Peru

A year ago, I thought I would be in Kenya this week, beginning a new year teaching swimming. Yet here I sit in Peru, getting ready to go to a meeting to set up some plans to help one of our teenagers become more independent. A year ago, I would have laughed at you if you told me this is where I would be. Yet God knows so much better than I do. He is so faithful!

Moving to a third new country in 10 years...craziness. I am ready to settle in one place, but I also want to by faith follow Him. Much like Abraham, I hope I will have a willing heart to go where He wants me and do what He has for me. I am learning to hold my material possessions lightly. Stuff is just stuff. I am learning that I can wear the same couple outfits again and again. I have learned this lesson before, but I do like having more than a few things to choose from! But when you move across the globe in a few suitcases, that is life! And it makes me thankful that I have enough clothes! There are so many who don't have that privilege.

This is my first time doing all of life in another language. In both the Dominican Republic and Kenya, I taught in English. Now, everything happens in Spanish. I have been tutoring some of the kids, and I definitely don't have all the words I had in English! It is much more challenging for sure! There are a lot of things I know I can explain better in English. I am praying that the kids understand despite my inability to speak as well as I would like. I went to my first staff meeting in Spanish last week. It makes me appreciate all the meetings I had previously in English. It is definitely trickier to follow in another language!

Yesterday I started working on driving a manual car. I have been driving a long time, but only with automatics. And the instructions were given to me in Spanish! I am very proud of myself that I was able to drive, even if I just went around the property twice! I have always been terrified of driving a manual, and then I had to understand how to do it in Spanish! The only vehicles here are manuals, and I want to be able to help transport the kids. So, that means learning to drive a manual!

On Sunday I went with a few friends to Pacasmayo, a city about two hours away. Yay for a pretty beach! Where I live, we are close to the ocean, but it isn't so pretty. And the coal factory next door makes just about everything ugly!

I can't post pictures here of the kids for privacy reasons, but if you want to receive my email updates, let me know! Those have lots of pictures.

I tried to post pictures on here, but for some reason my computer thinks pictures are overrated. Maybe next time :)


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