missionaryMAC

Team #4/4 is home safely, so I'm finally getting around to documenting the rest of team #3/4. All ten of us - the team of nine from Peace Lutheran Church in Lemay, MO, plus me - got through it by the grace of God.  My first post took you through Wednesday... Thursday morning, one of our ranks wasn't feeling up to joining the team, so she stayed back with another team member to care for her. I always feel like we're missing a limb when that happens! They missed "Mary & Martha" day at VBS and  tallarines verdes at Rev. Elvis (below, right) and his wife Alba's house for dinner. We also celebrated Elvis's 30th birthday with a  lúcuma cake that successfully survived a ride on the city bus and a roughly 90 min. haul across town at rush hour in our rented shuttle bus (I warned everyone in advance it'd be long!).  Greg didn't shy away from talking theology with Rev. Jeancarlos (Pastor-elect Jeancarlos at the time!) and Rev. Elvis, both of whom speak

Team #4/4 missed their afternoon flight and now arrives at 10:42 pm, so voilà: blog time.  Team #3/4 hailed from my hometown of St. Louis, MO, but spent last week in Lima, Peru, leading VBS for the kids at the Castillo Fuerte mercy house in the La Victoria district. We hadn't even made it to our lodging yet before someone asked what high school I went to - #iykyk.  Gold star for preparedness! The congregation, Peace Lutheran in Lemay, has a long history of doing VBS at Hong Kong International School and therefore had it down to a science. The twist in this setting was that they're used to teaching a different group of kids each day in English, not the same kids all week through an interpreter.  Sunday was a blur of worship, a…relaxed…lunch hosted by a member at her rooftop terrace café, shopping, and sunset views, but the spring chill didn’t do my body any favors so I wasn’t enjoying any of it…or documenting it for posterity!  I came out of the bathroom Monday morning to a sea

First Fiona ; now Ian.  Let me preface this by saying that my CNN morning news briefing reported two [known] hurricane-related casualties in Cuba, 76 in FL, and four in NC. The DR didn't see a drop from Ian, so I have zero  grounds to complain; please don't hear me doing so. Thousands are mourning the loss of property, livelihood, and loved ones, and let's not forget the very real aftermath of Fiona in parts of PR. This blog, however, is a place where I recount #missionarylife, and however tangentially, Ian figured into recent happenings, or lack thereof.  I'm supposed to be with a team right now. My meticulously arranged schedule showed exactly three free days between the  Hageman team  and team #2 of 4, expected last Wednesday. American Airlines proactively contacted the team leader about potential delays and cancellations, so I prepared to receive them Tuesday in advance of the storm if need be. Unable to pivot quickly enough to do anything else - and who can blame t