I'm still alive :)

I know, I know.. this is long overdue! Needless to say it's been a little busy here for the past few weeks. I am doing well and finally feeling like I have SOME sort of a life outside of school (although school still manages to occupy the majority of my life), so it's all keeping me nice and busy. It is hard to believe but this Tuesday is the end of the first quarter, which means Christmas is going to be here before I know it. Time is really starting to fly by, especially now that I'm really enjoying being here in Peru and teaching. Not to say it is easy, because that is certainly not the first word that comes to mind when I think of my time here, but I am experiencing more and more blessings the longer I'm here! Tonight in about an hour I'm actually going to meet Dave Mosemann at the airport because he is coming back after being home in the States for the past 6 weeks. It seems like it was only 3 weeks ago that he left here. Crazy. It's exciting to look back on and realize that when he was leaving I was in a place of being so homesick and wishing I could go home too, but God has done such a work in me in these past 6 weeks. I am definitely looking forward to coming home for Christmas, being with my family, and seeing all the friends I'm missing so much, but I really feel at home here. I'm excited about my church and I've been going to a Saturday night group to get to know more people my age. The first week I was there two Peruvian girls, Rosanna and Paola, really welcomed me in (despite my poor Spanish) and that was a huge blessing. Please pray that I would really work at building those relationships because it will be important for me to be connected at my church. I got connected to this church through one of the pastors at my home church and I also found out that my head pastor, Pastor Andy, has been to and actually preached at my church here in Peru and plans to make a trip back here within the next 2 years. It's so comforting to picture him in front of the church preaching! I think several other members of my church at home have been there on previous mission trips, so I'm trying to convince them to get back down here sometime again soon.

Other exciting news is that this week I have 3 1/2 days off! Tuesday is a half day, and then I have off until the following Monday =) So, I will be heading out of Lima at 4am on Wednesday to fly with my roommates and 2 other teachers, Lindsay & Kathy, to Arequipa! Arequipa is another city in Southern Peru and we'll be staying in a nice little hostal there until Saturday, when we'll fly back late at night. I really have no idea what to expect yet and haven't had much of a chance to think about it, but I'm just excited to have a few days to get away, get some sun, and relax. Here are some pictures of Colca Canyon, which we are planning to see. It was in the running for one of the 7 Wonders and is said to be deepest canyon in the world! It is also known as the home of the Condor, so I'm really hoping to see them and get some good pictures (yes, the science teacher is coming out in me). It looks beautiful from the pictures, so I'm excited! Definitely check back next Sunday (or sometime soon after, hopefully) to see if it really looks like this!