"Oh I believe there, are angels among us
Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you and me, in our darkest hour
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love"
I've come in contact with so many angels while I've been down here. Some I see everyday, while others I didnt even learn their name.
On my second Sunday here I got out of church late. I had stayed around to go to a YSA meeting about an upcoming party. With my limited Spanish I managed to get roped into going on a date to this party (what?! Who does that?) with a guy I didn't even know, and wasn't quite sure how to get myself out of it... I had just spent the last few days in practically utter confusion as I was with people who spoke no English, I was hungry, and I just wanted to get back to my house. I was a wee bit frazzled. Well, when I finally got out of the church building it was dark. I knew a cab would cost quite a bit, but I don't want to get dropped off at a bus stop and have to walk in the dark to my house. So here I was, trying to catch a cab on Cusco's busiest street, and I couldn't get a single "registered" cab to stop. I was about in tears when two Peruvian girls about my age approaches me and asked me if they could help me. I told them where I needed to go and they helped me find the bus that went right to my house! No cab fare, and I now knew the best bus to and from church. Angels.
Through Maximo Nivel (the volunteer organization) I was able to sign up with a naive speaking companion. It was random, but the fit could not have been more perfect! Suelem and I meet up almost every afternoon and talk and walk and she helps me learn Spanish, I help her with English (sometimes...) and we discover a new part of Cusco local style :) She's graduated from college and she's a doctor here at the regional hospital. She's super smart, patient, outgoing, and my best friend in Cusco. I love her!
This last weekend she invited me to her house for her mom's big birthday party and I stayed the night and everything. She's had me over to her home multiple times and I just love being with her and her family. She's most definitely been an angel to me.
On my way down here I was in tears over problems with flights and connection. It was such a headache. I was already kind of dreading the flight home when I got an email saying my itinerary had been changed from 22 hours of total travel time to 28 hours of total travel time. Exactly what I wanted! Anyways, they sent me this new itinerary, but when I logged in with my flight reservation number it still have me my old itinerary. So, I made a phone call and the sweet lady on the other line got me flight itinerary switched to about 15 hours of total travel time. Huge hug to her for getting it all switched for me, and high five to me for being brave enough to make a phone call :) Another incident that might seem kind of minor to you, but that lady on the phone was an angel to me.
Every morning when I show up to preschool this beautiful lady is there.
Flor is one of the most Christlike people I've ever met. She works at the preschool every morning where she get paid like crap. She goes directly from there to a girls home for girls whose parents either don't want them or are in jail. She works there until 11 pm at night, wakes up and does it all over again! Her only day off is Sunday, and the last two she's spent the afternoons with me teaching me how to make some Peruvian food. Not only is she an angel to me, the kids at the preschool, and the girls at the home, but her family has started a tradition where they give Christmas to a small town in the high Andes. This year they are taking Christmas to a town called Chupani. They take enough clothes for every person in the town to pick a shirt, hoodie, and pants, a bag for each child filled with animal crackers, popcorn, candies, and a toy, all the stuff to make a big pot of hot chocolate, and a special Christmas bread to serve with it. Some members of my family were generous enough to send me some money to give to their cause. When I told her, she almost started to cry and we went on a little shopping spree to buy some of the things they needed. What an awesome experience! I just wish I was going to be able to be here to take Christmas to Chupani. She truly is an angel and is making a difference in a whole lot more lives than mine. I love this lady.
There are countless other angels I've encountered only trip here: other volunteers, the family I live with, the Gavancho's, Hermana Rasmussen, the people that work at Maximo and so many more!
Not only do I have these amazing people in my life here, but there are so many at home as well. My friends, my family, random people I've come in contact with--all showing me how to live, teaching me how to give, and giving me much more love than I deserve.
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