We're home!

We made it home to Lexington about 3:00 pm Sunday after about 31 hours of being involved in some form of travel. Thank you for your prayers while we were on our trip. Also, this will serve as a reminder that we will only have one service Sunday at 10:45 and will serve as a time for us to share about the trip.

Friday, July 10, 2009

We are wrapping up our last day at the guest house tonight with a birthday party for Carolyn and Abby N. You'll have to ask them about the Peruvian "first bite of cake" tradition.

We spent the morning at the worksite, pouring more footers. We finally finished the footers for the entire dining hall building and proceeded to some of the wall that will enclose the compound. Though in some ways it is hard to see our progress because it is all sort of underground, we can now see the footprint of the entire building where there was only one wall when we arrived. We handed out some clothing and candy to the kids (they remembered we had promised it on Friday). They each had a huge sackful's worth by the end. The local workers-- our overseer (dubbed El Grande Jefe--"the big boss"), the on-site gardener, the cement mixer, etc.--enjoyed their handfuls as well. After working side by side all week, their gap-toothed smiles won by a handful of candy warmed our hearts.

After lunch and clean-up, we were off to the downtown area to tour the historic square and do some shopping. We walked about a hundred miles, with no idea what direction we were going. I think that is how our interns get their revenge on us for being so noisy and embarassing all the time. We found a few good deals, though we were surprised to find most of the shopping consisted of store after store of shoes (their local specialty--they even have a "big shoe" like Thomasville's Big Chair). So I hope you all like shoes. : ) Many of the guys found some warm hats, and Nilsen and Dustin found some especially gaudy versions. They insisted on wearing them on our wanderings through Trujillo afterward... as if 25 gringos weren't conspicuous enough! They drew a lot of laughs, and quite a squeal when they blew kisses to a bunch of girls who were just heading home from their school. We also stopped by a churro stand for one last fix!

We are packing up now, humbled to realize how much we possess. Many adults are leaving clothes and duffel bags for local distribution; some even left their shoes with people at the worksite. Can you imagine people in the US gladly accepting our worst pair of sneakers after we had worked in them on the dusty, sometimes muddy construction site all week? But these folks did.

So as we close there is not much left to say, except, Moms, don't plan to have rice or chicken for awhile when we get back. Please. I mean it.

This will probably be the final entry for the blog, as tomorrow we head out for the bus at 7:20 a.m., travel all day to the airport then fly overnight to get home. Just pray for safe and smooth travel, especially as we go through immigration and customs again. We are looking forward to our own beds and seeing our families, but I think each of us will leave a piece of our hearts here in Peru. See you soon!

Blog for Thursday, July 9, 2009

We had a very long and tiring day but all are still well.  In the morning we joined both other teams for their last turn at the construction site...it was nice to have a few extra hands as we are all getting a little weary but in good shape.  Jesse is almost better and was able to pitch in and help too, which made him happy.

After a quick change, we went to the day care to do our VBS.  In Peru it is called the "guarderia" and it seems aptly named, as the kids are more or less corralled behind windows with bars and a door that is literally guarded by one of the matrons.  It is in a very poor part of town, where many families have two parents working, or one or both missing, so the kids are left to their own devices... the older caring for the younger.  We had the younger group, from about 1-1/2 years to 5 years.  They seemed to enjoy acting out the story of Jonah, and especially liked the huge blow-up whale.  We moved outside to the requisite soccer court for some games (notably, "duck,duck, gringo" instead of duck, duck, goose), then Zach and Abby (through a translator) explained the gospel through the wordless bracelet. We gave each a bracelet and a bag of goldfish and returned them to the house.  As we left, we brought in our donations, which they will use as birthday gifts for the children over the next year, or will give judiciously to needy families in the community.

We learned at supper that the church plant had reqested we return for another service, so we quickly regrouped and headed out again.  Nilsen and Ashley gave testimonies and we sang a few more songs for them.  They seemed genuinely encouraged by our words and presence.  Afterwards, the pastor took some of our men to pray for a nearby community member--a 13-year old brought in from the jungle with hydroencephaly (sp?)--a condition that has cost the use of his limbs and leaves him racked with seizures if unmedicated.  While they were our, Nilsen, Dustin, Zeke and Sarah entertained the youth by performing the macarena, robot dances and more to the upbeat worship songs being played on CD.  The kind ladies of the church brought in Cokes and saltines to serve to us.  Their generosity continues to touch us.

Today (Friday) we construct for the last time, then are off to the market and some tourist spots in the afternoon.  We are all looking forward to that!  Pray for our strength and protection still, and thanks for the many prayers already!  Ciao!

Thursday July 9th

I noticed Dawn has not written about the day, so I thought I would fill you guys in ( sorry I'm speaking Candian now). Today we worked at the orphanage the first part of the day. Getting close to finishing the footers. Part of my family would have enjoyed the second part of our day as we worked at a daycare presenting the story of Jonah.
After dinner we gathered around and reflected on the week and wished the guys and gals from Summerset, PA. and Ontario, Canada safe travels as they head home (I guess today as it is Friday when I am typing this). Then it was off for another church service. They must like us to be around them.

On the schedule for our last work day is a half day of work and then some time for shoping and site seeing.

For now I'm going to bed. Good night!
Padro

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Due to a possible transportation workers' strike, our plans for today were altered somewhat.  In the morning, our interns took us on an awesome tour of several of the Trujillo C&MA churches.  They range from very poor (one is a site for Compassion International programs) to the large 800-1000 member church in the nice downtown area.  That church (Larco) is the "mother church" for a number of the other churches; every so often they just pick out a part of town, buy a property there, and hive off 200 of their members to start the new work.  The sincere desire of all the pastors and the churches for reaching their communities was touching.  Two gave brief testimonies of how God had worked in their lives that left many wiping tears from our eyes.  We found once again how our kinship in Christ so easily transcended cultural boundaries.

On our way back to the guest house, we purchased some sugar cane for everyone to try.  This is one of the many items sold by roadside carts, and our group is determined to try every new food item they see (I wasn't kidding about the cow heart).  Maybe because they have yet to find one they do not like (even the cow heart, a.k.a. "anticuchos," met with rave reviews).

The afternoon saw more concrete footings completed, the personal highlight for me being watching Abby N. pushing the concrete-filled wheelbarrow right alongside the hefty guys.  We also attempted to do our mini-VBS for the neighborhood kids.  Probably 10-15 showed up with their "cann-dy" faces on.  They dutifully sat through our attempt to read the Jonah story in Spanish (with a visual aid), then virtually swarmed us when we pulled out the hats and stickers we had for a craft.  Abby L. attempted to play "duck, duck, goose" with them, and we gave each a wordless-book bracelet.  We have a child-oriented tract that explains what the colors mean, and since we didn't have a very bilingual intern with us at the time, we decided to at least give out the tracts.  You have never seen anyone so eager for tracts!  They had no idea what they were, but everything else we had given them had been good, so they were clamoring for as many as they could get.  Please pray that each tract will come to someone who will read it, and God's truth will find fertile soil even through this crazy method of evangelism.

Tonight, most of the group is suffering from a mild stomachache from the "lomo fino" we ate at a local restaurant.  Lomo fino is a "fine cut" of steak, and it was so fine that we all ate too much.. thus the stomachache. : )  What a tough missions trip!  Tomorrow we should be visiting the day care to do our VBS as planned, and doing construction in the morning.  Thanks again for praying!!

 

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Well, we had unexpected success in the churro department... the lady was arriving outside our accommodations when we returned from dinner last night.  She had quite a line of customers!  She is a good example of the working class poor here.  She sells churros at 50 centimos apiece until she sells out, usually carrying pre-made dough for about 120 churros.  Normally she works until 10:30 p.m., so even before the cost of ingredients and cart rental, the most she would make is $20 per night.  We feel kind of guilty enjoying her work so much.

Today was another full work day, pouring more footings, constructing rebar supports, leveling the surrounding ground.  We also had a pre-VBS for some of the kids who came to watch...some of the ladies made crafts with them, painted their fingernails, and sang songs with them.  We gave them bags of goldfish and a sucker and told them to come back tomorrow with their friends.  One little boy kept learning English words; he came up to me with a grin showing his sucker and said, "Dumm-dumm" (his funny pronunciation of the lollipop name--at least I hope that's why he said it to me).  The guys as usual gave them spins before we left, and they chased the bus as we drove away, some hanging on the back until shaken loose by the bumpy ride!

Since we did little else remarkable today, I thought I'd share a couple humorous notes.  One is that there is a rooster on the roof of the building next door.  The accursed thing starts crowing at 5:30 a.m. and continues roughly every 20 minutes until long after we're gone for the day.  Since there is no A/C, we sleep with the windows open, so you can imagine how we feel about this fellow.  Pastor Paul found a good retribution though.  Apparently his window is close enough to the creature that if he makes a sudden, loud noise he sees it jump and run away.  We are encouraging this.

Also, for you car enthusiasts, Pam has punch-buggy mania during our bus rides, because there are so many VW beetles running around down here.  I think she is leaving this phase behind, though, since there are enough bruises going around from the construction work.  Don't fear, all are well, though Jesse has to stay off his sprained ankle most of the time.  We have forced him to bring his guitar to the worksite and play background music for us.

If tomorrow goes as planned, we will be at the work site in the morning again, then will do our VBS at the day care in the afternoon.  Not sure if there are any church activities in the evening.  We are all having a great time!  Wish you were here too!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Well, we have completed another hard day's labor, and with surprisingly little complaint.  Those who surfed yesterday are feeling it a lot more than others...they had about an hour's instruction, then an hour in the water with instructors moving among them to help them get started.  It was a nice set-up, where a kind of lagoon is created by the curve of the shore and the pier, so the waves were decent but not bone-crushing like the ones on the other side of the pier.  By the end, I think everyone pretty much had achieved standing up position for at least a few seconds.  The rest of us drifted among the shops and street vendors, then watched the wipeouts from the boardwalk overlooking the beach.  The weather was cool and overcast as usual, so no one was really sunbathing or anything, though Sarah did get in the water briefly.  There were some cool-looking, native, canoe-type boats made of reeds twisted together that vendors were offering rides on, but since both air and water were cold, there were no takers.

For church, we returned to the new church plant we had visited on Saturday, and the youth were very welcoming and happy to see us.  They performed a very cool drama/mime, and we sang a song for the congregation.  It was a fairly small, concrete building, so we sang "Glorify Thy Name" in beautiful, reverberating harmony.  Having been immersed in their high-energy, different harmony music for a couple days, our song sounded very different even to us, and a little too like a funeral dirge. : )  We tried to pick up the pace later when El Pastor asked us to end the service with a song, so we did "Lord I Lift Your Name in High," with the motions of course.  Dennis gave his testimony as well, and the pastor preached briefly, which thankfully was translated by our intern.  When service ended we mingled around, especially with the youth, who really took to Ashley.  They seemed a little surprised when she introduced Ben as her husband...I think they thought she was closer to their age. : )  We took our leave with many fun group pictures, and the youth girls even jumped on our bus to kiss everyone goodbye again.  Our youth (guys) think this is a great custom.

Then we all went to a local rotisserie chicken chain, Roky's, and had a wonderful time chilling together.  For dessert, we had a couple different local cakes, one soaked with sweet milk.  Yum!  Later some folks went out to the neighboring park to get whupped in soccer by some of the locals.

Today was another full day at the worksite, as tomorrow will be.  Pray for our physical strength, as that will probably be our hardest day.  Peanutt, Carolyn wants you to know she even took a real nap yesterday!  Little is planned for tonight, since we are working so hard today and tomorrow.  The elusive churro-vendor-lady has created a bit of an obsession, so there will probably be another expedition to attempt to find them tonight.  At least last time they found a hamburger vendor whose wares met with rave reviews.  So, we are off to dinner soon.  Hasta luego!

Quick update

Hey guys! Jeremy here.
Dawn will probaly be adding more later on today but for now things are going great! My knee is feeling much better but still remends me some when it comes to stairs. Jesse is doing better and even tried the surfing thing today. We went to a market today the was on a beach where a few attempted to surf and others did surf. We will be going to a church service tonight at a local church. See you later!
Padro (Jeremy)

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy Independence Day!  It's hard to imagine there are fireworks going off back home about now.  At breakfast our IncaLink interns loaded up some Bruce Spingsteen "Born in the USA" videos for us, even though some of them are Canadian.  Then it was off to the worksite for the morning, where we poured more footers for the orphanage dining hall.  It is hard work and slow going, but we are 3/4 of the way through that phase now.   Others spread sand/dirt around for the soccer field that will be next to the building.  I am so proud of all for working so hard and without complaint... it seemed like every time I turned around Caleb was there hefting another seriously heavy bucket of dirt/rocks to feed the cement mixer.  Maybe it was because he worked so hard there that he split his pants later in the day.  His Spanish now includes "pantalones no importante."

Back to the church where we were served lunch in their awesome rooftop meeting room, then we we began our journey toward the garbage dump (this will probably be our only visit there).  We stopped along the way for a good-natured competition at the local fruit market.  Stalls and stalls of bananas, oranges, mandarins, apples, star fruit, and some I couldn't identify.  Pam talked a number of the guys into trying some overgrown seedpod thing that they claim was good.  Anyway, our interns split us into groups of 5, gave us 10 soles, and told us to barter and see who could get the most fruit for the money in 15 minutes, without them helping translate.  It was a bit of a challenge, but the vendors were pretty patient with us, and it was worth it to see Bev trying to barter in Franish (her French keeps creeping in).  We did come up with a ton of fruit, and it was a lot more fun than them just buying it for us.

We took the fruit to the dump, to begin our ministry there by handing it out and sharing greetings as best we could with those there.  You will have to wait for the team's return for a full description of the conditions, but the sheer size of the dump was pretty astounding, and then there were a number of shacks and tents erected here and there, right on the garbage.  Small fires burned here and there and herds of pigs rooted through the trash alongside people.  Everyone was filthy.  There were probably 200-300 people dispersed around the property, maybe 1/3 of them children.  They accepted our gift of fruit readily but also warily.  After that we got up a game of soccer, played on a sandier part of the dump (still strewn with litter).  That was the first glimpse of happiness I saw.  Some men and some children played, although others said, "No, not until after work."  When it was time to go, we gave out donations from some of the items we brought with us.  A crowd gathered quickly for this, but our intern made sure everyone got one item before anyone got two.  It felt great to give some clean clothes or functional shoes to the kids and their parents--we wished we had brought more.  Once again I was so proud of everyone; though the stench was mighty and the people were flithy, our group went right up to them and greeted them with a smile as though this was all perfectly normal for us... they held hands with the girls, and clapped boys on the back or tousled their hair, even as they wondered what might be IN their hair.  As we left, we took about 3,000 flies with us on the bus.

And because we were running late, we went straight to dinner.  Did I mention that the lovely rooftop meeting room has large sinks outside it?  Blessed Camay!  I have to remark here that Zeke says this is the best food he's ever had.  He goes raiding other tables after finishing his plate to get portions other people can't finish.  So moms, the food IS good.  In fact, I think the guys are off on a churro-hunting expedition right now.

Well, we were once again greatly rejoiced to see the showers at the guest house.  But only briefly because we were off to a youth service at a local church plant.  Their music was very high energy, even though they only had recordings they played over speakers accompanied by two guys up front with microphones.  Probably about 25-30 Peruvian youth came, and we greeted them coming and going with the traditional cheek kiss.  We sang some songs to the canned music, shared an English song, and Nathan had his testimony translated.  Then we all came to the front and they changed the lighting and we really jammed.  Our favorite was the last song, which both groups knew:  Trading My Sorrows.  I think we will all remember that experience when we sing it from now on.

Well, Caleb has returned from the hunt with no churro, but says he ate a cow heart.  Hmmm.  So we are all being very adventurous and stretching ourselves!  Tomorrow we will spend the earlier part of the day at the beach, then in the evening we will join some local C&MA church members doing some door-to-door evangelism (us mostly serving as a unique exhibit for the church folks to use to open conversations with unchurched people), then attending the main service of the church plant.  Thanks again for your prayers.  All are still healthy, save Jesse sprained an ankle playing soccer, and Jeremy banged his knee when an embankment at the worksite caved in a bit.  But both report they are much better now.  Keep praying though!!  We will think of you tomorrow as we bask on the beach (ah, Sabbath--what a wonderful idea!).

 

Blog entry

Friday--July 3, 2009 (evening)  Just a brief update for you worried moms out there...  Dustin woke up at 11 am feeling fine and completely over his stomach situation... We are putting it down to the very spicy sauce he dumped on his chicken yesterday, perhaps exacerbated by nerves.  He had a half-plate of spaghetti for lunch and helped with construction all afternoon, so he's great, and everyone else is still healthy.

The construction went well, though the methods were slow compared to our American way of doing things (just hire a backhoe and be done with it!).  All kept a good attitude though.  We completed the footings for the foundation (I think anyway...I no hables construction language) for what will be a dining hall for the orphanage.  All I know is it involved a lot of shoveling sand and carrying rocks and water and a cement mixer.  Some people brought candy for any kids who might come to watch; when we returned after lunch the kid crowd had mushroomed and they seemed to have all learned one English word: "Cann-dy?"  Once we convinced them we hadn't brought more, they settled in to pass the time as they could.  The guys took time out to throw a frisbee with them, or swing them around by the arms; the girls loved on them and some even let them fix their hair.  Pastor Paul gave rides in a wheelbarrow.  All the jobs were physically demanding, but we tried to pace ourselves and stuck to it.

We cleaned up and had an interesting dinner served again by the gracious ladies at the church (and the cutest little boy)--it was some sort of twice-baked potato stuffed with black olives, meat, and boiled egg.  They did provide ketchup.

The guest house is situated next to a very nice square.  There are some colorful flowers and trees around the park, and a soccer/basketball court and volleyball court.  After dinner some of the guys played b-ball, while others hung out and watched for the churro man.  A few got a taste last night of these cinnamon-sweet pastries offered for cheap by the moving street vendor (kind of like the "ice cream man," he comes around every night about the same time apparently).  I think they are hooked.  We had our debriefing time on the roof of the house, and it was a treat to sing praise songs together under the open sky (I am surprised how much I miss music already with no stereos or Ipods--although our bus driver blared some weird 80s/Spanish rock station all the way to and from the construction site.  I also have to note here the funny expressions people make when they see our crazy bus pass by, blaring 80s music and even louder talking and laughing, packed to the gills with Americanos waving and smiling out the windows.)

There are two other teams staying at the guest house with us now.  The youth have been having fun comparing accents with the group from Canada (and flirting with the girls).  We will all work construction tomorrow morning, then split up for afternoon activities.  Our afternoon will be our only visit to the garbage dump, where we will hand out fruit and other useful items and just generally try to show graciousness and the love of Christ.  We will need prayer for physical endurance in the morning, and for spiritual sensitivity in the afternoon.  Remember us!

Blog entry

Friday--July 3, 2009:  Here are a few more details and descriptions of our first couple days, for you moms and spouses out there who won't find them too boring!

PTL, our flights arrived safely and so did ALL our baggage.  The flight from Miami was delayed a bit for some minor problems but made up the time in the air.  Jimmy still maintains that he loves plane food.  Our luggage was almost the last off the conveyor belt, so we did not finish going through customs and immigration until probably 11:30 pm.  We were met by our intern, Tyler, who is pretty bilingual, and a local church pastor and wife who spoke no English but chattered happily away at us anyway.  We thought for awhile that Jimmy and a couple guys had been sidetracked upon their exit from customs (you can't imagine how many people were pressing in in a U around the exit, waiting for disembarking passengers!), but it turned out our IncaLink intern had sent them off to the bus with one of our hosts.  Poor Ben was pushing his way through the human crush looking for red shirts for a good while before they were located. We perfected the assembly line method for loading ALL our luggage on a bus, something we would repeat often in the next 24 hours.  With all finally on board, the pastor guided us to the home of a host family from the church who opened their flat for us to crash for the night.  Since it was already into the next morning and we would be up again at 5:30, Tyler instructed us to leave all our luggage in a heap in what looked to be the family's dining room and just sleep as we were.  We did our best to share what toiletries were to be found among us, and most everyone was able to at least brush their teeth by the time we left next morning.  The host family also spoke no English so our communication was minimal, but we were very impressed with their gracious willingness to open their home to so much chaos at such a late hour.  The senora of the house kept appearing with sheets, blankets, cushions from furniture, even bath rugs--anything for us to ball up and use as a pillow, bed or covering.  We slept sprawled all over her floors and some draped over small sofas.  Carolyn and Ashley actually got a bed.  Most eventually fell asleep to the sounds of passing traffic (the toot-toot of small car horns is constant day or night) and barking dogs, though the guys say that was drowned out by snoring among their number.

Next morning found our gracious hosts up early to squeeze fresh orange juice and make ham-&-cheese sandwiches for the entire group.  We re-loaded the luggage and set off for the bus station.  This was our first, brief glimpse of Lima by daylight.  The city is very busy at all hours with lots of foot and vehicle traffic.  The public transportation system is inexpensive and widespread, so there are buses everywhere, darting in and out of small traffic openings and tooting their horns.  We passed many shops and apartment buildings, all painted in various differing colors, and passed through what looked to be an older part of the city with government buildings of more classic architecture (think Capitol Building in the US), but in pastel colors-not just the American gray and white.  Our hosts warned us that the bus station would be the most important time to keep our luggage close, but by God's grace all went smoothly yet again and we all were on the bus and headed for Trujillo by 9 am. 

The bus was pretty comfortable, like a US charter bus, and even showed an en route video!  It was some German-made film about a treasure map and soldiers and not sure what else, but since it was dubbed in Spanish, we had fun making up our own translation of what the characters were saying and what the plot might be.  Most early guesses revolved around the theft of mangoes. : )  Anyway, it soothed all our rumpled, sleep-deprived crew into a stupor and most were sleeping soon.  And yes, we have LOTS of pictures of that.  After awhile we revived, though most drifted in and out of naps all day, and we were able to watch the scenery a bit.  Lima sprawled for a long time, and we passed through a couple other largish towns along the way, but most of the trip was brown, sandy or rocky rolling hills that resemble sand dunes.  We often remarked that it could be a setting for a Hollywood movie set on Mars.  The day was overcast, and hanging mist here and there added to the surreal image.  We saw a few cactus plants, and now and then a stretch of irrigated farming--some corn, sugar cane, and not sure what else.  In the cities, we were amused to see dogs (which we see alot of) on the flat "roofs" of houses.  Not sure what they are doing up there...

We had a traditional Peruan lunch at our only stop, either rotisserie chicken or marinated beef strips, with rice and vegetables, including yucca, which is very like potato.  We had Coke in real glass bottles and some were brave enough to try the local soda "Inca Cola."  It is yellow and most say tastes like bubble gum!  I won't tell you about the bathrooms.

So we arrived in Trujillo at long last around 6 pm (see how my sense of time is getting Latino-- 6 pm mas or menos).  We changed buses to get to our final destination, stopping at the C&MA church for a delicious dinner--more of the beef strips, mixed veges and rice.  The cooks would not let us even clear our own tables but sent us on our way with smiles. We walked the several blocks to the guest house where we are staying (it was dark by then--no daylight savings time here).  A number of people were out for a stroll (the weather is mild and humid--very comfortable), but the setting felt more suburban neighborhood and safer than anywhere we had yet seen.  The houses string together kind of like townhouses or row houses, only they have several stories and each has its own facade.  Many of the houses we saw while on the bus had one level finished and painted, then another on top still in the concrete/brick looking newly completed phase, with rebar (sp?) sticking right out the top of that level, just waiting for the next level to be built, whenever that may be.

We were so glad to see the comfortable accommodations at the guest house, and especially the plentiful showers!  (We are still trying to figure out how to make the hot water just as plentiful.)  The guest house is an odd set-up to us, though from what we have seen it may be very traditional Peru style.  It has several floors, and the rooms seem to go in a circle (maybe lika farm house but with a kitchen in the middle-I think), with a couple different staircases that connect here and there, and doors everywhere that you aren't sure what they connect to.  We are all pretty lost still.  We were laughing about it this morning as we prepared to move out, because Jimmy was assigned to collect each person's cash that they wanted exchanged to soles.  So everyone kept wandering through the 2-floor maze saying, "Have you seen Jimmy?"  "Oh, he just went that way," and off they went in and out of doors and up and down stairs.  It reminded me of the old Scooby Doo cartoons where the characters were running from the ghostie--in and out of doors, popping up everywhere!  So by 9 am (mas o menos), everyone was ready to move out to the construction site at the orphanage, where we will be working most of today.  Well, everyone save one who woke up at 5:30 today with the stomach ailment.  He is medicated and resting now, and I (Dawn) am staying to watch over him (there are a number of others locals working at the guest house so we are not alone).  Pray for all our health; we are trying to be good about brushing our teeth with bottled water and whatnot, but it will be a challenge.  Thank you for your prayers--all has gone, I would say, MIRACULOUSLY smoothly, and all are getting along well.  Pray for our sick one-that the duration would be short and uncomplicated.  THANKS and Buenos Dias!

We're here!

All team members have arrived fine & dandy!