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

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!!