Welcome to Peru

In honor of my one year anniversary, I would like to do a short blog post on how exactly things are different here, things that are out of the normal, and how you can’t forget that you’re in Peru. Caution: there may be a hint of sarcasm or exaggeration.

You know you’re in Peru when…

You’re talking to a woman and she starts to nurse her 3 year old child in front of you.

There are signs on walls that say “No peeing.  There is order to slaughter.”

You see a family and a half on a motorcycle.

Clapping on beat is an option.

You saw a stop light, once.

People throw rocks at motorcycles and cars.

You get drenched by water, in the times of carnival.

People still go on strike.

Traffic is backed up, because of sheep on the road.

You see an alpaca in the trunk of a bus.

Bands go down the street at any hour of the day, night, morning.

People swing an axe and dance around a tree completely wasted.

A meal is not a meal unless there is rice.

There are 60 people in a 20 people bus.

Propane is delivered by motorcycle.

You have to vote.

The public colleges are better than the private.

Rotisserie chicken is a gourmet plate.

People have silver teeth.

You find your class pet on restaurant menus.

You automatically have money because your skin pigment is a touch lighter.

You see a beautiful government building next to a shack of a house.

People shoot off fireworks at presidential rallies. Or when they’re bored.

You live in a cash dominant country, and no one has change. Ever.

You see me :)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

So I’ve got a few updates to give, but we’ll start with the biggest: Won’t you be my neighbor?  Yes.  We now have a locale, where we will be starting mini-services this Sunday.  It is in Salcedo, even though we weren’t looking for a place there. 

One day we were about to play some soccer with some kids, when I happened to ask them if they rented rooms nearby.  One of the kids said yes, and guided us the way to see it.  We actually “raced” there, and these kids were hard to not lose to.  Anyways, it was perfect.  It’s in a secure neighborhood, with night watch and a community “board.”  It’s on Avenida Gardenias, and it’s directly on the street.  You don’t have to go through other rooms of the house to get to it.  It has a clean bathroom.  So this place is 100% perfect, even though it’s a little small.  It’s a step though.

We had to buy benches and a desk in order to start the services.  From here on out, we’ll be augmenting the tithes and offerings as much as possible in order to better this place.  Hey, if they want a better sign, chairs, or a coffee maker we’re going to have to raise some money to but that.

As far as the services, we’re keeping it simple.  We’re taking these people as babies.  We’re going to teach them a song one week and sing it.  Then we’ll sing it the next week and teach them a new one that week.  After we sing, we’re going to have a short reflection on the Bible, based on the lessons that we’re supposed to give to further these people in their walk with God.

By the power of modern transportation (motorcycle), we were able to visit 20 different people in one day in order to invite them.  Until I started writing the invitations, I had no idea that we knew so many people.  We didn’t just hand out invitations, these are people that we converse with on a regular basis about the Bible.  It was really encouraging to fitting it all in one day to invite them.

We’re going to have services at 5:00PM on Sundays and kids Sunday school at 10:00AM on Sundays as well.  I invite you personally to pray for these services, but especially for the 5 o’clock service.  Pray for guidance on my part, for enthusiasm as well, for soft hearts, and for wisdom on my partner’s behalf.

On another note, I had guinea pig for the first time.  I had to eat it like a barbarian, because that’s what the people I were sitting with were doing.  You can see in the picture to the left the guinea pig paw.  I picked it up to eat it by the paw.  It tasted like greasy chicken, what little there was.

 

Speaking of guinea pig, it was my partner’s birthday and he is in love with eating “cuy” as they call it here.  Happy Birthday Geremías!  He tore into this sucker and destroyed it.

To end this random blog post, it is my year anniversary coming up here in a couple days.  The 24th of May to be exact.  What are you going to buy me?