I only saw him smile that big when he got the school supplies Reed sent.
Then my host mom came in my room to show me the vest she knitted with the yarn that Paul bought her.
When Roxana came home from classes I showed her powdered sugar I purchased in Arequipa (we have had many cooking ideas that require powdered sugar, but it is hard to come across). She had never seen powdered sugar before, nor knew how to use it. So, we had an icing lesson. As she mixed the sugar and butter over the stove, I pulled out grandma’s sugar cookies we got in the mail. Then, we cut the corner of a bag and squeezed sweet, creamy decoration onto each bite of “galleta”.
Just as we finished hot chocolate and freshly iced sugar cookies I convinced her to come see the library. “Chevere”, which means “cool”, was her adjective of choice until she overflowed with questions about VALE.
What is really “cool” is the influence that you, my friends and family, have had on this tiny community. Just look at how you all made the joy in today possible. And I could continue with that praise for things like the mac n’ cheese my mom sent that I ate for lunch, or the hand crocheted scarf around my neck, keeping me warm, made by my Limeñan host mother, or the tiny toy’s Michelle and Larry sent that kids were playing with in my corner store. Sometimes I wonder if you all know how present you are here. I just want to take a moment to say thank you for that, and, I love you.
Here is the space before and after its thorough cleaning…
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