My Heart Melts

The first week I was back in Trujillo, I went out to Wichanzao to the church were I've been teaching English to kids. We went out there to do some promotion for our new English classes. It was a little strange to walk down those streets and up to the church again after being gone for about three weeks. But, as I walked up to the church doors one of my most dedicated students from last semester spotted me from the soccer field nearby. As soon as he say me, he yelled out, "Teacher Amanda!" from all the way across the soccer field. I went over to say hello to him and he gave me a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. And, my heart just melted. He's a great kid.

Christmastime!

Over the holidays I was able to spend three weeks at home with my family. It was wonderful and restful and cold!
I got to spend a lot of time with my family. We spent Christmas day at home in Dallas while the blizzard raged up north in Oklahoma. And, the next day we braved the roads to Tulsa to visit more family and have Christmas a second time.
I also got to see some very good friends and worship with my church family in Norman, Oklahoma. Had some great times with those friends watching all of the Lord of the Rings movies and catching up on everything that has happened in our lives since we've been apart.
I am so thankful for the network of support that God has provided for me. My family and friends love me so well!

Here are a few pictures from Christmas at home in the SNOW!

Christmas dinner at our house.

Christmas dinner at Grandma's house
(sister, cousin, and grandma featured here)

Dad pulling us on the sled.

Eating snow ice cream in Grandma's kitchen

"Graduation"

A few weeks before Christmas we celebrated the end of our first term of English classes at Wichanzao Church. Our kids worked really hard and we had tons of fun teaching them. In their honor we held a small little reception for them and handed out certificates and gifts. They loved it, and we could tell they all felt very special.

These kids are dear to my heart. I'm excited for the next five months I get to spend with them teaching them and sharing the love of Christ with them.

Giving a big thank you to our students for their hard work and to their parents.

Our students performing a Christmas song in English for their parents.

The adult students performing a Christmas song for all of us.

Meagan's students presenting a project from their class.

Wedding Celebrations

A few weeks ago we celebrated the marriage of out friends Lenin and Elva with a beautiful ceremony and reception. It was a day full of fun and love and exchanging of vows and tons of dancing.
Peru is a country that is deeply scared by broken relationships between men and women. But, God is restoring relationships. Lenin and Elva are an example of God's grace, and they are a beacon of light to those around them. We are so glad to see another marriage in our churches.

I even got to be in the wedding! It was so much fun. And, all the bridesmaids and groomsmen, all 24 of us, performed a dance from the jungle at the reception.

Friends

our jungle dance

Peru Mission interns with the bride and groom


dancing the night away

Casa San Augustin

Peru Mission has a new office building. But, it's really more than an office building. It's a large old beautiful house near the center of Trujillo. It's the new hub for the Mission with room enough for all the different ministries to grow and flourish. The seminary finally has a place to hold regular classes in the evenings and a permanent location for the seminary library. There is a great big room in the back that is perfect for the university ministry. There are several classrooms for the English conversation classes that we will be starting in January. And, there is a great big living room in the front with a perfect corner for our Corner Cafe and a beautiful large garden behind it where people can meet and hang out. And yes, there is plenty of room upstairs for our offices as well.
We are all very excited about our new location. We're thankful for this wonderful blessing that God has provided for the Mission. It is our prayer that Casa San Augustin will be a place where people can gather, and good relationships are built, and where our ministries will have a home and a place to expand. God has really been growing and expanding the mission in the past few months, and we believe we are stepping into a new era for the work of Peru Mission. We would love your prayers for God's grace as we move through this time of transition and your prayers for the continued ministry of gospel transformation in the hearts of the people and the city of Trujillo.

Here are a few pictures of Casa San Augustin from our inaugural celebration. Enjoy.

Happenings

It has been a long time since I've posted anything on my blog, but it's not because there hasn't been anything to report. There has been a ton happening around here. I'll try to get everyone up to speed on the big events.


Movie Night
In an effort to draw more kids from the neighborhood of Wichanzao to the church, we have had a couple of movie nights to help build connections between us and the kids. The first night was a huge success. We passed out fliers a few days before, put up signs, served popcorn and coke and watched a movie projected on the wall. It was just like being at the movie theater. The kids loved it, and we've had fun as well. We had so much fun the first time we decided to do it again a few weeks later. We may continue the trend in the following months. The kids just won't leave us alone about in. :)

Here are a few pictures from our movie nights.

A New Address

I have a new address for letters and such to be sent to here in Trujillo. Peru Mission opened a P.O Box for us. So, now if you want, you can send any mail to our P.O. Box address.

Amanda Willis
MISIÓN REFORMADA EN PERÚ
Casilla Postal 1232
Trujillo - Perú

Feeling at Home

It's the first day of October. Wow. Time has flown by. It is warming up here in Trujillo. But, the mornings are still kinda cold, and yesterday it was just plain cold all day long. So, I guess we are slowly moving into Spring, but warmer weather is on the way. I can't wait to spend more time on the beach on the weekends!

So, I woke up this morning in Trujillo, Peru and I felt at home. I don't know really why I can feel so at home here, because in so many ways I am still a stranger in this city. I still can't walk down the street without being stared at or whistled at because I'm white. At least several times a day someone will inevitably ask me in their very broken English where I am from. And, I definitely still can't communicate very well in Spanish. But, I think the feeling of homeness comes from the wonderful way the Peruvians from church have gathered us interns into to their hearts and call us friends, or the way my students kiss me on the cheek good-bye at the end of class, or the way these streets have become familiar. But, maybe it's really just that God has been giving me more and more of His love for these people and this city. In any case, I am glad to be more settled here and to be enjoying all that it means to live in this strange city.

I'll leave you with a picture of one of my new favorite things about living in Trujillo. Just about on every corner you can find a lady with a small cart full of oranges with a few pineapples thrown in and a juice press. And, for one solitary sole (30 u.s. cents) you can buy fresh squeezed juice. It's called zumo in Spanish. She pours it into a little plastic bolsa, ties the bag around a straw, and hands it over. Wonderful. I've never tasted juice this good before in my life!

Me with a bag of zumo at my usual spot at the Peru Mission office

Sunday in the City

Trujillo is normally a very busy city. It’s growing and developing rapidly. On every normal day the markets are full of people buying and selling. The streets are overcrowded with taxis and busses that hardly pay attention to the limited traffic rules and race around the city honking their horns incessantly. The traffic noise is deafening. Along the side walks there are street venders selling all kinds of things from fresh squeezed juices of all varieties to roasted nuts, ceviche, and yes even pastries out of the trunk of a car. When all the schools let out at lunch time the sidewalks are brimming with kids and teenagers that all look alike in their blue and white school uniforms. Wherever you look there is something happening.
But, on Sundays it all stops. The shops close down. The street venders can’t be found. Even the busses stop running. You can find a few taxis driving along looking for passengers, but they are few and far between. People are lazing about in their homes or at the many parks around town. The city is quite for once. Everyone is resting. And, I love it.
I love Sundays here in Trujillo. In the morning I go to the church in Wichanzao that I work at during the week. There I get to worship alongside my Peruvian brothers and sisters. We sing the hymns of our faith together, confess our sins together, listen to God’s word preached together, and feast at the Lord’s table together. And, all of this is in Spanish. It is wonderful. It reminds me of the greatness of God’s grace, the glory of his love and the vastness of his Kingdom. God is calling all peoples unto himself and redeeming his world. And, I get to be a part of it. After church I have lunch with my intern friends. We normally fix lunch together and then hang out for the rest of the afternoon. In the evenings we all head over to Josh and Robin Eby’s house. (Josh is the intern director/pastor) We all eat another wonderful meal together and spend time reading and discussing scripture. All in all, Sundays are wonderful and restful days. I love Sundays in the city.

We ended our Sunday evening intern dinner/scripture discussion with this hymn. We sang it without instruments, and it was beautiful.

Ten Thousand Times
Ten Thousand

1. Ten thousand times ten thousand
In sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints throng
Up the steep of light:
’Tis finished, all is finished,
Their fight with death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates,
And let the victors in.

2. What rush of alleluias
Fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps
Bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation
And all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes
A thousandfold repaid!

3. O then what raptured greetings
On Canaan’s happy shore;
What knitting severed friendship
Up where partings are no more!
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle,
That brimmed with tears of late;
Orphans no longer fatherless,
Nor widows desolate.

4. Bring near Thy great salvation,
Thou Lamb for sinners slain;
Fill up the roll of Thine elect,
Then take Thy power, and reign;
Appear, Desire of nations,
Thine exiles long for home;
Shoe in the heaven Thy promised sign;
Thou Prince and Savior, come.

Teaching English

Today I will finish three weeks of teaching English at Wichanzoa Church. It has been an adventure so far. I teach two classes a day of kids from ages 5 to 12. We have learned the alphabet, numbers, all sorts of ways to say hello and good-bye. My all time favorite thing is hearing my kids say "Whats upe?" and "What ees yur neem?" It's pretty darn cute. We have also learned the verbs to be and to have, and we've learned to use them for all kinds of things. One of the kids favorite things to is run around the garden saying "I'm running! I'm running! I'm running!" So cute. Until I can't get them to sit back down in the classroom.

Here are a few pictures of some of my students.

Having class in the garden

My older students

Between four interns, we all teach about 40-50 students a week. We have a couple of adult classes, but most of our students are kids. In the afternoons, the church is full of kids. Even when they don't have class they come early and stay late. They come to hang out in the library or play volley ball or just run around screaming. They come to just hang out with the Americans. At the end of every day one little boy named Alex, who is five and doesn't come to English class at all, yells out at us as we are leaving, "A la tres? En la manana?" (Three o'clock? Tomorrow?) It's the sweetest thing.

I am so happy to get to spend time with these precious kids.

Hogar Esperanza

Hogar Esperanza is an orphanage that was started a few years ago just outside of Trujillo. It's a wonderful place that provides a home for kids who's parents are either unable to take care of them or have just abandoned them.
For the past few weeks I have been going out there on Saturdays to hang out with the kids. It is so much fun, and I'm learning lots of Spanish from them too.

Enjoy a few pics of the cute kids.

Hola!

Well friends, I've been in Trujillo for almost three weeks now. It feels like longer. Moving to a foreign country is often like that. Life is so different here, and it makes life back home feel like a distant memory. But, I'm loving it here.

Living here has been an adventure so far. I live in a tall white apartment building with 4 other girls on the busiest corner in Trujillo. (Our apartment is lovingly nicknames Casa Blanca.) There is traffic noise in the back ground constantly. Outside our front door I can catch a cab, micro-bus, or collectivo (public transportation like none other. six people crammed into one small car) to any part of the city. I can walk across the street to a wonderful little bakery and buy empanadas and sweet breads for breakfast and pick up fresh squeezed fruit juice of any kind imaginable from an old man with a bicycle cart on the corner. Not too far away is the Plaza de Armas where all the locals gather in the evenings to mingle and enjoy the night air. They often have music groups playing. It's a wonderful place to people watch. Today we had a scheduled power outage. So the whole city center was without electricity for most of the day. It's just one more thing to adjust to. So, Trujillo is a busy, developing city full of life and excitement. It has taken some getting used to living here in Trujillo, but I am enjoying it.

This week we (the interns) are beginning our specific jobs. Meaning: we will be serving in various ways in each of the three churches that are supported by Peru Mission. We will be teaching English classes, helping in a small library, assisting in sewing classes, working with the micro-financing organization, teaching music lessons, and working in the medical clinic. I will be teaching English at one of the churches. Today we are going to the community to spread the word and promote the classes, and tomorrow I will start teaching. I'm super excited about it. I'm looking forward to helping anyone who wants to learn English and gain a useful job skill, and I am very excited to help connect people in the community to the church. God is at work in Trujillo. There is a lot happening here, and I am blessed to get to be a part of it all.

On a side note: I am taking Spanish lessons. It's so fun to learn a new language, and hard, but mostly fun. I am very glad to be getting formal language instruction. It's frustrating to not be able to communicate with people. Pray that I will learn Spanish quickly.

For all my friends reading this blog: I miss you terribly. I think of you often. If anyone would like to send me letters (which I would love to receive and would cherish forever) my address is
Av. España 121 3 piso
Trujillo, Peru, South America

A New Beginning

The time has come to blow the dust off this blog and begin writing again.

In three weeks I will be leaving friends and family yet again to move to a different country. This time I will be heading south to South America and the beautiful country of Peru. My final destination is Trujillo, Peru where I will spend the next 10 months working with Peru Mission. I'll be teaching English, serving in a church, reading some good books, studying God's word, loving on the students that I will teach, making new friends, and keeping in touch with old friends.

I want this blog to be a venue for sharing about life in Trujillo. I will be telling stories and posting pictures telling of God's work in the lives of those around me in Peru and his work in my own life.

So this is a time of big changes for me. I'm moving to a foreign country, and my blog got a new name. Stayed tuned for more stories of my life 'between here and there'.

Turning the Page

Today I am leaving Limoges; the sleepy little town in the middle of France that I have called home for the past four months. I have been wishing to leave this place for so long now. But, here at the very end I am a little sad to be leaving. I have made good friends here. I am just now beginning to feel at home in this city. And, I have made significant gains in speaking French. I wonder if I stayed longer how much more I would learn.

Yesterday, I cried while standing on the platform at the train station waving goodbye to friends heading off to Paris to catch a plane home. It hit me at that moment that the semester was really over. I have finished this short chapter in my life. I have turned the page right when the story was getting good and found it cut short.

So, today, as I turn the page on a chapter finished, I look forward to what God has written for the next chapter in my life. I know the basic outline. I will be in Norman among friends in a place that has been home to me far longer than this small town in France. In that I take great comfort.

A Strange Thing that Happens Sometimes

In the early morning hours between sleep and waking, I have the fleeting impression that I am in my bed at home in Dallas. One such morning I heard someone banging around in the small kitchen down the hall, and I was sure it was my mom in the kitchen downstairs cooking breakfast for everyone. I could also hear the trash truck outside my window on its weekly round emptying the trash cans, and I was sure it was my dad driving across the front yard in the truck pulling the noisy, rickety cattle trailer we have. I laid there for a few minutes completely convinced I was at home sleeping in on a Saturday morning wishing my parents weren't being so loud. But as I rolled over in my tiny bed and hit the wall, reality struck full force. It was not Mom making noise in the kitchen, and it was not Dad outside my window rattling along. I am in France, alone in my room, being awakened by the sounds of a busy dormitory far from a Saturday morning at home.

This has happened several times, maybe three or four times. Its strange, but pretty soon I will be waking up at home in Dallas. As of today, I have less than three weeks to go here in France.

A New Look

I found this awesome site with free backgrounds for blogs, and I escaped the boring black. Yippee!! I think now I will be more motivated to blog....maybe.

Thanks for the tip Anna.

Climbing on Castles

A couple of weeks ago a few friends and I were taken to see the oldest castle in this region of France. It was built sometime in the Middle Ages. I don't remember what it is called, but Richard the Lionheart made his home there for awhile.

The castle is in ruins now, but it was originally build as a fortress. Notice the different sizes of windows. The small ones are the originals. The larger ones would have been cut in during the renaissance when it became fashionable to live in a castle and outdated to have fortresses.

Sitting on the wall by the front gate

The interior is closed to visitors. At the back, there is a break in the back wall and a small cage to stand in on the edge so as to look down into the ruins. We didn't stay in the cage.

Standing on a castle.

The room below me. It was a long way down.

Another room of the castle

Sitting on a wall

Mary was braver than me and climbed up the opposite wall. She is a little bit crazy.

I have lots more pictures of the castle, maybe I should have made this an album on facebook. I'll end with those.

I kept thinking about the hundreds of people who had lived in that place and what life would have been like for them. I'm surrounded by lots of history here in France, and much of the stories have been forgotten. I enjoyed seeing this place.

Five Hours in Paris

Last week I had a break from school, so I went to Berlin to visit old family friends. It was a great trip! (more about that later, maybe)

My journey took me through Paris. I took a train from Limoges to Paris and then flew from Paris to Berlin and then did the same on the way back. Making the connection from the train station to the airport in Paris on the way to Berlin almost proved disastrous. I scheduled two hours between arriving on the train and taking off on the plane. I thought that would be plenty of time. Wrong. The Paris metro system is crap, and I nearly got completely lost under Paris. Despairing thoughts like never seeing the light of day again started to creep into my mind. But, I resolved to not let that happen and managed to find my way to the airport with a little help from a very unwilling French women. But, thats not exactly what I intended to write about.

Anyways, on the way back I had five hours scheduled between landing in Paris and catching the train south back to Limoges. I thought it would be nice to wander around Paris a little bit, but I was a little apprehensive after my first encounter with Paris underground. Well, I arrived in Paris and boarded the dreaded metro and headed into the city. I selected the metro stop near Notre Dame. I wasn't sure what awaited me on the surface. I wasn't even sure how to get street level. I selected a set of stairs going up and started climbing. When I finally reached the top it was glorious. I stepped into the bright sunshine right in front of Notre Dome to the sound of the bells ringing.

My first view of Paris

I just sat down and soaked it all in. I couldn't believe I was actually in Paris standing in front of THE Notre Dame. I kept muttering to myself, "Oh my gosh, I'm in Paris." I had to convince myself it was real. After I collected myself and took a few pictures for other tourists I headed off to walk around the city. I didn't really know where I was going. I hadn't planned anything, and I didn't know where anything was. After walking down the Seine a little ways I spotted the Eiffel Tower. I made that my target and snapped pictures along the way.

Heres a few shots from the city.

I walked all around Paris for five hours dragging my suitcase the whole way. At the end my feet seriously hurt, but it was so much fun. I made it to the train station on the metro with no problems. Maybe the metro system isn't that terrible.

I'm going to spend a few days in Paris in December before flying home. I'm looking forward to spending more time in the city.