At Peace

I went on a trip to Otavalo this weekend. It´s one of the biggest markets in the world. It was a bit overwhelming. So much of the same, yet different. Bargaining is fun, and I´m not scared to just walk away. I also bought a gift for myself. In Ecuador, there are these mini guitars, kind of like a euchalalie (sp?) but a little different. Anyway, i´m going to have fun learning how to play it while I´m here. yay!
My favorite part of the weekend was the chance to get out of the city and see more of the country. I missed my trees, but definitely got recharged when we walked through a mainly eucalyptus forest and then hiked/climbed up a waterfall. SO much fun! Then we took off our sock ans shoes, rolled up the pants and walked around in the rocks next to the waterfall. Of course, some of us decided that it was necessary to actually completely drench ourselves and go under the waterfall. It was a great experience. Today in class our indigenous guest speaker spoke of how at different parts of the year, the people go and bath in the cascades to cleanse their entire body, soul, mind. I think that my ¨waterfall dunk¨cleansed me more than I knew. I felt more at peace and ready for what lay ahead.
We got back last night around 7:30 and after eating supper with my family and Katie´s family, I decided to go to the internet cafe. I got to talk to my parents and it was last night that I found out my Great Grandma Bessie had died early Sat. morning in her sleep. This is the same great grandma I had just visited in July, the same wonderful, humble, beautiful woman of God that was blessed with 102 years of life, as she had just celebrated her 102nd on July 27th. I will not be able, for obvious reasons, to attend the funeral, but I am completely at peace. I thank God that I was able to visit her so soon to her death and will always remember her as my hero.

And so for now, at peace with where I´m at, I´ll sign off.