How to do Machu Picchu in Four Days

Machu Picchu. It's one of the trips of a lifetime. It's one that requires months of planning, coordinating tickets, etc, etc. It's a trip with so many minute details that you must book a travel agent.

Or must you?

I was living in Peru from November to January when my little sister decided to come visit me on the tail end of my time there. We decided we were going to Machu Picchu, and she coordinated it all in one week.

You heard right. Train tickets, plane tickets, Machu Picchu tickets, hotel and travel plans - one week. Albeit, January is the rainy season in the Peruvian mountains and therefore not the most idyllic time to travel there in theory... In reality, it was the bomb.

If you want to plan a quick trip to Machu Picchu and don't plan on hiking the Inca Trail, here's how we did it all in four (to six, if you include days in Lima) days:

Abridged version:
Day 1: Fly to Lima.

Day 2: Fly to Cusco. Descend from Cusco into the Sacred Valley. Explore Ollantaytambo. Take the late train (7:00 PM) from Ollantaytambo down to Aguas Calientes, the town that's 20 minutes from Machu Picchu (MP). Stay overnight in Aguas Calientes.

Day 3: Wake up stupid early, eat the free and tasty hotel breakfast, and go and buy bus tickets to MP (they have buses leaving every 5 minutes - you'll be fine). Hike Huayna Picchu at 7 AM. Explore MP all day until 2:00 to catch a bus back down and your 3:30 train back to Cusco. Stay overnight in Cusco.

Day 4: Explore Cusco. Take your time, and drink tons of water. Fly back to Lima in the late afternoon. Stay the night in Lima.

Day 5: Spend more time exploring Lima, or fly home! Or both. Hit up the Indian Market (Mercado Indio) for all of your souvenir purchases.

Great! You've got it down! Now, here is the not-so-abridged version.

Day 1: Lima

Fly into Lima. Hang out in Lima.

What to do:
Go see the fountains at night if it's a Wed-Sun night and after 7 pm. They're FANTASTIC. Perks of being there in January-February time? It's summer. Hanging out on the Malecon (Miraflores neighborhood) or over in Barranco is where it's at.

Things to see in Lima:

• The Malecon - The Malecon is a series of parks along cliffs in Miraflores. I highly recommend the Parque del Amor for the statue of two giants making out and mosaic love quotes (translation needed). There's also a park near there where paragliders take off. You can walk down to the beach from there on the street that ends in a bridge. If you cross the road on either side of the bridge, going towards the city (away from the water), there are stairs that go down to the beach.
• Larco Mar (mall on a cliff)
• Barranco - hipster part of town. (if you like beers, go to the Barranco Brewery - their lager is incredible!)
• El Parque de Las Fuentes (Fountains)
• Parque Kennedy - go to La Lucha Sangucheria for a life-changing sandwich. Just do it. You can walk there form the Malecon/Larco Mar...

Day 2:  Explore the Sacred Valley a little

Fly to Cusco.

Cusco is at 11,000 feet. You just went from sea level to 11,000 feet. Get out of 11,000 feet as soon as you can. We hung out in Cusco for a few hours to plot our descent into the Sacred Valley and grab food.

Taxi business:
When leaving the airport, your taxi to the Plaza de Armas should cost no more than 10 soles. 15 soles max. If they offer it to your for 40 soles, they're lying. Don't buy it. Don't feel guilty either. Go outside and find a cheaper taxi.

(Yes, we took a taxi to the PdA for 40 soles... the shame is real.)

What to do:
After arriving in the morning, my sister and I hung out at the Plaza de Armas at this cute little cafe called Cappuchino. It was a second story cafe overlooking the Plaza de Armas. Great, cheap sandwiches. OKish coffee. Totally recommend it.

Whilst there, we met some friendly Americans living in Cusco who advised us on what to do next:

- Take a convey from Cusco to Ollantaytambo for 10 soles each (that's $3 American, folks). If you have to pee, do it before getting on the convey. Ask a local friendly American how to get to the convey station (it's not really a station so much as a spot where conveys sit before leaving). Someone who lives there will know.
- It's a 2-hour drive with beautiful views. Enjoy the fact that your convey has some excellent musical choices, a la "Africa" by Toto. Jam out freely.
- When you get to Ollantaytambo, if you have luggage you want to drop off at the train tickets station, do it. The convey will take you to the part of town right by the train station.
- Next, get a mototaxi to take you to the ruins for 3-5 soles (we paid 3 soles for 2 people).
- Buy tickets for the ruins ($15-20 each, I think), and explore the heck out of em.
- Grab dinner in town. We went to a pizzeria. It was super cute and tasty.
- Make sure you get back to the station in time to grab your luggage and get on the train. I think we got back around 6:20 pm to grab our luggage and get in line by 6:30 before our 7 pm leave time.
- Enjoy the train ride. Get to the hotel in Aguas Calientes. Go to bed early. You're waking up early tomorrow, so seriously... Do it.

Day 3: MACHU. FREAKING. PICCHU.

5:30 AM: Wake up. Eat breakfast. Pack light (maybe pack a swimsuit and towel for Aguas Calientes if you want to go there after MP). Make sure you have your passport, tickets, and soles on you. Leave your bags at the hotel reception desk. Your hotel might have the option to take your bags to the train station for you. That might be desirable.

6:00 AM: Walk to the bus booth (ask your hotel if you need directions). Buy the next available bus tickets. These cost about $20 per person, and you can't buy them in advance. The buses leave every 5 minutes, though, so I wouldn't worry about them selling out. Just might want to get there early to allow some extra time.

6:30 ish AM: Arrive at Machu Picchu. Check a bag for 3 soles if you didn't pack light (you'll want to for the Huayna Picchu hike - it's nuts! But bring a camera, your passport, at least one water bottle, and maybe a granola bar for each person in your party.). There are some tight rock spaces at the top of Huayna Picchu that are less manageable with a big backpack on you. A small bag should be fine. Bask in the glory whilst hiking across Machu Picchu to the other side where lies the entrance of Huayna Picchu. You'll need your passport number to enter the hike.

7:00 AM: Begin your 2.5-3 hour hike of Huayna Picchu. It's tough, but it is uhhhmazing! It wasn't that bad to hike in the rainy season either, FYI (January). Just a wee bit slippery. But they have a rope to hold onto for the hard parts.

10 AM: You did! You hiked it! Well done, you over-accomplished son of a gun! Now, you get to walk all around Machu Picchu for several hours. Which you will love.

12 PM: You can take a break and go get lunch outside, so long as you keep your passport and ticket on you! You'll need both to get back in through the park gate.

1:30 PM: Leave Machu Picchu. You'll want some time to get back to your hotel and get your bags (if they're still there) and maybe go see the Aguas Calientes while you're at it! If you go, they do have beer. Hot springs + beer. Think about it.

3 PM: Be at the train station. You may have to walk through the entire market to get there. It's a bit hectic. We asked for directions multiple times whilst in the market.

3:30 PM: last train out for Cusco.

7:30 PM: Arrive in Cusco. Get a cheap taxi back to your hotel (probably no more than 10 soles). Get some food. Stay the night.

Day 4: Cuscotopia

For the last day, we decided to hang out in Cusco for a few hours before flying out. The altitude was still a little rough, even though we had spent the last two days at at least 7-8,000 ft. We recommend drinking the Mate de Coca and lots of water to help with altitude adjustment.

Things to explore:

• Markets - Their stuff is cheaper here than in Lima (sweaters for 30 soles in lieu of 45 soles). Ask the hotel where the best market is and bargain like it's your job. 
• The monastery - I don't remember the name of it, but it was sweet. 
• Plaza de Armas
• Cathedrals in the Plaza de Armas

There are probably many other things to explore in Cusco, but we only had a few hours. So, we spent them at a Starbucks in the Plaza de Armas (I was feeling the altitude sickness), a market, and the monastery. Then, we had the hotel call a taxi for us for 10 soles from the Plaza de Armas back to the airport. It's always a good idea to have a Peruvian bargain for a taxi because they'll charge more if they know you're a foreigner (flashback: the 40 soles from the airport situation).

Day 5: Lima (again)

Rinse and repeat Day 1 except this time I'd recommend going to the Indian Market for anything you didn't already buy in Cusco. Plus, they have some cool and different stuff there. It's sweet, and it's walkable from Miraflores/Larco Mar. Or, you can take a taxi there for maybe 5 soles.

You could leave your luggage in the hotel you stayed in on the front end (most will hold it for you), or rent a room for cheap at a hostel/hotel (we used the Lima Wasi hotel - it's two blocks from Larcomar and a great spot/good price). 

The taxi from Miraflores to the airport should cost you about 40 soles. You can ask the hotel to coordinate that one for you, too. 

TICKETS TO BUY BEFORE YOUR TRIP:

• Round trip tickets from wherever you are to Lima from Day 1- Day 5/last day. I love stalking Kayak for good flight deals (you can set a flight alert that they'll periodically send to your inbox).
• RT plane tickets from Lima to Cusco from Day 2-Day 4 (arriving in the morning on Day 2, leaving in the afternoon on Day 4)
• Train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Route Sacred Valley > M. Picchu), leaving at 7 PM (I think that's the last time out) on Day 2
• Train tickets from Aguas Calientes to Cusco (Route M. Picchu > Cusco), leaving at 3:30 PM on Day 3.
• Tickets for the entrance to Machu Picchu
• Tickets for Huayna Picchu, if you want to hike it (that'll be a combo pack deal with Machu Picchu. You have to select the time you'd like to hike). We recommend the 7 AM hike, but they also have a 10 AM hike option.

Where to stay:

• Lima - Lima Wasi hotel - awesome open-air rooftop spot for breakfast/hanging out. Great location and breakfast!
• Cusco - Tierra Viva hotel - a few blocks off the Plaza de Armas. Very pretty hotel. Great breakfast.
• Aguas Calientes - Tierra Viva hotel - a bit of a walk from the train station, very close to the bus station, great breakfast! And pretty morning views of the river and mountains.

Good things to know:

• Don't drink the water/open your mouth in the shower/brush your teeth with it. Use and drink bottled water. 
• They throw their toilet paper in the trashcan next to the toilet. It takes a little getting used to. 
• You can negotiate your taxis and your market purchases. If you look like a foreigner, they will try to charge you more. Time to bust out those negotiation skills!
• You don't have to have someone with you who speaks Spanish, but it will be tremendously helpful if someone does. There are plenty of people who speak English in Lima and Cusco, buuuttt still. 
• Make sure your passport is in a safe place and that you have copies of your passport and credit card info that is stored in a place other than where the actual versions are. 
• Don't flaunt your valuables. Keep them hidden unless you're using them (cameras, iPhones, passports, etc). I've known a few people who've had these items snatched right out of their hands.
• Only take taxis that are very well-marked. Ones with checkerboard patterns on the side, a taxi license number painted on the side, and their driver ID tag showing somewhere on the visor or rear-view mirror. 
• Use soles (cash) to pay for things. You can use the ATM down there to pull soles out of your account. If you have Bank of America, you shouldn't get a transaction fee at ScotiaBank ATMs (may want to check with them first). There are also good exchange points - there's one in Lima right to the left of the Saga (giant department store). The airport usually has a decent exchange rate as well.
• Much like any big city, there are certain parts of town that are safer than others. Miraflores in Lima tends to be safe at all times, Barranco is getting more safe these days, and there are some other parts of town like San Isidro that are beautiful and safe. Just be aware of your surroundings, act like you know where you're going (not like a tourist), and don't get into an unmarked taxi! If you have someone who speaks Spanish or even looks remotely Peruvian with you, it will help.

Welp... that's all, folks. If I left anything out or if you have any questions/suggestions, feel free to leave them below! 

Bon voyage, buen viaje, and hope you have a fun time :)

From the second floor of Cappuchino in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco

Atop the ruins in Ollantaytambo

Before climbing Huayna Picchu (that's the peak in behind us)

After climbing Huayna Picchu, overlooking Machu Picchu below

This view you can achieve from Machu Picchu itself - just hike up the left side

... but beware of the llamas. They can be aggressive. And fun. They are aggressively fun.

 The view from Tierra Viva in Cusco

Breakfast at Tierra Viva in Cusco

That monastery we talked about...

The Parque del Amor in Lima

The Malecon

The Malecon, close to Lima Wasi Hotel

Grace and the Slice of Humble Pie

Let me tell you a little story about a girl named Grace and her favorite dessert - Humble Pie.

Grace loved Humble Pie so much that she always gave it away - wanting to share it with everyone that they might experience the same joy from this remarkably delicious pie. Offering a piece here and a piece there, Grace often found herself giving out every last piece of pie before she even got one for herself. To those who got a piece, they found that each bite stung as they ate it. Though it hurt to swallow it down, the sweet taste and filling satisfaction at the end was always worth it. To Grace, the satisfaction in others' eyes and hearts was always worth waiting for a piece of her own.

Grace has been serving me a couple pieces of Humble Pie. One of those slices is a tasty little morsel full of the fruit (aka side effects) of anger. It's a hard pie to swallow.

This is my sixth time in Peru, and so far I've spent about 5-6 total months in this country, so you'd think I would've gone through culture shock at some point already, right? Wrong. I know - weird, right? I figured it out though...

This is my first time here without other Americans around. This is my first time being fully exposed to Peruvian culture without American refuge or defenses. I'm like a little gringa sheep in a sea of Peruvians. Baahhh.

Today marks the halfway point through my journey - I have been here for a month. This past month has been no piece of cake. I felt like a little girl locked in a batting cage without a bat and the machine running. Each blow came flying at me, 90 mph, so fast I couldn't even see the next one - money stolen from my bank account, car problems, getting a parasite and being sick for a week, struggling relationally with the boys I work with, language barriers, and dealing with a completely different cultural setting through all of it. The way people talk, the way they react when you're sick, the way they react when you unintentionally say something offensive, the way they react when you do something incorrectly, the lack of freedom I have here and how much I have to rely on others to get around. So many sensitivities and insensitivities on both sides of the equation. So much less freedom to do whatever I want to do. It. Is. Frustrating.

But why? Does it have to be?

No.

That's the thing. It doesn't have to be that frustrating. I don't have to get angry. I was just getting ticked off because a) all of these minor frustrations were building up in my mind and b) I wasn't getting my way. And I thought my way was the best way. At the bottom of it all, there's something twisted in my heart and in my flesh saying, "You're better than them. You know better than they do."

Like I said... hard pie to swallow. Hard to admit to myself - "Holy crap. There's a part of me that is a totally stubborn, proud, angry, self-interested little girl who thinks she's better than those around her." Once I realized that, I also realized that believing that and acting out of this nasty little root in my heart will not accomplish any good. It will not love others for Christ. It will not see the big picture. It will not humble itself and seek Grace. This little root will stir up frustration with any little inconvenience or contradiction or action to the way I think things should go.  It'll keep me stubbornly rooted in faulty sand, standing up against the waves instead of trying to ride them and just go with the flow.

I've acted out of that root since I've been here. I've acted out of that root my whole life. Every time I do, I see how it affects those around me and myself. When I act out of a place that's high and mighty or full of anger, I'm in the wrong. When I realize I'm wrong, it's a long fall from the top of my ego. Big tree fall hard.

There is beauty in humility. There is love and kindness in having grace with myself and with others - in realizing that I am not perfect and neither are they. There is something chill and beautiful in letting go of my culture while I'm here, allowing for inconveniences, and embracing Peruvian culture. Grace is a bomb diggity surfer. She rides the waves of life, taking them in stride. She knows that waves will keep on coming, and she will keep on riding them. Like a boss.

So, once again, we get Elsa on it, and I hear the Lord singing, "Let it go."

Just let it go, and ride the waves as they come. Have Grace with yourself. Have Grace with others.

“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life -- the life God is sending one day by day.” C. S. Lewis

Yes, Clive. Gettin' it. Allowing for interruptions is a thing of Grace. Trusting God goes hand in hand with having grace and faith with the circumstances He brings into our lives.

The great thing about this Grace is that it is freely given. It's beautifully humble because it hurts the giver  and entirely blesses the receiver (and yet, also the giver. full circle). The blood of Jesus has covered every crappy thing any of us has ever done if we repent and believe that he is the son of God and he has taken away our sin. It is Amazing Grace. That's what it is. And He gives it to us. He has satisfied the punishment of sin that separates from Him. He takes us off the guilty trial seat in the courtroom and puts himself in our place. He freely offers grace.

This may be a whole other blog post, but I'm starting to realize for the first time how absolutely necessary repentance is. How else do we accept the grace of the blood of Christ if we don't realize how badly we need it?

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. - Titus 2:11

If there's something I know this Advent season, it's that

1. I'm an angry, selfish human who has sinned a lot in my life - against God and other people. And my sin hurts God and other people... so I'd like to stop sinning ideally.

2. My name is written in the Book of Life, and all of my sin - everything that separates me from God - is covered by the blood of Christ. I will be found just before the throne of God one day, and I will be reunited with Him in totally awesome and complete joy. Forever.

3. We've got a long way to go, my Lord and I. I think that was the plan all along. :-D

This Advent, I would love to hear what you are learning! Where have you needed or shown Grace in your life?

Prayer Request Corner

• Yo, I've been getting sick. A lot. Would love prayer against that
• For an AWESOME Christmas with the boys! 
• that the Christmas package my family sent would arrive before Christmas! (would be great if it got to Peru today - Friday)
• For the group of Americans coming for the New Year - that we'd have an amazing amazing time together 
• prayer for protection against evil, harm, and attacks from the devil 
• prayer for trust, control over my emotions, and a really wonderful second month here in Peru 
• prayer for my future - I have no idea what all I'll be doing when I get back home, but I'm starting to think about it. 

Wherever You Will Go

"Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go..."

If you were a preteen in the 2000s, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Blond mushroom haircut, cross-necklace clad boy banders The Calling crooning about following a girl wherever she will go. Up high, down low. He'd even get Cher in on it and turn back time, if he could.

We talked about that tonight - the house parents Rosa, Angel and I - as they told me the fully epic story of how God turned bad into good in their lives, healed their marriage, and laid out a series of perfect occurrences to bring them here to this amazing boys' ministry in the mountains of Peru. In each step of the way, they followed what God was doing and where He was going - whether dragging their feet or leaping with delight.

That's when it occurred to me - as a Christian, I'm basically a lifelong God stalker, following him like that mushroom cut singer followed that girl- wherever He will go.

"Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." - Jesus, Matthew 4:19

Talk about the calling (ba dum ch). The fishermen Jesus was talking to straight up dropped their nets and followed him. Wherever he went. For, like, three years.

Have you ever had one of those moments? Has God called you to something in your life?

I think callings can and do look different to people. For Rosa, she knew she needed to pray for and re-unite with her estranged husband. For Angel, after reuniting with Rosa, he had a strong feeling he knew he'd be here in the mountains someday in some sort of ministry. For me, God spoke.

Or more truthfully, He whispered.

Let's rewind a bit. I've been in love with Latino language and culture ever since my 7th grade exploratory Spanish teacher asked me if I was Latina because I had a good accent (and I awkwardly told her, "no, I'm Korean and Norwegian" because, well, I'm awkward). The dancing, the romance, the sass, the food, the people, the way over-the-top telenovelas (soap operas), TACOS, all of it. That love carried me from middle school to high school to college, where I decided I wanted to study abroad in Spain. 

But God had other plans. Better plans.

Sophomore year of college, I hit this deep pit of depression. I mean, I was in a real funk and a half. I tried to pull myself out, and it only made things worse.  Thankfully, I had good friends who pointed me back to God and said, "stop trying to do this alone and seek Him." So, I did. I was like, "God, I'm about 50% sure you can hear me right now, but I just know that things suck right now and I'd love it if you came and changed things around."

And so, He came. He changed. He conquered.

How, you ask? He answered that prayer by putting a heavy weight in my chest over going abroad. Like, an actual physical weight I could feel. Unusual, right? 

This weight started in May, and the deadline to apply came in October. I felt pretty confused about it and stubbornly convinced it was still a good idea to go abroad. I didn't get it. I was like, "What's so wrong with it, God??! It's going to be great!" Yet, the closer we got to October, the heavier the weight became.

Finally, I conceded one day, two weeks before the deadline to apply, in the laundry room of my dorm.  I said, "Alright, Lord. If you don't want me to go, I won't go. Just take this weight away."

Half a second later, the weight was gone. I couldn't get it back - I tried. What was left in its place was lightness, peace, protection, and a promise:

"You will do something else abroad someday."

And that was that. I mean, other really awesome God stuff happened after, but nothing yet abroad. Until I graduated college, and I heard the Lord say,

"Pack your bags. Be ready to go. And when I call you, get up and go."

I, in my genius logic, was like, "God, how am I supposed to pack for somewhere if I don't know where I'm going?!" 

So, I didn't pack. 

I went away to work at a music camp that summer. When I finished work at camp and moved back to my college town, my friend asked one day, "hey, want to go check out this new church?" "Sure," I said. Little did I know how showing up at that church on that one day would totally rock my world and change my life.

You see, that very day, when we arrived late and snuck in the back row of this little church, a man stood up and began to talk about a mission trip he took with another church to Peru. He talked about the mission they worked with - a Scripture Union home for abandoned boys called Kusi, and he shared some of the boys' background stories of their lives before Kusi.

By the end of his presentation, I was bawling. Hysterically. Like, hyperventilating. I had never been so convicted in my life. Hearing about this mission for abandoned street boys in Peru gave me the super feels. So, sitting in the back row of this little church, I started to pray, "Lord, send me. I want to go."

Then, I heard Him say, strongly yet softly, "Go." Like, heard it. As if He were sitting next to me, leaned over and whispered it aloud and also somehow magically into my entire soul.

There it was. That fateful day the Lord kept and began His promise. That day where I happened to show up at this one little church out of hundreds of churches in the area and this one man happened to be talking about his mission trip to Peru and we happened to catch the presentation. All of these happenings that just happened to be perfectly orchestrated.

So, I followed God to Peru. So far, He's led me to six trips and a cumulative half year spent in Peru, hundreds of new friends, a new Peruvian family, and a passion and love that just keep growing for these boys and this mission.

I love being here. As much as I love you all and my family so so dearly and I'm so blessed to have you, sincerely sincerely, I feel at home here. I'm just happy. This is literally what the Lord has called me to, and I am so blessed by it- through hardships and delight. 

I like to joke that, if I ever get married, it'll take one heck of a guy to get between me and my Peru, but I think it's true (or, even better, he'll love it as much as I do!). Since I've been here, I've seen the devil try to discourage me and bring me down - to convince me that I'm not supposed to be here. Thankfully, I've been blessed with the voices of those around me who know God and know me - who remind me that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. It's refreshing to hear those words because I can just let go and really focus on Jesus and what he's doing here. I can let go and listen for how the Lord wants to love His people here in Peru - these boys, this community, and I can ask Him to be a part of that every day. I can get over myself, drop my net, and follow him.

That's my encouragement for you - that you drop your net and follow him wherever he's going. From what I can tell from personal experience, it's the best adventure you could ever have.

"The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - Jesus, John 10:10

The Fear

One of my favorite songs this year comes from a handy dandy little British man named Ben Howard. It's called "The Fear." In it, he sings

"I've been worryin' that we all live our lives in the confines of fear."

Worry and fear. Two things that feed each other endlessly, that put the human carrying these two burdens on a slippery slope down into a Godless abyss of confusion and anxiety. Two things that have pummeled me time and again. Two things that I feel I will be battling in massive ways this time around in Peru.

Confession: I've pretty much always been a scaredy cat. As a kid, I always needed to fall asleep with the hallway light on (still do sometimes...). I'd even take a running leap from the other end of the hallway to avoid being snatched by the monsters hiding under my bed. It didn't stop there. Whenever we'd play hide and go seek or chasing games, I'd be so afraid of someone running after me that, when they did, I'd just fall to the ground laugh, cry, and pee a little. Also, I can't watch horror movies. If I do, the images will haunt me for years.

Ridiculous, I know. I'll often ask people who like watching horror movies, "how do you do it?!" Their usual response is, "I just tell myself it isn't real." It's the same thing my Mom would tell me if I was ever home alone in the house - "it's all in your head."

She's right. That's why I tell myself or others to make myself feel more adult-ish, "oh, I just have a wild imagination so I can't watch movies like that," or, "I can't/don't like to be at home by myself." The problem with that is telling myself these things will only continue to harbor the worry and fear, not face it.

So, here I am in the mountains of Peru, living in my friend's house by myself. Not necessarily ideal for an extreme extrovert, let alone one who is still somewhat afraid of the dark and being alone.

The other night was my first night alone in the house. Mama Rosa (the house mom here at Kusi) asked if I wanted to come stay at her house. I told her, "no, I think I need to get used to this." I laid awake in bed for an hour, feeling the adrenaline rush through my veins at every weird, loud refrigerator noise, house creak, or dog barking outside. Staring at the crack in my door just waiting for something to happen. Then, I realized, "If I keep doing this, there's no way I'm getting any sleep. It is all in my head." It's like that guy FDR says, "The only thing to fear is fear itself."

Isaiah 41:10 says,
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

I was meditating on this verse all day the second night I knew I'd have to sleep alone. "It's right... what is there to fear, God, if you are with me? If it is my time to go for whatever reason, I need to trust that that's in your hands," I thought. I prayed Philippians 4:6-7 - to give those crazy anxious thoughts to God and ask for peace.

And He gave it to me.

Little old afraid-of-the-dark me drove up to camp that night, feeling totally ok driving in the dark by myself. When I got to camp, I felt a deep peace that really went beyond my understanding or even ability to create such a peace. It was like I could see light in the dark, and nothing in the shadows frightened me. Not even the refrigerator that breathes like Darth Vader, nor the random house creaks the adobe house makes (who knew adobe could creak?!).

There was just. peace. And it rocked. It reminded me that my God is faithful, He answers my prayers, He's bigger than anything that even could be hiding in the shadows, and He has me here. In His hands. For a reason.

I was texting my sister while I was in bed last night, forgetting these promises already, and she said, "Just keep praying for it :) He's there with you. You're exactly where you're meant to be." TOO RIGHT, sister. Too right, you... 

One of the boys was even telling me about his struggles with fear at lunch today (talk about a recurring theme). Every day at the cafe, we eat lunch together and talk through a devotional. Today's devo just so happened to be about thinking the thoughts of God and letting everything else fall to the wayside. Whaddaya know. This boy, Cocha, was telling me about how he used to be afraid when going to bed, even though he shared a room with other people. He said, "I just had to remember that God is powerful, and He is with me. Once I remembered that, I stopped being afraid."

So, it's looking like the antidote to fear is faith. To believe these promises, believe God is with me, believe He is bigger than flipping everything, and to be. not. afraid. If fearsome thoughts reside in my head, why can't the thoughts of God kick them out and reside there instead? (rhyme quasi-unintentional...)

If you find yourself dealing with fear sometimes, what do you do to battle it?

Prayer corner 

Would love it if you'd like to pray that I continue to feel peace in the house, that God would be over it, protecting the house and me, and that I'd keep trusting His promise to be with me. That He is bigger and better than anything. Pray that anything evil could just stay the heck out, and that God's Spirit would rest on that place and the entire camp.

Extra Credit Prayers

Probably another blogpost to come on these soon, but would love prayer for:
- the boys
- the house family - Rosa, Angel, Alexia, Jusephi
- Scripture Union - the program behind the boys' home is going through a lot of changes. Prayer for a smooth transition would be sweet.
- the Cafe - that we'd continue to be successful in the slow season, and that I'd adjust to Peruvian business methods
- my Spanish. It's nerve-wracking speaking mostly only Spanish all day long. And messing up, like, all the time. Would love prayer that I'd mejorar (get better) fairly quickly and be able to understand/express myself well with the customers who often blank-face me. 

Rookie of the Week

Learning how to drive manual on the highest mountain in Peru makes you feel like a total badass.

There's something so satisfying about shifting gears and understanding the deeper physics behind mobiles. On top of that, you can garner some mad respect points from Peruvians if you're a woman. Want to talk about stereotypes? They really think women can't drive. Like, at all. They're more impressed that I'm a woman driving a car than that I've learned manual in a week.

Learning manual wasn't all easy peasy squeezy, though. I've had to go through some coaching and rough bumps in the road (seriously) to get to this point where driving manual is almost becoming second nature. That's pretty much been the theme of my first week here in Peru - aka the week of the Rookie.

Generally, I pride myself on being a fairly quick learner (and humble at that!). But when you throw a bunch of different things with lots of tiny details in the pot of learning? My brain begins to stew.  That's kind of what this week has been like - learning lots of little things, big things, and praying that I don't forget either of them along the way.

The little things are what I would consider things that, on their own, don't change the core of my life. I think little things are more likely to reveal what resides at the core. This week has been full of them - learning the ropes at the cafe, in the car, and what to do in mini crises like when my bank account stopped working because I got phished. Yeah. That actually happens (careful where you swipe your card). The cool thing about having a lot of little things pile up slash a mini crisis is these circumstances point me back to God. It reminds me that He's bigger than me and all of these things added together.

Through these little things, I'm starting to see the themes of some Big Things. I think we're about to get serious with some trust, prayer, and grace. So not vague, right? These three things, I'm feeling, will be the core of whatever God is teaching me while I'm here in Peru.

For starters, TRUST. The day after I got to Peru last week, someone in Georgia stole my moneys. At the time, I didn't have enough cash on me to last the entire time I'm here. I needed to figure out how to get a new bank card sent to this little old country called PERU where addresses can be faulty and the mail system even faultier. Oh, that and I didn't have an easy way to call the US without WiFi. [Insert freak out moment here].

Thankfully, a lot of small little pieces were in place where, looking back at it, I can tell God was over all of it. Por ejemplo, I called the bank before leaving America to say "hey, I'll be in Peru for a while." That's probably the only reason they would've thought Georgia to be a totally strange place for me to be. I was also in Lima, which was not the original plan, but it made it a lot easier to take care of this banking issue business. On top of that, I have amazing family and friends who helped me to coordinate a bajillion different things to a) get some cash in Peru to carry me over until the card gets here and 2) get the card here. It all just kept getting better and better.

The thing about trust is - when I'm in the middle of the worry spot, I can look at one of two things - God or what I'm worried about. Usually, I keep looking at what I'm worried about. Enter God getting His Frozen on like "Let it gooo..."

I wish I would listen sometimes. Instead, I get caught up in this worry spiral that just snowballs into everything - money, safety, little things, big things. It's the pits.

If I really trusted the Lord was good and was with me, like really really trusted Him, I don't think it would be an issue. He would fill me with peace, and I would get straight up Elsa on that business and let it go. That's His promise -

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

Preach, Paul. Preach. Grace, prayer, and other lessons in trust are yet to come. In the meantime, excuse me while I play that verse and Frozen on repeat.

p.s. Prayer Corner
If you'd like to pray for me, I would love prayer that this verse would actually sink in - especially when it comes to staying in the house by myself or managing the cafe. Thanks! :)

The Greatest Analogy I've E'er Heard

Wrote this bad boy back in July, and it's as relevant as ever:

Props to my boss for this one. We met today so that I could tell him, "hey, soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I'm moving."

Jefe (what I call him): Where? To Nashville?
Me: Nope
J: Toooo... Memphis?
Me: Nope
J: Tooo... [insert other random locale here]
Me: No.
J: I give up.
Me: C'mon, Jefe. This is easy. You can do it.
J: ....... ........ ............. Peru?
Me: Nailed it.

Following this moment in time was a long, heartfelt conversation filled with warm fuzzies and unicorn anecdotes. Joking, but it was a good conversation. I really respect and appreciate my boss. A lot. I  had to tell him soon because a) I have a crazy out-of-town schedule coming up and b) he'll need time to find someone to take my place.

SO, after telling him all the vacation business (I'll pretty much be gone for half of August and September) and asking, "whaaatt do we do with this?" we figured out a beautiful plan together that works well for all parties involved. It includes me staying through August, working part-time in September, helping train the noob, and then propelling forward into the world. And the Lord looked upon it and said, "it is good." I said, "I concur whole-heartedly."

Never one to not speak my mind (or use double negatives), I said to Jefe, "sometimes I feel like a crazy person. Like this is crazy, right? Exciting, but... crazy."

Then Jefe, in all of his infinite wisdom, looks off to the right corner of the room and wistfully begins to impart glorious knowledge upon my wandering mind, "You know... it's kind of like if you were to take a trip from Washington state to Florida. You know the direction that you're headed, but you probably don't know what roads you'll take once you get to Florida. However, you do have a general idea of how to get to Florida. Part of the joy is in what you'll discover on the way there."

So sage. I said, "That... is my new favorite analogy, and I will share it with everyone."

So, here you go, everyone. Even amid the unknowns, obstacles, and the which-door-will-I-take scenarios, I trust that this will work out. I'm setting my eyes on the Lord, and we're looking at Peru. Somehow, someway, we'll likely get there. At some point in time. Then, who knows what'll happen when I get there? Adventure, new doors, new friends, good times, hard times. One thing is for certain - God will be there. Just as much as He is here. That's reassuring, for sure.

I leave you with a physical representation of this glorious analogy, and a map of roughly the way that I would probably actually go if I were to drive from Washington to Florida...

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME

You guys. It's happening. I'm going to Perú. For an extended period of time.

Pause for emphasis and joy yells. !!!!!!!!!!!.

I stepped outside my car last night, looked up at the clear night sky, and realized I'll be looking at a very different set of stars come Saturday, aka TODAY.

This is all quite the jump from that post seven months ago where the idea of moving to Peru was all talk and daydreams. The last year has been an insane journey - with God's awesome plans unfolding in a way I couldn't have planned or imagined. Since  March, I've applied and was accepted to be a missionary in Peru for one year (that comes later), quit my job, spent half of August and September traveling, got a sweet interim contract job between when my last job ended and what's happening now - the opportunity to go to Peru the third time this year and for two months. 

So many curveballs, and I'm loving it! This one came about when my friend Scott asked me in July if I wanted to come help run his cafe in Peru for two months at the end of the year. I just wrote back, "yup," and let the details fall where they would. 

And fall they did. Here I am, possibly the only gringa on this connecting flight to San Salvador on my way to Peru, feeling somewhat totally unprepared (because I packed last night and didn't really mentally process any of this until this morning) and somehow at peace that this is going to be total awesome sauce (and that I'll become a baller barista extraordinaire). The sneaky little worry wart in me is praying everything was packed that I needed. Praying for safety and an amazing time. Praying nothing terrible happens (I have a wild imagination). The adventurer in me is crying, "HALLEFREAKINGLLUJAH!!!" And the processor in me can't believe how amazing this year has been, and how much of a parallel it is that I'm leaving for Peru exactly one year after life took a hugely difficult turn.

Thanks be to God! Thanks be to you guys, too- I'm so grateful for such amazing friends and family.

If you'd like to pray for me, I'd love prayer for safety while traveling and living there, great community, relationships, and healing while I'm there, for my mind - that I lean into God's word, block out the devil, and TRUST God, for protection from the enemy, that nothing gets stolen, and that this time is just awesome - especially since it'll be my first Christmas away from home.

I love you guys. ¡Nos vemos!