The Bus and Misc.

Commonly referred to as el carro, the bus is my new form of transportation. We are slowly learning the routes (through many mishaps) and starting to understand this new culture. Like buses in the States, we do not use seat belts. But just how many people can fit on a Peruvian bus? . . . one more. This week I rode on the steps with the door open (don't worry, the cobrador was behind me). I am constantly reminded of God´s continual protection. Personal space does not exist, and I am learning to push my way throught the crowd to get off of the bus. Often when you are standing up, you cannot see out the window. I have missed my stop a few times because of this. However, this has helped me to learn my way around my stops a little better.

This week in Linguistics, our prof has been starting the day with a short devotional. He challenged us from Psalms 84:5,¨Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways.¨ This passage has been an encouragement to me this week as I follow those well-established roads that God has already laid in my heart. The next verse talks about the hard times that this¨blessed man¨ will go through. In the end, he will look back and realize that the dry (Baca) valley has turned into a land of springs. God has a purpose for taking us to the dry places! That is where we are needed most!

Lima is definitely dry. We are starting winter here. It is like living in a cloud. It doesn´t rain, but we don´t see the sun either. It was a little weird to see people in winter coats on the bus when I was comfortable in my t-shirt, but I am adjusting to that, too.