So the count down has started. 10 days til we are in our own place in Chulucanas. I hate countdowns as they are not really in the spirit of cherishing the moment and being present to all things but I am really, really looking forward to it. It´s been a really tough first month here.

However there are always little blessings when I am able to be present to the presence of God. Here are some:

Nina has learned how to give kisses. They are lovely.
I have found tofu and mushrooms here and decent wine for a decent price.
I woke up on Christmas morning after not sleeping much. We spent Christmas Eve night at the beach on the most uncomfotable bed with more mossies than you could ever imagine. I looked around and thought this place is a dump (and it was) and it felt rather un-Christmasy. But the spirit was there and reminded me that it was probably more like where Jesus and his family spent his first night than any place I had slept and much more comfortable. And I felt more Christmasy and gave thanks for all I have.
There is a pool around the corner where I can swim.
My kindle and some good books.
Some lovely Skype conversations with mum and Keith and Gem.
Shopping in the market. I used to hate it and Ryan and I had many a discussion about it but now I love it.
Lots of time with Martin and Nina

Nina has been taking some steps. She took her first one just over a week ago now and since then most days she takes one or two but she doesn´t seem to particularly want to take off walking. She prefers to just stand up, clap, then squat down, stand up, clap and then squat down again. That keeps her amused for a minute or so which is as long as anything keeps NIna amused. Anyway, I guess she will walk soon though, in her own time, and then nothing will stop her…..

We are still trying to settle into life here in Peru.  It continues to be pretty tough.  Yesterday I kind of lost it,  I seem to have lost confidence going out on my own.  I keep getting lost in places that should be familiar  and trying to negotiate transport etc etc has proved harder than I remember. It is making me a bit crazy.  However, I´m feeling a bit better today and I´m trying to get over that.

We have moved houses to Martin´s cousin place.  It is more comfortable in that we are now only living with one other person not 4 (one of whom was my mother in law and another a very full on four year old). We are also in a room that has a cupboard so I have been able to unpack some things.  It is also in a quieter area of town so I feel like I have finally got a little headspace.  There is a 25m pool nearby.  We had a visit with Nina which she absolutley loved.  I think she must be missing water too.  I have been running there and doing some laps on a regular basis which really helps me feel good.

The house however does only have a single bed that Martin and I sharing and Nina is on a matress on the floor.  It is also pretty hot so none of us are sleeping that well yet.  It is getting exhausting.  There is also no internet there yet so I am not able to be on that much.  We went to try to get a USB that we can have internet on (what are they called again?) and despite spending literally hours we didn´t really manage to get anywhere.  Maybe we´ll try again soon.   I suppose I better get used to it, that´s life here.

We have decided to move to Chulucanas and rent Martin´s mother´s house from her.  There is someone living there at the moment and we told him that we would wait til he found something.  Should be around 8th of January as that´s when he pays rent each month so he is keen to be out by then.  I am a little nervous about renting from my mother in law because part of the deal is that she stays there about two nights a week.  Two nights is fine but it could turn into more I would imagine.  in the past when we spend lots of time together it hasn´t always gone smoothly.  In saying that we´ve actually been getting on really well and I imagine that having her around to help with Nina may be a blessing.  It´s been pretty hard here without all the support we had in Alice.  I also really like her place and there´s not much else in Chulucanas that I like at all and she really wants us there so it works out all round.

Martin has had some meeting with some people from the municipality who work with farmers.  They have a position they are encouraging him to apply for.  I am trying not to count my chickens before they hatch as jobs can be hard to get but it would be so great if it did work out.  I have also had a job offer teaching English at the private university but it´s full time in Piura so I don´t think that will work out.  The national university said I could work there on the weekends.  While I don´t love the idea of working weekends, as that´s probably when Martin will be around and social thing happen, the money isn´t bad for Piura and it means I would only have to come two days per week and would have the rest of the week to explore other things I want to be involved in.  It would also mean Martin and I can continue to do all Nina´s care with the help of some family hopefully.

So that´s me.  It´s hard but all shall be well I am sure.

It’s been a hard week to say the least.  Martin and I have both been sick, not to mention tired and jet lagged.  Been in someone else’s home is really beginning to take it’s toll but other options haven’t appeared yet.  I am finding Piura a difficult place to be, it’s so hectic and uncomfortable and nothing like I remember.  And I miss everyone so, so much and I have been feeling unsure how I will make it through a year here as well as unsure if it’s right at all. 

However, today we went to Chulucanas.  As soon as we got off the bus I felt like I could breathe again.  We wondered around and met up with family and friends and talked to the municipality about job possibilities.  There isn’t that much and finding a house will be hard but it feels so right there that those things don’t matter.  I trust God.  While waiting is never a comfortable place to be as I look back on my life I know that I can trust Him.  I feel much happier. 

Stopping people from sleeping is a form of torture.

It’s currently 2.45am in the morning and I don’t think I have had any sleep yet.  Turns out Alejandra lives around the corner from a discotech that palays very loud dance music.  I am sure there should be rules about this but not here unfortunately.  This week I have already had two sleepless nights on a plane and a bus I do not need this one too especially seeing as I still have a little one who still wakes up during the night.

Thank God.  No more airports, airplanes or buses for a very long time.

We are safe and sound in Piura.  Yay.  And my cold seems to be better so double yay.  Piura is really diffrent and as yet I still haven´t really found my bearings.  I guess it will take some time.  We are staying at my sister in laws place which is fine but I am pretty desperate for our own place.  To unpack our bags would be so great.  It´s hard though as we don´t really know where we are going to end up.  We are hoping we can find something at least temporarily.

Nina seems to be coping in her usual style.  She wants to feed all the time and is back to waking twice a night but apart from that seems to be enjoying the younger members of the family here.   She is doing a fair bit of standing but no steps yet.  Maybe soon.

Finally we made it to Lima.  What a relief. We arrived at about 9.30pm but by the time we dealt with everything it was midnight before we got to the hotel.  Thankfully Nina went down ok and only woke up once before she got up at 8.00am. I am especially thankful as my body has collapsed and I have come down with a terrible flu.

Lima is busy, busy, busy and very noisy.  Martin and Nina have been catching up with family and friends and I am mostly trying to stay in bed and rest.  I did make it up to go to a meeting with Ruth from an NGO here called “Paz y Esperanza”.  She is also the coordinator for Micah Challenge South America.  It was great to chat with her. I also went for a little walk around Miraflores where we are staying.  It’s near the beach and while it’s not great for swimming and I am not up to that anyway it was good to smell the sea air.

We were going to stay in Lima one more day but have decided to head to Piura today.  I just don’t think I am going to get well in Lima.  It’s pretty full on.  I also need to stop travelling.  I want to have a home again.  That does mean 15 hours on a bus though.  I keep telling myself this journey does have to end but sometimes it doesn’t feel like it.  It’s all pretty overwhelming.

We are currently at Buenas Aires Airport.  This journey has been epic.  It’s now been almost 48 hours since we got to Sydney Airport and we are still going.  I am so tired I can hardly string a sentence together and I think I might be coming down with something.  I don’t think I can go into how many stuff ups we have had to endure in these two days.

But we are almost there I suppose and I am looking forward to getting some sleep.  Please pray Nina has the same thing on her mind.  She has been exceptional really.  It all must be so hard for her and she’s a little bit unsettled but mostly she’s her usual curious and funny self and she’s giving us lots of big, big hugs.  All the people around us have been very friendly to her as well and understanding so that’s been a blessing.

For those wondering Nina didn’t sleep through again last night but that’s okay.  I wasn’t really expecting it would be that easy.  We are all having a nice time in the mountains though.  Gem and Jem have a lovely home and they and their lovely housemates have been very hospitable to us.  Nina is really enjoying some auntie time and so am I.  Martin and I had a little nap together this arvo while they cared for her.

I am missing Alice tonight.  Martin called Libby tonight and just hearing her voice through his phone made me long to be there.  And my mum wrote a post about how Mallie prepared her a little meal on the night we left to try to cheer her up.  This post reminded me of the big and small ways our lovely little community on Honeymoon Gap cares for each other in hard times.

Saying goodbye sure is hard.  I am dreading it all the farewells still to go……