Things I Have Learned From Peru:

1. If someone is speaking english to you, and they aren't your reader, they probably want you to buy something
2. It is really hard to change U.S. dollars unless they are completely pristine (yea...got stuck with a basketload of groceries in front of a long line when the cashier told me she wouldn't take my money because someone drew a random small letter on my $100 bill lol)
3. Peruvian people will give you the shirt off their back to help you...and cook you the best meal you've ever had to boot
4. Peruvian time is no joke...haha if someone is only ten minutes late they probably aren't from Peru
5. The stray dogs may look cute, but they don't really like to be petted. I guess they'd much rather have a sandwich.
6. Packing a sandwich in your purse to feed the stray dogs with is NOT a good idea.
7. Yes, the diarrhea does eventually go away
8. There is so much rich love within families it's amazing how it can overshadow stark poverty
9. There are SO many people wanting and praying to know the true Jesus, what's real and beyond all the saint worship and tradition
10. Just let God plant the seeds!

• (At times I grew so silly, stressing over how I could possibly say exactly the right things, kicking myself when I didn't know exactly the answer to every question, feeling like there was no way God's message could be translated through a bumbling person like me. **Who am I to doubt God's power??** Then, out of the blue, one of my readers, who when we started, basically told me he was an agnostic who did not enjoy studying the Bible, came to this past week's social event, which was a devotional, and actually came up to me afterward and told me he enjoyed it! **Who am I to doubt his message?!** After I thought about it Thursday night I felt like such a "tonto." I can't believe I ever thought that any of this had anything to do with me. Doesn't Paul say in 1 and 2 Corinthians that God chooses the lowly things to glorify Him? So that we can only boast in the Lord? It seemed like such a forgettable lesson when I was going through training to come here. Only now do I understand what it truly means.)

Week 4 and 5 update

It is so hard to believe that this coming week will be our last week!! I am still working on getting my postcards mailed out, haha. I am SO thankful to everyone who has helped me in some way, be it prayerfully, financially, or spiritually, to be here. This trip has been such a medium for spiritual growth and maturation. It has been hard work, but also really fun. Here are some pictures of me and my team actually working (haha yea all the pictures I posted so far weren't from working, but it has just been so busy that it was kind of hard to ask each other to take pictures while we were reading):

This is Ingrid (left) and Leidy (right), two of my readers

And this is Jason

More pictures to come! The internet does not have a very good connection. Every Monday through Thursday we head over to the church at 10am and read with readers until 1pm. Then we have lunch, and come back at 3pm to read with people until 8pm. Also on Sundays we read with people from 3 until 8pm. Students who sign up to practice english with us are free to schedule how many times a week they would like to meet to read the book of Luke. For example, Leidy, Ingrid, and their friend Nadia read with me five days a week, while Jason reads with me three days a week. Each session is one hour.