It’s been one year since we used American money, spoke English in the post office, saw any of our friends, or drove a car.

I read from The Poisonwood Bible this afternoon. It’s the story of a missionary family in the Congo in the 1960s. In some ways, we’re as far from that story as you are in the United States—no hauling water from the river, no exotic and dangerous animals, no tribal languages, no naked people (except the fishermen on the beach). In other ways, I identify with the characters deeply.

As I write, I hear a steady drum beat and the mournful chanting I assume has to do with the end of the Señor de los Milagros (Lord of the Miracles) month. One month of rituals and devotions aimed at getting miracles out of God, and many I assume are left with the same physical handicaps, economic nightmares, and spiritual emptiness.

Who is this lord, and where are his miracles? I suppose our neighbors will go back to “passing the egg” or the crumpled up newspaper over sick loved ones in the hopes that the bad spirits will take up new residence. They pay their witch doctors absurd sums of money to give them advice on how to win back unfaithful lovers. They burn fat candles to wooden saint figurines in corners of their living rooms. There are no miracles. Only pain and confusion.

No, this cross-cultural adventure doesn’t feel so very removed than the one I’m reading about. Crossing cultures is a theme I identify with, if not the specific challenges. Feeling out of place, missing the comforts of home, loneliness, being surrounded by a people whose traditions and superstitions seem so odd to me. I understand their language, but I don’t understand the assumptions and experiences that prompt their words.

We came here believing that people are all the same deep down and that we could identify with and minister to the needs of this community. When it comes to the essential message of the gospel, I think I believe that more completely today than I did one year ago. In terms of relating to people on the other hand-- loving, understanding, being understood—our experience is rewriting the theories we invented from our kitchen in Charlotte on rainy afternoons.

We just bought two of these hammock chairs in Lima. Super fun, no? We're getting pumped for the summer!

Poor Ellie has a limp in one of her front legs but isn't smart enough to stay still and let it heal. We think she slipped on the polished concrete and pulled a muscle.

After a dramatic turn-around in my life 8 years ago, some people assumed I would be headed to seminary and on to become a priestess or something. I never intended to do that, nor to be in charge of any church, so the position I've found myself in over the last month has been a bit of a shocker!

Tim and I run the church service every week here-- planning the music, selecting the readings, leading the prayers. We don't preach (thank you, God!) but we coordinate with the seminary students coming from Lima, introduce them in church, and host them every Sunday night at our house. Yesterday we went to Lima to meet with our contact at the seminary and begin discussing what the process looks like to hire a full-time pastor. We also bought books to boost the baby church library. We're doing house visits and electrical work, overseeing businesses and charity giving, planning membership and discipleship courses, administering communion (only once, and it was by accident), leading Bible studies, strategizing about a building campaign. I could go on. What don't we do?

First Tim said he thought South America Mission tricked him into this. Now he says he's pretty sure it was God. Either way, we're sticking around. The whole situation seems a little ridiculous, that Tim and I (with a combined zero hours of Bible or seminary classes) would be "in charge" around here.

I guess that's what we're learning these days-- that we're not in charge. This is God's work and God's church. He's taking care of it, and we're doing what we're told, one day at a time. It's enough to make me laugh or cry, and as long as the sun stays out, I'm going to keep laughing.

I've mentioned before that we don't like Peruvian desserts (or deserts) very much. It's becoming an issue recently. From time to time, sweet Peruvian ladies bring us desserts. I'm pretty sure this is a big deal and that we should be super grateful. For 6 months, however, I've been secretly giving them to my housekeeper. I later return the bowl or tupperware or whatever and tell the person how delicious it was.

It recently occured to Tim (who seems to learn faster than me when it comes to morals) that this is lying. Hmmm. It does seem that if I tell someone I ate something that I didn't eat and further remark on how tasty it was that I am "bearing false witness." I have been teaching the women here recently that it's important to do what God tells us to do and trust that it will turn out better than not doing what God tells us to do. It seems I am finding myself in the place I know they think they're often in-- "Isn't this an exception?"

What are the alternatives?

1. Eat the gross dessert. When I'm asked about it, tell the cook that I didn't like it. (This seems incredibly culturally insensitive and globally rude.)
2. Refuse to accept the dessert. (Equally unacceptable, no?)
3. Give the dessert away. If asked later, fess up.

None of these seem like good responses. Is there another one I'm missing? Am I missing a fair loophole in the commandment not to lie? I feel a little lost. I must say that I'm grateful for a husband who is so incredibly straight-laced (but also doesn't tell me what to do).

Any advice would be warmly received, I promise. If I don't hear from any volunteers, I'm going to pick up the phone and hunt you down anyway.

We just weighed Ellie for the first time since she was a little bitty thing. She's 100 lbs and still growing! It does seem that she's slowing down a little, and just last week we reduced her food from 4.5 lbs raw chicken parts to about 3 (per day). Taza weighed in a 9.5 lbs but is still sticking up for herself quite well, even if she's 1/10 Ellie's size.

It's hard to imagine that we're half-way through this round of the Alpha Course! It definitely still feels fresh and a little unstable. I don't have a clear sense of who to expect or how the groups will be. A little unnerving for a control-addict like me!

The topic this week is "Why and How Should I Read the Bible?" Personal Bible reading is virtually non-existent in this culture and still very rare among our own baby congregation. I can imagine the group discussion going to one of two extremes (dull and "religious" or riveting and sincere). We'll see. After the discussion time, I intend to let the Alpha groups know about the Bible reading program we are doing with the Comunidad Cristiana. I wrote a Reading Guide for the Gospel of John (56 days of short readings accompanied by reflection questions), which we're offering at the bargain price of $0.15. I would love to see some of them get involved in that. After completing about 30 readings, they also get a free hardback Bible, which has been a big incentive for others.

The other big news this week is that we're asking them to let us know whether they're coming to the retreat or not (next Sunday, November 2) and if they are coming, to go ahead and pay the $2/person. From the rumblings we've heard so far, I think we'll have a big turn out. There have been a lot of questions about who can come to the retreat, and we decided to offer childcare for those who don't have another place to leave the kids. I'm a little nervous that we're going to have, along with our Alpha participants, 20 kids and a bunch of other adult family members. We'll try to address that tonight, and I think the $2/person will help deter some, but what we've learned in the past 6 months is that after a certain point, we just have to let go. Another scary thought for the control freak at the keyboard.

Here's how you can pray for us tonight:

• The Groups. This continually is a bit confusing for us, but I think pretty much we have our different small groups down. Please pray for the conversations and the leaders. One group in particular is a bit difficult since it includes 2 16-year-old boys, who tend to cut up. Tim is going to try his hand at subduing them tonight. Please pray for wisdom and the ability to keep the discussions on topic.
  
  
• The Retreat. In two weeks we are having a day retreat and people seem to be pretty excited. Pray that God would hand-pick the participants and that we would be content with His choices! Pray, too, that we would be able to communicate clearly about the retreat details (especially that it is for Alpha participants, not a family retreat), that we would have some warm sunshine, and for the logistics of food, set-up, etc. Start praying now that this retreat would be a time of transformation in the lives of many!
  
  
• The Leaders. Please be praying for us and our other 3 leaders. Pray for discernment, peace, confidence, and love.
  
  
• Incorporating the People into the Church. This is a big deal to us. We are working to encourage all these new Alpha folks to come and worship with us on Sundays. Some have come but it still seems that there is a general hestiation about being involved with the current community of believers.
  

Last night the toilet was running. It's pretty far from our bedroom, so I didn't realize until I tried to flush the it in the middle of the night. No water.

This is the cost of living in the desert I guess! The city water runs for 2 hrs a day. Most people use that time to collect it in barrels for their daily use I think. Being the rich folks in town, we can afford the luxury of a water tank and don't normally remember how precious and limited the water really is. Until something like a running toilet drains our tank I guess.

Fortunately for me, the city water usually comes at dawn, and so I was happily able to brush my teeth when I woke up. Heck, I might even take a shower or wash dishes today, too!

(Actually, my housekeeper will probably do all the dishes. There's the other side of living in a poor, desert town: I can afford a housekeeper 6 days a week.)

Books I'm reading right now:

For various reasons, we decided this month (Sept 25-Oct 25) to try to live on $580 (after taking out taxes, bills and tithe). We didn't think that would be hard, and it hasn't really, but we ended up spending most of it in the first two weeks without noticing. A moderate-spending day trip to Lima, for example, ended up costing us $115. The last two weeks (Oct 10-24), after setting aside money for laundry, housekeeper, dog food, and other expected expenses, we were left with $50 for food, transportation, and anything else we wanted. It's been a little bit of an adventure. We've spent $11 on medicine (mostly doggie deworming pills) and $2 on transportation (two round-trip fares to the city next door). That leaves $2.50/day for food and nothing else.

It turns out $2.50/day is easy to do. In a way, it's been good to get even a little glimpse of how everyone else manages their money around here (except that what we spend on food is their entire budget mostly). It's fortunate that we're vegetarian cooks, and I don't know how the rest of the town can afford to not be vegetarian. Monday, for example, we had roasted vegetables with Carribbean dressing and mashed potatoes. Grocery expense? $2.50

• $0.45 2 lbs onions
• $0.45 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• $0.25 2 carrots
• $0.35 2 red peppers
• $0.45 2 lbs potatoes
• $0.20 1/2 c fresh natural yogurt
• $0.35 1/2 c margarine

Most days are about like that. Food is completely manageable as long as I don't buy nuts, cheese, or meat. Flour would also put a dent in my budget ($1.50/2 lbs), so we've pulled back on all the afternoon baked goodies. I think one of the reasons these 2 weeks have been so easy, however, is that we know they'll be over on Saturday. I've been making a list of all the things I'm going to buy when the next "month" begins-- Corn Flakes, shorts, shampoo, and baking chocolate, to name a few. It's a different story for Peruvians. There's no guarantee of when the next pay check will come. Even if you have a job, actually. Way too frequently, employers don't have money when pay day comes, and employees just don't get their check for another 2-4 weeks.

Saturday the 25th is coming up soon! It's pay day but also our 5-year anniversary (and my brother's 23rd birthday). We're going to Lima to celebrate and will be heading to our favorite Italian restaurant (Trattoria del Mambrino) with some friends we met in language school in Arequipa. I'm looking forward to a sliver of luxury.

From what I've seen in my almost-1-year-here, Peruvians celebrate everything they can think of. I wonder sometimes if it has to do with poverty. Their daily lives are so tense and money is so scarce that when they get a chance (and they make them), they're ready to let loose a little. Here are my observations so far on Peruvian parties:

1. A party is usually held in a large rented room, and benches are set up all around the walls. Being seriously socially awkward, we love the chance to sit and just talk to each other. There's no mingling or small talk with anyone not next to you. On the other hand, I can imagine that most other Americans would be bored stiff.
   
2. When it's time to eat, the host walks around with drinks and trays of food and you take a little. It's a very long process. In Peru, food is always served to you. You don't just grab a cookie off the coffee table (if there were one). "Family style" dinner (or lunch) is non-existant. I think this also has to do with poverty to be honest. Food is limited and valuable. It is a special gift a host offers a guest, and there are probably not seconds. It's portion control for the wallet instead of the belly!
   
3. Party decorations are a must. The rented rooms often have dirt floors and thatched roofs, so people pay their monthly wage ($150-200) to have someone come cover the place with fabric, poofy bows and what not. This is for quinceañeras and weddings. When it's a birthday party, they just stuff the room with balloons, ribbons, and signs.
   
4. The louder the music is, the more fun we must be having. The regional music here is called cumbia. If I'm going to be honest, I have to tell you that I think it's horrible. If you're brave, check out this video of Tim's "favorite" cumbia song. The blank, bored expressions of the musicians are actually typical for cumbia videos. As is the dancer.

Last week we went to a classic birthday party. It was for a little boy turning 1, who had the pleasure of wearing something akin to a white marching band uniform for the occasion. There were probably 15 moms, 30 kids, and 3 men. The balloons on the wall were printed with the boy's name and other pertinent data. The decorations were very sharp actually. The table was a veritable feast of Peruvian snacks, but no one touched it of course. They waited patiently on their benches for the hostess to bring the trays around to them.

The real kicker was when they started handing out drinks. The drink, to begin with, was chicha morada, something like Koolaid but made by boiling purple corn. Not a favorite of mine but sometimes better than others. They handed out 10 plastic cups that were passed on from one person to the next. No washing of the cups in between. We looked at the toddlers with their saliva bubbles. We looked at each other.

There was no way out. If you're going to try to love people and be culturally sensitive, you just can't tell them that you're scared to drink after them. It kills the mood. I decided it wouldn't kill me and downed my chicha. Actually I only drank half of it, because Tim took over for me (bless his little heart). I was fully expecting to get a cold by the next day but am so far just fine. Thank goodness for the motto of cross-cultural ministry, which I kept repeating over and over in my head: "It's not right or wrong; it's just different."

Remember our friend C, the uber-promising Alpha leader who had to move to Lima for work? For now, he's staying in Lima and coming home 1 day every 2 weeks. Yesterday was that day. He, his wife, and his teenage daughter came over last night. We also have a pastor from Lima staying at our house every Sunday night and it just so happened that last night, the guy who came works at a church in the same neighborhood where our friend C is living and working! In a city of 10 million people, that's not very likely. I guess we'll blame God.

Last night was genuinely fun for me. I made some tasty meatloaf (no really, it was!) and my first ever successful Peruvian rice. I felt so relaxed hanging out with them for some reason. Honestly it's a rare experience that I enjoy spending time with people here (is that illegal to say?) but I did last night. These are the kind of people I want as friends.

We ended up talking a lot about the church, here and in general. C and his wife explained why they (and it seems most others) feel uncomfortable at the Comunidad Cristiana here and we brainstormed a little about how to change that. It's a relief to have someone from the outside give us their perspective and trust our relationship enough to be honest with us. C genuinely does have a heart for God, for people, and for connecting the two. It's beautiful.

He says he's been wanting to check out a church in Lima and wondering where to start. We will be in Lima next Sunday morning and are planning on meeting him to go to the church our new friend works with! Funny that he's so interested, because he's never come to the Comunidad Cristiana here. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe God didn't send him to Lima to grow a little in his faith and bring it back to Puerto! We see so much potential in him as a leader and servant of people, and I would love for him to have a season of training under Peruvian Christians in Lima.

This morning at 4 am we walked the 1/2 mile to the bus stop with the pastor who was staying here. We ended up running into C on the way as well. He's heading back to Lima for his next two weeks (but will be home for the Alpha Retreat! yay!). I'm hoping he and the pastor can talk some on the 4 hour bus ride. I've been up since then for some reason and mulling over the weekend's events in my mind. "Sweet" is what comes to mind. Is it okay to call God sweet? I think C would laugh if I called him "sweet," but that's what I saw last night. A sweet, gentle guy with sweet, fresh faith. Thank you, God.

The message title this week is "Why and how should I pray?"

Here's why you should pray for us:
We have a bunch of people coming to hang out with us every Friday night who don't know much about God and haven't had many experiences with Him. They're curious about what Christianity is all about, but they are so confused by all that they've heard from the church, from their families, and from "people" in general. We want to give them a chance to hear, see, and experience the truth, so that they can make up their mind about what they want to do with the offer God makes for them.

Here's how you can pray for us:

1. Our leaders. Pray that they would give 100% tonight by coming early, helping out, and reaching out to the participants. Pray that this leadership and service would spur them on to grow in their own relationships with God.

2. Our participants. They won't understand the heart of all of this unless God makes it clear to them. Pray that the Holy Spirit will move in their hearts. Pray that God will draw them near to them. Pray that our attendance will be strong, and that we'll have a balance of men and women.

3. Our groups. You'd never believe how hard it is to assign groups, particularly with changing attendance! Pray that we would have wisdom here. Pray that our group discussion time would be comfortable and that people would be genuine.

4. Us. It seems like Fridays are always tough. Is this spiritual attack? I'm not sure. Pray anyway that God would protect us from discouragement, irritability, and anxiety today. Pray that we would be full and happy going into tonight.

5. Alpha Retreat. We think we've chosen a location for the retreat! It's on the edge of town and has a pool, space to play volleyball (big plus for these people), and a good place to watch the videos and have our discussion time. Pray that people would get excited about it, make steps to save money for it ($2!!), and set aside Nov. 2 on their schedules.

Rice. Did you know that rice is different and much more tasty in Peru? They start with the same dry rice, but the cooking process is way different.

1. Fry some ground fresh garlic in a couple tablespoons of oil.
2. Rinse the rice (1/2 to 1 c per person), pour it in the pot, and mix it around a little with the oil and garlic.
3. Add a little less than 1 cup of water for every cup of rice.
4. Cover it and leave it to boil for a while.
5. Toward the end, take the top off every once in a while and mix it around.
6. Just keep checking it until it's how you want it.