Arrived safe and sound

Well, I made it. I left Vancouver at 7:30am Thursday morning and arrived in Lima at 10:30pm (there is a 2 hour time difference). I spent the night in the Lima airport which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There was about 100 Peruvian people that were also spending the night. I moved a 3 seat bench against the wall and lay down for a couple of hours. I flew out of Lima at 7:30am and arrived in Cusco at 8:50am.

The flights were all very good. A bit of turbulence on the first two, but nothing to write home about...ha ha! Some people were a bit nervous, but when you trust the Master of Creation and rest in Him your fears are gone.

The Andes mountains were something to see. God's work is amazing. There was a bit of low lying cloud in some places and it looked like steep islands rising out of  white misty water. In other parts there was no clouds and you could see the steepness of the mountains.

Some parts were snow and glacier covered as well and very pretty. It reminded me of the Canadian Rockies. In some of the high altitudes you can see evidences of people living down there. It must be a very harsh environment to try to eek out a life. It would be very cool to see. It would be very interesting to visit their villages and see how they do it and how much work is involved. Do they have water? If so, do they have to boil it? Is the soil fertile? What would grow up there? Do they have animals, and if so, how do they survive I wonder?

 

I was met at the airport by Miguel and he took me to the volunteer office and showed me around. There is a lot of amenties available in the volunteer office. There is a spanish school, a travel company, an internet cafe, and a bit of a snack bar. They have dance lessons on saturday for 3 hours as well. I met Jacob who is in charge of the travel agency and I saw the spanish school classrooms. Miguel then took me to my home stay which is a house for the volunteers. I have a room to myself that overlooks a very busy street. There are 2 cooks here and it is almost like an all inclusive but not fancy at all. I don't think that there is hot water here because the shower I had was very cold and very hard to get into.

There is about 13 volunteers here in this house right now, 11 girls and 2 boys. There is 3 volunteers from Australia, and 4 from Canada and the rest are from USA. I think that I am the oldest one here - the next oldest is 34 yrs old.

Four of the volunteers are leaving tonight to begin their 5 day 4 night trek to Machu Picchu, they get back on Wednesday and then they are leaving on Friday I think for the Amazon. Another volunteer is going to Lake Titicaca either tonight or tomorrow.

Monday and Tuesday of this upcoming week are holidays here is Peru. Monday is the "Day of the Dead" and Tuesday is "All Saints Day". Hopefully there are parades and celebrations that I can see and maybe even partake in.

I have an orientation on Monday morning, so Saturday I am going on a City Tour and then on Sunday I am taking a tour to the Sacred Valley. Since there is WIFI in the volunteer house I am able update my blog on a more regular basis and pictures will be forthcoming.

I am very excited to see how God will use me in this place and I pray that I make myself available for His use 24/7.

Please pray for the other volunteers here. That they will be changed from their experiences here and that they come to see that God is the one who created this beautiful place and that there is no life without God in your life. (Some might know this already, it is a bit too soon to tell).

Also pray that I will be totally at God's disposal and that I surrender my will and my plans for His will and His plans for me, as there are no better ones than His.

God bless you all.

Before I go....there is always so much to do...or is there?

It is the sunday morning before I leave and as always there is so much to do...Why is that I wonder? Is it because all the rest of the time I am lazy? Or is it because I want everything to be done, in order and spic n span? If that is the case why don't I want everything done, in order and spic n span when I am at home? Or do I?

I don't know the answer. Maybe it is because I will not be home for a while but the chores for the upcoming month still need doing. Or do they? Will they not still be there when I get home? I am sure they will as well as a bunch more. Oh well, I am not going to dwell on that anymore, that is for sure!

I wonder if I had all my chores done would I think of others to do? I think I probably would. But I also need to keep things in perspective. Take a few minutes and think about the things that are really important - make a mental list of priorities and then decide which ones I need to do and which ones I want to have done. Focus more on what God wants me to have done and in place before I go and while I am away than what I want to have done, because at the end of the day " it all goes back in the box".

I am really excited about going to Peru and find it hard to believe that God willing I will be there on thursday. I still have 2 days of work left as well. Hopefully, I can continue to live and appreciate each and every day for the day that it is, while looking forward to the days to come.

I am planning on travelling over to Vancouver on wednesday afternoon and spending the night with friends. They will take me to the airport on thursday and I fly out at 7:30am. I fly from Vancouver to Houston which will be exciting as I have never been to Texas, even if it is only in the airport it still counts. Then from Houston to Lima. I arrive in  Lima at 10:30pm and fly out early the next morning. I think I will just stay in the airport until my flight to Cusco. I will be in Cusco at just before 8:00 am and will be met at the airport by someone who will take me to where I am going to be staying.

Prayers are always appreciated, so please pray for travel mercies and that I surrender my will and let God's will for my life prevail. Also, if you could please pray that God use me and work through me to reach, teach or love whomever He has destined. That every day when I awake I greet Him and give Him my day, the day which He has given me.

I look forward to all that God has for me and I encourage you to check out my blog and respond to me through them. If you respond anonymously and then put your name on the bottom I will know it was from you.

Take care and God bless you and all you love.
Cath