15 Days in Canada already

¡Hola a todos!

I’m in Canadá.
In 15 days here I have: visited 9 different cities, slept in 9 different beds, preached in 2 youth meetings (Welland and Regina), 1 church on Sunday (Regina), 1 presentation (Saskatoon), 1 radio interview (P.A.), toured 1 hospital (Victory at P.A.), 1 museum (Regina), 1 Art Gallery (Regina), 8 bridges, 1 wedding in Woodstock… 1 first nations reservation and I have eaten 1 buffalo burger, Poutine (spelling check?), French Onion Soup, Canadian style Leaver (yes, I ordered it because yes, I like leaver), Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Thai food… among other things.

I am really happy, and absolutely convinced that there is not enough time in life to write down everything you learn while traveling. Thankfully there is such a thing as eternal life.

Since I got to Saskatchewan my skin has dried up…a lot. I have this rash and burn, but I am trying to get rid of it. Still, I am enjoying everything. People in Canada are VERY VERY VERY kind and hospitable. God has put people each step of the way and I am really enjoying receiving all of their love.

Just when I got to Regina it was long weekend. Normally the ROC church cancels all their activities because most people get out of town. They were so nice, they kept their schedule because I was coming and even though it was Victory day, a good number of people showed up. At the end a lot of them came to greet me and encourage me for the work I am performing. I met a family who lived in Peru for 4 years, a South African girl and many more…I was filled with their smiles and love. Here people do not greet with a kiss on the cheek like we do in Peru, but their words are as warm as summer sunsets, filled with true love and energy.  

Something very special about this trip is that I have been able to get together with a lot of people I have worked with in the last years. In many places, including Ludwing’s wedding people have approached me because their recognized me from 2, 3… 4 years ago or maybe more.

We have visited many places. Weather has been great. There is sooo much space everywhere and the scenery is full of green. I love the trees.

When I got to Saskatoon, it was raining ALL day. We were very few people at the presentation… but seeing that all of us were already involved in international development, and the variety of the projects represented, I decided to change it a little bit. I started by telling them that I would speak for a little while but then we would all have a discussion giving our opinion. There were green-energy business men with the interest of creating resources to support ministries, a friend who is a Bible School student, a couple friends of mine who are just getting ready to move to Peru and start a children’s home, a friend from Sudan and the CEO of the Bible School who invited me to this trip. It always makes me nervous to have to speak in public before people who have already accomplished millions of things and experiences but somehow everybody enjoyed it. Instead of giving a presentation I ended up moderating a bible study which seemed to be very productive and everybody was encouraged in each one of their projects for God.  

Well, yesterday I was told we would have frost and then snow…but today is sunny! I guess it is not so bad since I have nothing heavy enough for snow so, it’s ok.

¡Un abrazo a todos!
Inés.

Oh Canada!

Ok. Here we go: I am off to Canada.

If I actually think about it, my legs start feeling weak just like when I stood on the bridge at Santa Eulalia getting ready to jump off (Nah. I didn’t “jump”, it was more of a graceful fall… you can watch it on YouTube).

Somehow I got this invitation from the Chakam School of the Bible: To go to Canada as the speaker for the “Land of the Incas Tour”, a number of presentations to promote volunteering opportunities in Peru. This event is partially sponsored by the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation. Which means I am going to speak about Peru, the need, how international cooperation and volunteering can help and what are some opportunities to perform volunteering in Peru (such as the Casa Hogar Torre Fuerte in Arequipa).

From all times in the universe, a Peruvian friend who lives in Canada happens to be getting married just a few days prior to my presentations. Congratulations Mr. Ludwing! It is just so exciting that thanks to all this I get to be there too. Also, I will be able to visit many friends I have worked with throughout the last 10 years of mission trips. I met some of them interpreting for them, leading programs, or (trying) teaching them Spanish. These last days have been full of coordination messages and finally I’ve got an itinerary. I will be visiting about 6 cities, 8 confirmed presentations, a radio interview and a wedding. The total amount of attending people is about 1000. They asked the Canadian Embassy from Peru to send promotional material too.

So there I go. I hope to be able to share from my experience and the value that I keep finding in intercultural collaboration. I don’t know how they found me. I don’t know what will happen after this. I know it is a really nice way to celebrate 10 years since my very first mission’s trip. Something has not changed: I am more scared of what may happen if I do NOT do this. So, even though I am not sure I actually want to go, I’m going. Of course a part of me wants to go, but I must be honest with myself, there are a thousand fears and awkwardness, but fear is not enough of a reason to stop doing what is right.

I want to thank everyone who has supported and encouraged me. To Fer for recommending me, the CEO of Chakam for inviting me, my family and friends for believing in me, Barbra calling me wonder woman, Wilder for the photos, the Emmanuel Noticias team for keeping the good work while I am gone… to all the members of the “Amigos de Ines” group. You know who you are and your support is holding me up and encourages me. Thanks Rocio for the info. Talks with friends like Pierre from  France Volontaires Peru and Pepe from Frontline Peru inspired me a lot for the presentations. Thank you everyone. There are many more to mention J

Maybe I will be back in June. I might go to Central America after, who knows? I don’t.

"…Freely you have received; freely give."

Freely you have received; freely give.⁹ “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts — ¹⁰ no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. ¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. ¹² As you enter the home, give it your greeting. - Matthew 10:8b-12 (NIV)

Arequipa, Peru.

Let’s say the previous scripture would pretty much sums up my trip to Arequipa. Here is what happened: I quit my job. I bought a ticket using my credit card (and being careful with my kidney in case I had to use it to pay the bill at the end of the month) and I took off. I used a backpack instead of a suitcase to save money using the bus instead of a taxi to the airport. I was determined to save money. I got to Arequipa. I ate very well. I even got to watch movies, visited the doctor and went horseback riding. Really, I got there and my Arequipa habitant friends received me so well that I lack nothing. 

Of course they're gonna like me. I showed up with 2,000 cupcake liners :) 

My one and only worry was during the meeting with Ps. Dario and Ps. Scott at the Hogar Torre Fuerte. We looked at some numbers while I could only swallow my tears. Finishing the meeting with a prayer I felt as in my spirit I was on my knees, and even face on the ground begging God to allow me to be useful somehow.

Some people are good doing business. People can work in an office and that is wonderful. I have tried, several times, to work in something “constant” and I am unhappy. I have this inner voice that sounds more like an out loud speaker screaming instead of whispering. This little voice keeps telling me: “What are you doing?” To me is impossible to try to work in an office while I am being yelled at like that.

For example, when I was around 5 I decided I would not have children. There are already many kids without parents. It is not craziness, or anything special but simple math! If I find out my hair is strong then the most logical thing to do is let it grow to donate it instead of cutting it by bits and in layers so it ends up in the trash can. And if I have contacts that spontaneously get to me, along with the ability to inform and encourage others, helping projects to happen… I should do that in something worthy.

That is why I quit. Because it made a lot more sense to do this than to sit reading documents. The visit to Arequipa and the way God provided and keeps providing is a confirmation that it was the right decision. My fear now is, that I am so imperfect that I may mess this up. I will need friends to help along. We are not all called to do the same thing. That is why we are to work together and complement our talents/resources. Makes sense.

Now I am looking for volunteers and sponsors. If you are called to be part of this, get in touch with me (brand new marketing manager of the Hogar Torre Fuerte) and I can help you do it. The Hogar Torre Fuerte Girls Home is there already, and works really well. It only needs for us to go there and help it continue the work. Help is easy. It is our opportunity.

English page: http://www.facebook.com/CHTorreFuerte

Spanish page:  http://www.facebook.com/casahogartorrefuerte

Web: www.hogartorrefuerte.com

Priceless Girls

Yesterday I left Lima to go to Arequipa (with 2 thousand cupcake liners in my backpack). I was afraid I would miss my flight, but thankfully everything worked well. I had in my bag a chicken filet sandwich my mom made for me, with spinach and mustard. I got to the gate and I bought blueberry Powerade. “It’s 6 soles” (I hand out a 50 soles bill) “Do you have a smaller bill? Would you like to buy something else along with your drink?” “No” (while in my head I was yelling at him: Have you completely lost your mind? You charge me 6 soles when I could pay 2 outside and you want me to buy more…no way dude. Plus…that’s my only bill hehe) “Hmm, no, thank you.”

The plane was not full at all and my window seat on row 13 was surrounded by British English. The gentleman two seats from me heard me speak in English on the phone and said I had a wonderful accent. He lives in Mollendo (look it up, near Arequipa). He said I am too young to have altitude sickness (oops! I didn’t kno that one!). His 5 year old grandson sat next to me in the middle of the flight with his huge blue eyes and 3 thousand freckles nose and all invading the magazine I was reading. I fell in love (but I was so nervous I didn’t say anything).

Nice and smooth landing to Arequipa. Leslie and Katie were waiting for me and I was more than happy to give them the two thousand cupcake liners I had bought in Lima’s Central Market (they are not available in Arequipa).

Today I turned 28 years old. I got up early morning; walking dead looking to be able to attend to Torre Fuerte’s Church and celebrated Resurrection Sunday at 7:30am. Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful service. Then we were off to Miguel Grau district area to visit another church and celebrate a pastor’s installation (is that how you say it?) and the service was 3.5 hours long. The worship songs in saya music always get me excited. I fell asleep only once while standing and thankfully Katie was standing next to me to not let me fall. My phone received calls from Lima and Pucallpa but I could not answer because we were in the middle of the service (for quite a while) and there were to great Andes representative ladies sitting at the end of the bench. Even me and my bodyless self would not have made it through.

We went up to the 3^rd floor and sat to have soup and Carcancho*. My cellphone rang only a couple times but I had my hands deep on my lamb. After all the ceremony with special guests we were sitting, eating with our hands. Awesome! I was the happiest girl on earth and I thank God for giving me this for my birthday (and for my table mates not staring at me for not eating the chuño on my soup and my potato didn’t have a worm and because I managed to tear the skin off my lamb to not have to eat all the hairs…only a few). Yum. I was a stranger in this feast. Thank you for feeding this odd and whitish alien.

We arrived home to relax a little, drink coffee and while the conversation jumped from one subject to another, it always went back to the one thing we cared the most: The Hogar.

We talked about many different things and Leslie was taking notes. It was good. We finished squeezing our hearts and brains coming to the same conclusion we always get: We love the girls, the moms, the pastors and their opinion is too important to keep this conversation without them. A movie? “Despicable Me”. I struggled to not fall asleep and to not cry when I saw the girls…(1st time watching this movie)…I want that too. I remembered that today my first gift was walking to church reluctantly and Mayra came to hug me through the entire worship time. A smiling girl’s hug is priceless.

Movie was over and my phone rang: It was my daddy. A call I had been waiting all day. I ran to the bedroom to not be loud and annoying and we talked for 8 minutes. Undeniable tears ran down my face and I hanged up unwillingly. Is the call really over?
Conclusion: Every girl needs her Daddy.

* "Cancacho is roasted lamb. Its translation comes from quechua. Smells good and tastes even better. Behind this dish there is a little unknown secret even to connoisseur tourists: after marinating it in panca pepper, garlic, cumin, pepper and dark beer, it is cooked inside an oven heated up by the flames produced by cattle’s manure. Let’s say that everything about the little lamb is used for its preparation.” - Cancacho, uno de los platos más sabrosos y poco conocidos del Perú (article available in Spanish)

Introduction

I have a busy life. That will just never change, nor even after I die. In the mist of many events and places, I got the chance to sit with someone with a life and place different to mine, but with a likely heart. We got to meet after 2 years and thousands of miles and faces. I shared:

"Last year I was ready to quit interpreting. I made the decision. Then God took me to the platform and I could not say no. I realized that I could not retire without leaving a legacy. Reproduction is a step before death comes in the cycle of life. You cannot die to something unless you have multiplied yourself first, otherwise you cannot say you are done with what you started. So, applying such truth, I started training interpreters."

We kept talking, and my dear friend brought back the words I had mentioned: "But you have left a legacy. You haven't been able to see the lives you have touched and the fruit of your work. You have touched so many lives and you don't knot it". (tears, tears of mine) I am not worthy of recognition, but these words rewarded me as if a million stars were laid at my feet.

Do I need to know though? Do I have to see the fruit of my work in order to feel satisfied? If what I am doing is true, honest and worthy of my giving up my life for it (time, money, talent and everything "my life" means at the moment), I shouldn't need to see the fruit of what I do to realize I did right. That is how you know you are doing it right. When you cannot see and you don't need to see to do the right thing. That is when you can say, I am ready to give up my life. Because I have lived in a satisfactory way. That's why I can say: I am ready to die.

That is what this is about. Sharing how sometimes life can be lived as if we are trying to die. When life is not what it seems, and its best value is found in the knowledge of eternity as reachable property...and the suffering knowing there is someone by my side who does not owns it yet.

Comments and questions are welcomed :)