Lima, Peru

Sorry I haven't updated my own blog recently. I have been rather over loaded with things to do. We arrived in Lima on Wednesday night safely without any difficulty in immigration or customs (PTL!!!) Thursady we slept and unpacked. Thursday evening we went to Plaza Vea to get some groceries. It was a learning experience. Friday we went to mroning devotions at the school, which is like two blocks from the apartment. They had asked if we could come and be at devotions to meet the staff and stay for an hour or two to meet the students. Well it turned into staying all day for me, and most of the day for Emily. Which would have been fine except that we didn't know and hadn't prepared a lunch or anything. It all worked out fine.

My kids are adorable and frustrating. They know NO English (yet) and I know NO spanish (even if I did I couldn't speak to them in Spanish my role is strictly English) So they look at me with these huge earnest eyes and repeat a Spanish sentence over and over and over but it doesn't matter, I still don't know what they are saying. It will all work out, it always does, God is cool like that!

Life is the same and different here. While Peru is a third world country, Lima is a first world city. Especially the area I am in. We live in a rather well to do area where everyone (including us) as an empleada, or maid. Some are live in others just come once a week, like ours does. Yes you heard that right, SOMEONE ELSE CLEANS THE APARTMENT!!!!!! I am so stinking excited. It really is good because from what I have seen recently I am going to be up to my eyeballs with my class. I know that I will be able to do this, it is just at the beginning as I am learning everything that I am a little overwhelmed....huh I have been overwhelmed in one way or another for a while now...I hope that stops soon.

I really an looking forward to starting to learn Spanish, I really want to have some sort of ablity to communicate. Other than that lings are much as they are in the States. The apartment is wonderful!

I just looked at the time, and I need to go to Church. I will blog more later.

Keep up the good work people if we don't give up we might just make it through this day!

Weary

I am weary. Emily is weary. There have been lots of tears and short tempers because we are so tired we can barely function let alone prepare for our flight. Moving was hurried and chaotic and now we are unsure of where things are and that makes it REALLY frustrating to try and pack what we need for Lima. We have no idea where half the stuff we NEED is. Example: we cannot find the two small white envelopes that USED to be in the TV room in the apartment are. These are important because they contain our birth certificates. Emily cannot find her bible that she has had since 1986. I cannot find numerous things. It is so maddening so have vague memories of packing it "somewhere" but not knowing exactly where, and if you DO know what box it is in you have no idea where that box is now. I am desperate to be done with this. All I want to do it find a dark place somewhere and sleep for three days. My body is literally bruised and exhausted and my mind is too. Please keep Emily and I in you prayers as well as my Father, his body is as tired as ours, and Mom is not looking forward to our leaving. Thanks.

There is a long tunnel at the end is next Wednesday @ 6 am when we board a plane. It is strange because at different days and at different times of each day I am in a different position in the tunnel. Sometimes I think I am very near the end and can see the way out. Today I am just over halfway through the tunnel, I can see the end and what lies ahead but there is a lot between the my position and the end of the tunnel. I know that we can do this it is just exhausting to understand how much work it will take. I have the hope and confidence that we can do it!

Six days 12 hours 11 minutes...or so

THat is how long until we move.

Dad is here today being such a blessing to us and helping us cull, sort and reartange things. Today is a good day. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am MUCH less overwhlemed than I have been in an LONG time.

Thank you for your prayer they are helping, please keep them up! :)

Mission Peru.

So we have our passports, I still hate my picture in it BUT they have these wavy lines running over the picture some security thing, all I know is that it doesn't make the picture all that bad after all. *grin* We are so very thankful for the smoothness of the process in getting these important things. Thank you, Father!!!!

My last day of work is this Friday. I am SO glad because it means that I can focus on packing and getting ready for Peru. I am sad because I enjoyed the job for the most part. I am really going to miss some of those kids. One in particular, Evan. He is always so happy and when he sees me come in in the morning he stops what he is doing to run over smiling to give me a hug. What a great way to start a morning! Anyway I won't miss quite a bit but there are many thing I will miss.

If I had an electron microscope I would have SO many cool pictures framed in my house! The pic today is am example.

I am tired and have to get up early to do laundry. Your continued prayers are so valued by both Emily and myself.

Keep up the good work people, if we don't give up we might just make it through this day!

Update...

Wow. Life is changing fast and I have no control over it...sigh. It is good but ever so chaotic, and despite what some people think I do not like chaos. (I just tend to cause it that is all....giggle.)


Okay down to business:


Yesterday (Friday) a friend from church who owns an Amish Furniture shop in Evanston offered to take my hutch and Emily's buffet (sideboard) that Dad made for us down to Elkhart. He was taking his trailer down to pick some furniture up in the Goshen/Shipshe area and knew that our Parents live in the area, so offered to transport them for us. I cannot tell you how it made me feel to know that our treasured furniture would be going to mom and dads in a manner that I knew they would be safe. He had all the padded blankets and straps and everything to safely secure everything. It was a wonderful gift that he gave us.


Today (Saturday) two wonderful ladies from church are coming over for breakfast and then to help us pack. (May I just take a moment to let everyone know that when I emptied my hutch I packed it up then, EMILY just took everything out and put it on the table.) I am SO the good sister. :) Our wonderful cousin Mandy is also here and will help if she wants (she is a guest and thereby exempt from mandatory labor.) We should have fun. We are going to start around 9 and end around Noon. Then we are going to show Mandy some sights in our Chicago neighborhood.


Tomorrow (Monday) we have an appt. @ 10 a.m. downtown to work everything out with our passports and then (hopefully) our visas. If you could pray that everything goes well and smoothly in this process we would be grateful.

The first picture today is of the kids I will be teaching in Peru. Aren't they cute! The second is of Emilys class. She will have 11 Boys and 2 Girls. Geesh!



I think that is about all I have for now. I am now off to do some dishes (yuck I HATE dishes!) so we can have a decent kitchen to make breakfast in!


Keep up the good work people, if we don't give up we might just make it through this day!

Many Changes Few days

We are leaving the United States of America for Lima Peru on March 26th at 6 am.

We are going to be out of our apartment by Good Friday.

My last day of work will be March 14.

That means I have one week where I am not working and can turn my full attention to packing and preparing to leave all that I have ever known.

This does NOT feel like an acceptable timeline to me but it is what I have to work with. I am truly excited about going to Lima and teaching...I am just SO overwhelmed by all that has to be done before it. I just want to crawl in a hole and hide for awhile...yeah, cause THAT would be so VERY productive! Sigh.

We have so much crap in our apartment and so much to do to get it to a place where we can have people come in and look at the big stuff that we are not transporting down to Indiana to put into storage. We want to give/sell as much stuff to those who need it in the church but that requires being farther along in our packing process than we are. I am just unable to see how we can actually accomplish the task before us. But God is faithful and I know that somehow it will all come together....I just do not like not knowing how that will happen....sigh. I am so very grateful for any prayer you bring to God on our behalf. I love you all.