Solo estamos tu y yo bailando asi!

Lucy, 

I heard you were horrible to Mom and Dad and you keep jumping on them. You really need to stop that. The dog here Grace attempted to eat a dead bird yesterday. I can't imagine what you would do with a bird. You do know that Labs are hunting dogs right? Maybe I'll train you to catch frogs, I'm not a huge fan of them. 

It's crazy how time goes by isn't it? I've already almost had you for a year, and I've already been here for 2 weeks - pretty much halfway through. It's just too short of a time honestly. But I realize I have to come back and raise you right - I feel like it's part of my ministry. 

This week has been relaxing to say in the least. On Monday, we did our first English conversation class at the Oxford Institute for English. It was junior high kids and they were nervous at first about using their English, but as we've learned with our Spanish, you gotta try it out with native speakers to get better. We had an interesting conversation that started from covering the basics (where you're from, what you've learned) to what the Gospel is and what they believe about God and ended with musical tastes (which ironically, just like at home, the girls are obsessed with One Direction. They're coming to Lima this year! Woohoo! Not). We ended the hour with a birthday celebration, where I finally got to taste the delightful Inca Cola. Bubblegum pop at it's finest, but honestly I don't see what the craze is about. 

We also got to visit a local school here that my Perumie Claire worked at last year teaching English. We played some form of ring around the rosie (something about a wolf, but I didn't really get it) with the kindergartners and it was quite fun. It's cool how kids can be crazy, but honestly are way more accepting than adults and honestly don't care what you look like/act like, as long as you're up for playing with them. Not that I'm ready to take care of my own though Lucy - you're more than enough and I can barely handle that. But one day I suppose. We also got to go the chapel with the junior high kids and it was interesting - we didn't do that in public schools. I understood more of the Spanish sermon than I thought I would, so I guess I'm learning SOMETHING while I'm here. 

It was neat to see the boys who were leading to worship/prayer - apparently it was a complete 180 from where they were last year. I guess it goes to show that you never really know what people (especially kids) are absorbing about God externally, but you still are making some kind of impact when you share and love on them. And that can be super hard for me at times. Not everyone is super loving like you Lucy, but I guess that kind of shows the love of God though. He sent His Son to die for everyone's sins, with full knowledge that some people wouldn't accept. He keeps pursuing us even when we aren't seeking Him - a love I can't even understand/imagine. But that's what makes Him God right? And I'm thankful to be loved by Him and serve Him in everything. 

Wednesday night we went to Matarra, a beautiful mountain village area.  The kids are super loving and very sweet and walk for miles to make it to the ministry group. We helped play sports with the kids, watched them during Bible study and helped pass out food/soap at the end. All in all, it's a great way to show God's love through not only words, but action and I pray that these kids are able to understand and accept Jesus through the ministry. There were dogs there too - you would have probably made a ton of friends. But they didn't cause tons of problems and just hung out with the kids instead of running them over like you typically do. Your lungs might have exploded though - this whole running around in high altitude thing is something else Lucy. Hopefully I'll get some more red blood cells though and have so many they'll let me donate blood. Who knows. 

And today is the holiday of Corpus Christi. Not quite sure what it is, but hopefully we'll get to see some excitement downtown for it. And I'll actually take pictures for it so you can see, but we both know that I'm horrible at taking pictures about anything. I think the picture on this blog is the first one we've had together, and you're not even looking. Aye caramba. 

Love you dearly and be good. Please stop scratching Mom and Dad. You can still bother Melissa though if you'd like. Can't wait to see you! 

Love, 

Marian

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds...

Forgive me Lucy? 

 I know it's been a while. Actually almost a whole week. Here's the week in a couple of quick short points. Ohhhh technology. I still miss you, even though we haven't talked. Dad says you've been good and that you guys going riding in Melissa's car because she's gone for the weekend. Shall I give you a rundown? En español? Ahhh not quite there yet, but I'm it's happening. 

- Killing a mouse in the house 

- Watching Jumanji 

- Getting to be on a Christian radio show  

It's LEGIT! 

- Experiencing the town's namesake - Los Baños de Inca! 

- Getting made fun of for saying awkward things in Spanish by our new friends 

- Getting off a broken bus and finding our way around 

- Figuring out this whole bus system thing (P13 ALL THE WAY!) 

- Having our clothes out to dry - during a rainy day 

- Modeling en el campesino (countryside) 

Here are some things that are constant - every single day: 

- Getting lost. Always. But finding our way and having an adventure in the end

- Getting stared at. ALWAYS. We average about 7 whistles per day, and not the kind that Dad calls you with. Ironically, they're called  cat calls. 

- Going to the Castope. It's like the Walgreens around here (you probably don't know what that is, we've never made it that far on a walk because you're crazy). We buy something random EVERY.DAY. Gotta get those soles. 

- Bonding with the PERUMIES! 

Matus, Claire y yo - somos los mejores amigos! Perumies for life! 

- Dancing. At all times. Everywhere. 

- Trusting God in all things - including talking to people about Jesus and sharing our faith. This whole starting a ministry project is kind of hard - it's meeting after meeting after meeting and praying and trusting. And loving and talking and building relationships. But it's good, because that means we can't do anything of our own accord and everything that happens is a God - thing (which is normally what it is, but it's even more magnified because we literally can't do ANYTHING to get the ball rolling on this life group thing. Or so it feels like at times). But God has definitely given me a lot of patience and humility. Hopefully it'll transfer over when I start training you Lucy. 

All in all Lucy, I love it here. I'll take some pictures of some houses for sale that we could possibly live in and move into. It's sad though how fast time moves and how soon I'll be back in NC(although I do get to be reunited with you). It's crazy how short of a time a month is to start a ministry and I'm kind of sad/scared that 4 weeks won't be enough to see "fruit". But in the end, that's not what it's about is it? It's about touching lives and sharing the Gospel, and if I only do that with one person, then all is well. 

Or so I have to remind myself. 

We should start a ministry when I get back Lucy. We can go to the park and hopefully people will come up to you and we can share the Gospel with them that way. Or we could go to the hospital and you could be a therapy dog, but you'd probably chew through everything and probably cause more people to go to the hospital. Anyway, it's something you should pray about. 

Hasta la vista, baby. 

Marian

Da Crib

Just to give you an idea of our living situation - you would love it here Luc because they don't have wood floors like we do back home. I wonder if you would get altitude sickness though. Hm..... 

 The toilet area - no sqauttie potties here! But we do have to throw out our toilet paper instead of flushing... 

This is my side of the room (pre luggage). It's kind of messy though, don't tell Mom. 

The other side of the room - we have the whole floor to ourselves! 

2nd floor - where the family stays

Other side of the 2nd floor - this place is super cute 

1st floor - dining room table 

The kitchen - no worries, we can't burn the place  down because it's concrete...but we can burn the food. Whoops. 

The living room with the makeshift couch 

The bookshelf

Here's some pictures of the town! 

Vacas! Or cows they're black and white here too! 

Mountains everywhere! 

Our favorite tree - and notice the road sign 

Perumies a la "Plaza"

Don't know how beneficial this was for you, seeing as you're colorblind, but hopefully it helps! Love ya! 

Oh - here's Grace, the super cute dog. You'd probably be good friends with her. 

Love ya Lucy! 

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

My darling Lucy,

It's funny how easy places start to feel like home in a matter of days. As I've been reading the Hobbit, I've realized that I'm a lot like Bilbo. Most of me doesn't want to have an adventure and would simply like to stay in my little hobbit hole and sometimes I wish for it, but there's that part in that me desires adventure and I'm following it. But now I still think I identify with Gollum more - just the whole talking to myself thing. I should probably get that checked out. I wish you could read Lucy. We could go on so many adventures and I wouldn't have to work anymore because you'd made so much profit.

 I think I'm fit to your schedule now - I wake up at 7 every morning no questions asked. Ay caramba. This is my roomie Claire or as they call her - Cecilia:

We're a match made in heaven, kind of like you and I are Lucy. Except you're fully insane and she's only slightly so.

So where did I leave off? The weekend adventure? We made new friends at the local university (which is actually called UNC as well - University de Cajamarca Norte or something like that. WOOHOO). They were super nice and taught some local dance and we'll hopefully meet up with them tomorrow to do some Zumba. Fun times!

I'm super awkward, and we're both super tall. I'm  getting over the whole touching thing though. Slowly but surely. 

We then just hung out and had youth group night, it was pretty cool and we got to meet a lot of people (note: the guy next to me is our 3rd Perumie - he's Slovakian and he goes to Chapel Hill as well!)  We then ate at a local restaurant. Had a hamburger, but it wasn't the same. I gave it to their dog Grace, the one I told you about? Apparently, sometimes she snubs good food because she's use to street food. I know you would NEVER do that. You eat everything, regardless if we give it to you or not. She also runs away sometimes too, but she's probably more street smart than you are since she's technically from da hood.

The group at the Refugio! Do I look peruana? 

Sunday? Went to church and it was deep and spiritual, and I'm really enjoying the music in Spanish. Had more food out at a place called a Menu (sp?) where we got a ton of food for not so much. Our soup actually had different parts of a chicken - one guy found a chick foot and I got a kidney. Yum yum nephrons!

We then traveled to the grocery store, which is called Quinde and is pretty much like a SuperTarget. Facts of life: I hate grocery shopping here just as much as I hate it in the States. It's just the worst. We took the bus to get there, and it was quite an experience. But they're pretty cheap and I can't ever imagine driving around here - it's not as bad as India, but it's quite similar. Not that you've ever been to India, and not that we'll ever take you. You're kind of a prissy dog - you have a bed and everything and by the time I get home, you'll probably have taken over my room (has Mom cleaned out my room yet? She does that a lot when I'm done, and it's kind of nice.)

Today? We went into town to an English school and we're going to conversation partners with some of the students there. Hopefully we can strike up conversation and eventually share the Gospel with some of them. That's the plan anyway. The teachers there were Christian and just all around very nice.

Afterwards, we traveled with our friend to another university. They're kind of small here and they start it at age 16, so everyone was way younger than us. But most people typically have school for five years instead of four like we do. They were pretty nice, but for whatever reason, I was super particular about my Spanish. It's kind of awkward because everyone thinks I'm a clueless Peruvian so they think I understand, but I don't. Ay caramba. You'd probably not fit in around here either - you're dark just like me and I haven't seen many Labs.

Tonight we're celebrating the birthday of our friend Marielle who is awesome. She's helped us out so much, especially at the grocery store because she's a native speaker but also speaks English. She sounds kind of like Mom. I hope she's 22 - I'll have to share the song with her.

I asked people about Daddy Yankee around here - I guess it's not as super popular. Whoops. I wonder if they've heard of Beyonce. They must have - she's an international superstar.

Miss you terribly sunshine, especially on cloudy days like this .Please don't eat anything that's in my room.

Love ya mean it!
Marian

Martha Martha Martha

Oh hello there Lucy dearest,

We finally made it to Cajamarca and it's absolutely beautiful here. There are tons of dogs around here and I'm sure you'd be friendly with them and get tons of rabies just because that's what you do. The town we're in is very cute and small - it's neat being able to walk anywhere to get to the grocery store and whatever else we want to do. I live on the third floor of the Heath house (the family we're staying with) and it's pretty grand. I shall upload the pictures once I get on my own laptop - I'm currently on this foreign object they call a "Mac."

It's randomly varying temperatures here, which you know that I love, but it's just absolutely gorgeous. You just look outside and there's just mountains. Everywhere. And the town is super cute as well.

Thus far? Our adventures include not having our luggage for a day (note to self: always pick up baggages from customs when you get to a country. Always) and then getting it a couple of hours ago. Yay for showers and underwear! Just the little things in life that keep it going. We got to attend a Thursday night church service last night and hang out with some other missionary families from around here. Today we visited a missionary place called Villa Milagro (it's a place that hosts church groups from the States for a week for their international mission trip) and got to see a baptism happen. It was pretty neat, but it was also interesting to find out that some people here did not want their children to be baptized. It was kind of hard to see the kids who wanted to follow God, but weren't able to because they had to honor their parents. But it was super cool that the kids did still show up and we all enjoyed some amazing tamales afterward. There were some dogs there too...even one with a muzzle thing on it so it wouldn't bark, just like we put on you! He did the same fight to death with it in the grass, just like you do when we put the Gentle Leader on you! Pobrecito, but he probably needed it just like you do.

We also took taxis. Everywhere. Here are tips that we learned about taxi here in CJA:

1. ALWAYS haggle. Always. Just walk away if they don't do what you want. My diva self was very good at this.
2. You might get to take the unpaved, scenic route.
3. Pay AFTER you've reached your destination and after you're OUT OF THE CAR.

Just in case you need to ever take a car Lucy, but probably not because you have 4 legs and life is just easier that way. Tomorrow we shall learn the ways of the bus. Wonderful.

Prayer? If you could, just pray that I become more like a Mary and less than the Type A, wound up, constantly paranoid Martha that I truly am. Remember when you first came to the house and you were terrified to get out of the car, step on the wood floor, go up the stairs etc? You were really cute back then. But then you got use to it and now you've scratched up the wood floors and basically run the house. I hope to do the same thing here, but instead be comfortable with my surroundings and be able to witness to others and not attempt to jump on them like a maniac like you always do. I truly do love you though Lucy, despite your flaws. I'm glad you love me too, even when I'm insane, which is most times.

In other news, I've killed a total of 2 huge spiders today. I wish you were here to eat them.  Speaking of eating, I made burnt sausage and egg here on a gas stove for breakfast this morning. Still following the tradition of being a whoops-a-daisy cook. But you gotta learn.

Remind me to put up a picture of Grace, the dog they have here. SHE ACTUALLY BARKS ON AT STRANGERS, like you're supposed to do. She's very cute and very well behaved. You could learn a thing or two.

Off to do PerZumba with the rooms. Some things never change.

Love you dearly,

Marian

Whoa...we're halfway there....

OHHHH, living on a prayer! Take my hand, we'll make it I swear....

Dearest Lucy,

At 5:30 in the morning, I shall be Cajamarca bound. For now, I'm just chilling in the Lima Starbucks, where prices are in a nueva sols, or whatever the currency is here. Still learning the basics as we speak, simple things such as no flushing toilet paper. Ah the wonders of a new culture.

Flights weren't horrible - movies that I would never watch normally and tons of fun. to listen to on the way over.  Just one. More. Left. And then we'll be there! In Peru! Where there are mountains!

Destiny had my Perumie Claire and I meet at the Dallas airport. We shall get along swimmingly from what I've seen thus far. We figured out customs (first stamp in this new passport, what up) and then we shall venture on for a couple more hours in strange limbo between sleep and excitement. I think it's called the witching hour, and it's where things that are strange in the night come and do strange things (Dahl, BFG). We'll see if witness any of that type while we're here.

I suppose I shall integrate myself into the culture and use the minimal Spanish I have acquired during my 9 years of learning. Que bellismo.

Or something like that....

You'll probably be up scratching for your food by the time I get to CJA. Please take care of Mom and Dad, you know they probably haven't slept a wink since my departure. Enjoy the beautiful weather and please don't run away and get hit by car. I have nightmares about such things.

Love you dearly,

Marian

P.S Apparently, these are the dogs that the Peruvian are crazy about, according to airline magazine I was reading on the way over here. It's called the Peruvian hairless dog (this one obviously has hair). I'll stick to Labs for myself.

The Anxious Night Before

Dearest Lucy,

Well....here it begins.

Or ended, whatever the case may be.

Past couple of days? Final FINALS, seeing seniors go, graduating, moving out, moving in and finally packing up. It's been a whirlwind, but that's just the way I like it.

And everything's been going my way thus far. Which is how I typically like it...I finally feel like I can put my life on cruise control.

Including my relationship with GOD.

Whoops.

Lack of schedule = lack of devoted quiet time. Luckily, I've got enough habit in me to keep going even when I don't feel like it, but the prayer life is absolutely dismal. Why this happens is the main question. I don't take out eating, getting on Facebook, checking email, watching TV out of the schedule. You're always good with a schedule Lucy. Wake up at the same time, eat dinner, get out of crate, go to the bathroom. Everything is set because these are the things you NEED to do. Food is your idol...if I could only copy that passion.

That's the hardest part of this type A nonsense - it's so much easier to coast when things are going just right.

Need for prayer for my trip to Peru? Absolutely! Prayer for the people there (http://www.operationworld.org/peru for a more in depth look) and prayer for a relationship and means to share the GOSPEL with others - the truth that everlasting, fulfilling Lord has come to save us from eternal Hell and will allow us to grow in a relationship with Him. I just need to set a better example of one saved though. Bah.

Prayer for myself? That GOD will take away my self-centered core and allow me to glorify Him in all things. And trust Him.

The first step is recognizing you have a problem right?

Welp Lucy, be good for Mom and Dad and Melissa
as you've always been and please don't poison yourself by eating the random stuff that's in my room. I'll be home soon to train you and guide you in the way you should go sure enough.

Love ya!
Marian