An afternoon on the beach in Huanchaco

Trujillo* is beautiful. Flowers, fountains, and--even amidst the grunge aspects of it--brightly painted houses or decorative wrought iron fences add a bit of flare. The latino people charm me with that flare and love of color.

Miss Elisabeth and I take a daily walk around a few blocks near the house, but I've been longing to see more of the city. It was a prayer of mine, in fact; one of the silly, superficial prayers that if God weren't God He'd roll His eyes at:

Lord, I know I'm going to Peru to serve Lars and Elisabeth,

and that in itself is just amazing but....

would You work it out for me to see a few things and get out a little, too..?

...If not, that's ok....

Enter Sylvia!

She's from Argentina and has been working for the past 5 or so years as a missionary among the Chichua Indians in the mountains of Peru. Thank God, she just so happened to be taking a vacation in Trujillo, at the Elliot's home, during the time the Grens and I are here.

("Just so happened!" Heh!)

No, I don't have the audacity to presume that God brought her all the way from the Chichuas just so I'd have a girlfriend to play with, but I do know that God in some mysterious way can simultaneously direct big events in a person's life (Such as when and where Sylvia should take her furlough) with the miniscule, insignificant ones (my prayer). I've thought about that often and it's one of the things that amazes me about Him. How does He fit those tiny details into the big scheme of things!?

There's a bit of a language barrier, what with me knowing next-to-nothing of Spanish (in my dreams I'd like to fancy that I'll be "conversational" by the end of this trip--never mind it'd be comparable to having a conversation with a two old neanderthal--). We still have a wonderful time together and the fellowship is sweet. I long to talk with her more deeply but it's hard to do. We promised each other we'd study the languages further and be able to have a decent conversation next time, sans puzzled facial expressions and frantic gesticulations!

Anyhow. All that to say, we went to Manhuaca today. Took a bus and a taxi the 20 minutes or so and ended up rounding a corner to see perhaps the most beautiful surf I've ever encountered. Huge waves. It's hard to describe how the intense haze of the day, the wild, thrilling pounding, and the silvery sunlight combined to make it breathtaking. Pictures won't do it justice either. They make it look shabby and dull. It was glorious.

We shopped in the markets, walked the beach and ate some delicious food from a stand.

I forget the name of it but it was fried and so heavenly. (Sylvia had just put the last bite in her mouth and was saying "MMMMMmmmm!" When I took this picture.) :)

Then we lay on a brightly colored scarf in the sand while the sun began to sink and we talked (or tried to) and reveled in God's exquisite sky.

We left long before it began to grow dusk (I promise, worried parents!) and made our way back home.

And now, I feel like I have SEEN Peru. (Well, at least a very little sliver of it.)

So, that was my lovely little day!

*(Pronounced "Trrru-HE-yo")