Simply Happy

So I have to say, even though the lady who talked about urine therapy to us on Thursday was really weird, I have to thank her for the probably the best 45 minutes of my life. She invited us to her natural health center this morning to get massages. I got my first ever full body massage and I was in heaven. A little weird at first because I had no idea what people were saying to me, but I learned quickly if I just closed my eyes, they would wake me up only if they really needed me.  ;) I have to say I would be willing to listen to more talks about urine therapy and the seven energy zones to get a free massage.

The one of the missionaries from St. Patrick’s invited us to lunch at a hotel resort here in Piura. This place was really fancy and I am so glad I was finally able to eat something besides chicken and rice! I had a delicious steak and cheese sandwich!

We then went to a chapel in one the local villages to teach women about hand washing. We just took Meg’s teaching project and shortened it. There were about 24 women and they all practiced washing their hands and then we answered any other health questions they had along with taking all of their blood pressures. To get back to the church I got to take my first Mototaxi ride! Usually there is always a can or truck from Sacramento that takes us places and picks us up but the St. Patrick Missionaries and some of the missionaries left from the Eye surgical team were all leaving so they needed the vans and trucks to transport all of them to the airport! For those of you who don’t know what a Mototaxi is, they are essentially a motorcycle with a kind of caboose that people sit in. It is the main form of transportation around here because the majority of people are too poor to afford their own cars. It was a little scary considering the people drive a little recklessly here, but we made it back safe and now I can check it off my bucket list. 

I can’t believe I have already been gone three weeks! The time here has really flown by but at the same time I am becoming so familiar with this place that it is becoming a home to me. (Not to scare you Mom, I DO plan on coming home!) . I never thought I would get this comfortable with being here, sometimes I forget I am a thousands of miles away from home and my life in the U.S.  I just know the streets and the people so well now that I don’t ever go somewhere without remembering a face or someone remembering me. The sincerity and gratitude that the people have shown me is really one of the main reasons why the transition has been so easy. (Besides having four AWESOME friends and a great teacher here) The people have so little and live in what one could really only call a “shack” and yet they are the happiest people I have ever met. They don’t crave having the newest iTouch, iPad, coach purse or name brand clothing. They are happy with their dirt floors and wearing the same exact clothes multiple days in a row. We pray to God for success in our job, more money, gifts, etc and they just pray to stay alive and are so grateful every morning they wake up. I don’t think I have ever lived this simply before and yet been so happy. 

It was a nice relaxing day but we have MUCH work ahead of us. Our aggregate project is due Friday and I believe I am doing my personal teaching project on Thursday! With lots of work ahead of me extra prayers and thoughts are very welcome.