A Missionary Mom's Morning Adventure

*If you know a synonym for adventure that begins with an "M," let me know 😋.


I'm back!  We made it through our big move back to Cusco as a family of four.  Made it through two agonizing months of assimilating the 4-year-old back into Cusco life (read lots and lots of discipline battles), made it through hosting back-to-back teams from the US (loved having them, but it's no secret that this sort of thing is exhausting), made it through my 2nd Peruvian VBS, and made it through 3 months of caring for a baby with no possibility of any sort of feeding/naps/bedtime routine (hopefully now she'll learn to sleep at night!).

This morning I thoroughly enjoyed my morning excursion with the four-year-old to his preschool.  It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed noticing a few new things together--the back half of a cow being loaded out of someone's trunk, the huge pile of dirt that randomly blocked our regular path to his school, and the subsequent man precariously perched on scaffolding while doing some manner of work on the side of a building.  Finn loved pointing out and discussing each of these things as he skipped his way to school.

After leaving the preschool, I put in my earbuds and enjoyed some morning worship on my walk to the supermarket.  I've officially lost all shame over mouthing lyrics as I walk past my fellow Cusceñans along the sidewalks and wannabe sidewalks.

Grocery shopping here is always an adventure.  You go looking for one thing, and come home with some other treasure that you didn't expect to find.  Today I was searching for the soft hamburger buns that Derek likes.  Tonight it's my turn to plan our date-night and since we're both exhausted from a week of VBS the plan is to have a date-night in (anyone have a good Netflix suggestion??).  Derek's a big hamburger guy, and so my plan is to surprise him with a bunch of fun toppings for a build-your-own-burger night.

Anyway... the buns were not to be found today.  We'll have to go with something else.  I did, however, find a couple fun things that I haven't seen here since last fall--Kelloggs Special K with strawberries cereal (SCORE!) and the almost-as-good-as-Nestles bars of semi-sweet chocolate (DOUBLE SCORE!!).

Upon leaving the grocery store I paused and snapped this picture.

I could pay a buck fifty to take a taxi home, but I wouldn't miss the walk on this gorgeous day.  I thought of the verse that says, "I life mine eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help."  We're so blessed to be surrounded by such beautiful reminders of our heavenly Father's presence here.

I thoroughly enjoyed my journey home as I worshiped with the earbuds once again.  I passed many people going different directions along my way--including my dentist (an American teammate and neighbor here).  I also noticed our pediatrician playing with his kids in the playground alongside his mom (visiting them from the US this week).  I love the small-town feel of living close to friends and walking everywhere I go here.  Not to mention the rejuvenating effect of the regular exercise and fresh air.

- Laura