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

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 Jesús. 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

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