Mix it!

Okay so if you want to get an idea of how things are here in Peru, you should just rent the musical West Side Story and you will get a good idea of my and Heather's lives in Peru. I mean minus the singing and all, it is pretty accurate.
The life in Peru is definitely interesting and never really dull.
Last night we realized that we have had too much of a regular schedule when it comes to being in the city. But ironically we changed our schedule up this week so it will all work out.
But when a moto driver that you have never seen (at least that we do not recognize) drops you off at the orphanage and says, are you going for a walk tonight? You know that there is a problem. Because we normally go to the beach every night. But as of Tuesday we stopped that for a while because, well, because we needed to change things up a bit.
But I love sitting on the beach at night, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing into the shore. I love having the opportunity to be walking distance from a beach and to just sit or walk and hear the beautiful sounds of God's creation.
Princessa started giving birth to her puppies from Blackie a few days ago but so far all 5 have died and we think there is one more and we are hoping that it will live. But we do not know if it will.
Danilo had to go to the hospital because of problems breathing. They think it was an allergic reaction to something he put in his mouth or ate. But he is fine and back from the hospital being his normal self.
Still no internet in our house.
Tonight is missionary night.
Not a whole lot to say. Just wanted to tell you about watching West Side Story mainly.

Gossip is not cool. I know we all struggle with it at times, with certain things or people. But things that could change a person's entire reputation or make them look as though they are a completely different person, is just wrong. Especially when it is not true. I think all gossip is wrong but if it is the truth, then maybe it is not so bad in some ways, but when it is the farthest thing from the truth, that makes it twenty times worse.
Thank God though that people should know a person's character well enough to know the truth from a lie. Or that they respect a person well enough to actually ask them, rather than assume the gossip to be valid. A person should always check if the gossip is truth before believing it or before passing it onto another person.
Things have been good, busy with the kids and watching One Tree Hill and sleeping and getting better from being sick and going to the beach and walking on the boardwalk, watching and playing soccer, and going to church.
We bought Life in Trujillo and so we played that with the girls. And we made chocolate/vanilla/peanut butter milk shakes with the girls too. I think this week we are going to make biscuits, muffins, or pancakes with the girls.
My college graduation is May 1st and I have to be honest with you, I am a little sad that I will not be there to walk across the stage and to see some of those people for the last time or for a long time. A door is closing in my life and it is weird to not be there for it, to not be handed the fake degree when you walk across the stage. ha ha. And to not have your family there cheering you on and celebrating with you afterwards.
I think we are going to go out to dinner to celebrate and maybe Heather, Kat, and I will get a hotel room and watch movies into all hours of the night. I do not know. There really is no way to celebrate here, not the way I would have liked to celebrate at least.
And then 9 short days later is my 24th birthday. And although it is just another year to celebrate, and I wish my family was with me to celebrate. I mean I have family here now but you all know what I mean.
Life is a roller coaster here at times but God is faithful and I know He is teaching me so much and pushing me in so many ways. I just hope that He is using me more than I feel like He is.

Confessions of the heart

Coming to Peru was a dream come true. In fact, I did not even imagine it possible. I mean I went to college and studied, but not to the best of my ability. And I told Jesus I wanted to travel the world, to be used by Him how He saw fit. And He put it on my heart to someday have my own orphanage. He is the one with the big dreams. I am just the person acting out His desires. And it is tremendously difficult. To sacrifice what one would call a normal life. And I find myself in Peru, taking back my sacrifice and living by the flesh. Being in another country, trying to be a missionary, is just as difficult as being in the United States, going to college, being a mother, working at a grocery store, etc, and trying to live and fulfill the dream that God placed in one’s heart. It is just as difficult because there are temptations everywhere. And there is complacency everywhere. And there are fears and failures and pasts everywhere. One would think that you could start fresh in another country. And in some ways you can. You can have the people call you by whatever name you want. And they do not know any of your past failures or mistakes. But what you do not really get to start fresh on is your character. Who you are will travel with you wherever you go. Whether you are a nice person or a mean person or a judgmental person or a kindhearted person. Yes, we always have the opportunity to grow and change and become a better person but will be take the challenge when we are faced with new things and new places. Daily I have to decide if I will allow for Peru to just become home, normal for me. And I try to not allow it become normal. Home, yes, in many ways I never felt more at home. But I do not want to become complacent. I do not want to just be another person in Peru. I want to be a world changer. Not because it will make me feel accomplished or worthy of God’s love. I just want this because I know no other way to bring glory to His name. I know no other way than to love with Christ-like love. I know no other way than to help bring healing and take away the pain than to live like Christ would live. And yet, I am nowhere near how Jesus must’ve been on this earth. I am selfish and rude and disrespectful and dishonest and manipulative and savage. I do not love always in all situations. I judge little things and do not want others to judge me. I do not give all my time and effort to helping, caring, and loving. And I think that the time and effort I do give is something to behold. When really it is not. I could be doing so much more. And I want too. I want to make a change and I am here to say that I am. It will not be easy and it will not be over night. I will not be able to make all the changes immediately and I will struggle with some things. But I am here to say that I am going to start today to live a better life here, not for myself, but for the people here that I came to serve for Christ. The people that are worthy of God’s love.

One Tree Hill

So all this time with the 9 4-5 year olds has been great but exhausting. And it is a challenge for me, not gonna lie. I love little kids, really I do. I mean I have the greatest nieces and nephews in all the world.
But for me, I am better with older kids. Especially when it comes to language barriers. So it is definitely a stretch but that is definitely not a bad thing at all. And these kids are precious and adorable and need all the love and affection in the world that they can be given.
And man oh man, times with Danilo are great. But they are adventures in themselves. We went to the playground outside of the orphanage, with Kat, and it went well, other than him wanting to pee out in the open for all the other kids to see. And then the next day we went to the other playground by the beach but he did not like it as much. Loves the moto rides. And walking along the beach but not near the water. We got ice cream and went and sat for a long while in the shade. And then yesterday we went and got something to drink along the beach, went to the playground by the beach, went up on top of the hotel on the beach and looked at the view and went in the elevator (Which he was amazed by) and then took a moto back. He loves those motos. ha ha. Anyway he started acting up yesterday so today we did not take him out and that was way more difficult than when we actually take him out. So yeah.
Sunday was our day off and we were pretty much at the beach the entire day, minus church, lunch and dinner. ha ha.
Heather and I have been watching One Tree Hill. We started about half way into Season 4 and we are on Season 5 now. We are trying to read a lot too lately. She reads more than I do. But anyway, we are moving into another house on the compound sometime within the next week. And my internet should be fixed within the week so I can use skype again. Praise God.
Please keep me and Heather in your prayers. God is definitely working in our hearts and distractions are near and far in between. But we are pressing forward and being there for one another. God sure is faithful.
Sending my love to everyone.

Where You Go I Go

It's been a while. Sorry about that. When you really do not have good internet, it is like you do not have internet at all.
Plus, there for a while I was pretty busy, even though I was not with the kids much.
Last week was busy trying to get into the school some, get around the kids some, and then hanging out with people. Easter did not feel like it was Easter because nothing special happened here. It was just another day here in Peru. It was weird, not going to lie. And it made me miss my family not to be with them during Easter weekend.
I feel like God is trying to teach me how to see myself the way He sees me. To see how much He loves me.
Because I get hit on by all these people, and creepers, and they make me feel like a piece of meat, an object, nothing beautiful and lovely. Nothing that I want but that I have settled for in the past. And not anymore.
So it is somewhat ironic that God is trying to teach me that.
Because as my sister said, maybe if I had guys treating me the way I deserve to be treated, that I would not be able to see how much the Father loves me and how beautiful He sees me because I would be finding my satisfaction in the words and actions of people, rather than finding it from God.
So although I do not enjoy the attractions of men here, I need to not be stubborn and fighting the Lord in this. I want so desperately to know the depth of His love and how He sees me. So I need to let Him in and stop running.
We got a new schedule on Tuesday and started in on it on Wednesday.
We will be busy again, finally after almost 3 weeks of nothing but trouble, ha ha.
From 8-9 in the morning we play with the 4 and under kids outside.
From 3-4:30 we play with Danilo only. He is the one with disabilities. So we go outside of the orphanage with him.
From 5:30-6:45 we play with the older kids who have no homework.
And then optionally we can spend time with the kids in their houses from 7:30-9:15.
Monday and Friday we have activities with the smaller kids from 10:30-12.
And one day a week we are going to teach the preschoolers english for 30 minutes.
And then Saturday we have activities in the morning with the the younger kids. And in the early evening we have activities with the older kids, such as me cooking in the kitchen with the girls.
And Sunday is our day off.
On Thursdays we will help at school in Mike's class from 10:40-12
And we might get in the classes of Steve as well some days.

"Where you go I go
What you say I say
What you pray I pray

Jesus only did, What he saw you do
He would only say, What he heard you speak
He would only move, When he felt you lead
Following your heart, Following your spirit

How could I expect to walk without you
When every move that Jesus made was in surrender
I would not begin to live without you
For you alone are worthy you are always good"
--Where You Go I Go by Kim Walker