¡Feliz Día!
Today, my friends, was quite the day.
Andrés and I went to Yantaló today, where we were happy to discover that an electrician and a computer technician were hard at work on the school computer lab. After watching the electrician install outlets for a while, Victor was able to retrieve the community's truck and deliver all the donated machines to the room. We have set up the desks as they will be and sixteen of the twenty-two have computers on them. The power and networking equipment are not finished yet, but should be finished soon and we should be able to keep busy next week, setting up the rest of the computers, networking them, and perhaps making some educational posters to put around the room for the kids (Be sure to Shut Down your machine when you are finished!, etc.). The work situation for Dawn and Megan, who are less inclined to work with computers, remains uncertain. They may end up helping us in the networking and so forth; otherwise, they may just show up to the central plaza in Yantaló and announce that they want something to do.
The road to Yantaló is bumpy at best. Plenty of dust follows each motor vehicle that passes, occasionally clearing to reveal a Peruvian on horseback, carrying coffee beans; other times, revealing a farmer leading his cows down the road. Having traveled to Yantaló in conversion vans, station wagons, and motorcycles, my preference is undoubtably the back of a motorcycle. The bumps in the road, though never quite comfortable, somehow afford a certain sense of adventure. The wind blows fiercely through your hair, however cliché that may be. The view is incredible.
Returning from Yantaló, as one enters Moyobamba, the paved road begins, and the feeling of transition from dirt and bumpy and to paved and smooth is familiar - perhaps from some sort of pickup truck memory. In any case, the smooth, paved road feels so comfortable at first. Maybe I stand alone in this next sentiment, but after a few moments, the smooth road feels so boring. It's easy to miss the adventure, to miss the bumps in the road.
From the moment our plane touches down in Miami, the road will be much smoother. The water will be okay for drinking; the showers will be as hot as we want them. Already, though, I can tell that I will miss, in a strange way, brushing my teeth with bottled water and shuddering slightly at the cool water in the shower. I can tell already that the abundance and comfort of the United States will make me miss the frugality and simplicity of Perú. I will miss the adventure. I will miss the bumps in the road.
Thank goodness a week remains for us.
In other news, today was Victor's fourty-eighth birthday. Dawn, Megan, Andrés, and I took the Vargas family out to dinner at Las Bahamas and also gave him a chocolate cake. It made me wish that every day was some Vargas' birthday so we could give them something each day. In the States, we are taught hospitality: offer your guest something to drink, tell them to come in, tell them to have a seat. But this, my friends, this is hospitality that we are experiencing. Those that have already returned to the States can tell you in person. I think I have said this already, but the Vargas family is full of wonderful people, and we are blessed to know them.
Tomorrow we will be hiking with some other jóvenes (young folks) from the church in the morning. We will be sure to take pictures. Sunday will be our last day in church. Please keep praying (but not worrying, of course!) for a full week of work next week. It is hard to imagine that, a week from now, we will be spending the night in Lima and leaving early in the morning for Miami. Time has flown faster than I would have ever expected; luckily, I don't feel cheated: what a rich time it has been. And what a wonderful week lies ahead.
It appears a half-hour on the internet flies just like all other time, so it is time for me to sign-off. Blessings on the weekend, everyone. Looking forward to writing soon.
Happy trails -
sch
Andrés and I went to Yantaló today, where we were happy to discover that an electrician and a computer technician were hard at work on the school computer lab. After watching the electrician install outlets for a while, Victor was able to retrieve the community's truck and deliver all the donated machines to the room. We have set up the desks as they will be and sixteen of the twenty-two have computers on them. The power and networking equipment are not finished yet, but should be finished soon and we should be able to keep busy next week, setting up the rest of the computers, networking them, and perhaps making some educational posters to put around the room for the kids (Be sure to Shut Down your machine when you are finished!, etc.). The work situation for Dawn and Megan, who are less inclined to work with computers, remains uncertain. They may end up helping us in the networking and so forth; otherwise, they may just show up to the central plaza in Yantaló and announce that they want something to do.
The road to Yantaló is bumpy at best. Plenty of dust follows each motor vehicle that passes, occasionally clearing to reveal a Peruvian on horseback, carrying coffee beans; other times, revealing a farmer leading his cows down the road. Having traveled to Yantaló in conversion vans, station wagons, and motorcycles, my preference is undoubtably the back of a motorcycle. The bumps in the road, though never quite comfortable, somehow afford a certain sense of adventure. The wind blows fiercely through your hair, however cliché that may be. The view is incredible.
Returning from Yantaló, as one enters Moyobamba, the paved road begins, and the feeling of transition from dirt and bumpy and to paved and smooth is familiar - perhaps from some sort of pickup truck memory. In any case, the smooth, paved road feels so comfortable at first. Maybe I stand alone in this next sentiment, but after a few moments, the smooth road feels so boring. It's easy to miss the adventure, to miss the bumps in the road.
From the moment our plane touches down in Miami, the road will be much smoother. The water will be okay for drinking; the showers will be as hot as we want them. Already, though, I can tell that I will miss, in a strange way, brushing my teeth with bottled water and shuddering slightly at the cool water in the shower. I can tell already that the abundance and comfort of the United States will make me miss the frugality and simplicity of Perú. I will miss the adventure. I will miss the bumps in the road.
Thank goodness a week remains for us.
In other news, today was Victor's fourty-eighth birthday. Dawn, Megan, Andrés, and I took the Vargas family out to dinner at Las Bahamas and also gave him a chocolate cake. It made me wish that every day was some Vargas' birthday so we could give them something each day. In the States, we are taught hospitality: offer your guest something to drink, tell them to come in, tell them to have a seat. But this, my friends, this is hospitality that we are experiencing. Those that have already returned to the States can tell you in person. I think I have said this already, but the Vargas family is full of wonderful people, and we are blessed to know them.
Tomorrow we will be hiking with some other jóvenes (young folks) from the church in the morning. We will be sure to take pictures. Sunday will be our last day in church. Please keep praying (but not worrying, of course!) for a full week of work next week. It is hard to imagine that, a week from now, we will be spending the night in Lima and leaving early in the morning for Miami. Time has flown faster than I would have ever expected; luckily, I don't feel cheated: what a rich time it has been. And what a wonderful week lies ahead.
It appears a half-hour on the internet flies just like all other time, so it is time for me to sign-off. Blessings on the weekend, everyone. Looking forward to writing soon.
Happy trails -
sch
posted by Stuart Hill @ 7:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home