May 10th, 2018 - Jake Younger

Today was an incredible day for me, personally. The past couple days have been incredibly fruitful in terms of expanding my narrowed cultural lens and peering deeper into the foundations of Peruvian culture. A specific aspect of this culture, and all cultures I suppose, that I have an interest in is the religion and the structural narrative that is told through the art and the rich history. Yesterday I was able to visit Christo Blanco with my new amazing and diverse group of friends which honestly took me aback (if that's the appropriate use of the word). After taking the tour and having a deeper understanding of the roots, it shed some light on how Cusco can be both similar and unique to the U.S. in different ways.

Today was relaxing and nice because I was able to be independent and adventure on my own which is what I sought originally coming on this trip. After helping some lovely ladies shop for some sweet bucket hats, I was able to wonder off on my own before meeting up with da boyz. On my walk I stopped by the huge cathedral by the Plaza de Armas and I noticed two crosses on the side. I began to think back to the tour, the crosses near Cristo Blanco, and the view over the vast land and I was just overwhelmed with joy. Joy for the fact that although vastly different cultures, they believe and worship the same Lord I do. It made me think about the discussion with Intercultural Development Inventory today and ponder where I believe I lie on the spectrum. I wish I could go deeper into that but as I sit here and write, I am watching all the guys in my house including my host dad play a game and just have so much fun and my heart is so full. I have appreciated being able to communicate with the oh-so-amazing Papa Jesus. His willingness to serve, his patience in communication, and his selflessness in all activities has revealed to me what real Peruvian hospitality is and I am so excited to spend the next three weeks learning and growing in this culture with Papa Jesus, his wife, and all these unique men I am on this journey with. I guess to truly sum up my day, it was filled with meaningful conversation, interaction, and thought even though I didn't do anything really that exciting. Estoy muy contento.

This picture is at the center of la Plaza de Armas I was in awe of the contrast between this beautiful statue and the clear blue sky.

 A side view of the crosses found on the side of the church.

The amount of joy and happiness and community that can arise from a simple card game brings out so much happiness in Papa Jesus.