How I spent my one year anniversary in Peru...

What does one do on her one year anniversary in Trujillo?

First, I began my first painting and drawing class at Bellas Artes, the art institute in Trujillo. I've been missing art a lot lately, and my roommate and I decided to dust off the old 2B pencils and take a class. I've never had a formal painting class before and It's been awhile since I've had a drawing class so I am very content with this new addition to my life schedule.

After art class, we headed out to Arevolo where we consumed an obscene amount of Lomo Saltado with the pastor's family. Noemi (my old Spanish teacher) is the pastor's wife and the world's best lomo saltado maker. It's a fact. You can look it up. Afterwards my belly was full with lomo and satisfaction.

Upon returning to my house after lunch, I was just in time for a 30 minute nap before I headed to Por Venir for the weekly music ministry that I'm a part of. Ronald (the violin teacher and founder of the program) picked me up and we headed out to the neighborhood to teach the kids. Today we would work on Go tell Aunt Rhody, O Come Little Children, and the unatainable concept of bow direction and changing the bow at the right time. I struggled with that concept for years I'm sure. My girls did great though and will get it in no time I'm sure. Because they are awesome, and awesome kids can do things like that.
After a few hours of music ministry, Ronald and his wife Tatiana took me out to coffee to celebrate my first year. However we did not go to just any coffee shop. No my friends, we went to the opening of the very first starbucks in Trujillo. Ever.

Granted, Starbucks is not the end all be all of coffee shops. I agree, their coffee is strong, sometimes bitter, and overpriced oftentimes. However, what you don't understand is that coffeeshops are not a part of Peruvian culture, and there really is not any place that has really amazing coffee plus a good relaxing atmosphere, So picture yourself living without any form of coffeeshops for one full year (especially if you're the type of person who frequents coffeeshops in the US as much as I did i.e. practically everyday) and then picture the glorious opening of exactly what you have lived without for one year. You would be excited too. I promise.

By the way Starbucks openings in Peru are so much better than starbucks openings in the States. They gave us free sandwiches, free wine, and any kind of starbucks drink you want, for free. I was so content. there is nothing like sipping a free iced hazelnut latte while holding a free glass of wine in the other hand.

I can't think of a better anniversary gift than a starbucks. Thanks Peru, I love you too.

Anniversarial Thoughts

Saturday marked a very auspicious and important day in the life of both Peru and Me.
Saturday July 19th was my one year anniversary of living in Trujillo, Peru and working with Peru Mission.

I remember the day I arrived like it was just yesterday....

Just kidding, this will not be a blog full of cheesiness, I still after all, am me.

However I will let you guys know that the past year of my life has been wonderful at times, terrible at times, however the common thread has been that God has been growing me from the start. I would not trade this last year of my life for anything. I know that the past year/future year was not my expected path. I kid you not, I was planning on graduating and beginning my career in interior design right away (like a normal person would). However that clearly was not the plan that God had for me. I know that this path is not the norm, but this was the path that God had planned for me from the beginning, and I rest assured that this is the path that was chosen for me in order for God to best sanctify me and to teach me lessons that I would not have learned otherwise.

So what exactly have I learned this past year? Why yes, I will tell you ten things I've learned.

1. Where the street food stands are that will not make you sick.
2. How to be more patient and not be stressed when things dont begin exactly on time
3. The prices of taxi rides for Gringos are not the same for Peruvians.
4. How to haggle with taxi drivers until I get the Peruvian taxi price.
5. We don't flush toilet paper here, and getting out of that habit is pretty difficult when you return to the states.
6. Salsa dancing can take place any day of the week, at any given restaurant or friend's house. I also learned to salsa so that I can be prepared for any given restaurant or friend's house.
7. Living in a Coastal desert often means no rain and a lot of sand.
8. Fruit will always be better from an open air market than from a grocery store.
9 Things in Peru are generally louder than in the States. Enjoy it.
10. How to say the Lord's Prayer in Spanish, without looking at the words, and while keeping up with all the native spanish speakers around me who I'm pretty sure can say it all in one breath.

Of course, I have learned other things as well, but those are just a few highlights.

Strike Out.

I'm pretty sure I've written a similar post to this one a few months back in October, but I once again am taking advantage of the latest Peru Transportation Strike which just so happens to be today. What this means is that the streets are free of honking taxis, of rumbling combis, of ground-shaking micros and relatively clean of the pollution of all three of those methods of public transportation, which means my world is a little quieter and a little more smog free today.

Same story as last time too, the strike in general I'm sure is a negative thing, but I have been handed someone else's lemons and I will make lemonade by enjoying this day of rest. I will catch up on my lesson plans, and my world, and I will love every second of it.

In fact, I am going to go brew myself a lovely cup of coffee and start right now.

Have fun working today!

Update Up.

Gillian is moving on up to the east side 21st century.

I think I just figured out how to create a link on my blog so that you can open up my update newsletters in a pdf format directly from this same blog before your very eyes. Be amazed, Be astonished... or not, whatever.

So if you have a few extra minutes, feel free to read the newsletter here

http://rapidshare.com/files/128199994/April_Newsletter_1_.pdf.html

Click on Free user when the link opens, then wait about 25 seconds until you see the download button. Click it, and everything should open fine! Happy reading!

No puedo creerlo...

Resucitó, Resucitó,
Resucitó, Aleluiaaaaaa

This is a song we sing at my church here in Peru about the resurrection.

I am now applying it in a slightly more secular setting in order to speak about my baby angel mac.

Yes, that's right folks. After exactly 4 months after the great hard drive crash of 2008. I FINALLY got my baby angel mac laptop working again. It was a long and difficult struggle. After many attempts of finding someone to fix the hard drive, and then buying new hard drives only find out that they didn't fit, to finally having my mom and dad bring down the golden hard drive that did work, I am typing this blog entry on my "new" mac. I almost cried when the installation was complete.

Part of the problem of fixing the computer quickly is that living in Peru means that is is a little harder finding things like laptop hard drives to fix problems and find solutions that normally in the states, we have easy access to. But, after all this, I am happy to report that my computer is now working and all is right with the electronic world...for now.

This also means that FINALLY I can start updating everyone better. Being without a computer for a while means that communication basically comes to a standstill until I can find a free hour to use someone else's computer or find an internet cafe. So all that to stay, you should be receiving an update letter soon. If you'd like to receive one but aren't on my email list, just leave a comment with your email address on it, or send an email to gbaikie@gmail.com and let me know.

Also, my mom and dad's first trip to Peru went great! I was very blessed and content to have them come visit, and will by posting my pictures and a decent update soon! I hope everyone is doing well. I look forward to maybe hearing some updates from friends and family back home soon.

Until then, let me share a Bible verse that has been a great comfort to me and a hopefully encouraging reminder to us of who we are in Christ and where we stand in this world.

"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:37-39