Bout Time

This blog entry is way overdue and yet I’m still not sure what I have to say. I have to walk a thin line between being informative and entertaining…in order to keep all parties interested. What am I talking about? I don’t even know who the “parties” are. So if you are reading my blog be advised that whatever I am about to write is being written in order to keep you coming back.

First order of business I suppose is the fact that my camera is broken. Yes, I know it is a very sad day. However, my mama and I are working on the warranty right now and trying to figure out how to get a replacement. So just be advised that for several months I may not have any pictures on my blog—sorry folks. The jungle is kinda hard on our “modern technology”.

Secondly, Sunshine is learning commands! She is a very smart dog—don’t we all say that about our dogs though. She sits very well; she is learning stay and come. However she fails to remember these commands at the most important times and so it goes.

I guess ya’ll are curious about how my first Christmas away from home went. Well, I made it through. No major tears and one John Grisham book richer!! Our team was actually able to celebrate this event with an Asheninka family from the community of Alto San Luis. Their oldest daughter had been studying here in Pucallpa for the past year. It was very interesting to house this family of 7 here in our home. For me it really made me question over and over what it is I came to Peru to do. It is easy to get the mentally that my people group live in the communities and I go there and see them. I should endure hard times while I’m there and then I can come back and rest. However, when the people group comes with you, you can’t just stop ministering. All this is to say, I was challenged to act like Jesus every day and really seek his guidance throughout the Christmas season a time when giving is of highest importance.
Somewhere on this list of things that ya’ll need to know is: I got lice. Yep discovered the little boogers on Christmas Day. Well Merry Christmas to you too I thought. My second thought was, “no stores are open on Christmas Day.” My third thought was, “I wonder if Hilda has something I could use.” (now for those of you who don’t remember Hilda, she was my tutor for 1 month and now she is basically my Peruvian mom. We see each other on a daily basis and she can pretty much get anything done.) So I told Hilda about my “visitantes”(visitors) over a piece of pound cake (which I made!!) to which she responded by getting up, walking into her bathroom and bringing me a bottle of cream. She told me she always had it on hand for her granddaughter who often came home from school with lice.

Also of some interest was HOW the bugs were discovered. Well as I was sitting in the McAnally’s house on Christmas morning waiting patiently for the hour when I could open my presents I laid my head over on the arm of a chair. Berta (an Asheninka girl that is also visiting us) started picking through my hair. This is a very normal thing in the communities. Children sit for long periods of time combing through each other’s hair looking for “piojos” (lice). Well, just before we were given the go ahead for opening presents Berta whispered to me, “tu tienes piojos” (you have lice)! Well, first thing I did was look up the word “piojo” in my dictionary, second thing was to shower, third I made the children look at my hair again to confirm the lice finding. Sure enough I had “bastante”(a lot). However, you all will be pleased to know that I used the cream Hilda gave me, bought some more along with lice shampoo the next day and currently there are no signs of lice in my scalp.

Now for those of you who are not totally grossed out and are still reading I suppose I will tell you about my trips to the pool.
Yes over the past week I have gone to the pool 3 or 4 times. I am looking more Peruvian every day (minus the blonde hair that keeps getting more and more bleached out with the sun) and this makes me very happy. Plus I just thoroughly enjoy the fact that I can go to the pool the week of Christmas. Doesn’t every kid dream of that? Well right after they dream of a White Christmas then they dream of being able to swim during their Christmas vacation.

Let’s see… in other news…..
Hilda and I are still working through the Bible study. She pleasantly surprised me two nights ago when we were doing our study because she had already filled in the blanks. She told me that she couldn’t sleep one night so she did the study! I was so excited and just started laughing and clapping…haha! I gave her a new Bible for Christmas…it should be easier to understand than the one she had. I also gave a Bible to Limni—the girl who cleans our house. She has recently accepted Christ and she did not have a Bible. I asked her yesterday if she has been reading and she said yes that she started at the beginning. I told her that was good, but to go ahead and start reading in John as well and if she ever had questions about anything to let me know.

Last thought---
As I was riding down the road this morning in a motortaxi this thought crossed my mind. As a child, how many times did I dream of riding on the back of a fast moving open vehicle like this (in those days I was thinking in terms of go carts—remember those). And here I am 24 years old riding on motorcycles, swimming at Christmas time, waking up each morning to the “whoop” of a monkey and sharing my love for Jesus Christ! How good is God?!! REAL GOOD I tell you! He’s all there is and if we follow him he will fill us with the desires of our heart.
Pray that I will seek Him every day and take advantage of ever opportunity given. I have the freedom to share with anyone why I am here and what I am doing. I have co-workers in other parts of the world who do not have this privilege. I pray that I will take full advantage of the freedom I have to speak into the hearts of Peruvians the love of Jesus Christ. God became man, was born of humble birth, was murdered on a cross, was raised to life three days later, and all for US!! Now stop and really think about that for a minute! No, you can’t grasp it, but you can accept it…all it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed.

I love ya’ll!!!

And the List Grows

Things I can now do with a machete:

1. Cut firewood
2. Dig a hole
3. De-tar(not sure that is a word) a boat
4. Cultivate the yard (Cut grass!!)
5. Oh, and pose like a kung-fu fighter!!

There are examples of all these in my pictures from this trip and previous ones.

Okay, so I’ve been promising stories for a while now. It’s just so hard to get them started. I think ya’ll will enjoy some explanation of our Asheninka field day.
While in Puerto Burmudez for our Asheninka leadership training we had a field day, so to speak. It would have been a field day had it not rained the entire mourning, but with the rain came mud; therefore, the day turned into “mud day” for quite a few of us. Had we been in the states the slow rain probably would not have stopped us from getting out in the weather and getting completely drenched, but I AM NOT in the States. And when the weather gets down to oh 75 degrees Asheninka people freeze! And wet and 75 degrees and you’ve got people shriveling up on you. So instead of making them get in the rain we played most all activities under a thatched roof, but before we even get to the thatched roof we had to walk to the place. So how do you walk about a mile with 30 people without getting wet? Well, you buy a huge piece of plastic and walk under it, of course!!! So, that is what we did. When we arrived at the site we went under the thatched roof and began our series of relay races with a sack race. Please try to imagine Native Indians putting themselves into a Rice sack and jumping…trust me…it is hilarious! All of the relay games kept me laughing because they have never seen anyone do the things we were asking them to do. Now, the bow and arrows were a whole different story…they were the ones laughing when I attempted to shoot that thing. Now don’t get me wrong, my Daddy taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow and I never skipped out on archery class at camp, but those kind in the hunting magazines come with automatic release and all kinds of other conveniences. This bow was made of metal and string. The arrows were cane, feathers, and a metal arrow head—and there were no notches in the end of the arrow to hold it onto the bowstring! Hey, I’m just impressed I was able to get one to release…it went a good little distance after I finally stopped trying to hold the string while releasing the bow.
Other fun or should I say funny events were tree climbing and tug-of-war, both of which we had to go into the drizzle in order to participate. Tug-of-war was after lunch…not sure how good of an idea that was…but the ground was fully saturated by this point and there was plenty of mud. Just use your imagination on that one. Thankfully there was a river close by and Dena and I were able to rinse ourselves off!
After a fun-filled day of “deportes” we had a baptism at the same river. Two of our training participants had never been baptized and desired to be. It was a great ending to a great week.

Please see the links on my previous blog entry BELOW in order to view pictures from this day of recreation!

Picture Links

for now just look at my pictures and i'll have some stories for ya'll later this week...

THIS IS THE LINK TO MY PICTURES FROM DECEMBER: (my most recent trip)
http://olemiss.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055906&l=c614d&id=6518921


THESE ARE NEW PICTURES FROM MY NOVEMBER TRIP:
http://olemiss.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055903&l=c5805&id=6518921


THESE ARE PICTURES FROM NOVEMBER ALSO: (that some of you have already seen)
http://olemiss.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052486&l=cc410&id=6518921

a few more pics before i go

This is the place where we buy our Christmas decorations. Actually this is one of the many stores where you can buy decorations. There is a sidewalk like place with stores like this on each side...not exactly Hallmark--but you get ornaments nonetheless!!!!
this is an orange juice stand in the same place where we get the Christmas stuff. notice the girl peeling the orange with some contraption and the man (to the left u can see his hand) squeezing the oranges...and about 2 minutes later i was drinking the juice!!! mmmm! i love Peru!!! fresh squeezed orange juice while you buy christmas ornaments. we might not have snow, but there are plenty of things that make up for the lack of cold weather!

Rocking Chairs, Yellow Curtains and Various Otras Cosas

so here is the picture of my new rocking chairs--as promised

and here are my new yellow curtains that i LOVE! notice my little christmas tree also!

i don't think i have shown ya'll a picture of the market yet. this is where we can get all the fresh vegatables we could possibly need for like $5---there is a meat section too!

and this is sunshine under the Christmas tree..i've always wanted a puppy under the tree!

Safe with Me

okay, sorry it has been so long friends. but i have two wonderful pictures of God's love that i would like to show you! now, you can't see these pictures with your physical eyes...only with your mind's eye.

both of the "pictures" that i'm going to show you i "saw" in a motortaxi. now for those of you who are new to my blog a motortaxi is the "vehicle" that i go to town in. imagine a motorcycle with a cab attached (large enough to fit 3 comfortably, but known to carry at least 6 plus various cargo!). anyways..if u can't picture it just go to my archives and their is a video and some pictures of motos.

NUMBER 1:

i was on my way to town with Rita on Monday and she had her little grand-daughter with her. Now, first, you need to understand that the traffic here in Pucallpa is WILD!! there are no "lanes" (not me; the driving lanes) so to speak. so their can be up to 4 or as few as 2 lanes at one time. and their are constantly crazy motorcycle drivers wizzing by you as well as big mack trucks lurching around you or in front of you. and everyone is trying to get ahead.
so we are in the midst of this craziness in our motortaxi and Ilene(the grand-daughter) was in Rita's lap. about 4 minutes into our ride Ilene was fast asleep in her grandmother's arms. this gave me a beautiful picture of how we should be with God.
although the world is CRAZY around us we are completely safe in God's arms. He is not going to let anything happen to us...and like sweet Rita, He will even shield our eyes from the dust flying all around!(and yes i do realize that he allows trials, but we can TRUST him is my point!) He loves us so much more than any earthly parent ever could--but do we TRUST HIM?!!!

the other story is like it:
i was in the motortaxi last night with my tutor/Peruvian Mama, Hilda and we went to buy some rocking chairs for the front porch. so we went to town found the chairs and had them tied onto the motortaxi. (i wish i had a real picture of that--but hauling stuff like that on motortaxis is nothing new here.) so anyways, we are on our way back home with the chairs tied to the back and just for precaution i stuck my hand through the back and was holding the chairs. halfway home i realized that my arm was really tired. then i thought...here i am holding these chairs on like their well-being rests soley on my shoulders--on my ability to hold them here. when in reality they were perfectly secured by the rope that had been tied around them.
this is what God said to me in that:
why are you trying to this in your strength? i have secured everything already... your well-being does not rest in your strength!! (PRAISE HIM FOR THAT!!) so, He said, "let go and rest!. and with that i also let go of those chairs...and do u know that they made it home safely without my help!

below you will see pictures of our rocking chairs--just so u won't be thinking those beautiful white chairs you find on the porches of victorian homes or even john walter homes for that matter!

well there was suppose to be a photo here...but i can't get it to load right now..so yeah..i'll try again later!

i love the chairs though..they are awesome!!

we leave again on December 4th to go to Puerto Burmudez. we will drive on the Carretera (remember that wild road?). and we will stay in Burmudez for 5 days training the Asheninka leaders and encouraging them to go out among their own people and share the gospel! then on December 11th we will go to Amambai (an Asheninka community) where we will have a Christmas meal and give gifts. we will also teach here.

• please pray for the Asheninka people that they will realize their task and be missionaries to their own people.
• i will be sharing two devotionals during our time at training. i will also have other various responsibilities.
• please continue to pray for my Spanish communicating and that i will be able to rest well and teach well!
• I pray for all of you as well that you have a wonderful Christmas season!

other than that i have been meeting with my tutor and preparing for this next trip. every day has been really busy and full of activities. i'm still really enjoying my time in peru. each day God teaches me something new. my house is becoming home--i have new curtains(yellow of course) and my room looks just like it would in the states..and with my hammack and rocking chairs on the front porch--i'm pretty much set!!

i love each of you so much!!!

Arbol de Navidad!

this is our tree with lights! and some of our other christmas decorations. notice the presents under the tree! they all came in the mail today! how exciting...now i only have to wait 1 month before i can open them!

i LOVE christmas time..i've been listening to christmas music since thanksgiving afternoon. surprisingly it still "feels" like Christmas even though i'm sweating as i sit in front of the tree.

Happy Thanksgiving...a day late!

I just want everyone to know I had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am going to put several pictures of us decorating the McAnally's tree and our tree and also some of our food. I hope ya'll enjoy them...i haven't had a chance to put any stories from my last trip on here...but ya'll go look at my pictures...they tell alot of stories without words(the link is below on my last entry)!

Marty cutting the turkey which was bought in Lima in July and has been sitting in our freezer ever since.

My green bean casserole...it looks like my mama's but didn't taste like it!

Me beside the McAnally's tree

Autumn and I putting the angel on top

Me beside our tree today

Ya'll leave me comments and let me know what u think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm home and Pictures

hey ya'll,

i'm back in Pucallpa. I got back on Saturday the 18th and i've been resting and recouping since then. I want to show ya'll all my pictures and i figured the easiest way to do that is to give you a link. so for those who are interested enough to look go to: http://olemiss.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052486&l=cc410&id=6518921

i have lots of fun stories to share, but i'm not sure that i have the energy to type them all out right now. so for some highlights.

on the road there: the road was washed out and we had to wait for 6 hours while random Peruvians cut down trees and put logs in the hole for a makeshift "bridge". we slept in some hole in the wall place that night and woke up the next morning at 5 a.m. to finish our drive Burmudez...from there we took our boat to the communities.

Three accpeted Christ in the community of Campinas. God gave me a rainbow on the day that I taught Noah's ark. It rained every day the first 5 days. Mud was everywhere. the boat got suspended between a tree and the bank...then it partly sank....oh yeah..good times! Abuela --the grandmother in Campina--I love her!

San Francisco, the second community, had running water...well not like indoor plumbing...just a faucet...which is way better than washing your dishes with river water, by the way. The cutest old man in the world and his little dog came to church each day(with his worn out and yellowed New Testament). The word for the entire trip was "Barro" (Mud) another key word would probably be "moscas"--the nastiest biting fly ever that leaves little drops of blood after biting!

the drive home: one stuck cattle truck (and a dehydrated cow), one stuck log truck (and an "alternate route" to get around it), and 2 roadside stand chicken sandwiches (don't ask where the chicken has been...just eat it!)

that is enough for now. enough to keep you coming back for more anyways...i hope.
and don't forget to look at the pictures!! http://olemiss.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052486&l=cc410&id=6518921 --CLICK ON IT! :)

i love ya'll!!!

Randomness

hey everyone,

i just want to give ya'll a little update on my life. i've been very busy these past few days. my team got back on tuesday and i had a big meal prepared for them upon their return. i was so glad i could do something for them--i had missed them so much. the next day we all cooked for some friends of ours...and it was quite adventurous. all was well until we blew a breaker. then we flipped the switch and the stove/oven worked for a while longer. but eventually the whole thing just stopped working(we just had too much going--and dena's stove is electric). so, we take stuff over to my house to cook...but my stove has been acting up for several weeks now. it is gas and it just hasn't been burning strong enough. but no worries because we have an extra stove in our extra bedroom out back. so, we ended up finishing the cooking in our back bedroom! the picture is below.

this is Rita and Dena cooking away in the very hot back bedroom; we had sweet potatos and cake in the oven and 3 things going on the stove top.

besides that we have been getting ready for our next trip out. we leave the 6th to go to two new communities. our team has never been to either of these places...brand new ground! very exciting. there is lots to do to get ready. pray for us as Marty and Autumn have just returned and are leaving again (they will have only had 5 days rest between trips). we all have alot on our plates right now as we prepare for the next trip.

i have lots of stories that i would love to tell ya'll, but i'm just finding i don't have the time to do them justice. so hopefully you can enjoy my pictures and pray for me without all my wild stories. :)

this is sunshine with her new collar on her new bed (she gets a sleeping bag too!). notice they r all yellow so that she will live up to her name. i took her to the vet this week to get her shots and buy her collar, leash, bed, and toys.

A Video of Me--For You!

hey ya'll("y'all"--that's for you Wes)!

i had the bright idea to put myself on a video and say hello. i think i sound really stupid and i had no idea i had so many weird facial expressions--but i figured ya'll would enjoy it none the less. i hope so anyways. the loud noise you hear in the background is the dryer--yeah, we have one of those! and u can probably hear my airplane of a fan too. you can see my living room in the background(more like the front door) and i'm sitting at my kitchen table. sorry i cut a little of my head off--i'm no expert! okay, i hope ya'll enjoy!

okay, yeah, i just rewatched it--i sound dumb! :) and when i watched it the voice and video were off--but it may just be my slow connection.

Grilled Cheese = "Que Rico"

hey ya'll,

i just had to share this....
today for lunch i made Rita grilled cheese sandwiches (i know, she makes me three course meals and i make grill cheese--which makes this story even better). so we are eating them and i ask if she likes it. she says she does and then i ask, "is there a word for this kind of sandwich in Peru?" to which she replies, "que rico!" which means literally "how rich", but its more like "aww, man this is great!" so in other words she named grill cheeses "que rico". well, anyways, i thought it was hilarious---i laughed for like 5 minutes. i hope ya'll enjoyed it too!

and here is a picture of Sunshine today.

11 Practical lessons learned in Peru (because 10 wasn’t enough):

Lessons Learned:

1. Always put on your flip-flops before walking outside; you never know what is waiting to be stepped on—e.i. poop, palm thorns, any number of things really

2. Never wear white; it will get disgustingly dirty

3. Going to town with Rita is 1000 times easier than going alone; not EASY, just EASIER

4.Always take your keys to town even if your house is left open; u need them to check the P.O. box

5. If there is something in the store and u think, “I’ll get it next time.” Rethink that and get it in that MOMENT; because it may be many moons before that item is available again or before you go to that place again.

6. If u think u don’t need it, u probably do—for example: “I don’t need my keys, Rita’s in the house.” or “I don’t need my shoes I’m just stepping right outside.”, etc. (do u know that after I wrote this I walked onto the back patio barefoot and an ant BIT MY TOE.)—Ok, I just put my shoes on!

7. NEVER let your dog have EIGHT puppies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8. Always keep Pepto-Bismol handy; there is no explanation for why my stomach randomly goes nuts

9. Listen to your Mama and “be careful what you wish for.” For example, as a child I wanted a house full of animals; now I have 10 dogs, 1 monkey, and 1 cat---and all I want is SILENCE!

10. No matter how sloppy you dress or how bad of a hair day it is…you are still white and Peruvians WILL whistle at you!

11. If your pants have been hanging in the closet for a while shake them out because those leaf-cutter ants look WAY COOLER on the Discovery Channel than in your pants leg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

--And possibly the most important lesson: When all of this becomes just a little too much, there is a hammock swinging on my front porch where God and I have some really good conversations!!!





-now, as an aside. i do not currently own a monkey. the McAnally's do--her name is Rosita. now it has always been my dream to own a monkey, but after being woke up EVERY morning this past week at 5:30 by the hidious monkey sound she makes---i'm not sure i want one anymore. i'm going to show ya'll a picture of her below. this is the kind of monkey i will get if i do decide to get one. but after this week...i think a puppy is enough to take on for now.
p.s. monkeys in the "new world" (meaning the americas) do NOT carry aids---i know some of u watched that Discovery Channel Show!!

the last few days....

first, i give props to all you moms out there. especially you single moms...and extra points to the single moms with children AND pets!! yep...mama, now i can empathize with you a little more for taking care of Gus and all the other dogs--but please keep doing it :)!

okay, yesterday and today have been really fun for me. i've had a lot of time to hang out with Rita, the lady who helps us around the house. She is so awesome. She has been a Believer for 3 years now. 2 days ago she was telling me a story. she said that her neck and head were hurting sooo bad and she was listening to a radio show where people were calling in and asking for prayer. and she thought...i can pray, i can talk to God myself--i don't need to call a show. so she put her hands on the back of her head and prayed that God would take the terrible pain away. when she opened her eyes the pain had eased up and the next day there was no pain! i just love her faith. i told her so too. i told her that faith like that would win her family to Christ. and as a matter of fact one of her daughters recieved Christ just last week.

Rita and I have been cooking together, eating together and going to town. below is a picture of her teaching me how to make limon marange pie--mmm.


mama, u will be proud. i've been cooking alot. (or fixing things alot) i made chicken pasta Sunday, chicken salad Monday, No Bake Cookies today, and Sweet Tea yesterday---okay, like i said...i've been "fixing" things..not really cooking. but Jacob likes all the goodies.

the next picture is of a tarantula that was in our guest room. Rita found it the day after our guests left that room---ooops...sorry guys! we have to watch for them at the beginning of rainy season.




Speaking of rainy season..i think it has begun. the following is a very short video of the rain this afternoon. you can be the judge of whether or not the season has started. all i know is that the rain has brought some really refreshing breezes. i hope the video doesn't make you sea sick--i moved the camera kinda fast because --well i don't know why!




i love ya'll!!!

Chillin' in Pucallpa

Okay, as promised...here is the update on whether I'm staying or going. Well, I'm here aren't I?! Enough of that--I am staying in Pucallpa with Jacob for the next two weeks. We've been here without the rest of the team for one full day. Dena seemed to be almost completely recovered from whatever she had and the team left at 7:00 Monday morning. So far, so good. I think we will have a good time and I will learn alot. I'm using my time in Pucallpa to work with a tutor, catch up on emails, and do some things that I don't always have time for--like reading. However, I'm pretty sure my days are going to be extra full these next two weeks.

Things you can pray for are:
-That the next two weeks will go smoothly with Jacob and the houses.
-just to give you an idea, I’ve had to stop this newsletter about 10 times to answer the phone(and try to understand the person on the other end), water the dogs, run get my house keys in case the door slams shut from the wind, and remind Jacob that when we drink all the cold water we must refill the water bottle!
-That my team will minister to the Ashéninka in a completely God-honoring, God-glorifying way.
-That my Spanish will improve drastically over the next couple weeks
-For Kristina(my language partner) that she will understand and embrace God’s truth
-That I will stay focused on my real job—that ALL peoples may know Him
-Dena’s health

And a photo...just to keep you coming back to my blog!

this is where i am currently sitting while i write to ya'll. my desk now has a pretty pink hand woven cloth on it and i have my Ole Miss blanket on my chair instead of the ugly, drab tan one.

"My Hammock in the Shade"

hey ya'll...sorry i haven't updated this in FOREVER (Foooreeeevvveeerrr, foooorrrreeeevvveerrr--ok sorry, i watched Sandlot the other day) Anyways, not too much has happened here since i returned from my first trip to the jungle. i've been kickin' it peruvian style here lately...restin' in my new hammock and trying to avoid the heat--is that even possible?
anyways....no really, i kinda do have alot in the works right now.

for starters, i have decided to take on a puppy. Mocha(the McAnally's Chocolate Lab) had puppies--they are now three weeks old. i decided i wanted to keep the little runt girl. something about us little people that want to root for the underdog--literally!:) i have decided to name her "Sunshine" because ya'll know i LOVE the sunshine. well, u might not know that, but I DO! i think i will call her "Sunny" sometimes for short--plus that is easier for Peruvians to say.

also, i bought a new hammock..as u can see above. i just love it!
the mcanally's, autumn, and i have had some missonary visitors this week, which has been enjoyable.

sadly, however, dena is sick. she has been sick for over a month now and we are not sure why. therefore, it is looking more like i will be going out on Monday instead of staying in Pucallpa with Jacob. nothing is for sure right now though. i am sticking to the most overused yet underrated missionary word--FLEXIBLE. that is what i have to be right now. tomorrow, i will find out if i stay here or go to the communities, then i will leave on Monday if that is the choice that is made.
also, i have begun working with language partners here in pucallpa. i will be working on language intensively (somewhat intensively anyways) for 1 month. i am really enjoying this and it gives me lots of opprotunities to talk about our work and about JESUS! my current tutor lives behind us in a house with her boyfriend. please pray for me that i can be a good friend to her and can show her God's love.

well, that's about it...i will send out an update about if i'm going or staying soon. i'll also put a post up here about it.

please pray for Dena--that she will feel better and for our team that we will make the right decision about who stays and who goes this month.

I got it!

This is it friends-- the piece of plastic that stole all of my time in Lima. But no worries, I have it now! I wasn't really unhappy when the picture was taken...she didn't give me any warning! Well, maybe when I get pulled over el policia will be intimidated!

And just so ya'll will know... I scored intermediate-mid on my language evaluation. I was told that is above what I have to be when I leave the country. Maybe I learned more than I thought as a Spanish major!--- Now pray that I will use it everyday to share the TRUTH with all the lost souls around me!

Ahhh--Things are beginning to get clearer

If you've ever lived in a foreign country or if you currently find yourself in one, then you know that sometimes it is AFTER THE FACT before you realize what has just happened. Permitame a explicar--Let me explain.

I am in Lima this week--the Capital of Peru--on "business." The business has consisted of getting my Residence Card, having a language evaluation, and getting my Driver's License. The process for getting my Residence Card and Language Evaluation went surprisingly smooth; however, the Driver's License has been an entirely different story.

Let me start at the beginning (a very appropriate place to start by the way). When I was still in the United States I was instructed to obtain an International Driver's License so that I could get my License in Peru without taking a Driving Test. So, my mother and I went to the huge metropolis of Jackson, MS to the AAA office where I payed $10 dollars and walked out with a International Driver's Permit. Too Easy, Right? Well, so it seemed until TODAY--today, many miles away in a very foriegn office. But I'm not to that part yet.

So, yesterday after getting my Residence Card, Ada, the most fabulous Peruvian lady EVER, took me to the "Doctor's" office where I took a eye test and an aptitude test (this is a very important detail). Well, the eye test was interesting--i covered each eye repeated the letters and then the nice Dr. asks, "how strong is your perscription". I answered his question by handing him my glasses, whereupon he took them, looked through them, and said in English, "very bad, no?" haha! Which I answered, "Si, mis ojos son muy malos". Then I walked into the aptitude test--however, I did not realize that I was taking an aptitude test. My American self thought I was taking the written driving test... so when i was asked the question (in Spanish) Jorge Somebody is a very excellent... a)painter b)biologist c)artist d)author...I was thinking what in the world does this have to do with DRIVING?! Oh well, I answered the questions as best I could, but I don't think the test administrator liked me much. I think it had to do with the fact that she knew I spoke more Spanish than I was letting on (Ada told me to play the dumb American). However, I apparently passed this test, but I was still confused as I walked out the door with half of the "getting-my-license" process finished.

Yesterday afternoon, after running all over Lima to find a notary office that was open--which we never found because it was Siesta time, we went to the Driver's License office so that I could take the written test. I was allowed to take this test in English and I was assured that we could bring the notarized copy of my International License the next day. As I was being seated to take my test a lady brought a cookie to the test administrator, I turned to her with a big smile and said, "Y para mi?" (And for me?) We all had a good laugh and I began taking my test. Then, five minutes later I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the cookie lady--she had brought me the entire bag so that I could choose my own cookie!! Awww! I thanked her and continued my test. Aftering finishing my test I returned to the desk where the test administrator asked me if I wanted to buy some Peruvian chocolate candy. She said her friend was selling it as a fund-raiser(or something to that affect). (I assumed it was like when people sell those chocolate covered almond bars in the States for charity). It only cost 2 soles(less than $1) so I thought, "why not, it may even help my test score." After I bought the candy the lady graded my test and lo and behold--I passed!! So, we left with our promise that we would return with the notarized copy the next morning.

Which brings us to today. After my language evaluation Ada and I took the notarized copy to the License office--I waited in the taxi. She was also talking to her friend about rushing the process because I need my license before I leave Lima on Friday (the process is usually 2 days which I don't have). However, after like 10 minutes Ada comes out and says there is a problem with my name on the International Driver's License. I went in to check it out and of all things my Surname (which is Last Name) was listed as Lane! My actual Last Name was not written anywhere on the document except in my signature---I knew that AAA office experience in Jackson was too easy!

So, what do we do now? Well, as I said Ada is the best Peruvian ever and not only that but she has lots of connections. Therefore, her friend in the License office called her friend in another office and well let's just say that little mistake was pushed under the rug. All we needed to do was go see the friend of the friend at another office 30 minutes away. Ada graciously offered to drive me there after lunch. So, after lunch we loaded up in her car and went to the other office...which resembeled a, i don't know, MILITARY CAMP! It was a very cold and intimidating place, but we were eventually directed to the friend's office and everything was checked out. So, the word was that after waiting in a few more lines we could walk away with my license in hand! Yeah, you're thinking it--TOO EASY!

We get to the last line and are told that a signature is missing; therefore, the documents aren't valid! Which signature you ask... The Psycologist. And who exactly is the Psycologist--the one who gave me the "aptitude" test--OOOOOOHHHH, so that's why those questions had nothing to do with driving! (This is the part where everything becomes VERY CLEAR AFTER the fact.)The not-so-nice lady who gave me the aptitude test had a name now, Isabel--the only name from the "Doctor's" office without a signature. So friends, what lesson have we learned? "Clearly" you need to buy candy from everybody in the Driver's License process!

Just so you know...tomorrow morning I should be able to obtain the signature and get my license before I leave Lima! Or so I'm told!

P.S. I ADDED 2 VIDEOS TO THE PREVIOUS BLOG ENTRY. SEE BELOW!
P.P.S. CLICK OVER THERE --> UNDER LINKS: "MORE OF MY PICTURES" TO SEE, YOU GUESSED IT, MORE OF MY PICTURES

Pictures and Highlights

1st Week:
Five Team Members- Two Peruvians, Three Americans; One Plane, One Boat, Two Rivers(I think), Two Communities, Three Machetes, Several Dozen Asheninka, “Bastante” (Lots of) Farm Animals, One Wedding, Two Different “Houses”, Three Outhouses (and Plenty of Tall Grass), Too Much Luggage, Lots of Babies Scared of White Faces, Three Futbol(soccer) Games—Five Goals scored by ME, One Possibly-Broken Toe, One Night of Illness, Six Bathes in the River, One Million Bugs, Several Beautiful Sunsets

2nd Week:Same Boat, Two Different Communities, One Fiesta, Half Dozen Tarantulas, Five Bathes in the River, Several More Beautiful Sunsets, Eight Baby Chicks, Two Lives Changed for Eternity!, One Leaky Roof, Three Different “Houses”, Two Very Refreshing Cold Showers in Atalaya, Same Plane to Pucallpa


This is a video of our take-off from the Jungle Runway. Don't you just feel like Nate Saint--oh, wait, that would be me--I feel like Nate Saint.


And these are the kids in Galilea singing in Asheninka. No matter how loud you make your volume you still can't understand the words--SORRY! :)
The following are a few of the couple hundred pictures I took while out in the communities:

Asheninka ladies cultivating the community walkway with machetes. I was able to help with this a little...it is very hot and tiring work.

The cutest little baby. I love this child. Her older sister (age 5) took care of her most of the time and was always willing to let me take her off her hands for a while.

This was my bathtub in Puerto Esperanza (the third community we visited)

These were my toilets in Pensilvania (the first community I visited)

This was my house in Pensilvania

The plane that took us to Atalaya (small town/village on the rivers-- we took a boat from Atalaya to the communities)

I will try to give a more thorough update later. I have been online since 6 a.m. this morning trying to get out my Newsletter and put pictures online for all of you. Dial-up makes the whole process pretty slow. It is now 8:15 p.m.

I'm going to Lima on Tuesday where I will have access to fast internet. I plan to upload alot of my pictures onto a website while I'm there. Just keep checking back for updates! Thank you all for your prayers these past two weeks!

I love ya'll!!

Whoa! Can we say "CRAZINESS"?

ok, so last night i went to a concert here. the group is Christian. they are like rappers from Honduras. they are MKs -- se llama (called) DC Reto. they are like the most popular band in Peru right now, which is really cool since their whole message is Christian.
so Autumn and i go to the concert, right...of course, i mean this has the potential to be a cultural experience of a lifetime! and boy, i think it was!

first, the tickets say the concert starts at 8:00 -- yeah right! we are in South America! but being the grigas that we are Autumn and i showed up at 7:45 to get our spot in line... and it is a good thing we got there at that time because the line started backing up for blocks after about 30 more minutes. so, as we stand in line and begin talking to the people in front of and behind us. the guy in front of me was named Omar and the girl behind Autumn was Milagro (meaning miracle). i believe they let us inside the park area (soccer field i think) at like 9:00. we get inside and there is all this space and so we just kinda walk toward the front with our new friends Omar and Milagro. then Milagro keeps wanting to get closer...and so we go with her...at this point Omar stays back. we end up standing about 3 rows back from the front---CRAZINESS i tell u. we are squashed in there like sardines. so we wait there all smashed up for like 45 more minutes. i think the band finally came out at 10:00. and then it was pure craziness. we were jumping mosh pitt fashion surrounded by Peruvians. after a few songs the white guy (band guy) says, "how many latin americans are here" and all the Peruvians go crazy screamin' and stuff. THEN, he says, "now i see some faces like mine out there, some gringos...how many gringos are here?" and me and autumn are jumping and screaming....haha! then he says, "and i bet alot of you gringos are missionaries...how many missionaries are here?" then we scream louder. it was way fun. after a few more songs these crazy guys came pushing through the crowd and squished us, so i grabbed Autumn and we headed farther back where we could breath. we had a great time....very much a cultural experience.

Okay, so Tuesday I leave for 2 weeks. I will be out from September 12th - 29th telling Bible stories to the Asheninka. I'm all packed and ready to go.

this would be my clothes for the next 2 weeks. that is right 3 outfits, one waterproof bag! and this is my trusty Kelty and my sleeping mat-- which will be strapped to my pack. oh, and my fancy new shoes from buffalo peak!


Now for the reflective side of Lane. I have spared ya’ll up until now by not being all self-reflective; however, I was listening to a song yesterday and it made me want to write in my journal. And now I want to share that journal entry with ya’ll.

Oddly enough the song I was listening to was “I’m Movin’ On” by Rascall Flatts.
These are the words that made me begin my journal entry: “I never dreamed home would end up where I don’t belong…I’m movin’ on…I know there are no guarantees but I’m not alone [God is with me].”

Here goes:
I’ve always known I was a little different. The first clue was when my mama told me I was at the age of about 8 or 10. However, I’ve also always known that God wanted to use that “different” part of me for Himself.
The trip that I’m about to embark on in 2 days is something I have only read and dreamed about. And for many years I thought that Missionary biographies and National Geographic articles would be the only places I would be able to experience this stuff. But, lo and behold, God has brought all things together – my quirks, my love of the outdoors, my hardships, my experiences, and my zest for the extreme – to bring me to the Ashéninka people of Peru! How exciting!
Finally, I am not reading about my dream, but living it. Now, I (not a yellow magazine) am the author of my story!

So there you have it friends… please continue to pray:

That God will give me super-natural Spanish speaking abilities
That the hearts of the Asheninka will be open to hear God’s truth
That I will be a blessing and encouragement to the Asheninka and my team
That my stomach will be calm and my back will be strong

“Praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ… that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.” Colossians 4: 3 & 4

Arive Paasoonke!

Mostly Pictures--That's all ya'll care about anyways!

WARNING!: to those of you who do not like long posts (i will not mention names--johnny!) you will not want to read this! it ended up being longer than i had planned. But there are some really fun pictures...so do as you wish!

The following are pictures of the past several days. Beginning with our trip on Saturday to the Waterfall.

On Saturday we went to a Waterfall. It was 3 and 1/2 hours away by car. The roads were bumpier than anything i have ever experienced in my entire life. i'm talking MAJOR holes in the road and instead of being made out of gravel the roads were made out of like BOULDERS...it was insane. The above picture was our first stop. This construction worker lady was all decked out in orange. She decided if she had to wear it she was going to make it look good. She had on orange earrings and a sparkly orange belt. She was also steady eating her breakfast (notice the leaf she is holding filled with something). Cars were lined up behind us for quite a ways, but no worries b/c there was plenty to be bought and eaten on the side of the road. Everyone unloaded out of their cars and the vendors got very excited at the sight of so may cutomers.

This is Dena buying tamales from one of the roadside vendors! She is all about getting the food sold on the side of the road! I garantee you she did not pay the original price offered her by the lady--she is quite the bargainer!

Here is all the cars lined up on our return trip. This is just as everyone was hopping back into their vehicles.
Here is the waterfall. It is known as the bride's veil. We had lots of fun swimming and sitting under the waterfall. Sadly, however, I did not get much of a tan.
This would be my first experience with the squatty potties in Peru. Regardless of what that sign says, there was NOTHING "hygenic" about that experience. The little plastic gave you "un poquito" (a little) privacy, but no worries because the smell scared away any curious onlookers!
Autumn and I bundled up during our Asheninka lesson (We have been studying Asheninka every afternoon at 3 o'clock-- so far I'm not very good; Autumn is the language expert between us). The temperature at that moment was 75 degrees F. Haha! We were seriously COLD! The wind blew our dry erase board over and spilled my Orange Fanta (which you can see on my clothes in the following picture). The temperature was in the 70s for two days and it was VERY refreshing--it felt like football weather!! (Hotty Toddy!)
Here you see Jetta (the McAnally's dog) with her sweater on as well. You also see the wet spots on my clothes from spilled Fanta. Jetta sleeps with me several nights a week-- please do not tell Gus, he will be jealous!
Here is the beloved plumber who brought HOT water to our lovely casa! That is our shower wall torn to pieces before it was retiled and after he put the pipes in. After I took this picture he shut the door---ooops, maybe he's a little camera shy! Elbert told me I should ask before i take photos! but Elbert, that eliminates all the candid shots!
This is one of the fruit and vegtable markets in town. Notice the truck coming down the narrow road! I would hardly call this road one-way, but somehow Peruvians are capable of driving trucks, motortaxis, cars, and fruit-stands down this ally all at once! These people are amazing!
This is at a restaurant--i forget the name, where we can get roasted chicken. This is the chickens roasting--obviously! mmmmm, good stuff. that was my supper last night (well, actually mine was fried last night!)

And finally my bed! That would be an OLE MISS blanket! Go Rebels!! Ya'll made me proud on Sunday as I listened to the game on the internet.

My first trip out to the Asheninka communities is on September 12th. That is 6 days from today. We will visit three different communities during a two week period. I have been given the responsibility of sharing my testimony (in Spanish, of course), teaching 1 story to the adults, and 1 or 2 stories to the children at each of the 3 communities. Please pray for my Spanish ability and that hearts will be open to God's truth. Also pray as I prepare these stories over the next several days that I will know what words to use. Pray that my nerves will be calm and that my STOMACH will be calm as well. This is what I have dreamed about and I want to take the truth to these people with joy and not with aprehension or nervousness! Please pray for boldness!

1st Video (and what I did while it loaded)

the picture is my team. the mcanally's(dena, jacob, and marty) and my partner autumn beside me



Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing

i hope this thing works! i waited an hour and a half for it to upload to the internet! ya'll better stinkin' enjoy the traffic in Pucallpa! :) j/k. this is a video of us riding back home from town on a motor taxi. motor taxis are self-explanitory...just watch the video and u will see a million of them. we did almost get hit by that fruit truck and we ran a red light too--fun times! don't worry, my life really isn't in danger:)

while i waited for this video to upload i watched the plumbers (someone has to be here with them), talked a little to an Asheninka lady and her son (they passed through on their way to Lima--he has to have surgery). They walked to days to catch some kind of bus and came here and now are taking a bus to Lima. Be thankful you can drive to a local hospital!

i also ate a bag of cheetos...or should i say chizitos (that sounds like our made up language courtney!--hizzy kizzy!) anyways, all the while my roommate has been at the McAnally's house helping prepare for Marshall's(the volunteer from the States)going away party which is in 30 minutes! Let me go try to wipe some of the Pucallpa dirt off my body before i go to the party!

Bike Riding 101 -- Motor Bikes that is!

Friends!!! I have been in Pucallpa for 5 days now and they have flown by. The high points have been learning to ride a motor scooter and a motorcycle (yes, they are different), shopping for a monkey in the market, and going to a mini-zoo full of odd jungle animals.

Each day has been slap full of activities. It is amazing how many things can happen here in one day and the number of random visitors you may have. For example, today I decided to sleep in a little --til 8:30. I went to get in the shower, but as soon as I sat down on the toilet the plumber showed up(with his helpers) ready to install the hot water. So, I took all my stuff over to the McAnally's and showered there--which was fine cuz they already have hot water. Did ya'll hear that? I'm getting hot water--now all of you will have hot water when you visit!!!-exciting stuff! Meanwhile after I get out of the shower a teenage boy was going door to door to make sure people did not have standing water around their houses. He was explaining what dingi is and how misquitos are bred--I did not know how to tell him that I'm from Mississippi and we don't leave water standing either:) A while back there was an outbreak of dingi(that fever that killed the girl in John Grishom's book The Testament). Anyways, our house got a stamp of approval for not having standing water. He really stretched my Spanish skills though---he talked really fast. I did, however, understand when he told me that i looked 16--thank you little peruvian boy! And yesterday the phone company came by to put in an extra phone line for my room. So, now I can sit in my room and update this blog instead of having to sit on my roommate's bed. That is all the exciting visitors I can think of at the moment, but I assure you, there have been more.

After learning how to ride the motor scooter (moto) I decided to take it a step higher (actually I was encouraged by my team) and learn how to drive a motorcycle. I never thought I would do that--but don't worry ya'll, I never went past 1st gear. I will though--one day. The next thing on my adventurous to do list is to drive the McAnally's stick shift truck. If I get good enough and confident enough I will get a truck of my own--oh boy!!

I'm still waiting to hear back from the monkey guy (the guy from the market who said he would call when he got the kind of monkey we wanted).

I don't want ya'll to think it has been all play though. Me and Autumn did rake the yard yesterday--that was quite a chore. And everyday we have to wash the dishes by hand (no dish washers here). Amazing how well I can do these things when my mama is not telling me to! See I did pay attention when she was teaching me!

One last thing, Dena has been teaching Autumn and I Asheninka these past two afternoons. I bet ya'll could learn to really "hold it" if you had to say "Where is the bathroom?" like this:
Tsica picaatapiintaca? Now maybe that will make ya'll pray a little harder for me when I'm out in the communities:)!

Well, I guess that is all for now. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I will try to do more later!

that's me on the scooter

the covered boat is the kind we rode to the zoo, this is the lake that turns into the river during rainy season

mi casa

WOW! what a week!

ok! here goes! warning!: this entry is going to be super long, not very reader friendly with its lack of pictures--it is not for the faint of heart! now don't say you haven't been warned!

here we go! I think I will start with Tuesday. Yes, Tuesday is good. I did not receive word about my Visa on Monday as I had hoped so badly. However, Tuesday afternoon, I received word that my Visa was in the U.S. and ready to be picked up! I was so excited I could barely breath. I looked at my mama and said, “what do I do now?” haha, so I got on the phone and started calling the powers-that-be to get me to D.C. Well, needless to say, I couldn’t leave that very minute so it was this huge high just to be let down---b/c there was nothing I could do THAT MINUTE! Well, I had become very anxious over those two days and had many things on my mind, so Tuesday night I read and prayed through Psalm 139. It was so powerful to me at that time (it always is, but that night I felt God was speaking right to my heart). He was saying to me, “Lane, I love you so much, I know everything about you and everything you need, Do you trust me?” So, I journaled for a while and just poured out all my “anxious thoughts” and told him how much I really did trust Him with everything. I knew that He wanted me in Peru to work with the Asheninka, and I surrendered to His timetable. I slept better that night than I have in a long time!

He also comforted me with these words: "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I take the wings of the dawn(on a jet plane!!), If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea[or jungle!], Even there Your hand will lead me." God is so good to give us such words of comfort!

Wednesday morning I woke up and things were already moving (because God says, "When I awake, I am still with you")!! Yay! I did as I was told and called the consulate first thing Wednesday morning. Well, right after I left a message and hung up, Brenda(my regional office secretary) called me and said that I could be ticketed for that afternoon!!!! I started screaming I was so excited. Then she put me on hold and while I was on hold the Consulate called back to set up an appointment for me to pick up my Visa! So, I talked to him on the other line while my mama held for Brenda. When I got back on the phone with Brenda my plane tickets were being confirmed and they were working on getting me a hotel close to the airport. Needless to say, God’s timing is SOOO perfect. Everything happened at once. (this was all about 9:30 a.m.)

I left mama’s office at 12 and went home to wrap up the details of my luggage. Granny came to see me from 12:30 until I left at 2. She said she couldn’t go to the airport because she would cry too much! I love that lady!!! So, I left my house at 2 in order to be PLENTY early for my 5:30 flight. It is normally a 1 hour drive, but OF COURSE we got behind a wreck!! We sat there for 45 minutes and I got very impatient. And I prayed Lord, have you taught me nothing about your timing—I KNOW you have it in control! I know that I’m a slow learner and I guess He thought I needed another lesson in patience. So, of course, I made it to the airport in time and got checked in. I believe I was there at 3:45, checked-in, and sat down with my family and waited for the final goodbye. I said my final goodbyes at approximately 4:25; there were no tears on my part---crazy I know! I’m just so ready and my dream is coming true!

So, after my layover in North Carolina I boarded my last plane of the night and made it into Washington D.C. at ten til 11(EST). I called the hotel and asked for the shuttle service, an attendant helped me get my bags off the baggage claim and put them into the shuttle(the u.s. airways attendant that helped me was from Africa--Ghana. he wants me to go to Ghana and be a missionary--i told him i wanted to one day!). I made it to the hotel (with all four bags!) about 11:30 and went to sleep around 1:00 I think.

However, I didn’t sleep long because I guess I was just thinking about the details of the next day---having to go get my Visa. I looked at a thousand maps and just decided to forget the metro and take a taxi to the Consulate. The address I got offline was for the Peruvian Embassy---I wasn’t sure if this was the same as the consulate or not(and am still not..lol!). So, the nice taxi driver (that the hotel called for me) took me to the Peruvian Embassy. I went in said I had an appointment with German (Herman) and was informed that he was not in the Embassy but the Consulate (OHH, so there is a difference!). Well, where is the consulate? No worries just across the street! Easy enough you say!! Well, not when you’re on a corner!! So, I walked around some more, found the Consulate of the Philippines! Nice folks those Philippines. Anyways, German had given me his number so I called and got EXACT directions for “across the street.” I found it!! I was there early and waited 30 minutes. I got my Visa stamped in and that was it! Back out into the big city to catch a taxi for myself. The right one(an iranina taxi driver who wanted to know my story--go figure:) came along after a little walking and I was on my way back to the hotel.

I waited there for about 2 and ½ hours and then the shuttle took me back to the airport, an American Airlines attendant helped me with my bags and I waited in line and checked in! Now, here I am!(i wrote this while waiting in the D.C. airport)
Every person that helped with my baggage was so nice and I was able to share my story with several people along the way. I was asked more than once why I was not married. (haha, i guess a little white girl with 4 massive bags makes people want to ask questions!) I said that I really want to be one day when i find the perfect man God has for me! Every person I dealt with those two days was International. It was a great all around cultural experience! Not to mention the Peruvian consulate! It was just a little Peru! It made me so excited --- I used more Spanish than English and that was exciting too!

So, then i flew from D.C. to Miami, i waited about an hour in the Miami airport before boarding. I thought, "here i go...my dream is about to be real!"
Now, my flight from Miami to D.C. deserves a entry all its own, but i will spare you---my new friend Raul deserves a blog all his own!--lol, let me explain.
I got on the plane and found my seat. it was between a Peruvian man(window seat--important detail) and an Italian man(isle seat). when i sat down i thought that the Peruvian man was going to be very quiet and sleep the whole time; HOWEVER, when the plane took off, he came out of his shell.

He first asked me where i was from and then immediately asked me if i was a Christian! when i responded, "yes", he said, "we should pray for our flight." now wait just a minute...I AM THE MISSIONARY!! that is suppose to be my question! haha! before i prayed i made sure that he too was a Christian. he interrupted my prayer with, "don't forget to ask forgiveness of our sins". so then i finished praying and he said, "if this plane crashes we will go to heaven." i said that is right!
So, the night goes on and Mr. Raul, with two children--twins who are 30(boy and girl), would not let me sleep. well, i guess he wasn't opposed to my sleeping, but he needed to ask me lots of questions during the entire flight! however, the most hilarious thing that happened was when i was dead asleep at one point and i suddenly felt water in my LAP!!!!!!!! i woke up with a jerk and the stewardist and Raul were just looking at me. they had managed to spill water in my lap--Raul was just trying to take care of me by getting me some water. well, i tried to go back to sleep, but my blanket and lap were wet. i did not want to disturb the sleeping italian beside me so i did not ask to get up. i waited about an hour and Raul had to go to the bathroom so he woke up the italian and i took my chance to go change pants(those "forced overnight clothes" are good for more than one thing). i also helped Raul figure out his headphones for the movie--he watched it for like an hour with no sound, hoping he would let me sleep, but he continued to wake me up. once he woke me up to tell me that his wife had died 5 years ago--now how could i sleep knowing that. and most other times he just wanted to look at my watch! now i know i'm OCD when it comes to looking at my watch during flights...but i think i have met my match! and he was looking at MY watch as well!

Anyways, i have a wonderful friend now and the flight was just fine! so, i landed in Lima got through immigrations got my bags and made it through customs no problem! Dena, the career missionary, met me outside and off we went to the guest house. i slept for 2 hours before waking up to check in with the police station here. but not before we ate breakfast at Starbucks, and afterwards I ate lunch at TGIFridays, and did i mention i just finished supper at Chili's!! haha, needless to say, i'm not in the Jungle yet!! But i will be there TOMORROW. my flight leaves at 10 a.m. going to Pucallpa!

now this has been long enough! i love ya'll! sorry for so few pics! they will come!

Wait for the Lord

okay! here i am waiting! its all good though. i think my visa will come today. if not, surely by tomorrow. but word is that today is the day. now what happens after today is the tricky part! i will have to fly to washington d.c. to get the visa stamped into my passport at the peruvian consulate. it may end up that i fly from d.c. to peru, but it may not. everything is in the air--except me, of course, and that is where i want to be--in the air in a stinkin' plane!
so anyways, that is the latest as of monday august 21st at 12:39 p.m. CST. and here is a picture of how ready i am!!!! this is for those of you who asked "if i'm packed?" here is your answer:

the puppy is my baby, gus gus. he doesn't get to go, but don't tell him. i think he smells something in the air cuz he will not leave my side-EVER. that is why he got into the photo :)!

i will sent out an update newsletter as soon as i know about my visa. thank you for the continued prayers!

i love ya'll!

Been Packed for a While Now!!!

okay friends! you are probably thinking, "who has time to post all these blogs---that girl has too much time on her hands!" well, you would be right. i do have too much time on my hands. i'm just waiting for that visa to come. in the meantime i thought i would show you my room for the past THREE weeks! that's right i've been packed and ready for THREE weeks! meanwhile, i've been wearing the same two pair of pants and same two shirts for quite a while now(cuz everything else is packed)---I HAVE WASHED THEM!!!

ok, those were my bags about one week ago. now, however, they are all organized and ready to go. and my room is clean!

well, since some of you, that i will refer to as my "special friends"(you like that don't you!), are not able to get my newsletters i am going to post some of my last newsletter here. this is information about the people i will be ministering to while i'm in Peru! please everyone pray for the Asheninka people!

The Ashéninka are indigenous people (meaning they are descendants of the first peoples in Peru and their way-of-life has not changed for hundreds of years). They live in some of the most remote regions of the Peruvian jungle. The only way to reach them is by boat or small aircraft. They live along riverways (tributaries of the Amazon River) and they survive on subsistence farming, hunting, and gathering.
Please imagine with me being born as an Ashéninka child (it is only by the grace of God that you were not). Now your first sights would be muddy rivers, thatch roofs, bamboo huts, open fires for cooking, and jungle animals all around you. Now imagine growing up where the only form of religion is to live in fear of this jungle around you. For example, every animal has a spirit, some are good and some are evil, and death is only one unfamiliar, undiagnosed disease away. The spirits of the animals, trees, sun, and moon are worshipped in hopes that you will not contract one of these unexplainable diseases. There is no truth; there are no absolutes, only fear. The closest thing to an answer is a village witch doctor who is truly the evil one disguised as an angel of light. As an Ashéninka person you would never go out on your own to seek truth because the only life you know to be real is life in the jungle. I mean really, what else could there possibly be? Now, as an Ashéninka person what if in the deepest part of your heart you KNOW this is not all there is to life, yet there is still no one to give you truth. Imagine, me—Lane Brown, walking up to you in your little hut and telling you that I have the Truth that your heart has always longed to know! JUST IMAGINE!!! What would you think? How would you respond? Would you believe this little white girl from some crazy place named the United States?
These are the obstacles I face as a missionary to these people. I so desperately want them to know the truth, and they may desperately want to know it; but we have lots of barriers to cross before the Truth is proclaimed.

i will live in Pucallpa and work up and down the Ucayali River(above) and other tributaries of the Amazon River

read all about them: www.asheninka.net PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!