Peru!!!! .....again :)

I had the awesome opportunity to go back to Cusco, Peru.  I lived in Cusco for 3 months back in the fall of 2014, and I never dreamed I'd be able to go back this soon?!  This time I even got to take my mom!!  It was so great!  We went with our high school Spanish Club and community members and it was so fun to go with friends :)  Here are some of my favorite moments in pictures. 

The best juice in the world is found at San Pedro Market :)

 Pig head anyone??

Familia Delgado.  I lived with these sweet people the three months I was in Cusco.  I was able to go over one evening and have dinner with them.  They are so great!  

So many people on the trip brought suitcases full of clothes down to donate.  We left them with Flor, Andres, and Daniel to distribute where they see need, because they know.  I taught preschool with Flor and she is probably the most Christ-like person I have ever met.  Such a blessing to know her and I am so glad I was able to go to their home and introduce so many friends to her and her family.  

 Stairs to Cristo Blanco.  These people are troopers!

The view of Cusco from up there is fabulous!

The Plaza at night

Mom and Brooklyn in a doorway in Saqsayhuaman.  

Pano of the ruins. 

I look like this in so many pictures.  It's just incredible?!  Anyways, this guy was playing some fun Peruvian music.

The Sacred Valley coming into view. 

 Mom having a stare down with the Condor. 

 The alpaca vest that I wanted SO BAD!

 Awesome niches in Ollantaytambo.  

So many stairs!

 All of the group in Ollantaytambo. 

 The sun coming up on our hike up to Machu Picchu.  

 With my mom :) :) 

 Mom and Carol Clark.  Two amazing ladies!

 These guys are just too much fun! 

The sign of a dang good day--dirty feet.  

We just had so so so much fun in and around Cusco.  I just felt so comfortable there this time around and it was so fun to see everything that was still so familiar.  The people, the streets, the smells.  Memories just came flooding back and so many new memories were made.  I love that place.  'Til next time :)   

The Amazon

We went to the Amazon at the start of our trip.  There was a group of 14 of us.  We got to go on jungle walks, fishing, visit a village, cruise along the Amazon River, and so much more!  We stayed at Heliconia Lodge about an hour and a half out of Iquitos, Peru via boat.  The accommodations were great!   We had the best time!  Here are some of my favorite pictures.  

Mom feeding a monkey.

So picturesque.  

You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy.  Their vine lassos were the best!  

The leaf fans were very needed!

 Some cows shading up. 

These kids.  So dang cute! 

 Dinner time! 

 Carol killed us all in sapo!

 Giant lily pad

 Lunch.  They always made it look so pretty. 

 Some homes up on stilts.  These were right where we were getting off the boat in Iquitos.  

The little wooden chair on the bike was my favorite! 

The rooftops, the greenery, the sky.  

And here's a fun little video of parts of the trip :)

"Como un niño pequeñito"

Tonight Tessa planned an awesome FHE "Banana Boats and The Book of Mormon."  So, we made banana boats and shared one of our favorite scriptures from The Book of Mormon.  Everyone's scriptures were so good!  (Imagine that...haha!)  When Tessa told me that this is what we were doing I immediately remembered a scripture I had read in El Libro de Mormon three days earlier.  I had been reading in 3 Nephi when Christ is talking to the people in the America's before he appears to them.  Chapter 9 verse 22 really stuck out to me.  Maybe it was because I finally understood a whole verse, but I just loved it.  I read, "Por tanto, al que se arrepintiere y viniere a mí como un niño pequeñito, yo lo recibiré, porque de los tales es el reino do Dios.  He aquí, por éstos he dado mi vida, y la he vuelto a tomar; así pues, arrepentíos y venid a mí, vosotros, extremos de la tierra, y sed salvos."   

Today I went and read it in English.  "Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God.  Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved."  

First of all, this verse stuck out to me because I am an Elementary Ed major and I love kids.  I think about them all day.  At the start of the verse it says to come unto Him as a little child.  I can not think of any group of people more pure and Christlike than kids.  They are so innocent and they just want to do good.  They truly are closer to God, and I'm so glad I'm going to be able to surround myself with them everyday.  

The second part that stuck out to me was when it said, "for such I have laid down my life..."  Christ died for us that we could have the chance to repent and live with Him again.  He knew that we were going to make mistakes.  None of us are perfect, but He was willing to pay the price so that we could all return to live with our Heavenly Father again.  

I love my Savior.  I know that I can return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father again, but only through the Atonement.  I am far from perfect, but He helps me out all the time.  Almost daily I am able to have an experience with the Spirit, just like the one I shared above.  It's moments like that where I truly feel His love for me, not only from the sacrifices He made for me as He atoned for my sins, but the love He still has for me as He cheers me on and helps me out each day during this journey here on earth.   

He's Aware

I've been thinking a lot lately about how God is aware of us.  He loves us.  He knows our hearts.  He wants to help us.  Every day, God lets me know that he cares.  Sometimes I notice His hand, sometimes I don't.  I noticed His intervention in my life one day while I was in Peru.

It was my first Sunday in Peru.  I had decided to go to church with the Gavancho's (a connection with the Thornock's), which required me to go across town to the chapel.  Eunice had given me the address to the chapel and I had just caught a cab because I didn't feel too comfortable with the bus system yet.   Church was from 2-5, and then I decided to talk to the bishop about getting my records transferred and setting up a time for a temple recommend interview so I could go to the temple when I visited Lima.  When I got out of the church around 6 o'clock, it was dark.  I was as good as lost, in a foreign city, and I was feeling a little panicked.  Regardless, I went to go and catch a cab to get me back to my house.  Just about every car was a cab, but being a blonde American in Peru, I was strongly advised to only take legitimate cabs.  It was getting later and later, and I could not get one to stop for me.  I was getting pretty frustrated when two sweet girls came over to me and asked me if I needed help.  In my broken Spanish I explained to them that I just needed to get home.  They asked me where I lived, and said that it would almost be impossible to find a cab in this area to take me there at this time of night.  But, they said they knew a couple of buses that would take me to a plaza right close to there.  I was so relieved!  So, I thanked them a ton, hopped on the bus, and started the ride back toward Arcopata.  

The bus was standing room only, and as I stood there, I was feeling pretty discouraged.  I had felt so sure about my decision to come down to Peru, and now the only thing I felt sure of was that I was going to die down here!  That's when a kind lady started talking to me.  Even with my limited Spanish, I was able to understand everything she said, and I was able to come up with what to say back.  Through my conversation with this sweet lady, my spirits were lifted.  As I got off the bus and finished the walk to my house, I was lucky enough to realize that I had just seen the hand of God in my life.  Those two girls were prompted to come and help me.  That lady on the bus was inspired to talk to me.  I was blessed to be able to understand her and have a conversation with her.  Even though I was far away from home, I was able to see my Heavenly Father's hand in my life that evening. 

I know He is helping me every single day.  He is there, and He is aware of each one of us.  

Lessons From My Days in Peru

Today marks two months since I got back from Peru.  I've been back for almost as much time as I was gone (not very long) and it's about time I reflect on some of the things I learned from my trip.  

1. The Church is TRUE!  Some of my most special times while I was in Peru were while I was at church.  The curriculum, the order, the sacrament, the happy people--it was all just like it is here and it was so refreshing. While there I gained an even stronger testimony of our prophet, Thomas S. Monson and his apostles and how they are called of God.  I also gained a greater appreciation for the Hymns and the power of music.  My favorite part of each meeting was singing the hymns in Spanish.  So beautiful.  

 (Where's Waldo?! With the YSA from the San Jeronimo Ward)

2. Kids are the best.  Saying goodbye to these cute little rascals on November 27th was possibly one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  Knowing that I probably wouldn't see any of them again just broke my heart.  They are so full of love and patience.  They never got frustrated with my bad Spanish.  Each time I lost my patience with them, they quickly forgave me.  Their warm hugs and shouts of "Profe-Tee-chair" greeted me each day.  We had so much fun together learning, laughing, brushing our teeth, reading stories, dancing, and so much more.  I understand why the Savior teaches us to become like little children.  They are just so pure and genuine.  I hope to become half as humble, kind, and pacient as the kids at Nuevas Americas.  

3. Everybody has something to give.  The people of Peru work for what they have.  Everyday I saw grandmothers, mothers, and young girls walking up long hills and hopping on and off busses with giant packs tied around their backs.  They did whatever it took to get to the market to sell their goods.  Everyone down there had something to offer.  Husbands spent months and even years working away from home to help support their families.  The youth worked after school was out, earning money to help buy food.  For the most part, people gave what they had to have a good life.  I was very inspired.  

(Her dry, cracked heels were on countless other hard workers as well)

4. I love my family very much.  As I was saying goodbye to my parents in the SLC airport I was somewhat shocked to find myself fighting back tears.  I had been looking forward to this trip for so long!  Why in the heck was I starting to cry?! That was when my mom said, "Isn't it nice to have something so great that it's hard to leave?"  She was so right.  Even though I was setting out to fulfill one of my dreams, it was hard to leave my family and friends.  They're just so great.  While I was gone I got excited about each FaceTime call, each email, and each Facebook message.  Family really is everything.

5. Be thankful.  We are so blessed to live in America.  We have drinkable water.  We have carpet.  We have pretty good sanitation systems.  We don't have a million stray dogs.  We take care of each other.  We have nice vehicles.  We don't have to worry too much about food poisoning or parasites.  We have great hospitals.  We have a great life. 

5. There's more adventurer in my soul than I thought.  While I was down there, I kind of thrived off of doing new things.  Everything around me was new, but I could have easily gotten into a routine and not tried new things.  I tried to do the exact opposite.  I took the public transportation everywhere!  A little sketchy at times--yes!  Culturally educational--you bet ya!  I would try different routes walking home from preschool each day.  I got pretty lost a few times, but I always managed to find a familiar landmark and I got to see a lot of the city that way.  I tried to see all of Peru that I could while I was there (money and time allowing...). I didn't care if I had a buddy to go with me or not, I was going to make the most of it.  At the time, I didn't feel too adventurous, but looking back I figure a young blonde girl, going to Peru --by herself--, finding her way around Cusco, visiting ruins, taking tours in Spanish, and just flat out living in a different country is pretty darn adventurous.  

6. I can do hard things.  You guys.  Learning a language is hard.  It can be frustrating.  It can make you want to cry.  It can also make you cry.  It can also be rewarding.  Spanish is beautiful.  

7. Let your heart love people.  Even though I knew I was only going to be in Cusco for a short time, I decided to love the people I was with.  I grew to love the other volunteers, the people in my ward, the family I lived with, and mostly the kids and Flor.  Putting my heart out there made saying goodbye so much harder, but made my time there so much more worth it.  

This list is not all.  In fact, I'll probably think of 5 more awesome things I learned tomorrow, but it's a pretty good summary.  The trip changed my life.  While I'm still the same Livi, I've learned so much about life, about friendship, and most importantly, about myself.  

Cuscotopia!

Well folks, the time is almost here!  I fly out for my next big adventure (well, my biggest adventure probably EVER) on Saturday!  

So here's a little Q and A about what I'm about to do!

Q: Where are you going?

A: I'm going to Cusco, Peru.

Q: Is this for school?

A: No. It's not through BYU or any university and I will not be receiving any credits.  I'm going with a group called International Volunteers HQ.  

Q: What will you be doing?

A: I will be doing service with children in a setting like an elementary school, orphanage, day care, etc.   

Q: Where will you be living?

A: I will be living with a host family where I will be immersed in Peruvian culture and the Spanish language :)

Q: How long will you be there?

A: My volunteer time is 12 weeks, but I'm going to stay an extra week to make sure I do all the things I want while I'm living among Incan ruins.

Q: Are you nervous?

A: Yes and no.  I'm nervous of the unknowns (which is just about EVERYTHING!), but I'm not nervous about loving it.

Q: Are your parents nervous about it?

A: I think they are more nervous than they let on.  They are excited that I am excited to go. They're the best!

Q: Do you know Spanish?

A: A little bit.  I've taken Spanish in high school and 5 semesters of it in college, so hopefully I can conversate.

Q: Is it close to Machu Picchu? 

A: Yes!  And I'm definitely going to hike it!

(Isn't it beautiful?!)

Q: What made you decide to do this?

A: My sister Tami and cousin Camille went to Ecuador and worked in an orphanage when they were about this age, and ever since them I've dreamed of doing this!  Now is just the perfect time to do it.

Hopefully this answers some of your questions about my trip!  Most of you probably already know about it cause I'm so excited I have to tell everybody!  I feel so blessed to have the opportunity and ability to go and do this.  I can't wait to see how it all goes!  

First Day of Spring

I absolutely LOVE this time of year down here in Provo!  Here's what I did on the first day of Spring :)

Zumba

Spanish

Gymnastics

Attended a guest lecture about social competency in elementary students--very interesting

Made myself a taco and ate it

Taught a four-year-old how to ski

Made a quick stop at Lo-Lo's for ice cream for a roommate party tonight :)

Filled my car with gas

Went to the temple with some peeps from my ward where I took this pic:

(I love flowers SOOO much!)

Finished my Spanish homework

Wrote a blog
Plus, I've been GLUED to  my ESPN app all day because I made a bracket, and let me tell ya, I'm stinkin' it up right about now...

Nothing extraordinary, but seriously, what a great way to kick off spring!

The Two Best Classes...

...possibly of my entire life, ended today.  I was actually really sad.  First, Español ended.  I go to that class 5 days a week for an hour.  Because I spend so much time in there I really got to know these people and I really love them.  My teacher is so great too!  I have learned so much!  Way more than I could have hoped for.  Today as our teacher was saying good-bye she started to tear up.  I almost lost it!  I just might have to drop in on her class a few times next semester :)

Then Art ended.  I have learned so much about myself in this class.  It seems so silly, but I gained so much confidence in this class.  My teacher was amazing!  I hope I can be half the teacher she is someday.  I also got this back today.  I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty proud of it!  This started out as a flat slab of clay, and I shaped and molded it, fired it, glazed it, and fired it again, and I love how it turned out!

To finish off the class she showed us a clip from one of my favorite movies, Freedom Writers.  This show had a big impact on my decision to become a teacher.  The clip was when one of the students calls the classroom "home."  Then my teacher told us how our classrooms might be a home for some of these kids.  We aren't going to know what some of these kids live are like and what they're going through, and it might be the only place they feel safe.  Our job is to make school a positive environment where they can feel successful, especially through art.  It was a pretty emotional moment.  This class has had a huge impact on me!  

I'm so thankful for great classes like this!  How many students are truly sad when they leave a class?  I feel so blessed to be here at BYU and to have such amazing professors and to have the opportunity to meet and associate with such great people.  Everyday here is just another confirmation to my decision. 

The weekend.

This weekend was so great!  Thursday night Tessa, Mom, and Dad showed up down here in Provo.  Tessa stayed the night with me and then went to school with me Friday morning.

I only had two classes, History 201 and Spanish 105, so she didn't get too bored.  Then we got a maple bar with bacon on it at the CougarEat.  Sounds gross, but it's actually like a pancake with maple syrup and bacon all in one bite.  It wasn't too bad, and it was something NEW!

Then we met back up with Mom and Dad, and Dad and I went on a campus tour with Tess while Mom went Christmas shopping (that was her main reason for coming).  After that we went to the BYU Women's basketball game.  Then Mom met back up with us for dinner at the Creamery.  We then went back to the Marriott Center for the Men's game.  Both the men and women won :)  Go Cougs!!  Our cousin Drew came up from Heber and went to the games and dinner with us.  It was so fun to have him along with us!

I had an intramural basketball game after the game...yea it was at 9:15.  To make a long story short, we ended up having to forfeit our game.  The other team wanted to play us anyways, so that was good, and we won :)  It is tournament time in intramurals, and having to forfeit stinks, but it's double elimination--thank heavens!!  So, we're still in.

Saturday morning we went to Kneader's for breakfast.  They have this all-you-can-eat french toast that is to-die-for!!  I've been raving about it to my family, and it's only $5, so we decided to go.  It definitely did not disappoint.

Then it was off to shopping.  Tess and I walked around the mall with Mom and gave her about a million ideas :)  We left her pretty frazzled, but she always does an amazing job with Christmas!  She gets us the best stuff!  I know she'll do great!  I also really, really, really love surprises, so I don't want to know what I'm getting.  So, I figure if I give her lots of ideas I won't know what I'm getting :)  Then Tess, Dad, and I left Mom at the mall and headed to the BYU Women's volleyball game.

They are super awesome this year!  Then they left.  When we were saying good-bye they said, "See ya in a week and a half!"  Can it be?!  It's flying, but don't worry folks, I've been soaking it all up!!  It's been a fabulous month.  Everyday has been great!  I really can't complain.  So it was so great to see my family and have a fun time with them.

To finish of the day Brooke and I bundled up and went to the 8:15 pm football game.  It was dang cold!  My feet were the only thing that got really cold. That's what happens when you don't have your snow boots... I loved going to the game with Brooke and spending some time with her!  She's such a great girl!  I just love her!  I'm definitely going to miss her next year!