A little raw fish never hurt nobody...right?

I have a fantastic announcement to make: I have had TWO hot showers in a row! After Katrina and I’s run yesterday I went to the bathroom to rinse off and to my great surprise the hot water was working! Today, we had the same wonderful phenomenon. I think someone out there is rewarding us for working out.



The ingredients for ceviche: fish heads not included

Anyway, after yesterday’s glorious shower, I got my first chance to try a Peruvian staple: ceviche. Ceviche is super fresh, raw fish that is marinated in lime juice, spiced with some wicked hot peppers, and seasoned with salt, onions and cilantro. If you know anything about my taste in food, you’ll know that I found the meal absolutely delicious. The meal was a regular feast, we had sweet potatoes, corn, and this wonderful spin on popcorn that reminds me of corn nuts. I ate entirely too much, but I’m not overly remorseful about it.

Yesterday night, Katrina and I had a meeting with some church members, planning what we’re going to be doing the next year and specifically what we’re going to be doing next month. When the meeting really got underway and everyone started getting excited and speaking quickly, I was beyond lost in the conversation. I know that people from every language background can speak quickly, but some of these Peruvians can talk so fast it doesn’t even sound like they’re using words. From what I was able to gather, we shared some ideas and expectations, but didn’t get a ton of planning done. So I’m guessing we’ll be having another planning session shortly.  

Our wonderful feast!

Today Katrina and I have been planning and translating for an adult class we're in charge of tomorrow about prayer and the best ways to pray. The timing is pretty perfect for me, because I’ve been struggling with praying out loud. Here, before every meal, someone says a quick blessing. It’s never anything overly complicated, but when my first time to pray came around I realized something: I’ve never prayed out loud before. It turns out the prayer you say in church is very different from the prayer you say before a meal, which is very different than the more informal prayer you might say before bed. However, like everything we’ve been doing here, my prayers will be a work in process.

The approaching weekend should be an interesting one; we're celebrating Peru's independence from Spain! This year I get to celebrate two Independence Days in just one month--not bad, huh? I'll keep you posted on how the Peruvians celebrate--we're hoping to catch a parade!