Que Pasa?

What's new? Lots of Spanish vocabulary, verbs, and grammar. At this point I could name just about every object in your house and tell you what to do in the house with my mad crazy amount of verb knowledge. I've been in school for almost a month now. Yikes!! Classes have been challenging and fun as well. Give me a couple more weeks and I'll be fluent (only in the present tense though). One of these days I'll be stable enough to go on to future and past tense. I'm so excited to be able to talk about what I did last week in past tense.

Life in the city continues to be an adventure. Nothing surprises me anymore. I've managed to stay out of trouble in my travels and am thankful for this. I hope to keep a clean record for my stay here....

Other than studying hard core and playing in the city, there's not much else to report, so I'll keep it short. Fall is here with cooler weather than I'd like, but it's not as cool as the falls in MD. I'm enjoying the time God has given me here and am really looking forward to being fluent in Spanish. Soon enough!!

Hasta próximo tiempo!!

No comprendo!! Repite, por favor

It’s hard to believe, but I’ve now been in Arequipa for about two weeks. The adventure continues to be exciting and full of new things. I’m still trying to get used to laid back Peruvian time, dogs barking all the time, the sun rising at 0500, and all the kissing too. I think I’m now healed of my personal space issues.

I’ve been in school for almost two weeks and am now fluent in Spanish. It’s a miracle!!! Actually, I’m nowhere close to fluent. But…..I’m happy to report that I can now name just about any item in your kitchen or dining room in Spanish(very important stuff…). Over all, classes are going well and there is definitely some learning going on these days.

Outside of school, just about everything is in Spanish as well. The Peruvian family I’m living with speaks mostly Spanish, so I’m being exposed to Spanish pretty much all day. As expected, church is in Spanish as well. A two hour church service can feel pretty long if you don’t understand everything being said…. I can’t wait til the day I’m dreaming in Spanish.

I’ve had a couple of opportunities to explore the city and am thankful that I haven’t gotten lost(for those of you who don’t know….I’m directionally challenged). It’s been interesting learning the ins and outs of getting around the city in buses and taxis. I still have lots to learn, but I’m glad to have a basic understanding of where I am.

Over the past two weeks I’ve been reminded quite often of how dependant on God I really am. For a person who likes to be in control, I’d have to say that God has been stretching me in many ways. It is comforting to know and remember that He is with me every step of the way in this adventure. I’m excited for the amazing things God has planned for my time in Arequipa and in Cusco as well.

Hasta la vez próxima (until next time)

Finally!!!

I'm here!!! Three planes, two drug sniffing dogs in the lovely country of Columbia, and a great time in customs, I'm through traveling for a while. Yay!!! I've been in Arequipa for almost four days. It's beautiful here!! Actually, I'm just a fan of the mountains, lovely flowers, and warm sun (not all the business of the city).

Once I got here I started off running. Classes started the morning after I arrived, so there's already lots of learning going on here(I think...). I'm pretty much fluent in Spanish at this point, so I'll be moving to Cusco next week(just kidding). I'm still a beginner and probably sound like a 2 year old learning to talk at this point. So far, it's been a good experience.

The host family I'm be living with for the next six months is lovely. They are so warm and welcoming(great cooking too!) They don't speak much English, so we have fun conversations with English/Spanish, pantomime, and plenty of laughing. It's great!!

I'm sure there are plenty of adventures to come. God has been faithful in bringing me here and I'm looking forward to what He has in store for me in the next six months and beyond!!

Thank y'all for continuing to pray for me!!

Adios!!

It’s hard to believe it, but the time has finally come….. Just one week from today I will be starting my adventure to Peru. Time has been flying by. Amazingly, most of the last minute things on my to do list have been taken care of and I’m starting to see straight again. I’m starting to feel kind of organized. Praise God!! The bags are getting packed and hopefully they will contain everything I thought I packed… Any suggestions for strange stuff I might not have thought of to pack yet would be greatly appreciated.

As I go through this next week, please pray for me as I tie up loose ends, make final preparations, and say goodbye to dear family and friends. I head out this coming Monday (March 22). I’ll be flying out of New York and making a couple of stops before I get to my final destination. You can pray that I arrive in Arequipa in one piece with all of my bags. I’m praying for a green light as I go through customs (if I get the red light they’ll go through my bags). It’s just more of a nuisance to go through all of that

I’ll be staying with a host family while I’m in school. I’m looking forward to the experience of living with a Peruvian family and being immersed into their culture and the Spanish language as well. It should be great!!

There are so many things to look forward to and lots of exciting things right around the corner. It is my prayer that throughout all of this I keep my eyes on Christ, that I don’t lose sight of what He has called me to as I step into the mission field.

See y’all on the other side!!

7 days….

Baby steps....

This past month has been filled with new possibilities and surprises. It looks like circumstances in Cusco have changed and I am now revisiting the possibility of serving there. The work I’d be involved in would be a bit different than I had previously expected, but there is still a great need for the gospel in this hard to reach people group in Cusco . There is also an opportunity for me to serve in another city in Peru and I am exploring it as a possible place that God might be calling me to.

My current plan is to attend language school in Arequipa, Peru to learn Spanish. I can make a decision about the final destination while I’m in school. Regardless of where I end up, I can rest in the fact that God will use me for His purposes wherever I go. I’m not exactly sure what my end destination is at this point, but I’m trusting that God will show me in His perfect timing. I’ll start with learning Spanish and we’ll see what the next step is.

My new departure date is March 22nd. I’m looking forward to what God has in store for me and where that might be. God has taught me so much this past month and in the end, I am thankful for His love and care for me as I go through this time of uncertainty. Thank you all for continuing to pray with me as I walk through this adventure.

21 days...

Change is the spice of life...

As I move closer to leaving for the mission field, God continues to teach me that I am totally dependent on Him. As of right now, it looks like God is leading me away from Cusco. I am currently in a month long training program with my mission organization, MTW, to prepare me for the field. When I left home three weeks ago, I thought I was on the home stretch to Cusco and was very excited!!! My plan was to move to Peru on March 4th to start language school, but God has other plans. The team in Cusco is experiencing some changes and complications including some team members departing from the field. These things would make it really difficult for me to join the team at this time. With that in mind, I am trusting that the Lord has something else in store for me.

I know that the Lord has a perfect plan. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans of a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” I am finding this to be true. So….now I’m in the process of figuring out where God is calling me to serve.

I am now exploring options for other sites where I can serve on the field as a nurse. I have some options, so now I'm thinking and praying through all of this. Please pray for me as I walk through this process of discovering where God is calling me to go. You can pray for clarity, patience, and wisdom as I work through all this. It’s been a wild ride so far and God has already taught me so much.

I’m looking forward to discovering the exciting future God has in store for me. Thank you for your continued support. I’ll keep you all posted on God's amazing plan for my life.

For all the Baltimore people out there, I just want to let you know I'm so jealous. No snow in Belgium.... I'm Looking forward to coming home next week. See you all soon!!!