To all of you out there who have followed my journeys and adventures across three different continents, thank you. I have enjoyed telling my stories and sharing the pictures and memories I have made from many different places in the world. It's been a wild ride, and I have loved (just about) every minute of it.
Because this is my last blog entry on Shh! Don't Tell Mom!, I think it's fitting that I reveal this: I tell mom just about everything. Mom even reads the blog. But thank you anyways to everyone out there who has kept my secrets : ).
May the peace and love of the Lord be behind you, in front of you, beside you, above you and within you - no matter where it is that you may be and on whatever adventure you and your family may be on.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
So What Happens Now?
Well, this is a good question. The phrase: "We plan and God laughs" is running through my mind.
I will be home at 3:24pm on Sunday, November 7th.
My immediate plans are to enjoy to spending time with my friends and family. Three weeks this summer just didn't seem to cut it : ). I will also, of course, be talking with my doctor and sorting through my health concerns. And, I will be job hunting - I am hoping that there is a church out there somewhere in the Charlotte-Hickory-Salisbury-ish area that needs an interim Youth and Family person. I have missed working along side a congregation, and I am excited at the idea of getting back into this type of ministry.
As for more longer term plans, I am head-over-heels in love with Eric, a North Carolina guy I had to go all the way to Slovakia to meet. Go figure. He and I will discern together what the future holds for us. I do, however, hope to go to seminary in the fall of next year. I am applying to schools in Columbia and St. Paul, and I am beginning the candidacy process with the North Carolina synod. All of this means, I am in the United States for the next couple of years (mom's really excited about that part!). Through my experiences overseas, I have learned that I do have a heart for international mission work, and I would like very much to spend more time overseas in the future.
For now though, I am very happy to be coming home.
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost : )
Before I left for Slovakia, someone gave me a book with quotes about travel and service.
I've paged through this book many times, and these are the quotes that have resonated most with me during my time overseas:
All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.
Martin Buber
Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
The Talmud
The world is full of people who seem to have listened to the wrong voice and are now engaged in life-work in which they find no pleasure or purpose and who run the risk of suddenly realizing that they have spent the only years that they are ever going to get in this world doing something which could not matter less to themselves or to anyone else... We must be careful with our lives, for Christ's sake, because it would seem that they are the only lives we are going to have in this puzzling, perilous world, and so they are very precious and what we do with them matters enormously.
Fredrick Buechner, The Hungering Dark
There are some days when no matter what I say it feels like I'm far away in another country and whoever is doing the translating has had far too much to drink.
Brian Andres, Storypeople
Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable but it is always invigorating.
Michael Crichton
I also thought I would share with you an excerpt about my service abroad from the autobiographical faith statement I wrote for the North Carolina synod:
The time I have spent abroad has been formative. I have been stretched, broken, challenged, and filled by the relationships and service that I have experienced in Slovakia and Peru. I have a new found awareness of who my neighbor is. I have seen the Gospel lived out in a small Slovak town with just as many sheep as people, and I have witnessed acts of self-giving love in the dusty desert of Alto Cayma. I have grown both in confidence and in humility, in faith and in grace. I believe that through the people I have been God has been hard at work shaping me.
And one last quote:
And at the end of all our exploring, we will arrive where we started. And know the place for the first time.
TS Eliot, Little Gidding
I've paged through this book many times, and these are the quotes that have resonated most with me during my time overseas:
All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.
Martin Buber
Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
The Talmud
The world is full of people who seem to have listened to the wrong voice and are now engaged in life-work in which they find no pleasure or purpose and who run the risk of suddenly realizing that they have spent the only years that they are ever going to get in this world doing something which could not matter less to themselves or to anyone else... We must be careful with our lives, for Christ's sake, because it would seem that they are the only lives we are going to have in this puzzling, perilous world, and so they are very precious and what we do with them matters enormously.
Fredrick Buechner, The Hungering Dark
There are some days when no matter what I say it feels like I'm far away in another country and whoever is doing the translating has had far too much to drink.
Brian Andres, Storypeople
Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable but it is always invigorating.
Michael Crichton
I also thought I would share with you an excerpt about my service abroad from the autobiographical faith statement I wrote for the North Carolina synod:
The time I have spent abroad has been formative. I have been stretched, broken, challenged, and filled by the relationships and service that I have experienced in Slovakia and Peru. I have a new found awareness of who my neighbor is. I have seen the Gospel lived out in a small Slovak town with just as many sheep as people, and I have witnessed acts of self-giving love in the dusty desert of Alto Cayma. I have grown both in confidence and in humility, in faith and in grace. I believe that through the people I have been God has been hard at work shaping me.
And one last quote:
And at the end of all our exploring, we will arrive where we started. And know the place for the first time.
TS Eliot, Little Gidding
My Life in Numbers since August 2009
421 days outside the US
11 different countries: Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Slovenia, Peru
16 cross-cultural worship experiences: the Lutheran Church in Tisovec, the Catholic church in Tisovec, the Little International Church in Bratislava, the largest Lutheran Church in Poland, the Prague Cathedral, a small Catholic church in Prague, 2 churches in Rome (including the Vatican), the Duomo in Florence, Espiritu Santo church in Florence, one church in Venice, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Martin Luther's childhood church in Germany, a cave church in Budapest, the little church in Alto Cayma, and the Cathedral in Arequipa.
1 train wreck
3 international doctor's visits (one was my first ever trip to the hospital)
1 night spent homeless on New Years in Austria with one of my best friends
1 card made in the cardshop (with much help and after a lot of struggling...)
263 Slovak students
1.5 different time zones (6 hours difference in SK, and 1 hour difference in Peru - only because of daylight savings time)
3 pisco sours in Peru, countless bottles of Slivovica in Slovakia
1 Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter away from home
2 weekends at the cabin in Kokava Linia in Slovakia (one of my favorite places)
107 blog entries (this one included)
56 hours (approximately) as a passenger on the combi
34 one-on-one meetings with Peruvian youth and/or their parents
96 hours of plane travel (by the time I get back to the US on Sunday)
and an infinity of memories and friendships that I will have forever
11 different countries: Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Slovenia, Peru
16 cross-cultural worship experiences: the Lutheran Church in Tisovec, the Catholic church in Tisovec, the Little International Church in Bratislava, the largest Lutheran Church in Poland, the Prague Cathedral, a small Catholic church in Prague, 2 churches in Rome (including the Vatican), the Duomo in Florence, Espiritu Santo church in Florence, one church in Venice, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Martin Luther's childhood church in Germany, a cave church in Budapest, the little church in Alto Cayma, and the Cathedral in Arequipa.
1 train wreck
3 international doctor's visits (one was my first ever trip to the hospital)
1 night spent homeless on New Years in Austria with one of my best friends
1 card made in the cardshop (with much help and after a lot of struggling...)
263 Slovak students
1.5 different time zones (6 hours difference in SK, and 1 hour difference in Peru - only because of daylight savings time)
3 pisco sours in Peru, countless bottles of Slivovica in Slovakia
1 Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter away from home
2 weekends at the cabin in Kokava Linia in Slovakia (one of my favorite places)
107 blog entries (this one included)
56 hours (approximately) as a passenger on the combi
34 one-on-one meetings with Peruvian youth and/or their parents
96 hours of plane travel (by the time I get back to the US on Sunday)
and an infinity of memories and friendships that I will have forever
Meghan, estas en tu casa.
This was one of the first things Charito, my Peruvian mom, said to me.
"Meghan, you're in your house."
She continues to remind that her house, is my house too.
When I shared with Charo that I had decided to come home, she said that she would miss me, and then she said, "Pero recuerda, esta casa es tuya tambien." But remember, this house is yours too. She continued to tell me I could spend come back to my house and my family whenever I want - spend the night or to spend a year.
I realized today that you all have never seen pictures of my family.
Here they are - This is my mom, Charito, and my sister, Pia
These are the Gorditos, Gonzalo and Pia
I also have more family from Peru that I need to share with you.
This is my sister, Ariela and her mother. My parents are sponsoring her through the Acercandonos program, and I got to meet her for the first time on Wednesday.
When I shared with her that we were "hermanitas" (sisters) she started laughing. She probably couldn't imagine that she was a sister to such a tall, white redhead. While we were talking, she put her hands over her face, and it was difficult to understand what she was saying.
I asked her, "Ariela, why do you have your hands over your face?"
"Because," she answered, "I don't want you to see me cry."
"Are you sad?" I asked.
"No," she answered, "I have so much happiness inside that it's pushing tears out."
And, yesterday Tais, the daughter of Lurdes, one of my friends in the office, asked me if I would be the Godmother of her confirmation. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of her to share with you all just yet, but I wanted to tell you a little about her. Tais is getting ready to be 16 years old, and she is in secondary school. Despite numerous set backs and challenges in her life, she continues to work hard towards a better future. She hopes to be a lawyer some day. I enjoy Tais because she laughs easily and she listens to the people around her. She's a unique teenager, and I am very proud to be her Godmother.
Not many people can say they have three homes: one in Charlotte, NC, one in Tisovec, SK, and one in Cayma, Peru. I am thankful not only for the houses I have lived in, but the friends and families I have around the world that have made these places home for me.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Combi is Good for Thinking
Over the last few days, I have received many emails from people in the United States. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. They are needed and appreciated.
I am leaving Peru in three days, and I am sad to do so. I have fallen in love with the people I work with and the people I serve. Many people have tried to assure me that I am not letting people down by leaving early. The fact of the matter is that my early departure does leave a hole that I have had not enough time to teach others how to fill. This is difficult, both for me, and for the Acercandonos community. However, there are two things of which I am confident:
1. I know I need to return home. I have to live in my body for the rest of my life, and this means I need to take care of it.
2. God's grace is made perfect through the "holes" of this world. God fills what is empty and lacking in ways that we don't expect or can even imagine. I know that God is up to something good in Alto Cayma.
On my combi rides in the morning, I have found myself thinking about the ways God works in this world and how we can discern what it is that he wants for us. I don't believe God inflicts painful things upon us to move us along. After all, God the Father is inherently creative not destructive. God the Son is redemptive and God the Holy Spirit is sanctifying and life-giving, not life-taking. God is not the cause of divorce, abuse, job loss, or health problems. I think that bad things, tough things, painful things happen in this world because the world we live in is not perfect and is sinful and broken. However, I believe that God works through what is broken in this world, in our relationships and in our bodies to bring about healing, fullness, holiness, and peace.
As I walk through my faith journey, I am not so certain that the easiest path is always the right one. Rarely in life do things fall into place perfectly. (And if life really was like that, I think I would be bored.) However, I also think part of the definition of wisdom is knowing when you are supposed to fight for something and when you are supposed to gracefully accept that this, what you want so badly, is not for you right now.
I pray that God continues to be patient with me and with all of us, and I pray that he might teach us wisdom.
I am leaving Peru in three days, and I am sad to do so. I have fallen in love with the people I work with and the people I serve. Many people have tried to assure me that I am not letting people down by leaving early. The fact of the matter is that my early departure does leave a hole that I have had not enough time to teach others how to fill. This is difficult, both for me, and for the Acercandonos community. However, there are two things of which I am confident:
1. I know I need to return home. I have to live in my body for the rest of my life, and this means I need to take care of it.
2. God's grace is made perfect through the "holes" of this world. God fills what is empty and lacking in ways that we don't expect or can even imagine. I know that God is up to something good in Alto Cayma.
On my combi rides in the morning, I have found myself thinking about the ways God works in this world and how we can discern what it is that he wants for us. I don't believe God inflicts painful things upon us to move us along. After all, God the Father is inherently creative not destructive. God the Son is redemptive and God the Holy Spirit is sanctifying and life-giving, not life-taking. God is not the cause of divorce, abuse, job loss, or health problems. I think that bad things, tough things, painful things happen in this world because the world we live in is not perfect and is sinful and broken. However, I believe that God works through what is broken in this world, in our relationships and in our bodies to bring about healing, fullness, holiness, and peace.
As I walk through my faith journey, I am not so certain that the easiest path is always the right one. Rarely in life do things fall into place perfectly. (And if life really was like that, I think I would be bored.) However, I also think part of the definition of wisdom is knowing when you are supposed to fight for something and when you are supposed to gracefully accept that this, what you want so badly, is not for you right now.
I pray that God continues to be patient with me and with all of us, and I pray that he might teach us wisdom.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
I Will See You Soon
Unfortunately, I have experienced some health problems that mean I need to cut my stay in Peru short. While I was running last weekend, I started to feel pain in my left side. It wasn't as if it was debilitating, drop-to-the-ground pain, but it did take my breath away. I immediately came home, and the next day, I scheduled a doctor's appointment.
At the doctor's office, I learned I have multiple cysts in both of my ovaries. Ovarian cysts are fairly common, and many, many women have them. Unfortunately, I have quite a few. The reason I experienced pain on my run was because one of my cysts ruptured. I also had leftover "liquido libre" (free liquid) in my body that was irritating to my insides. The doctor tossed around a syndrome or two that might be causing these problems. She also gave me medication to help me heal and, hopefully, to reduce the number of cysts I have.
From my doctor experience in Slovakia, I have learned the hard way that you should always check foreign doctor's prescriptions. When I arrived home, I checked the internet and I learned that the medication I had been given was not approved in the US because it's pretty tough on the body. After talking with a friend in pharmacy school and a pharmacist, we decided that a month's worth of medication would not be enough to cause serious problems. However, I do need to have more appropriate medication. I also need to have some tests done to figure out what the underlying issue that causing the cysts is. Even more than that, there is a small chance that another cyst will rupture. Not all cyst ruptures are as complication-free as what I experienced. Health care in Peru is challenging, and in many places it is sub-standard. I have no desire to have complications from a cyst rupture and need a Peruvian hospital visit or even an operation.
While I need to stress that this is in no way an emergency, this is something that I need to have taken care of sooner rather than later. After talking with my parents and with Eric, we decided that it was better for my health to come home. This was a not an easy decision; however, I do think that it is the best one for me.
I have one more week left in Peru, and I will add to this blog before I leave. Please come back and check my entries - hopefully, I can share more with you about the people I have come to love.
I am both happy and sad to say that I will see all of you very soon.
At the doctor's office, I learned I have multiple cysts in both of my ovaries. Ovarian cysts are fairly common, and many, many women have them. Unfortunately, I have quite a few. The reason I experienced pain on my run was because one of my cysts ruptured. I also had leftover "liquido libre" (free liquid) in my body that was irritating to my insides. The doctor tossed around a syndrome or two that might be causing these problems. She also gave me medication to help me heal and, hopefully, to reduce the number of cysts I have.
From my doctor experience in Slovakia, I have learned the hard way that you should always check foreign doctor's prescriptions. When I arrived home, I checked the internet and I learned that the medication I had been given was not approved in the US because it's pretty tough on the body. After talking with a friend in pharmacy school and a pharmacist, we decided that a month's worth of medication would not be enough to cause serious problems. However, I do need to have more appropriate medication. I also need to have some tests done to figure out what the underlying issue that causing the cysts is. Even more than that, there is a small chance that another cyst will rupture. Not all cyst ruptures are as complication-free as what I experienced. Health care in Peru is challenging, and in many places it is sub-standard. I have no desire to have complications from a cyst rupture and need a Peruvian hospital visit or even an operation.
While I need to stress that this is in no way an emergency, this is something that I need to have taken care of sooner rather than later. After talking with my parents and with Eric, we decided that it was better for my health to come home. This was a not an easy decision; however, I do think that it is the best one for me.
I have one more week left in Peru, and I will add to this blog before I leave. Please come back and check my entries - hopefully, I can share more with you about the people I have come to love.
I am both happy and sad to say that I will see all of you very soon.
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