This past weekend was an interesting one. I made the trek to Fort Worth on Friday morning to look for jobs. My mom was gracious enough to take the day off work so she could drive around with me. I had planned to make this trip myself with the help of my GPS, but having someone else in the car as I drove around to the 15+ different schools definitely eased the frustration. I had also planned to hopefully meet with some principals as I stopped by the schools and handed them my resume. Well, things did not quite work out that way. I did not end up meeting with a single principal, as they were all in meetings or would only be seen by appointment. So, I left my resume with the secretary at each school and felt my hopes fading upon getting back in the car after each school visit. My plan is to follow up and just keep applying for as many jobs as possible. I'll probably be that annoying girl who keeps sending emails and making calls to administrators. I just want a job. In all honesty, I had not been worried about finding one until this weekend, but after my day on Friday and after talking to someone who told me that Fort Worth is only hiring about half as many teachers as last year, I can't help but be discouraged. Instead of getting more excited about moving, I am actually looking forward to it less all the time. Ok, I am excited about moving closer to some people in the DFW area including my family, the Williams, the Harbers, and Rachel. And I'm kind of excited about the church we will be attending. The truth is, though, I just really love it here. I LOVE our church. I love our house. I love the people here. And I love the many doors that are open for us here to serve and work. I know that God will provide for us in Fort Worth. I guess I just need to be still and trust.

We did buy a new car this weekend. New to us, anyway. It is a 2005 white Corolla with 48,000 miles on it. We got it for less than we sold my car for, which is a huge blessing. My dad and I were talking on the way home about how God tends to line things up just right for us to show us His will. I randomly picked this weekend to go down to Fort Worth, and Andrew just this car online a couple of days ago and noticed that it was in Arlington. When we decided to buy it, we were talking to the owner about how to pay for it. As it turns out, he was a Bank of America customer also, so all we had to do was transfer funds. And there was a Bank of America about a mile down the road. I am so excited to be the new owner of a car that hopefully won't be a huge money pit like the last one. My dad and I calculated that I could have bought a fairly nice new car for the amount of money I spent on my VW while it was in the shop.

Student teaching is going alright. My teacher is great- she's the kind I could see myself being friends with outside of work. Ironically, she actually wanted to teach middle school, too, but she ended up in preschool. I just don't enjoy the age group or the disability level very much. God bless people who want to teach little kids. To me, it's exhausting. I also feel like I am not really teaching or relating to them. Most days, it kind of feels like babysitting.

My friend, Rhiannon, had a baby this week. She is precious. My brother came up to the hospital with Andrew and I to see her. This was the first time Tim had ever held a baby and he asked us when we were going to make him an uncle as we were leaving. :-)

I have still been thinking about Peru a lot this week. I want to be there. Really bad.

One of my favorite hobbies lately has been shopping for deals. I don't know why I enjoy that so much. I think I am going to start posting some of my weekly deals on here. This week's deal: Groupon. I'm not sure if they have Groupon for other cities beside OKC, but I'm guessing they do. You just go to the Groupon website and create a free account, and every day, they send you an email with some awesome deal in OKC (or Dallas, etc.). I bought my first one this week. It was a $25 gift certificate to Coco Flow Chocolates and Coffee that I got for $10. (AND, if you use the link I just gave you, I get a $10 credit!) I just found out that there are already 4 Aldi's open in Fort Worth. Yesss. I had been worried about that.

Thanks to Kate Hanna, I also found an awesome new coffee/cupcake shop in OKC. It's called Sara Sara Cupcakes. Deliciously cute cupcakes and tasty coffee in a redesigned historic home. Definitely worth the drive.

In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel

Peru: Pensamientos Finales (Final Thoughts)

Putting this trip into words would be impossible, but I am going to make an attempt to sum it up.

On Thursday, we went out to a squatter settlement in Trujillo called Clementina. Here, Peruvians have come down from the remote mountains outside the city to make a life for themselves in Trujillo. They build little straw huts which can hardly be called homes, and after living in them for two years, the government agrees to give them the land and turn on electricity. From that point, most people begin to build more substantial homes out of mud bricks. At the point of our arrival, many of the settlers had just experienced electricity for the first time. Climbing off the bus, I was devastated by what I saw- absolute poverty beyond anything we had seen in even the poorest communities in Peru. As we spent more time there, though, I began to see beyond the poverty and into the hope that lies in this community. People help each other build their houses. Children run through the sand with huge smiles on their dirty little faces, enjoying the gift of fresh air. Residents tell you how much they love living in Trujillo and eagerly await your affirmation of the city, as well. I could not get enough of Clementina. Later on Thursday, we went back there for a worship service. Peru Mission is in the process of building a church in the center of the community, and we had the service right outside the beginnings of the little church. We drug out benches and when our bus pulled up for the service, we found the majority of the town seated on them, waiting for us to arrive so they could begin. The pastor had asked several of us to speak at the end regarding our experiences in the community and throughout the week. I had volunteered to do so, but as I got up to speak, I was literally overwhelmed by the beauty around me and did not say really anything I had planned out. I teared up as I looked out and saw the many different faces worshiping God together and thought that there, in Clementina, I had a much clearer picture of what heaven will be like than any other place I have ever been. Because there, it didn't matter what you wore, how you looked, how much money you had put in the offering plate, or even the state of the building being used for the service. What mattered was that people were worshiping God and thanking Him for the provisions (which, by our standards, are hardly anything!)He had blessed them with. What mattered was the hope that they received from the gospel. What mattered was that someone was reading God's word to people who don't even have money for Bibles.

My heart is burdened to go back. It is really hard for me to be here and continue in the work that God has called me to do here in Norman right now when my heart is in Peru. It was especially hard for me to come back to a SNOWSTORM at the end of March.

Unrelated to Peru- we found out that Andrew was officially accepted to seminary in Fort Worth just before we left. Also, I start student teaching at a new placement tomorrow- in a preschool special education class. I thoroughly enjoyed my last placement at the middle school and am not really looking forward to this placement, especially after this trip. Hopefully it will end up being better than I expect.

In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel

Peru: Cuatro

As I was wrote last time, I got to work in the clinic in Wichanzao yesterday morning. I have been thinking about this experience a lot over the past day or so. The clinic is a place of hope because it provides virtually free healthcare for people who could not otherwise afford it. However, it also made me sad. In America, many people's health issues stem from laziness. Here, the problems are because of poverty: lack of education, insufficient resources, and malnutrition. I did a urine analysis on an 83-year-old woman who had parasites and puss in her urine because she drinks the contaminated local water. One neighborhood boy, David (in the pictures from yesterday), is twelve years old but is the size of a six-year-old because of his diet, which consists almost solely of rice and potatoes. These things make me want to do something to change Peru and also make me so glad that Christ is returning to restore such a broken and hurting world.

Peru: Tres

Being here changes everything. It's impossible to explain that to someone who has never been here.

Yesterday, we spent the morning working at the church in Wichanzao, which is the same place I worked two years ago. Rain destroys everything in Peru because no one is prepared for more than about a half inch per year. A couple of weeks ago, it rained two inches here. Consequently, there is mold in the sanctuary of the church. We spent our time scraping mold off of the walls and preparing the sanctuary to be repainted. The church women prepared lunch for us there and afterward, we went to the National University for some English conversation classes with the students. This went MUCH better than the last time I went because it was more organized and the students who came could communicate amazingly well with us in English. People wonder why we are here, which provides great opportunities for sharing the gospel. In the words of one of the university students, "I don't mean to be- uh, how you say, impolite?- but what are you doing here?"

This morning, I got to go work in the clinic in Wichanzao. Being the medical expert that I am (NOT), I got to drain the fluid out of someone's ear. Actually what afforded me this opportunity was last semester's Medical Spanish class. I loved putting this to use, and I also loved seeing the clinic we worked on two years ago finished and serving so many people.

Will write more later...leaving for conversation class.

In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel

Pain

I forgot to include one thing on my last post but have been thinking about it all day. At church this morning, there was an older man (about 70?) sitting in a wheelchair in the back row. His wheelchair was handmade- the seat part was made out of a plastic lawnchair with the legs cut off, and the wheels were made of old bicycle tires. We walked into the church building just before the service began, and I noticed the pastor crouching down, talking to this man. As I looked further at the situation, I saw that the man was crying. Not just a couple of tears streaming down his face, but heartwrenching sobs. He was not making any noise, but his whole body was shaking. I do not know what was wrong or what kinds of things were going through this man's head, but I cannot get him out of my mind and I cannot stop thinking about the pain these people must face every day. I'm sure it's like nothing we could ever imagine.

Peru: Dos

Andrew is here! After some minor issues at the Oklahoma City airport, he continued safely on his way to Newark and then to Lima. Last night, he spent the night in the Lima airport, which (thankfully) has Starbucks and free wi-fi so that he was well-fed and could be in touch with people. He is glad to be here and is currently napping to catch up from his hour of sleep last night.

There is nothing quite like worshiping with believers in another country. Church this morning was truly beautiful. We attended a church in Arevalo (a "suburb" of Trujillo), and the church there is about 4 years old. I was amazed to see the work that had been accomplished on the church since I left in 2008. It is a beautiful but modest building now with several different rooms for Sunday school classes and a large sanctuary. I would guess that there were about 80 people there this morning, including our team. The church is still small, obviously, but it is so encouraging to see that people from this broken city are finding out about it, attending, and serving as faithfully as they can. Everyone was so kind and welcoming to us. The pastor was excellent. I understood almost all of the sermon (about the Prodigal Son), but I think I was probably the only one from our team who did. I am so thankful for the years of Spanish I have had! Even without understanding, I think that everyone else would agree that the service was incredible because of its simplicity. No fancy clothes (because the Peruvians honestly just don't have any), so songbooks, no video projectors. Just worship of the Almighty Creator who binds Christians together in love for Him. The first time I went to church in Peru, I was a little overwhelmed by the church service. I could not believe that people were clapping during the songs, or that they placed bags of beans and rice in the offering plates (really they are baskets here) instead of money. And then when I thought about it more, I realized that this is their culture. They give food because others have none. They clap because they are filled with joy towards a God who provides enough for each day. They just bring what they have, and that is plenty. It's easy to judge people who are different because of what they do or do not have, but when you really sit down and listen to these people, you see that the only thing which really matters to them is Christ. Oh, that we were all more that way!

In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel

Peru: Uno

I am in Trujillo! Praise God, traveling went smoothly and our group had no major issues making it to the airport and claiming our luggage. We arrived in Lima last night around 11:30. On these kinds of trips, I am always reminded of how prone I am to impatience. We waited in the airport for about 2.5 hours because a group from Austin who is traveling with us lost part of their luggage. I was tired and cranky by the time we reached our hotel at 3:00 a.m., but I am also thankful that God reminds me constantly of my need for Him in these situations when I am so unthankful!

Our hotel in Lima last night was more than accommodating. It even had air conditioning- a luxury in Peru! We woke up this morning and walked down to the beach to have breakfast at a place called Mango´s. The view was absolutely gorgeous, and I remembered visiting this very spot when I came two years ago. After breakfast, we had some time to walk around the Inca Market in Lima. I felt a little crunched for time but was able to make some unique purchases. I enjoy visiting the markets because it gives me an opportunity to use my Spanish and to haggle with salespeople on prices- an activity which would be frowned upon in the States.

Our flight to Trujillo left around 4:00, so we had to leave the market to catch our plane around 1:30 or so. Flying to Trujillo went smoothly. The flight is short- only about an hour. We are staying at the same hotel in Trujillo that I stayed at when I came before. It is a nice hotel (by Peruvian standards) with everything we need. The only thing is that it is located directly across from a club, which is hopping until about 4:00 in the morning. Hopefully sleep will not be an issue this week!

As far as I know, Andrew is doing ok. I´m assuming no news is good news?? He should be arriving in Lima within the next couple of hours and flying out for Trujillo early tomorrow morning. I am ready for him to get here and hope that he makes it in time to experience church here tomorrow morning.

I love Peru. I think I love it even more this time than I did the last time I came. Trujillo is not a ¨beautiful¨city, but it is attractive to me. I can´t really explain it. Maybe part of it is that I love seeing people living so simply and being so joyful. Being here helps me put things in perspective. God is at work.

In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel

3 Days

My bag for Peru is 3/4 packed. For those of you who know me very well-or perhaps not very well-, this is probably no surprise. I am one of the most "Type A" people you will ever meet. My friend, Sally, told me that she is going to start packing for the trip on Thursday night (the day before we leave). I started packing on Sunday night. Don't laugh.

It's hard to believe that our trip is almost here. Throughout the process of getting ready, I have been incredibly humbled by the generosity of so many of our friends and family. I know that God always provides for His people, but I do not think I have thought much about how His plans for us are always much bigger than the ones we have for ourselves.

The week I spent in Peru in 2008 was freeing, and I am hoping to have a similar experience this time. Sometimes it feels like life just piles up on top of me and doesn't leave me with space to breathe. My last trip to Peru allowed me to catch my breath and realize that there is a much larger world outside of me, and that God is doing great things in it. I'm ready to get away from the comforts (and entanglements) of America.

The biggest concern at this point is probably Andrew's safety as he travels. He is leaving a day later than the rest of our team and will be traveling alone... and he does not know Spanish. The flight from the States to Lima should be fine, Lord willing. After arrival in Lima, though, he will be spending the night in the airport there and then trying to make his connecting flight to Trujillo (and meeting someone he does not know to get a ride from the airport to the mission site). He has joked about venturing out into Lima during the night but has been advised by several that it would not be wise to do so.

Anyway, next time I post will probably be from Trujillo. Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel

The Marathon

As some of you may know, I ran my first full marathon this past Saturday in Fort Worth. 26.2 miles. That is a far cry from 13.1, the most I had ever raced to this point. Sometimes the body just does things the mind never thought it could...

Andrew and I left for the race on Friday night. Upon arriving at my parents' house around 9:00 p.m., I followed my pre-race rituals of stretching, a light snack, and an early bedtime. The early bedtime was pointless this weekend; my heart was already running the next day's race. 5:15 came early, but I felt ready. Andrew and I left with my parents around 5:45 and arrived at the race uneventfully. (In these races, you are always at an advantage if you have run them before. You know that you can take the later exit and still find parking, thereby missing most of the traffic. You also know that you can use the restroom and stay warm in the nearby Hilton, where the owner frowns upon the runners trickling into his lobby but decides to let them stay anyway.)

God was so gracious to provide perfect running weather on Saturday. I was taken aback by this grace because He brought out the sun and stopped the wind literally only for Saturday. The previous days had been windy and cold, and although Sunday was still warm-ish, the wind picked up again. The fact that the Creator of the world and all things in it chose to think of me that day still boggles my small mind.

The race was great. I did not do quite as well as I had hoped, but I did finish under 5 hours, which had been my original goal. I reminded myself during the race (and have many times since then) that some attempts at running marathons are ended just yards before the finish line, while others are halted with a mid-race injury. I have much for which to be thankful.

Andrew was kind enough to run the last few miles of the race with me. I was starting to get cramps and do not know what I would have done without his encouragement. My parents walked about 6-7 miles to try to find me at different points, taking pictures and cheering all along the way. One of my dearest friends, Mandy, was waiting for me at the finish. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support. God reminds me every day of his perfect love through people like you.

Several times during the race, I found myself thinking, "This is so painful. I don't even know why I wanted to do this." But looking back on it, running a marathon was truly an experience of a lifetime. Before the race, I had been more than a little burned out of running. During it, I was able to enjoy the nice scenery and was reminded of the blessing it is to have legs that obey my brain.

Will I do another one? I don't know. It definitely won't be tomorrow.

In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel