Lesson Learned #1- "Profe" Anna Grace

So, kids can be mean to each other in any culture or language.  The fact of this doesn’t surprise me, but I had to deal with it firsthand this morning.  It has been rainy and cloudy here in Cusco, which during the winter season, translates to really cold weather.  We “extranjeros” tend to not dress our children very warmly- or at least compared to the bundled ones here.  I wanted to keep Anna Grace warm for school today, so I opted for a turtleneck and sweater.  She gave me a “look” and said she really didn’t want to wear the turtleneck.  I eventually got out of her that the last time she wore that shirt, a little classmate told her that only babies wear shirts like that. 

What?!?!?

Inside I was fuming- I was thinking how am I going to approach that little girl to say, “You don’t have a clue about fashion.”  And why did it happen to Anna Grace- my sweet, sensitive child that wouldn’t think of saying something like that… why not Eliza- who would probably reply with something real smart like “Your mom’s a baby,” kick the girl in the shin, and not give it another thought.

I looked in Anna Grace’s eyes and told her that if anyone says something like that to her, that she should correct them with “No, it’s cute!”  That she needs to stand up for herself because God has made her beautiful inside and out, he loves her and thinks she’s very special.  (Not sure about the teaching here- yes, we turn the cheek, but we also don't want our children to become doormats.  I want her to understand that she has intrinsic value because she has been made in the image of God.)

After breakfast, I was still bothered by the entire thing, so I mentioned that this little girl wasn’t being a good friend.  With all sincerity, Anna Grace looked at me and said, “Yes, she is, Mom.”  “What?” I asked, “How can that be?  She said unkind things to you.”  She replied, “Yes, Mom, but Jesus can change her heart.”  Whoa. Talk about lessons learned from our children.

Sometimes it is hard to love the people here- at times they are unkind to us or try to take advantage of us, other times, we are just really different (one is not right or wrong, but just black & white different).  But Jesus came to tear down these walls and open our eyes to our limited view of how we love others.  People change- not by their own volition, but by the grace of God.  Jesus can go straight to the root of our issues- to our heart- and change it.  He’s doing it in my life, the life of my sweet daughter Anna Grace, and in the lives of the people we’ve come here to love.

So thankful for the lesson learned this morning- thank you "profe" Anna Grace.

Cristo eres tú

We have been encouraged to listen to Spanish music in order to learn the language, culture, and heart of Latin America.  I was recently listening to this song by Marcela Gandara and was challenged by the cost of being a disciple of Jesus, denying myself and taking up my cross daily to follow him (Luke 9:23).  

The song continues to say, "I am ready to give You everything, and here remain.  Today I will fix my eyes on You, and will guard my heart in Truth.  Do not stop guiding me for a single moment, for only in You I will put my trust."

This is the cry of my heart as we continue to adjust and learn a culture and language and beg God to bless our hands in Cusco for His glory.  Living in another country has made me very aware of my shortcomings and weaknesses apart from Christ, and has turned my eyes to Him for refuge and confidence. It is when I have surrendered to Him my fears, weaknesses and sin struggles that I have found rest and His perfect peace.

This simple, yet precious song continues to confess that Christ is the way in whom we find beautiful peace.  Life has not always been peaceful for me here, in fact, I've had angry outbursts, spoken destructive words, doubted the beauty around me, experienced times of physical, emotional, and spiritual fatigue.  But... my heart has been stirred:

To seek Jesus in His Word.  

To speak Truth to my heart.

To fix my eyes on Him.

To deny myself.

To pick up my cross.

To follow Jesus.

To find beautiful peace in the midst of the crazy thing called life here in Cusco. 

Oh, how thankful I am that I have been given all this and more through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

Cristo eres tú

Tomando cada día mi cruz
Cada paso que tu des yo daré
Dispuesto estoy a dártelo todo
Y así permanecer

Mis ojos hoy en ti fijaré
En verdad mi corazón guardaré
No dejes ni un momento de guiarme
Solo en ti confiaré

Cristo eres tú, la verdad que me llevó a libertar
El camino que me lleva a encontrar tu hermosa paz

Tomando cada día mi cruz
Cada paso que tu des yo daré
No dejes ni un momento de guiarme
Solo en ti confiaré

Cristo eres tú, la verdad que me llevó a libertad
El camino que me lleva a encontrar tu hermosa paz

Tomando cada día mi cruz
Cada paso que tu des yo daré

Past the Midpoint

We have adjusted to the routine of life in Costa Rica- parenting 3 young children, worshipping the Lord, studying Spanish, MCO team time and then just life maintenance (groceries, baths, bills, haircuts, doctor's visit.... fill in the blank).  Life seems "normal" or at least very close to it.

We've passed the half-way point of our time in language school. This is exciting in many ways- the greatest being that we are much closer to arriving in Cusco to begin ministry there, which is what we have been praying for over the past 5 years!

But, we are also overwhelmed at times but how much we have yet to learn of the Spanish language.  Even today, we were talking about how we have to think through the simplest sentence structures or "mentally prepare" ourselves for speaking in Spanish.  Eliza, on the other hand, just breaks out with Spanish words in the middle of her sentences!  It's funny, she isn't "mentally preparing" herself for speaking in Spanish, the words just flow.

Reminds me a lot of how faith like a child is strongly encouraged in the Bible. This type of faith is not something you "prepare" for, but it's just there- real, honest and raw.  I pray that God would continue to draw and transform my heart to this child-like faith; faith that just flows out of a heart in love with its Savior.