Introvert

Today was a weird kind of day. I wasn't feeling much like doing anything, and I had no desire to call anyone up to hang out. Last evening I talked with Alissa Keady until nearly 3:00 a.m. My heart was heavy, and thanks to her crazy work schedule, she was available to help me sort through some things and share things that had been on my mind. Needless to say, having been awake until the wee hours of the morning, I had no desire to jump out of bed when my mom texted me at 9 something this morning. Instead, I did what a good daughter does, and I texted her back for a bit before drifting back to sleep. Finally, around 11:30 a.m. I woke up, but I still had no desire to crawl out of bed.

You see, my body has finally truly adjusted to the cold, Peruvian winter. Before, I was chilly, but now I shiver all the time. The last thing I want to do in the morning is crawl out of my warm bed and step on the iced over wooden floor. Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. It's actually about 60 here in the evenings and 65 during the day. However, add to that a forever cloudy sky, a damp mist, and no indoor heating. It's hard to warm up.

After checking my email and chatting with a few friends, I finally decided around 12:30 that I should do something with my day. I hadn't had plans today one because most people were busy and two because I honestly needed a break. While I'm having a blast, and I'm loving it here, I am also feeling very warn out. After showering and getting ready, I headed to search for tickets for our return trip from Mancora. With next week being a huge holiday travel time, this escapade took me to 6 bus companies in 4 hours. Thankfully, I had very kind, helpful taxi drivers to get me where I was going, and I came across a man that was able to pull up multiple companies and compare prices, times, and availability. Finally, I found return tickets, although they aren't exactly for the time I was hoping. In everything, God has a plan though :)

After stopping for dinner on my way home and buying a few groceries (I ran out of all my snack items). I headed to my friend Teresa's house to hang out. We ended up having a very spiritual conversation with her mother and father. Her mother is a very strong, knowledgeable Christian woman, and from what I understand, her father accepted Christ just a few years ago. I very much enjoyed this time of conversation with them.

It pains me greatly that the next couple of days are going to be filled with good-byes. I'm still in Peru until July 31st, but I will be traveling to Mancora the 25th and returning shortly before my flight on July 31st. Most of my good-byes will be done on Sunday. I'm not ready to say good-bye. I'm not ready to leave this place. I hate not knowing for sure when I'll be back. Please pray for me throughout the days ahead. I've already shed many tears about leaving, and the good-byes have only barely begun. Saying good-bye is a subject I try to avoid, but I also realize, especially in this culture, it is something that must be done. Thankfully the hardest goodbye will happen in Mancora as Nilton will be arriving there for vacation shortly before I head back to Lima, so I will be able to put that one off a bit. Nilton has become one of my best friends here in Peru. He is one of the people I have kept in contact with consistently whether I'm here or there. He is a great man of God, and the way he lives his life has taught me many things. Every time, it is harder to say good-bye than the last.

Wow, tears are streaming down my face just thinking about it...

My heart burns for Peru. I love this place...the culture, the people, the language, the terrain. It's familiar; it's home. I cannot help but trust that one day very soon I will be returning. I would like to ask that you please pray that God's plan for me in Peru would soon be revealed.