Back in Conima, feelin´good!

Wed. July 7th
I forgot to write something on Tuesday´s post...Jeremy S. and I went to the pharmacy to get motion sickness medicine for Kelsey and I. On the way there, a guy on one of the bycicle taxi´s went to greet Jeremy. He literally held Jeremy´s hand for at least three minutes and Jeremy had this "help me!" look on his face but all I could do was laugh! Then we went to the pharmacy and we didn´t know how to say motion sickness in Spanish so Jeremy tried to act it out. Needless to say, the woman thought we were crazy and she kept saying "no intiendo" while laughing hysterically. So we called Emily and she talked to the lady via the phone. My stomache hurt so much from laughing at these awkward events!

We ended up catching a bus to Conima at around 7:30 a:m. Praise the Lord! Jeremy sat out by the curb and called us when the bus was there, so we had to run to catch it! I beat the rest of the girls there and the bus wanted to leave when I got there but Jeremy kept saying "tres gringas" or three more white people coming. It got the message across because they waited. Right whenever the girls got on the bus, that bus shot off like a rocket ship! We got to Conima and of course they charged us more than everyone else since we are white, but Emily told them in Spanish that we knew they charged us to much. They didn´t know what to say, it was pretty funny. We got into the house and went into cleaning mode! Goodbye germs! Then Jeremy, Kelsey, and I went hiking to our favorite spot on Lake Titicaca. We did some pretty intense rock climbing and I got stuck at one point. My hands are scratched up pretty bad but it was soooo fun! We hiked about six miles and brought back some fire wood with us in potatoe sacks. We almost got ran over by a llama that was on the loose! Kelsey and I went running and screaming. On the way back from the hike, that same llama followed Jeremy for a little while. When we got back Kelsey, Emily, and I went to re-schedule to story with the police officers tomorrow. Kelsey and I made dinner...I spilled hot oil all over my foot and then slipped in it. Emily and Jeremy came into the kitchen and Emily started screaming. The cardboard behind the gas stove was on fire! Emily and I started screaming "fire!" while Kelsey began blowing on it. Jeremy stood by shaking his head. Kelsey must have some pretty good lungs because she put that fire out! Heather came running down the stairs in a state of confusion. After dinner we went up to the meeting room and sat by the fire and talked. It was rather relaxing.

Thursday, July 8th
This morning did not start out well for me. I woke up with a stomache ache, and threw up a few times. I swear, I have never been so sick in my life. So I skipped out on worship and slept till around 10:30 a:m. I felt better instantly when I awoke from my nap. I went up stairs to the meeting room and everyone was busy making goodie bags for VBS next week. I joined in the assembly line and boy were we moving fast! We decided to take a break for lunch around 12:15 p:m to go eat at the restuarant. We came back after lunch and Kelsey and Jeremy continued working on the goodie bags. Emily´s back was hurting her so she laid down for a bit. Heather and I each made two posters in Spanish to hang up at the school for VBS. They look pretty impressive if I may say so. I took a nice, hot shower and then Kelsey, Emily, and I were off to go story at the police station. The police officers welcomed us and Kelsey told them the story of Adam and Eve in Spanish. She did so well! I was so proud of my roomie. We stuck around and talked to the officers for a bit. Today (Friday) we are making them no-bake cookies. After we talked to the officers for a bit, we headed to the bodaga (store) down the street but the owners were at a funeral recession that we had actually seen marching down the street earlier (and that I took a video of!). We bought some animal cookies from the store and headed back to the plaza. We hung around the plaza for a bit and played with the kids. Jeremy play-boxed with them, they loved it! The electricity was out all day but we managed without it. We had spagetti for dinner. YUM! Then Kelsey and Heather went to tell Sophia (the lady who owns the store beside our house) the story of Adam and Eve. Kelsey told two stories today and did great! I read for a bit beside the fire and retired around 10:00 p:m which is actually late for me!
-Love in Christ!

The Conima team is infected!

Let´s see...where to begin? So last night I went back to the hostile, took a shower and as I was laying in bed I was praying to God that I would be able to sleep through the night without throwing up. My lower back was hurting really bad; I think just from being so sick. I´m laying there and talking to God and thats the last thing I remember. I awoke at around midnight to Kelsey throwing up, I mean puking so bad. I felt terrible for her.

This morning the team and I woke up at 5:15 a:m because we were suppose to try to catch a bus at 6:00 to Conima. Heather and Emily woke up feeling terrible, turns at that the whole Conima team is infected. I actually woke up feeling fine. So Jeremy, Kelsey, and I went to the bus stop. I have never been so cold in my entire life. Let me just give you a mental image: Its below freezing and all the clothes I have with me are a pair of jeans that I have worn for a week straight, some dirty socks, a t-shirt, a hoody, and a thin jacket, oh and some cheaply made mittens (I bought them for 5 soles in Juliaca which isn´t even three dollars). So the three of us are sitting there and I swear that my finger tips are about to just fall off. Everyone is feeling discouraged and not that great physically so of course I´m trying to be the comic relief but its not working. We said a little pray for the girls and that a bus would come but I honestly think all of us were just so beyong feeling discouraged.

So the girls call us and tell us that they aren´t feeling any better. We had back to the hostile around 6:45 a:m, we haven´t even been outside for two hours but it felt like all day. We went and talked to Sonia (the missionary) and told her everything. "Looks like we are spending another night in Huancane" I think to myself and a single tear comes to my eye. Then I metaphorically slapped myself and said, "Get it together girl!" and I did. I read some of the book of John and put my iPod in and listened to some Hillsong and actually got to spend some really awesome, intimate time with God. The girls are still feeling terrible at this point so I decide to grab a blanket and catch some Zzz´s. I fell asleep around 9:00 a:m and was in and out of sleep till around noon. The group gathered together to see how everyone is feeling and we made a group decision to try to catch a bus or a van to Conima tonight if the girls are feeling up to it after they eat lunch. I think we are all ready to be back in Conima, not to mention we have two appointments with people tomorrow. We´ll see. Everyone at home keep on praying, we really need it here. I think that today was one of the most discouraging days for all of us. Not to mention that I went to buy the girls some sprite at the store about half a mile down the street and ended up being short one sole so I had to walk all the way back, which doesn´t seem like a big deal but it is when you are at your breaking point.

I think all of us are at, or close to our breaking point today but you know what...it´s okay because I´m just a silly human being and I find SO much comfort in knowing and believing that my God has a reason for it all and he´s got it under control. There was a point there today when I really started questioning God but once again, he put that joy inside me in the midst of a storm that can only come from him. Hopefully we will get to Conima tonight but if not then its okay because God´s got it under control. Thanks for all your prayers, you all are such prayer warriors!
-Love in Christ!
"You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

Waking up to strangers singing in Spanish...

So yesterday we had a 4th of July cookout at the Grady´s and both the Georgia teams came too! I ended up going outside after we ate and I layed in the grass and read my bible and journaled for a bit. I started feeling extermely tired as I was soaking in the sun so I decided to take a quick nap before entering in the Texas vs. Georgia competition...I mean I needed my sleep to kick their butts. Well my quick nap turned into sleeping from 1:30 p:m to 8:30 p:m. I guess I was just super tired. I´m alone in the hostile because everyone went to eat and I wake up to people singing Spanish in the room next to me. My first thoughts upon waking up are 1: Where the heck am I? and 2: Why are there people singing in Spanish in the room next to me? So naturally I get up and sneak out, tippy toeing out of the hostile. I walk down to the Huancane girl´s house but no one is there so I headed back to the hostile and John came to the door. He called the Huancane girls and told them I was trying to get in! So I went back over to their house and we watched 27 Dresses, again. We got back home around 10:30 p:m and suprisingly enough I actually fell asleep around 11:30 p:m.

Today I woke up at 6:15 a:m to people singing Spanish...again. I´m starting to think this is a new routine. Turns out the owner of the hostile rented it out to some other people...who really like singing apparently. We cleaned the hostile and packed all the groceries up because we thought we would be leaving today. We headed down to the bus stop with Pastor Rueben at around 11:00 p:m and we end up waiting till around 12:30 p:m so we decided to go grab some lunch with the Huancane girls. We ate and went back to the bus stop and found out we would be spending another night in Huancane which really stinks because we had two appointments to story with people tonight. Kelsey, Emily, and I went to the Huancane girl´s house and watched The Devil Wears Prada. About this time I start feeling pretty sick to my stomache. I threw up twice before dinner and figured I was okay to eat two grilled cheese sandwiches but I ended up throwing up about seven more times after dinner. I´m talking puking out my brains. It was pretty awful. That was actually only about twenty minutes ago. I honestly wouldn´t be suprised if I all of a sudden puke all over this keyboard. Let´s just say that I´m not feeling the best. So please pray that we will be able to find a bus tomorrow morning and that I´ll stop feeling so sick. Thanks for your prayers everyone!
-Love in Christ

4th of July...in Peru

Its interesting spending American holidays in another country. When I was 18, I got to spend 4th of July in Africa, actually we were on a safari so that ruled. I'm not going to lie to you bloggers out there, today has not been the best day. I woke up at 6:15 a:m and lets just say I spent a lot of time in the bathroom, it happens to everyone. I couldn't go back to sleep so I thought that a shower sounded like a great idea. Oh, it gets worse. So I go to step in the shower to get my clean on BUT my foot slipped out from under me and I hit my side on the little step you have to step over to get in the shower and I went to catch myself and landed on my hand. So my left hand is really bruised and hurting but on a brighter note...I haven't made many trips to the bathroom lately. I know you all wanted to get really close and personal with me.
We are at the Grady's in Huancane, we spent the night last night. Today we are having an American style cook out and apparently Jeremy Lou created six different events for us to compete in against the Georgia team, I'm doing the apple bob. I'm gonna get those apples!!!! I'm off to go practice my apple bobbing skills...I can't let the team down!!!!