Paz En Las Piedras

Literally.

Now Meet Helen.

The girl who my community mates know far too well because of the amount of times I’ve said, Helen’s coming over or Helen and I are doing this..and then… it doesn’t actually happen. .womp womp…the psych practicante at my morning job who quickly became more than a coworker, a friend that I find myself laughing until my stomach hurts with at probably the most inappropriate times at work..Buuuuut when I mentioned Las Peñas, this girl came through.  Instead of making brownies at my house or eating empanadas por el centro, we went on a total of an 8 hour caminata through the desert of chile to “peregrinar” to La Virgen de Las Peñas crossing 24 bridges over rivers, tripping over lots of rocks, climbing cerros, not sleeping, waiting in lines, being hungry and sharing in a beautiful pilgrimage experience though our feet were on fire afterwards.

After many times of laughter in the Pastoral office of Fe y Alegria spent with Helen, the third musketeer found her way to us, adding the most contagious uncontrollable laugh of us all, the biggest smile, a beautiful heart and just a profound joy to el equipo Pastoral! Senaida also tagged along for the Las Peñas adventure.

Can’t forget my wonderful community mate Emily, don’t underestimate her, this girls got wings on her feet and was totally killing it on the caminata even if she had no idea what we were getting ourselves into (hope your shins are 100% healed Em!)

and Jose, Helen’s other half, I’ll remember him eating pollo frito on a rock in the middle of the desert and avoiding my video camera ALMOST the entire viaje, a little shy at first but don’t worry he’ll try and sabotage your documentary, all with the best of intentions of course.

So what’s Las Peñas, whats the story?

Check it here:

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiesta_de_las_Pe%C3%B1as

So the “paz en las piedras” …..I believe I started this caminata fresh and rejuvenated from retreat but still battling some anxieties and I really needed to walk it off, reground, practice patience and give thanks.  Regrounding just happened to mean tripping on rocks and nearly slipping into roughly flowing rivers more than 20 times in the deep dark of the night in the middle of the desert in another country.  People might think I’m crazy for my willingness to go again but I really did find peace in the rocks (paz en las piedras) and in the walking and walking for hours BUT at the same time I was giving thanks to God for my life so far here, all the times I’ve listened, all the times I’ve received, all the times my heart has broken, all the times Ive felt human, all the times I’ve fallen in love, all the times I’ve been ruined, all the times I’ve made a friend...

Con un corazon agradecido I leave the following with you:

Food for Thought:

Have the courage to lose control.

Have the courage to feel useless.

Have the courage to listen.

Have the courage to receive.

Have the courage to let your heart be broken.

Have the courage to feel.

Have the courage to fall in love.

Have the courage to get ruined for life.

Have the courage to make a friend.

-Dean Brackley, S.J.

Thank you ALL for your continual support, abrazitos y besitos :)

Below is a video mini documentary of my journey I made for my family and friends. It is in Spanish. Enjoy it! I’m talking especially to you Mami, Papi, Tias, Tios, Primos, Primas, Ileana, Jose, the whole GT gang & Garcia crew, Yami y Caro y mis queridos amigos peruanos!!  

Con Corazón baby!

Give Love. BE HUMAN

 “The measure of our compassion lies not in our service of those on the margins but in our willingness to see ourselves in kinship” Fr. Greg Boyle “The Calling of Delight_ Gangs, Service, and Kinship”

(A quote from mid-year retreat in July with the Andahuayillas JV community that prompted this blog post about 3 months ago… mil disculpas for the delay.)

11 months in…

I’ve missed more. I’ve loved more. I’ve dove deeper.  I’ve cried harder but laughed even harder. I’ve smiled bigger. I’ve made messes. And I’ve thanked God for the beautiful humans in my life, little and big. One of my community mates said it ever so perfectly with three words on one of our spirituality nights where we were given the task of describing each other. She gave me the following words, “a bleeding heart.”

Its in the sacred moments that I feel it most, my heart bleeding.  When I ask one of our 6 year old students about 20 times if hes walking home by himself, to try and find a way to accompany him because I want to protect him from harm. He probably walks home every day by himself in the dark and its nothing out of the ordinary for him. But for me, it’s a crisis.  I have nightmares of dogs chasing me. mini crisis.When one of my students tells me to go away and I feel as if Ive lost the battle completely. Crisis.  I just want to reach him.  To let him know how much he is loved. How much he is capable of. I haven’t made it to him yet.

When Im forced to face these feelings, feel these feelings, fully. It’s a crisis.

Although sometimes my heart may be heavy, I find words that reground me and remind me of the beauty of it all.

 “Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.” 
― Henri J.M. Nouwen

  Our compassion is our shared humanity, so BE HUMAN.

GIVE LOVE. Speak even if your voice shakes, your soul is shaking alive.

Con todo Corazon.

Mini updates:

·         Los Cubanos will be visiting me in this beautiful desert in just 68 days!!!

·         I‘m gonna be a madrina, (confirmation sponsor) come December to one of my students, Milagros from Mes de Mision! :D

·         Maddie and Shannon, the baby JVs arrive in just about a month, end of november-ish, which means I become a second year jv and put on my big girl pants. Maddie is a fellow spring hill badger so I am extra excited to welcome her into her new home! Can’t wait to meet Maddie again and meet Shannon for the first time! All good things to come. :D

·         I’m taking a marinera class on Fridays for a month,  a traditional dance from Lima which I’m super excited about to learn, it’s a beautiful art, fingers crossed I can learn well.  My host cousin Melissa is also taking the class!

·         My host sister turns 7 on November 8 and is having the biggest princess party ever, which I’m excited to help out with, decorating, maybe baking, etc.

·         My best friend since Kindergarten will be visiting me next August with her husband ANDDDDD all those in my uptown funk video will get to meet THE Mr. & Mrs Bryant!

**Stay tuned for another mini update in my next blog post on my pilgrimage to visit La Virgen de Las Peñas.**

Something Beautiful

May the Grace of God be with you always, in your heart
May you know the truth inside you from the start
May you find the strength to know that you are a
Part of something beautiful... 

"Something Beautiful"  -Alexi Murdoch

Check out the photo slideshow for the full song:
ReODisO 2015 in Mejia