Updates!

Wednesday, December 5: Deivis, Liz and I went to the zoo! Parque Zoologica Huachipa is located about an hour away by bus! Deivis even took Liz and me on our first “real combi” ride. These vehicles that they refer to as “combis” are actually little vans used in the same manner as a bus. I felt a bit cramped, but it wasn’t as bad as I had expected it to be! Anyway, at the zoo, we saw leones, osos, cocodrilos, monos, pingüinos y más!

*deivis and me at the zoo!!
*a weird peruvian animal. . . don't remember the name of it. :) it kind of looked like a cross between a hog and a rhino?-ish. . . it was weird. :)
*they have the same hair! :)
*up close!
*christmas! kind of ironic that the two missionaries are in a picture with an evolution banner. :)

Thursday, December 6: felt a tremor! That’s right! I’ve officially felt earthquake-like shakes! We were all hanging out after Bible study when Noemi grabbed my arm and said, “Do you feel that?” Oh my goodness! It was crazy! We survived. . . :) Our friend from the beach, Fernando, came to Bible study. We were so happy and shocked to see Him there, but we couldn’t deny God’s grand planning. If he hadn’t sent that big wave to flood Liz and me, we never would’ve met Him! (see blog titled “30 de Noviembre al 2 de Diciembre (La fin de semana!)”

Saturday, December 8: Christmas decorations!!

*liz hanging stars!*helping us with the ornaments
*all done!
*it kind of looks like an american christmas. . . oops! :)

Monday, December 10: So, I’m thinking. . . Peru is cheap. I think I’ll get highlights. . . Haha. Yeah. After choosing a salon down the street from our apartment, I thought getting a full head of highlights for $30 would be a great idea! Liz and I went down there and explained (ha) to the hairdresser what I wanted. It was quite a scene. The lady took out a book of colors and I picked a reddish-brown color that I liked. She then pointed to a brighter color suggesting that I get those instead. I shook my head “no” and told her that I wanted the original color. After the hour of hair-doing, it appeared that the Peruvian hairdresser had won her way. :) Ah. Only in Peru. . .

Tuesday, December 11: A typical Peruvian dessert is the picaron. Picarones are basically like doughnuts that are dipped in a molasses-type sauce. Erick, our friend from ICPNA and the Lighthouse, took us out to a Peruvian dessert shop that he assured us would not make us sick. The picarones were quite interesting, and we had a great time! *erick, liz and me enjoying our picarones.
*our kind friend and me

Wednesday, December 12: We saw “Encantada” (“Enchanted”) in Spanish!! It was a wonderful movie and quite understandable for us even in Spanish! I’m so proud of Liz and myself for being true Peruvians. :)

Thursday, December 13: Liz and I taught our last English Conversation Club at ICPNA in La Molina. It was so great to see our friends one last time and so hard to say goodbye! Betsy, who has only missed like TWO conversation clubs since we’ve been here, even brought us each jewelry that her mom had made for us! *Sigh*

Monday, December 18: We took a final trip to Ancon to visit the family of our good friend Deivis! His mom, Olinda, was kind enough to cook us a real Peruvian specialty-Cuy. Let me translate that for you. . .Cuy is Spanish for GUINEA PIG! That’s right, folks. She went down to the market, selected a LIVE guinea pig, brought it home in a bag, killed it and grilled it up! As much as I was looking forward to eating new and strange foods, the guinea pig still kind of freaked me out. :) *that's the HEAD!!!

*yum!
*welcome summer 2007. the sign made me laugh because peruvian summer starts in december. . . :)Later, Deivis, Liz, Deivis’ sister Fiorela and I went down to the beach. I actually showed Fiorela how to hold a baseball bat for the first time EVER! That’s right! She is 21 and has never played baseball! Crazy!! After a wonderful day there, we went home again to get started on our packing.

*i totally missed that one. :)
*just having a little fun in the South American sun!
more to come soon. . .
pictures
more pictures!

"May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed."-Psalm 72:17