So you might have heard about my recent Peruvian development. You might not have. You might not have heard of me at all. Either way, I will relay the experience of my past week for all to read and enjoy!
SO. I guess it really starts back at the beginning of this summer. Actually it really starts in 6th grade at Ladue Middle School with my math teacher Ms. Nishiwaki, who I did not like AT ALL! She bred a dislike of math deep into my soul! SO then fast forward to college 2008. I went to BYU fully intending to study Elementary Education. Then first day of spring term 2010, first class, 8am, I went to my teaching math for Elementary Education. I then remembered- Oh yeah, I really don't like math. So I went to the Academic Advisement center and talked with Alberto Puertas. He suggested I drop my classes and take his career exploration class. SO I did! Then I decided I thought I wanted to be an English teaching major. Then first week of Fall semester I went to my English classes. And they stressed me out!!! And I was not enjoying them, so I dropped them and decided to try out sociology. Then my older brother Greg talked to me and I realized I wasn't so sure about sociology either! At that point, I was really in the dark. Not El Ed, not English teaching, not sociology, what on earth should I do with myself?!?! Take random intro classes? Drop my classes and work? Take classes part time? Serve a mission? I was lost. Real lost. So I decided to go back and talk to my good friend Alberto Puertas and see what he had to say on the matter. I went into his office on Friday afternoon at 3:30 (with the add/drop deadline being Monday mind you...). I asked if he thought if it was a good idea for me to drop my classes, and take a break- he said, oh yeah! That's a great idea! So I asked if he knew of any internships or trips I could go on with this short of notice? "Do you want to go to Peru?" "Well, yeah...." "Ok, I'll send you to Peru!" He informed me I was going to go to an orphanage and teach the children English and how to use computers and just play with them! So a few forms, a check, and a plane ticket later, 6pm Friday night, I am heading to Peru till December!!!
Not until I got home and got interrogated by my roommate Chelsea, did I start thinking about details. What the living conditions were, who was in charge, diseases, what the weather was like, etc. It just felt so right I didn't even think about that stuff!! Very luckily for me (and probably not by coincidence) my TA for my career exploration class, went to Peru this summer and is now in my ward!! So I talked to her and she gave me the contact information for some people who were at the exact orphanage I'm going to be at! ( One of them happens to be the current roommate of one of my roommates from freshman year! How crazzy?!?) So I've been talking to them getting more logistical details, and I couldn't be more excited! I'm actually going to my family reunion at the Outer Banks first (YAY!) and then leaving from there to go to Peru!! Do I know Spanish you might ask? No, no I don't! But I'm going to learn! Hopefully quickly too!
I went to a Peruvian Restaurant on center street with my roommates to celebrate, and later I read in my journal from a year ago (curious to see what I was doing on Sept 11...) and realized exactly a year ago I went on a date to a Peruvian restaurant! what are the oddS?!? AND when I went to the temple earlier the main New Era article was about a kid from Peru! AND my old roommate's new roommate served her mission in Peru, AND one of my best friend's husband served his mission there too!!This country is EVERYWHERE! :)
Everyone has been so supportive of me too, which has definitely helped matters! My family probably foremost, with my almost incessant phone calls of "what should I do?!? I don't know what to do! help me!!!!!!!" SO i've definitely appreciated their help! I am going to miss my amazing roommates terribly! They have been my support through this crazy process and I love them to pieces! ("come on, come on, I love you" that's for you Chelsea!) Oh, and I still need to sell my contract, just sayin....I'm also going to miss my little brother who finally came out to BYU, and then I hightail it out of the country! But he is so great and is about to serve a MISSION so I know he'll be just fine without me!! Also all my STL homies who finally joined me out here (AnnaLeah, Kaitlin, Kat, Travis, Scott, Jacob, Kathryn)! AND the new people in my ward that I've gotten to know have been so great, that it makes me sad to leave! But only kind of ;) It'll probably be good incentive for me to come back...It kind of sounds like I'm dying, but I'm not. At least I sure hope I'm not! ;)
So anyways....
I can just see the hand of the Lord guiding my life! It just amazes me and this process has simply taught me so much! I am so grateful for the power of prayer and the opportunity for me to talk to my Father in Heaven while trying to figure my life out! He's definitely got a better idea of what's going on than I do thank goodness!!! So ready or not, I'm heading off to a wonderful Peruvian adventure for three months, thanks to my loving Heavenly Father, my supportive parents, siblings, roommates, professor, and ward, and an inspired chain of events!! I'll keep you posted!!!!!
