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Since my last post big things have been in the making. The old group of voluteers left the new group is swore in and gone to their sites. This week we are celebrating the half way mark of the second group in their one year conference. In the past few months I have been exploring more of Lima taking days at the sauna, trying out new restaurants, visiting beaches and different dance clubs. I finished my work at the Direction of Health and have begun to work for the Ministry of Development and Social inclusion whose work focuses on eradicating poverty, increasing gender equality, decreasing malnourishment, improving education and early childhood stimulation and giving an equal opportunity to succeed in this country to all its countrymen. It is a very exciting perspective full of great ideas and theories that we just have to figure out how to make work. When you are working in places like the jungle there are girls as young as 12 years old getting pregnant, in the mountains there is ridiculously high amounts of malnutrition people living above 14,000 ft with limited access to safe water, food, health and education services. Trying to resolve those sorts of issues and getting all of the different organizations governmental and non to work together in these common themes. Needless to say there is much work to be done each day I have worked there I spend 7 hours reading through countless documents attempting to get the hang of all the policies and processes and interventions that are in place and figure out how I am going to influence them. In mid October I traveled to the south a bit in Huancavelica to visit some volunteer's sites and run a training for the new volunteers. It was great to get back to the campo, covered in dirt and animal poop and working with community members. They have such a wonderful hospitality and sense of humor. When I got back from that trip Joel had his 7th professional MMA fight which he won! And to my surprise during his victory speech called me down to the ring and proposed marriage to me. I quite rosy cheeked tried not to fall down the flight of stairs to the ring and accepted. That weekend he then took me out for drinks at a trendy bar, dinner out on the pier and proposed again in a more private manner. We celebrated with champagne and dancing.  We are planning on having the first ceremony on a beach in southern Lima January 2014. Right now we are just enjoying the engagement and have time to plan a simple but definitely fun event. Sometime after in 2014 we will have a second ceremony in Colorado for all those who cannot make it down to Peru. I am still training 3 days a week and hopefully will have my first MMA fight in January I am going to compete in the National Wrestling Championship in January as well. In November I headed off to Arizona to spend time with my mom for a week Spaing and mediating on life and as usual getting silly and enjoying each others company. Thanks mom for a beautiful trip! I also shopped til I dropped but am now looking much more put together as I have transitioned from the juniors section to the woman section of the stores. Ekk! But it had to happen at some point and I now struggle much less in the mornings as I have so many options. I was also the maid of honor in my friends Karl and Theresa's Wedding. It was great to be a part of something that I schemed up 4 years ago when I set up my college roommate with my chemistry professor they thought it would never work and with a little insistence they are a great pair enjoying being newly weds. While I was in the states Joel when off to fight in a major event in South America in Paraguay where he won again! Though it was nice to be back for a visit I feel very comfortable with my life in Peru. It is most certainly challenging being far from family and friends but I feel a happiness and a sense of purpose here that I never felt in the states. They say the world may end on the 21st of this month so I would like to say I love you all with all my heart and soul. I appreciate so much the support you continue to give me in all that I do and all the influence that you guys had over the years shaping me into who I am. I wish to leave you with this reflection because if the world does not end what is undeniable is that the human race is using resources scandalously and consuming excessively everything. Be mindful and grateful for what you have because "If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of the world. If you have money in your bank, in your wallet, and some spare change you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If you woke up this morning with health than illness you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week. IF you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment and torture or the horrible pangs of starvation you are luckier than 500 million people living in suffering. If you can read this message you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read at all." As Christmas rolls around be thoughtful about what you truly need and all that you already have. If you do not want to donate to a cause http://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate if not do some charity work but not just during the month of december but throughout the year. There is need everywhere. Helping people makes you happier. Merry xmas and a happy new year.