While I was in Peru, I was able to do some sight-seeing! I flew into Cusco, but the retreat site was two hours outside of the city in Urubamba. 

​One afternoon, a group of us went to see the Salt Mines. Each little pond is owned by a family and salt is mined out of the ponds. There were a bunch of little shops near the mines, where you could purchase some of their salt.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mike, who worked with the youth, took a group of us zip lining in the Andes Mountains. What a thrilling experience! We had the option of hiking up the mountain or climbing straight up the side of the rock. We all chose the hike, thinking it would be easier. Boy, were we wrong! Each option was difficult. There were times when we had to tie ourselves off as a safety measure to keep us on the mountain. When we got to the first line, the nervous excitement was definitely built up. I was shaking so bad with adrenaline after the first line! It was amazing! The next six lines were incredible. There was one line where 2 or 3 people had to go together in order to get across. More weight was needed to make it across the long length. After we finished, we were all on an adrenaline high!

My last adventure was getting to tour the ancient Incan ruins at Machu Picchu! This is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and I definitely understand why. The architecture and layout was very advanced for their time. Walking through the buildings and paths was like taking a trip 600 years into the past.

Before we toured the ruins, six out of seven of us signed up for a hike up Wuaynapichu Mountain. We were told it was about a two hour hike and would give us a great view of Machu Picchu from above. What was left out was all of the stairs that we would have to climb, slanted rocks we would have to scale, and tiny little caves we would have to climb through. The hike was definitely a test of endurance, but the view was absolutely amazing! I can proudly say I conquered the mountain!

Working with the missionary children brought so much joy to the beginning of my New Year! The five children live in either Bolivia and Paraguay with their families. Several of the adults thought it was funny that I chose lessons about ocean animals, when the children come from the only two countries in South America that are landlocked. However, that did not stop the children's enthusiasm about learning about these creatures and sharing what they already knew.

On Monday, we found the dolphin, who taught us that we need to talk about Jesus to our friends. They made interactive felt oceans, where they each cut out their own ocean animals to help them remember our lessons from the week.

On Tuesday, we found the blue whale, who taught us that God can do big things in our lives. They made egg carton ocean creatures to go along with our lesson.

​On Wednesday, we found the jellyfish, who taught us that we need to stand up for what is right. The children and youth took a field trip to a local ceramics/pottery shop where they each decorated their own piece with the help of local artists. 

On Thursday, we found fish, who taught us that God is always on our side and will protect us. We used permanent markers and rubbing alcohol to tie-dye t-shirts. They turned out really colorful!

On Friday, we wrapped up our series with the shrimp. The shrimp taught the children that even though they may be small, God has a special purpose for them. 

The children were so excited to come to "school," as they referred to our time together, and find out what our next animal was going to be. I enjoyed getting to know each one and take care of them so their parents could enjoy their time in their own sessions. My prayer is that as the kids play with the crafts that they made, they will continue to remember the truths that they learned as they explored the ocean to find Jesus. 

The main reason that I was invited to come to Peru for the WGM South America Regional Retreat was to take care of the children while the adults are in their own sessions. I was very honored to have been invited to be a part of the group. It has been like a big family reunion with many of the missionaries I worked with in Bolivia, as well as meeting other missionaries from Peru, Paraguay, and Argentina. I am working with five children, ages 5 to 11. Our focus is on "Finding Jesus", where we are exploring different ocean animals with a different message about going deeper in our faith. So far we have found a dolphin (God wants us to talk to others about Jesus) and a blue whale (God can do big things in our lives). We have a lesson, sing songs, play games, have a snack, and do a craft throughout the day. My prayer is that each child will take something away from the week that will impact them in some way in their relationship with Jesus. I am excited to continue being an ocean explorer with my kids this week!

Traveling on New Year's Eve actually turned out to be a positive! The airports were quieter, the planes weren't fully booked, and there were NO lines for security and customs. When I arrived in Lima, Peru, it was very close to midnight. After I picked up my luggage, I made my way to the luggage check-point only to have all of the workers rush us through without scanning our luggage. Then they all started counting down, cheering, and hugging each other. (The fact that the people were all more worried about celebrating the turn of the New Year with each other, rather than making security a priority, proves how Latin American culture values relationships.) Once I got through, I had to walk outside of the airport to recheck my suitcase. There were fireworks going off the whole time. It was a very special welcome to Peru!

I had a slight delay in Lima due to weather, but I finally arrived to Cusco mid-Sunday morning. I was so thankful that all of my suitcases made it, and I made all of my connections. Thank you for all of your prayers!

The food here in Bolivia is AMAZING! From cuñapes, empanadas, and salteñas to milenesa, trucha, and fried yucca, there are so many dishes that will be difficult to replicate back in the States. Many of the main dishes include chicken or beef. My favorite beef dish is like a pot-roast, marinated in lime juice and salt. It is so tender and flavorful! However, I usually find that the side dishes are the star, especially if it is made with yucca...fried yucca, boiled yucca, sonso, and cuñapes. It is all so good!

I will also miss the varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables that were always available. Walking down to the market and talking with the vendors was always time well spent. The best part was the prices. You can buy 25 mandarin oranges for $1!

I have to admit that when I first arrived in Bolivia, I was not a fan of riding in a taxi (movil) or on a bus (micro). However, the more I was out and about, I was so thankful that I did not have to drive on these crazy and chaotic roads. It could seriously be described as "Live Mario Kart." It was so convenient to walk out to the road and wave my hand to hail a taxi or bus and be taken to my destination without the fear of getting "too" lost or having to find a parking space.

It was difficult putting my trust in another driver, but it helped me to get over some of my fears of being a passenger in a vehicle. (I am looking forward to being in the driver's seat again when I get home!)

One of my goals I made before starting my experience in Bolivia was to improve in my Spanish. I am sad to say I don't know how much my Spanish has improved, but I have really enjoyed learning new words and phrases from my students, giving directions when in a taxi, picking up fruits and vegetables at the market, and getting to know people at church, as well as my students' parents. I hope to continue to expand my Spanish vocabulary and understanding when I get back to the States.

I have really come to love living in the Latin American culture. There are many frustrating things like how being on time doesn't seem to be a priority and a dinner invitation really means lunch and staying the rest of the day. However, on the flip side, Latin American culture is focused more on relationships. When you are focused more on the relationship, you can't be too worried about getting to your next appointment. You are focused on people. The people are friendly and loving. When they ask how you are doing, it seems more personal. They really want to know who you are. 

Latin American style church is also a different experience. There is so much energy and passion when singing. People aren't looking around at each other to see what others are doing. You will see people dancing in the aisles, clapping their hands, doing hand motions, and showing emotions on their faces. Pastors preach with gusto and intention. You can feel the Holy Spirit move throughout the service. 

​Living in the Latin American culture has taught me to be more people-focused and not so worried about time. It has also taught me about 

Teaching at the Learning Center has been a dream. After working in public schools throughout my college years, I had forgotten how joy-filled teaching can be, and it was refreshing to see a school focused on students learning and sharing Jesus with them. There were very few days when I dreaded getting out of bed and going to school. Not having the pressures of testing outcomes and evaluations removed so much pressure. Being in the classroom was fun! We were able to do projects, enjoy short videos that aided what we were learning about, share what was happening in our lives, encourage one another, pray with each other, and play basketball as a class when we accomplished all that we needed to that day. We laughed and cried with each other. We struggled and encouraged. We failed and accomplished. I will miss being called "Miss" and seeing my sixteen students each day. I will miss working with other teachers who are like-minded and focused on more than just academics. God has been so good to me, and I will forever be thankful for my year at the Learning Center.

It's difficult to believe that my first year as a teacher has come to an end. I knew that the year would go by quickly, but it wasn't until I got to the end of the year when I was really wishing time would slow down. When May rolled around, our class started keeping a countdown until it was vacation time. Before I would do our morning devotion, I would announce how many days were left, and I would be met with cheers of "Yay!" and then followed by "Oh, no! Then the Miss leaves." When I heard those words come out of several of my students' mouths, I realized that I was just as much a part of their lives as they had become a part of mine. 

This year had its difficulties, but the days of joy overshadow any of the dark moments that we went through as a class. We learned a lot, not only academically, but about life and even more importantly, about God's love and forgiveness. It was so refreshing to not have to hide my faith throughout the school day, but I was encouraged to be open and share those moments with my students. My first year as a teacher was a confidence boost and confirmed my calling as a teacher. I pray that as I continue teaching throughout my years that I will be able to look back to this one and remember the joy, fun, and challenges that encouraged me to want to come back each day and continue to love on my students. 

​It has been an honor to be the fifth grade teacher at the Learning Center. Lord willing, I will be back one day.

Kristin and I took the challenge and organized Field Day for all of the elementary students to finish up our school year. We created ten teams, each with a mix of students from 1st-6th grade and a teacher as their coach. We played six games that required the students to work together as a team to complete each challenge. At the beginning of the year, many of the grades struggled with making competition friendly, and it was so fun to see the older students filling the leadership roles and the younger students being cheerleaders on each team. Field Day was a success and a fun way to end the year!

On Saturday, May 14th, I ran a 5K race, called The Color Run! This is the second time I have participated in this race, but it was the first time that Bolivia has ever hosted the event. It was so much fun to be a part of a Bolivian "first" with some of my friends from school!

I am still wrapping my mind around the fact that there are only 15 school days left in the school year, and I will be moving back home in one month. The last nine months have flown by, and time only seems to moving faster with the end now in sight.

I am starting to get a little nervous about what my next step in life, and I realized today that I am exactly where I was a little over a year ago. I had no idea where I was going to be teaching, but God knew all along. I just needed to realize that He would reveal that piece of information in His time, and He did. So that is what I am going to do again this time around. I have some plans and desires, but ultimately, it is going to be God's will that prevails. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy the moments in between!

Praise:

• The accreditation team came to asses the Learning Center, and they left us with a positive initial report! We will get the final results at the end of the month. Being accredited by ACSI allows the Learning Center to present its graduates with an American diploma. 

Prayer Requests:

• For my students to stay engaged and focused during our last three weeks of school.
• For the transition back to living in the States and readjusting to a "new" lifestyle.
  
• For God to reveal my next step, whether that is a teaching job back in Michigan or in a different state/country.
  
• My family will be returning to Honduras on June 11th. Please begin praying for our team to be able to raise their remaining support, for protection of health and safety, and to have an impacting ministry during our ten days.