Truthfully, I haven't wanted to write. And I get distracted so easily! With two young ones running around the house (which is more like three because Milan alone counts for 2 children. He's crazy!) I'm up every few minutes to clean up a mess or check on the quinoa soup or to kiss an owie... so many things that I would much prefer to writing. Nevertheless, I know there are a few faithful readers out there who remind me to keep blogging because you like to read our updates. okay.... so here it goes.
December and January went by in a flash! Dec was amazing with the Christmas party preparations and celebrations. God provided at the last moment all the money we needed and we were able to celebrate properly with gifts and candies and the like. The kids in Cusco LOVED it. We also celebrated with the adults at church a few weeks before Christmas. Then we went to Chile and spend Christmas and New Year with Ricky's family. Overall we had a great time, enjoying hot summer days, late nights, neighborhood walks, lots of Chilean food and fellowship with family. Isabella turned four. Milan turned two. and Ricky turned thirty-six. We had a birthday party with both kids together and their cousins, with a pinata and cake and presents... they had a blast. I can't believe how big the kids are getting. Milan still seems like a toddler but Isabella is definitely no longer a toddler and is all girl. I remember when I was pregnant with her I said I would never dress her in pink, but then she received so many pink things, I just went with it. Later I realized that it's not up to me to decide what color she does or does not wear... I think I just didn't want her to be a girly-girl. But I realized that if that's who she wants to be then I need to support her. And she LOVES pink. What little girl doesn't? She loves all things frilly and princessy and I love her all the more for it.
So birthdays came and went. And then we came back to Cusco. We returned to find the church growing in our absence and Jorge doing a good job and the people loving and sharing their faith. There are some new believers who want to be baptized and others who are serving. We are encouraged and blessed. A week after we came home we received two young men from the US who are on an exploratory trip, visiting our ministry and another in another part of Peru, to see if their church feels led to send teams and partner with our work. We're obviously praying they feel led to Cusco, because we are going through some time of change this year, are implementing new projects, possibly receiving a piece of land for the church (which means construction), and on top of it we have lost a few supporters. AND Jorge is asking for a raise. We would love to raise his salary, but without sufficient support we just can't. Well, we did. but just a very little.
Our return has been good, except for my eyes. The same issues with the corneal erosions came right back once we arrived. Anyhow, we have a lot of decisions to make. Some we've already made, but have to go public with them, which we haven't been able to do yet. We're praying that it all be in God's will and timing.
We just got some exciting news that my little brother is getting married! I can't believe it because he'll always be my little brother, but we're thrilled for him. He is an incredible person, has a wonderful heart and will make his future wife Kayla a happy woman! We all love Kayla too and I'm proud to have her as a sister in law! I just wish we all lived closer so we could see them more often. The wedding is in July, which means a trip for us to the States is coming up.
This isn't really an update of our life, but my parents are in the car moving from Washington to Iowa right now. My dad got a nice promotion at work in an area of Iowa where they had purchased like 100 acres several years ago. It's where they had planned on retiring, but now it looks like my dad will work for another 5 years before retiring, but they were able to move to their property ahead of schedule. These last few months have been incredibly busy for them. My dad traveling a lot, selling the house, the car, the trailer... Most of their things from over a decade living in their house in Vancouver. It was sad for me to see them over Skype packing up... my dad took me on a virtual tour of the house as the movers were loading... I'm sentimental I guess. I can't believe the next time we visit their house it will be in Iowa.
That's what we've been up to.... now for writing a newsletter!! haha
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