Off the cuff

moving day

2009-02-15T22:21:00.000-05:00

I've moved... www.marshagarbage.wordpress.com

Marsha Garbage, MPA

2008-08-12T11:59:00.005-05:00

Over the past 26 or so years, my dad has consistently repeated two statements which stand out in my mind:

1) Listen to your mother. (usually at an annoying time when I want to do just the opposite.)
2) You WILL have an advanced degree.

Well Dad, you were right about a lot, and (surprisingly) not least of which the fact that I'd someday pursue and advanced degree. So here I go. I'll start on the path toward a Master's of Public Administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio in just a few weeks.

2007-01-31T00:39:00.000-05:00

Here in San Antonio, I'm living downtown and working right on the riverwalk in a lovely office. It's all very charming and the perfect San Antonio experience, with plenty of Spanish to be spoken and enough pedestrian traffic to remind me of Peru from time to time.

Student Voices by MATT.org is the main project I'm working on at MATT and it's really exciting. I've gotten to attend some great events as well...

I am attending (and loving) Redeemer Presbyterian Church and have really enjoyed getting to know some people there and look forward to getting more involved soon. This church supports my team in Cusco, so it's been a neat connection, seeing pictures of people I worked with in Peru up on the missions committee boards.

Tiny update - Life in SA

2007-01-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

So I moved to San Antonio over Labor Day weekend and started working at MATT, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together. I really love my job and my new home. It's crazy being back in San Antonio after 6 years away but it's been great and now I can't imagine wanting to leave!

My new house in San Antonio - I live in someone's backyard in this little carriage house and it's so fun.

My downstairs living room with the Christmas tree.

Upstairs.

Winding down

2006-07-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

oh why can't Peru be closer to home?

"Have I not commanded you? Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go." Joshua 1:9

Do I really have to say goodbye? I am suddenly realizing that this may be one of the hardest things I have ever done. As coming home was 2 months away, images of all the comforts of home flooded my mind; my favorite restaurants, seeing family and friends, and blending into my own culture all sounded so appealing. But as my departure date is less than 2 weeks away, I realize that my favorite foods have been replaced with new dishes, and that in order to greet loved ones at home, I will have to say goodbye to loved ones here.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Ha. I came to Peru with plans to spend the majority of time in Lima; as of today I have only seen the Lima airport, as I ended up staying in Cusco for my entire term. I was unsure of what I would do on the field, but I just knew I didn't want to work with young children since I had no experience or real interest in that...and now everything I have poured myself into for the past 8 months revolves around children, and I cannot imagine what it will be like to say goodbye to them so soon. God called me here to do things I never thought I would do, much less enjoy, and I am so thankful for the time I have had here.

Please pray for me as I prepare to come home and transition back into life in the States. The changes in daily life will vary from simply leaving behind a mountain climate in the height of winter, and meeting the Texas heat head on, to leaving the presence of constant poverty and meeting a life more luxurious than my friends here can even imagine. Please pray that I will appreciate my own culture and the life God has given me, without feeling guilty or idealizing poverty, and that the lessons I have learned here will remain with me throughout my life. I want to remember these people and to be faithful in praying for and encouraging them for many years to come.

Thank you all so much for your encouragment and support over the past 8 months. It is such a privilege to have been here, and I thank you for being willing to be used by God as senders and encouragers in so many ways throughout this entire process. I look forward to sharing more stories and pictures from my time here with all of you in person.

Also...some long-overdue updates:

We recently went to the circus here in Cusco with some teenagers who help me out with the children's program and it was an absolute blast. We laughed a ton and just had a great time. It wasn't exactly Ringling Bros., but we saw some great stuff.

A few weekends ago, Susanna and I went on a trip with some friends from church to southern Peru to the city of Puno on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. It was a great time. The highlight was definitley the floating Uros islands, which are constructed of reeds and completely floating on the surface of the lake! These islands have been around since pre-Inca times and were the most incredible thing I have ever seen!

2006-06-11T13:23:00.000-05:00

we recently went to the salt mines at Moray.

2006-06-11T13:22:00.000-05:00

some of the workers.

2006-06-11T13:21:00.000-05:00

pools

2006-06-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

doesn't look like salt does it?

2006-06-11T13:18:00.001-05:00

harvesting the salt.

2006-06-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

the entire place (thousands of pools) is fed by this little spring!

2006-05-25T16:08:00.000-05:00

Dad and me with some of the kids.

2006-05-25T16:06:00.000-05:00

Mom helping Yasmin make her craft.

2006-05-25T16:01:00.001-05:00

Dad and Efrain...they bought some of his artwork.

2006-05-25T16:01:00.000-05:00

Touring one of Cusco's 24 colonial era churches.

2006-05-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

Me and Dad downtown.

Our Paseo - Friday, April 28, 2006

2006-05-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

***You can read this first, but to look at the pictures, start from the bottom and go up.

A paseo is just a field trip. So last Friday, we brought 15 kids down from Pallpanccay into Cusco for the afternoon. We started out at our house, playing in the backyard and eating gelatin. After a bit, we walked over to a park in my neighborhood and played for about an hour. And to finish out the evening, we went to a local bakery and had cake for Daniel's recent birthday. Pallpanccay is a ways out from Cusco proper, so these kids have a very rural life and don't do a lot of stuff like this, so it was a big hit, and we definitley attracted a lot of attention! We had a great time.

Otherwise, things are going well. Susanna's brother, Will, and his friend, Worth, just visited from Memphis, TN and built a climbing wall out in Pallpanccay and it looks great. The kids can climb all up and around it and they love it. It was fun having visitors too. My parents get here on Thursday and I am really looking forward to spending a week with them.

Some of you may have heard that I will be home a few weeks early, July 19th. Nothing is wrong - everything is still great, but most of our team will be gone this summer, including Susanna, so now we will get to fly home together. Also, the new Peruvian President will take office on July 28th, and our team leader, Keith, recommended leaving before a big change like that if possible, especially with the two candidates in the run-off being a little volatile. So now I will be home on my birthday for the first time in 9 years!!!

Please pray for me as I try to make some plans for what's next when I get home, not to focus on the future, but to finish strong here in Cusco. And please pray that God will lead me clearly to the next thing he has for me and that I won't fret over it. Oh, and also that I won't be overcome with homesickness when my parents leave!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued prayers and support. And hearing from people who read this is sooo encouraging!

2006-05-06T09:43:00.000-05:00

He was so exhausted by the time it was over. It took 45 minutes to get cabs home and it was dark, and the kids were so ready to get home because they show Bible movies in the Pallpanccay church on friday nights!

2006-05-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

We sort of took over the place...it was great.

2006-05-06T09:40:00.000-05:00

To end out the night, we went to a bakery to have cake and celebrate Daniel's birthday (he turned 5 the previous Sunday).

2006-05-06T09:39:00.000-05:00

Americo - I love him.

2006-05-06T09:38:00.000-05:00

Raul.

2006-05-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

Susan, Aleja, and Margot.

2006-05-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

I think they had fun.

2006-05-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

Next, we went to a park a few streets over from my house. (Americo brought Garfield everywhere that day.)

2006-05-06T09:33:00.000-05:00

still cute.

2006-05-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

Susana.

2006-05-06T09:30:00.001-05:00

enjoying the gelatin.

2006-05-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

At the house, we served gelatin with leche batida (sweet, blended milk, like thin whipped cream) out of the kitchen window like a snowcone stand!

2006-05-06T09:29:00.000-05:00

We rode down from Pallpanccay in the Powlison's truck and then got into two taxis to head to my house.

2006-04-13T13:59:00.000-05:00

Last night, we went out to Pizza with some friends from church. The kids all help me with my children's activities twice a week in Palpanccay, so I wanted to thank them for all their help. They are (left to right) Mery, Billy, Yhonathan, Miguel, Susanna, me, and Meche.

Perspective on Peru

2006-04-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures to give you a bit of an idea of some things you might encounter here in Peru. The cost of living is very low and the culture is very distinct, which makes the quality of life high!

Enjoy.

2006-04-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

Here is a Quechua woman with her baby on her back. They carry the babies in these colorful 'mantas' from infancy, sometimes up until they are 2 or 3 years old. (The sweater on her head is not typical, but it's not really surprising either!)

2006-04-13T13:42:00.000-05:00

These fresh flowers were 6 soles...that's about 2 dollars or less! And these are expensive because they're Calla lillies.

2006-04-13T13:40:00.000-05:00

These carts are everywhere. You can buy bottled water, candy, gum, snacks, etc. on them, all for one Nuevo Sol (the current exchange rate is 3.35 soles/dollar!) or less. Some of the people at our church and other friends have carts like this where they make their living.

2006-04-12T15:58:00.000-05:00

Sandra...so happy!

2006-04-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

Americo.

2006-04-12T15:55:00.000-05:00

Ruthie

April 2006

2006-04-12T15:38:00.000-05:00

Hi and Happy Easter!

I have lots of fun pictures to add today. Below are a few from just hanging out with the kids in Palpanccay, playing with some of the great stuff that my friend, Lauren, sent from Japan! We have had a great time putting it all to use.

There are also a few from Promesa, the bilingual Christian school I have been helping out at. I work mostly with the 4 year old class and it is pretty crazy, but we are all learning a lot. The kids are really cute, too, so that definitley helps.

And I will be putting up a few pictures from yesterday when we colored Easter eggs in Palpanccay. It was really fun and the mess was minimal compared to what I had feared!

Things continue to be really busy but great. Actually we have Thursday and Friday off this week for Easter, so that is really nice. Jeremy and Christina visited during the last week of March and that was wonderful. It was hard to say goodbye, but well worth having them here! I showed them around Cusco and some other neat spots, and it was great just getting to hang out with them.

Our youth club is continuing strong and all the youth are really busy now that their school year is in full swing. We are about to get a new roommate and are excited for her arrival as well. The weather is turning cooler, so we are looking into buying some space heaters!

Please pray for our team as it is a highly transient time of year for many of them. And pray that the youth club would continue to push a little deeper. You can pray for me, that I will delight in the Lord and will press into all of the things He has me doing here, and also that He will be preparing me, and my path, as I come home in a few months. Pray that I won't be anxious about leaving or be focused on what comes next, but that I will be used by Him here up until the day I leave.

Thanks so much for your faithfulness in prayer and support and for the encouraging emails I so often receive. Thank you for even looking at these updates!

2006-04-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

This is Miranda. She is one of the youngest students in our 4 year old class, as she is still 3. It's taken a while for her to get accustomed to the classroom but now she is a lot of fun. Isn't she cute???

2006-04-12T15:35:00.001-05:00

Milagros, Frana, and Gabriel swinging at recreo.

2006-04-12T15:35:00.000-05:00

me in the chaos!

2006-04-12T15:34:00.001-05:00

Alisson.

2006-04-12T15:34:00.000-05:00

Alex coloring.

2006-04-12T15:32:00.001-05:00

Ruth again.

2006-04-12T15:32:00.000-05:00

Americo and Daniel.

2006-04-12T15:31:00.001-05:00

Mariela catching

2006-04-12T15:31:00.000-05:00

Ruthie playing with the fun new stuff than Lauren sent from Japan!

2006-04-05T18:08:00.001-05:00

Out in the Cusco plaza after dinner.

2006-04-05T18:08:00.000-05:00

Jeremy with Ellie, the Powlison's little girl.

2006-04-05T18:07:00.001-05:00

Me and Jeremy at Macchu Picchu.

2006-04-05T18:07:00.000-05:00

This puppy was in the back of our taxi on the way to Ollantaytambo!

2006-04-05T18:06:00.001-05:00

The three of us in the tiny motorcycle taxi in Ollantaytambo.

2006-04-05T18:06:00.000-05:00

Jeremy and me in Ollantaytambo, where we caught the train to Aguas Calientes (Macchu Picchu).

2006-03-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

Quechua people waiting to be seen. This traditional dress is very common both n the country and in town. But in and around Cusco, it is just as common to see American-style dress. It's a total mix for the most part.

2006-03-21T22:20:00.001-05:00

we set up clinic here. each stall was like a room to see patients.

2006-03-21T22:20:00.000-05:00

cute.

2006-03-21T22:19:00.000-05:00

we got to ride for like 30 minutes down the mountain in the back of a truck because the road was blocked and our bus couldn't get by! this is actually a fairly common occurance here.

2006-03-21T22:18:00.000-05:00

my new friend Kristy and me downtown.

2006-03-21T22:17:00.000-05:00

this is right outside of one of our 'clinics'.

Seeing patients

2006-03-17T12:47:00.000-05:00

This week Susanna and I got to help translate for a group of 55 doctors and medical students from Christian Medical and Dental Association of the University of Oklahoma. I certainly never thought my Spanish would be good enough to be of any help, but I learned a ton and the Peruvians who came with us were really patient and helpful! Many of the patients we saw spoke only Quechua, the native Indian language here in Peru, so we had to have Peruvians translate into Spanish, and then Susanna, Andrew and I, and the other English/Spanish speakers would relay to the doctors. It was such a neat picture of the Body of Christ, how we each had our own part in getting information across. We got to talk with all of the patients about Christ and prayed with them all as well. We met many believers who were so encouraged by us being there, and a number of people prayed to receive Christ! The patients were so incredibly thankful to have medical attention. One woman walked for 7 hours to see a doctor! Even receiving vitamins was a huge encouragement to them. It was so encouraging and convicting at the same time to see how these people live and how thankful they are when God sends them the practical help and attention they need.

It was really fun getting to know the team. We got to go out to dinner with them last night for their 'banquet', and it was like we were kids on the last day of camp - so sad to say goodbye, and exchanging emails and everything! It was great.

Once again, God had me do something I NEVER thought I would do, and it was such a blessing to be used by Him in this way.

This is my group with a family we saw.

cute old men waiting to be seen.

This is team 1 - the team I worked with all week. This is right outside of where we set up clinic on Tuesday!

Me and Kristy at 14,000 feet.

our team at 14,000 ft.

2006-03-07T18:59:00.000-05:00

out to our favorite restaurant - Los Perros - for Susanna's birthday.

2006-03-07T18:58:00.000-05:00

Javier, Wilbur and Leni.

2006-03-07T18:57:00.000-05:00

grilling.

2006-03-07T18:40:00.000-05:00

So the following pictures are a little mixed. Some are from our recent 'paseo' this past Saturday to Pata Pata. It is basically a big field a little bit outside of town where we took the youth from our Saturday club for the day. We played a lot of games, sang and had a devotional time, cooked hot dogs on a fire, and had a great time. Other pictures are from regular Saturday club days, and of the younger children helping me set up for dinner on those days. They are so helpful and it is really a neat time to work with them and encourage them in their helpfulness.
Even more pictures are from our planning meetings with the Peruvian seminary grads who help us out with the Saturday club, and one fun night when we grilled hamburgers on our new grill in the backyard!
Things are going wonderfully. I started yesterday at Promesa Colegio, a bilingual Christian school here in Cusco. Classes begin next week and I will be helping out with the 4 and 5 year olds in English. This is already a really encouraging and exciting experience for me. The other people who work at the school are really neat and have been so welcoming. It is so funny to me that God has me here doing - and loving - so many new things that I never thought I would do.
Thanks so much for your continued support and prayers. I am learning a ton and seeing God work in so many lives. It is such a privilege to be here and I thank you all for your part in getting and keeping me here.

2006-03-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

working hard.

2006-03-07T18:17:00.001-05:00

Americo, Raul and me.

2006-03-07T18:17:00.000-05:00

Americo washing dishes. He is always so helpful and sweet.

2006-03-07T18:16:00.000-05:00

Ruthie and me.

2006-03-07T18:13:00.000-05:00

ha. what can I say?

2006-03-07T18:10:00.000-05:00

Andres cooking...or something.

2006-03-07T18:08:00.000-05:00

resting a bit after lunch.

2006-03-06T22:26:00.000-05:00

the view from Pata Pata

2006-03-06T22:24:00.000-05:00

any game with water ballons is a hit here. Carnaval went on the entire month of February and they use any excuse or medium they can to get people wet!

2006-02-27T14:39:00.000-05:00

Maribel being fed by the person behind her...a game at the Saturday youth club.

Daniel.

Javier and Leni are a couple from the Jungle who just came here from Seminary in Lima and work with us at the kids club. We love them!

This is Rogger.

a quick update...

2006-02-24T13:27:00.000-05:00

Wow. Things have been busy this month. Susanna and I just moved last week and that was crazy. But we had a ton of great helpers from church to paint and move furniture and hook up the washing machine and just tie up all the loose ends we would never have thought to plan for. It made for some fun lunches in the backyard with some older men and teenage boys from the church, and it was great to get to know them better. And taking breaks for Kola Real and conversation was a highlight as well. So now we are settled into our cute house and loving it.

It is the last and most intense weekend of Carnaval here, where everyone throws water balloons, shoots water guns, and pours buckets of water on total strangers in the street. We have gotten off pretty easy but just now on my way to the internet cafe, two guys tried to get me, but they missed!

I will start work at Promesa school next month, working in an English class with 4 year olds! This will be a new and challenging experience, but one I am really looking forward to as well. My art group is really getting going, and this Saturday we start on a longer project of Papier mache footed bowls...we'll see how they turn out!

Please pray for me in this busy time that I will take time to really listen to the Lord and what he is trying to teach me, and that I will do things well even though preparation time is getting harder to come by.

Thanks for keeping up with me and feel free to keep the mail coming! It makes my day. I will post some pictures of the new house and from this afternoon's Carnaval festivities with the little kids soon.

La Paz, Bolivia

2006-02-07T12:33:00.000-05:00

We had to leave the country to get our visas renewed, so Susanna, Andrew and I went to La Paz, Bolivia last week. It was nice to be in a big city with more American-type comforts and some fun shopping, but it was really great to be back to Cusco with all its charm and safety! I did buy a nice coat since I came here without much for cold weather and it's awfully cold here compared to what I'd prepared for in Lima.

This one is out at dinner one night. I got a traditional Bolivian dish with beef covered with two fried eggs over rice and fried potatoes. It was pretty good.

Susanna and me downtown.

me and Andrew downtown.

We found real donuts!

This was the view from the bus home. We rode for 12 hours all through the Andes Mountains. It was beautiful.

this guy got on the bus about 8 hours into the trip and played a few songs, which was a welcome diversion - he was pretty good!

2006-02-03T19:29:00.000-05:00

We found the Bolivian equivalent of a Frappuccino!

2006-01-27T22:08:00.000-05:00

The kids are really getting into the story time more each week. On Tuesday, Doraluz, who is 12, answered her first question ever. She is one of the children who doesn't seem to have heard these Bible stories before, so it's really exciting to see her and her sisters and brother learning more. We read about Moses last week, and made frogs with long balloons for tongues after we learned about the plagues in Egypt. Then this week we've learned about Samson, and I brought a fun wig we got to play with and we played a game called pull-apart where you display your strength by having the boys sit down and lock arms and the girls do their best to pull them apart.
We have also been working on basic things like saying 'thank you' instead of demanding a different type of candy or coloring sheet, and throwing away trash and candy wrappers in actual trash cans! Some of these kids don't get a lot of attention, so there is a lot they aren't learning at home along those lines.

It's really almost comical to look back at what I've written because I am getting so excited about every little thing with these crazy kids. I never imagined I would love this so much, and God has provided so many resources and helpers and faithful attenders to encourage me in something so new to me!

Billy reading the story of Samson. It's so cool because now they don't want to stop at just one story (the candy they win for answering questions correctly may help), but they also continue to be able to recall from week to week what we've learned.

Raul is taking the brunt of it in pull apart!

Americo posing as Samson! Americo has become a faithful attender and leader for the group. He also comes on Saturdays to the older kids' club and likes to help out facilitating games and things.

Doraluz, me, Frine, and Johann. These kiddos are really excited to be with us each time and they seem to be learning the Bible for the first time. Johann is even learning to behave better than when he first started coming. He took the initiative and helped me put my things in my bag after our time this week!

Please pray that things will continue to go deeper in my time on Tuesdays and Fridays with these little ones. I don't want to just entertain them, I want them to learn and grow in Christ. I am also leading an arts/crafts type course for the older students' club where they earn badges for learning new skills. I am responsible for leading a weekly art time (I don't dare call it a class!) for around 7 students for up to 3 months. I am not particularly artistically gifted, and materials are a little harder to come by without Michael's or Hobby Lobby craft stores around, so please pray that God will work in this, as I don't have much to offer on my own! Pray for continued resources and creativity, and that meaningful conversation can occur during our weekly time together. Please also pray for my Spanish to continue to improve.

I am so grateful for your prayers, support, and encouragement. Thank you for helping me to be a part of this great ministry in Peru!

2006-01-15T22:41:00.000-05:00

"We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts." - A.W. Tozer

Macchu Picchu and more kids club!

2006-01-13T11:08:00.000-05:00

It's been a great couple of weeks. We'll go from the top down as far as the pictures go. Starting off with the trip to Macchu Picchu on Wednesday, January 11th. It was such a long day. Anna and I were picked up at our apartment at 5:30am by the nicest travel agent ever. He took us to the train station where we boarded at 6:15 for our 4-hour journey to the city of Aguas Calientes. We sat across from two girls about our age - one German and one Australian. So we all chatted and enjoyed the scenery until we arrived around 10:30am. We then took about a 20 minute busride up to Macchu Picchu. The bus goes up the mountain with these hairpin turns and guardrails are rare. It reminds me of a family vacation to the California coast which was characterized by motion sickness! It was a beautiful view though.

Once we got up to Macchu Picchu, we went through the gates and caught up with our tour group. We listened at the beginning and then sort of explored on our own. There are very few areas you can't go into in the entire city of Macchu Picchu, so it makes for good exploring. Basically, it's a lost city of the Inca's and it's a huge city with three temples and it's just beautiful. We looked around a lot and then took the bus back down for lunch. They had a typical Peruvian band at the restaurant and it was a nice meal. After lunch, we bought some expensive ice cream and looked around in the market before boarding the train again at 3:55pm. The train ride back took a little longer and we had lots of friends on the train by the time we arrived. To get in and out of the train station in Cusco, the train goes back and forth, zig-zagging up or down the side of a mountain, so you feel like you aren't getting anywhere! Our whole car was a little delirious by the time we got home, but it was a fun trip.

Me at the 'entrance' to Macchu Pichhu

Ok, following are some more pictures from the past few weeks. The time on Tuesday and Friday afternoons is going better and better. This past Tuesday, we started with a relay where the kids ran down to a chair to pop a balloon on it. We played boys vs. girls and they were loving it. (Anything with balloons is a hit with these kids!) Then we read the story of Isaac and Rebekah and the kids did a great job listening and answering questions. Miguel, who helps me out, does a great job of asking questions to keep the kids tracking with us. After the story, we played "chubby bunny", where you put first one marshmallow in your mouth and say 'chubby bunny' (in english), and continue adding more marshmallows and saying your phrase of choice. We had to improvise on the sayings, but it was actually better having them say "Jesus loves Me" after all.

Things are continuing to go just wonderfully. Thank you for your prayers. You can continue to pray for the kids clubs, that we will be able to really disciple these kids. You can also pray that my Spanish will continue to improve and that meaningful conversation will ensue in many different situations.

God is teaching me a ton and I can see that He is working in the lives of so many Peruvians as well. It is a joy and a privilege to be here. Thanks for your prayers and support!

Susanna, Anna, Me and Rebecca out in Cusco.

Playing "chubby bunny" with the kids. They were so funny. We said things like "jesus loves me" because chubby bunny didn't quite translate.

Mariela popping her balloon.

Daniel had a little trouble - we had to basically drop the littler kids onto the balloons to get them to pop!

playing...the boy next to me is Miguel, he's 14, and the bigger guy next to him is Billy, who's 15; they both help me on Tuesday and Friday afternoons.

Here is one of our group from New Year's Eve. We were about to dig into our wonderful dinner and embark on a night of incessant laughter!

MISC

2006-01-10T23:04:00.000-05:00

Here are a few miscellaneous pictures from the past week. We are getting up at 4:45 in the morning to go to Macchu Picchu, so I'll put some pictures up from that soon too!

The good news is that today was our best kids' meeting so far. It was a little more structured and we had extra help and lots of kids. I will put up some pictures from that soon too. Thanks for your prayers - God is definitely at work in this community.

playing games at the Youth Club kick-off on Thursday

the little ones saw us play a game with these sheets and water balloons, and they just had to try it themselves. They didn't ever get the hang of it but they had fun!

This is Anna, she's visiting for a few weeks and helping me a ton with the kids. The little boy is Jose Antonio. He came for the first time last Friday, and he just talks and talks like he's giving a report of everything going on around him. It's really cute.

Christmas and Early January

2006-01-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

***you can leave comments - I almost wish you would!

January 4, 2006

I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. On Christmas Eve, Susanna and I went downtown to a special annual market where you can buy all kinds of unique things. It was wall to wall people in the Plaza de Armas and we spent a few hours looking at everything and doing some shopping. That night, we had dinner over at another missionary family's home with about 25 people. We had plenty of traditional American food, but we ate at 11pm since the Peruvians are accustomed to Christmas dinner at midnight. They also shoot off fireworks here at Midnight, so we enjoyed those for a while, and then resented them a bit while we tried to go to sleep! We had church on Christmas Day and it was great. It was such a unique Christmas and it was really humbling to be here for it.

On New Years Eve, we went to the church youth group meeting to announce a special event we have coming up on Thursday, January 5th to kickoff a youth club similar to scouting programs or Awana clubs in the States. Then we went to the home of a fellow missionary up in the mountains and had dinner with about 8 girls total. We had a great time cooking and chatting, and before we knew it, we were enjoying fireworks from the third floor window! This was a beautiful log home with tons of windows, set way up above the city, so the view was amazing!

I've continued going up to Palpanccay every Tuesday and Friday. We have a faithful group of about 13 children coming. We color and play games and they listen to Bible stories. Please pray that this can turn into something a little deeper and more structured. These kids love to come and are really open to the Gospel. And ultimately, they will hopefully be a part of the boys/girls club we are kicking off with the older kids this week, which is geared more toward discipleship for young people in the church. God has faithfully provided a few helpers to accompany me to and from Palpanccay, as it's a bit of a journey, and that has been a great gift. Please pray that He'll take these budding programs in the direction HE wants them to go.

Daniel, me and Veronica.

Me and Jhon.

Andrew, the guy next to me, had his family visiting for two weeks. We enjoyed hanging out with them and his sister, Ali, came with us on New Year's for a great girls' night.

Me and Jhon (like Johann), he's 3 and he is a mess. He likes to shout back and forth "your feet smell" in Quechua, so that's the only phrase I know! (Quechua is the Indian language in Peru - it's the other official language besides Spanish.)

All of us with the new swingset.

This is Daniel. He's 4 and goes to a bilingual school, so he can say adorable things in English like "Push me please." (on the swing).

This one is from our gift exchange a few weeks ago. (we all had a blast, it's just not that customary to smile big in pictures here!)

December 21, 2005

2005-12-21T19:43:00.000-05:00

Here is a silly one of me with Papa Noel outside the grocery store!

Here are some more pictures from the past few weeks. I have really gotten to know my way around town and am loving it so far. Joanna left to go back to the States last week, but I am continuing to work with the children in Palpanccay and I really love it. This week, a teenage guy from the church went with me and we took a Panetone, which is a traditional fruitcake that they go crazy for in Peru. The kids just loved it. We also took some nativity coloring pages and they colored while I read the Christmas story from the (Spanish) Children's Bible. They were all very attentive and it was a great time.

This one is at the party we had a few weeks ago.

Joanna got them all matching fleece jackets that say "soy un nino de Jesus" (I am a child of Jesus), and handed them out at the party.

We had a dinner party with some other missionaries in town earlier this week. We made Thai food and had cake and homemade chai tea for dessert. The other women are from Canada, Minnesota, and Norway. It goes Adaline, Susanna (my roommate), Carletta, me and Alice from left to right.

just playing a few weeks ago.

The kids watching "Madagascar" at the party.

More kids

2005-12-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

we played soccer and some other games on Tuesday.

Me and Ruthie.

This is Darwin. He is dancing in this picture - when we had the kids over, we watched "Madagascar" and the song that goes "I like to move it, move it" was translated and the kids loved it and sing and dance to it constantly now!

Me and Mayumi.

Me and Americo.

Cusco - Palpanccay party and more

2005-12-09T23:34:00.000-05:00

my apartment...we live up on the fourth floor and the balcony up top is out of my room (it's really just a clothesline though).

Nataly and I in the crowded taxi on the way back to Pappanccay.

walking down from Pappanccay.

Sarah and Noel...their parents are on the MTW team here in Cusco.

Me, Elmer, and Henry. These two are brothers and are some of my favorite. Henry takes such good care of Elmer, always holding his hand and making sure he's safe!

The team here in Cusco (I'm not in this one.)

Thanksgiving

2005-12-02T18:43:00.000-05:00

Traveling Texas

2005-11-16T23:28:00.000-05:00

Joseph's visit...

the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine.

in Austin.

the Baylor Bear!

more at the aquarium.

Dallas World Aquarium

2005-11-11T01:11:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to visit the stinkin Dallas World Aquarium for a good 3 years and I finally made it when I offered to do my dear friend a 'favor' by including it in our "Totally to the Max Texas Tour". It was everything I hoped for and more.

creepy eel!

the biggest tank with the sharks and manatee had a tunnel you could walk through where the creatures are all around and above you. I was literally running alongside the shark in the tunnel to get some good pictures!

The Trinity Fellas Program

2005-11-03T18:44:00.000-05:00

We went toobing on the James River this summer.

Me and mine.

2005-11-03T18:15:00.000-05:00

dad and me in San Antonio.

My family at Papaw Gabrysch's 80th Birthday!

Carving Pumpkins!