Wednesday, November 17, 2010

3 days to go?!

I, Larinda, was very blessed by a dear friend who provided me the opportunity to go on a medical boat down the Amazon river two weeks ago as a translator. Roger was our translator last year when the family was here. He is now in charge of coordinating the medical trips with a ministry called Amazon Hope. He said it was truly God working, because he usually has a lot of difficulty bringing in new translators. And wow, it was definitely a blessing from God. It was actually an answer to prayer on my part, and a reminder of God's faithfulness to supply not only our needs, but also our desires (when we are in His will). So 3 days before leaving, Roger asks me if I want to go on a medical trip as a translator...I was so ecstatic and amazed the opportunity. It was a 10 day trip with a medical team from Scotland. Every morning we would sail to a different village and see patients till lunch time, then sail to another village and see patients till supper. The first couple days were hard for me as a translator. I learned quickly though, cause I had to! Medical terms don't come into everyday conversation after all. :P But thankfully I had lots of help from the other 3 translators (Peruvians) who are very experienced with medical translators. By the end of the trip we had seen over 2,500 patients and had visited over 20 villages down the Amazon river! I learned more Spanish in those 10 days than I have in the last month! I also learned a lot medically. For instance, I got to see 6 ultrasounds and 2 minor tumor removal surgeries....also learned a lot about diagnosing parasites, flu, minor aches and pains, cough, and pterigion (very common!). Lots of cases of all those! I was blessed with the fellowship of hearty Scottish doctors and nurses, and made many new Peruvian friends too. It was truly a blessing from God, and I hope God allows me to someday return as a translator again! When we returned from the river, Lindsey joined us to tour a medical clinic in the poorest (and most dangerous) part of Iquitos. It was encouraging to see the needs being met, but also sad because of the needs that aren't able to be met because of lack of funds. We also visited a boys home about an hour down river from Iquitos. It is a safe haven for endangered boys, who are given shelter, clothing, food, education, work, and Bible teaching. Amazon Hope (the medical boat), the clinic, and the boys home are all through a ministry called Union Biblica (Bible Union). What a blessing they are being to those here! I thoroughly enjoyed and was very blessed being a part of that blessing.
So now, Lindsey and I are preparing to head home...bittersweet! I am excited to see everyone and to begin preparing to go to Moody Bible Institute in January. But I will miss many people here, who have become like family. Monday we had a "clausura" with my English students (end of class party). I am grateful to have had the opportunity to teach, and was blessed by my students. I probably learned more than they did! :D Also, very thankful to Lindsey for taking over my classes while I was on the medical trip. She did great and the students loved her!
Now, our days are filled with packing and goodbyes. What a blessing these four months have been. I have learned profoundly and grown in all ways possible (yes, even physically....it's called a rice belly here :P haha) I am eternally grateful that God provided this time here. And now I am looking forward to what God has in store for the future!

Lindsey here. I suppose I'll let you in on what I've been doing the past few weeks... as you know Larinda went on a 10 day medical trip as a translator. While she was gone I was stuck here at MEPI. ok... not stuck... but here :-D When we first started talking about Larinda going on the trip we were saying how she would have to end her English classes 2 weeks early... but then some of the Peruvians kept saying Lindsey can teach have Lindsey teach. I of course said no! cause I've never taught before and felt I wouldn't be able to do it. But with a little encouragement I said I'd do it. Larinda left on Sunday and I started teaching Tuesday. I was nervous just thinking about it :-)... but Larinda planned the classes and I just had to teach what she planned so that made it a whole lot easier. :-D After the first two days I got use to it and actually enjoyed teaching :-D I loved seeing the students improve in what they were learning. my days went by super fast... to fast in fact. I'd study in the morning and before I knew it it was time to teach. after teaching I'd either study more or play volleyball then Church at night. I was also at the Adams (American missionaries who live a 2 minute walk away) house a lot. Kaitlyn (the Adams daughter) had fun making different foods and playing games :-D The Peruvians always teased me saying every night I cry myself to sleep since Larinda isn't here. ALL the time haha. So thats pretty much what I did while Larm was gone... she gave you the update on what we've been doing since she's been home :-D
it's awesome... the first time I came here I thought how sad it was that we couldn't joke around in Spanish... or that they don't joke around as much in Spanish... but man do they joke! I love it. I've learned so much more Spanish... and I love being able to understand another language without even thinking about it! I've studied a lot here and am looking forward to not studying while at home :-P Like Larinda said... we're packing to head on home and it's very bittersweet... Time is flying by fast! but honestly I can't wait to see you all! :-D

God Bless!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Wow, does time ever fly! With only 5 weeks left, Lindsey and I are beginning to make the most of every day. We're beginning to realize that this is probably the last time Lindsey and I will ever be able to travel together like this. It has been an amazing experience, and we are grateful that we've had this time together before we both go off to college and then who knows from there!
We have been settled into a routine for awhile now (and leaving soon! crazy...) I teach 2 different classes in the afternoons. They are both beginner classes, but one is a little more advanced than the other. One has mostly younger students, and the other has mostly older students, some have studied English before. I love my students, and they inspire me with their eagerness to learn. One of my students sometimes walks 80 blocks to class, because he doesn't have bus money for that day (80 centimos...about 20 cents!). One day, he ran all the way in order not to be late! So, when I'm not lesson planning I'm working on a book I brought. Conformed to His Image by Kenneth Boa. It's a hefty book on spiritual disciplines. I am learning so much, it's overwhelming! As far as Spanish goes, Lindsey and I were just talking the other day about how it will be interesting to hear someone speaking and NOT understand them. We're at a point in Spanish where we can sit there and listen to a conversation and understand (almost) everything without really thinking about it. It's great!
Lindsey studies Spanish all morning...I think she'll be passing me pretty soon! Right now she's learning tons of new vocabulary (which is really what I need!). Just in the last 2 days she's learning 250 new words! Well on her way to fluency!
Two weeks ago we were (sorta) surprised with a visit from Dad! It was supposed to be a surprise, but we were pretty suspicious because the family would never answer when we asked if he was coming, and the Peruvians dropped a few hints. So he was here for 4 or 5 days...it was SO nice to see him! We had a celebration for Lindsey's 18th birthday, which was the 26th of September. Complete with Kikiriki's, Inca Kola, and cake! And of course, Linz got eggs cracked on her head! It was fun. After, we went with all our Peruvian friends to the Iquitos stadium and watched a soccer game. That was an experience for everyone! It was a first for most of us. When Dad went home, we sent curiche for the girls, praying it would make it! Curiche in the U.S.?! Amazing! (Curiche is a popsicle made from aguaje, a fruit that is plentiful here).
Random things we've done lately: walked to Nanay for ice cream...run around the courtyard in Mepi 100 times!!! (took 45 min)...played volleyball in the rain guys vs. girls with the punishment of running 20 times around the courtyard (we girls lost!)...got a cold (just me, Larinda) and really wanted a sauna, but ate raw garlic instead...made Nissu, brownies, and bread...eating WAY too much rice! The Peruvians feed us too no end, and still think we don't eat enough. But the food is so. delicious. Ah. Oh Rox, we also made the chocolate milk popsicles! Yummy. Oh, I've had 3 dreams this weeks about the whole family coming to Peru. If only that would really happen! ;)
Well, we MISS everyone SO much! Very much looking forward to seeing everyone. Love and blessings!
Larinda

Monday, September 13, 2010

Pictures!

I've added more pictures!!

Enjoy!

(remember, you have to copy/paste the link)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=194990&id=598491871&l=e96a5395c7

Monday, September 6, 2010

Greetings from Peru! It has been beautiful here lately, not overwhelmingly hot like usual. We're enjoying that!
Let's see....at the wedding Lindsey and I with two other ladies ended up serving over 300 people. The dining room was packed and many people had to stand up outside to eat. True to Peruvian culture, the wedding began over an hour late and we didn't eat till around 11:30pm! Fun times though. Last Monday was a Peruvian holiday, so we went to a "beach", which is nice right now cause the river is down. Tuesday I (Larinda) began teaching English at MEPI. Right now I teach one class at night. Beginning next Monday, I will begin teaching 3 classes a day. One in the morning, afternoon, and night. I also went to two different English institutes in the city and left my resume with them. They had already planned the month of September, so they will get back to me about October. So far I will be teaching only absolute beginners classes. That's the hardest to teach! It will be challenging, but will learn much I'm sure. It will be a good experience too.
Lindsey has been finishing some school, and also studying Spanish a lot! She will be using this time to learn and advance her Spanish as much as possible, as she would like to work as a medical translator in the future. I am also hoping to advance my Spanish enough to be able to work as a translator in the future. How we are living right now is definitely helping, cause we really are only able to talk English to each other! We do visit the Adams (a missionary family here) a few times a week since they live right down the street. They let us use their internet. We also have fun with their daughter (11), who is happy to have English speaking girls to visit with! :P So other than them and the two translators we see sometimes, we speak Spanish all day with everyone. Three months like this...we'll definitely learn a lot!! What an opportunity to learn Spanish through complete immersion! We're loving learning more everyday.
Saturday the 4th was La Marcha Por Jesรบs. The March for Jesus. We were here last year when it was going on, so it was fun being here again. Basically, all the churches from around the city unite for a huge parade around the city's major streets and plazas. A good majority of the churches participate. It is amazing to see so many people unite and unashamedly proclaim the name of Jesus to their city!
It is still very strange to be here without the rest of the family...we miss them a lot. All the Peruvians do too. Continue to pray for health and safety! And for wisdom and guidance as we continue these endeavors. Prayer is very much appreciated!
Blessings,
Larinda

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Hey all! We are safe in Iquitos! We got here Monday at around
4:30pm...a friend of a missionary family we know picked us up, we dropped all our bags off
at the their house and then we walked to MEPI. There was a group of them
playing volleyball...we walked in and called to Marcos and Gilber who
were playing...their eyes about dropped out of their heads!
Hahaha...everyone was SO shocked I can´t even describe it with words.
We DID get videos! It was AWESOME...The whole night they kept saying, ´´we´re
dreaming we´re dreaming! We never once thought you guys would be
coming!´´ It was the most amazing epic surprise ever.
They asked us where we were staying and immediately insisted we stay
in the apartment where we lived for 6 months... (su casa! your house! they say) So here we are. In a place that seems so much like home it´s crazy. I woke up this
morning in my bed, and looked around the room, so familiar, feels so
much like home. Just one thing though...the family isn´t here! It is so
strange to be staying in the apartment without them. It is so sad,
and makes us miss them all a ton. Oh what I would do to have them come here!
Everywhere I look here, there´s memories, and they all include the family. It is so
weird being here again without them! So many times, I have looked up at the apartment and expected to see one of my sisters´ heads pop up in the window. Ah! Come to Iquitos you guys!
So, Iquitos is just as hot as ever! Linz and I stepped off the plane
and couldn´t breath...I had forgotten how hot it really is! We had gotten
used to Cusco weather...HUGE difference. Big change in weathr! But everything else here in Iquitos, all the smells...the food...everything´s the same! This morning I was
pleasantly surprised to see the empanada man walk in MEPI at 10:00am
just like clockwork. :) I had forgotten how much I love Iquitos. Truly like a second home!
Tonight will be the wedding of our friend Esther...we are preparing food and cleaning the mission. Lindsey and I had a fun experience plucking a few of the 40 chickens they are preparing. Oh Iquitos! There is supposed to be 250 guests. If you knew how things are here in Iquitos, you´d agree with me how HUGE of an undertaking that is. Crazy! The hardest part is the food preparation of course...just imagine doing EVERYTHING by hand (including killing and plucking the chickens!) I suppose that´s why Peruvian weddings normally don´t start till after 8pm.
Well, the surprise is out and everyone knows we´re here now. So now we will settle in, and I will begin teaching English soon. Please continue to pray for safety and health!
We miss you all.
Blessings,
Larinda

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Beware: very lengthy update!

:-O I'm a few days off! :-P

Four more days until we're in Iquitos!! We can not wait! Both Larinda and I care counting down the days! :-D I've been really busy... thats why I'm updating the blog 3 days late!

Larinda only has tomorrow and she's finished! 1:00 pm (2 your time) she will be completely finished. She is super excited and is counting down the hours! This week has been more difficult as it's ''practice teaching'' week. She's making it though! Thanks to many prayers and lots of work!

ok so starting at Tuesday of last week...

Tuesday - was a pretty normal day... I worked in the cafe but it was VERY slow so I studied Spanish while waiting for customers :-D went to Spanish class from 11-1. then got ready to go to the Club (Project CORASON) Today was sports day so we had club in a field instead of the actual club. I personally didn't play any sports... I played uno with about 5 kids the majority of the time. Then I jumped rope with the little girls. On Tuesdays a man by the name of Jose works on coaching the boys in ''futbol' (soccer) The boys from the club enjoy that. we would have had to bring the toys back to the club building but Jose had a motorcycle and offered to bring the stuff up for us... that was nice so we didn't have to walk up the big hill! :-D

Wednesday
normal day today... after Club Clare and I took a taxi to Plaza de Armas. met up with Larinda, Jo, and Carrie at Real McCoys (a restaurant) On Wednesdays they have a trivia night. Everyone pays s/5 to play (all the money goes to a charity) each table is a team. You have 6 categories on a paper. 10 questions for each category. A man asks the question and as a team you have to write the answer. There were about 6 or 7 teams. We had the lowest score out of everyone... we were also the smallest group. But we still had fun! I had a lasagna plate :-D it was goooood :-D

Thursday
A normal day. Very busy.

Friday
We had 22 people with 5 to-go's in one group at the cafe! Scott (overseer of the cafe) knows the group... thats how they found out about us! It was surprisingly easy since we did all the preparations beforehand. it was fun too! we had about 10-12 drinks to make in all but that was fairly easy too. I had Spanish class from 11-1. After which I made sure the Cafe didn't need my help then I left to meet Larm for lunch. Larm and I don't see each other much so we wanted to eat somewhere together for once :-P We went out for chaufa with a stuffed potato and then went to another restaurant and had a spinich, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich! ah SO good! :-D At Club I played candy land with 2 girls a few times. There weren't very many kids today so instead of doing what we planned we just played some games with them :-D After Club I met Larinda at the volleyball court and we played for about and hour and a half! Had a great time!

Saturday
Was a wonderful day! I worked in the cafe until closing time (2pm) then Larm and I went walking about the city. we got home around 5 and there was a message left for us... asking if we would like to go out on a progressive Peruvian dinner for Jo's last night out. Jo is a volunteer at the Cafe. we left for the dinner at 6:30. we all met at Jacks. We meaning Clare, volunteer with P.C. Carrie, Also a volunteer with P.C and a worker at the cafe. Nichole, Jo's room mate. Jo, worker at the cafe. Larinda and I. I got a coffee milkshake. it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g then we went to a pizza restaurant and had cuy pizza! (guinea pig!) After that we went to another restaurant and shared 2 plates amongst us... ceviche (raw fish in lemon) and rocotto rellena (stuffed peppers). With all that food in our stomachs we needed a little break so we came to the cafe and let our stomach digest a little while drinking tea. Saulo (a peruvian friend of Jo and Nichole) joined us but Nichole went home cause she hadn't been feeling well all day. After we were rested enough we bought anticuchos (meat on a stick, with a potato) off the street. We had picarones (donut type thing made from sweet potato) for dessert and to top everything off we ended with ice cream! All in all we had a very delicious night! we also were able to get to know everyone a little more :-D

Sunday
Larm and I went to a Mennonite church with Carrie (a worker in and cafe and also with Project CORASON) On our way home we went out to eat at a sorta restaurant I got stuffed peppers... it was good. when we got home I took a nap until 6. that was nice :-D Went to English church downstairs... After we had cake and tea. the cake was like a mint chocolate. it was SO good! :-D A bunch of us went out for cake for Jo's last time at Jacks. Larm didn't come cause she had to much homework to do :-( so off we went to Jacks all 12 of us. Jo and I shared a chocolate cake with ice cream. I got a coffee Milkshake. those things are SO good :-D

Monday
woke up early today study spanish. Jimmy (my Spanish teacher) and I had an interesting conversation about Christianity versus Catholicism. After I got back we had the meeting for Project CORAZON. It was decided that I would go with Liz and Clare to Wilkapie Tuesday. so I didn't go to the club Tuesday. Today was the first time I met Liz (a Peruvian) she is the one who usually oversees the Club but has been sick the entire time we have been here. Today was Larindas first day teaching. We went to Volleyball around 6:30-6:45 played until 8. I was able to video chat with the girls tonight!!!! YEAH!!! :-D :-D

Tuesday
woke up early and met up with Clare and Liz around 8 to go to Wilkapie. Wilkapie is a village about 20 minutes drive or an hour walk from the club. we took a taxi up. The guy said he would meet back up with us at 11 to take us back down. Which would have helped a lot cause I had to be at Spanish class at 11. I told them I would be late and they were fine with that. While at Wilkapie we played with the kids (mostly from about age 2-6 with a few older boys) and read them story books/learning books ie. colors, shapes and numbers. We finished up at 11 and surprise surprise the man did not come pick us up... so we had to walk down the mountain... it took about 45 minutes to get where the taxi's were... I arrived at Spanish lessons at 12 (an hour late :-O) but my teacher didn't mind the hour break :-P After Spanish lessons I had the rest of the day off. so I studied spanish and what not.

Wednesday
another normal busy day... also added... I was able to video chat with Michael and Daniel between Spanish lessons and Club! :-D

Thursday (Today!)
I went with Carrie to a tour place and bought tickets for a tour of The Sacred Valley. Larm and I figured while we're here we might as well do something touristy! ;-) Pretty much everyone else is here for the tourism. So we'll being on the tour from 9am-6pm on Saturday. yeah long I know! But I've heard it will be well worth the $10 :-P Larm and I also went to the market today... it's humongous! and quite fun walking thru! I only have one more Spanish class :'( I've learned a lot and am thankful for my teacher for bearing with me this whole month! it's kinda funny... I've talked to my teacher more then anyone here in Cusco... but then it makes sense that it's like that. I was going to say I'm going to miss speaking Spanish... but thats all I'll be speaking in Iquitos! haha. I also only have one more day at the club :'( I won't miss climbing the hill but I'll miss being with the kids there!

Friday and Saturday are going to be busy days! With finishing Spanish class, working in the cafe a little, last day at CORASON, the tour, packing, a hike to Cristo Blanco, and Larindas last class at maximo along with the celebration party for the Maximo students!
Then it's to Lima we go!

Also... here are pictures of the different things we have done here!
(you have to copy paste the link)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=194990&id=598491871&l=e96a5395c7

Enjoy! :-D
Until next time,
Lindsey

Monday, August 9, 2010

2 down 2 to go! :-D

Only two more weeks and we'll be on our way to the next city! :-D Both Larinda and I are super excited and these next two weeks couldn't go by fast enough! :-P

The past week has pretty much been the same as the first :-) Seeing as Larinda is here for school she's been going there everyday from 8am-7pm sometimes going earlier and staying later! She's had quite a bit of homework and can't wait until she's finished with that part! only one more week! then she'll teach for a week and be done! Yay!
I have been going to Spanish classes every morning Mon-Fri. Starting today (Monday) I changed from having an hour lessons to two hour lessons. I want to get as much as I can! :-D

A few things we did this week.

ok so these few weeks with Project CORASON have been a little different... Liz (Peruvian who runs P. C.) is sick and I have yet to meet her! Then Jenny (the one who hooked me up with P.C) has been on vacation. so Clare has been the temporary fill-in. She just got here a few weeks before us I think. sooooo.....

Tuesday - Clare (long term volunteer with Project CORASON), George (1 month volunteer with P.C.) and I went to the Project. Tuesday is sports day... there is a man who coaches the futbol (soccer) games.... so we were going to be playing futbol and volleyball! :-D I was excited. We went up there... climbed ''the hill'' and started getting stuff ready to bring to the field when Clare got a call saying the the man who oversees Tuesdays is sick and couldn't make it. Since Clare, George or I have never been to or done a Tuesday and Clare was starting to get sick we decided the best thing to do would be to go home and Clare rest up so she could come to club the next day seeing as she was the ''leader'' for the week. That was fun... haha I suppose :-P

Wednesday - there weren't very many kids at the club today. Though I was able to play basketball with one of the boys from the club. It was fun even though it was one of those really small hoops. And with the altitude difference I got tired pretty fast!

Thursday - Today was Bible club day at the club. But not very many kids came so we ended up just playing some games and building things. Decided to wait until another day when more kids came. That night Larinda and I were able to have cheese and crackers... I know it may seem funny that I see that as a highlight of the week... but if you've ever lived in a foreign country for any amount of time you appreciate small things like that! :-D We also were able to talk to mom a little over skype and heard all about canning peaches!

Friday - We had a dentist come to the club and give a little lesson on teeth. He gave all the kids their own toothbrush.

Saturday - I worked in the Cafe from 8:30-2 (those are the hours of the cafe) I enjoy working there... making the drinks and washing dishes and just having a good time. I had quite a bit of homework to do... my next lesson I was going to finish book 1! yay!! then Larinda and I walked around the city some. then we had some ice cream and watched a live basketball game thru the store window. It was quite amusing! :-D The players were all older... maybe in their 40's give or take a few. They were good for their age :-P Watching basketball made both Larinda and I want to play! after ice cream we went to Larindas school Maximo Nivel. Larinda was going to meet her ''tandem'' Where she would practice her Spanish and the other would practice his English. We waited for 45 minutes but he never showed up so we headed home. :-o

Sunday - We listened to Paul Washer. "The Sovereignty of God and World Missions''. I always enjoy Paul Washer. Later in the day Larinda and I took a stroll about the city. Went to a plaza that was packed with people! found a boy selling popcorn ''dulce'' It was like Iquitos memories! yeah! ate some popcorn then we went to a restaurant and had Chaufa!!!! It was SO good and we both got so stuffed :-D When we got home we had a little time before English church started downstairs. After Church we were able to talk to all the girls and even both mom and dad! I completely enjoyed that! I love talking to them :-D

Monday - (Today) I had my first two hour Spanish lesson! it's getting hard. or has been getting hard. but I love it still... that just means I'm learning even more of it! :-D Mondays are off days... the Cafe is closed and there isn't Club either. Larinda also doesn't have school... though this morning she did have to teach a mini lesson. But we both got home within 5 minutes of each other. :-D I've been enjoying just relaxing! I've been colder today so I've been under a huge blanket pretty much since I got back from Class :-D

Hope you'v enjoyed a little peep into our lives here!
until next time

Lindsey

Monday, August 2, 2010

Well, We've been here a week already! it seems like we just got here. yet it seems like we've been away from home for way longer!

Larinda has had school everyday except for Saturday and Sunday. So she has been pretty busy with that and then homework when she gets home. She said it's a lot more challenging then she thought it would be! But she's making it :-D
I have had Spanish lessons all week! And I am enjoying it! This first week we started on book one and have almost finished it considering most of it was stuff I already knew we could just skimmed through most of it! :-D I'm learning a lot and can already tell it's a easier to talk after just one week of classes! :-D

Here are some things we have done this week.

Wednesday was Peru's Independence Day. So I had off from Spanish lessons and Project CORASON. A lot of places were closed for the holiday but Larinda still had school since Maximo Nivel isn't really a Peruvian company. Their were ''fireworks'' going off all throughout the day. I say ''fireworks'' cause it sounded more like a guns shooting 10 times in a row :-D and it was always the same firework every time one went off. I enjoyed the restful day :-D

Friday both Larinda and I went to Project CORASON to work with the kids. We played games with then then they had a Bible story and craft. The kids really enjoy it there. And are blessed to be able to come and just be kids for a few hours!

Sunday we went to a Peruvian church. It was nice to hear the Spanish songs again! After we went out to eat with the people who live here at The Meeting Place with us. then came and relaxed in our room until 6:30. Every Sunday night they have informal English church here at the cafe. It was nice. And a good sermon too! A good quote... coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous. how true is that?! after the Sermon there was fellowship... then after Church a group of us went over to Jo's house (one of the girls that occasionally volunteers here) to make s'mores. We played spoons except with cups. and had a lot of fun there! I came home thinking with and English accent! haha :D the majority of the volunteers here are from the UK.

Yesterday Larinda and I went to a friends house for lunch! It was delicious home made pizza! :-D Usually all the volunteers for Project CORASON eat lunch together on Mondays... Larinda was able to join since's she has helped out some too. After lunch we had a meeting to figure out what we would be doing this week at the Project. When that was thru we went to the Project's facility to clean out the office! It was quite a job! lots of stuff in one little room. It took us 3-4 hours to do but was totally worth it! when we got back I had quite a bit of Spanish homework to do. Did I mention I love learning Spanish? It's so great being able to understand another language! :-D

well I miss you all!
oh and My family is the absolute greatest!
I love them so much!!!!
until later,
Lindsey

Monday, July 26, 2010

We're Here!

We made it safely! After a 12 hour layover in Miami and an almost 8 hour layover in Lima we arrived in Cusco on Monday the 26th at 9:45 am. Considering Larindas TESOL orientation started at 9 we went straight to the school. Right now she is in class and I am catching up on here. She has a break at 12 for lunch. During her break we'll go to the American cafe and hostel we are staying at to get settled in. Larinda will come back to the school for the rest of orientation and I will stay at the Hostel where I will get a rundown on what I'll be doing this week with Project CORAZON.

I'll update more sometime during the week!
Now I need to get some sleep! :-D

Love you guys!
Lindsey


Its me again... we got to our hostel and Larinda decided to skip out on the city tour that her school offered... we set our bags down and slept for 3 hours :-D it felt nice! when we woke up I had a tour of the place and then my orientation. I start tomorrow around 3pm... from what I hear it sounds like I'll be playing sports with the kids... for tomorrow anyway.

we're still tired and are going to go to bed early :-D talk to you guys soon!



Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Kingdom Alliance & Homecoming!

Just a quick note of closure to our 6 month mission trip. Kingdom Alliance Team came down and successfully built 2 churches and put a floor in a third church in less than 10 days. Willy, Lacey, Larinda, Lindsey, Renita and Daniel Dortch all joined the team from AK. We pray God will be glorified for years to come in these village churches along the Amazon river. Willy and I then took a few days alone and went to Cajamarca where there was fresh mountain air (for Willy) and hot springs (for me). After 6 months of cold showers, I soaked in that hot water until I was satisfied! We also spent some time in the sauna. Willy is ready to move there! The fresh air was 'like heaven' after 6 months of working hard construction in jungle heat.
We spent the next week packing and saying our last good-byes to all the wonderful people we have been blessed to now hold dear in our hearts. We praise God for the lives that have been touched due to building relationships with those God brought into our lives. The kingdom of God works in mysterious ways. We invest into people and they in turn invest into us and we all come out better.
We are all coming home 'changed' forever. We had a true 'on the field' Mission 101 class...the good, the bad and the ugly. However, we choose to focus on the good and come home better, rather than bitter. We have much to share for those who are interested in knowing the true dynamics of the foreign mission world. Now wondering why God brought us here and how He is planning to use what we learned here in the future. First the big girls have to cry out these tears of sadness I am watching rolling down their cheeks while we sit here in Lima airport waiting for the rest of the family. We leave at midnight...should be arriving into WA DC Thursday noon time. Plan to go to Christina's (Kaleb's fiancee) and do some 'wedding planning' and then meeting David (Lorena's fiancee) on Saturday to maybe do some more 'wedding planning'.
Life sure doesn't allow for much rest!
Thank y'all for praying for us these past 6 months! It was one of the top 5 hardest adventures life has brought us. Nevertheless, very rewarding. Maybe lasting rewards do not come easy? Continue to pray for us that the 'snow' will not detain us from arriving back to our much 'dreamed about' home. America, the beautiful! We are coming home!
        My country,' tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!

from jungle heat to snow,
Sara w/family

Friday, January 22, 2010

Friday, January 15, 2010

Home stretch...

...With only a month left, time is flying by all too fast!
We were able to begin building a new wall with the leftover money and bricks from the project. It is going up great...one side of the wall and all the doors are done. We aren't going to have time to tear down the old wall...the Peruvians will pick that up when we leave. But the new wall is beautiful! The last two teams were both here this last week. One couple (the Emmi's) from Alaska came in like a whirlwind and transformed the bare walls to beautifully decorated homes. The building, church, and dining room have all been painted. What a difference it has made...the new look has brought a new life to the complex. How amazing God is to bring the right people at the exact timing. The other team of two guys are doing the finishing touches on everything. It's all looking so clean...finishing up! Daniel Dortch has come to help out this last month...it's nice having a friend that speaks ENGLISH!
We had the dedication service on Saturday, so we had to get everything cleaned up outside in the courtyard and in the apartments and kitchen and well just everywhere! It was a lot of work but fun when with friends! All the workers and people involved in any way with the project were invited...about a hundred people came, and we had a Peruvian feast...chicken and rice of course! =) We had a nice ceremony with the whole ribbon-cutting deal...they call it the "inauguration". The Bible school semester begins Monday...construction is still steadily rolling, but now we have to prepare for the students coming in.
Dad and possibly Lacey and I (Larinda) will be going down river in a week. They are planning on building two churches in Requena, a city about 14 hours away by barge. So Dad is trying to get everything finished up, especially because we'll be leaving a week or so after the river trip. Yikes time is flying! We are very much looking forward to home, and seeing everyone...very soon!

Blessings,
Larinda & Lindsey

p.s. Pictures are coming!!