You know you're a missionary in Pucallpa when...

~you wash and reuse your ziplock bags
~you have a "cool room" which can also be used as the "warm room"
~you get excited about connecting to the dial-up internet the first time
~you are told something will be done mañana, but really it doesn't happen until two weeks later
~you make special trips to a gas station just to get some decent chocolate from the US
~you have to collect buckets of water when the power goes out
~you have to go to 10 different places just to get 2 things you are looking for
~you have to wash dishes in the bathtub

These are just a few things recently that I have run into and thought it would be fun to share with you all. The last one just occured last night...it was an interesting experience. If you want the full story...you will have to ask! =)

¡Feliz Día De La Amistad!

Happy Valentine's Day! Today was a very full day...but tons of fun. Laura, David and I were up and off to Cashibo by 7 this morning for the two of them to run in a triathelon held by the Swiss Mission. They both did really well...David came in 3rd for the guys' race and Laura came in 4th for the women's race. They were both very tired when they got done...but I know they are both very happy to have just finished the race. After the race David worked on his bike for awhile, while Laura and I talked and hung out with some of the other missionaries. The three of us had lunch and went out on the boat with the Gahagens. We went through the caño out to lake Yarinacocha. This was the first time I was actually able to get all the way through the caño and the first time for Laura to go out on the lake and through the caño. It was a lot of fun and I am glad we were able to go and spend some more time out on the lake. It is such a beautiful lake and it was a wonderful day. I got the right amount of sun...not too much to burn...but just enough to get a nice tan.

Finally we headed back to SAM Center around 3:30 and enjoyed the AC in David's car on the way back. We decided that to celebrate the victory of David and Laura in the race, we were going to go out for dinner and then watch a movie. So at 6pm we headed out to our favorite restaurant...Orlando's. It was great food like usual and we had great conversation about past Valentine's Days and all the jobs we have had and other random things like that. After dinner we went for ice cream, which is always good. I had two scoops of maracuyá (which is passion fruit) which was very good and I could probably have eaten more than two scoops. The sweetest part of the whole night...Kyle and David didn't let us pay for dinner or ice cream. They had decided that the girls shouldn't have to pay on Valentine's Day. It was very sweet of them and both Laura and I appreciate it. We came back and tried to watch "Gladiator" but the DVD is a little messed up and so we weren't able to finish it. That is ok...Laura and I were both falling asleep and probably wouldn't have made it through the whole movie. In all, it was a great day and I am so thankful for the friends I have here...they know how to make the weekend fun!

I will try to post pictures from my birthday dinner and from the race in the next few days....hopefully the internet will behave!

Swimsuits and birthday

I love the fact that I can get pretty much anything made here. It still amazes me and I am so glad that I can take advantage of it. Yesterday, Laura and I went with Rosemary to get some swimsuits made for us. We both had some material we had found and found pictures of what we wanted while we were in Lima. So we took the material, the pictures and headed to the store. Now the name of the store might mis-lead you if you didn't know any better...but Rosemary says they make good swimsuits. The store's name....Sexi Cho'pa (Sexy Shop). I wanted two swimsuits so that I have options...options are always good. So I decided to get one tankini and one 1 piece. I only had enough material for the tankini so I decided to look at the material at the shop. I found the best material! If I wear my 1 piece and sit on our couch...I will blend in! The print on my 1 piece is a Shipibo Indian print in black and brown...I am very excited to see what it looks like all done. Oh and get this....the total cost for two custom made swimsuits...is about $30! Crazy and wonderful all at the same time!

Tomorrow for my birthday, Laura is making my favorite meal, Honey Glazed Chicken and we invited the guys and Karen and Victoria over for dinner. We will then probably play games and just enjoy hanging out. I am looking forward to just spending time with friends on my birthday. School is a short day and so I have all afternoon to relax and really enjoy my birthday. It is still kind of weird however to have hot weather on my birthday down here...I am too used to the snow and cold. =) I definitely don't miss it though! Thanks to all who have sent me birthday wishes, cards and packages...it makes my birthday all the better!

Pictures

Here are a few pictures from the weekend of sheer awesomeness so far. Last night we celebrated my birthday early and there are a few pictures from the staff of the restuarant singing to me. I am going to try to take some of my own pictures today and hopefully post them later. Enjoy!
Laura and me trying to look "normal" while in Lima.

This is the REAL Laura and me! =)
The staff of the restaurant getting ready to sing to me.

The staff singing to me...it was fun!

Me and my birthday pie...sadly I didn't have room to eat it so I shared it with the others!

Weekend of Sheer Awesomeness!

I am currently in Lima at the SAM Guest House enjoying the high speed internet. There is a group of 6 singles here this weekend for our weekend of sheer awesomeness. We have been having a good time already. Had some wonderful Papa John's pizza last night at about midnight when we got to the guest house. This morning we all went out and did a crazy whirlwind shopping trip. I bought some things for the house and a little tool kit for minor repairs around the house. It was fun but crazy to be able to go to two stores and get everything that I needed. I didn't have to go to ten different stores to get ten different things. It was great! We then went to Chili's for lunch...and it was good! We had a blast hanging out and just joking around with each other. We then came back to the guest house and are spending the afternoon around here just relaxing. Tonight we are going to go and eat at the mall in the cliff. And tomorrow...it is another day and we will see what we decide to do.