A foot in Two worlds

Well friends my time in Peru is coming to a close. I have less than a month here in Peru and 1 week in my placement. It is strange to be in this place, kind of half way in and halfway out. I think it is kind of like the summer before my Yav year started, except there was more to prepare for, I knew less of what I was getting myself into, and I was definitely going into the unknown. Now it almost feels like I had put pause on my “old life” and I am going back to it. I know better than to expect that things haven’t changed. Even if everything there had stayed the same(which it hasn’t ) I have changed and thus can not go back to the life I used to have. I am not saying that the change in me is that drastic, but whenever you spend a year away from something or someplace your perspective changes. It is also a strange phenomenon to be straddling two lives. I know that I have written about this before and thus will not fall into redundancy, but just know that the phenomenon of knowing that you are about to return to completely enter into a different life is a strange one.

Advice for someone traveling to Peru:

1. There is a list of things you should always carry with you: Bottle of water, toilet paper(you don’t want to get stuck without it), a jacket(in may be REALLY hot when you head out but you never know how long you will be out and it could get cold. Plus a jacket is good emergency mosquito or sun protection), copy of your passport(just good to have), and cash(in Peru in denominations 5 or less cause no one wants big bills or has change)

2. Never say you are hungry until you know what is being served(chicken foot soup any one?)

3. If you are going out to visit a small rural settlement in the mountains bring pepto and expect to be unavailable the next day

4. On that previous note expect to get stomach aches hard core

5. If you go to a wedding expect it to start at least an hour late. For other meetings and occasions, at least half an hour late.

6. Make sure you greet and say good bye to every one in the room individually (usually with a kiss on the cheek)

7. Expect to be called gringo or gringa and don’t be offended. It can be used as a term of endearment.

I am sure there is much more and I will let you know when I think of it. Thank you again for all of your support and help. God Bless and I will try to post at least one more time before I head back to the States

La Oroya survey

The following is an email I received from one of my fellow yavs. Please fill out the survey and pass it on. God Bless!

Alissa King

Hey

we need your help. We are trying to promote a survey about the current situation in La Oroya and I NEED you guys to help out. The following is a letter from the Red that we need emailed/blogged/shared in whatever way you can and then a link to a survey that we need as many people on as possible. PLEASE PLEASE pass this on to your contacts and promote it. It needs to be done by friday and every person makes a difference thanks. So here is the text and the link to the survey is http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LFVSTH9 :

Dear friends,

This is a critical time for the people of La Oroya, Peru, and we need to hear YOUR VOICE in order to help them.

Here is a 5 QUESTION (YES/NO) SURVEY regarding demands being made to the government of Peru by the company Doe Run Peru that will negatively affect the people and environment of La Oroya. Please take 3 minutes to fill it out. For an introduction to the issue, please read below:

La Oroya is one of the ten most contaminated cities in the world (according to Blacksmith Institute). The population finds itself gravely effected by the contamination produced by the Metallurgical Complex operated by the mining company Doe Run Peru. This company belongs to the North American billionaire, Ira Rennert. Thirteen years ago the company committed itself to investing in the modernization of the metallurgical complex through the state mandated Environmental Clean-Up Program (known in Peru as the PAMA). To date, the company has not finished its commitment despite the fact that the mandated time frame has expired and despite that various extensions have been provided.

In the United States, the holding company, Renco Group, for Doe Run Peru has invested in new technologies at its smelter in Herculaneum, Missouri in order to meet the regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States (www.doerun.com).

After many years of economic profit (the net gains of Doe Run Peru by the end of 2008 were $508 million – La Republica 28/03/2009), the mining company inexplicably declared itself in a state of economic and financial crisis. In June of 2009, it then halted the operations of the Metallurgical Complex in La Oroya, ceasing to fulfill its contracted obligations with its workers and creditors. In the face of this situation, the Peruvian State has tried to help the company through various opportunities to escape this crisis. Nonetheless, the company has taken advantage of the State in order to escape its responsibilities. And today, the start up of the plant comes with conditions placed by Doe Run Peru, which has placed new demands before the State.

IF the Peruvian State consulted with you about these demands by Doe Run Peru, what would you say?

Please take 3 minutes to fill out THIS SURVEY.

THANK YOU!

Get physical

Not sure if anyone is reading this anymore, but I am going to keep updating anyways. J So I just got back from hiking the Inca trail! That’s right folks all the way to Manchu Picchu.

3 and a half days of hiking up and down mountains and exploring ancient ruins. It was a pretty amazing experience. This was the second time in my life to go camping and the first time to hike complete days. I guess the Inca trail was a good place to start. Walking through the ruins was really cool. I mean I am not even an enthusiast when it comes to seeing ancient ruins. I enjoy hearing about the culture, but after a while looking at a pile of rocks seems a little ridiculous. The Manchu Picchu ruins are amazing because you can really see the city. You can walk through rooms and try to imagine the people living there. I wonder what they would think about the tourist attraction it is now? Would they be proud to know their hard work is still being appreciated, or incensed to see that people are taking pictures of their alters and leaving pretzels as offerings? I just cant imagine that they would be too pleased. Did you know that the mountain is actually sinking at a faster rate than normal most likely due to how many people visit Manchu Picchu?
Okay so also for me the view of the mountains was most impressive. The mountains are amazing. While we were hiking, looking out over those mountains was an incredible sight. I think often we spend so much time admiring human creations (at least in this situation) that we forget the wonder of Gods creation. I see the beauty in both, the ingenuity of the Inca structures and the sheer awe of the mountains. Let us not forget that the Incans built in a way not to destroy the mountains. They worshiped the mountains and held them sacred. I can't imagine their reaction to people coming from all over to look at their buildings and hardly noticing the mountains where they are located. All of that to say I liked the view.

Oh and another thing I was amazed by, I am amazed by my body’s resistance. I mean don’t get me wrong I was tired. That second day where you are climbing and climbing and you finally see the top where you are headed and the people are the size of fleas. Your breath escaped you and your telling yourself just a little further, but really you know there are still 3 hours of climbing. Yeah that was hard, but I did it and was only sore for a couple days afterwards. It is kind of amazing what our bodies can do.
I think that we just need to give them a chance to shine more often. We need to push our limits physically and mentally. After all that is how we grow. Do you really want the closest thing you do to pushing your physical limits to be watching an action movie? I am not saying start by climbing a mountain, but take a walk. Be a part of this world in a physical way. Sprint across the parking lot instead of strolling. Do a little dance. In the end you will be glad you did. So that’s my pep talk. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who really can be the queen of inactive. I would say that has changed this year. I have found the joy and pride that comes from physical accomplishments. Why don’t you join me?!

Pink crowns, flowers, and Jesus

Semana Santa(Holy week) was great. The YAVs came to visit at the end and it just happened to be my bday. My host family had a party. There were games, a piñata, snacks, and a pink head band with antenna for me. I really enjoyed it. I have to say that the type of games we played are generally shunned by adult communities. Requiring people to sing, dance around, and do silly things is generally frowned on. Quite frankly I love it. Let me clarify I love it when every one participates. Isn’t true that the only difference between a game that is really fun is whether or not people are willing to get into it. I have never felt that too cool for school attitude(or too cool for stupid games for that matter) I know that some people feel self conscious or stupid but quite honestly as long as you really go for it you are going to have fun and so are the people around you. What are you afraid of? Do you think people are really looking to judge you on your dance skills when it is part of the game to dance around? The only people judging are those that feel too self conscious to participate themselves. Why do you want to cave to the superior attitude the give you? Okay stepping off my box now. Just saying it was fun to have a bday party where everyone participated in the songs and games(no matter their age). It was like being a little kid again.

These carpets are made in the streets with colored sawdust and flowers. Businesses sponsor them and as the processional with Jesus etc pass buy they bless each business that has one of these.

I believe I mentioned the headband. Here it is :)

Radio Amauta gace me flowers for my bday

While the YAVs were here I was kind of like ambassador between my 2 groups of people in Peru. That is always somewhat of a weird place to be, but I enjoyed having everyone together. I think being able to put different aspects of your life in the same place every once in a while is very important. It is like getting you work/school friends together with your church friends. It can be a little weird, but how much better is it latter to be able to mention the name of someone without 10 min of back story? It was a similar feeling when my family came and I am lucky to be able to experience it again. We went to several places that I had not yet been to and I just generally got to share my everyday Peru life and family with my fellow Peru Yavs.

I know that I am not giving you tons of info on what exactly we did but check out some of the other Peru Yavs’ blogs. They have expressed it quite well. The links are on the side of this blog.

Oh yeah and when I got back the night the YAVs left. I ended up being in a play that night. I am in the pink sheet with the orange scarf over my head on the left. My job was to leaf little kids around that at the last minute decided that they too wanted to be in the play.

Well that is it for now. God bless. If you want to see more pictures you can go to

my facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031523&id=35702103&l=e740a6bdc7

How’s your faith doing?

The following is a random reflection. I challenge you to really reflect upon your life and faith as you read it. I offer no answers or earth shattering revelations. Only questions that I have been considering. I hope that you find them thought provoking or at the very least, that they let you know what has been running through my head. I preface this by saying that I am happy and doing well. In no way does the following essay represent a faith crisis or a sadness in my spirit. I feel I am growing stronger in my faith and it is partly do to the questions that are brought up by being placed in an environment very different than that which I have been in in the past. I watched a movie in the young adult group at the church called Faith like Potatoes. The language used and the fervor of the video led me to come up with the following:

Doubting faith at times is perfectly normal, but here is the thing. In order to doubt faith you have to be actively thinking about it. Actively participating in your search for faith. How many of us actually think about our faith daily? Is faith something you can put on when most convenient? When you are in a church crowd you slip it on. You use the language you would never use in daily life. You talk about Jesus and grace, but leave it at that and carefully slip the language from your tongue back into the recesses of your brain to await the next time some one else wants to slip their faith tongue on and share with you. Are you really comfortable living your life as a testament to Jesus Christ? Does that statement right there kind of make you cringe and squirm? Does it make you think about the “uber Christian” you don’t want to be. I think that we have gotten so worried about being pc, about not being the pushy uber Christian, that we have lost an important part of the expression of our faith. When did we become so jaded and cynical that talk of a possible miracle or someone devoting their life to God’s work is taboo? A topic only to be brought up in the most closed of groups, or rather only to be analyzed from a historical or intellectual point of view? When did feeling faith in God become so bad? I am not saying that we shouldn’t think about what we believe or that we should not look at the bible and our faith in an intellectual way. I am only saying that if we only do that, If we separate ourselves from our faith, compartmentalizing our church language into a small section of our being we loose a lot. I am living in a community that freely discusses and lives their faith everyday and let me tell you quite frankly it often makes me uncomfortable. Praying about problems as a first response and wholeheartedly believing it will make a difference, talking about God working in the lives of all of us, and believing that God has a plan even in the worst of things is commonplace. Again, not that this does not exist in my world in the States, but really. How many of us when faced with the unexpected death of a loved one have the automatic reaction to thank God for their life? I am talking first thing. How many of us would be able to thank God for the day we got the news that something horrible had happened to someone we loved? Is your faith a part of you? Does it define your being? Do you live every moment as a prayer? Do you find peace in discussions of God or an uncomfortable squirming as you hope to use the right language, to make sure you don’t offend, or to avoid the chance of being labeled one of “those people”(those Christians that speak so strangely as if with their whole heart). This is the challenge I am facing. How do I undo so many years of avoiding the topic of religion in public schools? How do I bring my faith back into every part of me? How do I make sure to breath it? To feel it? To live it? How do I focus when I pray on the feeling behind my words instead of the way they sound to others? Do you feel your faith as well as think it? Or are you afraid to even ask this question? Afraid of how the answer will call you to change the way you live. I know I am. The question of feeling faith scares me. What does it mean if I am not there? How do I risk separating myself from others by using language that makes so many uncomfortable? How do I balance being truthful and faithful to what God calls us to be with being approachable and identifying with those that find that language distasteful? How do I become the person I know I should be when becoming when that person may cause estrangement and loss or ridicule? Estrangement by those that have, just as I have, separated their minds into two types of Christians, the Christians of the past (miracle believing, faith feeling, Jesus living, sacrificing Christians), and the now (academic, find explanation for miracles, faith talking, convenient Christians)? How do we consolidate those two views into what our faith really is and really should be? Well, for now I will leave it at that. I am by no means trying to criticize your faith (here I go trying to temper my words and make them more acceptable again). Instead I reflect on my own concerns and questions and leave it to you to identify your faith and how/if it makes up your whole self. I leave you with the question…Do you feel your faith as well as think it?

next year and struggles

I wanted to make sure that everyone heard that I am going to Louisville Presbyterian Theological seminary. I am really excited and wanted to share the news with all of you.

My dad reminded me that I should be sure to include my struggles in my blog so that people can know that things are not always perfect. I have not included every little problem I have had, but hopefully this will give you an opportunity read some of the struggles I am having.

Right now I am struggling right now with a combination of planning things for next year, while still being present here. It has been rather difficult. There are some things that I know I need to accomplish that I cannot do until I get home. Thinking about all these things and imagining next year makes me rather home sick. It is strange too. I know that I am not going back to the way things were. I will be in a different state and all my friends are in different places as well. My little sister is going to college, my oldest sister is having a baby, and my mom and dad are now beginning to look at what they are going to do when they grow up. Even still I sometimes long to be in next year already. It is some little things. I am looking forward to being able to pick up the phone and call my friends and family. I can talk to them now, but it is only if we are both online. Also, I am really looking forward to having a definite plan and list of things to do. It is weird what you miss. I often have been in the office without things to do. I know that the YAV year talks about being and not focusing so much on doing, but there have been many days when I have little to do and there really isn’t anyone else in the office. Either that or they are in the office, but are working on their programs etc and there isn’t much I can do to help. It is these times that I miss my to do list and goals. One other thing I am looking forward to, strangely enough, is independence. I thought by coming I would gain more of a sense of independence. That is definitely true. I travel by myself to Lima and with the other YAVs on vacation. Still along with that comes living with my host family. I am helping with chores at specific times of day. Don’t get me wrong I am fine helping with chores. It is something I definitely should do as a working member of the family. I am just used to doing chores on my own time schedule in college. It is hard to adjust to being told when, where, and how to do all the chores again. Besides that I don’t really have much of a social life with people my age. I mean I go to the young adult service and work on the young adult program, but really the socializing that takes place is volley ball(which I learned early on I am really not good at) and church activities. I think it is probable that some of the other young people do other things, but not having a key to the front door and not wanting to wake my family at night can make things difficult. Plus quite honestly with going to church 2 times Sunday, Tuesday, and Saturday, being in the office all day, a meeting Thursday, and a radio program Saturday morning, while not having tons to accomplish, actually do I am doing a lot. I am just looking forward to having my own schedule again.

All that being said I know that there are things from here that I will miss when I go back to the States. One of the previous yavs talked about how she was homesick while she was in her placement, and homesick for her placement when she went back to the States. I think that I can imagine what she was saying. Well I guess I will end this by asking you to keep me in your prayers. I will keep you in mine. Let me know what is going on in your life. God Bless!

Donde está Jesús

This past week was holy week, as you all know. I spent holy week with my host family and with my fellow Peru Yavs. On Palm Sunday I was working in the nursery and was sad that I would miss the palms etc. Turns out that my church here in Huanta doesn’t do palms. I soon found out that there is a street processional. By the time we got the kids ready and left, it was already ending. As we are rushing down the street Esteban(the 4yr old) said, “?Donde está Jesús?”(where is Jesus?) I responded with well he is all around us, in our hearts, in the people we love. Now Esteban would have none of that he was like , “no like the man Jesús” When I didn’t know he quickly ran ahead to ask mom.
Now while Esteban clearly meant where is the man who is acting as Jesus is this processional it got me thinking. I recently have had several bible studies and read through a bible study for Rebecca. All of which talked about the second coming. The question of do we really live our lives like Jesus might come any minute. I am not talking about the sins we commit or how much time we waste. While that is a legitimate thing to look at I am more thinking about our thoughts. Do you really believe Jesus could come any day? Do you randomly think throughout the day hmm maybe Jesus will come again today? Do you ever wonder if you will encounter Jesus physically before you die? How do you think you would respond if someone said this guy/girl is the child of God come again? I know the events leading up to and following the second coming are scary to think about, but setting that aside, how would you feel if you met the physical Jesus?
There will be more to come about the rest of my Holy week, bday, and visit from the YAVs.

These are the Palms they use here in Peru. They are braided and twisted in to all sorts of patterns. Way cool huh?