missionaryMAC

Happy Leap Day! Today marks one month and one day since the unthinkable happened less than a block from my front door.  Since so many of you continue to check in on me and let me know you're (still!) praying for me, I'm hopeful that this illustrates how your prayers these past weeks have been answered and will help make your ongoing intercessions more specific.  Physically, I'm back to 100%! I experienced some lingering left shoulder pain that's since dissipated, and the last of my scabs is gone.  Thanks to a missionary friend's sister who made a well-timed visit and the LCMS staff writer that tagged along with last week's short-term team in Peru , I'm only missing two critical items: my replacement drivers' license is, Lord willing, at the post office waiting to be picked up when our secretary Clarissa goes on her next mail run, and I'll drive to the capital Monday to pick up my replacement Dominican residency card. The new purse I got...

I shamelessly stole the title of this post from the paparazzi that shadowed us Monday and Tuesday: an LCMS staff writer and photographer who came to Lima to document "the church being the church" for a story that'll run in the Spring 2020 edition of Lutherans Engage the World . Not a bunch of privileged Anglos from Midwestern suburbia taking pity on people of humble means. Not a thinly disguised tour group that did some good deeds in between 1st century Incan and 16th century Baroque architecture or dulce de leche stuffed croissants and ceviche (although we enjoyed all of the above). Just God's people who happen to have been born in one place and grown up speaking one language doing a lot of mutual sharing, learning, laughing, crying, teaching, encouraging, praying, and hugging with more of God's people who happen to have been born in another place and grown up speaking another language. Notice I didn't say which was which. Mere days into their time in Lima,...

Two of the things I've learned so far this week:  1. DON'T try and get across Lima on a Friday afternoon, especially in public transportation.   2. DO peel chirimoya before cooking it.  Alongside Assistant Volunteer Coordinator Courtney and Regional Human Life Coordinator Jamielynn, I'm in Lima, Peru, for the 3rd time with yet another short-term team. This one is an "assembled team" representing two congregations in IL and IA. They're here to do "Community Health Evangelism" (CHE) - helping to improve the holistic health of a community by teaching dynamic, faith-based lessons on any number of topics. There are literally thousands available, some of which have been translated into Spanish already.  Typically, I'd get to Lima a day earlier than the team I'm hosting. The national pastors and local leaders here are phenomenal, so all I need to do is grocery shop. This time, I allowed an extra day with the goal of learning how to ge...

Last week's unconventional short-term team was a welcome distraction from ~ recent events ~. I'd also like to point out that this is the first group to come to Santiago for which I didn't abandon Courtney by leaving the country! Rather, we co-hosted ten individuals from Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Plano, TX, that spent a long weekend doing what we call "mission education." In lieu of a traditional work project, the group took a deep dive into just about every aspect of the DRLM's work of spreading the Gospel, planting Lutheran churches, and showing mercy. They toured ministry sites, participated in church and school activities, and got plenty of face time with missionaries, students, and local leaders. Even in just three full days, I don't feel like we skimped anywhere with the exception of not road-tripping to Kilometer 28 or Santo Domingo. Take a look: The team explored the many institutions that operate out of Palmar on Friday, beginning with C...