Sunday Funday

Sunday is my fun day.   Last summer, I was dreading my return home because I was so blissfully happy here in Piura, so I was always very conscious of how many days I had left.  But more than that, I was acutely aware of how many Sundays I have left because they are my absolute favorite day of the week.

Why is Sunday so much better than the rest of the week?  Allow me to explain…

You get to wake up an hour later.  My sleep is not all that restful here, so that extra hour is precious.  I used to wake up to the sounds of the fruit seller in the street.  Not so anymore (papaya must be out of season), instead I wake up to the sounds of the animals of the nativity scene in the church.

I get to spend part of the morning with the altar boys and other kids.  Playing games, learning English, chatting, whatevs.  It’s great.  Sundays are better because there are new faces since some families can only make it on Sundays. Lots of people, lots of energy, lots of fun. Today was a special treat because Yenny and I took the altar boys to the grocery store for cokes and bread (that doesn’t sound great, but it was fresh, tasty pan) because it was Edu’s birthday.

Usually we go to a village named San Jacinto for Mass and eat lunch out there.  The children of the village make each of the Americans an individual sign with their name on it.  So cute.  Johnny (a parish worker) plays guitar in the choir and I swoon over him.  This time, we switched it up.  We hit up La Legua instead of San Jacinto and it had an added bonus: I was able to enjoy Mass with my abuelito!!!! I’ve mentioned my adopted my family before and I love them dearly, so my abuelito (grandfather) is just icing on the cake.  Last summer, I helped Edith go around to different families in order to inform them that their padrinos (or godparents from the U.S.) will no longer be able to support them.  It was heartbreaking.  These people’s livelihood depends on this support.  There were maybe 8 or 10 families we had to break the news to.  Lots of tears, lots of sadness, but also lots of prayers and hopefulness.  We had to give the news to one precious old man, Eduardo, and he just took a special place in my heart.  I remember visiting him a few years ago, and he has this giant statue of the Virgin Mary in his house that he loves showing off.  He claims it’s 80 years old. He’s been with his wife for well over 50 years. Our job was to collect information from each family – how many people in the family, if they were employed, how much they made, what condition their house was in, what are their monthly costs, etc so that we could give this information back to Christ the King and hopefully they would be re-adopted.  So I just decided Eduardo was mine and I was going to sponsor him. (Sidenote: all of the other families were re-adopted as well).

Anyways, La Legua Mass with Eduardo was very special. I saw his wife again and his daughter and grandchildren: an absolutely beautiful family.  Eduardo and I are going to have lunch tomorrow.  What do I have in common with an 82 year old Peruvian man?  Nothing. But it doesn’t even matter.  I’m just going to smile at him and love him.

Eduardo and his fam.

Then for the best part: LUNCH (why am I such a fatty? For real. It’s embarrassing).  But this meal is the not only the best I’ve ever had in Piura, or Peru for that matter.  It’s my favorite meal… EVER.  I’m not exaggerating.  If I were on death row, this would be last meal, without a doubt.  It’s traditional Peruvian with all of the fixins – rice, menestra, delicious ceviche, every kind of meat you can imagine, fantastic potato dish with onions, copious chifles and all the Inca Kola you could dream of.

 I've been raving to Yenny about this meal all week. I hope it lived up to her expectations.

Then off to Catacaos – the tourist trap of Northern Peru. But I still dig it. It is an artisan town where locals sell their wares.  But all of these “art pieces” look exactly the same.  Leather and wood working are big. I am an expert bargainer at this point; I do the classic low ball and then walk away.  Works every time.  I bought a few things for my abuelito, the altar boys, a couple of girls at the orphanage that have birthdays coming up – nothing too exciting. I mean, no statement piece ceramic owl pots like last time. I did see the woman that I bought the owl pot from and she remembered me.  I like to know that I made a lasting impression.

 Catacaos with Katherine last summer

This Sunday was especially fun because I was given permission to spend time with my special Peruvian friend, Mario – Outside. Of. The. Church. This is big time.  This is unprecedented.  It was magical.

Now that's the kind of handsome that makes you go weak in the knees

So yes, an absolutely spectacular Sunday once again.

Today is Monday and we're having a fiesta tonight, and I hope with all of my heart, mind, and soul that La Hora Loca will be there.  If my last meal on death row was the Sunday San Jacinto lunch, then my Make-A-Wish wish would be to have La Hora Loca present tonight.