Sorry I've been such a slacker...

First, aplogies for being such a slacker at writing you all in the last few weeks. We've been busy, but, really, that's no excuse. I think the mixture of being really excited about coming home, yet really sad to be ending this time, along with being overwhelmed by thinking of saying such permanent "goodbyes" to this place has just sucked all of the motivation right out of me. So, forgive me for not staying in touch.

Now, on to a whirlwind update of the last few weeks. The weekend after I last wrote (the weekend after the soccer game), Mia (one of the staff) took us servant team women to prison. Since many of the youth that Word Made Flesh knows have to steal at some point or another in order to survive, unfortunately that means that a good number of them end up in prison at some point. Mia said there are probably about 60 youth that they know in prison right now.

I've never been to a prison before, but I'm fairly sure that the ones in the states aren't like this one. There aren't individual cells. Instead, they have different pavillions, which consist of a big building and some sort of large courtyard area. When a prisoner arrives, they have to buy a space inside to sleep, buy a bed, mattress, blankets, etc, so not everyone has those luxuries. The prison doesn't provide food. Instead, the prisoners have set up their own kitchen system, or sorts, where everyone has to buy there food. They get money from jobs at the prison, from friends and family, and from illegal things that go on in the prison. The prison was built for about 2000 inmates, but currently houses around 8000, so, as you can imagine, it's very crowded. There are just men sitting and standing everywhere, with really nothing to do...a very hopeless enviornment, in some respects.

We talked to a lot of kids that the servant team had never met, but did see Freddy (I mentioned him in an earlier email). Seeing him was really encouraging. He is involved in a Christian recovery program at the prison, and it seemed like God is doing some good things in Freddy, so good to see that his time in prison can be redeemed, in a way. Seeing him made me realize, though, how hard prison must be for the kids who live on the streets. They don't have family that will come see them, and most of their friends don't have the means to visit. He asked about all his friends, said to tell them hi, even wrote one a letter for us to deliver...I can't describe it acurately, but that whole scene brought a big smile to my face and huge tears in my eyes, all at once...seems to happen a lot lately.

Funny thing about prison...women all have to wear skirts when they visit. I didn't bring a skirt to Peru, but, have to fear, in true Peruvian style, there is a vendor waiting to solve my problem. We rented skirts at a booth outside. I wore the ugliest sweater skirt...I wish I had picutres to share, but, you'll just have to sue your imagination....it was pretty funny.

The other big event of the last few weeks was the retreat we took 17 of hte youth on this past Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. As a Servant Team, we have been saving all the money that is left over from out weekly allowance for basic living. We heard that the last team saved enogh to take the kids on a little retreat, so we made that our goal. We almost ran out of time, had some mescommunications about dates, thought we didn't have enough money, and got stressed out over it, but, in the end, it was a smashing success.

The retreat was held at a center in the country about 2 hours outside of Lima. It's owned by a seminary that's affliciated with a church that some of the staff attend in Lima. There was a river and pool to swim in, a campfire every night (I was in charge of handing out hotdogs to roast the first night...big mistake, putting pushover Jane in charge of hotdogs...several kids had four or five, I think, but then we ran out before several of the staff even had one...whoops!), a little chapel (with a thatched roof that leaked on us the night it rained), a big dining hall, a soccer field and other lovely green spaces....its was awesome. We organized some games and activities (including an art project that turned out "abstract" at best), but also gave them plenty of time to just relax and enjoy their time away from the reality of their lives. Monica and I shared a room with four of the five girls, each of whom has a child. Let me just say that sleeping in a room with four kids, all under 3, is not the most restful thing. I wouldn't trade it, though, because I really got to know the girls in a new one. I feel like I am much more their friend now, which is awesome. There are many stories to be told, but most would lose their essence in an email, so you'll just have to ask me about them later.

Oh, yes, almost forgot to mention Thanksgiving. It was awesome! The staff from Bolivia visited for the holiday, so all together, we had about 25 people at our Thanksgiving feast. Monica, Jill, and I were in chrage of making pies, which takes on a whole new meaning when it's done in a kitchen with zero counter space, an oven that is only big enough for one pie at a time (until Carmen showed us the rack to stack them, but then the bottom of the bottom pie gets burnt unless you remember to rotate them...trust me), not to mention that the oven doesn't have any temperature markings on the dial. We made it, though, and the pies were a smashing success.

The boys were in charge of applesauce, which was hilarious as well, because they bought really cheap apples that disintegrated on the peeler, so Aaron and I ended up peeling many with a knife over the trashcan. Then they ran out of gas before the sauce was completely done, so they put it in the blended to get rid of the big chunks. So it looked really smooth, but was actually a little crunchy. It was great, though...I wish you could hear our laughter in the midst of making all that food, though...great memories.

Wow, what else to tell you al? As I get ready to come home, my list of questions about Peru and life in general seems to be getting longer, not shorter...but in a good way, so I can't wait to tell you all about it when I get back.

For those of you who might be wondering, I get back to Omaha at 11:45am on Wednesday, December 15, on a Delta flight from Atlanta.

Love you all lots...I'll see you stateside in less than a week!