Celebrating Life!

Each week, my team gathers to discuss a book we, as a team, are reading. This week we read the book "From Brokeness to Community". It's a very short book (only 54 pages) that I highly recommend if you get the chance. It talks about what it really means to live in community, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and why, ultimately, living in community is all worth it. There is so much to say, but one part of the book talks about how important it is to celebrate life. As many of you know, I love a great celebration, and this week was one in which I was privileged to be able to really celebrate life with the people I am getting to know here in Peru.

On Monday, we hosted a first birthday party for Melanie and Vasty (the one year old daughters of two of the girls that Word Made Flesh works with here in Lima). First birthdays are a very big deal here in Peru, so we wanted to make sure that Melanie and Vasy (and, more importantly, probably, their moms) had the privelege of having that celebration. The Casa Job was decked out in pink and white, let me tell you: balloons, streamers, banners (Hello Kitty and Barbie themes) a pinata, and lots of people...it was so much fun!

I have to tell you a little bit about the snacks. Each party I've been to has had the same snacks. There are the animals crackers with a puff of what looks like frosting but is actually something like hard cotten candy...I'm actually quite fond of those. There are large colored marshmallows, cheese puffs that seem like the machine that actually adds the cheese flavor must have skipped over them in the factory, things that look a little like brown rice krispy bars but taste like dry rice cakes (at best), little ice cream cones with a colored marshmallow for the "ice cream" on top, little fried pillow-like chips that have a sweet/syrupy taste to them (they look like they should be on a chinese buffet table somewhere). The common theme here is snacks that look better than they taste. It just cracks me up for some reason!

Today the celebration revolved around the big soccer tournament. Casa Job teamed up with another organization in Lima that works with street kids to organize a soccer tournament. There were six teams from various organizations around the city. The kids had been talking about the game for several weeks, so everyone was wound up at Casa Job today! The boys had their jerseys on (green with white trim and "Casa Job" on the back and new black shorts). They helped us (the servant team) makes signs. We took lots of pictures. We could evern tell they were excited at lunch because hardly anyone actually cleared their plate, which is a rare occurance.

Although we lost both games (but not for lack of effort or crowd spirit, let me tell you) it was still an awesome day. I got to see a side of some of the boys that doesn't come out very often...the side that seems like they are just regular teenagers, that they can laugh and joke, that they don't have other things to worry about. There was one boy, in particular, who I often have a hard time with at Casa Job. Not because he does anything bad or wrong, but because he is usually pretty closed up, almost aloof. Today we actually talked a bit. He was laughing, smiling, acting just like an 18 year old guy should. This is all hard (actually about impossible) to explain in writing from thousands of miles away, but I hope you can get a taste of just how great the day was.

I think, partly, I loved the day so much because it was such a celebration of life. I didn't get caught up in feeling sorry for them, wishing I could fix their lives, wondering what more I should be doing either here or when I get back home. Instead, I just enjoyed the day with them. I was loving life right alongside them. That's an important lesson that I have been learning here. More than needing food, house, clothes, people need to know that they are loved. They need to know that someone will care about them, about who they really are, not just how they could "fix their lives". Not that I still don't want to find the key that would unlock the door to provision and prosperity for them, but I'm learning how that's not the most important thing to do for them.

Another fun, random part of the day was the way that we, as a servant team, pulled together to show our team spirit. Last night we purchased and painted t-shirts. Our shirts spelled out "Vive Casa Job" (this means something like "long live Casa Job"...kind of). One the back we each had a different message, and a lot of white space for the kids to sign the shirts. They had a really great time with that. During the game we yelled chants and sand song, led by Aaron (a fellow team member and the unofficial number one fan). By the end of the afternoon, other teams had brought out a drum and Aaron was in a friendly yelling competition with them...it was hilarious.

The most vivid images of the day, though, were after the games. Brian (the director of Word Made Flesh in Lima) had given each of the kids money for bus or cab fare. I about cried from laughter watching those eight kids try to fit themselves, a baby stroller and these orange crates that one kid picked up from a trash can (we're all really curious as to his plans for the orange crates...if I find out, I'll be sure to let you know) into a station wagon taxi. It took two different taxi and several seating arrangements (I believe what they finally ended up with was one kid, a stroller, orange crates and the taxi's spare tire in the back, five kids in the middle seat, and two kids and a baby in the front passenger seat) but they finally made it work...it truly was a miracle of God that they all fit. Definatley one of those times that I wish I had a video camera so you could all share in my laughter.

A more sober moment occured just before that, though. At first we were not walking the same direction as they were to get the taxi. Instead, we were talking to one of the kids while the other seven starated to walk away. As they walked away from us, I thought they looked like a group of high school kids that you might see walking down the street in the town you live in. The kind of group that looks like they are walking to one of their houses where someone's mom will give them snacks and they'll spend the evening in the basement playing video games or watching TV. Instead, though, these kids were walking to...nothing. There were walking no where. Not that they don't have a specific destination in mind. Some of them are able to rent small rooms. Others have specific areas and streets that they would call "home". But, really, what are they walking to? I couldn't help but feel so sad and angry that they have had their childhood stolen away like this. It shouldn't have to be like this for them. It makes me think, "What am I going to do about this?" About them, the kids like them in Omaha, the kids like them all around the world. Deep thoughts for the day, that's for sure.

So, that's my news for the week. Beyond that, everything is going as normal. I am getting over a nasty cold that I've had for over a week. I have been the least sick, though, of the five of us on our team, so I am in no way complaining. Our team took a weekend retreat last week at a little hotel about 30 minutes outside of Lima. We soaked up the sun, read, played games, ate good food, enjoyed green space and relative peach and quiet....it was awesome! Spanish lessons are going well but the language (or lack of it) continues to be one of my biggest frustrations here. The fleas are officially back. I can, at this time, count about 15 bites on me, and Jill (one of my teammates and roommates) could probably say the same...it seems so funny to say "I have fleas!", but I do...one of the crazy things about being here, I guess. Nothing that another flea bomb and some handwashing won't fix. We are almost to the halfway point here, which is crazy for me to think. I'll be back in Omaha before I know it! Thanks, as always, for your thoughts and prayers. Hope you enjoy sharing my trip with me. Can't wait to "talk" with you all again soon!