Merry Christmas!

Emily and I were recently invited to attend a missionary conference hosted by The Mission Society, our future sending agency.  The conference is in Orlando in early January, and to our surprise we found that purchasing round-trip tickets to Orlando were close to the same price as purchasing multi-city tickets to Chicago and then Orlando.  So we were able to visit my family in Wisconsin for a white, semi-destructive Christmas!

Here are some highlights:

1.  Blowgun Stocking Stuffers
Years ago my parents decided to divide the gift-giving responsibilities as such:  Mom buys the real gifts; Dad stuffs the stockings.  Now, I think it's my Mom's opinion that grown men-boys with a median age of 30 should no longer be receiving stockings.  But my Dad's youthful influence (he was our hero growing up because he was the only dad on the block who owned a TMNT t-shirt--and wore it constantly) wins out.  Usually our stockings consist of enough candy to give your eyes a cavity, along with a Nerf gun or other harmless toy weapon.  This year my father outdid himself.  Instead of the harmless toy weapon, we received blowguns!

You know it's a true Christmas when you receive something with a label advertising its use in incapacitating small animals.  We quickly proceeded to the basement to try them out.  Don't worry, no small animals were harmed.  Here's a video of my brother Justin getting into the holiday spirit!



2.  Family, Family, FAMILY!
It's easy for me to imagine Jesus being as pumped about Christmas as a five-year-old kid, not only because it's a celebration of his incarnation, but also because the amount of love on display can be staggering.  Emily and I have been basking in the warm, fire-like glow of family love for the past week and a half, and it has definitely been recharging our souls.  We have been able to spend quality time with my parents, brothers (and their respective families), as well as a good number of my extended family.  Last night was our white elephant gift exchange with my mom's side of the family.  It was a blast.  I received a pooping penguin that I managed to convince my cousins was filled with actual poop.  I also learned what Pillow Pets are.  My worldview has changed.

Who would have thought that playing foosball, shooting blowdarts, eating pounds of sugar, baking cookies, riding 4-wheelers, laughing, watching movies about scary viruses and the end of the world, and dancing could be so therapeutic?  I think that all of those things are encompassed in the heart of God.

3. God Time
It has been really good to slow down and reflect on all that we've walked through.  Things have been moving so quickly for the last couple of months that it has been easy to try to start attaching our own preconceived, go-to interpretations on certain life happenings.  But we have both been able to just sit with Jesus and let Him share His version of the story with us.  Here are some encouraging things God has introduced into our minds and hearts:

For Em:  I started reading a book about the seasons in our lives called Spiritual Rhythm.  The first chapter is on winter, and I felt something resonate as I read this paragraph.  "Winter shames those in it.  It feels like personal failure, something we've caused, or missed or faltered in.  We chide ourselves for being there.  We're sure it's our own fault.  We wonder if we're crazy, lazy, stupid...The assumption is this:  God can't be in winter."  Sometimes it is easy to look at the circumstances and think that we missed it somewhere along the way.  Yet I have been reminded of God's presence in the quiet times, and I really do believe He has gone before us, behind us and is leading us forward.




For Trav:  "On the other hand, theology could be provisionally described as that which attempts to come to grips with this life-giving experience, to describe the source from which everything is suspended and from which our faith is born.  In faith God is experienced as the absolute subject who grasps us, while in theology we set about reflecting upon this subject.  Here the source of our desire is rendered into an (intellectual) object that we may reflect upon.  In faith we are held, in theology we hold."
                                   --Peter Rollins "How (Not) to Speak of God"

It is easy for me to confuse theology with faith.  It is easy to put the emphasis on using the "right language" or saying the "right things" about God, which in turn can take precedence over faith.  But I think that Peter Rollins' distinction is correct.  Faith is about what God is actually doing in our lives, theology is about trying to give definition and language to what is happening and who God is.  It is an important reminder to me that one aspect of theology is that it can confine God in a way, by confining him to language, and often to subjective experiences.  But God is so much bigger!  Even the simplest parable from Jesus is an example of how narrow our language and experiences can be.  But faith--faith is to be held by God.  Faith is to experience that (in some ways) unexplainable presence of God in our lives--it is to be transformed.  And that is a beautiful thing.




Overall it has been an excellent first Christmas as a married partnership of complete, bodacious awesomeness.  We are excited to learn a ton at the conference in Orlando, and then to return to Lima.  We already have a youth group night we are in charge of in Condevilla, so it will be a quick dive back into Peru.  Please pray that it will be more like a beautiful swan dive and less like a belly flop.

How Travis Saved the Day

Travis and I decided to spend the holidays with the Gaspers in Wisconsin. We tied up loose ends in Arequipa and flew to Lima last Wednesday. Our flight was scheduled to take off at 12am, and our friends called a taxi to take us to the airport around 9:30. Our taxi driver is a friend of the family, and we all sat, drinking tea and chatting away. Around 10:30pm, I started getting a little nervous about our flight and the fact that it is recommended that you arrive 3 hours before take-off.

We piled into the taxi and almost immediately hit traffic, bumper to bumper, crazy, terrible traffic. At about 11pm (one hour before take-off) we reached the airport. There was no line, and I was extremely confused. So I sought clarification, and this is the conversation that ensued:

Me: "Is this for the continental flight?"

United Airlines Lady (UAL): "Yes, they will call your last name."

Me: They don't know my last name.

UAL: You're on stand-by, right?

Me: No!!!

UAL: You were supposed to be here 3 hours ago.

Me: I know. But we are here now.

UAL: The flight is closed. You're too late.

Me: But we checked in online.

UAL: Nope, the flight is closed.

Travis: We checked in online.

And then the UAL told us to run through security. We took off and literally ran through the metal detectors only to come to a grinding halt when we hit immigration. The line usually takes about an hour to get through (hence needing to arrive early), and we were told that our flight was taking off in 20 minutes. I pleaded with a few official looking people to let us bypass the line, but they refused. I looked at Travis, and before I knew it he was knocking over stanchions and pushing his way through the line. All I heard were people telling him to be careful, and I had visions of security dragging us away.

We finally made it to the man who stamps your passports, and I realized that I had lost my little paper that I had filled out upon arrival. I was escorted to a special desk where we had to pay to get a new little paper. We paid and ran as fast as we could to the gate. Out of breath, I asked if we had missed our flight, and praise God, we had not.

I call this post How Travis Saved the Day because I am a rule follower, and Travis is not. I would have waited in very long lines, and I probably would not have even gotten passed the initial United Airlines Lady. Fortunately, I am married to a man who pushes the limits when he deems necessary.

We made it to Wisconsin, and we will be sure to arrive at the airport 3 hours early next time.

Jeff's Visit: Metal-Style

A few weeks ago my friend Jeff came to visit us in Arequipa.  Jeff is one of my best friends from Houston, and he was an essential part of our wedding since he filled last minute to play piano for our recessional when another musician bailed.  He's a funny guy who has a great job that allows him weeks off for traveling the world.

His week-long visit consisted of introducing him to our Peruvian friends, Peruvian cuisine, and a mishmash of useful Spanish words like "madera" (wood) and "trabajolico" (workaholic).  We went hiking, brought him to a church potluck, made him stand on a ton of buses, helped him buy Spongebob Squarepants finger-puppets, introduced him to Alpaca meat, and took him to an ancient monastery.  Ironically, the monastery reminded me of my heavy metal years.  We toured it at night (it's gigantic) and declined a guide.  This meant that we had free range of the part of the monastery open for tours.  It also meant we could climb in nooks and crannies and play with fire (it was naturally lit by torches and lanterns).  My type of tour.

If our week were a metal album, I would call it JEFF-ROW.  Here are some choice cuts:

JEFF-ROW: Lead shrieks and guttural growls.  Interests: Reading, Coffee, Holding lanterns in the darkness

 TRAVIARY: Lead Axe.  Interests: Discipleship, Literature, Eating Things He Probably Shouldn't

Here's what can happen when I'm left to my own devices around fire (and by "left to my own devices" I mean Emily decided not to come along for the tour):

Then the sun came up and we went for a hike.  It was much less metal (but the weather could still be considered grim):

It was great to have a friend come spend some time with us here in Peru.

Stay tuned for a Christmas update!  I promise there will be no heavy metal or 90's action movie allusions (or at least not many).

-Trav

A Change in Direction

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

Merry Christmas!  Emily and I trust that you are having an excellent holiday season celebrating the Greatest Gift while surrounded by family and friends.

We are writing this message to let you know of a change in direction for our time in Peru.  As you know, since October we have been working with Maximizing Children’s Ministries International in Arequipa, Peru.  Recently the ministry decided to go in a different direction than originally expected, and Emily and I will no longer be in Peru under their covering.  We will be moving to Lima in January so that I can continue language school while Emily works teaching Peruvian kids in schools.  We will also be spending time working with the youth of a particular area of Lima called Condevilla.  There is a church plant there, and we will be reaching out to many kids who are coming from broken homes with heavy hearts.  Please pray that God will grant us favor with the kids and that many will come to know of His abundant, healing, redeeming love for them.

The Woodlands United Methodist Church will now be receiving all gifts and support on our behalf and issuing them to us in Peru.  The church and John Hull (the missions pastor) have been a huge encouragement to Emily and me, and we are delighted for their willingness to help us with our finances for the year.  We ask that you please discontinue sending any support to The Ark church or MCMINTL on our behalf and that you would instead send support to:

The Woodlands United Methodist Church

2200 Lake Woodlands Drive
The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Please designate any support by writing “Gaspers” in the memo line.  The church has a variety of ways you can give that are listed on the following webpage: http://www.thewoodlandsumc.org/give

We love you and are so grateful to be supported by people who continually shower us with the type of love that reflects the big heart of God.   Thank you for your continued prayers and support in this time of transition. 

With love,

Travis and Emily Gasper