Last night I met with a couple of women for an English conversation group. I had met once before with one neighbor, but she couldn't come this time. Another neighbor and a friend/ fellow (Peruvian) missionary came along this time. We met up at a tasty juice shop, where I tried my first guanábana juice. I'm sold.

I was super relieved to have my friend there, because to be honest, I was a little intimidated by the neighbor that came. Until this week, the only exposure I've had to her is hearing a piercing high-volume voice from next door (no glass in the windows = no secrets), but at our neighborhood BBQ on Tuesday, she mentioned that she wanted to practice her English. Since I already had a date scheduled for the group, I threw out the invitation, in no way expecting that she'd actually come.

Surprise! She came and was perfectly lovely. I really enjoyed talking with the two women, and their English was pretty darn good. I think that the three I've met with so far are at about the same level and will fit together well.

I'm glad to have a place to get to know my neighbors (and my other friend!) better. While I have plenty of interaction with Peruvians at the market, the gym, and church, I haven't had (made?) lots of chances to make friends. I hope this will become a weekly time I will enjoy and that it will be a springboard for my relationships with the three women.

Also, I'm always eager for opportunities to share what Jesus has meant and means in my life, so it's exciting to have a group that's mixed in that sense, two of us who are devoted to life in Christ and two who have a different take on life. Last night while we were introducing ourselves, my neighbor had lots of questions about what it is that my friend and I do here, what it means to be a missionary, etc. I would love to see those questions move more into what we believe and love and what she thinks about the same topics. We'll see.

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