One of the best parts of being in Peru has been living with my wonderful host FAMILIA! While work at the office has been frustrating and I often feel like I'm a waste of space, I always look forward to walking home to spend time with Grimaldo, Elizabeth, and Yordani. And although a little sad, it was actually encouraging this weekend when Grimaldo and Elizabeth both separately asked me why I was sad, if I missed Luke, if I was homesick ... because it shows me that we are finally getting to know one another better! I am so thankful to be part of a family unit. It has been the simple things that have been immense blessings, like sitting in the store with Elizabeth yesterday while she knitted and I read ... like teaching Yordani how to play Crazy 8's (miss you, Oma!) ... like eating every meal together ... like spending time snuggling in Mamá and Papá's bed every night watching TV before we all go to sleep. It has been so important to finally find a "place to belong" of sorts. (this is the "inside" of the house - there are 2 kitchens and a bathroom and a meeting room on this floor, and then our bedrooms and another bathroom upstairs. I love all the plants!)
Each chilly morning I wake up around 6:15 and spend some time with the Lord. This has been extremely life-giving and important for my daily functioning. That is one thing about times where we feel completely weak, inadequate, and at the end of our ropes - during these times, we realize how VITAL God's faithfulness and presence and daily provision are! I head down to the kitchen around 7 and do what I can to help Mamá, who usually already has everything set to go. I have really only been able to help wash dishes and sweep pretty much - she is super organized and I'm still trying to figure out how she has time to cook, clean, and go to work every day! For breakfast we usually have bread with a hot drink made out of some kind of grain (kind of like drinkable oatmeal). Sometimes we all eat together, but usually Mamá and I eat earlier because we have work earlier.
I leave for the office at 7:30, and walk 30 minutes to get there. I have come to really enjoy this time to think and pray, as well as for exercise. My time at the office has been pretty unstructured so far, but that will probably change soon, as my supervisor has finally told me that we are going to make a master plan of my time here! My type-A personality says YAYYY!
I walk home for lunch at 1pm, arriving around 1:30. Mamá and Yordani are usually ready to eat when I get there, and Papá arrives shortly after I do. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day. After lunch, I sometimes have time to relax, wash the dishes, or hang out with Yordani before heading back to work, either on foot or on the bus, arriving back at the office at 3. We work until about 6, and then I take the bus home again. In the evenings, we eat dinner (smaller than lunch) and hang out until about 9, and snuggle in Mamá and Papá's bed until about 10, when I am exhausted and go to bed.
Mamá is also really hilarious and smiles and laughs a lot. I love to hear her call out "hija mia!"
Yordani, too, has been really accepting and helpful as I adjust to life here. He's 12, and has been
I have yet to meet Taly, my 18-year-old host sister who is studying medicine in Bolivia. She will arrive for vacation this week sometime, and the other 3 members of my host family are EXTREMELY excited to see her! I'm really looking forward to spending time with her, as well, after hearing so much about her. I'll be sure to include a picture of her as soon as I can.
We also have 2 dogs - Esnoopy and Pequy (short for Pequeña, which means Tiny - the brown one) - who have
And we have cuy in the kitchen to take care of biodegradable trash!
I have enjoyed spending the last 2 weekends with the family. Mamá and Papá play a lot of volleyball teams from work, so I've watched quite a few games, and played with them some as well. I also got to go swimming yesterday, in FREEZING cold water! I didn't last too long, but I was glad for the chance ... and hope to go again maybe after this winter season is over!
Thanks to all who prayed for me to be placed with a loving host family - God has definitely answered! Please pray for continued bonding time with them, and that I would be a blessing to them even as I have received so many blessings through them.
My other biggest prayer request is for the work situation, which just continues to get me down. Sometimes I'm really overwhelmed, and other times completely bored. I'm tired of the rollercoaster and hopeful that it will even out with time ... but also trying to be content exactly where I am right now.
Thanks for supporting me through this crazy journey! As always, would love to hear from you about what's going on in your life!
christine -
ReplyDeletei love reading your posts every monday..it's fun to follow along with your adventures! you are too cool -
love to you today,
amy
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteReading your blogs has been so insightful to me, that it has convicted my heart to be much more prayerful for you. If I had a daughter, Christine I could only wish that she would be like you. I love you as a beautiful daughter of Christ. Stay patient and continue to look for HIS direstion and guidance.
Your friend, Jackie Koglin
Babe! I just got caught up on your blog and love hearing about your host family--I´m so glad that´s been a good situation so far! And that´s really insightful about esperar; I hadn´t thought of that before. Or realized people were expecting you to counsel them on such heavy stuff, holy guacemole. I don´t know how you do that in Spanish--I have issues with deeper conversations in Spanish, the words don´t come out so well....pero todo es posible con la fuerza de Dios, no?
ReplyDeleteAnyway I love you and I´ll keep on praying for you. Hopefully I´ll catch you on gmail soon!