (Salt and Light of the World).

At one of the planning meetings for the trip Padre Victor mentioned they were in need of funds.  Feeling led to help out with this area of ministry, I used a portion of my budget and made a donation of $500.  I was able to do so thanks to all of my supporters who provided additional funds that I can use where I see a need.  So, once again thank you.  Padre Victor was very grateful and says "Thank you", too.

Anyway, the camp was held at a site here in Arequipa near the river.  We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday playing games, singing praise songs, sharing in small groups, and listening to chats about our theme.  I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking...

The beach and Colca Canyon!

So I'm going to jump back to the beginning of February and update everyone on a couple of little trips I had the opportunity to take…

The first of which was the beach!  They invited me to join the kids at Casa Hogar and spend the day at the beach.  I had to skip a day of language classes, but I had no problem whatsoever choosing a warm day in the sun over a grammar lesson :)  We left super early in the morning, spent several hours in the van, and arrived at the beach mid-morning.  I didn't take too many pictures seeing as sand and cameras aren't exactly compatible, but I did snap a couple.

The second trip was to the BEAUTIFUL Colca Canyon.  One of the recently ordained priests here in Arequipa is taking over the Anglican Mission we have there and so a group of us traveled to the little traditional town of Cabanaconde for his instillation service.  It's such a pretty church with an absolutely incredible view.

Language School

"Today, I am going to update my blog."  I have been telling myself this for the past 6 weeks.  I'm the worst…. and since all sorts of things have been happening lately I have lots of catching up to do…Starting with language school...

Since the months of January and February are summer vacation and there was no work to do at the school, I chose these months to do my language training.  During my 6 weeks of classes I lived with a Peruvian family, and I loved every minute of it.  They cooked all of the authentic Peruvian dishes, and served me portions large enough to keep me full for days at a time.  And best of all, since they spoke zero english, I practiced my spanish until I had brain-aches.  It was full immersion.  And it was awesome.   

The institute where I attended my language classes (ABC Espanol) is owned and operated by a preacher.  It's located in a house, giving it a small and comfortable feel.  The institute teaches Spanish to missionaries who have come from all over the world to serve the Lord and work in Peru.  There were missionaries from the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Great Britain, and Canada.  It was so cool to meet people from all over and hear their stories.  I met some incredible guys and gals, made some good friends, and learned lots of Spanish.  I truly was inspired by everyone's overwhelming faith and love for our Lord.  Those 6 weeks weren't just a time of growth in my Spanish skills, but also my faith. It's a little hard to explain but to sum it up - I loved it.  Now I feel ready.  I'm excited to continue on with my mission feeling more confident in my communication skills, and therefore feeling more confident in my ministry.

My last day of class with my teacher - Abby - and three fellow classmates behind.
There was never a dull moment in our class and I never thought I would enjoy learning grammar as much as I did with them.

My new friend Sigrid, she will be here in Arequipa until mid-summer the same as me!  So grateful for this friendship

Tabea and Tabea - one from Germany and the other from Switzerland - Two of my roommates who were also living with the Peruvian family.

After our Bible study  we posed for a picture.
Crystal:U.S. - Sigrid: Norway - Yours truly: U.S. - Tabea: Germany

Tabea and I on the roof  of our house on a sunny afternoon.