gaining altitude

I don´t know when this will be posted because I have no way of knowing when we will next have wifi, but I thought I should go ahead and document recent adventures. Today is June 28, this is our 4th full day in Peru. We started with an overnight in the Lima airport followed by an early morning flight to Arequipa. Greg and Megan McKinzie, Harding friends and missionaries welcomed us into their home for our stay in their beautiful city. Arequipa stretches across the foothills of El Misti, a snow-capped volcano, and their winter is bright and sunny with perfect temteraptures during the day and a little chill at night. My traveling companion and good friend Megan Dooley and I enjoyed exploring the city following recommendation from our hosts for the best places to eat and see. I was entranced by the vibrant colors inside the Monastario de Santa Catalina. Lonely Planet describes it as a ¨photographer´s paradise¨ and indeed it comes close. Megan and I were surprise by the spacious living quarters provided for the nuns, and pondered at the notion of isolating oneself in devotion to the Lord. Megn brought my attention to the following quote on a translated plaque at the Monastary which really spoke to us:

After more than 400 years we are still here, because our contemplative vocation is LOVE. This is our great secret of being happy: to be in love, neither with an ideal nor a project, but with Jesus Christ.

Allow that to soak in for a moment.

We enjoyed our visits with Greg and Megan about the work in Arequipa and enjoyed time with their precious kids. On Sunday we were delighted to break bread with the famiy in Arequipa. Megan and I have been trying our best to use the limited Spanish that we know. We attempted to participated in the time of sharing without use of translation - I think we were successful. Other highlights included learning aobut alpacas and llamas at Alpaca Mundo and trying fried cuy (look it up) and alpaca. 

Early Monday morning we traveled by taxi, bus, combi (local vans) and walking about 2 km to get to the lovely Hospedaje de SaMary owned by Felix Turpo on Lake Titicaca. We had read that this was a delightful place, but we were a little skeptical as our crowded combi approached the town of Llachon. Llachon is the last stop, and upon our arrival we asked where we might find the home of our host, we were vaguely directed on to the next community of Santa Maria. We had read that it is possible to just show up in one of the peninsula´s communities and be invited in for a place to stay. As we wandered around the empty plaza, uncertain what to do, I was reminded of Bible stories where travelers waited in a town´s square or at the gate until invited in. We had opted to make reservations with on of the recommended hosts from Lonely Planet, but now we weren´t sure how to find him. Soon a young man rode by on his bike, being the only person we had seen in a while, we stopped him and asked if he could direct us to the home of Senor Turpo. He smiled shyly and said ¨Soy su hijo¨(I am his son). (Another Bible story comes to mind). With prayers of thanksgiving and with laughter in our hearts we followed him down the dirt road to his peaceful home where Felix and his wife greeted us warmly.

It is from the stone patio of this humble abode that I am composing this post. We have enjoyed delicious meals, breathtaking views and good conversation (as good as can get with our limited Spanish skills). We went out on the world´s highest navigable lake this morning (3808m, 12,493ft) and hiked to a lookout point at the top of a hill. We have suffered through cold showers where the steam is coming off our bodies instead of from the water, and have felt completely out of shape in this thin air. But this has been a joyful adventure. The people ar beautiful and generously make us feel welcome with their genuine smiles and warm hospitality. Our prayer is that in some small way we have shown Love to them. 

The adventures of my Gardenia Bonsai and Me

And so we are off again into another season of traveling! Pikes Peak was looking particularly magnificent as I drove through downtown Colorado Springs one last time on my way out of town. I had been dreading the drive, knowing that with nothing but plains ahead of me, and mountains fading behind me it would be a particularly sad and boring drive. I am happy to report it was not near as bad as I had anticipated for three reasons: 1. A dear friend from the Springs sent me on my way with a fabulous music mix to keep me going (thanks, Aleta!), 2. The prospect of the many exciting things planned for this summer kept my mind occupied, prayerful and upbeat, and 3. I had a quiet, but delightful traveling companion—my newly acquired Gardenia Bonsai. It was about 2 weeks ago that I came home to a plant sitting on the kitchen table. Thinking it belonged to my roommate, Amie, I commented on how lovely it was and asked where she was going to put it. She and her mother (who happened to be there that day) quickly corrected me and explained that it had been delivered for me! For me? Why in the world would anyone send me a bonsai??? I soon discovered that it was a thank you gift for helping out with a wedding. My first thought, “How in the world am I going to take care of this while I’m traveling.?!” The more I admired the plant, the more I grew attached to it...still uncertain how this was going to work. Saturday morning, I loaded up all my belongings and carefully set my gardenia in the seat next to me and we were off. She was a good listener, but not much in the way of navigation. While staying with grandma for a few days, a few blooms appeared so the second leg of our journey was much more fragrant. As is the case with most of my traveling companions, and even when I’m alone, the trip was documented with a few stops for photo shoots.  Enjoy!

Staying hydrated, we each had our waters, I'd take a drink and Gardenia got a squirt

Crossing the state line

No Texas road trip is complete without this stop

There are more adventures on the agenda this summer, some with Gardenia, some without. For those who have been asking, here is a rough itinerary of my summer:

June24-July5: Backpacking in Peru with my friend Megan
Mid-July: Memphis and Searcy
July 29-Aug12: Thailand for AMF and time with parents and friends
Aug 13-24ish: Cambodia
Aug 26-31: Colorado for a wedding and visiting friends
Sept 2-5: Charlotte

There will be a few layovers in Dallas to unpack, repack, and visit between some of those stops and the plan is to be back in DFW, looking for another travel position (not necessarily in DFW) after Sept 5th.

I hope I get to see a few of you along the way!

Uchenna

My 3 month stay in “Colorful Colorado” is quickly drawing to a close. I leave the day after tomorrow. It is 10:30 pm, I have not yet started packing, but I feel the urge to write.  I vowed that I would post on my blog one more time before leaving Colorado, and being the procrastinator that I am, I have waited up until the last couple of days. There have been plenty of fun things I could have and should have posted about. Plenty of adventures to document — two trips up the Manitou Incline, white water rafting at Royal Gorge, Mt. Herman, the failed attempt at Pikes Peak — and plenty of fun stories from daily life — walking to work, foxes and deer crossing the street, smoke from the wildfires, the funny things my kiddos have said... I have enjoyed every bit of it (except maybe the smoke), but I have not taken the time to share them with all of you — my apologies for my selfishness. There is one story, however, that I feel compelled to share...

My dear friend Missy requested to treat me to dinner tonight. After much debate and consulting our co-worker and local ethnic food expert, Jenny, we decided on an Ethiopian restaurant in Old Colorado City. Uchenna is discretely located in a small strip between a tattoo shop and a salon. Missy and I joked about how several of the Ethiopian restaurants we have been to are in strip malls next to tattoo shops. Upon entering, we were welcomed by an enticing aroma of spices. We took a seat at one of the 6 tables in the eatery and admired the handiwork that adorned the walls and shelves. Baskets, paintings, somewhat of a hodgepodge of African, Middle Eastern and American decor gave me the sense that this place was legit. After a short wait, an Ethiopian-looking woman greeted us with a particularly warm smile and samples of the specialty teas. She helped us through the menu inserting anecdotes of cultural insight and playful comments. As other customers finished their meals and left, two things stood out to me: no one left without a warm hug from “Chef Maya” as if they were regular customers, and there was a guest book that was provided to customers along with the bill. Something was different about this place. Our food arrived and Missy prayed over our meal. Not long after we were well into the salad, Maya came by to fill up our water and adamantly thanked us for the prayer. Each time she came by, her love for the Lord became more evident in little blessings, comments, and acts of kindness. As she served each customer, she took the time to show them how the food would be eaten in her culture and served with such joy and peace that it could be felt throughout the small restaurant. We paid the bill and shared our thanks and blessing in the “Book of Friendship”. Maya did not let us leave without a warm hug and briefly sharing with us in the richness that God has brought into her life. We went on our way filled up with a deep Joy that can only be found in the presence of the Lord and yummy food. Maya is a missionary. She loves people and serves genuinely, recognizing that by serving her customers she is serving God. Uchenna means “God’s will”. I believe it was God’s will for Missy and I to meet Maya tonight. He used the encounter to encourage each of us and fill us up with His Joy. No matter where I go, whatever cultural and language barriers lie in the way, when I cross the path of a fellow follower of Christ, I am with family. We are one in Christ. What a powerful testament of His love.

I do not know what God’s will is for me in the coming months as I continue on this journey. But I know that He is present, He is active and my path is His to direct. I continue to be richly blessed by the people He brings across my path and I cannot help but praise Him.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.
If anyone serves he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
To HIM be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:8-11

A break in the rain clouds gave Pikes Peak a majestic glow this evening during our short pre-dinner hike at Red Rock Open Space.