I'm still alive!

To those of you who still check this and want to stay in tune with my life,

Thanks, first of all. Secondly, I am still alive, life has just been crazy busy with little time to think about sitting at a computer for more than a minute. I miss you all dearly and am patiently awaiting the day I see your faces. However, I am still extremely happy here and am not ready to leave just yet.

The last few months were crazy but life has returned to more of a normal rhythm now with prayer in the morning, lunch, permanencia/visits, evening prayer, and whatever the night brings (which does seem to change every day but whatever!). Right now, Flo and Edgardo are in the middle of their despedida, something which is sometimes very hard for me to accept. In less than a month, I will be the one who has been here the longest so I am trying to step up to the plate a little more and be more aware of the little things and to think of everyone in my community a little bit more, especially Patrick and Sophie since they have been here less than 2 months. I often forget that they are still learning about our friends and the life here and what it was like to have been here for less than 2 months since I was no longer the newbie when my 2 month anniversary. I have learned a lot about managing the money for 6 people and taking responsibility and exercising prudence with this. I swear, I feel like life here is preparing me for marriage someday. I have learned to apologize immediately, not hold grudges, forgive without questions, take care of children, and slowly but surely I am figuring out this whole cooking thing.

In the last few days, it has really hit me how important our presence is to our friends. I often forget that sometimes we are the only people that truly appreciate these people for who they are, a gift from God. Sometimes their own families reject them or they are simply rejected by the rest of the neighborhood. I am sure I will write about him again, but I have a story about Santiago (Santi) that really struck me the other day and I feel like I might as well share something with you all.

Santi has a developmental issue of sorts, some say autism, but I don’t think so. Anyways, he comes to el Punto almost every day asking for water or if he can come in. Whenever we let him in, he just stands there, or paces, or sits and joins us at the table. He doesn’t talk much but definitely understands what you are saying and can tell when he’s struck a nerve and will keep doing whatever it was that bothered you just to bother you a little bit more. His appearance is a little rough around the edges but I have truly come to see a light in him, a light that truly shines CHRIST. Some people think he is dangerous and don’t see him for who he truly is. The other night I was at mass in a town 10 minutes away in bus and while I was there, I spotted Santi. He saw us (I was with Javier) came and sat down next to us (normally, he paces for the entire mass so this was a little out of the ordinary). He was with us for most of the mass and afterwards followed us to the bakery and then to the bus stop. While we were at the bus stop, a lady came up to me and told me to watch out because the man was going to rob me. When I realized she was talking about Santi, I replied (maybe with a little too stern of a tone…) that he is our friend and I trust him. This just really struck me and made me see that not everyone loves Santi the way we do. Since that night, I have been trying to be even more willing to show him love and friendship, the reason why he comes every day. I have a few more stories about Santi but I will keep it to just this one (although there is a pretty awesome one about the time he kissed the monstrance).

I hope you are all staying warm and preparing for Christmas, keeping in mind that “Jesus is the reason for the season” and not stressing too much about what gifts remain to be bought.  I am slowly taking out the skirts and tank tops as summer is approaching but I actually am missing the snow this time of year. I would love to hear from you guys. A quick email or letter (which is preferred…) always makes me smile and makes me feel a little more connected to life back home. Know that I pray for you all daily and have not forgotten your faces.

Until next time,

Kari

What do you do when...

These are some of the things I have been faced with while living in Peru. The other night in Adoration, I was overwhelmed by the amount of trials and struggles I have been presented with and overcome because of the prayer life I have promised to live here. If it weren’t for the life of prayer or my faith, I am sure I would have broken down by now.

What do you do when:

-you hear a priest is essentially leaving his vocation

-a child tells you her dad beat her with a broom

-a child cries because you have to leave the orphanage and you are the only that visits her

-hear a permanent member has left the life of compassion because she fell in love

-hear a priest committed suicide

-a drunk knocks on the door at 6am wanting to show you a piece of wood

-live with someone you don’t always understand

-someone knocks on your door or waits outside almost every morning to invite themselves to breakfast

-you meet someone who has been bed-ridden for 14 years

-get a call at 630 am that a friend was cut in the face at a party

-are in an uncomfortable situation

-a friend is thrown out of their place

-lose patience

-you have to say goodbye

-you miss the people you love

-find it difficult to pray

-you have no choice but to face the day

-can’t communicate

-are stressed

-you have silence

-you’re confused

-can’t communicate

-want to help but can’t

-a child can’t get into their house because their mom left for the day

-you get jealous

-you’re exhausted

-at the end of every day, you realize your life is beautiful

Sr. De Los Milagros

Señor de los Milagros is a big deal in Peru and the entire month of October has been declared a 2nd Easter in honor of it, that’s how big of a deal it is. The story comes from way back when (not in a galaxy far, far away) when a slave painted a picture of Jesus, Mary and an angel on the inside of a cave. The painting has survived many natural disasters such as earthquakes which destroyed everything else, except the painting. Naturally, a devotion to this painting grew. Today, the entire month of October is dedicated to this painting. It is currently housed in a church in downtown Lima, Church of the Nazarenes (not sure on spelling). During the month of October, the painting leaves the church 3 times in procession. One of these times was October 18 and my community and I went to watch!

We left the house at 5 am to make the 630 mass. Just before the mass, the painting left the church in a solid gold frame that was carried by faithful men taking rather small steps. At the mass, there were numerous priests, seminarians, and the bishop. Communion was crazy and beautiful at the same time. There were so many people wanting to receive communion, but there was no organized manner of doing so, so there was a lot of pushing, yelling, and some people were using their elbows to push their way through, something my stomach didn’t appreciate too much. The crowd was ginormous. After the mass, the procession continued throughout the city streets, which has pictures made of flower petals decorating them. It was an interesting experience for sure but definitely worth the little sleep and bearing the crowds.

Lets Go Fly A Kite

Heart’s Home has been around for 21 years now, however, no house has ever reached 20 years of existence…until now! On October 16, we celebrated our home’s 20^th anniversary, the first house to reach this milestone! We didn’t have a big celebration because that is coming later in the year when Fr. Thierry is able to come. Instead, we spent the days beforehand making homemade kites to fly with the children on Sunday, being a Theta, I was definitely a little excited about this kite thing. It was an interesting process of trial and error as we figured out what worked best and what didn’t. We used a bamboo type material, string, and plastic bags. Very simple, but they flew better than any kite I have ever bought from a store. The kiddos made their own kites and on Sunday, we made our way up one of the giant hills near our house. Below are some pictures of the process and the flight. I hope you enjoy.

Little things

I have really begun to realize the little things here. These little things bring me the greatest joy at times and I wanted to share some of them with you. When people ask me how I am doing, when I say I am great, that is an understatement and I hope this will help shed some light on the enormous amount of joy in my heart and the smile on my face (yes, Kelly, I will have some pretty awesome smile muscles when I return).

The children. For example, today when I was leaving the home to go to the internet, a child that I didn't recognize and I am pretty sure I don't know came running up to me shouting "PUNTO CORAZOOOOON" how could that not make me smile? Every day, there are children who come to our house for water and are often quite intrigued by the gringa but nonetheless, they give some of the best hugs I have ever gotten in my life.

The people.Again, I still don't know everybody's name, but when people see me, they will often stop to say hi to me and remember my name. Pretty awesome that after just one time of meeting someone, we are friends. They also help me with my Spanish at times, which is nice.

My community. AWESOME. We are all really crazy in our own ways and don't take ourselves seriously unless we need to. In other words, there are a lot of laughs in our house. Also, the love that my community gives me blows my mind. For example, I was having a rough time last week with this whole language business and went to the chapel and just sat there one night for a good 20-30 mins before Edgardo came in to ask me something. He saw I was upset and asked what was wrong. I said I was ok but really just needed a hug. He didn't probe the situation much more and just stood there and hugged me which was really all I needed to feel better. He is also like my big brother and even though the communication is still faulty at times, we have an understanding of when the other one is frustrated or we are often on the same wavelength...kind of weird at times.

Prayer. The first and foremost aspect of our life. Every day, I am in prayer about an average of 3 hours. An hour of Adoration, Mass, and Liturgy of the Hours. The fact that I have drastically changed this aspect of my life is wonderful. I have been able to receive many graces from it and without it, my time here would be much more difficult.

There are a lot of other little things that happen every day so I am often amazed by them and can't help but think "man my life is awesome right now, how am I ever going to leave this place?" In other words, I am extremely happy and for now, this is my home.
Take care.
Kari

Comida

When I knew I would be doing mission work, I accepted I would have to leave behind some of my favorite food and it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. At orientation, I was talking with Nati one night and she said that everyone she has seen come back from mission has lost weight. Well, I can assure you, that that probably won’t happen for me.

The people here pride themselves on the food they have, as they should. There are some ingredients that you can only find in Peru, for example, aji. It is a type of pepper that is quite spicy, but I am a fan of a little bit of it here and there. When I gave my presentation at orientation about Peru, I included a slide on the food and really didn’t spend much time on it. I did mention that Peru is nicknamed the “Gastronomical Capital of the Americas” which is so true. Apparently, Peru has the most unique dishes second only to France, go figure. I encourage you to Google the ones below that I have tried because they are interesting and you probably wouldn’t think I like them, but I haven’t met a dish I don’t like (with the exception of onion soup from France…)

Favorite to date: Aji de Gallina-has aji in it some chicken and is a thick yellow creamy sauce typically served over potatoes with half a hardboiled egg. I forget what else we typically eat with this, probably some vegetables of some sort. I am determined to learn how to make this dish and try to find a substitute for aji when I get back. If you ever go to a Peruvian restaurant, try this.

Ceviche-made with pota (octopus) or pescado (fish) that is uncooked. Now, I am not a sushi fan by any means, but man this stuff is good. I like it more with pota because of the texture factor. It is made with a lot of lime juice (freshly squeezed by hand), a little aji, onions (I eat around them and then give them to Flo) and some little herb that I don’t know the name of. Typically served with canchitas (basically it’s popcorn that isn’t popped but way better in my opinion), and camote. Now, in the states I don’t typically like camote because really, sweet potatoes aren’t my thing. I didn’t like the sweet potato fries at the Hut or McNellies and never put them on my plate at Thanksgiving. I don’t know why, but here, I LOVE THEM. They are quite delicious, and yes, I plan on making sweet potato fries one day when it is my turn to cook.

Chicharrones-basically, chicken nuggets, or whatever meat you make it with nuggets. Fried, but made fresh with real, 100% chicken! It was what I made on my first day of cooking this past Thursday. You add some garlic, ginger, and pepper to pieces of chicken that you have just cut and prepared from the body of the chicken itself (something I have no idea how to do so Edgardo did it for me) roll it in what I think is corn starch (still learning the translation of ingredients) and drop it in some hot oil.

Picarones-pretty sure this is God’s gift to me in Peru. It is kind of like a funnel cake but a little crispier and is served in circles, like donuts. They are quite scrumptious by themselves but with something very similar to syrup but not as thick, they are amazing. There is a lady that makes and sells them on the street in Pro where we go to mass at night if there is no mass in La Ensenada or we didn’t go in the morning. We have even gotten them free one time because it was late and she was closing down. Win.

Lunche-really this is the name of the hour at night when we eat. It isn’t dinner like I am used to, pretty much just finger food and appetizer type stuff. However, I have a new favorite and ya’ll should try it because everything is in the states. Bread (but not like sandwich bread, you need fresh rolls, ciabatta is good), avocado (my new fave thing ever), lime juice (again from freshly squeezed limes), salt, fried egg (I do over hard to avoid a mess), cheese if we have it, and ham (which is really bologna but sometimes we have the real stuff!). It sounds weird, but if you want a piece of what I am eating a few times a week, here ya go!

Cuy-aka Guinea Pig. So, the one time I have had this so far, I didn’t know beforehand that this is what we were going to eat. We went to the house of a friend and there were 3 decent sized cages of guinea pigs. Then I realized, that is where my “lunche” (it was supposed to be lunche for us but she prepared dinner) probably lived earlier that week. I tried to not think about that when served because I wanted to give it a fair shot, after all, these Peruvians know how to prepare their food. It wasn’t that bad. I lucked out and got a leg so it was like I was eating chicken. Slightly different texture and taste, but chicken in my mind.

Side dishes-Fresh veggies (yes, I am eating my veggies more here than I did in the states). Typically a mix of green beans (I have no idea how to say it in Spanish and forget the name every time because it is not “frijoles verde”), carrots, choclo (corn but not Iowa sweet corn that’s for sure), every now and then broccoli. These are tasty with a Chinese sauce that I thought was soy sauce but when I tried it, it was much sweeter. Puree aka MASHED POTATOES! I enjoy these in the states so every time we have them (at least once or twice a week) I feel a little more at home. However, I am going to make it a point to not eat these on my birthday this year since last year, mashed potatoes were my birthday cake because of my wisdom teeth coming out. Rice delicious. I love it in the states, but here I have learned a new trick to making it even more awesome. Adding a little bit of garlic to the pan. I love garlic and I love rice (they were always in my apartment last year) but I never thought of putting them together! Genius.

I am still learning my way around the market and how to cook with various ingredients. Also, I learned the hard way Wednesday night that I need to make sure we have the ingredients in our market for what I want to make so I am not scrambling the night before to find something to make. I had every intention of making lemon pepper chicken for my first day. Simple, easy, delicious. Well, we don’t have yellow lemons in our market. It was suggested I make it with lime but I wasn’t sure how it would taste so I ex-nayed that idea. I am hoping to find a simple recipe for how to make glazes out of fresh fruits because really, I think that ______ glazed chicken will be my specialty. For example, I have oranges and pineapples here. Both would make delicious glazes but I don’t know how to prepare them. So if any of you who read this have a simple recipe (I am talking real simple we don’t have fancy things and ingredients down here) please send it my way!

Well this is quite long so I am going to head out now. Take care!

Time to air you´re (insert adjective here) laundry

Hi friends!

I hope you are all doing just fine. No worries, I am still kickin it down here in Peru. Life has started to get somewhat normal (a term that really has no meaning in a Heart’s Home because every day is different and you just go with the flow).  I have begun the lovely adventure of doing laundry last week and today. Let me tell you, I still hate it.

The first time I did laundry I realized how exhausting it was and it made me rethink the definition of dirty. Thankfully, being a college student taught me it is ok to wear a shirt at least twice before washing it, however I am pretty sure my definition is quickly changing. There is a lot of dirt around my house, which I don’t mind at all, but that means my clothes are “dirty” after just one time. If I only wore something once, I would quickly run out of pants and would have a mountain of laundry every week. So, “dirty” is also a relative term here. Don’t get me wrong, I am still conscious of how I present myself to our friends and don’t wear the same thing day after day, I just think twice before throwing something in the dirty laundry.

So, you may be asking, how do I do my laundry now? Well friends, by hand. It has made me appreciate washing machines more in some areas, in others, I am thankful for having to wash it by hand. For example, in a washing machine, the work exerted to actually clean the clothes is minimal. However, I am able to load it full, which means I have more clothes to fold and put away. If you saw my room last year, you would understand that I hate doing this and clothes often shared my bed or a clean spot on the floor. Washing by hand, I don’t have as many clothes to put away at one time, it is kind of nice. Plus, here I don’t really have a floor or a bed big enough to put my clothes when I don’t want to put them away, so it has to be done asap.

The process: I am still figuring out the best way.

It is NOT: wash, rinse, hang for 2.5 days…I learned this the hard way and had to re wash most of my clothes after the first time I did laundry because they smelled a little sour (which I noticed after I put them on…fail)

It IS: (I think…) wash in sink, pre rinse in a bucket of water, rinse under the faucet, ring out well, soak in fabric softener for at least 10 mins, ring out REALLY WELL (I’m talking, my hands hurt after ringing them out), hang on the line (I have a strategy so that my unmentionables are concealed from Edagardo and any visitors we might have), right now, they are on the line for at least one day since there is a lot of moisture in the air, usually they hang for a 1.5 to 2 days. In the summer, apparently one day is sufficient since there isn’t a lot of humidity. During this whole process, it is essential to have music playing. I still keep my American tastes close at all times and play my ipod instead of the radio (even though Katy Perry is on it…). This means I often dance while doing laundry or Lore will come out and ask me the name of a song and then proceed to hum it because she knows it in Spanish or is familiar with the guitar part in it.

I am trying to laundry once a week so that I can have clean clothes and not run out, but also so I don’t have a lot of clothes to wash. We’ll see how well I keep this strategy up…

Si, soy una Gringa

So… I knew I would be out of place here, but it is just now hitting me how strange I am. Whenever I am out walking with someone on visits or to run errands, there are constantly whistles and other forms of catcalls, most of which I don’t yet understand…nor do I want to. One of our friends, Victoria, and others as well, constantly greet me by telling me how beautiful I am and things along those lines. That type of flattery I can handle, it’s respectable and I understand that a lot of our friends have probably never had an American talk to them.

However, on the other hand, I am also a freakshow down here. People will see me and gawk at me. Some kids in the neighborhood will say hi to everyone else but me…pretty sure it’s because I am blonde and extremely pale. Even the dogs will only bark at me instead of the others…which is no good since I am terrified of stray dogs (something I am quickly getting over).

I forget at times that I am quite the sight here since I am not constantly looking in a mirror. At mass this past Sunday, there is another volunteer here with some other organization, but he is from Germany and is just as white as me and more blonde. I was looking at him and thought of how strange he looked among all of the Peruvians. I am determined to go up to him when my Spanish is better (not even going to try to speak German…) and hope we can form a bond over being so out of place. However, we don’t typically go to that mass on Sundays so we will have to see if he is at a daily mass someday.

There are some areas where I am not so out of place. One includes El Centro, which is close to the other Punto. It is the historic part and a little touristy. Apparently, I will not be out of place when we go to Miraflores (if nothing else, I am asking to go for my birthday…). Edgardo informed me that there are a lot there. Hooray for not being alone!

Its all something that I am just going to have to get used to because it will be my life for the next 13.5 months.

Week 1

A lot happened this past week! I am starting to remember people´s names but I have met so many I can´t keep up! Right now I am at the sister´s house about 2 hours away for our day of rest. It is so beautiful out here. I want to go climb the ¨hills´´ that i call mountains but its quite cold so i´ll pass. I did my first attempt at laundry, yep, still don´t like it. I am not sure I was able to get my clothes dry enough to line dry by the time I retrun home tomorrow. We´ll find out.

Please keep the letters and emails coming, its a nice surprise whenever I am able to get on. Sorry this isn´t longer, the internet isn´t the best here.

Much love.

es mi vida...

y me encanta mucho!
i apologize for improper grammar and misspellings. its a new keyboard, give me time. i arrived safely, american airlines had a broken plane once we stopped in dallas (just like in rome!) so i was delayed there for about 1.5 hours. i made it to miami in time, but then realized i had to go back through security! thats ok right? its a latin american country and they´re always late...no, when i got to the gate ten mins before the boardin time on my ticket, it was almost all done! what is this! i wanst able to call home which really sucked but i called the next  morning and it was good.

i got home around 1 in the morning with the rest of my community. there are 5 of us!
lore-argentinain..speaks super fast...but has learned to slow down for me. she loves maroon 5 even though she has no idea what the lyrics are. shes the musician...i think i´m becoming the singer...who´d a thunk!
edgardo aka chipo-also argentinian that speaks fast but slows down for me. always with matte...which is my new fave form of caffeine...me gusta mucho!
seve-french permanent member of hearts home. she is currently on her way to spain for world youth day with a group of friends of hearts home from here. knows english! its been nice to have her help
florencia aka flosh aka flo-also french super helpful and knows some english too! she makes sure to keep me in the loop when i am lost!

whenever we go anywhere, we take a bus....but bus drivers here are crazy and its scary at times. i like it when its not crowded. when it is crowded, it stinks...literally, everyone is dressed warm and then everyone is giving off body heat...gross.

the last two days i have been going to the city with others for whatever reason. i´ve learned, shopping is def not my thing. i dont have the patience to even really accompany when we go shopping in el centro. but i love the market! its exactly like the movies.

i feel super spoiled right now...the popular soda here...tastes like bubblegum soda! the food is awesome, everyone is patient with me. the only down side is i sometimes forget i´m very gringa and much desired here. catcalls are plenty along with the stares...i kinda want to dye my hair...
my spanish is coming along quite well in only 2 days. i THINK i understand most of it, who knows! i still have issues forming my own sentences...its kinda like stage fright...

my address is different than in my first letter. that is the physical location of the house but the mail isnt super reliable...send letters to here:
Kari Stender
Puntos Corazon
APDO Postal 4607
Lima 100
Peru

there is so much more i could write but i´m a little hungry and want to go eat...love you all!

Good times and Goodbyes

Bear with me if this gets lengthy.

The last two weeks have been extremely hard but extremely joyful. I've learned that no matter how at peace I am with leaving my loved ones for at least 14 months, I can't do goodbyes. I have cried a lot and it's not always because I am sad I will miss out on these peoples lives while in Peru, but because I am just now truly coming to understand the love these people have for me. It can't be easy for DJ to always have his big sister running off on some adventure whether its to Tulsa for school, Colorado for the summer, or Peru for mission. My parents are letting there little girl go into the real world. Scary for any parent, however, my "real world" is not in a city with a job, but a foreign country among the poor. This love has brought me peace and has brought a different meaning to my life and the relationships I have in it.

As I was driving across the Midwest with my friend Beth, I also came to realize how much my friends are my family. I am having a really difficult time leaving them, especially since most of them are starting new adventures too that I want to be present for at all times. Whether it's planning a wedding, joining a religious order, doing mission work in Chicago, continuing in seminary, starting a job, going to grad school, I want to be there. I tell people to please write me and keep me updated. Even if I'm unable to reply quickly, I want to know what's going home. I'm sure when I leave Peru, I'll ask my friends there to do the same. This hit me especially at Abigail and Tim's wedding in July and especially yesterday at my sending forth mass. I was surrounded by people who have seen me at my best and happiest and at my saddest and my worst. Yet they love me and were there to celebrate the Eucharist and send me off to Peru. This was all emphasized by the fact that the sending forth mass was celebrated by Fr. Matt who has been with me the last 3 years and has helped grow and mature in my faith, answer my questions, and be a friend to me. It was at the Newman Center (Catholic student center) at TU. My home. I walked into the chapel yesterday and felt like I was at home. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, even to places. I was flooded with memories of sitting with Liz on the left hand side with some other Thetas and a few Chi Os and Lambda Chis when I first started going to mass again, and of sitting in the front with my brothers and sisters from Newman. I could keep going on about the Newman Center, but I'll get moving.

I finally have my visa! Praise God that adventure is over. The consulate was closed Friday when I tried to go get it (Peruvian 4th of July) so Marcel and I drove from Tulsa to Chicago Sunday night, got to the consulate, was there for 3 hours and, after a few more obstacles, frustrations, and a few tears, the Consul General gave me my visa. We booked it out of that city and I don't ever plan on going back except for a Cards Cubs game in Wrigley. That's it.

Even after having my visa, it isn't really hitting me that I'm leaving. It's like I'm saying goodbye but I don't know where I am going. I have no picture in my head of my home or new community. I can't even fathom what the Andes look like, what the food will be like. The only thing that keeps making its way into my head, is that in less than a week, my whole world will be in Spanish. YIKES! I've been practicing, but I feel I'll still be a fish outta water come Monday.

This week I am hanging out in Tulsa and not really thinking of leaving. I am doing my best to fit all of my friends in, if I don't give you a proper goodbye, I'm sorry, this week is crazy busy, I'm surprised I've had time to write this entry. Know that I love you and will be praying for you. I leave Sunday at 1030 am. My mom is coming to Tulsa and taking me to the airport (probably no the best way for us to leave each other but I couldn't imagine anyone else taking me) and I fly to Miami then Lima. Altogether it is about 8 hours in a plane so not too bad.

Thank you for the support. Next update most likely will be from the southern hemisphere where it's winter (not like Iowa thank God!).

Abandon Yourself

This is the phrase that comes to mind when I think of the Heart's Home mission. You must truly abandon yourself and surrender your will. This is true for everybody though, not just the missionaries. If you truly abandon yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, you will be even more happy than you could ever make yourself.

I've learned I have to abandon many things, but I have to trust that I'm doing what has been planned for me since birth. It is that turst that keeps me grounded and brings me peace. This trust allows me to have no fear. I am not afraid of moving to a Spanish speaking country, a community where I don't know anybody, of giving up most technology, of leaving my loved ones; yes, I am upset when I know I'll miss birthdays, graduations, holidays and everyday joys, but I know my family will be okay without me. I'll be back, this isn't forever.

I have started to abandon myself and every day I wish it would have happened earlier. The amount of joy, peace, and grace I receive in this abandonment fulfills me more than any materialistic notion could. I see the beauty in many more things now. The women at the homeless shelter in Brooklyn, the person on the street, the mass, and many other things.

It breaks my heart that we live in a society that frowns upon this abandonment. Not just the abandonment of living for Him, but if you were to wake up one morning and decide to just be with that day and abandon what society dictates. If you were to leave your computer and phone off, not go to work, and just spend time being and reflecting on the path you're on and where it's going in contrast to where you desire, truly desire, it to go, chances are, your boss will be extremely unhappy with you, your friends and family will be upset you didn't call or text back, all in all, you'll most likely be made to feel guilty and probably criticized once you "return to the world."

What if, in examining what you're made for, you realize you're unhappy and need to make changes, small or big? Either way, many people may not understand and will have a hard time accepting it. I still bear this cross today. But if you are moved to change, do it! Abandon yourself and change. It doesn't matter what your belief is, I assure you, the amount of peace and grace you receive in this abandonment is enormous. It truly offsts the fear of change, rejection, and the unknown.

You don't have to go on a mission to Peru, or save the world. Maybe your change is to go back to church or make an effort to go every week. Perhaps you realize the career you have actually brings you sadness, or maybe you buy granola bars to give to the homeless you see on the street. Whatever it is, try it, and see the way it changes your life.

It has been a crazy 3 weeks! Orientation was great! I got to meet 4 other people preparing to leave for mission and it was nice to finally be able to relate to someone who understood everything that was going on. I had the opportunity to practice mt Spanish and to meet some of the friends of the Brooklyn home. I could write a long novel about those two weeks, but I won't. I'll just sum it up by saying it was great :)


I got a call the other night that I am no longer going Barrios Altos. Instead, I am going to the other home in Lima, La Ensenada. It is more on the outside of the city and is a little quieter from my understanding. It is a difficult change for me this close to leaving but I'm hoping it'll be worth it, I'm sure it will.


This week I am working on going through all of my stuff and beginning to pack. I keep thinking I have a month left, but really I have 2 weeks to pack for the next 15 months of my life. This weekend is my going away party with family and then a week at home, a roadtrip with a good friend, and a week in Tulsa before I leave. I hope to say goodbye to as many people as I can, but I apologize if I don't get to you. I have already begun my goodbyes and it has proven to be extremely difficult. I know it isn't forever, but saying goodbye to my friends (really they're my family..) is really tough when they've had such an impact on my life. I'll be posting my new address soon along with other practical aspects before I leave.


Peace,
Kari

time's a changin...

Well, now I get to officially move from being student to being a missionary. I have finished my internship and leave for orientation on Monday. This summer was a huge learning experience and I am thankful for all of the people I met and worked with. I leave in 51 days....51...ahhh!


I'm just now starting to realize the importance of the mission of Heart's Home. The other day, I finally came to realize what it means to just be present. I was having an off day and I just wanted to be with someone. I didn't want them to ask questions or to necessarily talk to me, I just wanted them to be. To meet me where I'm at and love me anyways. Yesterday, I was on the other end of that. I met this man as I was waiting for the bus. He seemed a little off but I offered a smile to him and he sat next to me and talked and talked and talked until his bus arrived. He's going through a big transition in his life, one that I don't really understand or empathize with, but he just wanted me to listen, so I did. 


I'm getting even more excited for this mission. It's going to be difficult to leave my family and friends, but I'll be back, I'm not moving forever...yet ;) I'm now Facebook friends with the members of my community and have looked through all of their pictures and am working on my Spanish...which needs a lot of help...


I probably won't post the next two weeks, but I'm sure I'll put in an update once I'm back. 
Paz y oraciones.

Small things...

...with great love.

My friend Beth had this written on one of the many whiteboards in her room at OSU. Everytime I would visit her, I saw this and thought, "Do I do small things with great love?" The fact I even had to ask that should have given me a red flag.

After reading Heaven is For Real today, I felt moved in many ways and it simply got me thinking. Then, I  was asked to help paint the inside of our garage. Something I did not see the point in and it seemed silly to me, but my dad needed my help so I did it. My arms were like jell-o from helping carry DJ's soapbox derby car this morning that they quickly became tired after a few strokes. I should mention, I was painting with a roller, I hate rollers, I'd rather paint with an old fashioned brush. I pondered getting frustrated and then I realized why I was doing it. I would have rather sat inside and finished another book I'm reading, but I didn't. I was painting because I love my family and they needed my help. With each stroke, it got hotter and my arms got more tired. I kept doing it. I started thinking again about the book and how it inspired me. Then something that I used to think about often was how much Christ suffered because he loved us. He loved me almost 2000 years before I was even conceived. The sufferings He endured are minimal to my painting woes. I love my family so doing this little task was a sign of showing it.

Then, of course, I was thinking of Peru. A thought that is often present throughout my days. What am I going to be doing in Peru? Small things, with great love. I will pass a homeless man on my way to the market and flash him a smile. My smile is not perfect and shiny, yet it is a small thing, that I have the ability to do with great love. I won't just be doing that for the poor around me though. I'm sure that at times, I will have to do something for my brothers and sisters of community that I would rather not do at that time, but I will. Why? I haven't even met my community, yet I love them already. This is something that is often lost in our society. Why go out of our way to help someone? They're capable of doing that. I don't want to, I have better things to do. We are all called to love as Christ loved. To serve as He served. Luke 22:26 says it best. I consider myself truly blessed to have realized this before getting on the plane. It is something I need to work on and now I have 2 months to do so before arriving in Lima.

I thought about not sharing this with you all right away. However, I realized that if you are a Cradle Catholic, Non-Practicing, Atheist, Jewish, Protestant, Muslim, or any other religion, it is a simple message that is absent today. To do small things with great love is to do something that is traditionally against the norm. Mother Teresa lived this out every day. Her Missionaries of Charity still do. Those on mission in America or around the world have already realized the need for this and have put it into action. I challenge you all to try to do ONE thing with GREAT love this week. Try it every day. Jesus sacrificed so much for you. Can't you do something small for someone else? You have to truly mean it though. Don't do it for yourself. Do it because you love that person. Even if you have no idea who they are, do it because you respect life and love them. If it is someone you really have a hard time loving, do it because Jesus loved you so much He died for you. Offer it up as a prayer to Him and ask for His help to love others or for any other petition you may have.

"Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness." Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

I just want to go....

Don't get me wrong, I am loving being home with my family, but I often find my heart is already in Peru instead fully present to the moment. This past month seems like the longest month ever. I have patiently been waiting for it to pass knowing that in June I go back to Brooklyn to meet many new friends and go through orientation. Aside from that, I've noticed how much I am looking forward to a simple life. Where money is not an issue, neither are clothes, cars, or other material things. I will be free of those ties and so will those I am serving. The stresses associated with them will be gone and I imagine my stress will come from much more meaningful places. like the sick boy who lives down the street and can't make it mass or the elderly lady that has been cast out by her family. Needless to say, as the days slowly go by, I can't help but long to be in Peru already or at least near Heart's Home.

Please continue praying for sponsorships to come in and for all of the former, current, and future missionaries to be at peace and follow the Will of God.
Blessings.

God Will Provide

The most recent update from HH brought a lot of wonderful news! My flight has officially been booked and I know when I will leave America and arrive in Peru :) Que bueno!!
Thank you to all of you that have provided sponsorship and decided to be a part of this mission with me. You are all in prayers and I am forever blessed for your presence in my life. I am only $1,580 away from the $9,100 that is needed. PRAISE GOD!!!! I would like to have the rest of this by the time I arrive at orientation on June 20, but I trust it will happen on His time, not mine.

I hope you all have a wonderful week and that you are open to whatever it is God is trying to show/tell you.

MUCH LOVE
Kari

5 weeks!

I can't believe I leave for orientation in 5 weeks!! That is soooo crazy! Yesterday morning things went better at the consulate and after some misunderstanding and me getting yelled at (in English by a Peruvian...) I have the one piece of paper I need to send to Lima ASAP (please pray that my visa gets done in time).

Orientation starts June 20 and lasts until July 3. During this time I will be getting a taste of what life in Peru will be like. I'll be spending time with the home in Brooklyn and listening to speeches and a various sort of other activities I'm sure. I am hoping to have almost, if not all, of my sponsorship in by then. This leave 5 weeks to raise $3,080. I have faith I can do it, but it is still rather daunting. Please keep praying that more people are willing to embark on this mission of compassion with me by financially or spiritually sponsoring me!

Thanks for all of your support.
http://usa.heartshome.org/Kari-S-Sioux-City-IA.html
www.heartshomeusa.org

Roadblocks

The last few weeks have been crazy! I took 7 finals, graduated college and am now sitting in Chicago. Why Chicago you ask? Well, the Peruvian Consulate has been rather difficult...first they take a long time to verify my passport so I call and they say they have no record of me. Great, more money spent driving to Chicago to do it in person. Not to mention the time too. I was supposed to start my internship today...thankfully the lady is really understanding and is ok if I start on Thursday. I went to the consulate today and they immediately handed me my student ID back, I was very perplexed. Then I asked (in my awful Spanish, I get stage fright) if the papers were ready for me.
"Come back in 2 days"
"They aren't ready?"
"Come back in 2 days"
--Call mom frustrated and upset--
"Will you send them to Tulsa?"
"Yes"
"I don't live there anymore..."
"Come back in 2 days"
--Call mom again, get the idea to just ask to change the address on the envelope to send them back--
Got on the elevator, rode to the 18th floor, they are now closed. So I waited until 3 which is when I am usually told to call back and talk to someone in English. No answer until 4. Then I talk to someone who tells me to call back at 9am to talk to someone in English, well I may as well stay in case I need to go in (which I probably will since body language and hand gestures will be helpful tomorrow). So here I am, in Chicago, after a long day. At least I can be productive!

Good news is more donations have come in! However, I am still in need of $3080. Please continue to pray that I reach that goal! I would like to have it all by orientation on June 20. Also, please pray that my visa gets done in time so I can leave on August 3 like I am supposed to!

Love.

$10

What can $10 get you nowadays? A dateless dinner at an average restaurant. 2 cups of Starbucks coffee. 3 gallons of gas (that will get you approximately 60 miles). Or a year of satisfaction knowing you are giving up one of the aforementioned options and sponsoring a missionary. 


I leave for Lima, Peru in about 112 days. I will be gone for 14 months minimum and will be living out a life of compassion and love. Heart's Home is a Catholic organization that was established to provide those 2 things to those most in need, especially the children. I have answered God's call for me to serve with them and I couldn't be more excited. Part of this mission is to find others willing to sponsor me and partake in this mission of compassion with me. It costs $650 a month to be a missionary with Heart's Home. That includes travel, room, board, 100% health insurance coverage, and training. To date, I have raised $5295 and $3805 is left to raise.


If 28 people were willing to sacrifice one dinner out or 2 cups of coffee every month, and put it towards sponsorship I would reach the amount necessary to support me while serving. The benefits of sponsorship are many. Materially, sponsors get an update every other month while I am serving in Peru. I have already been praying for my sponsors for months and will continue to do so. Any prayer intentions can be sent to me to take before the Blessed Sacrament every day. Also, those that I will be serving are the ones who are not aware of the amount of love they are entitled to as human beings. That is my main job. I won't be teaching or providing health care per-say. I will be loving people and be their friend. 


I ask you to consider sponsoring me and being a part of this mission of compassion and bringing love to the world. If financial sponsorship is not possible, spiritual sponsorship is also an option. For this just fill out the appropriate sections on the sponsorship form which can be reached via the second link below. 


Thank you. Feel free to contact me with any questions about my mission or Heart's Home.


La Paz de Cristo,
Kari


www.heartshomeusa.org

http://usa.heartshome.org/Kari-S-Sioux-City-IA.html

Blessings

It has been a while since I posted. Perhaps this is because as I have jumped into my final semester of undergraduate work, I have found myself preparing for mission in my free time. "in my free time" that's a problem. I have realized that I should be preparing for my mission always. Yes, I am excited for this joyful time leading up to graduation with my friends, but am I priming myself for the next adventure in life? Is it really going to be an adventure? If I do it right, it will feel like one but not in the sense of Indiana Jones. While in Peru, I will be dedicating my whole life to God and his children around me, my brothers and sisters. I will have many exciting moments like Indy but will not have to worry about making it across a rope bridge only to have it be cut and then I'm left hanging on for my life. There will be one bad guy chasing me but staying focused on the Ultimate Goal, I known he'll never get me. 


I have taken time this Lent to prepare for the more logistical side of mission work. Technology, it is such a great tool but I have found myself spending too much time with it. I would text more than talk on the phone and I lost that true relationship with people by not having any sort of sensual contact with them. I am going to keep this brief and just say that in this time leading up to Peru so far, I have received many blessings (including reaching half of my sponsorships) and I thank you all for your support. Please keep praying and journeying closer to Golgotha these next few weeks.


La Paz de Cristo
Kari 

Adios!

It's official! I have a day that I am off to Peru for the next GINORMOUS step in my life. I depart August 3. No worries though, I'm leaving with a bang (do you honestly expect anything else from me?). August 1 I plan on heading down to Tulsa from IA (I'm really actually going to miss that state...especially the good ol steak and potatos). There will be a going away party of sorts that night...which I'm sure a stop to Kilkenny's is in order, it's tradish! August 2nd will be my last day to tie up any loose ends and to spend some qt with the fam. At 5:30 that evening, is my sending forth mass. Fr. Matt Gerlach will be celebrating the mass at the St. Philip Neri Newman Center (400 S. Florence, Tulsa, OK)...no worries, it's not like a wedding mass or like I'm taking vows..just a special little mass before I go. I don't know what time I leave yet but I do know it happens on the 3rd.

Each home has a visitor that is sort of like a "supervisor missionary" that makes sure everything is running smoothly in the house. The one for Barrios Altos is Fr. Lorenzo (a priest for HH) and he will be visiting on August 6 and would like to have me there so we can meet! Which is why I'm leaving so early in August. Now all I have to do is finish raising sponsorships! I'm still working on getting all of my letters out. So far I've sent 120 and I have at least another 30 names on the list!

**If you know of anybody that might be willing to partake in this mission of compassion with me, feel free to pass on any neccessary information**

Thank you so much for all of your support throughout this preparation process. Know that you are in my prayers and I hope those I'll be serving and I are in yours.

Pax.

God is SO GOOD!

Just a quick update. More sponsorship letters have gone out in this past week and I'm slowly finding out that God will provide. People that I didn't expect to donate much are surprising me and it's so beautiful to know that I have the support of friends and family. I'm still working on getting more out in the mail and via email.

I'm still not sure when my exact departure date is. I hope to find out in the next week or two. Once I know that, I will be able to set up my sending forth mass which will *hopefully* be held at the Newman Center at TU providing Fr. Matt will be available that day. I'll keep everyone updated.

OH ONE MORE EXCITING THING! I made a Peruvian dessert Friday night. I think it was quite delish and I still have some in the fridge :) I shared it with some friends that thought it was good too. It's called "leche asada" or "roasted milk". It's really simple and easy to make with only a few common ingredients: eggs, sugar, vanilla, evaporated milk (some recipes use real milk), and cinnamon sticks. However, don't let the simplicity fool you, ovens are still hot when you make this dish...I have not 1 but 2 burn marks on my left arm. fail.

I've also been working on my Spanish a lot more. I have officially changed my phone into Spanish so I'm constantly reading some common-ish words and I'm able to use predictive text in Spanish so that's fun! Also, I've gone back to work at Applebee's to save up money for when I go...some of the cooks are still there from when I worked there before and I told them that they can only talk to me in Spanish. I've already noticed that I'm getting more confident with speaking it and hearing it is getting easier too (but that's still a tricky task).
Well, this isn't a quick update but as I was typing I realized I had more to tell you all than I thought!

Blessings.

Sponsorships

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and New Year. I spent a good portion of my break studying for the GRE, recovering from these darn wisdom teeth being pulled out, and writing sponsorship letters. I hope to get most of them sent out when I get back to Tulsa later this week. Please take time to read the letter and consider sponsoring my mission. If you don't get one and would like to sponsor me, please click on the link at the bottom of this page or email me and I can send you the letter!

God Bless