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The Word of the Lord...
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:1-5 I'm Finally Here !! A little over 12 months after being approved as a Two Year Impact Missionary for MTW, I have finally put my feet on Peruvian soil once again. It is good to be here!! I continue to experience the subtleties of culture shock, but am settling in to a new home and a new way of life! A Perspective... It seems that while I was preparing to go to Peru, people were always interested in what I was going to do, but they would get down right EXCITED when I would mention that I was going to Costa Rica for 3 months for language studies. People have been asking me, "How did you like Costa Rica?" or "How was Costa Rica?" So I will share with you my perspective on Costa Rica and Peru: Costa Rica is a wonderful place, the people are friendly, and the country is beautiful. But I felt like I was on a 3 month long date with a very nice man while my true love waited for me in another place. (I'm sure my single friends, both male and female, can appreciate this perspective!). Now I have been united with my true love. Please rejoice with me while I am in the honeymoon stage, and pray for me as YOU KNOW that even though it will be GOOD, it will be HARD. Peru... My team leader is Santos Buendia, a Peruvian Pastor who attended Covenant Seminary in St. Louis several years ago. He and his wife Norma have welcomed me with open arms and spent countless hours helping me get settled. Please pray for them as they have an incredible ministry load, and over the next 3 months will be welcoming and teaching three new missionaries (one of whom is me) about their culture, language, and church. At this point there are three churches with which we will work and of which I will be writing: San Pablo, Perales, and Manuel Correa. San Pablo is the oldest of the three churches and is close to where we live. They have a thriving group of "jovenes", or young people in their teens and twenties, many of whom are showing spiritual maturity and a desire to serve the Lord. There are many Peruvians of Quechuan descent, so there is a service in Quechua on Sunday mornings and a service in Spanish on Sunday afternoons (and Santos often preaches both!). Perales is a well established church in one of the poorer sections of Lima, not too far from where we live. The plan is that as we plant churches in the surrounding areas, Perales will continue to be the "mother" church. I love their worship service with its lively music! Their love for the Lord is evident. They will be leading many weeks of VBS during the summer of course, we North Americans keep thinking "June, July, and August" while they are talking about "January, February, and March" !! Manual Correa has started, stopped, and is starting again. At this point there is a Sunday morning program for children and a Wednesday bible study for adults. On Sunday mornings we have 35-45 children in one dusty room, and it is amazing to watch Norma teach, sing, tell stories, and love these kids. It's also a tough work in that crowd control is always an issue! Some kids show up washed and scrubbed with clean clothes; others show up dirty, dirty, and dirtier. I realize that we are looking at potential future street children. The Language... The language continues to be a barrier for me, and will continue to be for a long time. It is starting to dawn on me that learning the language doesn't happen in 3 month, 6 months, or a year. It's a lifetime process. I am at the point where I can get around to a few places in a taxi, communicate to a store clerk what I am looking for, and have short conversations with people after church, BUT... I have a hard time understanding anything that is said to me unless the speaker understands that it is necessary to speak S-L-O-W-L-Y and C-L-E-A-R-L-Y. (Sherri Brown, I will forever appreciate the ministry that you have had to so many international students in your home who are trying to learn English! NOW I know how it feels. ).
So What's This Thing About a Culture Difference?? When I first arrived, Santos told me that we would need to talk, talk, and then talk some more about expectations, ministry, vision, and life in general. He explained: "When you say you want to build a house, and I say that is a good idea, we have two different ideas about what a HOUSE is. You think of a wood structure with carpeting, heating and air systems. I think of a concrete block structure with tile or wood floors and open windows with bars. Then you will ask me where the insulation goes and I won't know what you are talking about, and you will wonder why I don't know about something as basic as insulation in the walls." This is a very good illustration. Now, take it and apply it to every concept you have. You have just entered into the first step of "culture shock" !! Your Prayers Are Critical... Dependence on God will remain on the top of my list. Are you getting tired of this prayer request?? SO AM I!! Because it means outright asking God to take away idols in which I will choose to find comfort IN PLACE OF him... things like feeling slightly intelligent, or being able to understand what anyone says .
I Have Actually Received Mail !! I received my first, hand written Christmas card in the mail!! HOW EXCITING!!! Thank you, Dreeny!!
Laura Deadwyler
and check out our MTW South America web page!!
...as well as my personal page: Date - December 13, 2001
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