Pre Love

So the mega-event begins.  Extreme Love. It's the huge event here with concerts and speakers to try to reach the people of Arequipa.  First is promo, then impact, then consolidation. It's quite huge, we're expecting 10,000 people to show up.  It's the biggest event we've ever done.  With big events comes big responsibilities.  I have a numerous amount of them.  Throughout the three weeks in which this entire event takes place, we have around 380 short term volunteers coming to help out.  One of my jobs on a given day is to take them to a festival for kids, or play soccer at a boys home on another day.  On the day of the event, Trevor, Micah, and I are in charge of some short termers and the three guinea pig mascots we have (as you know guinea pigs are a delicacy.)  Two other days, I am in charge of hosting the "gathering" with all the short termers.  In the church at Umacollo, all of us are going to discuss what happened during that day and just share our thoughts, and I get to lead it.  It should be fun, or I will make it fun. Muahaha.  So now it's Pre Love.  There probably won't be a During Love, because I will be mega busy.  I'll definitely get back to you with a Post Love.  So that's what I'll be doing for the next three weeks.
Some other stuff.  The most intense 3 minutes of my life, are in the shower.  Freezing cold and I am moving fast.  That is enough said there.
One of the hardest things I've had to deal with is how much money I can spend a day.  I live on a $1.20 allowance per day.  Think about that.  That's crazy.  Although, my meals are all made by mi madre, so I can go a day without spending any money.  I walk almost everywhere so I don't spend money on transportation.  It has made me come to the conclusion that spending money is truly an addiction.  It's crazy in America.  We spend money on stuff we don't need for satisfaction, and I used to do the same stuff.  It's very very hard not to spend money anymore.  It's one of the most difficult things I've had adjust to so far.  I encourage you to check and see how much you spend and how much you don't need.  Review all the stuff you buy.  Then change it.  Simple as that.

One thing that I learned today from my Spanish teacher was about Puno.  Puno is the city in which I am headed in January.  She, my teacher, was born in Arequipa, moved to Puno, and then moved back here.  She said that they have a festival every year for a month.  Within that festival, Puno drinks more beer in that month than the rest of the country drinks for a year.  They cover the streets in alcohol because they believe that they need to give alcohol to the "holy earth."  That's pretty insane, if you ask me.  But, it is also coming from the mouth of an Arequipan, who aren't too fond of the people of Puno.
The pictures I put up are from a girls home that of which Micah introduced me to.  It's pretty neat, they take to you really quickly.
Well, I'll try to update again on the fore coming events.