Peru!!

Well, this trip was almost too much to capture in one post. I was able to spend about ten days with my parents, who are in charge of a mission with about 175-200 college age men and women. They've been there for about 7 months, and this was the first time I'd been down to see them. Their mission is in a smaller city in the North of Peru - Piura. It's a very dusty town at times, but is a truly wonderful place.

I really didn't do much of the typical "tourist" type stuff (Machu Pichu, etc.), which was probably why I enjoyed it so much. It was great just to spend time with my parents. (I caught this picture of them just relaxing for a brief bit.) Of course it helped that I got a little sick and had to stay home for a couple days, but it wasn't anything bad. A little fever, a little indigestion. It all went away with a quick round of anti-biotics and sleep.

I'll share a few of the highlights, and some of the pics. The first highlight was the people. My parents have been greatly blessed to have Yolanda, who does some of the cooking and upkeep with the house there. I was amazed at how much work there is to be done, so its a huge help to have someone to step in and help with some of the cooking and other chores. Plus, she is an amazing cook! I enjoyed getting to know peruvian food, and hopefully I've come home with some healthier habits. I could get used to mangoes for breakfast! I also enjoyed lomo saltado, ceviche, and was pleased to be introduced to aji amarilla.

The second highlight is the language. Peru is a wonderful place to hear and learn Spanish. They speak very clearly and slowly, compared to other spanish speaking countries. I was able to understand quite a lot, just from my french background, and by the end of the trip I was venturing into conversations. It was wonderful!

The third highlight has to be the missionaries. They have such a wonderful spirit about them. You actually can notice a difference when you walk into a room with them. You can tell that they love what they are doing, and that they love the people they are with. Most are not from the United States, but there are a few that looked very American.



So, a couple of the great adventures from the trip- First is the mercado. I think I went to the market the first day I arrived. It was everything I expected it to be; busy, dusty, open-air, with lots of small "shops" all crammed together. If I can find the pictures from my small camera, I'll post some here.



Then we drove up to the northern part of the mission - almost 20 minutes from the Ecuador border. This too is a pretty part of the country, but very different from the city of Piura. From certain places on the road you can actually catch a glimpse of the ocean, which is a site I always enjoy seeing!

Then we returned to Piura for a few days, regrouped (got well again), and headed east to visit some elders living in Morropon (At least that's where I seem to remember.) The road there takes you past so many different climates that it's impossible to describe, unless I show you a couple pictures taken from the same location, looking at both sides of the road. Here you go:

Well, I could probably write a book about my quick trip to Peru. In short, it's a beautiful place with wonderful people. There are wonderful missionaries there, who are doing a wonderful work. I'm looking forward to going back. And next time, I'll speak more Spanish!

An now for a couple parting shots. Literally. Saying goodbye is always hard, so I guess this more of "see you soon!"