Smells and memories

If you're looking for a well put together blog post, read a different one. thanks.

Senses are a big deal to me. Smells, tastes, feelings, temperatures, etc. they do something cool to me. For example, if I open up this old bottle of cheap perfume back home, my mind goes directly to junior high and the name of my crush at the time. I'm sure this happens to mostly everyone and I'm not a special case. But here is a story and example from Peru.

Last Saturday, was a different type of adventure, one of those that tests the patience of the ones involved. Since we have been here, we have been asking around and searching for an orphanage. We needed some of those kids to love on, and we have time that we can have with them or that we can make for them. Earlier John Mark had spoken to a local preacher who claimed that the church family sponsored an orphanage, and told us about it. Nothing more had to be said, we figured out the day to go visit, hoping it would turn into something that happened regularly where we got to hold kids and kick around a soccer ball.

Saturday was pinned down, and the journey began. We met with the preacher and his wife in the mall parking lot, and caravaned on the supposed 30 minute drive. An hour later we turned off the main highway and began our way on a dirt road. Even if it took us half the day to find this place I didn't care, it would be worth it. While John Mark took this turn, that crossed a dry canal and continued on adjacent to it, an old man was burning old trash, sticks and leaves, that tumbled down into the canal as the burning continued. And it hit me. The smell. My mind became a blur of memories and thoughts, all because of the smell of the burning.

Immediately I went to the farm, my grandparents' that is. Growing up we spent a lot of time there, always stopping as we went through or going there for a free weekend. It wasn't just the times during the holidays. My favorite moments there were when the family, the entire family, was together. We would wake up early and help DaddyBurl anywhere he needed it, and then the rest of the day was ours for mischief and mayhem. Yes, we cousins created plenty of mayhem, and had loads of fun growing up there. Most of the times when we were all there, there was one night that we gathered around the table and had huge steak dinners. My grandpa, uncles, and my dad would start grilling mid afternoon to prepare the perfect steaks. After that and all the other meals, my grandpa would lug out the trash leftover from the meal, set it in the designated spot,and light it up. We would sit, fascinated by the fire and how fast the trash was consumed.

My mind quickly left the farm and went straight to the mountain ranges outside Las Vegas, NM. Later on, during my summers, God blessed me with Blue Haven (I'm missing this very much right now). For 10 years I have not gone a summer without spending time there as a camper or counselor. I love this place. Right now, as I type these words, they are sitting on the dining hall deck singing after a day full of hiking to some of the most beautiful locations I know.

I was there in my mind because when we are at camp, we like to enjoy the occasional campfire. We counselors would make them for cooking out and the entire camp would gather around one to sing songs at different times during the week. Really some of us would just look for an excuse to have one. I'd buy a round trip flight right now to be there for a night and sit around a campfire, and just be able to stare into the flames, while being surround by the pine trees and mountain air. One of my favorite memories centered around these campfires happened this last summer. It was the guys night to sleep out, so of course there was the typical grumbling and even the bribing that comes out of the guys of the cabin. I refused and we marched out. After having rice crispies made over the fire and playing games, we big goodbye to the ladies and threw out the bags. We all squeezed in close and built up the fire, and started swapping manly and scary stories. As the night went on, some started to doze off and the rest continued to talk about the more important things in life.

There were other thoughts and scenes that floated into my head, but these are the ones that I miss the most right now. But not just the places, actually not he places at all, but the people I was with in those settings. They are my family and the ones I love.

I've thought more about this trip now. I want to be present where I am, to soak it all in. Totally applying myself to where I am, living and enjoying and feeling. During car rides, I've intentionally rolled down the window to hear the wind go through the tall grass as we drove by. I've breathed in more deeply to try and take in the smells around me, and feel how the air does in my lungs. I want to be reminded of these times by things that will grab my senses later on. Later on down the road, I want to smell a flower and be reminded of the places and people of Peru. I want this time right now, to be a sweet memory in the future.

To wrap things up, I thought of these places, people, and the things we did together during the drive to the "orphanage." So when the drive was getting close to 2 hours we pulled onto a sand road and into a place that looked like this.

Turns out, in that shack is where they have a children's ministry, which is really cool honestly. Every Saturday, all children in the area gather and are fed and are taught lessons about the Lord. But, it's just not an orphanage. So our search continues for an orphanage. While looking we may venture back out and attend the children's ministry on a Saturday, who knows. Hah! in Peru it's hard to ever know. We've learned a lot so far in Peru, one thing being, don't expect anything to be what you imagined it to be, or be like what someone told you.