Hospitality is Alive and Well in Lima, Peru

Have you ever been someplace where you felt at home immediately? Where you felt comfortable and welcome? Growing up that place was my grandma's house. Partially it was because her house was fun - she had a swimming pool, she always kept crayons there for me and she had little candy bars stashed in various places but more than anything it was the way she and my grandpa treated us. It was the way they spoke, the way they considered us in plans, the way they loved on us. No other place has ever felt quite like Grandma and Grandpa's house.

When I consider the time we spent in Peru - one thing that I keep coming back to is the way we were received. The people at Camino de Vida were absolutely incredible! Obviously they were happy to have a group of people come to help finish a very big project but it went so far past that!

Israel and the crew on the bus

I should start with Israel Chavez. Our trip would not have been the same if not for this guy! He was our constant companion, our translator and our friend. He sacrificed his time (vacation time) and time with his wife and four kids to be with us. He made sure to show us some of the coolest places in Lima, made sure to introduce us to some of the best food in Peru, came early several mornings to walk us 20 minutes to the best coffee shop in Lima, helped us pick out chocolate at the grocery store, rescued us at the check out when the cashier was speaking muy rapido en Espanol, and did an incredible impression of our Catacomb tour guide. He is an incredible story teller and we so enjoyed hearing about his time in the US in high school and about the first time he ever saw his wife. Also, he is like a legit praise and worship rock star! My daughters and I agree, meeting Israel was a highlight of our trip and it wouldn't have been the same without his investment in our lives and our trip.

Look at those smiles!

Then there were the ladies and gentlemen in the kitchen!! I want to remember their sweet faces forever. They cooked and cleaned and chopped literally all day (they started before we arrived each day and were always working when we left preparing for the next day) to serve us some of the best food I have ever eaten! I actually think I gained weight while I was there!!! And they were genuinely happy to do it.

Dominique, Haley and Stephany

Then there were these two, Stephany and Dominique! They were so very gracious, constantly checking on us, going floor to floor offering water and checking to see if we needed anything. They were eager to try to talk with us and build relationships despite the language barrier! They truly have a heart of serving and hospitality and it blessed us!! And look at those beautiful smiles!!

Jon Carlos and Braxton

The beautiful Veronica Chiang

And I can't forget to mention Jon Carlos and Veronica. Jon Carlos will be running the house in La Victoria and he has such a heart for this community. He was so grateful to have us there and was so sweet to us. Veronica was amazing! She went out with us on outreaches to help us with our Spanish (which improved while were were there but is still VERY lacking!) She is genuinely kind, extremely patient, funny and loving and we are blessed to know her!

These are just a few of the people who blessed us while they were there but honestly, there was an overall spirit of hospitality! We felt so welcome and loved! I think that is part of the reason it was so hard to say goodbye! I didn't expect to fall in love with the people of Peru - but I did!

The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:9 (amplified version)
9 Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ’s body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him).

This is exactly the way they received us - they are representatives of Christ and I pray that every person who steps foot in the La Victoria house senses this love and grace. That they feel welcome in that place and in the family of God!

Back at home, it is our job to make sure we make others feel this way in our homes and in our church. It is more than saying hello as a visitor comes through the door. It is a genuine smile, a conversation, meeting needs and loving them! It is slowing down a bit to actually listen when someone talks. It is considering others in our plans, taking into consideration how we would want to be treated. I need to grow in this - I will use my sweet friends in Peru as my example!!

Muchas gracias, mi nueva familia! Te amo!

Meet Lisa Alfonsi

So, I feel like I should tell you that in general I find myself getting pretty disgusted  and discouraged with and by humanity in general. I often shake my head when I consider all of the horrible things going on around the world that people allow and usually applaud. And don't get me wrong...I've not done much to help the situation. I find myself asking the question, "what can one person do, really?" In fact, I realized on this trip that I have a character flaw (ok one of many). When I don't feel like I can do something with excellence and finish a task in a reasonable amount of time, I just don't start the task. The problems seem impossible. However, on my trip to Lima, I met people doing things to make a difference. I met people willing to do whatever it takes to obey the call of God on their lives. And I realized that everything you do to make a difference, even if seemingly small, God can multiply to make a difference for and in many! I'd like to tell you about one of those people - her name is Lisa.

One day while in Lima Caitlin, Lauren, Sierra and I had the opportunity to visit a local orphanage with Lisa.

Caitlin, Lauren, Sierra and me

Lisa and 3 year old Adriano

Lisa is an occupational therapist who works with children with various disabilities in Lima. She serves at two local orphanages and will have an OT room at the new Camino de Vida house in La Victoria. There are 24 children who live in this house and while it is sad that they do not have parents, Lisa encouraged us to remember that while they live in this house, they are cared for, receive medical care and therapy, are bathed and fed, etc. Oftentimes parents of disabled children do not have the resources or the knowledge to appropriately care for their children. We so enjoyed watching her with Adriano, a sweet 3 year old boy who stole our heart with his sweet smile and we were so thrilled to see him progress in the short session Lisa had with him! Watching Lisa speak sweetly to each child, gently caressing their hair and kissing their sweet little heads melted my heart.

She uses a platform swing with most of her kiddos. I'd never seen anything like it but we loved watching her use the swing in her therapy session. The kids loved it and really responded well. I was reminded of how much my nieces and nephews enjoy their time on the swing and thought it was so cool that something like that could be used to help children in so many different ways! She mentioned that she had donated her swing to this particular orphanage so she would be without one at her new location at the La Victoria house.  I hope to help her remedy this situation!!

Adriano and the platform swing

I was blown away by this young lady and her commitment to being obedient to God and loving on and working with children. She only worked with 3 kids that particular day but she impacted the 4 of us forever and inspired us to do more and to love more. She is making a difference in Peru and I don't think we will know the full story on the difference she has made until we get to heaven! I can't wait to celebrate with her when she receives her crown!

Exceedingly Abundantly Above and Beyond

So, I haven't blogged for a very long time...like years. But, my daughters and I have just returned from a missions trip to Lima, Peru with COTM Missions serving at Camino de Vida and I have to start putting some of my thoughts into words to process them. Plus, this way if people want to know details about the trip - they can read the blog and I won't bore to tears someone who is completely uninterested by telling story after story after story!

I think I need to say that I decided to go on this trip because my daughters wanted to go on this trip. COTM had several trips a person could sign up for but Caitlin wanted to go to Peru and she is under 18 so she had to be accompanied by an adult. When we had our first meeting before the trip and everyone was sharing why they were going to Peru - I felt like an imposter. God had not spoken audibly to me telling me to go to Lima, I had never really even considered the Peruvian people. One guy from our group had already made several trips to Peru, one had been praying for Peru since he was a child, even my older daughter, Lauren, had had this particular church on her heart for years. For me, I knew that I wanted to serve God somewhere...I knew that I wanted to go on a missions trip...I knew that I wanted my kids to have a missions trip experience - where they come back more thankful for their lives and their things and their parents. I wanted them to see how good they have it. So even the whole time we were raising the funds to go I felt like I was piggybacking on Caitlin's desire to go to Lima. I felt fake.

When the time for the trip was drawing close, people began telling us to have fun and there was always talk of a trip like this changing your life but I felt like it was wrong to expect to have fun...I felt like the priority should be on changing the lives of others - not on personally having an experience.

What I found was that serving God, being obedient and willing to serve others does it all - it changed me, it changed the community, it changed my daughters, and it was fun! God is so cool like that - serving Him blesses everyone involved - it wasn't either/or! I can't think of a time in my life where I worked as hard and laughed as much or loved as deeply or felt like I was making a difference or made as many lifetime friends or was as proud of my daughters, and on and on and on!

The Bible says in Ephesians 3:20 that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all I can ask or think (infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams)..and that is exactly what He did!

Grandma Grape Would Have Liked Michael Buble

My Grandma and Grandpa Grape were litrally (yes, litrally) two of my most favorite people. In fact, I would say for many years, my Grandma was my best friend! I can't tell you what one thing made them so special....but I could tell you a million! It hurts my heart ( I know that is a corny way to say that and I don't really care) when I start remembering things about them because I miss them so much! So, in typical Carri fashion whenever a thought or memory surfaces, I typically push it way back down and purposely think about something different. Many would say that is unhealthy but it seems to work for me most of the time.

However, this morning as we were driving to school, listening to Michael Buble I thought about my grandparents. I think my grandma would have liked him. They absolutely loved dancing and I can remember them dancing in the cute way that they did. My grandpa doing this little shuffle thing with his feet and my grandma twirling around. They really were very good and it was precious! In fact, one of the memories I hold most dear is the way my grandpa would look at my grandma and smile his sweet smile. They were so in love! I guess after a lot of years, lots of couples don't still like each other, much less love each other...but they did. Their eyes would light up at the sight of the other. And the sweet way they took care of each other throughout the years was an example of compassion and love like I have never seen anywhere else.

Scott and I are getting ready to celebrate 16 years of marriage so I am maybe a little sentimental right now...maybe that is why I allowed myself to think about my grandparents this morning. The memories I have are like snapshots of some of the best moments of my life. I am so thankful for the heritage of marriage they created. It is my deepest heart's desire to someday model that kind of love to my kids and grandkids. There has never been a more wonderful couple or a more perfect set of grandparents...ever. And today, I may let myself picture them dancing and remember the way my Grandpa Grape smiled at Grandma. I think they might have danced to Michael Buble.

The Grimm Legacy - A Book Review

Okay, so it has been quite a little while since my last post - I want to say this about that - it did not take me that long to read this book!  I couldn't put it down! I just had some other things I had to tend to before I could sit down to share my review with you!

I described this book to my daughters as similar to the movie "Enchanted" where fairy tales and fairy tale characters find their way into the real world.  If you are opposed to fairy tale magic and Disney type witches and spells...this book is not for you or your children.  If, however, you are okay with stories like Snow White and the idea of magic carpets, etc. this may be a book for you to enjoy.

I loved it! AND I do think this book, unlike "Warriors in the Crossfire" could win this year's Sequoyah award! Below are my notes with page numbers for your reference of things I think might cause a mom or dad pause...I will leave that up to you!

page 39 - Aaron stares after Anjali with a "look of naked longing"
page 51 - reference to technology as "modern magic"
page 52 - discussion about modern magic and "the old kind"
page 68, 83 - urine
page 85 - Elizabeth tells a friend "I suck at music"
page 85 - Elizabeth has a conversation with the magic mirror
page 86 - Elizabeth realizes that everything in the Grimm collection is magic
page 98 - mention of a fairy tale about the "Spirit in the Bottle"
page 108 - the seven leagues boots
page 112 - more fairy tale magic...and can I just say from this point forward - any page could have fairy tale type magic both happy fairy kind and scary creature kind...it is what the book is about :) So I am not going to note it any more...seems kind of silly, don't you think?
page 113 - mention of spilled beer
page 129 - protection spell
page 130 - "you should be safe-from bad magic, anyway"
page 150 - comment about Elizabeth's mom "always looking for the soul in things"
page 152 - the kids that worked at the library lied to their bosses
page 153-154 - Elizabeth is trying to keep a conversation private and when a boy keeps pressing her to tell him what she was talking about, Elizabeth tells him they were talking about "girl stuff". After he continues to press, she begins to give him an explanation about changes in a girl's body, hormones, blood flow, etc. It is a brief sentence or two but worth noting in case you haven't had that talk with your child yet (another subject for another day)
page 173 - a ceremonial vessel used to hold a chief's gold and spiritual treasure
page 175-177 - Elizabeth was led in a little chanty vow type thing to forfeit part of her in exchange for the use of an item from the Grimm collection. She chose to put her sense of direction down as a deposit. It came out of her body into a sort of blob and was placed in the vessel until the safe return of the mermaid comb she borrowed
page 198, 201- slow kiss between Anjali and Mark (slightly intimate)
page 209-210 - instructions on making the protection bracelet
page 226 - "you suck"
page 230 - Elizabeth and Aaron are in his bedroom and the mirror shows a reflection of the two of them making out, followed by straightening their clothes (obviously also slightly intimate)
page 231 - Elizabeth was having a hard time keeping her mind off of what their reflections were doing "under that blanket". I believe the implication was that the mirror was covered back up with a blanket and the reflections were under that blanket but who knows for sure what the author was trying to imply...
page 268 - magic wand
page 281 - crystal ball
page 315 - discussion about whether or not a ghost could administer the kiss of true love to bring a person back to life (after having been turned into a figurine)
page 323 - a little more kissing

Okay...so as I typed this out I remembered the kissing did bother me a little.  For me, I would definitely let my HS freshman daughter read it...maybe not a fifth grade daughter. But like I said before, that is your call - I am here to provide info. You must take the info and make the right decision for your kiddos!

My plan for the next blog post is fun with the foundation repair man...I am sure you won't want to miss it!

"Warriors in the Crossfire"

"Warriors in the Crossfire" is a nominee for the Sequoyah Intermediate Award for the 2012-2013 school year. The Sequoyah Award, sponsored by the Oklahoma Library Association, is given to one book from the list each year and is voted on by students. The intermediate level is for grades 6 through 8.

"Warriors in the Crossfire" is a historical fiction set on the island of Saipan during World War II. It is the story of a young boy and his family and their quest to survive the war and all of its effects on a family and their village.  This village, quite literally, was caught in the crossfire between the Japanese and the Americans.

I typically enjoy historical fiction but I didn't love this book. However, someone interested in this culture and era might.

When I review a book, I make notes about words or sections that I think might be important in deciding if this would be an appropriate book for a child to read. I try to note things that would bother me as a parent, but I also try to take into consideration the concerns of parents who may be even more cautious than me. 

So, here it goes...my notes on "Warriors in the Crossfire":

page 14 - Joseph and Kento have a plan to lie if they are questioned about where they have been

page 17 - A prayer to the "spirits of the sea" for safe travel and guidance, sighting of fairy terns believed to be a good omen

page 20 - In hunting turtles, Kento is told to ask the turtle permission to "take him", and ask his spirit "to give you his courage"

page 21 - mention of a good omen

pages 34, 35 - teen boys joked Joseph about his sister's "ripe mangoes" (apparently the females in the tribe wore only a skirt)

page 40 - chant to their ancestors

page 41 - soldiers drinking and getting drunk on sake and beer

page 41, 42 - drunken teen boys taunting Joseph about his pretty, naked sister, with "breasts as round as melons"

page 45 - mention of cockfighting

page 56 - Joseph's dad takes him to the cliffs and tells him to never return to this place of death and mentions the "white woman's hungry scream" and the fairy terns call to the lost souls who "forever search for home"

page 63 - mention of an omen

page 70 - thanking the spirits for their food

page 74, 75, 76 - the story of their ancestors (includes a spirit commanding them to get up, dance, chant, strike their warrior spears...then instructing them to teach their children the chants and the dances)

page 82 - instruction to "touch your spirit" in preparation to dance

page 83 - mention of ghosts (more of a question, not really an implication of the presence of actual ghosts)

page 91 - cry to our ancestors

page 93 - dark spirits that would steal the soul

page 96 - Joseph was given the responsibility of carrying his deceased father in the burial mat to the sea at Sa'dog Tasi the beginning of his "spirit path"

page 98 - Joseph prays to his ancestors to come and welcome his father

page 110 - a prayer to the Mother of God

page 112 - thanks to the spirits

page 113 - question "was this Kento? or his ghost?" It was Kento but it had been some time since they had seen him...hence the question

page 115 - place of lost spirits

page 118 - a scene where a mother and her children were shot and beheaded

page 118-120 - people leaping and stepping off the cliffs to their deaths 

page 120 - lady shot in the head

page 131 - a scene of dead bodies..."swollen like dead fish"

page 132 - thanks to our ancestors

page 138 - "our ancestors were dancing - spinning, sweeping, flying"

I think there is the potential for this book to open up a dialog with your children about the effects of war and the value of honoring and cherishing your family. I think the discussion throughout the book about spirits and ancestors can be used to discuss the differences between that and a Christian worldview. I don't think that this book will cause any children to forsake their Christian belief system in lieu of praying and chanting to our ancestors and various spirits of the sea, etc...BUT I do not think this is going to become the next young reader sensation either. And while I think it is valuable to read things like this to be reminded of how incredibly blessed we are to live in a relatively peaceful and prosperous  place and time, I personally do not expect it to win this year's Intermediate Sequoyah award!

Stay tuned for my review on "The Grimm Legacy"!!! So far, I can't seem to put it down!

 

Purpose

In deciding to create a blog I wondered if anyone would really be interested in what I have to say but I decided to dive in and give it a try!  Hopefully, I can share information that is useful to you in one way or another, helps you see things in a different light, maybe give you hope, or even make you laugh a little! So here it goes...

The purpose of this blog is three-fold

1. Review popular school-age fiction books

Here's the deal. I never knew that I loved to read until I worked at an elementary school where I fell in love with the librarian and realized that she needed help.At this particular school, almost every book is reviewed before it is put on the shelf for children to check-out, and this lovely librarian had fallen behind. So, in an effort to help her catch up, I began to read and review books for her. In the process, I fell in love with reading. I have so much fun recommending a book to my children! However, I know that not all moms love to read and not all moms have/take the time to read, so I would love to provide a resource for moms to use to preview books before they allow their children to read them.

2. Share the things I wish someone had told me

Over the years I have often found myself thinking - "I wish someone had told me that". It is my goal to share those things with you so that you will know what I didn't...hopefully in time to help!

3. Confess my progress

I feel like I had a lot to learn as an adult. I mean A LOT!!! My guess is that some of those lessons may be things others need to learn, too. I probably don't mean you but maybe someone you know...wink, wink! And quite honestly, there are a lot of things I didn't learn in time but have admired in others so maybe we can muddle our way through those life lessons together! And then your life and mine can be a "Life in Progress"!