My second Sunday in Peru

 Getting dressed is a long process here with so many layers! I have on a silk undershirt, t-shirt, sweater, black fleece jacket, down jacket, scarf, nylons, fleece-lined tights, knee highs and a heavy skirt. Plus I'm wearing a fleece blanket as a second wrap-around skirt. I've got my tennis shoes on now and may or may not change into my good shoes for meeting. Seems I didn't even really need to bring dress clothes for this particular meeting since nobody can tell what I've got on under all my coats!!

Oatmeal mush and bananas seems to be the breakfast of choice around here, and I'm certainly not going to complain!!! We added boiled eggs to the menu this morning as well.

Lovely meetings!!! Jairo, Celmira and I spoke in the first meeting and Almansor and Olinda in the second. It was cold! I did wear my meeting shoes for the first meeting but changed back into my tennis shoes for the second. I took my blanket  down to cover my legs as well. The only other thing I needed was my gloves, but I didn't really feel like putting them on in the middle of meeting. Celmira had arranged with Almansor on my behalf to take a picture of everyone after the second meeting, but we all forgot after the meeting was over. :-( We took a couple of small group pictures anyway. They figured up afterwards that there were around 35 people in the meetings.

 Tamales were provided for all at lunchtime, and folks brought their own provisions (fiambre) as well. I ate in the kitchen, mainly because it was warmer.

Don Encarnación and Sra. Olga are the folks of the home where the Special Meeting was held.  Their children are Johny (to the right of Olga) and Janet "Nena" (to the left of don Encarne).  Dalila (in the back with baby David) is a sister to Sra. Olga.  Her husband is Lisho, a brother to don Encarne, and left before this picture was taken.  Their three children are Janela, Kevin and David.  

Waiting for our ride after the meeting

The five workers present for the meetings in Ramoscucho:

(l-r) Celmira, Kamela, Olinda, Almansor, Jairo

It was hard to leave Ramoscucho. I really did fall in love with the place and the friends there. I wonder how things would have been different if I had come to Peru instead of Ecuador in the very beginning because I think, I'm sure, I would have fallen in love with this country just like I did with Ecuador. However, I'm also convinced that I'm in the place where I'm supposed to be for now, so I think God really must have had His hand in things all along.

 We left Ramoscucho a little before 2:30 and arrived in Bambamarca a little before 5:00. Johnny was our driver, and Lisho accompanied us as well. The seating arrangements were basically the same as on the way to Ramoscucho - Johnny, Lisho and Jairo in front, Olinda, Celmira, Almansor and I in the back. Not the most comfortable for anyone probably, but I don't think anyone minded. They're all used to close fellowship down here! Today we listened to hymns on Lisho's mp3 player instead of trying to sing them, so that worked much better really. Almansor kept us entertained by sharing his expertise in various languages. We stopped for a little picnic and restroom break in a beautiful spot that seemed to me to be in the middle of nowhere. I didn't eat because I didn't trust my stomach to behave the rest of the way to our destination.

 Jairo, Celmira, Olinda and I got the last four seats in a combi that left Bambamarca at 5:00 and we made it to Chota by 6:00 - a nice paved road.

We dropped our things off in the bach in Chota and went for supper at Sra Emelina's. Her daughter, Flor, was also there as well as Elvia Flores, Olinda's companion. After supper we all shared some things that we heard in the meetings today and then left shortly after. Elvia and I are staying in the bach tonight. There's quite loud music right outside the window next to the head of my bed, so I feel right at home! I think I might just sleep in spite of it!!! Hasta mañana.