Lessons Learned

Sooooo, this morning Noah woke me at 5:30, soaking wet - must have had too much to drink before bedtime last night. This, however, didn't matter to him, I had to discover the wetness part after I had already helped him into our bed...I was doing a lot of laundry early this morning.

Since I was already up and Noah was not going back to sleep, I thought I would let him play quietly in his room with his music, paper, and a new found joy - markers! The other day I was SO impressed because we were sleeping in and he had found the markers in the drawer, colored very nicely with them on paper, and even returned the proper caps to each one. From then on he had won my trust with caring properly for markers - all that changed this morning....

I had decided to have some of my own quiet time, reading, journaling, praying. He was indeed very quiet and when I went to check on him this is what I found....

I was so shocked to find him there like that! He had a very proud smile on his face and inside I was dying of laughter, but wasn't sure how to react - this of course, is NOT taking proper care of ones markers. So I told him to go wake-up Daddy. Michael was a little more serious about the whole event (of course stifling laughs as well - who wouldn't?). Somehow, that gave me a brief moment to laugh to myself, while Michael played the role of disciplinarian. I had to capture it all in pictures - it's just one of those times that I know I'll always have in my mind of Noah! It wasn't until I removed his shirt that I found his tummy all colored too! Considering this, I'm surprised the shirt wasn't more colored! I even found green marks in his ear. He got his belly button really well too. Noticing the marks around his lips, I asked him if he had put them in his mouth, to which he nodded affirmatively...needless to say he had a bath before school and I had to do some serious scrubbing. The water was a lovely aquamarine.

Arequipa Revisited

What a privilege it was to return to Arequipa for the weekend! I arrived around 6am on Saturday morning to a sunrise with CLEAR skies - a sight I haven't seen in Lima in months! Bob Rich graciously picked me up from the airport, believe it or not he was already up taking his wife, Noel, to the pool, as is her early morning routine. (c: He brought me back to our old apartment, right beneath theirs, at the church they pastor. Noel prepared breakfast for me and soon after I was asleep in our old bed - gotta say it was really strange to be there without my family. This was the apartment that basically welcomed us to Peru - most of my first impressions and memories occured in this place. Noah learned his first words, Spanish words, here. It was all so familiar and easy to feel at home again.

When I had caught up on my sleep a little, I was ready to take a stroll through town, seeing all that had changed in a year. I enjoyed lunch at one of our favorite little cafes and did some handicraft browsing. In the evening, I visited Concho's home. Concho was the woman that cared for Noah and cooked for us while we were in school - in other words, she became family to us. My main reason for coming to Arequipa was to celebrate her daughter's big birthday, but the party fell through after I had purchased my ticket. Concho still made it a special visit by turning it into an early Thanksgiving Day celebration. I was the only non-Peruvian, however, and this celebration had almost nothing to do with food. She and her friends like the American holiday and celebrate it by sharing all the ways that God has been faithful over the previous year. I was delighted to get to participate! Most of the 10-12 women were new faces for me, so I made some new friends quickly as we shared over scriptures the ways God has been teaching, working, and providing for us. It was one of the most special Thanksgiving celebrations I have participated in. Concho did also provide dessert at the end of the night.

After a great night's rest, (and even getting to sleep in until 8 am) I got ready for church and left early, having a chance to read in the park across from it until church began. I started a new book called "The Emotionally Healthy Church" by Peter Scazzero (I hope to blog about it when I finish - it is a fabulous book emphasizing the importance of ministering to the emotional health of the church body). I attended the church that most of our language teachers attend - it was so refreshing to see everyone again, but also to be able to worship freely, without also needing to focus on Noah during the service. It was neat to be able to worship in Spanish at this church - I remember when we would come before and I could only pick-up about 1/2 of the sermon and worship songs. But this time, I completely understood the sermon and even recognize most of the songs as ones we sing in our own church.

Following church, Miriam and Julio (2 of our teachers) invited me to their home for lunch. While there I met two missionaries who are living with them right now as they attend language school (they are ALWAYS hosting missionaries in their home). After lunch and a little rest, we went for a little tour around the outskirts of Arequipa, got "buñuelos" (Peruvian donuts, served with honey) in Tingo, and came back through town to visit another teacher, Edgar. I had mentioned that I wanted to see his new baby, so they gladly took me by. It was a blessing to see his whole family and catch-up briefly. That evening I returned in time to attend the evening service at Bob and Noel's church - also a very special visit, getting to see more friends.

Miriam, missionary Christie, and me

You don't see this in Lima!

Monday, I had breakfast with Bob and Noel and got to visit the school where Noel teaches English and Bible classes. They had just purchased the three homes directly adjacent to their church, and have been using them for this school year, but they are in need of a lot of work to actually make it into a fully-functional school. They've just made bedrooms into classrooms and doorways to connect the 3 properties. I took a bunch of pictures and hope to help them publicize the needs they have through a video and/or getting them into the hands of people that are interested in helping in some way.

The church is yellow, the 3 following homes now belong to the school

Then it was off to school, taking my old bus route, to get there - the bus ticket price had gone up by 10 centavos ($0.03). I got to celebrate a birthday with them in the institute, so it was fun to see all the students that are currently there - from Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, the US, and Australia. They all sang "Happy Birthday" in their own language/style.

With all our teachers

Concho met me there and we had some time to go out for empanadas and catch up on life. It was so sweet to hear how God has sustained her and her family even though she's been out of work since April. You can see in the picture below the pretty necklace and earrings she made for me! She's so talented.

I made it back to have lunch with the Riches and then I was off for a few more hours on my own before my flight. I returned to a couple artisans for a little shopping, but hurried to get plenty of time at the Monastery of Santa Catalina - what I think is the most beautiful spot in Arequipa. being there all by myself I was able to truly take in the beauty of all the colorful passageways, designed to point you to the glory of Our Creator. I had our iPod with me and was able to worship through song, journaling, and reading the Bible. I felt SO spoiled to be able to have such a retreat! It was also fun to just wander around capturing pictures - trying to grasp the beauty around me.

I was able to take my last stroll through town as I walked back to the Riches to catch my taxi to the airport. My uneventful flight arrived in Lima around 7pm and I was joyfully greeted by Noah, who came running to me with open arms, yelling "Mommmyyyy!!!" We all had dinner together at the airport and shared a little about our weekends. What a rejouvenating time it was for me! Thank you, sweet Michael, for encouraging me to take this trip, and to all of those who made it so welcoming and special for me!

A gift from the heart

In all the activity following the election, there are many questions to be answered, first and foremost among them being, "What kind of dog will the Obamas get?" In his acceptance speech, Barack mentioned a promise made to his girls, and the canine world is abuzz.

Never lacking in concern and generosity, Peru is here to help. The head of the Peruvian Hairless Dog Association has offered the president-elect and his family a puppy of the national breed. We see these creatures around, and they are the oddest looking dogs you have ever seen. Even Noah laughs at them. But Peruvians are proud of their dog, and it meets the hypo-allergenic criteria for the Obama girls. Imagine what this could do for U.S-Peru relations!

Here is a picture taken in our neighborhood, and some links below for more pics and information.

Do you think they should take it?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/12/peru-offers-national-hair_n_143228.html

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/10266

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2008/11/peru-offers-bal.html

Guys Weekend

Noah and I have the house to ourselves for the next 3 days, as Laura has left for Arequipa! She was going to attend the quinceañera (15th birthday) party for Concho's daughter, but that was postponed, and Laura already had her tickets, so she's just going to visit friends from our language school days and soak up the bright mountain sun. Meanwhile the guys have intense bonding planned, including running in the park, visiting the pet store, and going to Chili's for lunch with some visiting missionary friends. We'll keep you updated on our progress.

The day is here

As a final post before tomorrow's beautiful exercise in democracy, I have some election videos to share.

First, a wrap up of the whole campaign (up to a week ago).


The candidates have said all they want to say....many times


So now it's up to you, and you can vote however you like!



Go vote! Have a great election day; we'll be watching the returns on CNN here.

Celebrating!

First of all, today is my parents' 39th Anniversary! Congratulations! Hope you are enjoying your night away in Williamsburg with friends, Mom and Dad!

Secondly, last night before going to bed, our neighbors below us asked me to pay them a visit. She, Maria, was going into labor with their first little baby girl. I had visited her several times throughout her pregnancy, as she had some complications, and lots of questions (naturally!). The doctors here really don't explain anything to their patients. I walked her and her husband through a brief anatomy lesson, regarding how her body was created to give birth and what contractions feel like. With those aforementioned complications, she believed she would have a C-section, until just yesterday when her doctor said she could deliver naturally. So, Michael woke me up at 1:30 to tell me that she wanted me to see her again. Once I really woke up, it was like I was back into OB nurse mode, coaching her and instructing her husband on how to help her through contractions. I encouraged them to pack their things and prepare to go to the hospital, something they really hadn't done yet. I prayed with them and left to return to bed around 3, knowing they would have a long night/day ahead. I returned from a meeting this morning to hear that they had their baby just a couple hours earlier! It's been a real delight for me to use my professional skills again.

Lastly, Noah and I attended a birthday party this evening for a friend of his at school, Gonzalo, who turned 3. Now, I've been to some pretty incredible children's parties here so far, but this topped them all. The parents rented a preschool to host it. There were probably 100-150 adults and children there. They had one of those moon bounce slides, a little train ride, a trampoline, a tent, a popcorn and cotton candy machine, waiters to pass appetizers, a videographer, a magician, and a whole line-up of favorite characters in costume: Mickey Mouse & Goofy, The Lazy Town crew, and Thomas the Tank Engine. To lead them all was "Bubalina" basically the emcee, who made sure to embarrass the parents of the child and other friends, which is the tradition at these events. I cannot imagine how much money they must have spent for this 3-year-old's party. After they broke the piñata and we sang "Happy Birthday" (in English and Spanish, also tradition), they asked the kids to line up to receive their goody bags and box of cake. Noah got lots of sweets and a really cool battery-operated car that can flip over and keep going if it hits something. When the whole thing was over, Noah said he really wanted Mickey Mouse to come to his house...we'll see about that.

Noah liked playing in the mouth of the shark

He loved being the conductor! There was even a little bell to ring.

There's the birthday boy with his parents - a little dazed, if you ask me.

Noah was trying to take it all in