State of Grace

This is the golden age of something good and right and real. 

–Taylor Swift´s State of Grace

(pictured above, my best friend since kindergarten, Lauren, on her visit to Tacna, meeting my goddaughter, an unexpected beautiful divine grace)

Grace

·       The freely given unmerited favor and love of God

·       The influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them

·       Virtue or excellence of divine origin

These days I have been feeling an overwhelming sense of grace, well these past months really.  It´s a grace that brings tears to my eyes. Because, the further I go, the further I walk, the further I dance my heart into life here, the closer I feel to His divine presence. I fall in love in an instant with people, with moments, with my job, with a piece of tres leches cake, with a song (insert Andas en Mi cabeza) but more importantly with the grace, and the provider of that grace. He keeps me dancing here.

I am graced..

I am graced to be entrusted with so much

I am graced to be changed

I am graced with a love for my work

I am graced with a people to love

Little and big

Near and far

I am graced to love so immensely with a heart that breaks

I am graced to be me

I am graced with the power to come a stranger to a place and leave a friend

I am nowhere near ready to be leaving this place and I don’t think I will ever be but I know one thing is for sure,

 this state of grace is eternal

 and eternally,

I will dance to its beat.

Graced with gratitude, words are just not enough.

So here are my graces these days in pictures…

mis pequeño futbolistas, 28 de agosto little league soccer team I am godmother to, vuvuzela Saturdays are whats up.

my dancers and I at the Centro Cristo Rey, las penas se van bailando. My students have stories and I believe dancing es poderoso.

Iquitos with Senaida Jul. 27-Aug. 3, 2016, it was a vacation into the Amazon but also an opportunity to meet my best friends sister who serves as a religious sister in Iquitos. Here we are accompanying Hna. Maritza on mission in Puerto Prado, a village on the river about 3 hours from the city that runs into the Amazon river.

Ticaco with Luz, Aug. 4, 2016, visiting a pueblo close to my heart, home to my two mes de misiones, but now home to the special moment that was accompanying my beautiful friend Luz as she carried La Virgen de Las Nieves in gratitude for the gift of her beautiful daughter.

Lauren & Pats visit to Tacna, Aug. 22, 2016, where I was able to share my life with them, my host family, my friends, my goddaughter, my students, my favorite foods and all of Tacnas graces. Thank you thank you and thank you.

My first graders,  Aug. 26, 2016, I have learned all their names so quickly this year (probably because theyre such a wild bunch) but walking alongside them in the paseo de la bandera celebrating the independence of Tacna was an honor. Plus theyre just SO stinking cute.  Fe y Alegria, SIEMPRE PRESENTE!

Blessing and Dedication Ceremony of Casa Fred Green, Aug. 27, 2016: having a moment with Padre Fred Green on his grand despedida tour of Tacna as he is now retiring to the Jesuit home in Lima was also a huge honor, Padre Fred vowed to ¨vivir y morir en la compañia.´´ He is an incredible human, a living saint for Tacna, and is the reason I, as a Jesuit Volunteer am in Tacna as he was the first to invite us to serve here.

God Bless Padre Fred and God Bless Casa Fred Green.

For the light of love is born when our hearts are touched and we open ourselves to the interior presence of the beloved, who enables us to recognize his mystery. -Pope Francis