LIfe Lessons Learned While In Peru

Wow, tis only taken me a little over a month to talk about our trip to Peru. Im not going to go into a huge writeup about it. I dont think I could accurately convey what all I felt and experienced while down there. I will say that it was an eye opening experience.

What things I do want to talk about are some of the differences I have seen. Peru is a pretty impovershed country. Although you couldnt always tell by the peoples attitudes. Granted they werent walking around whistling zippity doo dah, they genuinely seemed happy. The people were friendly and I found myself waving at them and greeting them while driving or walking about. Prior to going to Peru I didnt do much if any of that here. I now find myself saying hello to people more and more when Im out. Wether it be the cashier at the conveince or grocery store or someobdy passing through my office. I mean come on, are we that busy and so self centered we cant take a minute to say hello to somebody or even acknowledge someone, no.

Yesterday while we were at church, Pastor Joe gave us a challenge. We were given a case of bottled water and were asked to go to a park or something and hand the water out to people no strings attached. Debbie, the kids and I were going to a Diamondbacks game after church so we took our water with us and handed it out to folks as we were walking to Chase Field. The first guy I went to hand a bottle of water to, he instinctively asked me how much. I said its free, courtesy of Journey Church. He was shocked. Have we got to the point here in the states that we think that there is a catch wtih something when it is given to us? Must be. Its amazing the difference between Peru and here. Down there the people were grateful when we handed out fruit or water. Here people question your intentions. Kinda sad that the citizens of the greatest country in the world question anything and everything. Dont get me wrong, I love my country and dont plan on living elsewere, Im just amazed at the differences between a 3rd world country and ours.

Thanks for reading

Skydiving

Just a quick post to say a group of us from Journey are heading down to Eloy, AZ ( about 60 miles south of metro Phoenix for you non AZ residents ) to go tandem skydiving at Skydive Arizona. For me itll be my second tandem dive, for the rest of the group itll be there first. Im looking foward to it. Maybe while Im there Ill look into what it costs for skydiving lessons to earn my license =) I hope to have some pics of the day's events posted tomorrow or Sunday.

And with this post, thats number 165. Thanks for reading!

Debbie and I on the pier in Huanchaco, Peru

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Moving dirt at the jobsite in Trujillo, Peru

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Elizabeth ( Ailarie from Kick ) and I in the Atlanta Airport

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Some of the kids and I at the daycare center in Trujillo, Peru

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July Already?

Wow, the 4th of July came and went already. I didnt do much yesterday as I volunteered to work. We get paid double time and a half for some holidays throughout the year and the 4th was one of them. So I got paid a nice chunk of change to sit around and pretty much do nothing all day. Nothing different with today ( July 5th ) either. We get paid time and a half for Sundays and its been quiet thus far today.

I fell off the Coke/Pepsi wagon while in Peru. In one way it was rather easy. Everyday for lunch and dinner, they served us either bottles of Coke or Inca Cola to drink. I always had water with me but Coke just sounded so good after working hard at the jobsite every morning. So both Debbie and I folded liked a cheap tent and gave into the urge. She has since quit drinking Coke since we returned but I havent. I havent been drinking it in moderation either. Most days I have 2 32 oz Cokes. Its just one part of my piss poor eating and drinkng choices. Im not sure what happened but since about the middle of May, my eating and drinking habits have gone to shit and Ive gained back the weight that I had started losing in April =(. I feel like crap.

I read an article recently about when is the best day or time to start something new ( diets, exercise plans, new activities etc ) They say that a specific day of the week is better than a date with Monday being the best day of the week. Well seeing as how tomorrow is Monday, it looks like a good day to get back on the road of better eating habits, no Coke or Pepsi and starting to exercise again. I really need to get the ball rolling with exercising again. It can only help.

Ill try to be better about updating my blog. Just havent had a lot to say latley.

Thanks for reading!