My How Time Flies!!!

It is SOOO hard to believe that 2 years ago this week, I was on my first mission trip ever, and it was here in Peru. After that trip I got swept up in a whirlwind of applying and being approved by Mission to the World, raising support, going through training, and arriving here!

(Here's me 2 years ago here!)

(And here is a kind-of recent shot 2 years later.)

Right now I am on Christmas vacation from language school, and visiting some missionary friends in Cusco, so I get to have a bit of a language mental break before returning to my last few weeks of language school. That is hard to believe too, that I have already been here for over 5 months, and have a month left of school before I start my ministry in Lima.

When I think of these things, how much God has taught me and how far He has brought me in the past 2 years, it is beyond my comprehension what He might do in my life these next 2 years. It is also beyond me sometimes to think that He actually wanted this for my life, of having the opportunity to live and work in another country, and meet the amazing people I have met! I never imagined this for myself, nor desired it at an earlier age, however, He changed my desires, and He has given me such adventures when I follow His will!

Here is yet more pictures to share with you from this week. This was taken at an indian village outside of Cusco, when I went with a few nurses with their house visits. We had to take a taxi to a certain point, and then hike to get to the village, but the view was so worth it!!! What an amazing God we have who has made this world, and has given me the grace to actually stand and view this aspect of His creation! Here is a glimpse of His Andes mountains:

My Christmas In Peru

Many have asked me about my first Christmas here in Peru, and often I ask myself "Was it actually Christmas?", because I never had the "Christmas feeling." But the date gave it away and convinced me otherwise. Sure there were Christmas trees, Christmas lights and decorations all around, but it just seemed different. Maybe it was the Christmas carols in Spanish that I wasn't used to, or maybe it was the heat instead of cold, but nonetheless it did seem like a holiday. For me it was a great reminder of a holiday celebrating the birth of greatest Missionary who stepped out of a throne of comfort, glory and perfection to come down to this dirty world, and give people hope, peace, and light for the darkness in which we live.

On "Christmas Eve Eve" (the 23rd) or "Christmas Adam" as I recently heard, the students and teachers at the language school had a Christmas party, where we shared different traditional food from our different countries, as well as explained some of our traditions during the Christmas season. Thanks to a good friend, I had a recipe for Egg Nog, which is one of my favorite Christmas tastes!!!!

Peru does celebrate Christmas differently than the States, but the traditions were fun. December 24th is the day they celebrate Christmas. A family tradition is to have the HUGE Christmas dinner at midnight of the 24th, and close to midnight many people set off fireworks so there are a lot of people outside watching, then afterwards is the big moment of opening presents. Then the sleep follows (since it is very late!)

As far as my Christmas, the church I have been going to in Arequipa had a service on Christmas Eve. I joined one of my Peruvian friends in playing a flute duet at the service. We played "The First Noel" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (and I honestly couldn't tell you what the lyrics are in Spanish, but these songs are sung here as well).

I returned back to my home, and was a bit relieved to find out we were going to eat the huge dinner at 11:00 PM instead of midnight. But what a meal it was! Traditionally they eat turkey, a variety of different salads, and applesauce. It was quite good!!! We did go out and watch the fireworks, and came back in afterwards to open presents and wish each other a Feliz Navidad!! A beautiful part of opening presents is that as each gift is received, a hug and kiss on the cheek plus a "gracias" (thank you) is given before the present is opened. After the presents were opened, we partook in the traditional hot chocolate, which is homemade, and has of course chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, and other YUMMY stuff. (I think it is needless to say that in other countries, like the States, the Christmas season is also the most fattening time of the year!)

Here is a picture of me with my Peruvian family:
On Christmas day I was able to sleep in. My church didn't meet since we met the night before, and like I mentioned, although it did feel like a holiday, it didn't quite feel like Christmas, but no matter...it was!! I was invited to join a few other Americans for Christmas dinner, so it was nice to celebrate Christmas here with a little of both traditions from both countries. The afternoon was consumed of me talking to my family back home, which was really special.

I think the Lord has prepared me for the holidays away from home by working in a hospital for the past few years and missing out. But it does make me treasure the memories and look forward to the future times of celebrating with family and friends back home. This may only be my first Christmas here, but I do hope and intend to bring some of these new traditions that I have learned from Peru into my future Christmases.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!

The Small Things in Life

For as long as I can remember, it is always the small things in life that tend to make me really happy! This seems to be heightened for me here in Peru. For example, the other week I received a package from my parents, and low and behold inside the box was my favorite cookie in the world (that I can easily consume in one sitting if I am not paying attention) THIN MINT girl scout cookies!!!.... Then this past Friday I happened to be in a grocery store here in Arequipa. This store will get different random imported goods. I was casually walking down an aisle when my eye caught a glimpse of CHERRY COKE!!!! Ok, so I paid more for it than normal, but it will be worth it I am sure! I kept the two treasures close together, feeling like I needed to save it for some special occasion..... but yesterday afternoon, without need of a special occasion except of the opportunity of eating the cookies and drinking the cherry coke I consumed a bit of both. Of course they were consumed slowly to savor the taste that, granted at home I could easily pick up anywhere, yet here these moments won't come as often. (Crazy, I know.... but comforting). It doesn't take much to bring a smile to my face!!!

"Its Beginning to Feel a lot Like Christmas!"

So, yeah, there are definetly some differences here in the holiday season. Here is just a list of things to indicate if you are having a Peruvian Christmas:

-10- Instead of people saying "it feels like Christmas" as it gets colder, here as the weather turns hotter, the people say "its beginning to feel like Christmas" (granted, in Castelleno/Spanish not in English)

-9- Instead of dreaming of a white Christmas, here in Arequipa people have told me that a good Christmas is one with rain. (Arequipa only gets rain during the months of December, January, & February, and this season starts at the end of December)

-8- Christmas is actually celebrated on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day.

-7- Instead of Egg Nog as a traditional Christmas drink, a type of hot chocolate with cinnamon and nutmeg is normal.

-6- In departments stores there are many Christmas decorations, but right next to them are swimsuits, beach towels, and beach gear to go to the beach.

-5- Speaking of which, instead of going snow skiing, hop on a bus and head for the beach, which is what a lot of families do here around Christmas.

-4- There isn´t an option for a hay ride with many people stuffed in the back of a truck with hay, however at any moment you have the freedom to get on a bus jam packed full of people with no regard or idea of what personal space is.

-3- Instead of sleigh bells, every other day you hear the obnoxiously loud "CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG" of the man collecting garbage. If you were not awake, you would be after that!

-2- Instead of carolers, everyday you hear different vendors walking around selling their products: like the fruit vendor, "¡PAPAYA, PIÑA, PLATANO, MANZANA, LIMON...!" or my favorite the shoestring sellsman who walks around with literally hundreds of shoestrings on him and shouts, "¡PASADORES!" : (I wouldn´t call any of it singing, because they only speak monotone using one note, but they DO go to many differenet neighborhoods, and often use a megaphone)

-1- And last but not least, Santa doesn´t have to worry about slipping off of the roof due to the angle or the ice (because the roofs here are flat and are far from icy). He has to worry about the bajillion dogs that live on the roofs and how to get past them on almost each roof to bring in the presents. Poor guy. I don´t see how he does it!!!