So, this is my first post. I'm excited to have come accross this site I came here because well, I feel rather alone in my faith.. Cliff notes version of my story:

For about 7 years (starting at 15) I went through a very tough religious search. I ended up giving up after a while, and being labelled as 'atheist' by my friends, which was fine with me then. I'm a very spiritual person, which is why I kept exploring spirituality, but had such a huge blindfold on that I couldn't link it to God. About a year and a half ago, I met a wonderful American guy who was living here in Peru as a volunteer with the Capuchin Franciscan Corps, and he showed me a completely different perspective of God and of life. I was able to see that through all the time that I had experienced 'spirituality' what I had been feeling was God's presence in my life. Needless to say, this guy and I are together now (We have been for over a year!) He really changed my life and I love him more than I can say. However...finding God meant losing friends. I don't know any hardcore Catholics here, not even regular Catholics...or even religious people at all! Since the Easter Triduum last year, there was a major change in all my friendships because suddenly I just couldn't talk to my friends anymore. I feel uncomfortable with some of the things they talk about, and they just don't get the joys and struggles that come along with being a Catholic. It's been a year, but it still hurts that no one but my boyfriend, a couple of other friends who were volunteers with him here, and the priests I go to Confession with are the only ones that get me.

So, that's my story! Like I said, I'm excited to be here I'm going to be doing my Confirmation at the end of May, and it feels wonderful to finally make my decision to be a Warrior of Christ OFFICIAL

Thanks for taking the time to read! Looking forward to getting to know all of you and of learning from and giving what I can to this community. Much love, peace and blessings to all!

Hi, lauralh4! Welcome to the board and back to the Church! I enjoyed reading your story; thanks for sharing it.

welcome home ... and to our little slice of cyberspace... enjoy your stay

Welcome! I've a friend who is a very faithful Catholic woman and is from Peru.

Welcome lauralh4! Thank you for sharing your story!

I know a priest in the area here who goes to Peru on mission trips.

Hi, lauralh, welcome to the board!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! PS Cool to know that some of you know someone in/who comes to Peru

Blessings to you all!

I've been wanting to visit Peru forever! Please can I come! haha.

By all means! We could use some more good Catholics around here

Your English is very good! I know a few people from Peru who only know Spanish how did you learn!

Thanks! Gotta thank my British school for that. It's basically a type of school that, even though it's in Lima, everything is taught in English by native speakers (most of them British...it was interesting trying to figure out my Scottish teacher's accents! Hehe) So I grew up in that system, since I was 3 until I was 18. Oh...and I guess I keep on practicing because my boyfriend is American, so yeah

What made him come to Peru? And hey, I think if he's going to go to your country, he needs to learn Spanish, not you English!

Oh he speaks Spanish fluently! In fact, given that he worked with adolescents (15ish year old boys), I think he knows far more slang than I do I guess I started talking to him in English when we first met and it kinda just stayed like that (though we do mutilate both languages and start speaking in 'Spanglish' sometimes).

He came here as a volunteer with the Capuchin Franciscan Volunteer Corps and lived here for a year and a half. Now he's back in the States to go to grad school (Masters of Divinity)...though he's coming back in 2 weeks for my Confirmation! So yup, very happy both about him coming here and about my Confirmation!

Welcome! Nice to meet you, and thanks for sharing your story!

And don't worry too much about those friends...you'll have friends!