2 months later....

And just like that, 2 months has passed since I last blogged. The last you heard I was diagnosed with COVID. Clearly I survived and am happily back teaching and running.

Nighttime view of the city.

I did something in the top 5 biggest positive things only me and Jesus accomplished: 

The other 4:
- participating in a Bible memorizing competition that taught me front to back hundreds of verses
- 'graduating' treatment
- graduating university
- moving to Peru

And 5......

I NOW LIVE IN MY VERY OWN APARTMENT AND PAID FOR EVERY PART.

The view from my kitchen.

Yes...a British table. Shout out to my besties from Peru: Johnny and V.

Why is this such a big deal? For 28 years, I have needed Mike Anderson to pay for many things: all my medicine, therapy, psychs, etc. When I needed something 'extra' I always had to call him. Now Mike Anderson only pays for insurance and Jenni (dietitian) because of conversion rate. I paid for the 'down payment' required for my apartment, every single item in the place, WiFi; even my cell phone I spontaneously needed.
I have always needed help because shortly after graduating university, I was on and off in treatment for 3 years. And in-between working only jobs vs. careers to try to stay out of treatment. (Clearly that worked well.) When I moved to Peru, everyone held their breath and hoped for the best. But I knew God had so much more in store. THIS was what I thought I wouldn't get to for years. To live solo; to pay for myself. To make enough to SAVE money to pay for everything. To get to tell dad I don't need him to pay for my fridge or stove. To walk into the store, point at a stove, and walk out with it and a mattress. I LOVE living on my own. I get to cook every night after class while listening to Friends or Gilmore girls around the apartment. I can shower with the door open, and sing and play guitar as loud as I want. 

My room before....

View from my bed now.

My usual update about AnaLu, Jenni, and Pao. Let's see. Pao's classes are fun. We are learning she has to teach/go over homework first before letting me talk because she's too nice to tell me to shut up lol. She listens to my crazy antics, small things, continual mistakes; all the while learning different facets of the crazy people realm of life. (Sometimes she says 'wow that is a lot!' or 'I understand your words, but I don't understand' lol.) AnaLu in a phrase: the best worst thing. I'm learning what healing truly is, what hard things really are; what it's like to trust someone with lots of silence of simply space holding. She prays with me, for me, and challenges me more and more. Jenni is grandly mean <3. We are processing what 'normal' looks like, and at one point we just stared at each other because it was sliiiiightly tense. She started to laugh and said 'well we are just starting at each other'. Ope.
All 3 of these people are so filling for me; I spend 6 hours everyday pouring into groups of students, so it's nice to have someone everyday help me. It's not selfish-it's having what is needed so I can serve Jesus more and more.

Other things that are big but don't get a story about: I 'got' to stop suddenly one medicine and quadruple another medicine in one day; God provided. My iPhone died so I didn't have a phone for almost a month; I am now in the Andriod club. Classes are wonderful. BUSY, but fun! No international travel still, so no United States visit in 2020. My best friends here (A 'not' 6 year old and 6 year old) moved back to England, so this was our last time together until next time. (ETA: Christmas 2021!)

V gave everyone who came a sticker. Yes- I walked around the city all day with it.

Johnny, V, and myself

So-that's all I got for now. Praise the Lord for redemption, rest for your soul, Stateside friends, and most of all- Chik-fil-a forever in my heart.