Right before going into surgery with fellow YAV Mikeand PCUSA mission co-workers Harry and Alexandra
Debbie visiting me post-operation.Even though I have had some extra free/down time on my hands, unfortunately I just haven't been in too much of a "blogging" mood lately. So I apologize for the lack of updates. Overall, having an appendectomy kind of threw off the way I originally saw my last month in Peru going. All of the sudden I find myself with only two weeks left and lots of odds and ends remaining to wrap up. It's been an incredible, interesting year, meeting only my prior expectation that this year would defy my expectations. Sometimes I think transitioning back to the US won't be so hard, since in many ways my lifestyle in Lima isn't really all that different from how it was in the US (as I've already discussed ad nauseum on this blog). But at other times I know that there will be plenty of things about "re-entry shock" or "reverse culture shock" that I'm not ready for.
One of the most distinct things about my YAV year has been living with a host family. When I look back on it, my host family, especially Javier and Raquel, have been amazing. As you may remember, they weren't my original host family. But when it was first decided two months into my year of service that I needed to change families, they quickly answered the bell. They didn't know exactly what they were getting into or really what exactly the YAV program was. They just heard from the President of the Session of Santa Isabel Church that their new gringo missionary suddenly needed a place to stay. They didn't know I had the support system of Debbie and Harry and the PC(USA) office, they just thought I was going to be left out on the street.
One of the most distinct things about my YAV year has been living with a host family. When I look back on it, my host family, especially Javier and Raquel, have been amazing. As you may remember, they weren't my original host family. But when it was first decided two months into my year of service that I needed to change families, they quickly answered the bell. They didn't know exactly what they were getting into or really what exactly the YAV program was. They just heard from the President of the Session of Santa Isabel Church that their new gringo missionary suddenly needed a place to stay. They didn't know I had the support system of Debbie and Harry and the PC(USA) office, they just thought I was going to be left out on the street.
So they offered me a place in their home. At first they were told it might just be for a couple weeks, but then they ended up agreeing to let me live with them for the entire remainder of the YAV year (from the beginning of last November until the end of July). They make sure I'm safe, well fed and taken care of. They're my friends. I've participated in the birth of their child. I really do feel like a member of Javier's family. I always have a place at the table for the family gatherings. My host family has put up with my weird American customs, clunky Spanish speaking and awkward cultural interactions for 9 months.
They've also had to share in my struggle of giving up independence. That, perhaps, is the most difficult aspect of living with a host family. Before coming to Peru, I was basically an independent, low-maintenance adult college student who lived with other carefree 20-something-year-old roommates. I was free to come and go from my house as I pleased, quite literally as I also had my own car. After coming to Peru, all that changed. It was like I suddenly pushed the rewind button, back to high school, only this time I'm in a big, slightly dangerous unknown city immersed in a foreign culture and language. I'm now a full-time family member. I don't have my own car to get around Lima however I want. For meals, I don't just pop something in the microwave when I'm hungry. If I go out, my family wants to know where. If I'm not back (or if I don't call) before dark, they worry. I've recently realized that as I've made more friends in Lima and started to become more street-smart and confident in going places on my own, I've occasionally put my host family through some of the same stress that most parents (at least in the US) go through. But instead of feeling anxious or worried about a biological son or brother that they've known and loved since birth, they've accepted the same type of responsibility for a 23-year-old foreigner.
I'm sure I will have more opportunities for reflection on my experiences as a whole this year as my time in Peru comes to a close. But right now the thing about my YAV experience that sticks out to me the most is how special it's been to become "adopted" into a new family.
They've also had to share in my struggle of giving up independence. That, perhaps, is the most difficult aspect of living with a host family. Before coming to Peru, I was basically an independent, low-maintenance adult college student who lived with other carefree 20-something-year-old roommates. I was free to come and go from my house as I pleased, quite literally as I also had my own car. After coming to Peru, all that changed. It was like I suddenly pushed the rewind button, back to high school, only this time I'm in a big, slightly dangerous unknown city immersed in a foreign culture and language. I'm now a full-time family member. I don't have my own car to get around Lima however I want. For meals, I don't just pop something in the microwave when I'm hungry. If I go out, my family wants to know where. If I'm not back (or if I don't call) before dark, they worry. I've recently realized that as I've made more friends in Lima and started to become more street-smart and confident in going places on my own, I've occasionally put my host family through some of the same stress that most parents (at least in the US) go through. But instead of feeling anxious or worried about a biological son or brother that they've known and loved since birth, they've accepted the same type of responsibility for a 23-year-old foreigner.
I'm sure I will have more opportunities for reflection on my experiences as a whole this year as my time in Peru comes to a close. But right now the thing about my YAV experience that sticks out to me the most is how special it's been to become "adopted" into a new family.
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