So, we’ve now into July, supposedly in the middle of the dry season and we’ve had 3 days in a row of rain, which is very odd. It’s noticeably colder, with the sun unable to get through during the day, but its welcome nonetheless after various weeks without a drop.
Jul 032011
May 302011
So it is nearly 9pm and I am home alone. Paul is running his 3-day retreat in a town an hour away. The doorbell goes (the highly inappropriate one that blasts out the wedding march, Christmas carols and other delights at high volume) and looking out of the window I see the guy who keeps coming to our home for food, attention and … well needs a lot of looking after. He (at 34 years old) called us both mum and dad the other day !!!!) has been a challenge in many, many ways and tested our patience big-time. He has taken advantage to the point where we have had to lay down rules…. yet at the same time he has made an effort to try to be our friends (he does our washing up quite regularly – that is about as far as friendship goes here).
He has been thrown out of his lodgings- a local hostal (here that means a brothel) and so has turned to us for help – we can’t help. At least, while I am home alone I can’t let him in – we have a rule to protect me… so I had to turn him away (after standing on the doorstep for a while chatting to him and then giving him the remains of my bean dinner. Thinking about it now I could maybe have found him a cheap room somewhere and paid for it (only just thought of that) – but I know he has money of his own (not very much) that he refuses to use… so at the end of the day if he has nowhere to go, he isn’t really helping himself is he??? Hmmm.
It isn’t easy helping others to help themselves when really then just want to be looked after. That is why I am so tired and zapped.Helping others isn’t often very rewarding, it is mainly sacrificial.
I am very thankful for our flat and a warm bed – it is getting significantly chilly here as we head into winter.
Apr 022011
We are finally back in Huancayo having travelled all over the place for the last 6 weeks.
We started in the mountains (very cold),
went down to the coast (very hot),
went back up to the mountains (very cold),
down to the coast (very hot),
then flew to Brazil and spent a few days on the Brazilian/Argentinian/Paraguayan border (jungle – and very hot)
and then headed to Asuncion, the capital city of Paraguay … also Jungle (very, very hot),
then back to the borders for a day (still hot),
then back to Peru coast (slightly cooler),
down the coast into the desert for a couple of days (slightly hotter),
back to Lima (somewhat fresher)
…. and now up into the mountains again (very much cooler!)!
Time to cut Paul’s very long hair, shave off his beard… and start life all again…
It is still raining lots here!! Should have stopped by now…. hmmm.
Will try to get photos up as soon as possible.
Mar 062011
It’s very hot!!
We went to the Vineyard church this morning and it seems to have imploded to some degree since when Rachel was there. Lots of the old faces weren’t there (which is perhaps to be expected after 8 years away), but not many new faces had replaced them. The pastors tell us that last year was difficult, but the corner has been turned and things are looking up again.