Burning News

After my couple of days with the boys, I came home pretty tired, and glad to have an afternoon to not do a whole lot. I opened up the apartment to get a nice cross breeze and was laying on the couch watching/napping as I heard fire trucks racing by. I didn't think much about it. Lots of street noise is normal in a city of 8 million. Then I heard my neighbor yelling "fire, fire, fire!" I decided I should see how close this fire was to me. From the balcony, it was closer than I expected:

I was surprised to see part of the building on fire since the structure is all made from cement. I don't think the pipes were on fire, but the flame in the middle was coming from the floor below.

Our local fireman came through the roof with his hose to put out the flames. He didn't appear to have any back up with him.

This neighbor saw a flame jump across the roof and land on the wooden chair. When it started smoldering, he decided to do something about it. So he climbed from two houses away to get the chair, but then didn't know what to do with it. The whole neighborhood was on their roofs or balconies giving him instructions on what to do with it. His eventual decision? Drop it 3 floors down and see if that puts out the small flame. I don't know if it worked or not, but everyone cheered and he turned around with a huge grin on his face!

The cutes little munchkins!

Introducing the newest member of the Peru mission family...

Hope Morgan

My sweet friends John and Jenny were at the hospital this week for the birth of their daughter. I had the privilege of helping take care of their adorable boys. It's been a while since I've babysat or been around little kids, but it was such a blast watching them. They say the cutest and funniest things. I feel like a proud "aunt" showing off pictures!

Caleb (5) with baby Hope (6 hours) for the first time. All the boys have matching shirts that say, "I'm a big brother." So proud!

Luke could not have been any more excited about his baby sister. He kept saying over and over, "I just LOVE her." So precious!

Elijah, what a fun, wild little man. He is hilarious and really enjoyed that ice cream cone!

Thanks John and Jenny for letting me stay with your boys and brag on your sweet family!

More to come

A new posting with pictures is coming this weekend. I'm hanging (aka babysitting) with three great little boys this week and they are keeping me busy! Stay tuned...

A good start

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with ones you love and a fun New Years. I was still in the States for New Years and had a low key evening with friends.

I arrived back in Lima last night and have enjoyed getting unpacked and settled back at home. I truly and "home" in Lima. I love it here, my heart is here and this is where I want to be. It is going to be incredibly difficult to leave at the end of my term in August.

Thursday morning, I am returning to my favorite town in all of Peru, San Jose de Quero. A little town nestled in the mountainside with an incredible view and beautiful people. David, Cameron and I are taking a team of 4 on a discipleship trip.

Please pray for opportunities to meet with the young believers in San Jose de Quero.

Time really does fly

The old saying, "Time flies when your having fun" has been so true of my vacation. In some ways I feel like I just got home, but it can't be true because I return to Peru a week from today!

It's been a great vacation catching up with friends, spending Christmas with my family, shopping, and enjoying all things American.

I have a busy couple of weeks when I return. Three trips are already planned for January and I get the privilege of staying with some adorable little boys while their baby sister is born and in the hospital with Mom and Dad. What a great way to start the New Year!

Please pray for my Dad this week. He is preparing for Comps for his Doctorate and working/studying incredibly hard. It's a lot of information and very stressful.

Thanks for loving, supporting and encouraging me!

Whirlwind of a week

I promise I haven't forgotten to blog! It has been a whirlwind of a week. I arrived in the United States 8 days ago and have been on the go ever since. I had a crazy 36 hours in Richmond squeezing in dress fittings, wedding shoe shopping, hair cut, dinner with friends, a midnight run to Walmart and much more.

My brother got married on Saturday in Oklahoma. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception that I am so incredibly thankful that I was there for. I had the best time catching up with my extended family. I couldn't stop hugging everyone! I was also the most emotional version of me at the rehearsal. I'm practicing my best bridesmaid walk down the isle, smiling, walking towards my brother and could not stop crying! I was so overcome by emotion realizing that my baby brother was getting married. Have no fear, I totally kept it together for the real wedding and didn't shed a tear.

Shopping has been interesting in the States because everything is available! I walk around in amazement at all the new products. I literally got dizzy in Sam's Club seeing the quantity of items and couldn't decide what kind of lotion to buy in Bath & Body Works and walked out with none!

I have two weeks left of my vacation and get to spend it all at home. I'm pumped.

Merry Christmas to all! I hope that you and your loved ones have a wonderful season celebrating the birth of our Savior!

'Tis the Season for Giving

I have an entirely new appreciation and love for people who give. Sacrificially give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering to support IMB missionaries. I am blessed to be supported by Southern Baptist who give every year. With the economic decline in the past year, the IMB has also been impacted. As a result, changes are being made and the effects are being felt overseas as well. With giving being down, the number of missionaries being sent in 2010 has decreased. The task to go and make disciples of all nations is still huge. The nations coming to know Christ is urgent, and missionaries are still needed. Please prayerfully consider your offering to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your prayers and support. I can't express how much it means to me.