Peru Day 9 Sunday

A few of us went to the market in Cuzco with Miguel. He was looking for some chocolate for his mom. We got to see a lot of cool stuff: all kinds of veggies, cheeses, meats, bread and fruits. They were cutting up pigs right there in front of us. We flew back to Lima at around 10am. We got there and Alex and Daniel were waiting for us. It was great to see them again. They were so much more than translators. They were working right along with us.

We all took showers. I gave Francisca some gifts for letting us stay at her house. I gave her a University of Minnesota shirt, some plates, and some other stuff for her kitchen. She gave me some gifts too. She is so gracious. Then we went to a restaurant called Norky's. It was very good. I had salad, chicken, fries amd torta (cake). We then went to the Incan market. We had about 45 minutes to barter and get some souvenirs. I got two wallets, an Incan folk CD and a figurine.

We then went to the church. Miguel sang some songs and said a very emotional prayer. He talked about us and the people of Bocanegra. He talked about seeing us again. How we will definitely see each other in heaven. Our language differences will dissolve and we will rejoice together. I started to cry and I had a hard time stopping. Then a visiting pastor spoke. It was a little hard to understand. The American team then went to the front and sang some songs. Arturo then spoke for a little bit. After that Javier told the people about a mission team coming to Bocanegra in April. Some of what he was saying got lost in translation again.

Church went a little long and we had to hurry to catch our flight. We gave some presents to the host families. They were deeply thankful. We gave hugs then we had to leave. The kids were crying and gave Emily a note. It said they will miss us and to not forget them. We jumped on the bus and so did some of our Peruvian friends. We took a few pictures then we had to go. (Pictured below is Kelsey, Miguel and Jodi.) They waved at us from the airport windows. What a great trip it was. I will never forget my friends in Peru. They have made a deep impact on my heart.

I'm debating about writing about our travel troubles coming back. I'd like to focus on the positive. I did have a blessing that occurred because of a layover I may write about.