Mothers Day

Wow, what a HUGE deal Mothers Day is here in Peru. I won’t lie that it continues to be a fascinating to experience the “same” holidays we celebrate in the States but on a different level here in Peru. Mothers Day could possibly be classified as one of the biggest days of the year here. I think it would be in the line-up with Christmas, Easter and the Peruvian Independence Day. Due to the strong Catholic roots, and the importance placed on the Virgin Mary, this sacred attitude has extended upon all mothers who are in turn lifted up in glory on Mothers Day. Here it is expected that you not only give a gift to your own mother, but to EVERY mother you know. And that gets pricey. Almost every school puts on an extravagant Mothers Day event involving dancing, singing, theatrical performances and cookouts. So knowing that Mothers Day (MD from here on out) is such a big deal, we as a team had to decide what to do. After some creative thinking we decided to pull from my North American roots and copy the traditional Sunday school teacher Christmas gift – a ready-made-mix-in-a-bag! This past weekend we spent a few hours mixing up 50 batches of basic pancake mix, and then added chocolate chips (thanks to everyone that has been sending chocolate chips!) to make it more special. We printed out recipe cards for the liquid ingredients that would need to be added, and placed a poem about mothers on the backside. We then spent several hours on Saturday handing out the bags to EVERY MOTHER WE KNOW in Tarma. Our pancake bags were met with delight, and it was a blessing for us to be able to bless the women we’ve gotten to know here.

In addition to our own MD gifting, I was obligated to participate in Stephen Hawking’s MD event (the school where I’m teaching English); obligated because I am a Stephen Hawking teacher. But more than feelings of obligation were feelings of delight because I am falling in love with my kids more and more as I spend more time with them. The kids have been working hard over the past months preparing dances and songs and plays to present to their mothers on their special day. It was a strange experience for me on some levels because MD is not as highly emphasized in the States, and it was interesting to see these kids put so much work and preparation into the event. On another level I was amazed at the pride I felt for my kids when I watched them dance. I had absolutely nothing to do with the preparation of this event, (beyond helping put invitations together) yet I was beaming with pride as I watched these kids perform, almost as if I was their own mother. I am wondering more and more if God is going to use Stephen Hawking and these kids as my key role of ministry for the remainder of my time in Tarma. I have confessed before that I have been frustrated over my lack of emotional bond with Tarma and its people, but for the first time, because of these kids I’m starting to feel joy in the work that I’m doing. I’m interested to see what God will do with this new excitement for ministry in the months to come. But so that you can see what a typical Peruvian dance looks like, I’ve placed some links to a dance in three parts. This group of students are my 1st graders (a 7th grader equivalent in the States), who danced this typical dance for their moms at the MD event. I filmed it in three parts because it’s a bit long, so you'll have to watch them in order. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayKnQZrXfrg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPHQuFd793U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a62hJ75FPps