The November Update

Coming at you in la hora Peruana, here is the promised follow-up to the October Update. Highlights: Playing the gypsy in our haunted house, dancing my first traditional Peruvian dance, teaching nuggets and celebrating community.

Pictures abound.

On October 31 the volunteer house hosted its annual Casa Embrujada, haunted house. A big thanks to our family and friends who made this possible!

We invited the whole neighborhood to come and be scared in the Circo de Terores. The kids lined up to see this crew in action. I was the Gitana, a gypsy who heard more “Hola Miss Maddie!” and less AAAHHH. Apparently I’m not scary. We had some road bumps, but overall the night was a success. I was proud to participate in a strong TacBloc tradition and open our house to neighbors and students. Looking forward to next year… probably working the front door and not acting.

In November we celebrate the anniversary of Colegio Miguel Pro (my school) and host día familiar (family day). We showed off some of our students’ work and ate some delicious food. But the main event of family day is the dance competition. Every single grade in the school—from three years old to seventeen years old— rehearses a tradition Peruvian dance for months. (There are literally thousands of traditional Peruvian dances. Dance is a principal aspect of Peruvian culture. In addition to rehearsing, each grade studies the heritage of their dance.) Then on family day, each group presents their dance to family, friends and selected judges as part of a school-wide competition. Everyone dances on family day: students, parents… and teachers. I danced carnavales de Putina along with about ten other teachers. As intimidated as I was to present a tradition dance in front of just about everyone I know here, I enjoyed practicing with the teachers and participating I the celebration. And I was genuinely complimented on my performance!

Celebrting family day with... my family 

The best part of the day, however, was seeing my students dance. TWO of the classes I teach won their categories (4^th grade and 5^th grade). I loved supporting my students in their practices and felt like a proud mama cheering them on in their final dances. Participating in the disappointments and the celebrations of my students on this day has been one of my favorite experiences of accompaniment.

4th graders dancing a traditional dance from the Sierra (highlands). 

5th graders dancing a traditional dance from the Selva (jungle).

Teachers dancing carnavales de putina.

On family day I jumped and spun in my ojotas to celebrate Peru’s land and people and to celebrate our Miguel Pro family. I was honored and grateful for my invitation to the party. I get to dance and work and live en Ciudad de Dios… for and in the Kingdom of God.

We recently became a community of SEVEN! Well, temporarily. Welcome to Tacna, Hannah, Kristin and Ani! I hope I can share even a small part of the enormous love Tacna has to offer you. Already in the two, short weeks you’ve been here you’ve each shared your heart and spirit. Thanks to you for being you! Looking forward to walking this journey with you. Soon to come La Gran Fiesta (goodbye party) for the two greatest gals around, Christie and Emily… But it’s still not time to say goodbye… not quite yet. And that’s good news for me because you are the greatest compañeras God could have given me this year. God GRACED this house and ME with your presence. There is just as much excitement as there is sadness in our big community transition. And God is here in it all. For where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am.

Hannah, Ani, Shannon, Kristin and I at the beach for a new community retreat.
Props to Hannah and the self timer for our first community pic!

We recently celebrated my 24^th birthday! Friends and family came over to the house for some mango margaritas and the most delicious birthday cake made by my incredibly talented host sister. (Mangoes are currently in season and way better than anything you’ve ever eaten in the states. Guaranteed. Birthday cake was chocolate with nutella and manjar and 24 written in m&ms. All of my favorite things in one cake. We really are sisters.)

My 4th year students surprised me with a banner... everyone lent a hand!

For me December 2 wasn’t a celebration of my life. It was a celebration of all the other people in my life: past, present and future. I received lots of love from home, from the people who made me who I am. (Including an excellent morning phone call from Mom. Her Sonic order is a large iced tea with three splendas, and she’s a great tipper. In case you were wondering. I personally was most surprised by the concept of a drive thru…#reversecultureshock)

It´s custom to present the cake at midnight.
We sing both Happy Birthday and feliz cumpleaños.

These people have helped me come to know God, see Grace and live life. They are a blessing to be celebrated. 

December 2 was also a celebration of my students. Birthdays are a pretty big deal here, and I was showed in hugs and well wishes at school. Also, two of my students have the same birthday as me. I was honored to share the day with them! My birthday party felt like a celebration of our community here—of the friends and family who have welcomed me and supported me this year. You take me for who I am, and I am filled with gratitude. Thank you for your kindness and care. Thank you for teaching me how to love and be loved.

My community goes beyond New Orleans, Mobile and Tacna. I am part of a greater community: the mystical body of Christ. (Yeah, I pulled that card.) Y’all know December 2 is an important birthday because on this day some of our sisters were born into a new life in heaven. On this day a group of nuns were martyred in El Salvador. It feels much more important to celebrate their lives than my own. Ida, Dorothy and Jean, thank you for your lives. You also are my family, my inspiration and my future. Everyone can chill out. I don’t want to die. But I would like to know such a perfect love. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13) I would like to know such true charity and kinship. I would like to know these ladies one day.

But for now I’d like to celebrate each December 2 with gratitude and hope, friendship and love, mango margaritas and chocolate cake.

Thanks to everyone who made this one special.

Friends and family came to the house for another TacBloc birthday party. Thanks for making my day special!

This week I finished my English workshops in 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grades. We did some really fun things this year like learning English grammar through good literature! My first year teaching was a lot of creativity and innovation… perhaps even more challenge and failure. Sometimes it was both creativity and failure; like the time I tried to teach English through yoga. I am grateful to my nuggets for their enthusiasm and willingness to learn. I am grateful for the teachers who advised and supported me. I am grateful for this school community in which we help one another go one step further, siempre más alto.

Still to come! School lets out December 23. (Thanks to June sandstorms for the extra week of classes.) We’ll begin summer vacation by celebrating Christmas… I’m dreaming of a white Christmas… This Christmas is extra special because I’ll be celebrating with Peruvian and United States family. That’s right. MOM IS COMING TO TACNA. The long-awaited meeting of the moms is almost here. They are potentially the only people more excited than me. Brushing up on my history of the Incas for a mother-daughter trip to Machu Pichu. Did you know the Andes Mountains got their name from the Spanish mispronunciation (Antis) of an Incan ethnic group, the Antisuyu?