First Sunday in Lima

Nothing super special today other than I went to church this morning. The meeting house is only 5 blocks away, about a 15 minute walk.

I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had gotten so used to church outside the United States being in Hungary, I didn't know what other picture to think of. There were about 70 people in Sacrament meeting. The room was very narrow and long. Like, a row has about 7-8 chairs in it. You think no one is there, but then you turn around and all the way to the back there's people sitting.

There were not that many kids or youth. At least it seemed to me. Majority were adults. There were several fair skinned people, but you could still tell they were Peruvian. Beyond myself I think there was only one other caucasian. A gentleman who I did not have a chance to meet. He was offering candy to others and from the brief moment I heard him speak he sounded British, but I wasn't sure.

Bishop Valdivia had e-mailed me on Friday to see if I needed anything. I told him I was good and going to a food festival with Carly. He was conducting Sacrament meeting that day.

You could say I was the spectacle of the week. All these people had to come up and meet me and talk to me.

My biggest irritant the entire morning was the same thing I ran into in Costa Rica. People saw my white skin and automatically assumed I didn't know any Spanish. Bishop Valdivia tried to pair me up with members who spoke english. I was trying to be patient and nice, but part of me wanted to say, "Really, I'm fine." Everyone wanted to speak English with me and I just thought, "People! I'm here to learn your language. I already know my own!"

Course I could understand the theme of the Sacrament talks, what the Sunday School lesson was on, and what lesson we were learning in Relief Society (which I haven't been to for a couple of years now thanks to primary).

At one point in Relief Society the woman teaching the lesson asked me if I wanted to contribute anything. I was so taken by surprise she asked me I didn't understand what she said. A nearby sister translated and then another woman said LOUDLY "She doesn't speak Spanish." So there we go. People in the ward don't think I understand what they're saying. Oh well. I guess I should enjoy the low expectations while they are there.

People we're really nice and offered what help I needed, but right now I didn't need anything. Oh well, more to talk about next week.