New Video

Pray for us, we are off tomorrow morning (Saturday) for a couple days at Colca Canyon, one of the world's deepest. We will surely have pictures to post and adventures to tell when we return.

The video clips and most of the pictures on this new video are already somewhere on our blog, but Laura had a great time putting them together with music to make this summary of how our little man has grown in the last four months. Makes me want to cry...

Immigration

I don’t want this blog to get terribly political, but many of you know that it is an interest, and so occasionally I like to put down some ideas about certain issues. I’ve had a few thoughts about a current situation that is important to me and quite relevant around here. Unfortunately, I wrote this down a few days ago, and it has since become a moot point. The bill being discussed was effectively killed on Thursday, bringing a healthy discussion to a disappointing end, but I still would like to post my thoughts. Please respond if you have suggestions for or against, I’m still interested in discussing it, because it is still a pressing problem.
The U.S. Senate had been discussing a comprehensive immigration bill, which was dead in the water a month ago but back on the table in the last week. It was an attempt to find a much-needed solution to the issue of 12 million undocumented citizens, living and working, albeit illegally, in the States, often being exploited, and in a state of constant fear and insecurity. Thankfully most people outside of a few loud TV personalities have realized that it would be at once impractical, devastating to the economy, and most importantly, immoral to attempt to deport all 12 million souls, yet neither is it right to allow the system which caused this situation to continue. What impressed me, in part, about the bill was that it was a real genuine compromise between two highly divided sides, on a politically valuable issue. From my moderate perspective, any time you can see Ted Kennedy and a border-state Republican (John Kyl) agree on something, progress has been made. It seems to happen far too little in the world’s greatest deliberative body. The Republicans primarily conceded a path to citizenship for those already here and Democrats conceded tougher border laws and a change in the system to prefer those with competitive skills over family ties. The bill certainly has its critics, and to be sure, its faults. Because it offers a path out of the shadows for undocumented immigrants, many on the right cry, “amnesty!” (why a word like that is used negatively as a weapon by those who claim to press the Christian or moral agenda is beyond me). Those on the left criticize the guest-worker program and the shift in priorities for citizenship (skills over family). Their second point seems to have merit, and again seems to be a bit of an incongruous move by the “pro-family” party. Still, for all its flaws, I think the bill was a step in the right direction. Adjustments could still have been made later, and something needs to be done. President Bush is to be commended for his support of the bill, despite the outcry from his more extreme Republican associates.
Immigration is a difficult issue, and like most, far more complicated than the sound-bites or talk-radio invective would have us believe. It is a biblical issue - scripture has a lot to say about the way we treat our neighbor, particularly the foreigner living among us. It is about life and death, and needs to be weighed very carefully. The angry, unblinking rhetoric on both sides has not helped us toward a solution; this bi-partisan bill just might have.

More Fútbol

Sports update - the current talk of the town is the Copa America – essentially the fútbol championship of the Western Hemisphere. Though it’s hugely popular, none of the Peruvians have any confidence in their own country’s chances. The gloomy predictions weren’t even quelled by a brilliant 3-0 win against heavy favorites Uruguay on Tuesday night. The upsets continued yesterday, as I was happy to see Mexico whip defending champions Brazil, and hopefully the trend will continue tonight when the U.S. takes on Argentina. I suppose the fans here have seen their share of disappointment, as the Peru squad hasn't even been to the World Cup in 25 years, but perhaps this is the tournament to turn it around. In any event, we'll stand beside our friends here and cheer for our adopted home (and of course the good old USA).

First Haircut

Fingerpainting for Daddy's Father's Day gift

Before

Noah doesn't have that much hair, we know, but it was long over the ears and who knows, maybe this trim would help more to grow. Michael needed a haircut too, so what better time to go? We found a little barber shop, where a nice lady named Lucy sat Michael down and went about trimming as Noah and I watched. I explained what was happening and even sat him in one of the big barber chairs. This shop did have a special chair for kids so they could pretend to be riding a horse while getting their "ears lowered," but this being a first, Daddy's arms were a much better option. When Noah's turn came, Lucy put the big bib on - which didn't go over too well, and began snipping away at his fine little hairs.

Now, I'm the sentimental type and I wavered back and forth about whether or not to save a little lock - but really, Noah barely had enough for a "lock" and I wondered how I would ever save it and where. My mom saved a lock of mine in my baby book, which I did enjoy looking at as a little girl - perhaps this is why I feel a little guilty...thank you, Mom, for helping preserve memories of my babyhood. Perhaps after a few haircuts I would have enough....

Anyways, Lucy did a great job. There were a few tears, but in the end our baby boy looks a wee bit more like a little boy - his haircut hasn't changed his sweet little ways. Tonight he gave each of us little kisses on the lips and made the smooching sound. I'm recovering from yet another 1st that reminds me of how quickly my baby is growing up.

After

Hmm

Speaking of those perros (in the last post), I had an interesting discussion with one of our teachers about that. She said that the reason they are on the roofs, and not in the houses, is that for many people, dogs are not cuddly pets. They are protection, nothing more. They just don't have the same stature and position we afford them in the States. That also explains why there are so many on the street. In the U.S., this is unacceptable. We don't want to see dogs on the street, so we put strays in shelters, or put them to sleep, and we make absolutely sure all dogs are neutered. To our teacher, this is absurd. Why on earth spend the hundreds and thousands of dollars on puppy-operations, especially having them fixed? Well, because they're our friends, they're cute, and we don't like to see them on the street. I do realize that strays are also a public health issue, but I can see her point. If you want to talk about public health, how about people? Dogs in the U.S. generally have much better access and provision for medical care than most Peruvian citizens. It's staggering to think of the money ($38.5 billion in 2006) that Americans spend on pets, when more than 20,000 people die every day of hunger. I don't at all mean for this to be a rant against pet ownership, just an observation about the reasons for the different view toward dogs here. Resources are more scarce, and there are priorities. The strays don't really bother anyone, and the lucky ones live on food scraps from restaurants and homes. I just wish they'd go to sleep at night.

Fiestas

Arequipa is a very lively place – not only are there frequent marches, but even more frequent are the celebrations. We live around the corner from a club that has extremely loud live music (usually a great salsa band) every weekend night. We could open the windows and have a party in our apartment! We haven’t gone dancing yet, but there are plans in the works to double-date with one of our teachers and her husband. In addition, at least every weekend there are fireworks (big ones, but quite sporadic) heard throughout the city. The celebrations are mostly for Catholic saints, and our apartment is between three of the most well-known churches/schools in the city. They really scared us at first, and I suppose not too long ago one could’ve guessed it to be gunfire, but we’re getting used to it. The only bad thing is that it really drives those roof-dogs bananas.

Goodness

"I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 31:14 (emphasis mine)

It's been a while since last I wrote. My last post, around Mother's Day, was describing my recent stuggle with loneliness in a new country. Let me just say, thank you for all of your prayers, notes, talks, and encouragement. The Lord has been rich in mercy towards me in this area. The verse above has been posted on our bathroom mirror and has been a sweet reminder of how GOOD our God is. He has provided some precious friendships through our language school. As a group, we have been getting together, at least once a weekend, to play games, watch a movie, share a meal, explore the city, or the countryside. Next weekend we're all going to Colca Canyon (the world's second deepest canyon). A dear new girlfriend, Aimee and I have been getting together once a week, just to chat, share struggles, and have some girl-time. She is from Canada and is a photographer for her medical mission which sets up clinics all over Latin America. Basically, she's a huge answer to prayer! She took the above picture of Noah and I. Aimee will be leaving for Guayaquil, Ecuador in July, just before Michael's parents arrive. It's neat to make the most of the time we have before she leaves, and she is certainly one we want to keep up with! It would be fun to visit her in Guayaquil if we can.

Meet Aimee

We all went to lunch at a fabulous restaurant yesterday that had a playground. Noah, being the only baby in the group just gives everyone else a reason to ride on the merry-go-round. That's David in gray.

So, while all this socializing has been with mostly English-speakers, it came at a needy time. Spanish is coming, poco a poco (little by little). Speaking of which I need to go study...

La Huelga

Arequipa is a very socially active city, in the sense that there constantly marches and protests. At least once a week, as I pass through the Plaza España in the morning, I see a group of concerned citizens, usually either poor, elderly or both, preparing to parade through the streets with banners and signs for their cause. There is certainly plenty of marginalization and injustice to protest, but it's impressive to see so much activity in such a (relatively) small city.

Recently, though, it's gotten more serious, as the city has been affected by a couple of huelgas - strikes. The transportation services - combis (buses) and taxis have gone on strike each of the last Wednesdays, protesting the rising gas prices which threaten their livelihood. Last Wednesday was a sort of warm-up huelga. There were still some taxis running at higher prices, and even a few combis. The effect was nothing more than quieter and calmer streets, actually a pleasant change, if you ask me. But this week was the real deal. No buses, few cars, and every now and then a terrified taxi. The streets were practically barren. Even if anyone did try to pass, there were roadblocks of glass, rocks, and people throughout the city. In a way it was refreshing to have a day without horns, pollution or fear of crossing the street. But it was not so peaceful for some. We heard stories of tour buses being chased by an angry mob and a taxi driver being attacked for taking his sick wife to a clinic. The Plaza de Armas was the focus, with day-long marches around the square, chants, flags and tire-burnings. The government is not likely to change anything, but I know the drivers are really struggling. I've stopped bargaining with the taxistas over inflated price-quotes for foreigners, because I know most of them are just getting by as it is. The huelga may have been a breath of fresh air for us, but it's a lot more serious for those whose families depend on the industry.

A few of the roadblocks

¿Cuy?

Last weekend we went out to eat at the well-known and highly recommended restaurant Tradición Arequipeña, and for the first time we tried Arequipa's famous Cuy Chactado. There would be nothing too absurd about fried guinea pig, but for the way it is served. The picture should give you a good idea - just dig into the little fella with both hands, pulling him limb from limb and trying to get some meat out to enjoy with the crunchy seasoned skin. I realize that this is exactly what you do when eating, say, chicken, but there's something slightly less appetizing about recognizing the various body parts as part of a whole creature, even as it stares woefully back at you. I have to admit, though, he tasted quite good. Thankfully we didn't know about the Arequipeño way to finish the meal, which a teacher told us later - open the head, eat the brain, and play a drinking game with a tiny ear bone. ¡Buen provecho!

Doesn't that look good?

Laura, unsure about eating a leg, claws and all

Books, Part 1

Not much time tonight, so I'll just put up a pre-written summary I've been wanting to post for a few months, some book recommendations.

This year I've picked up some great ones, starting with Enrique's Journey, by Sonia Nazario. An incredible true story that puts a human face on the immigration issue. With Pulizer-Prize winning journalism, it agonizingly shows the systemic injustice and astounding hope at every point in the tragic trip that many Central Americans feel forced to make for the sake of their families.

A few books I found to be helpful reads for the next election cycle include Tempting Faith, by David Kuo (whose blog is on the right), and The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama. Kuo's book is a first-hand account of the attitudes and actions inside this administration toward evangelical Christians and faith-based programs, coming from a Christian who entered politics with a real desire to see faith affect policy - it might surprise you.

Senator Obama brings a refreshing change of tone from the usual rhetoric found on both sides of the aisle. He is sincere and humble, and while I don't agree with all of his positions, I appreciate his approach to many tough issues and am impressed by his larger vision for the country. It will be very interesting to see how his campaign plays out over the next year.

If you have read any of them or decide to, please write, I'd love to discuss. Hasta luego....

Dad's Day

Well, the internet is back up and running. I think the way to fix it is just to remind them to send us a signal. Three times now it's stopped working, and when we tell them so, they say that someone will either be over shortly or will call to schedule an appointment. No one has ever come or called, but each time it starts working again within several hours.

Anyway....

Feliz Dia del Padre! (a little late) It's widely celebrated here as well, though not as vigorously as Mother's Day. We enjoyed a fairly relaxing day, attending the Cristianos en Acción church again, then resting in the afternoon. In the evening we had several friends over for dinner and games.
We are incredibly thankful for our fathers, and we miss them very much. They have been great examples to us of hard work and responsibility, and I must say again that every day I am amazed at the great charge that is being a dad. Through Noah, we see more and more of the challenges and struggles involved (I know, wait 'til he's a teenager!), and are grateful for all that our Dads have done for us and taught us.

Dad (Papa) Erickson with a very new Noah

Dad (Grandpa) Salvatierra, dancing with his favorite partner

Sunday morning with my boy. Could anyone be prouder?

One last pic from our trip

Así es la vida

Sorry we've been so negligent in blogging. Our internet went out on friday, and we're hoping to get it fixed soon. There's a backlog of about a dozen blogs I've been wanting to post, so eventually there will be more here. For now, here's a few more pictures of our outing a week ago. This weekend was much less busy, but we still generally feel pretty tired. Many great things and many frustrations to share.

Seth offered to take a turn carrying Noah.

David (standing up) eventually fell in

Un Paseo

Be ready for anything in Peru! This past Saturday, we were invited by a group of students from the school we visited to join them for a paseo - an outing, a picnic, a "little hike". It turned out to be quite the adventure. Seven foreign students from the institute met six Peruvian kids, about 30 minutes outside the city, at 8:30 am. Our destination was some cataratas - waterfalls - well known to the locals, but not described in any guidebook. It ended up being three hours one-way through some breathtakingly beautiful country. We started out in terraced farmland and cow pastures, and ended up climbing 1500 feet through a rugged canyon. By the time we reached the falls, we were scrambling over and under rocks and passing Noah across the mountain stream. The cataratas were spectacular, and the kids were so sweet. They wanted to carry Noah for a good part of the trip, and they enjoyed telling us stories about the history there. Apparently they do this all the time, but we were exhausted. After eating a picnic lunch and watching one of our friends take an accidental dip in the frigid water, we headed back for the town, but not before stopping to see some little-known Inca petroglyphs along the way. We eventually found a bus heading to Arequipa, which took its time picking up dozens along the way, and we got back to our apartment at around 3:45. Just in time for the (rescheduled) weekly football game. If that had been the extent of our weekend, we'd be tired enough, but of course there was much more. That will have to wait, though, because it's been long enough in getting this post up. I'll add a few pictures here, but more will come. It was an unforgettable trip, and we are very thankful for our new young friends.

Recovering

We are an exhausted bunch here, after a very full weekend. We have spent lots of time with friends, made some new ones, seen incredible scenery and had an overall terrific few days, but we have not rested much. Tomorrow we'll post a description of our adventures and plenty of fun pictures; I just can't do it tonight. So here are some links I meant to post on Friday - interesting recent online reading.

First, some food for thought from The Margins

A fascinating photo collection which is actually an art exhibit coming to NYC. Follow the link and look for "Running the Numbers"

I found that exhibit linked on Toward Hope, on which everything has been worth reading since
May 21

One week ago there was a very interesting forum held by Sojourners, in which the three leading democratic candidates candidly discussed their faith - how it affects their lives and guides their political decisions. A bit brief, but here's the transcript.

Another photo essay, this one from Time magazine, about how people eat around the world.

And last but not least, some great notes from Tim Keller at a recent conference regarding Gospel Ministry

Hope you enjoy. Happy Monday!

An Unexpected Friend

We are very excited to be reacquainted here with a friend from back home. Two days before leaving the States, we had the pleasure of meeting Seth, the boyfriend of a dear friend of ours, Jess Nakles. Seth is a missionary to Peru with Pioneers, and at the time he was raising financial support, not expecting to be in the country until the fall. He knew he'd be coming to Arequipa first, but we didn't expect to see him for very long before we moved on to Lima. So it was quite a happy surprise to receive an email from Jess this past weekend saying that Seth was arriving in a few days, and to find that he'd be studying at the same institute! He came over to our apartment the night he arrived, and we've had a great time already catching up on things back home. After a crash course in Spanish (6 weeks), Seth will be working in Pucallpa. This picture is for you, Jess!

Canciones

(to the tune of "Twinkle, twinkle")

"Mi gatito dice, 'miau'
Cuando quiere de comer
Cuando quiere pan blandito
Y su leche en su platito
Ven gatito, miau miau miau
Voy a darte de comer."


We are starting to learn some nursery songs in Spanish, and Noah loves them! Most of the others aren't familiar melodies, and our teachers are happy to teach us. Like American songs, most are about animals, and often use their sounds, or practice counting. Music is always the best way to learn!

Another Noah video

Hope everyone had a great weekend! We were invited by a new friend, Efraín, to another great church today, and are having some friends over tonight. Other than that, it has been a weekend of much-needed rest. We're all recovering from our resfrios (colds) and have many more blogs planned this week, so stay tuned.

For now, here's a video from earlier last week, when Noah was especially full of it. Sometimes he just gets in these moods and it's too cute. As a bonus you get to hear some of my practicing on the quena. Noah is the best audience.

Escuela

Wednesday was definitely one of my favorite days since we arrived. All the students and teachers from the institute went on a trip to a public secondary school 45 minutes outside the city. It was a very rural area with beautiful surroundings, but an area of great poverty. After meeting the teachers, we divided into groups of 4-5 and each visited a couple classrooms. Everyone had prepared a short explanation of their home country and discussed the similarities and differences in the schools, customs, climate, and pastimes there. We also tried to give these precious 12-15 year-olds a little pep talk about studying and the value of education, as the director of the school had specifically asked for that. For the most part, these students have very little support or encouragement, and don't see much hope for a better life. What could we offer them in half an hour? Still, they welcomed us with such warm smiles and were very interested in what we had to say. Music yet again became a wonderful bridge - in the first class, when we were answering questions about languages we had learned, one brave girl asked if I could sing something in Latin (of course I told them I was a music teacher). I obliged and sang the first thing that came to mind - Libera Me from Faure's Requiem. In the second class, another student asked if I could sing the U.S. national anthem, so I did my best. Naturally they wanted to hear our German friend Wolfgang sing the German anthem, which he did with great gusto and pride. Of course then it was their turn, so they all stood up and sang the himno nacional de Peru, and everyone cheered. After answering more questions, we all went out to the "courtyard" and enjoyed a snack that we had brought for them, as we talked and mingled. Some, especially the boys, were shy and aloof, but many were very friendly and eager to talk. They were patient with our imperfect language skills, and they (the students, not the teachers) even invited us to a picnic on an upcoming weekend.

The whole experience was so refreshing and motivating, probably in part because I was back in a classroom with students again. But more, it felt so much more real, more connected to everyday life. In the city center, that is real too, but most of the people there have means, and the schools are very nice. It's not reality for most Peruvians. We brought world maps into each class to show where we came from, and then left them there. When I think how we fret about the number of new computers in each classroom back home, and this school is incredibly grateful for a world map...it's just staggering. The place was practically barren, yet the students and teachers were making the most of it. I want to go back, I want to know their stories, I want to help however I can, yet there are schools like this all around Arequipa, and hundreds more in Lima. I don't know what I will be able to do in the schools there, but I'm thankful for the chance this week to get a taste of reality for so many young Peruvians.