Familia...

Lima to Cuzco- I made it! It was a long day at the airport but I arrived and Alfonso, the guy that I'll be working with from sense the world (the nonprofit organization that Greg founded & I'll be working with) was waiting the whole day at the airport for me. He took me to my hostel and we had some mate de cocoa- which is like tea, but they told me it is not. They said it is to acclimate to the elevation... which I later found out how serious they were. I rested for an hour and then Alfonso picked me up to go get some lunch- the real peruvian deal! It was the first thing that I had to eat for awhile and it was some kind of fish?? Lots of seafood here! I also tried this drink that is famous here called "Chicha"- probably the worst thing that I've ever tasted in my life. Seriously.. but I tried to swallow it down (believe me this was a BIG glass of chicha) as they were so proud of it. I'm sure it'll come back up in my path again.... can't wait :(. I can try just about anything (and have!)- but that was NO BUENO.

Alfonso and I went to start getting all of the supplies we need to take to the villages... we were at the store buying LOTS of notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, shampoo, soap, etc, etc. They told me we would be going part way by car and the rest of the way on horse back to deliver these things- Pretty excited for that! It was a little while into the evening yesterday that I started to get sick- I was feeling great and then within a few mins was blacked out sitting on the floor. Wow Lindy- here i am the only gringa around trying to blend in... falling on my face in the middle of the store...I was thinking to myself "way to blend in tourist" :). So yeah- that altitude thing... for real. It is the highest city in the world that is civilized. I learned that yesterday- directly.

I went back to my hostel & was a little lonely in a place I don't know at all- but it was good for me for sure! I took a walk to find a phone because my friends in Lima wanted me to let them know I made it- met a gentleman along the way that charged me 3 soles to make a call on his cell phone. Back the the hostel after dodging as many people as I could & hung out for awhile longer until Erin came to my hostel. I was pretty excited to see her... she is studying at the same school I'll be at. We walked up to the plaza and found a salsa bar and hung out for a little while before I walked back to my hostel.

Today I'm going to my host family which I'm really excited about! It will be good to have a home base here. Saying a little prayer that it is a good set-up... my host family in Costa Rica was a bit challenging (but fun none the less).

Alfonso and I will work some more today and who knows what else the day holds??? I'm excited to get busy and get started on my cuzco adventures!

I'll try and post some more pics from Lima- sometimes I can and sometimes I can't. Missing you all! Thanks for the e-mails and facebook notes- they seriously make my day.

Going to Cuzco... maybe

Uh Oh.

First big bump in the road- which isn't a huge bump. I got to the airport at 3:30 am to catch my flight to Cuzco and all went well until we boarded the plane and I fell asleep as soon as I sat in my seat. I woke up about an hour later and we were in the exact same place as we were before. We can't take off because of the weather in Cuzco so we are stuck in Lima. I actually tried to change my flight to stay in Lima for the weekend, but couldn't and now I'm here... but in the airport. We'll see... maybe it is meant for me to stay here?!?!

I can't even begin to describe how long it feels that I've been here. Not a few days but more like months. Dan got here and we've all been treking around Lima seeing new sights. I love the city as you can walk along the cliffs that over look the ocean for DAYS. Well at least a day which is what we did the other day. We met Dan around 11am and went for a walk down the beach and then back through the city (over looking the beach) and got back to the hotel at 5:30 pm. It was awesome!

We have spent all of our time with Willy's family- I met his sisters yesterday- once again, that kid has such an amazing family. His sister, mom and cousin took us around all day yesterday- we got in the ocean (which is not beautiful by any means when you are from Oregon) and it is some DIRTY water. I figure you only live once and all the peruvians were doing it... but I don't even want to know what I was swimming in?!?!

We have had a TON of civiche (spelling?) which is A-Mazing... but if I don't get sick this trip it will be a small miracle.

we just got called to board again- we'll see how it goes.. bye for now.

dancin

Last night my dreams came true. If any of yáll see a handsome peruvian that is known to drop in and out of Denver..that is my friend Willy and you can give him a big hug from me because hanging with his family has been awesome. Last night we went to get a drink at a restaurant that looks over the ocean and sat on the patio laughing and laughing and laughing. It has been a long time since I laughed as much as I did yesterday. It was beautiful. Afterwards we went to the discotecas in Lima- we spent most of our time at a cuban place with live music. I danced the whole time with Willy´s cousin Efrain and I could NOT get the smile off my face. It feels so good to be here. I feel so alive here and just being surrounded in Spanish is music to my ears.

My heart is content and I had so many afterthoughts of this trip being the right thing, but I now know that this is where I belong. There are some times in life where you have to take the consequences and follow your heart. My heart is here today for sure. I am breathing lighter then I have in a long time. I will be in touch as much as possible... we are waiting for Dan right now and then I will have two gringo boys to watch after... or to watch over me, either way.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers and e mails... they make my day.

Lima... we are loving this place. We got in at midnight last night and my dear friend Willy hooked me up with a ride from his cousin who was waiting at the airport ready to get Brenton and I safely to the hotel. It is hard to believe we have only been here 1 day... lots to see. The flights down were perfect. We got bumped up to first class the whole way and were wined and dined. Brenton gave me crap for sleeping 6 hours out of a 6 and a half hour flight... I needed it!!!

Today we woke up and explored around Barranco where we are staying and went to the beach and took a long walk on the beach. Lots to see. We met up with Willy´s mom and had lunch at a wonderful place across from the soccer stadium where alanzia plays... amazing food and great company. we laughed a lot and brenton was hitting on Willy´s mom...(sorry willy). Everything has been GREAT.

We are exhausted after lots of running around and FULL tummys from sea food... going to take a nap and go out with Willy´s cousin and sister tonight to dance dance dance the night away. Things could not have gone better thus far....

Miss ya all....

Destination- Peru

The time has come! I'm sitting in the airport in Atlanta with a 6 hour layover so at this point I'm committed- it's the real deal. I wasn't sure until this moment that this trip was going to actually happen- but my next destination is Lima. Done deal. This trips arrival has been bitter sweet- for a variety of reasons but as I struggled to be excited this morning I woke up about 1/2hour into our flight and glanced to my right and saw the sun rise above the clouds and to my left was my good friend & brotha- Brenton tagging along for the adventure. It was in that moment that I remembered that I am NOT the one in control. My apprehensions were quickly silenced by the most amazing view I've seen in a long time... and I realized that this trip is bigger then my fears.

SO for all of you who were wondering along with me if this was going to be for real here are the details..

*I've recruited two of my best amigos to start the trip off with- Brenton is treking with me & we are meeting Dan-Dan in Lima. I'm going to be in Lima exploring until Saturday.

*This Saturday I'll be flying to Cuzco to meet up with a touch point from "Sense the World"- which is a friend's non-profit organization and delivering materials and working with a gentleman named Alfonso. This is open-ended to what I'll be doing- and I'm excited for that adventure. I'll be visiting villages to deliver the materials... this journey is open-ended. I'll be taken care of by Alfonso & his wife while working with the organization which I feel really confident about as I've communicated via phone and e-mail with him several times. Good guy- he has to be he is a cop in Cuzco :)

*I'm going to try and see Machu Picchu & dance sometime in the down time or weekends.

*I start living with my host family shortly after getting to Cuzco- and start class & down to business. From that point on LEARN, LEARN, LEARN. I'll be teaching for the majority of the time I'm there.. I can hear it now.. Senorita Wimmer. I can't believe I'll be teaching. Scary!

That is the schedule in a nut-shell. I'll be flying to Lima the day after class ends on the 14th of Feb. and trying to get a flight back to Denver as quickly as possible after that. I'll be camping out at the airport until they give me the go ahead to get back to the states.

I'm excited for the adventure ahead- but also looking forward to getting back (which is an awesome feeling)- means that I have a lot to come back to. I'm a blessed little girl- every day of my life and I'm thankful for everything I have. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers!

As I learned in Costa Rica "pura vida"- I'm ready to take this adventure on and learn all that I can from the journey. The more I'm stretched the stronger I'll be!!!!

I'll be in touch,
Love,
Lindy

Over the past year the world has continued to evolve. Hunger still exists, the sun still rises every morning. The waves continue to crash upon the sand while my heart continues to beat. Life is given and taken away without fail. It was yet again a year of crime and war, celebration and hope. It was a year of history. For me it was a year of big dreams. Dreams much too big for one girl to achieve, but dreams never-the-less. 2008 has been a year of searching my heart and trying to understand what my purpose on this earth is. I find myself trying to balance my aspirations with reality and finding a formula to get a solution. The truth is that I haven’t found an equation that solves my purpose; rather 2008 has been a year of guess and check. I’m discovering that it may be a life time of guess and check- making mistakes and trying again. I’m realizing that I’m thankful for the people in my life that are forgiving & patient and see a hope in me that I’m being refined.
Life always brings us reminders- whether we desire it or not there are always little alarms that go off and bring us back to reality.

One reality that I’ve not escaped in this world is that my very life- the means of my existence on this earth is not a given, rather a gift. I am not promised one more day at any point, yet I wake to the sunrise and a new beginning over and over again. I cannot explain why some lives are taken and I’m repetitively given another chance; yet the statement that comes with each sunrise is that I’m here each day for a purpose. I know little Miss Molly Hovis had a purpose- she was a mighty little girl that only had 84 days on this earth, yet made a big impact on this world & my heart. As I sat at her funeral on November 7th I learned of strength- a strength a three month old had found that I haven’t been able to accomplish in my 26 years on this earth. I was also reminded that this earth is not the end- that there is more & it took Molly a much shorter time to reach her purpose on this earth then it is taking myself. I was also reminded on this year that new beginnings are a gift on this earth when Chase & Deacon my newest family members joined the rest of us in this world. There has never been a closer thing to perfection on this side of earth then a brand new beginning, and the innocence of a newborn. As I watch every rise and fall of their chests as they took some of their first breaths in this world it is like a symphony has just been compiled. That is the definition of creation, by the perfect creator.

In September my world was divinely shaken. You see, I got a little complacent going about my path to remember that there is a world beyond my backyard. I started to think that my view and little corner on this earth was the big picture. That all changed at 2:30 am when I crossed a border, but this isn’t a figurative border, this one is very literal. It is the border that divides the United States and Mexico. This is the line that we can cross on any day of the year, yet it cannot be crossed from the other side. What sat on the other side of the perimeter shook my world. A very eerie silence was found in Juarez- a silence I knew right away couldn’t be good. I was only there for 3 days but what my ears heard and eyes witnessed in that time will be with me the rest of my life. Why is it that each person is assigned a place to exist on this earth & some have it so good, while others have it so rough? I guess the harder question is why do I in my perfect freedom in Lakewood Colorado have days where I feel deprived yet these people living in a war, locked in the safety of the walls have a passionate joy? I heard stories of people living in fear- fear that over 1,400 deaths had been tallied and that jobs were hard to find as people were afraid to go to work, fear that they could be a random victim or a name on a hit list- fear that I don’t know or understand yet they have a laughter as if they are in paradise. The smiles of these people stayed with me in my heart as I took my piece of paper with my name and picture and was “approved” to cross back over the boarder leaving behind some lives that could not come with me- because they were assigned to live in Juarez. This was a time in the past year that shook my life.

I look back to a good day. A really good day. I woke up early and headed to the mountains to live one of my favorite times of the year which comes and goes as quickly as the wind, but if caught can be breathtaking. I will forever keep with me the image of the aspen trees at their ripest moment. I was as close to streets of gold that I can get to for the time being. The same day took me galloping on the back of a horse through fields of fall colors. That was a day that I became a little bit closer to the idea of true freedom. That was a good day in 2008.

Weekdays are the most common days I lived in 2008. There is a 5/7 chance that it is a weekday- so it’s beneficial, I’ve learned, to make sure that I love where I spend my week days. I love my job. There are days that it got mundane, as any job can, but I know that one gift I have is my job. It isn’t the final product that is the most rewarding, although it is a good feeling to see a beautiful soccer field being utilized as two teams cross the lines to embark in the most successful sport in the world and watch the faces of an energetic crowd as they enter into the game from the sidelines- but the process that blesses me the most. Co-workers are no longer co-workers, but a family that is working towards the same goal, and uniting to bring something big to Denver. It is the days where we come together and see a bigger picture, such as a cool day in October when players and staff went a quarter of a mile up the street from the stadium to build a playground for the residential kids of Commerce City. It is days like that that when I can say I’m beginning to grasp the bigger picture. Not to mention my favorite work day of the year- staff soccer day! It helps that we won this year.

Sundays are something to remember. It is a day of the week that helps me to sit back & reflect. I can remember some good words that were spoken to me on Sundays. I have been fortunate to find a place to escape religion & find a church. Not a building- but a group of people who are just as broken as myself- looking for a better way to live. I was reminded this past year that the more I care for others the more fulfilling my life will be. I know for a fact that I’m blessed much deeper than I deserve. I guess that would mean that in the past year I’ve learned a little bit more about grace.

I went through some hardships as well as physical pain in 2008. I have had pain in my legs for a long time now and since my mind & heart are directly tied to my physical activity- when that very activity brings pain it can effect my whole being. It is in those moments you want to make sure you have people in your life that will sit beside you in the still moments. Pain brought for some hard days in 2008 but it made me remember that I am fortunate for my health. A wise person in my life once taught me “pain is a reminder that you are alive”. I’m thankful for that reminder.

Weddings were a big part of my 2008. Celebration. I can’t think of a more worthy cause to celebrate then love. To see my friends happy is an tremendous gift. I collected some good memories as I witnessed lives merge and commitments be made. One small miracle J was the day I received the news that I’ll have a new sister. My brother finally made leap and asked Chelsey if she’d be part of our family. One big thing to look forward to in 2009 is a big party celebrating it actually being official that she is one of the Wimmer’s. This brings a hope that with one more sister to assist us Shelly and I can finally beat up our big brother!


I had my share of fun in 2008. It started last January with an adventure of traveling in Costa Rica with Brooke. The adventures continued…Danskin triathlon, concerts, experiencing California through trips to Santa Barbara, Santa Ana, San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, putting on the Mile High Music Festival, enjoying the Rocky Mtns. via camping, hiking and snowboarding, visiting my roots in Oregon, learning to fish, having my family come visit me in Denver, attending Nuggets/Rockies/Avalanche/Rapids games, and of course plenty of soccer, Spanish and dancing.

"I've learned to live life to the fullest"

I have learned to love people. Not for what they can give to me, but for who they are. An easy lesson to learn is how fallible I am on this earth & how prone I am to make mistakes. I can have a perfect thing and turn it into a disaster & in those times I look to the people in my life that just love me. I know that I need people who can accept me & my mistakes and forgive me over and over. I have come to realize that the most valuable thing on this earth are the relationships in my life.

Here’s to looking ahead to the future. My journey will start out in unknown land. For those of you whom I haven’t spoken with yet I am leaving early January to start my 2009 in South America. One dream that I’ve had for a long time is to have the privilege of investing in lives through teaching. I have been working to get my license to teach English as a foreign language and have to support of the Colorado Rapids to launch a program called FutHabla where I can connect learning English and soccer. It is a work in progress and will be an adventurous journey, but I am joyful as it is a small dream of mine that is unfolding.

In 2009 my feet will wander many different paths and my eyes will witness many things. I am not guaranteed 358 more sunrises, but if given the chance I’d love to embrace each day. I will not live them perfectly and the number of bad days may outnumber the good days, but I will never forget that no matter what is before me that each day is numbered & I will give thanks and do my best to make the most of each day. I can’t guarantee that I won’t make mistakes, because I will. What I can promise is that I will take risks for the things that I believe in and the dreams that I have- because that is my purpose.

Please continue to join me on my journey of 2009 starting in South America…