Day Two and Three

I am typing these words from a small clay brick cabin in a valley of the Andes Mountains about two hours by bumpy switchbacks from Cusco. It is dark outside, dark in way that it isn’t at home. There are no street lamps and the only light comes from the sparkly clear web of stars. Not only are these stars strikingly brighter than any I have seen before, they are in fact different stars, I guess one can see different constellations in the southern constellations than in the northern but I am sad to say I don’t know enough about stars to be able to tell much difference. Through the window I can hear a single panpipe’s breathy tone played by a neighbor orphan who must be trying to pass a long winter’s evening, no small feat as it is completely dark here by 6 o’clock at night. By day’s light you can see the white and blue plastered walls of the school and farm buildings, dusty roads along glistening irrigation ditches, bright red poinsettias (growing naturally!), and the bright faces of about 200 children. It is in a word a magical place. We arrived in Cusco after a terrifying but breathtaking plane ride through the Andes. Immediately upon deplaning the dusty foreign landscape and startling altitude assured me that I was in fact in a foreign place. The two-hour drive to La Casa del Aquila provided a good introduction to the place I will call home for the next month. We passed through little market streets smelling of fresh bread and slaughtered chickens, along steeps switchbacks, and by countless alpacas, horses, and cows. Upon arriving at the orphanage we took a tour and enjoyed a meal of fresh produce meat and rice (basically what we will eat at every meal-simple, good, and healthy). Today we introduced some AWANAs games to the kids-I am happy to report that the pleasure of tug of war is cross cultural the kids loved it. My dad also ran a health clinic. He saw about 35 people with ailments ranging from stomach aches to dog bites and was able to provide care and comfort to many very grateful people. I enjoyed playing with the children and using my limited Spanish. I have found a little three-year-old friend, Rosalinda. She was basically attached to my hip all day, and her mother tried to convince me to take the little girl to America, part of me was very sad that I couldn’t. This afternoon we worked to clear an area to build a small home for the cook at the farm. I think Ben enjoyed using a machete. All in all it was a good day. I know this is a long post, but it seems that so much has happened. I love it here and feel very blessed for the opportunity to come my prayer requests are:

· That the people here would find the hope and of Christ.

· That the children we played with could know true joy.

· That the patients Dad say could be healed and comfortable.

· That we could continue to find ways to help these people.

· That everyone would continue to feel well.