Beinvenida

Well, as you can see I have decided to communicate my experience in Perù (at least for the time being) through this blog. I will try to illustrate my life on a day-to-day basis, and also try express some of my interior life: what moves me, my joys, my struggles, my growth, etc. This is the first time I have blogged, so hopefully I will get the hang of it over time. If you are following, I thank you and you are welcome to ask further questions. I may ask for your prayers from time to time as well... 

Well, I encountered my first trial in the airport in Fort Lauderdale, FL when I attempted to check-in. The man informed me casually that I would not be boarding because I did not have proof I was leaving the country within 160 days (or something). I attempted to explain that I was quite sure it is perfectly legal to enter as tourist and begin apply for a religious visa when I arrive. Well, apparently the rules are "black and white", so I had to buy a return flight in hopes that I would be able to cancel it with a refund (or my family gets a surprise visit). This was Saturday, Sept. 8. Well, we called on Sunday and were able to get a refund without too much trouble. We are still not sure which rules they were looking at, but I can't complain. 

My flights were quite pleasant, other than one flight in which my ears were plugged, my nose was plugged, and it seemed as though my head would explode. When I entered the airport a healthy sneeze solved this problem. I met some cool people on all three flights. My last flight with Spirit airlines, which was super-cheap and thus expected to be a uncomfortable flight, was the most comfortable flight I had ever had. I sat by two moms from Perù and was able to practice my castellano quite a bit. We also were having fun with the flight attendent, who provided us with free snacks and beverages. 

I had a warm greeting from Patrick (who is in charge of the aspirants) and from the rest of the community in Camacho. Then I crashed.