We have been able to get a lot of paperwork done for your civil marriage. I think if it were 2 peruvians getting married, it would be so much easier. Its just more difficult and complicated since I am not from Peru. My birth certificate is now legalized for Peru, and a spanish translated copy is being made right now. We went the U.S. embassy, and that is quite a facility. The people there were very helpful. I had a marriage certificate from Iowa that basicly just said they could not find my name in their computer, and I was hoping that would do for a document that said I was single. But the woman at the embassy told us that she could get us a document that said I was single in the United States, and the document would be in Spanish and would be legal in Peru. And so we got that, and were really glad. We also had to get our blood taken, and tested for like STD´s and other stuff. We also both had to get a chest xray done, but not real sure what they were looking for. Everyone is required to do that when getting married. A wedding is expensive, but also the civil marriage is not cheap, and I imagine a lot of people in Peru wish to get married, but they just can´t afford it.
I am happy about the progress, and today we were able to make an appointment for our civil marriage ceremony, which is October 25. I really don´t know what that will be like, but I know we dress up for it. After that the country of Peru considers us married, although really it is not until our wedding that we consider ourselves married. Eliana reminded me to thank everyone for your prayers.
Things are going well here. I am not a big eater, and I know Elianas mother wishes that I ate more. She gave me a pat on the back at supper tonight when we were eating spaghetti and I asked for seconds.
It really is a different world here. I think that really you would just have to experience it to know what I am talking about. I imagine it is a shock to go from the United States to a lot of countries, and probably the same for a lot of people that visit the United States. It is just so different. I am hoping that my Spanish continues to be better, because it really is difficult to communicate. It even still gets difficult for Eliana and I talking to each other. But I hope that in a year that is different, and that communication is really not an issue anymore.