Christmas break

First off thank you again to all of my supporters. Y’all are fantastic! I am so blessed to have some many supporting me with funds, time, and of course prayers. I hope that I am in your thoughts and prayers as you are in mine. I just finished my Christmas vacation and got to see more of Peru with family and friends. Most of my family came to visit. I played translator but it was fun to have my family meet my host family. I got to show them around Huanta and share little aspects of my life. We were kind of like a parade going down the street with people staring a little and kids following us. I think my family enjoyed spending two days in the life of Alissa the YAV.

After that my family and I did some traveling. We went to Cusco, Manchu Pichu, Ariquipa, Colca canyon…I think that was it. It was all very fantast

ic! I did shed some tears as 10 days didn’t seem like nearly enough time with them. I still have 7 more months and I knew that was it for family visits. I know that I will be fine and will get to see them again sooner than it feels like right now, but it is still hard. There is nothing to make you appreciate your friends and family like not getting to spend time with them like you used to. It is weird not to be able to pick up the phone whenever and call. I am so greatful for internet and skype that keeps me connected in a way that wouldn’t be possible before.

Okay well back to the trip, It was a little like st

epping into a different Peru. A Peru were my family was there, there was always hot water, and we weren’t stared at for being gringos(well at least after we left Huanta). We were in Touristy areas. Areas where spending over 10 soles for a meal is normal.(that’s about $3.60) Usually I don’t eat out and when I am with the YAVs and we eat out, we are looking for the 6 soles or less Menú.(Menú is kind of like the special. There are usually a couple of options and it includes an apatizer of sorts like soup or salad, a main dish, and a drink) I know it sounds cheap but it is all relative. If you look at it I can get a 10hour first class bus ticket for 50 soles

which is about 18 dollars. The hostels I stayed in with the YAVs were about 15-30 soles per

night(5-11 dollars) Compared to that a 10-20 soles meal is really expensive. Anyways it was interesting to see my Peru world in a different way.

Well after my family left I met up with some of the other YAVs to continue our travels. I went to Trujillo in the north of Peru. We got to see some really cool ruins. Chan Chan is a pretty big city of mud. I heard that right after we were there some kids on a graduation trip went in and destroyed some of it. I don’t really understand what possesses people to make them so destructive. I mean here these ruins have survived earth quakes, storms, and time and these kids make a mess of things. I think they needed to be taught a little more respect for history. Well speaking of respect for history we also saw Huaca de la Luna and it is incredible.They have uncovered murals with the colors still in tack. It was really cool to see. They are still excavating and you can see the process. There is another right near by called Huaca del sol.Apparently they lack funding to continue excavation but it is said to also be incredible so far. I think to see Huaca de la Luna it was worth going to Trujillo.

Also there is a beach near by that is really nice. We were there on off-season so it wasn’t really crowded. We stayed in a really nice hostel right across the street from the beach. It was nice to get to relax and play cards with my fellow YAVs and talk about what is going on in our world.

After that we went to Harez to meet up with a friend of Sarah Alta’s that is in the Peace core there. We got to see an amazing place in the mountains with a glacier and a lake that was just gorgeous. We also went to this place where they were playing US pop song as background music. I think the other YAVs were stunned to see how many of the songs I knew. I told them songs just stick in my head really easily but Anna proceeded told me that I may have a talent as a human jut box. Well I guess if seminary doesn’t work out I have another option.