We have carnéts!

It is hard to believe that we passed the first month marker already. I thought I was started to be a little more brave about speaking Spanish; then we went to immigration yesterday. I was afraid of saying something wrong or ending up in the wrong place and not being able to meet up with our helper, but God was faithful and we were able to get our carnéts. The security guards were definitely laughing at us because I always look lost.

Life is beginning to fall into a routine. Classes, buses, directions...I wouldn't go as far as saying that I am confident, but they are proceeding well. The bus system has been a blessing. The five of us took our first trip to downtown Lima without Pastor Jim or any other guides this last week. We made it home before dark (which is at about 6pm), but it was close.

I don't know if people in the states are still scrambling over A1H1, but it is a big deal here. Just this morning, my hostess lectured me about making sure that I wash my hands a lot and am careful about the air I breathe on the bus. She takes good care of me. I think she is a little more concerned that she would normally be because Rochelle and I both have colds, but we are recovering quickly (possibly from all of the fruit we eat).

A special blessing of language learning has been learning to communicate how great my God is. This morning I asked Vicki if she would help me learn words to praise God and pray. We got out my Spanish Bible and starting looking up verses. I can't think of anything better about which to talk. I am enjoying learning to communicate spiritual things. My Christian friends here have really been a blessing.

Me Quemé

Well, it has happened. My first Peruvian injury. We were cooking late Sunday night, and Zerela tossed a "hamburger" (chicken patty) into the frying pan next to where I was frying eggs. The oil splattered on my left hand leaving some pretty purple "stains."

We just finished the Prison epistles. If Linguistics was to help us learn how to learn the language, this class was to help us learn to live more and more like Christ. Next week we only have Spanish class, so we can really dig into language learning! After that, we have Anthropology to help learn how to learn and understand a new culture. Thanks for all of your prayers.

Poco a poco

Time is flying here (as I am sure it is there as well). We have our midterm tomorrow (I am writing this Thursday night) and then we will be halfway through our second class! I am enjoying studying the prison epistles with Dr. Newman. One of our assignments is to journal everyday how what we have been learning applies to our lives. It has been really good for me to be transparent with myself and to help me to remember that I am studying for more than just a mental exercise. Spanish is still going full steam. I think it is kind of like trying to drink out of a fire hydrant (maybe not quite that bad, but you get the picture). When I was in high school, my Spanish teacher told our class, “When learning a language, you have to make a million mistakes before you are fluent.” I am trying to use all of my mistakes in the first two months, and I think I might make it. I really get in trouble when I try to translate sayings, but my new mantra is, “Poco a Poco” (little by little). I am reminded of that daily. It is not uncommon for a four year old to correct me, and kids can’t understand why I don’t understand what they are saying. I am learning about other types of communication and learning to be okay with not knowing/understanding what is going on around me because God knows what he is doing and I can trust him. Sometimes my brain feels like it has completely turned to mush and I cannot formulate sentences in English or in Spanish. That is when I know it is time to take a break.

Now I just wish my stomach could take a break. I think it is boycotting. I thoroughly enjoy the food (although I wish they drank more water with their meals…most drinks contain a lot of sugar). High carb diets are right up my alley. I have started to implement a more rigorous exercise schedule to try to keep up with it. My hostess takes me for “walks” at night. We usually go to the park and run around the concrete soccer field (of course we have to climb part of a mountain to get there).

As all of you are beginning to pull out your lighter clothes, we are starting bundle up. I have only seen the sun for two days since we arrived in Lima. The Peruvians are wearing winter coats, scarves, and gloves. I am wearing my sweaters, but really the temps are still in the upper fifties. It has misted a few times (maybe I should have brought that umbrella). Mostly, it is like living in a cloud that smells like exhaust fumes. I am living on a mountain (with a great view of the city from my window).

The first two weeks have gone really quickly, but looking back I can’t believe everything that has happened in two weeks. We are starting to take off in our Castellano (Spanish) and feel more comfortable striking up conversation on the bus. I am still struggling with verb conjugation, so I try to stick with present, past, and future conversations. I am frustrated by my lack of vocabulary options, but we are learning new words everyday.

Food: Our diet seems to be mostly carbs and fruits with a little bit of chicken and an even smaller amount of vegetables. I enjoy the rice and potatoes. I love all of the fresh bread and the variety of fresh fruit available in the “winter.” For breakfast we often have a drinkable oatmeal to start our day out right. Of course, to be truly Peruvian, it contains a lot of sugar. Peruvians are known to add sugar to everything even Pepsi! I haven’t tried any really weird food yet, but I am looking forward to some of the local treats!

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.

Firsts

Saturday was the first day we were on our own. We decided to go to la cabina (like an internet cafe). Unfortunately, we didn't know how to use our key, so we were locked out of the house until after jovenes (similar to youth group).

First impressions of churches: We will be going to two different churches. Our main church, Las Viñas Altas, is just starting so it does not have services on Sunday mornings.
Our Sunday morning church is in Manchay. The building is brick with dirt floors (this area of Lima does not have running water). Sunday morning service is like Sunday school. We will be attending the junior-senior high girl's class. One of the older ladies invited us over for lunch, but we had to go home so we could make it to evening services in Viñas Altas. In the future, we will ride the bus there, but this week our host missionary let us ride with his family.
On Saturdays (3:30-7), we go to Las Viñas Altas for jovenes. It is in an old restaurant but looks like a dance studio because there are mirrors surrounding it. On Sunday afternoons, we have a kid's club followed by a family service. The church is still quite small, but the people are great.

First bus rides: The first day our host missionary's wife came and rode the bus to school with us. It was very crowded. Last night, we rode the bus home by ourselves.

First Grocery shopping: We get to make our own lunches at school, so we had to buy food yesterday. It was hard figuring out what everything was and comparing soles to dollars, but we made it (and lunch was good today).

First day of classes: The arriba center is nice. I like being surrounded by books and bricks with a lot of windows. We keep the windows and doors open most of the time. (They don't even have screens here--it is so dry that there are not very many bugs) Our spanish tutors are great, and I think we are catching on pretty quickly.

Walls are everywhere! Houses are surrounded by locked walls (often the tops have broken glass to discourage climing).

Our house: We live on a mountain! We see a lot of lights when we look out our window at night. We live on the second and third floor of a building. The house is very nice and our host and hostess are very gracious. The food is pretty good, too.