Sunday, April 19, 2009
PERU 09 ~ VI ~ Synod
Friday, April 17, 2009
PERU '09 ~ Day V ~ San Andres
(Smiling Mark inside San Andres mission, a Church with a blue tarp for a ceiling and this beautiful homemade Crucifix)
(Tonight was our night to relax a little, debrief, regroup and enjoy fellowship as a Team)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
PERU '09 ~ Day IV ~ Santa Maria Virgen & Lectures
(A beautiful icon of the Holy Family in the Church of St. Maria written by Peruvian seminarian Marco)
(The women's ministry which makes beautiful hand crafts at St. Maria la Virgen)
This morning we made Pastoral Care Visits again with Fr. Aurelio. (Ironically, last year the day we visited Santa Maria la Virgen was the day I stayed home sick.) We walked into Fr. Aurelio's beautiful Church and were immediately greeted by a sanctuary complete with tabernacle, sanctuary lamp and icons. As he greeted us he described Santa Maria as "moderately Anglican, extravagantly Catholic"...a sentiment we at Nashotah House appreciated and got a chuckle out of. Fr. Aurelio also keeps beautiful gardens. And so between his love of gardening, the Catholic expression of Anglicanism and wearing an Orthodox style beard he said on the bus, "I sense a Deacon from Nashotah House may need to come to Peru to work with Santa Maria..." and which point all of us on the bus pointed to David Reamsnyder!!!
(Ana signing the "Book of Gold")
(Fr. Allen translating for Super Mark)
Let me just say that Mark Polley is my hero. He was terribly sick all day and came out and presented his curriculum with energy and a real love for the Peruvian seminarians. Mark taught on how to keep a Rule of Life with a particular funny yet true analogy that a Rule of Life is like a belt. If you gain a little weight you adjust it. If you lose a little weight you adjust it. A Rule of Life should be equally as appropriate to the circumstances of your life. Fortunately, the analogy didn't include a visual for what happens if you lose your Rule / belt and drop trou'. =op
(Our dear brothers and sisters taking notes while Mark lectures)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
PERU '09 ~ DAY III ~ San Pedro & Solemn High Mass
Bienvenidos! Nothing says Peruvian Missions like a smiling ex-paratrooper/ now Deacon getting his very first taste of national Peruvian soft drink...Inka Cola! Deacon Reamsnyder was a happy man!
(The neighborhood we made pastoral visits in today)
This morning we returned to the Church of San Pedro (where we painted yesterday) in order to make Pastoral Visits to peoples homes and to pray for them. We were divided into two teams lead by Fr. Allen and Claudia and spent the morning praying for dear brothers and sisters in need of healing for their hearts, and bodies and families.
(Peruvian seminarian Marco, Ana and Mark make their way to parishioners' homes)
Mark, "the Davids" and Joel spent this afternoon with Fr. John Park, the dean of the Cathedral, rehearsing for tonight's Eucharist. Fr. John loves traditional, solemn, Anglo-Catholic liturgy in all its fullness and invited us to serve as the altar party. Being Nashotah House seminarians we were more than happy to oblige of course. This was a wonderful opportunity for us to share with our Peruvian brothers and sisters our unique style of worship. While we're well-trained at Nashotah House nothing could prepare David R. or Joel for chanting the Epistle and the Gospel...in Spanish! (And lemme tell ya, the Gospel tonight was looonnng) We had a full altar party vested in dalmatic, tunicle, biretta, zuchetto and humeral veil with lots of incense and everything chanted. It was a blast.
Then after Eucharist David R. taught tonight on Ascetical Spiritual Disciplines which was wonderfully received by the Peruvians seminarians. The amount of riches he presented from the tradition of the Church spanning the Shepherd of Hermas through Thomas Aquinas and on to Jeremy Taylor and Michael Ramsey in a word...rocked!
P.S.: I'll have pictures from the Eucharist and David's lecture up tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
PERU '09 ~ DAY II ~ Painting at San Pedro & Lectures
(In front of Cristo Redentor: Ana, "the Davids", Mark, Fr. Misael and Fr. Allen)
Then this morning we headed south on our combi (van) to the Churches of Cristo Redentor and San Pedro which are under the care of Fr. Misael and Claudia. These Churches are smack the heart of the shanty-town/squatter settlements of the district of San Juan de Miraflores and their atop some big mountains and you can see the sprawl in every direction for what must be ten or fifteen miles? It's staggering.
(The four-year-old class at Cristo Redentor. Can you spot a red-head among the students?)
We had a chance to visit the classes of their day school, which are sponsored by Compassion International, and it was wonderful to see Jude connect with the Peruvian kids.
We also were able to help paint the exterior wall of the Church of San Pedro, also in Fr. Misael and Claudia's care, since it unfornately is the victim of graffiti. It was a great team effort with by everyone. These photos show the transformation from grafitti to a clean, white wall. Not unlike what the Lord does with our hearts, eh?
Here you can see the fruit of our labors. Notice the mountains in the background on the left?
This afternoon we had some fun down-time. Half of our team (Mark and the Prathers) are staying with Fr. Allen and Dcn. Rachel Hill and they're two boys and its been such a blessing. Their generosity in opening their home to us, and share their lives and example of life as a missionary family, is incredible. The boys had fun playing "Pile On Mark" this afternoon. It's so great to see Jude enjoy the new friendships with the Hill boys which they're quickly formed.
(Joel teaching about spiritual disciplines of engagement, like Lectio Divina)
Tonight we returned to the seminary for Eucharist and then my (Joel's) lecture on "Spiritual Disciplines of Engagement." It was a real privilege to present this material since it is material I'm passionate about and I'm presenting it to friends whom I have an incredible amount of respect for. These fellow seminarians have incredible lives which include working full-time, serving as ministers in their Churches (often be fully responsible for a Mission Station) having families and going to seminary four nights a week...all of which they do with incredible faithfulness, committment and joy! They're such a wonderful example. It was humbling to be asked to teach them. They certainly are teaching us as well through the incredible examples of committment and joy which they are.
(Ana translating for Joel...even the hand gestures!)
It's been a real blessing as well to have our very own in-house translator in Ana McGlynn. From the moment we headed to the airport she has been reaching out to people, striking up conversation and offering encouragement in the Lord to all and translating our curriculum each night. We're privileged to have her with us as a member of our Nashotah Team.