As I look around the place I will call home for the next two
months there are a few things I realize. Most homes are the same. They are
split into rooms that are designed for different reasons, but with every home
rooms change. A living room can become a bedroom. A bedroom can become an
office. An office can turn into a play room. There are a few rooms that
don't change no matter the country. A bathroom may look different from one
country to another but it can only serve one purpose. Then, there is the
kitchen. A kitchen is a kitchen no matter where you are. I have lived in
homes in North America, China, Europe, Central America, Africa, and now
South America and a kitchen never changes. Peru is no different than all
the other countries I have lived in. The
kitchen is what I find to be the heart of the home. No matter its size the
kitchen is a spot where people come together to share life.
 |
| My host mom. |
The beginning of this week started in the kitchen. Monday morning my
host mother and I went to work making cookies. As most would agree, the smell
of fresh baked cookies brings back childhood memories and that has a way of
making us smile. This time was no different for me. The cookies we made have no
name because we made up the recipe - a type of vegan oatmeal fruit cookie. I
will tell you this though, they were delicious. The best part is Tia (Aunt)
could eat them. I must admit that to start a day off baking is the best way to
start a day. I knew the rest of the week would be amazing, and I was right!
I hope you all like history because I am about to throw some at
you. As most of you know I just graduated from a small Foursquare Bible College.
Foursquare is a Christian denomination. Like most churches they have a
logo. As you can guess, our logo is “4 squares”. How does this relate
to Peru? Wait for it…I will take you back in time and tie up the loose
ends of this history experience. As a child I was like most other children playing
the game of 4 square. It consisted of 1 big box turned into 4 smaller boxes
where 4 children would hit a ball around. This game is still played at the
college I just graduated from. (I think mostly because of the humor behind the
name.) This past week I painted a 4 square court on the church floor for
the after school program. So, of course I was feeling school pride and got
permission to paint the court the Foursquare denomination colors. Each
color represents a different aspect of God's love for us. That is my history
lesson… hope you enjoyed it.
Several people have asked the question if Halloween is celebrated
in Peru. The answer is yes and no. The church does not celebrate because of the
history behind Halloween which includes witches and communicating with family
or friends that have passed away. The people that don't attend church in fact
do celebrate. Their celebration looks like what I know as “The Day of the Dead”.
The children get dressed up and go trick-or-treating but this is done at local
businesses instead of homes. I did not celebrate Halloween in Peru although a
group of the youth and I went to the central area of town and got to see all of
the costumes.
Today I spent most of the day at the pool. We took the youth that
help to lead Awanas to the pool for a nice treat. It was a fun day. Watching
from my chair I remembered swim parties from my youth and the feel of cold
water on a nice summer day. It was very relaxing and enjoyable.
Until next week learn something new, do something you have never
done, and love the people close to you.
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