we are here, finally!
Thanks for all your prayers. We got through customs quickly and easily and sat together on the plane, just as we asked you to pray for. In Cusco, we left at 5am... got a taxi to the airport just fine. Because of the nation-wide strikes, everyone was arriving to the airport at that hour, even if their flight wasn't scheduled til later because if they waited, then there wouldn't be transportation. So we walked into the airport in Cusco and it was wall to wall people. Hundreds of tourists waiting and standing in lines. I immediately thanked God profusely for Isabella. She saved us! In Peru they give priority to people with little children. We were ushered to the front of all the lines and got through really quick.
However, there were other unexpected problems. We had a layover in Miami. Due to engine and other problems, our plane from Miami to LA was delayed and then finally canceled and rescheduled.. 4 hours later. Then in LA, the airline lost our stroller, which we finally got. No one could come pick us up because of the delay. Our arrival time was 2:30 AM. Well, after recuperating lost luggage and getting a shuttle service at 4:30AM, we finally arrived at Ricky's aunt and uncles house at 6AM. Let me tell you. LAN is wonderful. American airlines is another story. And after all that they made us wait, American Airlines didn't even give a snack for our kids.
After more than 24 hours of traveling and not sleeping, we were tired (and i was cranky!!) But we have slept and showered up and are SO happy to have finally arrived!! Praise God we are here and are safe. God protected us and we are thankful. We are looking forward to all that is in store in these few months to come.
We love you!
We are almost on our way. Sometime after 4am tomorrow morning we will be up and getting ready to head to the airport. it will be a LONG day of traveling. There weren't any direct flights this time, so we have a connection in Miami. We won't arrive to LA until after 10pm. I'm stocked up on snacks, books and coloring pages for Isabella.. hoping she doesn't get too bored. Boredom is a child's worst enemy!
Pray for us. Especially that we can just get to the airport! Tomorrow is a nation-wide "paro" in Peru.. protests.. again. All the ground transportation will be stopped and most businesses closed. But we have been reassured by many that it will begin at 7-8am. We should still be able to find a taxi to take us to the airport!
Also, this is something simple, but pray that we will be able to check our bags all the way to Los Angeles and won't have to get our bags and recheck them in Miami. With Isabella tagging along and with such a short layover, having to get bags really slows things down. Also that we will get seats sitting together! We have been trying to check-in for the flight, but it's not open yet and won't let us choose seats. The worst is if we are separated, trying to entertain an 18 month old (and forget about in-flight service!). BUT however things go... everything will be fine. I just keep telling myself that.. haha
We'll post again once we arrive!
Chao
There is a lot of fighting between the Peruvian govt/military and the Amazonian natives. The natives feel the government is exploiting and violating their rights over certain land ownership, especially land that has a certain important significance to the people. However, the government usually do what they want in situations like this. The natives organized a protest (which happen all over Peru for various reasons several times every year). The natives became relatively violent in their protests, and it is unknown to us who started the violence first, but the government entered with guns by force rather than continuing to engage in peace talks. Many people on both sides have been killed.
In Cusco, there have been large protests. These have been relatively peaceful. The walls of the buildings in the central plaza of Cusco are plastered with posters stating the peoples upset with government, some are serious, some hateful, some funny. In Cusco, the people are "taking" the airport and other means of transportation, which means flights may be canceled. One flight in a city close by here was not able to land because the people managed to get onto the runway. 10,000 protesters have marched in Lima, with several hundred more here in Cusco and in other cities.
The government has closed down the Bangua radio station, called La Voz (The Voice). It is a main form of communication among the people. The Govt feels it to be a threat, although there is no legal reasons for closing it down. "This is the only radio station that has transmitted live coverage of the Bagua conflict, providing a voice through its microphones to the people of Bagua." (http://www.livinginperu.com/news-9328-breaking-news-perus-ministry-of-communications-closes-bagua-radio-station)
We are praying for the situation in the Amazon to be resolved quickly and without further bloodshed.
Here is an excerpt from an email from some friends of ours who are missionaries in Peru, in Tarapoto, a part of the Amazon. It explains a little more first hand of what is going on.
A couple of weeks ago, if we had taken our 17 hour trip through the jungle, over the mountains and down the coast to Trujillo we would have been stuck there and unable to make it back to Tarapoto. The highway opened up for only a few days and then was once again taken over by natives who still refuse to let anyone through until the government promises to stop exploiting them and their lands. As a result our city continues to be cut off from all transportation, commerce and gasoline. The city's electrical grid is run by gasoline generators which will no longer be able to function by midnight tonight for lack of combustible. The city has been rationing power the last ten nights cutting streetlights and starting tonight it'll be no electricity at all! (This might be our last e-mail for a while).
Today everyone is listening for news as much violence has broken out at the roadblock (Bagua Grande – halfway between here and the coast). The government has sent in hundreds of police armed with machine guns to take on thousands of natives armed with blow guns, spears and bows and arrows. Today a helicopter has been downed and the natives have killed several police but of course the police and army have taken out many more of the natives with their modern weapons. In Yurimaguas, the natives are outraged at the news of the killing and are preparing ambushes from the jungle around the highway and we've heard they are planning to blow up gas stations if and when the police attempt to get close.
**We have just heard that there is now NO gas in the gas stations!!**
Please pray with us that they can come to a peaceful solution soon.
PS. When we say `natives', we do not use the term insensitively as, we as the American missionaries are the civilized and the Peruvians are the uncivilized! The term `natives' is a term the Peruvians themselves use for this people group, who are living as their ancestors have historically lived in their villages and/or nomadically living off the land. This is in contrast to the approximate other half of Peruvians who are part of a mestizo group who are of mixed Spanish and native Peruvian descent.
Isabella loves books. She'll go off by herself to her little play area, pick out a few books and browse the pictures, while talking and laughing to herself
Our first Saturday here in our new apartment, Ricky mentioned that there is a feria (a farmers market) right around the corner. So we decided to check it out. I imagined a nice little street with a few farmers here and there selling their goods.
leaving the house...
my little sweet pea...
As we turned the corner..i imagined a small street with a few farmers selling theirs goods. but we discovered... 
the biggest feria in all of Cusco
there were vendors from all over the region.
The famous large round breads from the Oropesa adobe ovens, to fruits from the jungle of Quillabamba. There were thousands of large sacks of potatoes featuring hundreds of different varieties. Other campesinas with piles of various types of flour; trigo to kiwicha, quinoa to avas and coca flour. While others sold spices like cinnamon by the trunk, palillo (which is like Saffron), and raw sugar. Other camesinos sat among their harvested fruits, vegetables and wild flowers.
Cucumber, apples, red bell peppers and red onions
everything home grown... organic and pesticide free for the most part
oranges and bananas
This interesting fruit is very large with a bumpy hard shell. It is a fruit that comes from the jungle and is commonly known as Pan de la Selva "Jungle bread". She gave me try and it was delicious, tasting of pineapple mixed with banana.
leafy lettuce...
more vegetables... almost anything you could want or need for a really low price... and this woman was even still smiling while all bundled up on a really hot day!
Finally we came home with a week's worth of vegetables. We got all this for less than 5 dollars
sorry for the absence... i just haven't been in the mood to write lately.
we are in the middle of moving. half of our stuff is in the new apartment, and the other half still here. we have till Thursday, so i think we'll get everything done in time. Ricky is being amazing... He has taken like a million van loads over to the new place... and unloaded by himself! I stayed home with Isa all except one trip, cause it's a job in and of itself just watching her. But i did get a lot of cleaning and packing done. the nice thing is that our new apartment is on the first floor, thank you Lord! and it's maybe only a 10 minute drive from here. But as things are going into the new place, we are realizing that we need to sell some church things. we just won't have enough space. the extra bedroom/office of the apt is full of all this stuff... like 14 beds/mattresses, 20 blankets, a million sleeping bags and tons of towels and sheets. I don't know, but we'll figure something out.
one thing i like about our apartment is that it is located in an actual neighborhood, instead of down a side street off a super busy road with a commercial center, people and taxis all over the place. It will be quieter! I love that we have a little park only half a block away from our apartment. I can take Isabella for walks without worrying that we are going to get hit by a car!! j/k (well... not really)
the only thing i don't like is that the bathrooms are so tiny that you can hardly turn around in them. there are 4 bathrooms! it seems highly unnecessary to have 4 bathrooms for a 3 bedroom apt. But we'll just take one for each of us! haha. I also don't care for the color of the walls in the room that will be Isabella's. They are orange.. Ick! But the landlady said I can paint as long as it's not too bright. Yes!!
What will i miss about our current house.... the lovely doors. The back patio. The sun coming in the windows in the morning. Being close enough to the center of Cusco to walk. The huge kitchen.
What i don't miss about the current house... the cold stone floors. the dogs in the neighborhood that mate and fight all night long. the drunken lovers quarrels at 3am. the tourists walking past at 2am after clubbing and talking as loud as possible. all the neighborhood construction.
Overall, I think we are going to be good in the new apt.
Something else I will share with you, is that I've been going to the orthodontist for a few months now. I have a problem with one of my teeth, I won't get into it, but in order to fix it I will be getting braces. I'm strangely looking forward to it. And to straighten my smile while i'm at it. the process has already begun, have a few brackets on already and a miniature titanium screw lodged in the bone inside my mouth. Oh fun. the first 5 days were terrible, but now i'm ok. I wonder how i'll do once I get the rest of the brackets on. I've never had an obsession with brushing, but now i do. So braces at 30 (well 29), is more and more common nowadays. I was nervous about having this all done in Cusco. However, we found this great Ortho that comes to Cusco only once a month, from Lima. We have to do this without insurance of course. And on top of our other financial worries.... haha.. this began before we heard the latest "news". but it's really something I needed done. And it's less expensive than in the U.S. Be excited.. or scared.. to see some updated photos of me!! hahaha
Instead here are a few photos of my little toddler. Isabella is definitely not a baby anymore! She is saying these words: "light", "agua", "amen", "mao" (more) "mas", "mama", "dada", "papa", "Nina" (Ricky's mom), "ee-as" (Matias, Ricky's brother), "kaka" and "kakita"(for a good laugh), "up", "alla", "aca", "ahi esta", "eeee" (please), "ma" (milk), "baby", "bye-bye", "oh" (goal), "Uu" (la U, Ricky's futbol team), "book" - updated.. i forgot a few! "dog", "ball", "bear", "angel"
phrases include: "hola papa" and "ahi esta" "I-uu" (i love you)
"loser!"
This is her response when we say, "enojate!" which means, "get mad". She likes to roll her eyes too.. Oh man, i think it's a preview of what it's gonna be like when she's 14!
Our silly little loverbug
