missionaryMAC

What a joy to be back in Peru after almost a year since my last trip there . I thoroughly enjoyed hosting nine ladies representing six North Wisconsin District congregations for just over a week at the beginning of February. I learned a few things about a part of the country I've never been to. North Wisconsin has culture! Some hardcore delegating helped them pull off a two-pronged project: a 4-day summer  escuelita (VBS) at the Castillo Fuerte after-school program in the district called La Victoria, followed by a women's retreat about an hour outside Lima (which I'll detail in a separate post).  As always, I arrived in-country in advance of the team so I had time to prep for their arrival. After walking by this mochi donut place a gazillion times over my past several stays in Lima, I finally grabbed one for an afternoon snack on my way to the grocery store. It was...chewy.  The team "Lutheranized" a scuba-themed VBS program that included a memory verse from John ...

It'd been five years since the LAC regional leadership team met at Camp Concordia just outside Belmopan, Belize...and five years since our meeting was interrupted by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Puerto Rico. That reality wasn't far from anyone's mind, but I'm happy to report that this go-round went according to plan - as much as anything does on the mission field, that is.  Two representatives from the LCMS Communications team joined the Santiago-based contingent and our three Area Facilitators (based in Belize, Panama, and Uruguay, respectively) for two days of high-level planning that would take weeks or months via Zoom, WhatsApp, and email.  The "Fab Four" (Tirzah, Jamielynn, Courtney, and I) took our newest initiate on a pre-dinner walk after Herb & I got back from Mexico  Monday afternoon. #viewfromhere for Tuesday & Wednesday. I got to give a brief report on Expanding the Spanish Footprint , YTD volunteer activity, and the outlook for the remai...

My first order of business in Belize last week? Get out of dodge. Seriously!  Less than 24 hours after I landed, Rev. Herb Burch and I made a run for the Mexico border Sunday morning. Because of its proximity, the Belize team oversees LCMS church planting in the Yucatan Peninsula, including a small congregation in Chetumal that we aimed to worship with. Orange Walk District, Belize's northernmost, was conveniently on the way.  Entering Orange Walk town. Herb made sure to point out amenities (hotels, restaurants, medical facilities) that may be of interest to me, should I ever be called upon to host volunteers serving at one of the two area congregations. Iglesia Luterana Castillo Fuerte in the Trial Farm neighborhood holds kids' activities on Saturday afternoons and worship services on Sunday evenings.  Visiting Rev. Roldan Ríos, a soon-to-be-colloquized national pastor (although he's actually Peruvian!) who serves in the area, and his wife Ruth.  Orange Walk is suga...

...and women! It was more than a few, too; this year's Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL) team, which included the president, Rev. Dr. Tom Egger, was quite possibly the largest I've hosted in LAC: 16 people.  I'd like to say we did the usual slate of Mission Education activities, but there's really no such thing. Sure, there are some non-negotiables, but the field is a dynamic place. It was also the team leader's 3rd time, so Dana & I preserved some standbys while mixing in some new experiences.  The team arrived into Puerto Plata. After helping get them settled and feeding them Bolivian food, I stuck around for evening prayer.  One of our new experiences was hearing from congregational president Owen before church in Licey on Sunday - how he and his family came to know the Lutheran church, what his role involves, etc.  The church presented Dr. Egger with one of its trademark wall crosses.  A standby: grocery store scavenger hunt! Silly games with Erin migh...