From Peru

In the summer of 2008, I had the opportunity to spend two month with our sisters in Peru.  It was the trip of a lifetime, seeing our missions, meeting my sisters, doing a little sightseeing.  Well, I am back.  This time it is for a meeting, but the trip is no less special.  In fact, with a little start on relationships (and my Spanish), it may be more so.  The meeting is not until the beginning of January, but I figured why come to Peru for three days, so I am here early.  I arrived late last night with easy enough travels.  I´ll celebrate Christmas and New Years here with my sisters.  I will definitely miss being with my family, but, again, the trip of a lifetime.

I don´t think I have lost too much Spanish since I was here last.  I try to keep it fresh with a bit of reading.  It won´t surprise those of you who know me to hear that my tongue seems to be working faster than my ears so far; I can sometimes say more than I can understand.  (The keys on this keyboard are not all in the same place and almost every word is underlined in red, so it is taking me a little longer to complete this post.  But, I´ll keep at it.)

There will be anywhere from 15-22 sisters here at the Center House in Lima.  At lunch today, I think there were about 15 of us, all but two in our twenties and thirties.  We laughed a lot over lunch about words that have gotten us in trouble in our second language:  fat and flat, hombre y hambre (men and hunger), embarazada which does not mean embarrassed but pregnant.  We went to the cemetery where many of our beloved sisters are entombed, but one very recently.  Maria Rubina was as close to Jesus as anyone I know, so humble, so spirit-filled, and going was on my list.  Maritza led a spontaneous prayer for the sisters who were there and Maria´s family.  She ended by asking that Maria´s memory inspire us to, amor mas y minister mejor, love more and minister better (there are no quotation marks on this keyboard).  Maria is still very present here.

After lunch I took a nap.  I woke up twice, once to peals of laughter from down the hall, and the second time to music being played.  I think those two sounds whether while cooking, cleaning, praying, or playing characterize much of my memory of this place and my sisters.  I don´t know how often I´ll be able to post, and, hopefully, next time I´ll have a couple of pictures, but I´ll try to keep you current on my trip.  Missing everyone in the States.  Hasta luego...  Sarah