MURRAY Christmas, y'all!

I feel like I never have anything to talk about on this blog that other people would actually want to read, and then all at once everything happens and I feel like I have so many things to talk about.  I want to apologize ahead of time if this post is all over the place…

Ok - well Friday was the last day of school for the year.  Peru’s summer break is during January and February.  I fully intended to come home from school on Friday and type up a blog post on the past two months of working in the school, but due to some emergencies I have been frantically shopping for Christmas presents for 20 kids. (Man, and I thought buying for my parents was difficult) I am going to postpone my post about the school until next time – it’s probably better for you and I both if I refrain from writing a novel-length post….

Ok, where was I?...Oh yeah - Every year a church in Dallas provides the presents for the kids at Casa Hogar.  Each child receives one box filled with t-shirts, socks, toothbrushes, school supplies, little toys, etc.  Well somewhere between Dallas and Arequipa the boxes went MIA.  We learned this news last Monday – the week before Christmas.  Kym was flying home to spend Christmas in the States that day, so I eagerly volunteered to take on the task.  The church from Dallas sent me money, and once I had it I got to SHOPPIN’! 

I shopped every day after school and all weekend, except for a couple of hours on Saturday when I did a small little Bible lesson about Christmas at Casa Hogar.  The lesson was about the Christian significance behind the candy cane.  They were very patient with my poor Spanish and I think it went well.  I gave them all candy canes afterward so they seemed happy :)  

Anyway, shopping was very fun, but also terribly EXHAUSTING.  I missed Target.  I even missed Wal-Mart.  But most of all I missed my 4-Runner.  Shopping is much harder when you do not have a trunk to throw everything in while you move on to the next shopping destination.  I covered ever inch of the mall that is nearest to me, and then I branched out.  Naty took me to some local markets near the center of town, and after church Sunday we explored a new mall further away.

Then today a group of us went to another market to buy all of the food for the Christmas feast. It was a very interesting experience. Check out the pictures.  I had to laugh a little inside when they were talking about the thickness the steaks they were buying.  When I showed them how thick the steaks are in Texas they thought I was crazy.  After the market we went and bought fireworks.  It is a Peruvian tradition to set off fireworks at midnight, so I’m looking forward to seeing that!

The presents are all done and ready to go for tomorrow.  I am so excited to spend this holiday with the kids and everyone at Casa Hogar.  As weird as it feels to have Christmas during the summer – I’m liking spending the holiday season down here.  My favorite part is all of the nativity scenes! They are EVERYWHERE!! There are Christmas trees too, but the most important decoration is definitely “El Nacimiento.” 

One last little tidbit - At church on Sunday we all wrote our name on a little sheep, and after lighting the 4^th Advent candle we put our sheep around the nativity scene.   It was so cool.   While doing so Padre Juan Carlos told us to remember, “We are all God’s sheep.”

Family in Lima!

I woke up to a message saying that my Very Most Favorite Aunt Katy and two of my cousins, Bert and Will, were going to be in Lima on a business trip for Bert and Will's new golf apparel line - Devereux.  They had meetings all weekend and wouldn't be able to leave Lima and come to Arequipa.  They were going to be so close I just HAD to see them... sooo I asked Momma (very kindly) if she would purchase a plane ticket so I could travel to Lima and spend the weekend with them.  She said, "Of course!" I know deep down though she was a little jealous her sister would get to see me before she did.  

It was a great weekend and some much needed family time.  Even better - I got to pretend like I knew what I was talking about regarding all things Peru.  I knew the most Spanish out of the group which was a weird change.  Usually I know the LEAST!  

I got to go to the meetings with them. SO INTERESTING! So much work goes on behind the scenes I never would have imagined.  When we had free time we went to a mall over the Pacific Ocean, ate at several very tasty restaurants, and walked around a park that is swarming with cats! No joke.  Arequipa is pretty different, so it was great to have the opportunity to see another side of Peru!   

To make the weekend even better the hotel where we stayed was only a short distance from the Anglican Cathedral of the Good Shepard.  On Sunday morning we got to go to their (English) service and I was able to meet some of the other SAMS' missionaries that I have heard so much about! I also got to see a couple of familiar faces of people I had met through Kym and through SAMS' bridger training.

I'm sure Guillermo, Beto, and Katherine (they changed their names for the weekend) thought the only thing I talked about was the kids back in Arequipa.  It's true.  I thought about them the entire weekend and found myself checking my watching thinking "I wonder what they are doing right now."  I missed them so much and I was only gone a couple of days!  Although I was sad to say goodbye to my family, it was good to get back home and back to loving on the kids.