I arrived at Jorges Chavez International airport around 1am after six hours of flying from Piarco International Airport, Trinidad to Tocumen International Airport, Panama and then to Peru. The flight was good but I could never figure out what you suppose to do on a flight that lasted more than 1hr. I prayed, I sang in my head, I stared out the window, played with my hair, thought about how nice a bed would look at that late hour and other random things. 

 

When I finally exited customs and immigration, and walked through the exit doors, I was shocked by the amount of persons it had there waiting on family, friends, and business associates, everyone with a sign in their hands saying Bob Chavez, Marisela Cruz etc. but no Stephanie Greenidge. In my head I was like ‘please God don’t make me have to wait and be like a fish out of water in a foreign land whose first language is not English’. I instantly felt my impatience begin to rise. Then out of nowhere I here my name and this short lady with one of the most welcoming smiles comes towards me and hugs me. Oh how little faith you have! I hear a voice saying in my head. When you come from a country that has so many religions and enter one where the population is over 90% Catholic it has a strange effect on you. I was amazed by the open expressions of our faith in the streets and on people’s houses. I have never felt more proud to be Catholic that I have now.

 

We arrived at the Colegio de Jesus around 2:30am and all we wanted to do was go to sleep. I was told I could sleep late because of the hour I arrived but all I could remember was hearing singing and decided to get up. This was around 6:30am. After having a bath I left my room and went outside to see if I was able to see the two sisters that came for me at the airport earlier that morning. I peeped through the corridor and saw about 20 women in a room and I made a bee line back to my room. No way was I going into a room full of people I don’t know and who spoke a language I have not spoken in over 8 years. So I am standing in the corridor trying to convince myself of how absolutely stupid I am being and after five minutes of pep talk I walked into the dining room and was greeted with so many welcoming smiles that I completely forgot how I was feeling just moments before. I was introduced to the gathering by the Provincial and began the first day of my DVI experience.

 

So far I have toured Pueblo Libre, attended my first set of Spanish Masses, visited the elderly sisters in Chaclacaya who, I absolutely love and who have shown me what it means to be committed to Christ and have been exposed to the continuing development of the Misioneras Dominicas del Rosario Pastoral Plan for the Provinces, which has shown me to an extent the reality of the education system, young people, women and more in Peru.

 

I am looking forward to listening (literally), understanding, learning and being open to how God intends to use me over this one year journey.