I've already been here a whole month?!

Well, I wish I did a better job of blogging because I mainly just post tons of pictures on Facebook without blogging about the details! But I’m still really enjoying life here…lots of laughs with new friends, lots of interesting and new experiences, and lots of hilarious moments with Kelly! Her blog about Peru is http://vidafromvillamilagro.blogspot.com/. Click on the link for more details on our trip!

A little update, I'm starting two new English classes that Kelly is co-teaching with me: one for the college students who go to church at Monte Sion, and one for the workers here at Villa Milagro. We're doing the college student class twice a week at the school (and once a week we'll also play soccer and volleyball in addition to the lesson). Hopefully I can do the Villa Milagro lessons more than twice a week so they get a LOT of English learned before I leave in a few weeks! It's gonna be fun to teach my own class, but it will be hard since it's something I've never done before, and we'll be starting from the absolute basics of the language. I'm really excited!

Since I’m bad at thinking about what to write on my blog, here’s a prayer that I wrote out yesterday while at the school.

July 10

Lord, thank You so, so, so much for letting me come here. I still haven’t gotten a Hallmark “aha” moment that screamed, “This is why I’m here”; I haven’t changed the world…I don’t know if I’ve made a difference at all. But I do know that I love life here. I enjoy and appreciate things here so much more than I do in the U.S. It’s still hard and frustrating much of the time I’m in the classroom, but I’m learning a lot! I love this school, this church, and the love that these people have for You and for me. Help me be Christ to these kids, even if only one life is affected. After all, missions, as well as the Christian life, are more about being a light and abiding in You than solely doing work for You, as if you really need our help. So show me where You’re already working, and please invite me to join You. Guide me. Here am I, send me.

Angie is normally so happy..don't know why the serious face here!

Dance fitness with the children during the sermon at Monte Sion.

They're finally catching on and learning some moves!

I love the farm where we live!

 Precious family whom we walk past every day! They always run outside to greet us :)

Christian and Fernando (2 of the brothers) with their gifts!

Cute Julisa (the youngest in the family)

I love being mobbed by my students! Deborah rides with her mom, brother, and me on the bus to school. Isn't she adorable?!

I LOVE ANDY

 Cute second graders!

Every time I see a burro, I have to pet it. Or at least talk to it! Happiness. :)

Huallaypampa Medical Clinic

My mom and brother are here in Cajamarca now! I have really enjoyed showing them all the details of my life for the past few weeks! I went with the group of volunteers to a medical clinic way up in the mountains yesterday and enjoyed it! I worked with two nurses on the triage team. For more details on that medical clinic, please go to Vicki Terrill’s blog at miraclevillageperu.blogspot.com

Before the clinic opened, I saw this burro. I love donkeys and was just longing to pet one for a little while! So this was a great treat. 

At the medical clinic. The people here live very simply and wear traditional Peruvian clothes, which are so pretty!

Larry Johnson, our caretaker! He said “Yo!” to me right when I took this! Haha gotta love the red rag on his head!!

In Huallaypampa. Gorgeous!

This morning, the group and I will all be going to Monte Sion Iglesia for the service, and I have a friend from Cornerstone (Sarah Fletcher) who is going to help me with my fitness routine with the kids during the children’s time at church. She’s here with the Texas group of volunteers!

This week I will continue teaching at Monte Sion, and the pastor has asked me to share my testimony at church on Wednesday night. I did that last year, so it won’t be much different this time, unless I attempt to say it in Spanish! I’m not there yet with the language, so we’ll see if I can translate it ahead of time and read it.

I am absolutely loving my time here and hope the time goes by slowly!! It's so exciting to be doing something I love so much, and being in a place God has given me such a passion for! Love you all. Thanks for praying.

Loving Life!

The following was all typed on Saturday. Of course, the internet hasn’t been working (surprise, surprise! haha) so I am just now posting this! Keep that in mind while reading. :)

After eleven days in Cajamarca, I still have many moments when I can’t believe I’m actually here. I am constantly reminded about how grateful I need to be for this awesome opportunity to live in such a wonderful area. God has given me so much love for the people and culture here in Peru that I get so excited about the simple things…. like trying to practice my Spanish with people, holding hands with adorable children, or observing the city while riding the bus to school each morning. I love the seemingly small things like feeling the cool morning air as I walk to meet a Peruvian mother who rides with me and her absolutely precious kids on the bus to Monte Sion School, taking walks along beautiful paths with Crissy Heath (a missionary/our mom here) and my roommate (and other intern) Kelly, and spending time with Jesus while sitting on a barrel with this gorgeous view.

Last week, Kelly and I had apples and peanut butter for a snack with a gorgeous Villa Milagro view!

Teaching English at Monte Sion has been much different than I had expected. It is much harder than I thought it would be to teach over 200 students (from ages six to sixteen) a language about which they know hardly anything. Before coming here, I planned to start from scratch—the basics of the language—but quickly learned that there was already a curriculum in place with a Peruvian teacher who is eager to learn more English from me. The classes consist mostly of advanced grammar and copying words from the marker board, yet the students don’t know how to say basic greetings. I was frustrated that the system works this way but was encouraged by the Larry Johnson and Crissy Heath (both missionaries here) that things always work better when we are flexible and do things the way Peruvians think is best. Since making this adjustment, I have kept in mind that it is more important for me to love on the students and build relationships with them than to teach English. People > content. Who I teach > what I teach. But I still try to incorporate as much relevant and fun learning into the classrooms as possible. I really enjoy teaching at Monte Sion, and the students and faculty are SO open and welcoming towards me. My favorite thing about spending my days at Monte Sion is being approached by nearly every student, receiving a hug—as well as a kiss on the cheek—and hearing “buenos dias.” Perhaps even better than that, though, is being swarmed by twenty kids at a time saying, “Mees Cecilia!” (Miss Cecilia is what I go by because Claire is too hard to say in Spanish!) I don’t deserve the amount of love and enthusiasm these kids give me, but I am so encouraged by them!

Students at Monte Sion Elementary before they participate in Sean's soccer ministry!

I’ve loved getting to know the church volunteer group from Geyer Springs in Little Rock, as well as the Heaths. Sean and Crissy have meant so much to Kelly and me because of their over-the-top hospitality and all of the fun conversations we have had at their house while learning to cook new recipes! We automatically became close friends with the whole family (they have four hilarious and great kids). I’m grateful for Larry Johnson for letting us stay in his house and for being our caretaker in every possible way! I’ve had a few goof-ups and blond moments that he has already put up with! J I have absolutely loved getting to know Kelly Causin and feel like we’ve gotten so close so fast! She is so kind, fun, and godly; and we get along perfectly! Couldn’t ask for more! The Villa Milagro staff and facilities are so awesome as well. The weather here has been nice but somewhat unpredictable because it gets dark so early and quickly becomes cold. The weather has never been over 70 degrees during the middle of the day, but randomly the temperature will drop or we'll have a little rainshower. Typically, it's in the upper 50s or lower 60s. I still don't miss the 100 degree temps back home!!!

Helping with the soccer, volleyball, and Bible study ministry at the Heaths’ house on Friday nights has been so fun. The kids love having a big yard to play in with their friends and singing Spanish Hillsong praise and worship songs, and so do I! I’ve also enjoyed helping some with the soccer ministry that Sean does at Monte Sion with the boys there during their P.E. time. I help with the children’s activities during Pastor Helmer’s sermons on Sundays at Monte Sion and am trying to learn the best way to do that because the kids are much younger than I had expected for my planned fitness activities. I love going to Monte Sion Baptist Church and getting to know the pastor and his wife better as they drive me back and forth from Villa Milagro and invite me into their home for lunch when I teach all day!

A new friend at the Heaths' soccer ministry. Sorry this is sideways! I can't figure out how to rotate it on this blog!

Tomorrow the Geyer Springs group will be hosting a VBS in the afternoon at Monte Sion, so I will participate in that—I’m so excited! We are also going to two churches in the morning, Monte Sion and one of its nearby annexes. Thanks to all of you for keeping up with my trip, and most of all for your prayers!! Please continue to pray because prayer works! I appreciate it and love you all!

on the journey..

Well... we're in Lima and will head to Cajamarca in the next hour! Mostly everything has gone smoothly! 

The most difficult thing at the Lima airport was trying to buy a water bottle.. we didn't know what con gas meant on a water bottle but found out that it's carbonated water. Only certain restaurants had bottled water, much less "sin gas"bottles! So I found one, took it to the counter, and was told I could only use $2 or soles. All I had were twenties. So we had to search for a cash exchange.. Long story short, I got my non-bubbly water after literally thirty minutes! :)

One mistake we made was not finding the lady who Larry Johnson sent to help us re-check our bags, etc. The poor lady looked for us in the airport for two hours, called Larry, who called our parents saying we couldn't be found in the airport! Oops. All the while we were asleep in the food court! I opened my eyes as a lady holding a sign saying "Kelly Causin: Villa Milagro" was shouting Kelly's name. After she explained the situation and we told her that we had already checked in, she left for 30 minutes then returned. A hotel room had opened up at the airport so we got to take a 3 hour, comfortable nap!

So now we're somewhat rested and so ready to kiss the ground in Cajamarca!!!

it's time!

Tomorrow's the day I've been anticipating for the last eleven months! Kelly Causin and I will be flying out of San Angelo at 11:00 A.M. and going through Dallas, Miami, Lima, before we arrive in Cajamarca. It will be a long day of traveling, but hopefully enough time for me to brush up on some Spanish!

This morning, I was blessed by my youth minister Bobby Catt's prayer commissioning at First Baptist (and Tom Martin stood beside me). It finally hit me...I'm actually leaving the country for nearly two months!

I will be teaching English at Monte Sion Elementary School daily (1st grade through 9th) as well as occasionally helping the teachers there with their English, helping the missionary Sean Heath in teaching English to college students/young adults weekly, and doing a fitness class and Bible study with kids at Monte Sion Church on Sunday mornings. Other than that, I will be doing various other things that may be needed!

I'm hopeful and expectant for God to move and work as I simply ask for Him to use me. I can't do anything of value without Him. I'm so grateful to even be called to this place I'm so drawn to, with a culture and people I absolutely love!

I appreciate all of your prayers as I'm gone! I will need them. Love you all!

God answers.

Well, I've been praying about returning to Peru since last year, and God has answered through opening doors! I am very grateful and excited for this opportunity to spend seven weeks in Cajamarca this summer! Other than teaching English in Monte Sion Elementary School, I don't have a plan except to follow where God leads. I have thought about and missed Peru every day since I left. I am so ready to see what God is already doing there and join Him in His work. I cannot wait to see Villa Milagro staff, the Kervins, members of Monte Sion Church, and students at Monte Sion again! Until then, I want to fall deeper in love with Jesus, finish my semester at Baylor, enjoy time with friends and family here, prepare to teach EFL (English as a Foreign Language), and learn more Spanish!

Thanks to everyone who has prayed for God to lead me in the decision for this trip. He definitely has! :)