Grape Festival 2011

Last weekend Lunahuana was full of tourists as the annual Grape Festival was celebrated. It is grape harvesting time for the farmers who live along the Canete River in this area of Peru and I was able to observe and participate in many of the events that took place over the weekend. A unique thing about Lunahuana is that many of the farmers here still use the traditional method of grape-stomping to get the juice from grapes that is used to make wine and other drinks. On both Saturday and Sunday these men and women were busy at work stomping grapes and bottling up the juice from their harvest this year.

The Grape Festival was also a time to celebrate the different adventure sports that take place in Lunahuana. Tourists came to the area to enjoy rafting down the river and four-wheeling through the valley. Throughout the day on Saturday there was wine-tasting at the many wineries along the river as well as different activities going on in the town square. Saturday marked the annual coronation of the grape queen followed by fire works and a concert.

All-in-all it was an enjoyable weekend filled with a lot of cultural learning. I especially liked walking the streets and seeing many of my students and friends participating in the events of the festival. The only down side is that now it's going to be difficult not to think about whose feet have touched the next glass of wine I drink.

Identity

I remember growing up and not always liking my name very much. It wasn't that I didn't like the name "Katie", more so that "Katie" was such a common name and lacked the uniqueness I craved. All through grade school and high school there was at least one other Katie in my classes and I often had to be identified with the first initial of my last name. It was normal for me to be walking down the hallway and hear my name called out only to turn around and find out that the shout was for the other Katie walking behind me. I longed to be distinguished from the other girls who shared my name and sometimes thought about howdifficult it would be to officially change my name on governmental records. Though twenty-four years later my name never changed, it did find some of the uniqueness that I often desired.

The past six months I have lived in a place in which "Katie" is no longer popular or familiar to the people I live among. The pronunciation is no longer "kay-tea", rather "kah-tea". It is also very rare for me to say my name out loud and have another person spell it correctly. It has been spelled "Katty", "Kathy", "Katy", "Katier", and "Kathie" (to list a few). I assure you that now when I walk down the street and hear my name, I know for sure that it's for me. I no longer have to use my last initial to identify myself or distinguish myself from the rest. It's funny, though, that I finally have a name that separates me from the majority of the population and now I sometimes find myself wanting a name that is more normal. I sometimes desire a name that fits in more and that wouldn't cause a twenty minute conversation about how to pronounce and spell it.

Perhaps part of the reason that

I'm never content whether my name blends in or sticks out is because I wrongly associate what people call me with who I am. Maybe in the States I thought that if my name had been more unique I would automatically be a more unique, memorable person. Maybe in Peru I think that if my name would blend in more I would automatically be more accepted as a foreigner. Maybe all along I've been putting my value and worth in what other people think of me...and what I think of myself.

Regardless of whether my name is normal or foreign, my identity does not change. The truth

is that my identity is in Jesus Christ and what he has done on the cross. Because of that, I have value, worth, and meaning. Because of what he has done, I have purpose and significance. Because of Christ, I am called by name and given identity. In the book of Isaiah, the Israelites continually fall in and out of sin, but the Lord assures them of their identity in chapter 43 when it says, "But now, this is what the Lord says- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." The same is true for you and for me. Like the Israelites, we are not redeemed or summoned by our own works, but by the grace of the Lord. We are given value because he chooses to call us by name and keep us as his own.

A few weeks ago I went to Starbucks in Lima and they spelt my name correctly for the first time since I arrived in Peru. Though I doubt if the next time I say my name I will get the same result, it still was a reminder that I am always perfectly known and loved by the One who formed me and called me into life.

Read Psalm 139 if you have a moment today.

A Love and Hate Relationship

I love and hate social events in Peru. Of course I love being with people and making new friends. I love learning about the culture and picking up on new vocabulary or expressions that Peruvians use. I love interacting with others, sharing laughs and engaging in conversations. In fact, building relationships is literally part of my job description here in Peru. However, there's also part of me that is always hesitant to leave the house when I'm invited out by a Peruvian friend or family. I know we've all felt that way once in awhile when we've had a long week or are feeling tired, but this hesitancy is amplified for me in Peru. Let me explain.

Like a fish out of water, serving in a foreign culture can leave you vulnerable and exposed. There are words or phrases that I don't understand and pop culture references that I can't follow. Sometimes there are nonverbal cues that confuse me or customs that catch me off guard. For example, the nonverbal cue in Peru to tell someone to "come here" looks very similar to how I've been raised to tell someone to "go away". You can imagine the confusion that has drifted across my face more than once when someone is verbally telling me to come, but with their actions seem to be telling me to go....the response usually ends up being no movement at all besides my eyelids blinking over my blank stare.

Then there's the days that your friend asks you to go across the street to get some parsley and you come back with a hot pepper. That's not exactly going to taste the same in a salad.

And the dreaded words..."Let's let the foreigner go first!" I realize that even in Peru it's polite to allow someone to be the first to do something, but I honestly don't know if the dressing is supposed to go on the meat, the potato, or the vegetables...or all three? Oh, it's for the soup. Thanks for the tip.

Sometimes it is easier to laugh at myself than others and overall I understand that without these sometimes embarrassing experiences, I will never learn, I will never improve, and these customs and cues would continue to remain foreign to me. It's humbling some days while exciting and enjoyable other days, but regardless it's a necessary process when working cross-culturally. May God continue to bless this process and teach me more and more about his people here.

Treasures

"We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety; this is especially true when those treasures are loved relatives and friends. But we need have no such fears. Our Lord came not to destroy but to save. Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed...The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One." -AW Tozer, The Pursuit of God

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heave, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

English Class Updates

January was a full month with many new and exciting things to share concerning the English classes. Before Christmas I was teaching English in one location called Uchupampa. I'm continuing to teach in Uchupampa three days each week, but am now teaching in another location called San Jeronimo the other two days during the week. We just finished the third week of classes in San Jeronimo and there has been a great turn-out! I am teaching one class for kids and one class for adults. By expanding the areas where I am teaching, we have been able to serve more people in Lunahuana and make more connections with the people who live here.

In order to kick-off the classes in San Jeronimo, a group of volunteers from Faith St Louis came to Peru the week before the classes began to organize an English camp. This four-day camp included Bible stories, skits, crafts, songs, games, and an English lesson for both kids and adults. Many of these same people have been coming to the English classes on a consistent basis. Thank you to the team from Faith for their service! Their presence here was also encouraging on a spiritual and emotional level which I am also thankful for.

Please continue to pray for the relationships through the English classes and direction for the future of this service.