Things I'm thankful for...

It is hard for me to believe that I have been in Peru for almost two months. Throughout my time here, God has been showing me time after time that He is in control and that He has a perfect plan for my time here and for my life.

I have been thankful for the Bible. I cherish my English time in the morning with the Lord. My Spanish Bible has also been a blessing as I learn to pray in Spanish and am beginning to be able to talk about spiritual things with Spanish speaking people. I am enjoying memorizing verses in Spanish. Memorization is common here. Many of the kids and teens are willing and even anxious to memorize and quote their verses and recite them for the class. Almost every class I attend involves a memory verse and they remember them the next week. This is particularly important because I don´t think everyone there has a Bible.

The Carltons have also been a blessing. They lead our group. We go to them when we have questions about culture and life in Peru. I think they have done a fabulous job preparing us for our time here. I am thankful for Friday nights (American night) with them. This allows us to compartmentalize a little each week, build team unity, and keeps us accountable for how we are adjusting. I am thankful for their joy and servant attitudes.

Classes have helped me to adjust and evaluate. I am thankful for the godly professors who have provided insight from God´s Word about how to change and cope with the transition.

My "family" here has also been a blessing. I realized this when we were away from them for two whole days this last week. It felt good to go "home" and catch up with what was happening in their lives. Their desire to serve God has really been an encouragement to me. They help me learn Spanish by talking to me, listening to me, and correcting my many mistakes. They have been key in helping to learn the language and culture. The desire to be able to communicate freely with them pushes me daily in my Spanish studies.

Church, although different in many ways, has the same purpose-to worship God and disciple believers. I have enjoyed helping wherever I can in the various activities of the church and getting to know God´s family here. I am learning new choruses and the translations to many of the hymns I love.

I am thankful for the group God planned for this year. Although we have many different personalities, we are all here to serve God and are learning a lot together. We are told often that we are special in that we all came with some knowledge of Spanish. This has helped us to transition more smoothly. They have been encouraging to me as we all transition to life in Peru.

Yesterday, I realized how comfortable I am starting to be with the daily things of life. I am no longer afraid of swallowing water when I brush my teeth or sure that any raw vegetable is going to make me sick. I saludar my family and friends without having to think about it (and I know which cheek to kiss!). I know that yogurt is something you drink. I am no longer apprehensive when I get on the bus that it is not going to go where I want to go or that I will not know where to get off. I am comfortable enough to study and read and glance up occassionally and know where I am. The forty-five minute ride to and from school seems relatively short. I am starting to learn questions to strike up conversations with people on the bus and learning which ones are likely to respond. I know to pick my chicken out of a dish and eat it with my fingers (because "it is more delicious that way"). I am learning where the keys I want to type are on the keyboard even when the pictures are wrong.

Lastly, for today, I am thankful for creation. I am daily reminded of how great God is in the splendor of the mountains, how He cares for detail in the plants and flowers, and of His diversity and vastness in how different His creation is here.