Eyes Wide Open

I am over half way through week two of my experience in Lima, and I feel like the city is becoming a lot more familiar to me... at least in my immediate area.  I am starting to be able to recognize important street names and navigate my way through the city blocks.  The combis are also a lot less daunting than they used to be (I actually prefer them now because they are cheap and accessible).

The Bridge of Sighs

This week I spent a  lot of time at PUCP or as it is commonly called La Católica.  As a group we had our official orientation for the university and today I went to an open house to get a better feel for the course offerings for this semester.  I am going to primarily focus on the social sciences while I am here to help fulfill some of Rice's general education requirements.  Some of the ones I have been looking at include Amazonian Ethnography and the Culture and Language of Quechua.  We officially sign up for classes this next week.  Hopefully they don't fill up too fast!

I also got to explore the beach and a nearby town called Barranco when my group went to eat lunch there on Tuesday.  It is a beautiful, classic South American town with lots of bright colors and colonial architecture.  One interesting site we went to is called the Bridge of Sighs.  The tradition is that if you think of a wish, and then can hold your breath while walking the entire way across the bridge, then your wish will come true. After that a group of us walked along the beach back to Miraflores.  The coast is lined with huge ivy covered cliffs.  They are breath taking!

Looking out at sea from the cliffs

On another note, I also began my hunt for a church here in Lima last Sunday.  I went to a church located near the beach.  I really liked the worship that it had, but was a little surprised at how "American" the church felt.  Everything was in Spanish, but the format and atmosphere of the service made me feel like I had stepped into a US church.  I haven't come in contact with many other strong Christians while I have been here, but a couple of days ago I learned that the house keeper who works at my home is a Christian.  I was super stoked! I think that I might try out her church in the next couple of Sundays.  It is amazing how God provides by putting people in your life in ways you least expect.  One thing that has stayed with my mind is a piece of advice that I received when I graduated from high school, "to those to whom much is given, much will be expected."  I am still convinced that God has a purpose for me here, but I am not sure what it is quite yet.  My hope is that I keep my eyes wide open so that I can be apart of all that He has in store.