Adventures in Traveling

Now that I am safely back home in the good old U.S. of A, I can look back at my travels to get here and laugh.  At the time most of the things that happened were not funny, but now, especially with a much clearer head, I can definitely chuckle.  

It actually started out Tuesday morning when I woke up with a sore throat.  At first I thought that it was just allergies so when I got to SALI I took some allergy medicine and hoped for the best.  Unfortunately, as the day progressed I started feeling worse, but of course I needed to head out, so I tried to ignore it.  Things came to a head when I reached the Lima airport and stood in line for at least 45 minutes in the line to check my bags.  I was starting to feel dizzy and was having more and more trouble swallowing.  By the time I got through customs I was hot and cold and having an extremely hard time thinking, much less speaking in Spanish or English for that matter.  When I couldn't find my gate I asked for help, or rather, signed that I needed help.  The woman, who thankfully spoke English, became instantly worried, got me to buy some water, and then took me to an airport employee.  Almost immediately, he called the airport doctor.  After checking me over and discovering that, big surprise, I had a fever and (I think) strep, told me that I needed an antibiotic and that unfortunately all they had was a shot, no pills.  Furthermore, they needed to give me the shot in the butt.  Yeah, I wasn't exactly cool with that, but they told me I might not be let on the plane.  So after finding a female employee who would go with me, I went to the bathroom and got my first ever shot in the butt... in the Lima airport...

Amazingly, a few hours later I could actually swallow and the fever had gone away.  I was so relieved that the fact that I couldn't really sleep on the plane didn't bother me.  After that the trip was fairly uneventful and I finally made it to Texas to enjoy a glass of wine and hot wings (great combo believe it or not) with my Dad.  

I'm so thankful to be back for a while and that I got sick while I was traveling and not working.  God is so good and I'm so thankful for His love and protection.  He was just reminding me of how He is in control and that no matter how bad things seem at the time He can take me through it.  

Thanksgiving... Finally

It has been a few weeks since Thanksgiving and I am finally getting around to my Thanksgiving post.  Needless to say I've been a blog slacker lately.  So though it is a little late I figured it would be better to post the things I'm thankful for before Christmas actually came around.  Because I have so many things to be thankful for, I decided that narrowing the list would be the best option.  Here are six things that I am thankful for.

Number one: My U.S. friends.  A huge influence on my life from High School to College.  They've made me happy, frustrated me, co

nvicted me, been there for me, and have always loved me even when I'm frustrating them.  I am so thankful that God has put them in my life and that we've stayed in touch while I've been here in Peru.

Number two: My Peru friends.  Through all of my homesickness and the like, Heather, Julie, Gillian, Sarah, and Hamilton have been there for me.  Whether it was showing me around town,

listening to me when I was blubbering at midnight, or giving me directions to the post office,these girls have been Christ to me for the last four months.  I'll really miss Sara and Hamilton next year but I look forward to welcoming the new girl who comes and helping her out the way these girls have helped me.

Number three: My family.  Always, always there for me no matter how

 much of a pain I am.  I'm thankful for my Dad who is about as emotional as I am and is willing (and excited) to watch The Incredibles a thousand times with me.  I'm thankful for my mom who talks to me on Skype every day and helps me to realize when I'm being irrational.  And I'm thankful for Thomas, who though often times gets on my last nerve ;-) is the best younger brother in the world and is willing to play the movie game for hours on end.

Number four: Skype.  Allowing me to connect with my family back in the states.  I really don't

know what on earth I would do without it.  I love my family and hope that I'll talk to them everyday until we're old and gray.

Number five: Peru mission.  Frustrating, sometimes lonely, amazing, and of course a learning experience.  I know that God has sent me here for a reason and I am so glad that He is in control and not me.  I'm learning Spanish, gaining ministry experience, meeting awesome people and hopeful

ly spreading His love to the people I meet.  Though I've missed everyone in the states I've gained a new family here and they've helped me through the hard times.  I look forward to seeing God's kingdom advance while I am here.

Number six: Jesus Christ.  I know that sounds like a church answer but I couldn't write this list without Him.  Even in times when I feel I have no one, when I can't hug my mom or dad or my friends from back home, when I feel directionless and maybe even a little unloved I know that He will always be faithful, He will always love me, He will never let me down.  He is my Lord and Savior, my Life and Light.  I am so thankful that God the Father came down as God the Son to live a perfect life and die with my sins on Him, and then to rise again conquering death.  I can only hope to serve Him the way He deserved, but I rest on the fact that though I may stumble He will never love me any less than He already does.