Hello! I hope this post finds you well. :) Here are some of my adventures as of late!
Staff Retreat. This past week our staff trekked out to Kawai to enjoy the beach, fellowship, and worship. We laid by the pool or beach (whichever was your pleasure) and played games till 1am. (I have learned this new game called Wizard. It's life changing. Support the Target franchise and go get it.) We had a bonfire one night and did Peru style s'mores. It has been several days and several showers later and I STILL smell smoke in my hair. :) I know I struggled leaving my wonderful family and friends over this break. But returning to such a great community has made it easier. I really enjoy doing life with these people. Through all the laughter (and tears) they care about all aspects of each other - especially spiritually. We were challenged in the Word by Josh Foliart. I actually teach his son, Lucas. He spoke about finding the vision God has called you to as well as the school's vision. Then he wanted us to think about how are we making or going to make that vision come to life. He also talked about the importance of discipleship. God has kind of laid a couple of circumstances before me so I am praying about all the details of it. :)
Civil Defense. While teachers and students were on break, ICSL has had some inspections done with the Ministry of Labor. We came back to mandated changes in our classroom set up. I had to rearrange my rabbit hole into a rule-following place of learning. And I am PROUD to say with the help of my teacher friends and aides, my room looks awesome. I feel like it is almost new school year. I am impressed with our creativity! Thanks be to God who kept me calm-minded. It all worked out and looks pretty fab I might add!
A Megan-ish story. This is a typical Megan story. I had a friend, SJ, over at my house the other night. While we were talking, she noticed a spark from the outlet that my power strip was plugged into. We unplugged everything and started to hear a clicking sound. We pulled the power strip away from the wall and heard the clicking coming towards the wall. We turned off the power at the breaker box and still heard the clicking sound. We moved the couch back to investigate and saw mold (typical Peru problem because of the climate). Then we start thinking there is an electrical short, water, and a fire is bound to happen! I called Jens (a teacher at our school who is SUPER handy - even runs the Handyman club). He came over and removed the outlet and searched for evidence of a problem, but couldn't find anything. He DID hear the clicking even after shutting down the breaker again. After searching with his flashlight he found the source: a spider that had caught it's dinner in it's web. The dinner was clicking. So basically all of that drama for a stupid spider. I was about to have to woo some Peruvian electrician with my limited Espanol skills. It was a great welcome back to Peru moment! Also, I have been informed by one of my students that she has seen my facebook pictures where I am acting crazy. When she told me this, I just laughed in awkwardness as I thought SUPER quick what do I have on FB that could be THAT incriminating?!?! I mean I am a missionary after all! ;) haha!
Prayer Requests:
1. Pray for our school as we fix the issues for the Civil Defenses' expectations. We eventually want to move to a new location so pray for funding and a building that will meet our expanding school's needs.
2. Pray for Mateo - my new student. I am anxious to meet him and have him find his niche.
Know and experience His love and grace in a new way this week.
You are loved,
Megan
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Remember Me???
Hello everyone! How are you guys doing? It's a new year, who knows, I could be better about blogging. It is one of my goals - notice it is NOT a resolution. But, I want others to see what's going on in my life at whatever rate I end up posting updates. So instead of attempting to share specific details of the past few months I am going to give you highlights!
Fall Festival/Cultures Day. Two amazing events our school put on this semester: fall festival and cultures day. The fall festival reminded me of when I used to dress up (as Mary - Jesus' mother) and walk from booth to booth playing games for candy. It was a great alternative to trick-or-treating. ICSL had live music, merchants selling awesome goods, and food from countries represented at in our school. Students could even put teacher or friends in jail - for a price! Cultures Day celebrated all the countries that are represented in our school by having students make presentations. One grade put on a play while others showed the different ways cultures date. My class did Christmas in their home country (since it was close to the holidays). My favorite part was the assembly with the parade of flags and singing worship songs simultaneously in three languages. It gave me chills. What an amazing experience! It was like a glimpse of heaven!
Thanksgiving. For about 5 days, a group of teachers hid away in the mountains of Peru. The town was only about an hour away from Lima, but was a perfect get-a-way spot. We had a traditional American feast, played games, and watched Christmas movies. It was a great time of relaxation. Of course, I can't forget about the pool that we were able to lounge in and around! We traded the parade and Black Friday shopping for sun tans and jumping on a trampoline. :)
Student Shuffle. At the end of the semester, Kianna withdrew from ICSL. She is a sweet girl with a adorable smile. Not to mention, her manners were top notch. She will still be in Peru so I hope to run into her at some point. Jakob is returning to ICSL when our second semester starts. YAY!!! And I got an email that there will be a new student added to my roster - Mateo! The boys will be thrilled to have a new friend! That makes my student count 14. Somehow we will squeeze everyone in that tiny space of a classroom!
Perks of Peru. I was sick with some sort of stomach bacterial infection the last week of school = NO FUN! I started taking all kinds of Peruvian medicine even parasite medicine. Unfortunately, nothing was working! So, my sweet friend Susan walked with me over to the pharmacy (insert cute Spanish word for pharmacy) and asked for an anti-biotic and I got one! So for $3 my problem was fixed without consulting a doctor! I haven't decided if this should alarm me or make me feel like I am winning with all the savings and ease!
Seasons Changed. I finally began to enjoy the summer sun and heat. I got my red Starbucks' holiday cup with my short and t-shirt! THEN I came back to ice and subfreezing temps in the States. :) (Thanks for the "warm" welcome 'Merica!) It is time to head back to the sun (and heat!). We have a staff retreat with ocean/pool swim breaks! Yes, please!
Like Ripping a Bandaid. It is no lie that I love my family, friends, and comforts of America. I was THRILLED to flush toilet paper and drink from the tap. It was wonderful to drive around town instead of barter for a ride. It was awesome to not need a translator when ordering at a restaurant because I knew what was in my entrée. It was great to go to the store and not have to think "now how much USD is that costing me." It was splendid to taste all the foods I have missed. (side note: I didn't get to enjoy everything but tried my hardest to make a dent!) It was humbling to experience such acts of kindness from family and friends - the gifts, lunch/dinner dates, borrowing vehicles, driving out of your way to see me. I treasure you guys. That is why I have had such a hard time this go around. Sometimes my worlds seem so mixed up - my heart and head don't match up. Where I want to be and where I am are different. I hold so many great memories and friendships here. But I am excited to get back to a world that almost seems more comfortable than my home in America. I got an email from a student saying how much she missed school and hates that were are out for so long. She constantly tells me that I am the best teacher ever. Now whether that is true or not, it gives me such a sense of purpose in her life. These kids are my family. I have learned over the past year that Jesus is the only thing that matters. I can't take much more than 2 bags of belongings with me. Friends and friendships come and go. Money goes entirely too fast. But I have Jesus. And I am learning to embrace that as all I ever need. To know it and to live it is very different.
So as I cross the continents, know I miss you much but I am excited to see how God grows me.
Be in prayer over:
Megan :)
P.S. I have been scolded over my lack of pictures that I have posted. So...that is another "goal" :)
Fall Festival/Cultures Day. Two amazing events our school put on this semester: fall festival and cultures day. The fall festival reminded me of when I used to dress up (as Mary - Jesus' mother) and walk from booth to booth playing games for candy. It was a great alternative to trick-or-treating. ICSL had live music, merchants selling awesome goods, and food from countries represented at in our school. Students could even put teacher or friends in jail - for a price! Cultures Day celebrated all the countries that are represented in our school by having students make presentations. One grade put on a play while others showed the different ways cultures date. My class did Christmas in their home country (since it was close to the holidays). My favorite part was the assembly with the parade of flags and singing worship songs simultaneously in three languages. It gave me chills. What an amazing experience! It was like a glimpse of heaven!
Thanksgiving. For about 5 days, a group of teachers hid away in the mountains of Peru. The town was only about an hour away from Lima, but was a perfect get-a-way spot. We had a traditional American feast, played games, and watched Christmas movies. It was a great time of relaxation. Of course, I can't forget about the pool that we were able to lounge in and around! We traded the parade and Black Friday shopping for sun tans and jumping on a trampoline. :)
Student Shuffle. At the end of the semester, Kianna withdrew from ICSL. She is a sweet girl with a adorable smile. Not to mention, her manners were top notch. She will still be in Peru so I hope to run into her at some point. Jakob is returning to ICSL when our second semester starts. YAY!!! And I got an email that there will be a new student added to my roster - Mateo! The boys will be thrilled to have a new friend! That makes my student count 14. Somehow we will squeeze everyone in that tiny space of a classroom!
Perks of Peru. I was sick with some sort of stomach bacterial infection the last week of school = NO FUN! I started taking all kinds of Peruvian medicine even parasite medicine. Unfortunately, nothing was working! So, my sweet friend Susan walked with me over to the pharmacy (insert cute Spanish word for pharmacy) and asked for an anti-biotic and I got one! So for $3 my problem was fixed without consulting a doctor! I haven't decided if this should alarm me or make me feel like I am winning with all the savings and ease!
Seasons Changed. I finally began to enjoy the summer sun and heat. I got my red Starbucks' holiday cup with my short and t-shirt! THEN I came back to ice and subfreezing temps in the States. :) (Thanks for the "warm" welcome 'Merica!) It is time to head back to the sun (and heat!). We have a staff retreat with ocean/pool swim breaks! Yes, please!
Like Ripping a Bandaid. It is no lie that I love my family, friends, and comforts of America. I was THRILLED to flush toilet paper and drink from the tap. It was wonderful to drive around town instead of barter for a ride. It was awesome to not need a translator when ordering at a restaurant because I knew what was in my entrée. It was great to go to the store and not have to think "now how much USD is that costing me." It was splendid to taste all the foods I have missed. (side note: I didn't get to enjoy everything but tried my hardest to make a dent!) It was humbling to experience such acts of kindness from family and friends - the gifts, lunch/dinner dates, borrowing vehicles, driving out of your way to see me. I treasure you guys. That is why I have had such a hard time this go around. Sometimes my worlds seem so mixed up - my heart and head don't match up. Where I want to be and where I am are different. I hold so many great memories and friendships here. But I am excited to get back to a world that almost seems more comfortable than my home in America. I got an email from a student saying how much she missed school and hates that were are out for so long. She constantly tells me that I am the best teacher ever. Now whether that is true or not, it gives me such a sense of purpose in her life. These kids are my family. I have learned over the past year that Jesus is the only thing that matters. I can't take much more than 2 bags of belongings with me. Friends and friendships come and go. Money goes entirely too fast. But I have Jesus. And I am learning to embrace that as all I ever need. To know it and to live it is very different.
So as I cross the continents, know I miss you much but I am excited to see how God grows me.
Be in prayer over:
- safe travels back tomorrow - January 23rd
- staff retreat/settling back into the grove
- my new student - Mateo - and the other students as we adjust to school restarting
Megan :)
P.S. I have been scolded over my lack of pictures that I have posted. So...that is another "goal" :)
Sunday, September 22, 2013
"I See Skies of Blue and Clouds of White"
Hello Ev'rybody! The title of the blog is a tribute to the wanna-be-summer weather we have been experiencing in Lima lately. Don't get me wrong, I miss fall. I miss the colors, smells, and temperatures. Well sorta. I am getting excited about not freezing as much so the idea of summer does sound pretty nice. Lima is kind of in a spring-like season.
This past week one of my sweet students, Jakob, was abruptly withdrawn. Jakob's brother, Silas, was born about a month premature and the doctor's discovered some intestinal problems. So the family headed home to the States to seek medical answers and treatment. We all hope this is not a permanent move, but Jakob and his family could be gone until next semester or not return at all. Please join me in praying for his family, especially Baby Silas. Jakob and his younger brother, Derek, will be enrolling in a school in Texas. Pray they can transition well...for however long their stay is. We miss Jakob already! He loved school and you could tell. He could tell me more information about animals than I thought possible. He always loved to share things about Scripture, too! Love and miss him!
Another adventure I had this past week was getting my eyebrows threaded! It was super painful and hard to explain in Spanish what my request was. If you know me, I have gone through many stages of brow looks - unibrow, too-thin brow, arch issues/over plucking brow - and now I am mildly happy with my brows. All in all, it was a good experience and only 20soles for brow and lip - about $7! Win for the pocketbook! And now I have a new place I can go to in the city!
This coming up week we have Spiritual Emphasis Week at school. A team from the US has come to serve by sharing Bible stories, crafts, and games. They even brought teacher treats. The word on the street is they are ready to spoil us! Please pray for the team as they minister and enjoy Lima. They will be kept very busy and you know Satan loves to complicate lives/hearts when glorifying God is at hand. Also, pray for the kids as they hear the Truth in many different capacities. I pray conversations between small groups or teachers/students will only spur the students on to know Him in a personal way.
A joy-spot for this week: My roommate, Jess, made real apple cider. Talk about hitting fall on the head. We enjoyed roommate bonding and fellowship. I really do feel so blessed to do life with these ladies. From sweet hugs (Gabbi) to New Girl/Jake Johnson marathons and TONS of quality time (Missy) to enjoying/discovering our new city together (Katelyn), and to teaching me all the ins and outs of the market (Jess) I love them all. They all bring so many different things out of me.
More joy-spots! My good friend, Sarah, got engaged!!! WOOHOOOOOO!!! And friends, Kristin and Van are adopting a baby girl! YAY!!!!!!!! I get so upset when I feel thousands of miles away from all the excitement in everyone's lives. I feel guilty of getting caught up and settled in my world that I have hard time releasing the tight grip I have to my Stateside life. I am figuring out balance.....slooowwwwlllyyyy. I have realized, though, that I am happy to be any part of your lives as God as ordained it even though I wish it were more. I feel like I should break out into Michael W. Smith's song "Friends," but I shan't. :) You're welcome.
After praise and worship tonight, you KNOW I am going to be sprintin' home to watch the Emmy's - the red carpet at least!
Go strong this week knowing YOU have a purpose! :)
Love love,
Megan :)
This past week one of my sweet students, Jakob, was abruptly withdrawn. Jakob's brother, Silas, was born about a month premature and the doctor's discovered some intestinal problems. So the family headed home to the States to seek medical answers and treatment. We all hope this is not a permanent move, but Jakob and his family could be gone until next semester or not return at all. Please join me in praying for his family, especially Baby Silas. Jakob and his younger brother, Derek, will be enrolling in a school in Texas. Pray they can transition well...for however long their stay is. We miss Jakob already! He loved school and you could tell. He could tell me more information about animals than I thought possible. He always loved to share things about Scripture, too! Love and miss him!
Another adventure I had this past week was getting my eyebrows threaded! It was super painful and hard to explain in Spanish what my request was. If you know me, I have gone through many stages of brow looks - unibrow, too-thin brow, arch issues/over plucking brow - and now I am mildly happy with my brows. All in all, it was a good experience and only 20soles for brow and lip - about $7! Win for the pocketbook! And now I have a new place I can go to in the city!
This coming up week we have Spiritual Emphasis Week at school. A team from the US has come to serve by sharing Bible stories, crafts, and games. They even brought teacher treats. The word on the street is they are ready to spoil us! Please pray for the team as they minister and enjoy Lima. They will be kept very busy and you know Satan loves to complicate lives/hearts when glorifying God is at hand. Also, pray for the kids as they hear the Truth in many different capacities. I pray conversations between small groups or teachers/students will only spur the students on to know Him in a personal way.
A joy-spot for this week: My roommate, Jess, made real apple cider. Talk about hitting fall on the head. We enjoyed roommate bonding and fellowship. I really do feel so blessed to do life with these ladies. From sweet hugs (Gabbi) to New Girl/Jake Johnson marathons and TONS of quality time (Missy) to enjoying/discovering our new city together (Katelyn), and to teaching me all the ins and outs of the market (Jess) I love them all. They all bring so many different things out of me.
More joy-spots! My good friend, Sarah, got engaged!!! WOOHOOOOOO!!! And friends, Kristin and Van are adopting a baby girl! YAY!!!!!!!! I get so upset when I feel thousands of miles away from all the excitement in everyone's lives. I feel guilty of getting caught up and settled in my world that I have hard time releasing the tight grip I have to my Stateside life. I am figuring out balance.....slooowwwwlllyyyy. I have realized, though, that I am happy to be any part of your lives as God as ordained it even though I wish it were more. I feel like I should break out into Michael W. Smith's song "Friends," but I shan't. :) You're welcome.
After praise and worship tonight, you KNOW I am going to be sprintin' home to watch the Emmy's - the red carpet at least!
Go strong this week knowing YOU have a purpose! :)
Love love,
Megan :)
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Cultured.
Hi world! This week has been quite a busy one! Here is a breakdown of my week:
Monday. A new second grader was enrolled. She is sweet and speaks practically no English. She keeps calling me "Teacher, Teacher." So we are working on being at a name-based status. It is cool to watch Grace (a late start second grader as well) help out the newest second grader, Cielo. Grace shows Cielo the ropes and you can tell she has transitioned well to school. (Grace had a bit of rough patch acclimating, but has turned a corner! PTL!) I now have 14 second graders in my class. They are getting better about doing the Daily 5 routine but sometimes they baffle me with their choices. They have sweet hearts and want to please. We are working hard at our manners and independence! I want to share their names so you can be in prayer over them: Sarah, Donna, Bryce, Layne, Oliver, Lucas, Beltran, JeongWon, Daniil, Cielo, Kianna, Mone, Jakob, and Grace. I have changed up my furniture in my room, but it still doesn't all fit! I will take a picture of the maze! :)
Wednesday. I ignored the warning and bought Peruvian q-tips. I put it in my ear and the cotton remained in my ear. I tried to get it out even enlisted my roommate. No such luck. I went through out my day having muffled hearing and aching beginning to start. I went to a doctor that afternoon. He extracted the substance. I was expecting to feel immediate relief but it actually hurt more. Apparently, when I tried to get out the cotton swab I managed to bruise my eardrum. He did a hearing test and seemed concerned. The whole time I was thinking, "I can hear just fine! It's my eyes that are bad!" Here is what I have learned from this experience: 1. I would do something like this. 2. Cotton swabs don't belong in your ears and now I know the CORRECT way to clean your ears. I am happy to share these new insights with you. 3. For the money I was paying, a "free" hearing test was totally ok. 4. I work with some of the best people. Rebecca took me to and from the appointment, translated the paperwork as well as spoke Spanish, and Lindsey (our school nurse) sat with me and understood any medical lingo. They definitely took care of me. 5. NEVER buy Peruvian q-tips.
Thursday. Jess (a roommate) and I went shopping for presents for Gabbi's (roommate) birthday celebrations. Jess took me around Mira Flores and I got some cute scarves and accessories as well as some nice pottery from Jess' pottery guy. (She has a connection with a boat load of places.) We had to stop at Dunkin Donuts and get a snack! It was a nice! After a large and quick shopping trip to Wong, we dashed over the Gabbi's birthday dinner at Danika's. Danika's is an Italian restaurant in town. It was super good. A nice atmosphere and the waiter tried so hard to work on his English with us and we wanted to practice our Spanish. We ended the night with the Wobble (birthday style) and our house favorite, Bruno Mars' "Treasure." To say that I love these girls might be an understatement. They are fabulous and I so glad that we LIKE each other on top of able to live with one another. :)
Friday. Katelyn (roommate) and I went to the symphony. It was a delightful experience. I might have fallen asleep during some parts of it (because I was soooo tired), but the clashing cymbals awoke me quickly. :) We are planning on making more dates to experience more of Lima life.
Saturday. The day started out with a baby shower for the Baby Graham. They are having a little girl at the end of October. It was nice to hear how God worked on her about marriage and a baby before all this had planned out. She was talking about how she wrote a list of things she wanted in her husband. Everyone began to get chill bumps, sitting in amazement on how God had orchestrated her meeting her husband. I was thinking about how I had written my list several months ago and I haven't seen anything happen yet! :) God's timing, not mine.
Later Saturday. We (all the roommates) headed to Mistura. It is a LARGE food festival that has different expos of different kinds of food. There was a whole expo for chocolate. We decided it would be best to divide and conquer so Missy, Gabbi, and I were in a group together. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. We looked (and probably sounded) like such gringos. We ate cow heart, guinea pig, a gyro-ish wrap, and CHOCOLATE - hot chocolate, brownies, muffins, fudge. It was DELISH. It almost had a fair like atmosphere - crowds and dirty feet. It would have been amazing with funnel cake and some rides, but you take what you can get. Mistura was set up along ocean so the view wasn't so shabby. :)
Missy Parks. Missy is head of member care with the NICS organization. My school is part of that organization. She came to check in with everyone especially the newbies to see how the transition was going. She also but Reese's Peanut Butter cups! What a gem! :) She was such a breath of fresh air. She spoke words of encouragement and laughed along side of us. Something God has really been teaching with this whole foreign country move is to not compare my experience to anyone else's and put unrealistic expectations on myself. In devotions one morning, Missy shared this thought that has stuck with me thus far. "When you compare yourself to others, you are comparing your inside to their outside." SOOOO TRUE. :) I may not get everything here as quickly as others around me or may not feel as confident to speak Spanish in front of a native, but that doesn't devalue me or my experiences. I think it is impossible to go throughout the week and not have an "Oh, I wish I was in America" moment, but I am being so stretched by being here it is hard to imagine life. Growing can be painful and uncomfortable, but is cool to look back and see how you have grown.
Wow. What a week! I am thankful for these new experiences and friends to share them with!
You is kind. You is smart. You is important.
Have a blessed week,
Megan :)
Monday. A new second grader was enrolled. She is sweet and speaks practically no English. She keeps calling me "Teacher, Teacher." So we are working on being at a name-based status. It is cool to watch Grace (a late start second grader as well) help out the newest second grader, Cielo. Grace shows Cielo the ropes and you can tell she has transitioned well to school. (Grace had a bit of rough patch acclimating, but has turned a corner! PTL!) I now have 14 second graders in my class. They are getting better about doing the Daily 5 routine but sometimes they baffle me with their choices. They have sweet hearts and want to please. We are working hard at our manners and independence! I want to share their names so you can be in prayer over them: Sarah, Donna, Bryce, Layne, Oliver, Lucas, Beltran, JeongWon, Daniil, Cielo, Kianna, Mone, Jakob, and Grace. I have changed up my furniture in my room, but it still doesn't all fit! I will take a picture of the maze! :)
Wednesday. I ignored the warning and bought Peruvian q-tips. I put it in my ear and the cotton remained in my ear. I tried to get it out even enlisted my roommate. No such luck. I went through out my day having muffled hearing and aching beginning to start. I went to a doctor that afternoon. He extracted the substance. I was expecting to feel immediate relief but it actually hurt more. Apparently, when I tried to get out the cotton swab I managed to bruise my eardrum. He did a hearing test and seemed concerned. The whole time I was thinking, "I can hear just fine! It's my eyes that are bad!" Here is what I have learned from this experience: 1. I would do something like this. 2. Cotton swabs don't belong in your ears and now I know the CORRECT way to clean your ears. I am happy to share these new insights with you. 3. For the money I was paying, a "free" hearing test was totally ok. 4. I work with some of the best people. Rebecca took me to and from the appointment, translated the paperwork as well as spoke Spanish, and Lindsey (our school nurse) sat with me and understood any medical lingo. They definitely took care of me. 5. NEVER buy Peruvian q-tips.
Thursday. Jess (a roommate) and I went shopping for presents for Gabbi's (roommate) birthday celebrations. Jess took me around Mira Flores and I got some cute scarves and accessories as well as some nice pottery from Jess' pottery guy. (She has a connection with a boat load of places.) We had to stop at Dunkin Donuts and get a snack! It was a nice! After a large and quick shopping trip to Wong, we dashed over the Gabbi's birthday dinner at Danika's. Danika's is an Italian restaurant in town. It was super good. A nice atmosphere and the waiter tried so hard to work on his English with us and we wanted to practice our Spanish. We ended the night with the Wobble (birthday style) and our house favorite, Bruno Mars' "Treasure." To say that I love these girls might be an understatement. They are fabulous and I so glad that we LIKE each other on top of able to live with one another. :)
Friday. Katelyn (roommate) and I went to the symphony. It was a delightful experience. I might have fallen asleep during some parts of it (because I was soooo tired), but the clashing cymbals awoke me quickly. :) We are planning on making more dates to experience more of Lima life.
Saturday. The day started out with a baby shower for the Baby Graham. They are having a little girl at the end of October. It was nice to hear how God worked on her about marriage and a baby before all this had planned out. She was talking about how she wrote a list of things she wanted in her husband. Everyone began to get chill bumps, sitting in amazement on how God had orchestrated her meeting her husband. I was thinking about how I had written my list several months ago and I haven't seen anything happen yet! :) God's timing, not mine.
Later Saturday. We (all the roommates) headed to Mistura. It is a LARGE food festival that has different expos of different kinds of food. There was a whole expo for chocolate. We decided it would be best to divide and conquer so Missy, Gabbi, and I were in a group together. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. We looked (and probably sounded) like such gringos. We ate cow heart, guinea pig, a gyro-ish wrap, and CHOCOLATE - hot chocolate, brownies, muffins, fudge. It was DELISH. It almost had a fair like atmosphere - crowds and dirty feet. It would have been amazing with funnel cake and some rides, but you take what you can get. Mistura was set up along ocean so the view wasn't so shabby. :)
Missy Parks. Missy is head of member care with the NICS organization. My school is part of that organization. She came to check in with everyone especially the newbies to see how the transition was going. She also but Reese's Peanut Butter cups! What a gem! :) She was such a breath of fresh air. She spoke words of encouragement and laughed along side of us. Something God has really been teaching with this whole foreign country move is to not compare my experience to anyone else's and put unrealistic expectations on myself. In devotions one morning, Missy shared this thought that has stuck with me thus far. "When you compare yourself to others, you are comparing your inside to their outside." SOOOO TRUE. :) I may not get everything here as quickly as others around me or may not feel as confident to speak Spanish in front of a native, but that doesn't devalue me or my experiences. I think it is impossible to go throughout the week and not have an "Oh, I wish I was in America" moment, but I am being so stretched by being here it is hard to imagine life. Growing can be painful and uncomfortable, but is cool to look back and see how you have grown.
Wow. What a week! I am thankful for these new experiences and friends to share them with!
You is kind. You is smart. You is important.
Have a blessed week,
Megan :)
Sunday, September 1, 2013
1 Month Anniversary...Plus some days!
Hello! I have been in Peru a little over a month and some days it feels like a few days and then others a few years that I have been in this foreign place. Every day I think this home does feel more home-y than the day before. Here are a few things that have been going on in my life recently:
You are loved,
Megan
- The Amazing Race: Lima Edition. This event actually happened a week after we got here but I forgot to share with the world wide web all the excitement that it brought. Our veteran staff organized an adventure where we had to run all across Lima to get to see some of the popular sights and experience the culture. Our adventures included: a juice bar, skateboarding park, different modes of transportation, climbing steps and sticking our feet in the ocean, the Presidential palace, Larco Marthe Burrito Bar, and more parks than I can imagine. We had to go to "Cat Park" and find a cat to take a picture with - either petting or holding it. I volunteered to do the capturing of the feline (with gloves of course), but all the creatures ran up the trees when we got close. It was a wild ride. I was proud of my team. We worked well together and thankfully the three of them were fluent in Spanish. :) We were only given a certain amount of soles to spend, too. There are pictures some where on someone's IPhone so I will have to try find them! It was a great time.
- I have been church "shopping" for a few weeks now. Not knowing Spanish seems to limit some things. I have been to my roommate's church a couple of times. The community is great and all around my age, but hard to understand everything going on not knowing Spanish. I went to a new church today that is near Larco Mar. The pastor is a gringo (aka - not a native Peruvian or white). I am SUCH a gringo. More on that later though... The people were nice and we saw several other school staff there. The church definitely felt like my American church I had left so that was a nice piece of "home". They had the flashing lights and contemporary music going on. The Gospel was shared and 14 people accepted Christ so God is definitely moving in the church. I think I will attend another week, but it was definitely encouraging to find a place to worship with other believers - all not being my staff. :) After church, we went to Larco Mar and had lunch. Larco Mar is a shopping area that overlooks the ocean. It pretty much looks as beautiful as it sounds. Shops inside the area even include some reminders of home: Steve Madden, North Face, and GAP (coming soon).
- School is going well. We are busy learning the routine and content. I have great parents who are warm and inviting. They want to help in anyway and want to invite me over to dinner at their house. One even offered to cook American food! :)
- Independence. I think of that Destiny's Child song "Independent Woman" when I hear that word. I am learning slloooowllllyyy how to be independent here I am challenging myself to cook more in the kitchen - crockpot recipes and such - but still a start is a start. I have taken a cab several times by myself. I have tried to make conversation with the drivers because I feel aca-awkward if I don't. However, as soon as we talk we have a language barrier about 18 seconds after starting. I just smile and nod or shake my head/throw up arms; TOTAL GRINGO. But it is nice to be able to do some things on my own. The other day I am pretty sure the cab driver was talking about a beautiful monkey. I even did the monkey noise to clarify. I don't know how you work that into a cab conversation so I think something was lost in translation somewhere...if I had to guess!
- This week I had my Sunday School teacher (from when I was a fresh professional/graduate) pass away. It has been hard to be so far away during a time of loss. I wanted so badly to be with my friends and former church family to celebrate a man who taught me so much from the Word and about the character of God. We had great memories of the group of us going to the beach in the summer and sharing what God was doing in our lives while enjoying the setting. Gary had a great laugh - the most contagious. He brought so much joy and leadership to our class. His heart was to follow God's heart. I pray I can follow his legacy to the dedicated degree he did. His passing away, made me homesick. And not just homesick for my family and familiar places, but homesick for times gone by. I have been blessed with so many friendships/mentor relationships over my years that I am who I am because of these people. Thank you all for those who have invested and mentored me....from childhood - Mom and Dad, Barbara Finch, Lisa Travis to youth/young adult - Ray and Christina Strauss, Paula Vauter, Meredith McCaleb, Christina Chartney, Cindy Fain, Lisa Kohen, Anna Emamghoraishi, Dixie Swezey, Stacie Sherry, Ann Singleton, Klista Storts to older adulthood....Gary and Susan Milsaps, Terri Ingram, Julie Welborn....the list could go on. :) Thank you for your spiritual leadership and encouragement in my life.
- We should be painting the house soon so I will have more pictures to add!
You are loved,
Megan
Saturday, August 10, 2013
My 8th Go Around...
Morning, blog-lovin' world!!! It's Saturday a.m. and in my mind I want to venture out of this warm bed and make coffee, but my body doesn't want to fight the elements of a cold house. :) What to do, what to do!
Last Saturday, our director's family hosted a Panchamaca (I probably butchered the spelling!). Passed down from the Incas, it is like a show and feast wrapped in one. We watched as the workers dug a hole in the backyard, heated it with rocks, and laid layers of food. My friend Kaite and her husband, Casey, were the godparents of the feast. They did the ceremonial first lifting of rocks and blessed the food. After an hour the food was ready and the feast began. I tried guinea pig for the first time. It really did taste like chicken...slimier but chicken none the less!! We had all kinds of vegetables and meats to gorge ourselves on. It was a cultural experience. :) Then dessert came and that was AMAZING. It was like a Milky Way cake. Enough said.
This past week was my 8th first week of school. Where did the time go????? I have such a small classroom and (now) 14 students. They are all so sweet and a bit chatty. I was just plain WORN OUT after our first day. But these kids are definitely trainable. :) They seem excited to learn and get into a groove of school. I am overwhelmed with all this new curriculum I need to learn. A couple of days this week our power went out after school. It is kind of hard to work without power. Oh Peru! Anyways...I am fostering a love inside of their hearts for Jesus Jams. Their spiritual needs are different from my kids last year, but I am excited to see how God grows us all this year.
I went to my first Spanish speaking church on Saturday. The people were friendly, but I was a bit lost in the sermon. I recognized the songs we sang because of the familiar tunes and was even able to pick up some Spanish words. It is hard when you want the fellowship of other believers, but aren't being spiritually fed. We went out to Chili's with some of the new friends. It was a great time of fellowship. It is nice to be making friends with people outside of the ICSL bubble. My friend, Maca, told me to marry her brother. Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match....???????
The roommates went out for "Mexican" the other night. You might think Lima has a stash of Mexican restaurants but that is simply not true. :( The food was good and the sombrero hats were heavy. I was a bit disappointed when they didn't serve chips with salsa as we sat down. I think when we go back we are going to suggest/ask if that option could be available. Maybe that is just a Stateside thing though.
Our last roommate comes on Sunday. It will be nice to have a full house. Pray for Katelyn as she transitions. I have had 2.5 weeks here and am finding myself get frustrated and I have had time to settle. I know Katelyn will be busy from the moment she lands so pray for her mind, body, and soul. I guess that makes me the veteran now, but I don't think I could do a whole lot for her...with my lack of Spanish or being directionally challenged! :) Katelyn will be teaching music.
Right now, I want to feel more settled and in a groove than I am. I find it very frustrating. I have been teaching for 7 years...why is this still so hard some days??? I would also like to feel more independent and brave than I am in this city. Prayers would be appreciated! Some days are more of me fighting against myself than fighting the freezing cold shower!
Have a blessed week,
Megan :)
P.S. I have included pictures of the Panchamaca and pictures of the girls at Chili's. (these are the same photos as the ones that are on FB) :)
Last Saturday, our director's family hosted a Panchamaca (I probably butchered the spelling!). Passed down from the Incas, it is like a show and feast wrapped in one. We watched as the workers dug a hole in the backyard, heated it with rocks, and laid layers of food. My friend Kaite and her husband, Casey, were the godparents of the feast. They did the ceremonial first lifting of rocks and blessed the food. After an hour the food was ready and the feast began. I tried guinea pig for the first time. It really did taste like chicken...slimier but chicken none the less!! We had all kinds of vegetables and meats to gorge ourselves on. It was a cultural experience. :) Then dessert came and that was AMAZING. It was like a Milky Way cake. Enough said.
This past week was my 8th first week of school. Where did the time go????? I have such a small classroom and (now) 14 students. They are all so sweet and a bit chatty. I was just plain WORN OUT after our first day. But these kids are definitely trainable. :) They seem excited to learn and get into a groove of school. I am overwhelmed with all this new curriculum I need to learn. A couple of days this week our power went out after school. It is kind of hard to work without power. Oh Peru! Anyways...I am fostering a love inside of their hearts for Jesus Jams. Their spiritual needs are different from my kids last year, but I am excited to see how God grows us all this year.
I went to my first Spanish speaking church on Saturday. The people were friendly, but I was a bit lost in the sermon. I recognized the songs we sang because of the familiar tunes and was even able to pick up some Spanish words. It is hard when you want the fellowship of other believers, but aren't being spiritually fed. We went out to Chili's with some of the new friends. It was a great time of fellowship. It is nice to be making friends with people outside of the ICSL bubble. My friend, Maca, told me to marry her brother. Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match....???????
The roommates went out for "Mexican" the other night. You might think Lima has a stash of Mexican restaurants but that is simply not true. :( The food was good and the sombrero hats were heavy. I was a bit disappointed when they didn't serve chips with salsa as we sat down. I think when we go back we are going to suggest/ask if that option could be available. Maybe that is just a Stateside thing though.
Our last roommate comes on Sunday. It will be nice to have a full house. Pray for Katelyn as she transitions. I have had 2.5 weeks here and am finding myself get frustrated and I have had time to settle. I know Katelyn will be busy from the moment she lands so pray for her mind, body, and soul. I guess that makes me the veteran now, but I don't think I could do a whole lot for her...with my lack of Spanish or being directionally challenged! :) Katelyn will be teaching music.
Right now, I want to feel more settled and in a groove than I am. I find it very frustrating. I have been teaching for 7 years...why is this still so hard some days??? I would also like to feel more independent and brave than I am in this city. Prayers would be appreciated! Some days are more of me fighting against myself than fighting the freezing cold shower!
Have a blessed week,
Megan :)
P.S. I have included pictures of the Panchamaca and pictures of the girls at Chili's. (these are the same photos as the ones that are on FB) :)
Monday, July 29, 2013
Peru 101
It has been almost a full week (minus a few hours) since I have landed in Lima, Peru. When I arrived at the OKC airport, I was informed I would only get three of my four bags to Peru. You could say I was a bit frustrated and a repacking my suitcases like mad person! Looking back God provided - in the small things. 1. I had my parents to give all of my "extra" stuff to hold onto till Christmas. 2. The airport is a bit smaller than the ATL scene so security was a breeze after spending so long repacking. 3. Since I didn't get 4 bags I saved $150. I definitely wish I could have had everything go with me, but I am learning to do without.
The house. Getting off of the plane, I stepped into winter. The houses don't have AC/heat or insulation. We actually were having issues with getting hot water in our house. So taking a shower was torture...cold before, during, and after the shower. It is hard when you never get the feeling of warmth. We are bundled up with scarves, winter coats, and powering space heaters. I think I might be coming down with a cold because of the sudden climate change. There will be 5 girls in my house. The house is great - lots of space. I have met 3 of my 4 roommates. They are a blessing - all so very different from one another. Gabbi is a hugger and loves to encourage everyone. Jess is a team player and an AMAZING cook. Missy is the perfect lounging buddy who has done so much to get me acclimated to my new surroundings. She and I were good friends before our international adventures began last year. (We met at PFO and have remained good friends.) It is great to have instant community with the ones you live with. Our last roommate will come when paperwork and everything Stateside gets finalized. She will be teaching music for our kiddos. We have gone shopping and I have gotten lots of cute decorative items for my room. When I am finished decorating, I shall post pictures. I can't forget to mention that you don't flush toilet paper down the toilets in Peru. It was hard to get used to and (let's be honest) I am still not liking it. I will appreciate the sewage protocol that much more when I come home for the holidays.
The city. The first stop I had once arriving in my new home was Starbucks. :) We ventured to the grocery store, Wong, on the 2nd day here. Independence Day was Sunday and Monday. The employees at the store are all decked out with capes and fun hats. The carryout service is crazy!!! They walk your groceries to your house and put them on your kitchen table. There must be some type of maximum number of meters they will walk but you aren't allowed to tip them. Crazy! And I thought Publix had a great carryout service. I have had some DELICIOUS food. Ordering food and buying groceries is a bit difficult because of my lack of Español. I think I am learning by immersion but I need to start my Rosetta Stone lessons. :) I have gotten Dutch and Spanish confused more times than I can count!!! The mall is AWESOME!!! They have moving walkways at an incline that can hold shopping carts as you ride. It was a cool experience.
The school. I have 13 little ones on my class roster and even more girls than boys. I can't wait to meet them! My room is just tiny and trying to make it work will be interesting. Pictures will be posted once it is cute-ified. It is great having some of my Suriname crew with me in Peru. However, we are realizing how difficult it will be to maintain our friendship with all the crazy going on. It is not as easy to see each other as it used to be! But they are still my people! Our school is renting space from Union Church. It is not ideal for the needs of our school, but the school is actively looking for a new place. So...join us in prayer! The school is growing out of the space we have which is a GREAT problem to have!
Prayer needs... Having already lived overseas I feel like I should have a bag full of tricks. That is a true and false statement. Being in a completely different country, I feel like I am starting all over. Since Suriname was so small, it was easier to get around independently. I am having to learn how to hail and barter with taxi drivers. Not to mention learn my learn way around the city. So....please continue to prayer for this adjustment period. We have such an encouraging and helpful staff here, but it still takes time to find my own place in this city and school.
A Grateful Heart. The summer at home in the States when by quickly. I was blessed CONSTANTLY by my sweet friends and family loving on me in countless ways. I wish I could have rested a bit more, but I am grateful for the precious time I had. Thanks for the encouragement along this journey. I love you all. Here is a bit of visuals of my new world. (These are the same photos as facebook...fyi!)
The house. Getting off of the plane, I stepped into winter. The houses don't have AC/heat or insulation. We actually were having issues with getting hot water in our house. So taking a shower was torture...cold before, during, and after the shower. It is hard when you never get the feeling of warmth. We are bundled up with scarves, winter coats, and powering space heaters. I think I might be coming down with a cold because of the sudden climate change. There will be 5 girls in my house. The house is great - lots of space. I have met 3 of my 4 roommates. They are a blessing - all so very different from one another. Gabbi is a hugger and loves to encourage everyone. Jess is a team player and an AMAZING cook. Missy is the perfect lounging buddy who has done so much to get me acclimated to my new surroundings. She and I were good friends before our international adventures began last year. (We met at PFO and have remained good friends.) It is great to have instant community with the ones you live with. Our last roommate will come when paperwork and everything Stateside gets finalized. She will be teaching music for our kiddos. We have gone shopping and I have gotten lots of cute decorative items for my room. When I am finished decorating, I shall post pictures. I can't forget to mention that you don't flush toilet paper down the toilets in Peru. It was hard to get used to and (let's be honest) I am still not liking it. I will appreciate the sewage protocol that much more when I come home for the holidays.
The city. The first stop I had once arriving in my new home was Starbucks. :) We ventured to the grocery store, Wong, on the 2nd day here. Independence Day was Sunday and Monday. The employees at the store are all decked out with capes and fun hats. The carryout service is crazy!!! They walk your groceries to your house and put them on your kitchen table. There must be some type of maximum number of meters they will walk but you aren't allowed to tip them. Crazy! And I thought Publix had a great carryout service. I have had some DELICIOUS food. Ordering food and buying groceries is a bit difficult because of my lack of Español. I think I am learning by immersion but I need to start my Rosetta Stone lessons. :) I have gotten Dutch and Spanish confused more times than I can count!!! The mall is AWESOME!!! They have moving walkways at an incline that can hold shopping carts as you ride. It was a cool experience.
The school. I have 13 little ones on my class roster and even more girls than boys. I can't wait to meet them! My room is just tiny and trying to make it work will be interesting. Pictures will be posted once it is cute-ified. It is great having some of my Suriname crew with me in Peru. However, we are realizing how difficult it will be to maintain our friendship with all the crazy going on. It is not as easy to see each other as it used to be! But they are still my people! Our school is renting space from Union Church. It is not ideal for the needs of our school, but the school is actively looking for a new place. So...join us in prayer! The school is growing out of the space we have which is a GREAT problem to have!
Prayer needs... Having already lived overseas I feel like I should have a bag full of tricks. That is a true and false statement. Being in a completely different country, I feel like I am starting all over. Since Suriname was so small, it was easier to get around independently. I am having to learn how to hail and barter with taxi drivers. Not to mention learn my learn way around the city. So....please continue to prayer for this adjustment period. We have such an encouraging and helpful staff here, but it still takes time to find my own place in this city and school.
A Grateful Heart. The summer at home in the States when by quickly. I was blessed CONSTANTLY by my sweet friends and family loving on me in countless ways. I wish I could have rested a bit more, but I am grateful for the precious time I had. Thanks for the encouragement along this journey. I love you all. Here is a bit of visuals of my new world. (These are the same photos as facebook...fyi!)
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