Our New Career as Peruvian Party Crashers

This week, Katrina and I have discovered we suffer from short-term memory loss.

Mojada aggressively show her affection. 

We finished our last stay in Huánuco last December, just five months ago; since returning, we’ve settled into some things effortlessly (chiefly family dinner.) However, other elements of Huánuco vanished from our minds. Where’s our favorite bread shop? How much does the B bus cost? Which street is Leoncio Prado? Has Mojada always been this bitey?

Little by little, it’s coming back to us (though the bread shop still eludes us.) We got back into the swing of teaching English classes in Huancachupa (with Eynor and two of the neighbors, Estefani and Joseph.) We’ve gotten used to the 4:00 a.m. rooster crows and pig snorts, and a new addition to the morning routine: the 4:30 a.m. wake up bell. We’ve remembered which buckets are best to hand wash your laundry in, which internet cafes have the best connection and carrying around rocks with us as feeble protection from vicious dogs.

This time around we have some new goals for Huanuco, including making regular home visits to. Our two families: Melania’s and Victor’s. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Melania  doesn’t have a phone or method of contact right now. Victor has a new baby, under a month old, and works six days a week. Our first arranged home visit was a flop where nobody showed up, but we did have the chance of meeting a new family member, Noel, who happened to be the only person home in Junin when we stopped by.

Crashing Nelle's birthday party--Feliz Cumpleanos! 

So, frustrated with our lack of success, we hatched a plan: just going to show up unannounced in Junin with a class and if anyone consents, we’ll teach it. Solid plan, right?

We showed up in Junin and found the door wide open. Perfect—someone’s home. We let ourselves in and stumbled upon a kitchen and dining room bursting with people. Grandpa Tonio, Grandma Fausta, Victor and his entire family, Henry, Vanessa, and more faces. Seriously, there were probably about 20 people there. Shocked, we quickly learned it was Nelle’s birthday and we had officially become Peruvian party crashers. We made a bit of conversation, slightly ashamed of imposing, but the true awkward explosion came when pollo a la brasa, complete with salad and French fries started being dished up.

Horrified that our party crashing now included eating someone else’s food, we made for our great escape, only to be told that if we left now it would be considered offensive. So after saying goodbye to everyone, we wandered back into the dining room, sat down and ate dinner. Peru excels in hospitality and Katrina and I excel in making normal situations anxiety-ridden and weird. So, we shared, dinner, cake and a little bit of tea with the family, sang happy birthday and headed out when the party was over (determined to, at the very least, not overstay the crashed party.) So—that counts as a home visit, right?

Emily and Imelda at Nelle's birthday party. 

Sunday marked our first church service in Huánuco without Wilfredo. It was rag-tag, but cozy. Our music my favorite part of our service because nobody knows how to play the guitar or keep rhythm with the tambourine, but it didn’t stop us from trying. The result is an out-of-tune guitar strumming random cords, a clinking tambourine, passed from person to person as different people give up on keeping rhythm, and voices desperately trying to find the melody of the song. We might not have rhythm, but darn it, we’ve got spirit.

This week
I preached on the topic of “Break Bread Together” which finally a comfortable theme for me. Lately, writing sermons has been grueling; it makes me question what exactly I believe, if I’m worthy of preaching, if I have any insight and, perhaps most distinctly, if I’m on my soap box (otherwise known as preaching.) Yet this time around, after months of struggling, things came easily and I think my delivery was decent.

In true Peruvian fashion, church started over 30 minutes late and most of our attendees arrived about an hour late; however, the important part is that we HAD attendees, including Noel.

Estefani from English Class. 

After church, we went with Jimmy, Noel and Henry to see Spider Man 2. Lately, we’ve been trying to plan more things with Jimmy, because tonight he leaves to start an exciting year of his obstetrician residency away from Huanuco; this is a fantastic and amazing stage in his life that unfortunately, forces Katrina and I to address the elephant that’s been in our room for some time: final goodbyes are coming.

Let me stop here clarify. A year and a half ago I spent an amazing two weeks in Guatemala. When it came time to say goodbye to my host mom, Melida, she told us, “Don’t say ‘I’ll come back and visit,’ because everyone wants to, but few do. Life happens. Just say, ‘Goodbye’ and if our paths meet again, let it be a happy surprise.’” Those words stick with me; because I would love to come back one day and visit Peru. I plan to do this—but not any time particularly soon and, like Melida said, sometimes life happens. The point: you can’t count on us all seeing each other again. And even if we do, it won’t have the same feeling and sentiment that this year has had.

Jimmy & Eynor trying to be tough. 

Spider Man 2 hardly justifies the notion of, “Goodbye, forever, thank you for your amazing influence in my life.” but it was a first feeble attempt. Tonight, we shall have a final one, sure to be tear-filled and sappy and not remotely similar the adventures of Peter Parker.

And—that’s about where we stand. An odd limbo where we’re settling in, yet facing those goodbyes that we’ve consistently avoid talking about. Until, all we can do is carry on. Capture the dogs with Eynor and forcefully bathing them, serving the family 9 p.m. coffee (because that seems to be the only time anyone wants to drink it here), and laughing with the family about life. Yet before I can get too sappy on you about all of this, I should probably end this post—because the next one will include not only our sappy goodbye to Jimmy, but our sappy goodbye to our other host brother, Tonio as well. So prepare your Kleenex boxes folks—because Katrina and I are preparing ours. Until next time!