Travels and Adventures!

Here's the first of the promised blog updates from the past few months!

1)  As a sort of halfway-point break, I went to Uruguay to visit my three good friends living and working in Montevideo.  The trip was very short but completely worth it.  Abby, Annika, and Jenn encourage, inspire, welcome, and love so well.  They make me laugh a lot, especially with their stories as English teachers via internet and the "Color Song" ;)  I loved getting to see a new country!  The Spanish sounds different and many words/phrases are different.  I saw green fields, big open parks, wide roads, nice cars, and tall buildings spread throughout the capitol city.  We rode bikes along the boardwalk, watched the moon rise, and walked through the markets.  We laugh a lot :) 

Abby and I hiked up one of the highest hills in Uruguay (not a super mountainous country).  

I met their close friends and saw the new CLAVES office being built.  I got to swing in a park close to their house!  I am thankful for such a good trip, just what I needed.

2)  In May, Mom and Heather came to visit me in Huánuco.  I met them in Lima, and we flew out to Huánuco.  I was so excited for this visit, for the opportunity to share a place and people I love so much with my family who I love so much.  They tried my favorite foods and fruits, including chirimoya and granadilla.

 I loved sharing Mother's Day with my mom and with Sra. Jesu in Huánuco.  We had a special lunch together.  Mom and Sra. Jesu didn't speak the same language, but they found a way to communicate and help each other.  They both have hearts of service and hospitatlity!  Katy and Heather collaborated well to speak English and Spanish together.  When I look at this picture, I feel so loved and blessed by these special women!

 Monday morning, Mom, Heather, and I headed to the shelter.  We chose the real adventure of crossing the river :)

  We spent two days at the shelter.  These two days meant so much to me.  Mom and Heather got to see what I do, who I am with, and why I love to be there so much.  They helped me get ready for my therapy program with the girls.  

We took care of the little babies and played with the- I love this picture :)

Mom and Heather showed them all a lot of love in big and small ways.  Mom taught them how to play thumb war before dinner.  They came to devotionals.  We all went to pick up the kids on the bus.  We had a very enlightening conversation with the director of the shelter- María.  Mom and Heather had the opportunity to ask whatever questions they wanted about the shelter, funding, my specific role(s), the future of the shelter, etc.  In that sense, I feel like my family is a lot more on the same page with me about what I am doing at the shelter and why I love it.  Those two days at the shelter (and the farm!) were so meaningful to me!

   We also took a little trip up to a mountain lake close to Huánuco.  

The flowers and countryside were beautiful!  Before leaving Huánuco, my sweet mom and sister helped me wash my sheets and blankets...thankful for the help!  I enjoyed sharing one of my weekend activities (washing clothes while listening to a Tim Keller sermon) with them.

In Lima, we met up with Ana and went to a dinner buffet with a really good dance show featuring typical dances of Peru.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences with my mom and sister.  It meant so much to me, and I think it was special to them too.  Thank you Lord!  Now, I look forward to when my dad and brother can come down as well!

 
3) A couple of weekends after my family left, three of the other volunteers and I made a short weekend trip up to the "Bosque de las Piedras" (Stone Forest).  These stone formations were made by the Lord thousands of years ago.  According to our guide, they (his people) found and named the various rock formations.

 It was so cold, even colder because there was not any insulation or indoor heating.  Despite getting cold and wet feet and sleeping under 20 lbs. of blankets, I enjoyed this spontaneous trip with Ana, Marisu, and Amelia.  We definitely need to be in different places, to laugh, to debrief, and to be together but in a different setting.  Here we are with "El Elefante" (I don't think a translation is needed here :)): 

Real alpaca along with my dear rock friend the alpaca ;)

4) Another weekend, I rode the bus to visit one of the girls (who had been at the shelter but left in May) and her family in Huancayo.  I loved visiting her and seeing where she is living now.  She has a loving and fun family!  They were so welcoming and kind to me.  I look forward to exploring this city more!

 5) My last weekend trip before leaving Huánuco was a trip to Pucallpa with the Diego family.  Pucallpa is in the jungle area of Peru.  It was a beautiful drive (about 7 hours) out there.  We passed waterfalls... 

I definitely love the open road!

The Diego family were so kind and welcoming to me.  They used to live in Pucallpa, so I got to see their school, their church, and some friends.   

We took a little boat out in this lake to a resort area with a zoo :)

A big park bordering the river

One of the main reasons we took this trip was to deliver a wheel chair and some other supplies to a home for people with disabilities.  The Diego family works with a ministry called "Renacer" (reborn) that supports and occupationally trains people with disabilities in towns close to Huánuco.  It is a beautiful ministry, and they have so much heart for those they serve.  This is when Sra. Lut gave the wheelchair to the little girl and her parents.  A beautiful moment to share! 

Here we are with the directors of the home in Pucallpa before we headed back to Huánuco.

There's a little glimpse into some of my travels and adventures!  Next up on the list, telling about what's been going on at the Casa de Buen Trato Hovde, where I spent the majority of the past six months!