Random thoughts for the week

Well, here it is, Saturday morning again. I just got out of a very warm shower, the house is quiet, my roommates are still sleeping...perfect time to update you all on how things are going here. Problem is, I don't have any major thoughts this morning. Instead, there are just a bunch of little things swimming around my head, so forgive me if this entry skips around a bit.

First, I can give you the highlights of the week. Sunday I ran to the beach after church. That was two days in a row that I got to see the ocean...woohoo! I miss Nebraska a lot, but I will have to admit that living on the ocean is a perk. There's just something so amazing about looking out on the endless water, listening to the waves come in...reminds me of how awesome and big God is, how really little I am in the grand scheme of things, and yet how amazing it is that God knows me personally. Looking at the ocean really brings to life the Bible verses that talk about how creation proclaims the name of God...sorry I don't know the exact verse...scripture memorization has never been one of my strong points.

Monday was a strange, but good, day at Casa Job...only one kid showed up! We found out later that it was just a bunch of coincidences that kept youth from coming. Some were tired and/or sick, so they were sleeping. Others had errands they had to run. It was just the weirdest thing! So, we packed up the sandwiches and Quacker (that runny oatmeal-like stuff that I'm beginning to love, which, we learned this week, isn't made from Quacker Oats at all, but bread that has been soaked in water, then blended and mixed with milk and stuff. Who would've known?) and headed out to Sandia Street. I think I may have told you about Sandia Street before. It's a narrow, crowded street in a poorer part of town. It is lined with Menus (small resteraunts), random businesses and shops, several buildings where people can rent rooms, and a bus station. As we walk down, we gather the youth up. Then we sit on the sidewalk right outside the bus station (so we are constantly haveing to watch for huge buses pulling out) hang out with the kids while they eat breakfast. It's always eye-opening for me to come out to Sandia Street because that is where the youth are. This is where they live, hang out, spend part of their lives. I always leave there feeling very thankful (and a little guilty) for how well I live back home.

That brings me to a little "bunny trail" in this letter, I guess. For the last two weeks, our book study has been on the book "Rich Christians in the Age of Hunger". What an eye-opening book! Not necessarily fun to read, but very interesting. I recommend it if you want to understand how much of the world lives and God's thoughts on the rich and poor. Probably every person reading this journal entry is rich, at least compared to the rest of the world. In the past, whenever I read information like that, I just left feeling guilty for what I have (like I already said, I guess...little repeat here). Now, I feel excited about what I can do to help balance things out a bit. How I can change how I live and how I can raise awareness for the poor so other Christians will be encouraged to do the same. The thing is, it's not just cutting back on a few things so we all have a little more money to give away to charities...that's great, but the real issue is really having a change of heart, and that has to start with me. I can't look any farther than myself on this issue. Well, I guess that's a pretty random thought there...just a little glimpse into some of the things I've been thinking about lately.

Ok, so back to my story about weird Monday. After taking breakfast to the kids, we headed back to Casa Job. For breakfast (at 11:30am) we had what was going to be the Entrada (appetizer, in a way) for lunch. It was one of my favorite things here so far: Papa Rellina. They were this ball of mashed potatoes with meat and veggie filling that was then deep fried...so tasty! After breakfast we deep cleaned a lot of Casa Job. Monica and I (more Monica, don't want to steal her thunder) tackled the first floor bathroom. It was gross, let me tell you, and although it didn't look sparkling when we got done, there was vast improvements. Definately incentive to clean my bathroom at home more regularly. I love days like that, at least occasionaly, where I can really see the fruit of my labors.

Tuesday night was my night to go out to the streets. There weren't a lot of kids there at first, but a large group slowly amassed. During worship, one of the girls stood with her arm around me almost the entire time we sang. I think we had met once before...maybe. It just made me think why she felt so comfortable to do that: is she just that kind of person, was she a little high, does she really need love and attention that much that she'll cling on to a stranger for 20 minutes? Probably a bit of all those things, I would guess. Another reminder of just how many stories there are out there.

I don't think I've ever told you about the older man who come to get milk and sandwiches whenever we are on the streets. I don't know his name (althought I am determined to find out). He's a quiet guy, alsways comes with his big flat basket of snacks that he sells on the street. He brings a little stool with him that he sets down against the wall of the building. He will either sit on that stool or stand right beside it, quietly waiting for us to have the worship and then hand out food. He claps and sings along with the songs, gets his food, and then leaves. He always has a cap and scarf on, and has a larger nose. For some reason, I was thinking about him this week. Who is he? Does he have a home? Does he have a family? How long has he been selling his little snacks? What's his story? Again, one of these times that I wish I knew the language better. There are thousands of people on the streets of Lima, selling their snacks, trying to make a living at that. I pass by many every day, rarly making a purchase. I'm not writing this to put you or myself on a guilt trip of any sort. Rather, it's just a reminder to me of how much I really want to make people the most important thing in my life...just another random thought, I suppose.

Wednesday was a great day at Casa Job. Lots of kids, beautiful weather. The highlight for me was the presence of one guy I'll just call R. R is an interesting guy. I don't know much about his story, other than he has had a hard life. He is often one of the dirtiest youth at the center. The last time we saw him, he was looking pretty tough. He had a big ball of black trash bags over his feet. He hadn't showered in quite some time. Drugs, the harshness of life, and probably a bunch of other things, have caused him to be a little crazy at times. He says he knows Chinese and will speak it sometimes. He often is quiet, not talking much, and sleeping on the floor quite a bit. Wednesday, though, he looked so different! He showered, had on cleaner clothes (although still all black...his "Michael Jackson look" is what one of the staff calls it). He was really talkative, asking Monica and I questions about our homes, families, etc. For the workshop time in the afternoon, he wrote a long letter as part of the project they worked on. R. has a sweet heart, I can just tell. Just wanted to give you all a face to put with the imperonal stories I tell about life here. That's the hard thing about writing these journal entries. There are so many things I'd like to tell you all about, but words on a computer screen just don't do the stories and people justice. I wish I could bring you all own to meet the people here and experience the things I am experiencing.

Thursday was a special girls day at the Casa Job. About 10 girls came. The female members of our Servant Team were responsible for babysitting, which is always highly entertaining. The young women worked on baby books for their kids that they had started at the last girls day in May (everyone present had a baby except for one girl who is due with her first in two weeks and one who doesn't have any), then ate lunch, had a worship and devotional time, then made a potato snack they could sell for income. Among other things, Word Made Flesh staff tries to encourage the women in different ways to make money besides prostitution, which some (but not all) of them have turned to. My feelings about that would be an entire long journal entry in itself, but, suffice to say, I am beginning to see how tough decisions need to be made when it comes down to the most reliable way to feed your family.

It was so neat to see the girls all together, without the guys around. They seem to come alive in such a different way, like they are more free to be themselves, not have to be so guarded. It helps me to really get to know them as individuals, not just this group of people that I am here to serve. That's a lesson that I am learning each day...one of the most important things I can do for someone is to know them as a friend, to do whatever I can to restore their dignity in life, to feel like real person, not just this poor individual that their society looks down upon or that we feel we need to come and "save". Hope that makes at least a little sense.

Watching their kids was a blast. I, by the grace of God, was in charge of a little guy named Angel. He was almost 2 years old, I think, and just so sweet (except that he didn't wanted to eat very much of the lunch). We spent quite a bit of time playing on the rooftop patio with two other kids in a small makeshift sandbox. Kids, wherever they are, love to play in (and sometimes eat) dirt.

Whew...I just looked at my watch and realized that I have been typing for almost an hour. I better finish this out before I put the few brave people who are still reading this insanely long journal entry to sleep. I also need to see about making breakfast. Jill, Monica, and I decided that today feels like a pancake day. Carmen's kitchen is always an adventure when it comes to cooking, so hopefully all goes well. Thanks, again, for all your thoughts, prayers, emails, and letters. Home is always close to my thoughts! Love and miss you bunches!