Since there is so much going through my mind at the moment to formulate more than a list, I thought I would give you a little sample of what is and has been happening here in Trujillo, Peru! I haven't written more because we have rarely had internet access this month, which is actually really nice and refreshing…
Here we go, bullets!
WHERE WE LIVE:
-We are in the desert!
-We live in what looks like a compound (or in my opinion, a fortress!)
– There are sand dunes that feel and look like mountains (at least when you're climbing them…) though I guess they are really just hills
-We live near turkeys, sheep, horses, roosters, chickens, and ducks…and of course who can forget our friends the mosquitos and SAND FLIES. Love them!
-We have the most beautiful sunsets
-SAND everywhere
-And as most South American countries, dogs. Dogs everywhere
-We live in one of the most dangerous parts of town, and we aren't allowed outside the walls of the compound after dark. There have been gringo murders near where we live for sure. But I'm not fearful. We're mindful and aware of our surroundings, but not afraid.
MINISTRY:
-There is so much brokeness and pain in this community
-The kids at young ages are recruited into gangs and end up becoming the ones who do the dirty work for the older criminals…and everything is centered around money. For example, boys are taught how to shoot and to kill people, and also about alchohol and drugs, and the older men even bring young girls in for them as well…it breaks my heart. The boys, young boys, mostly between the ages of 10-18, are taught to be killers because the sentence for children under the age of 18 is MUCH less severe, and so much shorter, than for those over 18 years old. The justice system is way off here.
But this is why I am so glad IncaLink is here, they are doing so much to reach these young kids and to show them love and who Jesus is by demonstrating Him in their own lives.
-Most people have to pay off someone in one of the gangs if they run a business, or also the taxi and bus drivers…for "security" purposes
-Trujillo used to actually be a garbage dump itself, but became more built up over time
-There is a huge garbage dump here that is in itself a community where people are living
-Sandboarding is popular here- yes, think snowboarding, but in sand. SO COOL
-One of the IncaLink staff members, Joca, runs a sandboarding/outdoors ministry called IncaThaki as a way to minister to and love on a group of precious boys. His heart and passion for his ministry is incredible and inspiring
-I've gotten to love on some children that NEED love, so much!
-We've done so much manual labor, more than I've done in awhile, and it is so fun and so worthwhile (I do believe by the end of this year we will all be able to fill the hat of 'jack-of-all-trades'!)
PERSONAL:
-God has moved in my heart incredibly this month- freed me from living in some lies I've dwelled in unknowingly for too long and set me in the truth. Now I am beginning to walk in that, and while it isn't an easy adjustment and it's difficult, I feel so free
-It has been an incredible month being together as a squad! I love my N-SQUAD family! Being in one location has definitely allowed us more time to get to know one another better, for sure
-I. ADORE. MY. TEAM. I love seeing us grow closer together, it's beautiful. Pray for continued love, and openess amongst us.
*also, random note, due to what the Lord has been doing and leading, Meredith is now a part of team Arise&Go, so we have 7 team members now in team Doulos. It has been hard to part with her, but all of us know that it is God's will and we are beginning to see the fruition of that decision :)*
-Our sweet N-SQUAD men decided to completely bless us women with notes of encouragement and candy at breakfast, and a Valentine's Day homemade dinner and dessert, and then proceeded to do a night of improv to make us laugh. We were all so blessed and are so thankful for them. They are amazing.
-Our sweet N-SQUAD men decided to completely bless us women with notes of encouragement and candy at breakfast, and a Valentine's Day homemade dinner and dessert, and then proceeded to do a night of improv to make us laugh. We were all so blessed and are so thankful for them. They are amazing.
FOOD:
-There is even a Starbucks here in Trujillo, haha!
-We've gone to the beach a few times! The town is called Huanchaco, we've really enjoyed our days off there
-I ate fried shrimp for the first time in a long time last week, it was SO good
-I tried real Cebiche (raw fish, cooked in limon jugo [lime juice[), yum
-I miss chick-fil-a some days
-Pizza Hut looks like a classy and slighly upscale restaurant here…it's a little strange. And it's better than in the States, seriously
-We definitely ate sheep the other day for lunch, not lamb, sheep, haha. And chicken throats another time
-And we're on the world race, which means RICE, tons and tons of rice! But, we are just thankful for food to eat
[Note: Mom & Dad, I will definitely not want white rice when I am home in December, haha!]
RANDOM:
-I love machetes.
-Cold outdoor showers in the hot afternoon desert sun are the GREATEST
-me gusta espanol
-Peruvian joke: How many people can you fit into a combi (peruvian mini bus/van)? ONE MORE. always one more
-I love my tent, so much!
THANK YOU once again for your continued prayers! I am so excited to see God keep moving.
We are here in Trujillo for one last week (I just found out my team is working in the dump this week, so excited!), then we are leaving to go to Lima for 4-5 days of debrief (our wonderful coaches Randy and Betsy are meeting us there!). Then from there we go on to Bolivia in March!
Pictures to come, I apologize, I just don't have them at the moment!
Pictures to come, I apologize, I just don't have them at the moment!
