An Update on the Quake

As I sit here this evening in the coldness of our cute apartment, I am filled with thoughts and prayers for the people of this country. It is strange to be living life when there are so many people very close to us who are in very great need. I have been sensing the urgency to have some tangible way to respond to this great need. I am so thankful for prayer!

This morning as I paced the wet pavement from the overnight dew I came upon a new stand - where each and every newspaper's headline was something about the problems, chaos and suffering of those who live in Pisco, Chincha and Ica and the surrounding pueblo jovenes. It seems that often in crisis situations, the poorest are the most affected.

There is beauty amidst suffering. There are many here in Lima who are collecting and sharing and giving on behalf of those in the most affected areas. Those who do not have much are giving. Many people from around the world have gathered to help the people of this country.

Please pray that the efforts would be unified as people help. As a community we have been talking about the possibility of being a part of ongoing efforts in rebuilding etc...in the future and also of sending a few of us down to the effected areas in the weeks to come. I am hoping to go down this week with some people from church to the affected areas. We will be setting up lunch posts, handing out basic food supplies, Bibles, tents, clothes etc...

Thank you for all of you who continue to pray for the people of Peru. We have continued to have numerous aftershocks in the last few days, which once again, have thwarted the relief efforts and caused buildings to fall down.

Here is a Prayer for the Afflicted:

We bring before you, O Lord,
the troubles and perils of people and nations,
the sighing of prisoners and captives,
the sorrows of the bereaved,
the necessities of strangers,
the helplessness of the weak,
the despondency fo the weary,
the failing powers of the aged.
O Lord, draw near to each and show me how I may draw near
in your Name,
for the glory of Jesus
-An adaptation of a prayer of St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury
1033-1109

May the Lord hold us in His Hands.

Rachel was looking at one of the Peruvian newspapers "El Comercio" and told me that there are some photos of the earthquake. They are very impacting. I have pasted the link below:
El Comercio

The quake

Well, it was quite the day yesterday. The morning hours were spent with the adolescent kids we know - we had a wild game of soccer - and in my mind it was one of those unforgettable moments. I think I had the ball kicked through my legs about 10 times. What happened to all the mad soccer skills?

The cold lifted for a couple of hours in the afternoon and we saw the sun for the first time in days! Anna and I sat and drank coffee while the sun beat down on us. It was magnificent! Thank I came back to work a bit at the house - Linsey was laying on the couch taking in the sun, "like a cat" as she described and a few hours later was over at the Langley's to have dinner together and celebrate Monica and the team of 6 girls that are arriving tonight to be with us for 4 months! We are super excited!

As the night progressed we found ourselves in the middle of a very large earthquake. Being the most experienced in earthquakes - thanks to the '89 earthquake in San Fran that left me freaked out for 2 years sleeping on the floor of my parents bedroom and then in my doorway (as doorways are the most stable place in the house apparently) - all eyes were on me. What could we do? We all huddled - the Langley's and their daughters, Linsey and I - in one doorway. The quake kept going...and going...I had never felt anything like it. Then we decided maybe we should split up...so then we distributed between 3 doorways and stood there...it kept going! At one point Linsey went back to her chopping - she was making us dinner- and it started again...back to the doorway. Later, Monica and David arrived from another area in Lima saying that there was havoc and craziness on the streets - things breaking and people screaming. All this to say, we are ok, however we do not know if some of our friends are ok. Please pray for the people of Ica and Chincha - the epicenter of the earthquake was about 90 miles south of Lima near these cities. We are wondering how of some of our friends are here in Lima as some of their homes are not structurally sturdy. Many of the old buildings in the center of Lima most likely will be evacuated.

Thank you for your emails and prayers.

Remembering Nana

I told you I would write soon.

This weeks marks one year of the passing of my Nana. It is hard to believe that one year has passed since her death. It doesn't seem like a day passes without me remembering or thinking about her. She was such a treasure and I am so blessed to have been her granddaughter.

When I was in the States I had a chance to visit her grave. After my time there, I wrote the following:

The dream of dreaming
was high in her mind
Wonder and splendor
Like a child watching & waiting for
The stars to fall

Creation & beauty
The grave of a
Woman that became
A hero in my life

Full of strength
Full of Love
Full of Charisma
Full of the life that one might dream of
...to appreciate the small things-

Her legacy to me is of many things.
I am filled with gratitude Lord -
For Nana in my life.
She dazzled and amazed
Me with her stories and
words- with her knowledge
and abilities - with her interests-
with her love for culture and other nations-
with her wonder for life.
These gifts will never leave me and the gift of LOVE remains embedded
in my heart.
Thank you Lord that she is dancing.


Tonight we will head out to the streets to spend time with our friends. Some of
us will stay at the church to pray for our friends who live on the streets and for
those that will be going out to spend time with them. It is a privilege and honor to know our friends and share in life with them. There is so much to learn!

Back to Blogging - Back to LimaLand

I have been on a blog hiatus for a little while. I am out of practice. Thanks to Linsey, my new blog accountability partner, I'm getting back into it :) I have missed writing.

So, here is a poem that I wrote upon my return to Lima. It is really cold - sometimes it is hard to concentrate because all I can think about is the cold. Our friends who live on the streets and those who live in the poorer areas of Lima - suffer greatly during these times. I'm finding it is a mind and attitude battle...and lots of cups of warm tea!

Written on August 4th

Splashes of Wintery cold
The air is wet with thick drops of dew-
It is the dew that molds
and Mellows into your clothing
And all of a sudden the mustiness becomes apparent in the air and all around
The bundles of puffy blankets-
The skies as solemn
As the blueness of ones heart
The fridgedness reaches to the inner being-
The sensitive places-
the ones that cannot
and do not like change-
do not like the monotonous
bland sky-like the same meal eaten for 5 years in a row.
The light I realize must arrive from those around me-
It must appear through a lens that perhaps is only found within-
The window of reaching far to see the faces and beauty-
When you really look, it is not so far away after all.
The smiles, the children beautifying life by being themselves-
laughter-
As chocolate cake is cut and fed to a multitude-
Dance as the beat, drums rhythmically
As the tune of life dwells from that inner being-
Once filled with rattling bones-
But given a new chance for life.
Warmth is evident.

There is so much to write about - to share. The adventures of the last months have been many. Many meals with friends and family in the States, visit to my parents new church, a visit to my favorite city in the world, San Francisco - and a visit to the beautiful little spot that has become a refuge - Half Moon Bay - A super fun cultural wedding, visits to friends who were getting married, who had babies recently - Nebraska - visiting with all of the amazing people from Word Made Flesh who live around the world - having my eyes opened even more. Learning and practicing contemplative prayer - spending quiet moments with Jesus in the beautiful Nebraska City - forests, sun and greenery. Iowa for my birthday with Monica and fam and Linsey too! Seattle for a few days with long time friends - ahhhh- so refreshing - Colin's band played there - Lydia a college friend! Visits with my cousins in Oregon - and back to Cali for a short stay before returning to Lima.

I will write more soon!