Where muppets come to die!!

I was coming home from work the other night when I saw something that I was not expecting. I knew that if I did not take the opportunity to take a picture, I would regret it. So, that is what I did. I will let this picture speak for itself. I titled it simply: Lima. Where muppets come to die!! I am sorry to tell any of you die hard Elmo fans out there, Your idol has past on to the other side.

Writing a new book

I am not going to write much on this because I want to keep a secret, but yes, I am writing a book that I am very excited about. For those of you who know me, and know what I write, this is very different. This is something I feel really good about, and want to push myself to finish it because I think people could benifit from the story. Yep, thats about it. I don´t want to spoil anything. But thanks for reading this.

Brandon J. Greer

The Peruvian bus story

As I was on my way to work this morning, I had a good idea for the blog. Well, at the time, I was not having a great time. Well, just read on to find out what happened.

It was 6:45 in the morning, and I was on my way to work. I have to take two busses to get to work. The first one I take is a smaller bus called a combi. It seats, oh, lets say maybe 10 to 15 people. When I got on, I took one of the last seats. Now, I have to give you an idea of what these little combi´s is like. They are very small vans, and you can´t even stand up in one. I was sitting there, and they guy who takes the money just keeps on letting people in. Soon all the seats are filled, and he keeps letting people get one. With people still getting on, there are soon 5 people standing. I bet he would have let even more people get one, but he almost didnt fit. Anyways, that is not the bad part.

So, I get to Avenida La Molina, which is kind of like a junction for the bus, and I switch to another bus. This IS a bus. Much bigger. I would say that 20 or more people could sit on this bus. But they do not stop at that in Peru, and I am used to that. I will get onto a bus where there is only standing room. Its okay. But, some of these guys who lets people get on don´t seen to notice, or don´t care how full the bus is getting. More and more people get on, and soon it feels like a can of sardines. I mean, you look out the window and see a fat guy walking towards the bus and you think to yourself, " Holy crap, we are all going to die!". This morning was like that. This bus go to crowded that I literally had to push people back so I would not be touching the bus driver.

Mornings can be like that in Peru when you don´t have a car. It is cheap though.

And that is all for now. I will keep you posted on other things as they happen. Most likely next time will be about the guys who take money on the bus. Yeah, that will be another long story.

Brandon J. Greer

How a man can change

Place: Ate, Lima, Peru. Situation: Walking to work at 11:30 in the morning. Thinking about the things in life that you didn´t think you would think about.

When seeing things for the first time, it is hard to take it for granted, but the more you see it, and hear about it, the easier it is to take for granted. Growing up as a kid, I had it easy. I am sure that I complained about things, or cried because I did not have something I wanted. But really, I had it easy. Ask yourself that same question. Do I have it easy? Right now, I still have it easy. Yes, I may have to walk to work, and I have to work hard to get what I have, but I can get it. How often do we think of those who do not have, or do not eat?

Peru is a third world country, and everyday I see things that change me. A small child begging me to give him food because he is hungry. A woman with three children sitting on a dirty street, dressed in dirty clothes, holding out a dirty hat in hopes that someone, anyone, will drop in a few dirty coins.

Again and again the scripture comes to mind. I do not know it by heart, but you will know what I am talking about. What you do unto the least of these my brethern, ye do it unto me. How often do we find ourselves giving to Jesus, or just walking past, head down, hoping that He will not notice? He does notice.

I walk past these people everyday. I give what little I have, and sometimes nothing at all but a wish and a hope that someone else will give. But always I have a pain inside that I do not do more when I can, and when I can´t.

This morning I was coming home from work and this lady came up to me. "Por favor, un sol, tengo hambre." "Please, one coin, I am hungry." It is enough to make you cry. But when you are around it everyday, it is easier and easier to ignore, and even avoid such encounters. There are two questions that need to be considered. And the first maybe isn´t the best.

Is this person really in need of my help, or do they just want my money? It is a hard question to answer, but it probably keeps some people going hungry and cold at nights.

The second question is do I have enough to spare? The coins that I carry with me usually find their way into a dirty hat on a bridge, or a sidewalk, or in a park. But I can be doing more. I need to be doing more.

Life can be hard sometimes for all of us, so please, be happy always with what you have, and think of those who go without everyday.

Brandon J. Greer

My lastest thoughts

I hope you are all ready for this. I have not written on here in a while, so I hope that I do not overwhelm you with all my words. First, and again, I would like to thank the people who have been reading this. Okay, not that that is out of the way, on to business.

As I have been getting used to the food here in Peru, I have been wanting to write an entry for my blog called: Is rice made of metal? The answer to that questions is a total NO, but here in Lima, it has become a STAPLE in my diet. We eat it all the time. But they do so much stuff with rice here that it is great. I don't mind eating rice everyday. Tomorrow, however, I will not be eating rice. Tomorrow is pasta day. I love all the food here. It is a wonder that I am actually loosing weight. My family will be astonished at how I looke when I come home for a visit.

Over the week, my fantastic wife bought me a new book. For those of you who don't know, I love to read. I am almost finished reading The Chronicles of Narnia for the third time. I am about half way through The Last Battle. Great books. It is amazing at how close they come to the gosple. Anyways, my new book. As most of you are aware, there are two books out there which have been made into movies. Angels and Demons, and The Da Vinci Code. My favorite out of those two was Angels and Demons. The book and the movie. It is the very first novel featuring Robert Langdon. Well, Dan Brown has come out with a third book in the series. The Lost Symbol. I have not started reading it yet, because I am waiting to finish The Chronicles of Narnia. I am very excited for it though. If any of you out there have read it, let me know what you think, but don't spoil anything for me.

I have also found one of my new favorite movies. The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Very good movie. I already have it on DVD.

Also, an update on Laura. She is doing much better. She is still having some trouble with an infection, but she is on some treatments now, and things are going much better. She has an appointment with the doctor again next week to see how everything is going.

Well, that is about all for today. Have a great day, and take care.

Brandon J. Greer