On a Mission in Peru — Day 7
Today was a somewhat slow day, which is nice every now and then. The main body of kids didn´t get home from school until about 1 or 2 p.m., so it was pretty chill up until then. But even when the kids got home, they weren´t all over the place like they were yesterday. They seemed pretty content just sitting on the couch waiting for their turn for me to either spin them in high-speed circles, tickle them, or throw them up in the air. Mind you, these activities can be extremely exhausting for yours truly, but hey whatever. We went through the schedule of baby play in the morning, noon lunch and our afternoon trip to the park with ease and without too many diversions. But around 4:30 p.m. the gang hopped into probably THE smallest taxi in Peru, and drove into Lima. And being the people that we are, we sat there for the next hour or so and talked about why we were here, what did we want to take out of this trip, and our thoughts on the powers that be. It was quite touching. We got to Lima, and of course we went to a special Peruvian meal and traditional show at a very upscale mall in Miraflores, Peru, right on the coast. It was funny how excited I was to be back into my comfort zone. Like I was walking a lot faster than all the others and I wanted to see all the shops, I didn´t think I missed America THAT much. But I guess I do. Interesting……..
So let me get started on the whole ¨Why I´m here¨ dialogue from our taxi discussion. To tell you the truth, I just wanted to come. Some would say that this Peru trip was one of the pit-stops I would make in my long life journey, the whole idea of Destiny and that God wanted me here because somehow what I do here is going to affect the rest of my life. But really, I just saw the flyer and I thought ¨That´s what I want to do this summer.¨ Contradictory to what I said about missing suburbia, downtown malls, water I don´t have to be wary of, modern plumbing and tons of TV channels that are in English and don´t have subtitles — I was getting kind of tired of that whole thing. I was annoyed of petty gossip and drama, the kind that in a year it would hardly matter. So I left that world, not permanently. But when I go back, I´m probably going to have a different perspective on the Mid-Western world.
So I guess, ultimately, that is why I´m here, to gain a new perspective on the life I lead. It is also to gain a different kind of self-worth and confidence.
By Nate Moyer, studying Spanish with Mrs. Morris
