Day 10?

Dear readers of this blog,
You have no idea how happy I was seeing my stats when I signed in. I have readers! Plus also, I really like saying "stats".

This morning when I went down for breakfast, I found a group of white people circulating the coffee area. I was like "wow... white people. What do i do..." so I talked to them, and they're here to help out with some ministry and also a Surf Camp thats happening in a couple of days. Then I talked to this old man José from Mexico, and he had this really cool devotional by Oswald Chambers. His wife compiled it from his sermons after he died (strong woman), and we read todays devotion, based on Isaiah 6:8 Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." I just really liked it because God didn't "send" Isaiah, he was willing to go and God used him. So... that was really encouraging :) Because it doesn't matter who we are -- if we are smart or outgoing or talented or whatever, just the fact that we want to be someone God can use.

It seems that I'm staying here in Lima at El Refugio for a while. I was supposed to go down to Chaclacayo today, but I just heard that the parents came and took their kids away from there, and that it's sort of chaotic with regulations and paperwork and stuff, so until there are kids there, I'll be here, at El Refugio. Today I gardened like I've never gardened before! One of the boys, Angel, had done something wrong earlier that morning and had to do cut the grass, so I de-weeded the garden while he did that. I put on sooo much sunscreen, but im still a little pink. After lunch it was too hot to be outside so Irene and I played "chapado" (tag) with the kids, and musical chairs, etc. Oh, one of Doris' friends came by -- and american lady. She's really pale and a redhead like me, and we got talking. She works with like... youth ministry for disabled children or something, I'm not quite sure what it's called. Anyway, I think I'm going to see if I can join her sometime and see what she does, because I would love to do something like that in the future... In the afternoon I did more gardening... my jeans got super muddy so I chopped them off into shorts. Now I can show Peru what pale scandinavian skin looks like. mmmm.

Since today was Friday, there was youth group here, and now I actually recognize faces! And can go up to people and start talking without having to introduce myself or explain my lack of Spanish skillz :D So I'm reeeeeally glad I'm getting to know people here. After youth group me and a group of people went out to eat; it was this really small cute place called Leles Chicken or something, I don't know. I'm never going to be able to find my way around Lima... as we were walking I was trying to be observant and look for land marks so I could find my way back if I got abducted or lost, but there were so many turns and corners and lights and plastic mannequin dolls and street vendors that everything started looking the same. Anyway, I ate a shredded chicken and frenchfry sandwich. It was massive and delish, and all for only 3 Soles.

Oooooooooooh I forgot to mention it earlier, it turns out that I'm going to be able to go to the Surf Camp!!!!!!! A bunch of the girls I know from here are going; we're gonna be living in tents, surfing/swimming/sunscreening during the day, and meetings or services or whatever during the evenings I think. It's a ministry type of thing, and is super cool. The whole thing only costs 30 Soles, and that includes the trip there and back, tents, and all the food. However, toilets and showers have an entrance fee, and close at 9:30 pm. So I guess drinking anything after 7 pm won't be an option. Anyway, I'm really exited! I asked Doris if I could go, because I didn't want to leave if it was going to be too much work at El Refugio for Doris and the rest of the people there, because Tamara is going too, but she said that I could :D I think its the 18th tho 21st or something. When I come back from that I'll be telling you guys about my awesome surfing experiences, just you wait.

Okay, it is waaaay too late. It's 1 am. It's weird, here I actually have a healthy sleeping schedule where I go to bed at around 11 or 12 and wake up at 8. Every day.

ps. I'm switching around the words in my blog title... i think it sounds better with ponderings first. Juuust a heads up so nobody freaks out (if I figure out how to do this, that is)