Miss Raquel is writing "another" novel.

[Georgiana]

3 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Wait, what? Raquel is biblical. It's Spanish and possibly some other languages for Rachel.

Edit: Ok so she said, all of us have biblical names, including herself I think.

All of us Duarte kids have Biblical names. My parents wanted to give mine a bit of a twist though (cuz I'm super special, ya know?) so they named me Raquel.

99.9% of the time, I would read the bolded as sarcasm or at least a joke....

But with Raquel, I think she might be serious.

[clueliss]

I'm super special - because my dad couldn't spell.  

[AmazonGrace]

If she's Peruvian Raquel would be a perfectly normal spelling I think. Do her siblings have Anglo names?

[clueliss]

I was actually talking about my actual given name.  (seriously, Dad couldn't spell.  I've left with a special name and one of two family stories that involves my dad, names, and birth certificates.  The other is not my sister but a cousin).  

[Terrie]

Her low maintenance includes being given a single rose. I suspect we have very different ideas of low maintenance. 

[Anonymousguest]

10 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

If she's Peruvian Raquel would be a perfectly normal spelling I think. Do her siblings have Anglo names?

Yes

[Peas n carrots]

I was actually talking about my actual given name.  (seriously, Dad couldn't spell.  I've left with a special name and one of two family stories that involves my dad, names, and birth certificates.  The other is not my sister but a cousin).  

My husband has a cousin with the same situation. Cousin's mom was apparently incapacitated Shirley after birth and cousin's dad filled out the birth certificate which resulted in two fairly cute, normal names being mishmashed into one single name with a funky spelling to boot.

[acheronbeach]

On 24/12/2015 at 7:34 PM, Terrie said:

Her low maintenance includes being given a single rose. I suspect we have very different ideas of low maintenance. 

Bahaha see it's this kind of shit that makes Raquel my favorite fundie.  She's so consistently tone deaf and out of touch.

[xRoo]

And she is off to Peru... Cringing.

[Curious]

Sorry Peruvians.  We are not all like the "missionaries" you get.   I hope "her boys" have talked to adults about her behavior and she will not be allowed to act so inappropriately this time.

[clueliss]

I've known people who have gone on short term missions before.  The week or two week long ones.  I'll discount the cousin once removed who is a nurse and been to Haiti on medical missions multiple times with a med team.  The folks I've known from church, who have gone with a particular organization (which I will not name publically), they provide homes for at risk kids who have been abandoned, orphaned or whose parents cannot take care of them.  They build compounds (with volunteer help - people on these short term missions) with houses and such.  The groups who have gone have regularly visited the Dominican Republic, a trip or so to Peru and more recently Haiti.  

I bring this up because there are behaviors in these people that I'm not seeing in Raquel's public persona.  The people I know ask for prayer before they go.  They think and ask for safe travel.  They also in preparation for their trip seek donations of hygiene supplies and the like.  Because with the 2 suitcase limit they use one for their things and one for supplies.  This can include food supplies for their stay.  They also raise money for their trips with different fundraising events.  I've seen things like eat at this restaurant on a certain day and the proceeds go to the mission group.  

Why do I bring this up?  Because I am not seeing this from Raquel.  Oh sure she may be doing these things locally.  But if she has a public following on social media, shouldn't she leverage that to do more for 'her boys' in Peru?  Instead what I saw over the weekend was babble about what sweats she was going to pack and wondering why she couldn't find the new black ones and if she had left them at someone's house.  

So Raquel, if you are going to have this public presence and be the wielder of words and blog, etc, how about leveraging it for Jesus instead of making it about you and how great you are?  

[Curious]

In the case of Raquel and other missionaries like her, the folks in Peru would be better served by having the cost of her vacation donated to the group she plans to "help."    I'm sure it costs several thousand dollars and they could put that money to much better use than having basically a teenager prancing around patting the boys in the home on the head (sometimes literally).

[clueliss]

I have chosen to sponsor 2 kids via Compassion International.  One in Burkina Faso, Africa.  Another in Bolivia.  I feel I'm doing better work doing this than getting on a plane and going somewhere just to make myself feel like I'm fulfilling the 'command' to go into the world and take Jesus to all nations stuff.  

[formergothardite]

 

Quote

It's SO hard to choose HOW MANY sweats to take... I don't want to part with ANY OF THEM

I'm 100% sure she didn't think to bring things to the people in Peru.  In her mind her mere presence is enough to make anyone happy. Why would they need anything but her inappropriate hugs and tickle fights? She did think to paint her toe nails so that her feet look cute in sandals. Priorities, Raquel has them. This organization she is working with CANNOT be a reputable one if they let Raquel lead a team of people to go down there. She and John Shrader are some of the least qualified people in the world to be Christian missionaries. Happy Atheist is more qualified to be a missionary than Raquel. 

Did she hook back up with the not-boyfriend? She kept posting these vague 11:11 tweets which I think were her making a wish at that time each night and then on Christmas her wish "came true". 

[Curious]

4 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

 

I'm 100% sure she didn't think to bring things to the people in Peru.  In her mind her mere presence is enough to make anyone happy. Why would they need anything but her inappropriate hugs and tickle fights? She did think to paint her toe nails so that her feet look cute in sandals. Priorities, Raquel has them. This organization she is working with CANNOT be a reputable one if they let Raquel lead a team of people to go down there. She and John Shrader are some of the least qualified people in the world to be Christian missionaries. Happy Atheist is more qualified to be a missionary than Raquel. 

Did she hook back up with the not-boyfriend? She kept posting these vague 11:11 tweets which I think were her making a wish at that time each night and then on Christmas her wish "came true". 

Packing, how is it done?    I generally take the number of days I will be gone and start there.  You probably need at least one outfit for each day (unless you are wearing jeans or sweats).   You might need a fancy outfit for dinner out or whatever (which doesn't apply here).   You might need a change of clothes if you are doing contraction work in Peru (also not applicable here).   So it seems pretty easy.  Throw 14 pairs of sweats into your bag and call it a day.

[AmazonGrace]

Quote

Pretty crazy that I'm actually going back.  It's been exactly one year since I last saw my beautiful home in Peru.  As I write this, I'm still not even sure I fully realize that it's ACTUALLY happening.  This is actually taking place.  Again.  For the third time.  God is allowing me the privilege to get on a plane and fly 5,000 miles away to see my precious Peruvian family again.  Just...wow

Oh all the sweet incredulity... Pretty sure the airline allows almost anyone the privilege to get on a plane and fly 5,000 miles away as long as they have a valid passport and can pay for their ticket.

[onlyme]

They did take Christmas presents down. I know she gave my son a list of things she thought the boys would like. He bought some hats and socks... I think.... 

[xRoo]

She isn't there yet. Poor thing slept in the airport. If it is me reading the signs, God doesn't want you there, Miss Literary Raindrop. Stay home so your sweatpants don't feel neglected.

[formergothardite]

1 hour ago, onlyme said:

They did take Christmas presents down. I know she gave my son a list of things she thought the boys would like. He bought some hats and socks... I think.... 

Glad she might have thought to bring something, still think that atheists on this forum are better qualified to be missionaries than she is. It makes me really sad and angry to think of Raquel being back in Peru and treating orphaned boys like she does. 

[nausicaa]

Wait, she was in Peru last year for a few weeks and it's already her home and the people there her family?

By that logic Disney World is my home and Mickey is my cousin. 

[formergothardite]

3 minutes ago, nausicaa25 said:

Wait, she was in Peru last year for a few weeks and it's already her home and the people there her family?

By that logic Disney World is my home and Mickey is my cousin. 

In her defense she does have family that lives there. 

[nausicaa]

Just now, formergothardite said:

In her defense she does have family that lives there. 

Fair enough. After I submitted my comment I did realize that she is of Peruvian descent. But it seemed like she was referring to the orphanage as her home, which is weird and a bit over the top to me.

[Anonymousguest]

24 minutes ago, nausicaa25 said:

Fair enough. After I submitted my comment I did realize that she is of Peruvian descent. But it seemed like she was referring to the orphanage as her home, which is weird and a bit over the top to me.

Her father is from Peru, his parents and siblings, extended family etc, are still there. But I don't know if she's going anywhere near them. 

[formergothardite]

28 minutes ago, nausicaa25 said:

Fair enough. After I submitted my comment I did realize that she is of Peruvian descent. But it seemed like she was referring to the orphanage as her home, which is weird and a bit over the top to me.

I do get the impression she is talking about the orphanage and the boys who live there instead of her relatives.

[Curious]

You'd think if she was going to see relatives while she's there, she'd mention it.   Oh I get to see my beloved uncles/aunts/cousins etc.  Since she gives out information on every. damn. thing. she does, I'm pretty confident she's talking about the orphanage.