Seeing The Sights In Lima, Peru

Our first full day in Lima was Sunday, October 11. Our day started off rather early. This time of year spring has sprung, the weather is in the 60s, and most of the days we were it was overcast yet never rained. As I left our room this is the view I saw:

We were able to have our same bus driver, Toby, who we had two years ago! Every morning started off with "¡Hola, Toby! Buenos dias." He drove us to church at Casa Alcance in La Victoria (a district of Lima). Case Alcance is an outreach to a very troubled neighborhood. The outreach is an extension of Camino de Vida, the main church campus we work with.

What I loved about this little, but growing church was watching the children worship. They have a teenager (at least he looked like a teenager) who showed them how fun worship can be. It becomes natural for them to enjoy singing, lifting hands in praise, and knowing God through worship!

I think our Executive Pastor, Chuck and his wife, Tammy kinda like each other.

One of the things we were told was not to pet the dogs on the street. There are so many dogs. They're as populous as the humans it seems. Now, there were a couple of guys talking next to the center. They had a dog, who seemed similar to our Peru. Just a different color. Of course, I was wary because I wasn't sure how these guys would feel about some gringa walking up to pet their dog. I did it anyhow. lol I couldn't resist. Well, this dog was an absolute LOVER! She couldn't stop kissing me. HA! After the moment had passed, and I went back to the outreach center, I realized that, "oh yea, that could've been a dangerous situation." What can I say?

From La Victoria, we headed to Miraflores, which is right on the water. We went there 2 yrs ago as well. It's a beautiful outdoor mall cut into the side of a hill next to the Pacific Ocean. While we were there, we went to Starbucks, and then the Dennis and Denise renewed their vows. They'd been married 3 yrs ago that very day by Pastor Chuck. It was very sweet to share that moment with them.

From Miraflores we headed to lunch. We went to a cafe, and a man named Jesus was able to explain the entire menu to us in English! The best part of this cafe? It was right next to the cat park that we visited last year. So, once we placed our orders, I asked Caillie if she wanted to go check out the park with me. Thankfully she did, even though she said she wasn't much of a cat person. There was even a lady walking around with her friends feeding all of the cats. That's what people do at the cat park. =)

After we walked around the block filled with cats and flowers, we headed back to eat with the group. Fred knew how happy I was that I'd gotten to see the kitties! Lunch was pretty good, and from lunch we took a bus tour around the city.

The last time we were down in Lima, Toby drove us to the same area, we were seeing on the tour bus. It turned out to be a warm day, so Fred and I sat on the top of the open busy, but in the shade. Something we learned was that a big truck goes around watering the grass because it never rains there.

The architecture around the city is beautiful. There are some amazing buildings, so it was fun to see them from the perspective of the tour bus. We were able to go to the catacombs at the Monastery of Saint Francis again. It's an interesting, and very ornate place to visit. None of these are pictures of the monastery because I took so many pictures of it last time, but here are some sights:

The entire tour took 2-3 hours. So, by the time we got done, it was time for church at the main campus of Camino de Vida. The worship there, I can't even put it into words.They're so given in to the Spirit, and it's a beautiful thing to experience. There was also a visiting pastor from Argentina. He was quite dynamic. I didn't get to hear what he said because I gave my translator to someone else from our team. He seemed more like a cross between a pastor and a comedian. What's really exciting is they're making a CD. They don't have amazing Christian music stations like we do here in the states, and if they did, most of the music would be in English. Now they'll have something they can understand and enjoy!

We were all bummed to leave, but our bellies were grumbling and we were ready to eat. Hope, one of the new interns, took Paige's place for the evening, and took us out to dinner. I was once again excited about our first dinner, which was sweet and savory crepes. The last time we went down, Fred and I fell in love with them. This was a different location, but apparently run by the same company. This time instead of eating family style, we ate in pairs. One savory panqueque, and one sweet panqueque. What a delicious way to end our first full day in Peru!

What is your favorite meal to eat in another country?

Technology For Our New Home

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

One of the big things I want to focus on in our new home is technology. I want our gadgets to be as up-to-date as our home. With that it means we're going to need some amazing upgrades. 

I've started making a list, a list Fred hasn't seen...yet. We've all been getting by with some of the most basic tech that has us wanting to shed a tear or two on a regular basis. One of my hopes is to have a family "station" where I have one laptop that the family uses as a unit. Everyone (except the youngest) has their own laptop that they use for whatever they desire. My little uses my old laptop for simple gaming, but even that has left him frustrated.

That's where the Toshiba Satellite Radius 12 laptop at Best Buy comes into the picture. Best Buy is the destination for exciting new mobile PC devices, including the new Satellite Radius 12 by Toshiba.  With the launch of Windows 10, now is the time to gear up and get a laptop built with the expert technologies, flexible 2-in-1 design and fast mobile performance!

We're not finished with our kitchen, and I want that to be the hub and heart of our home. Having one place for the family to hang out, and to have the Satellite Radius 12 by Toshiba for everyone to use would be ideal! Designed for Windows 10, the Satellite Radius™ 12 is one of the first small-screen PC’s to enable facial authentication with Windows Hello, enabling a more personal and convenient way to log in to the laptop.  It’s also among the first Windows laptops to run on the power and performance of Intel’s new 6th generation Core processors, delivering maximum mobile performance for mobile content creators and multi-taskers.

Not sure if you've seen me share about her, but we have a beast, namely Peru, who isn't the most graceful of dogs. She's also hard headed to say the least. Her presence is constant in the kitchen, and if we're not in there, she's always up on the counter. Darn mutt. I call her beast and mutt out of mama love. That being said though, it's good to know the Satellite Radius™ features a sleek, highly-mobile compact design, Gorilla Glass damage resistant screen and an LED backlit keyboard. Did you see it said "Gorilla Glass damage resistant screen"? I think anything Peru touches should have that! lol

The Satellite Radius 12 is designed for travel. Wouldn't that have been perfect to have taken to Peru (the country, not my dog)? It would've been so much easier to tote around than the big laptop I took and never once took out! A 360-degree precision hinge enables greater flexibility as the screen rotates into five unique viewing modes – giving the right view for every occasion.

I've never had a "family station" or even a new house like this for that matter! It's such an exciting time for our family. I can't wait to see what our tech future holds!

What is your favorite tech in your home?

Peru: I Had To Go Back

Two summers ago I went to Peru for the first time. I had never been there, and never had a thought of ever even going there. I'd never even considered a mission trip, and had no idea what to expect. It was amazing, and life changing, but the thought of flying on a plane for that long again was not appealing. I didn't think I could do it. Thanks to my bff, she suggested some medication, and it worked like a charm!

Last winter, Fred told me he signed us both up to go back to Peru. I told him several times that I just didn't think I could get back on a plane. Two flights there, two flights back. I loved the work we did in Peru, but flying, not so much. Unless you've experienced this type of anxiety and fear, it's hard to explain. I honestly didn't think the medication would be much help.

By faith, I agreed to go, and I got the medication for flying. On top of that, instead of asking for gifts at our wedding, we asked people to contribute to our trip. We had all of our funding with our wedding gifts, and we were set to go.

We had a team of 11 heading down, and only one other guy had gone with Fred & I before. We had one of our pastors and his wife, myself & Fred, a father & daughter, a single, a married woman, a single guy, and another married couple.

Tammy, Frieda, Denny, Denise, Caillie, and Molly

I actually didn't know any of these people very well. Most I'd only seen in the mission trip meetings. Obviously I knew the pastor and his wife, but not personally. The single guy had spent a week with us in Peru, but we hadn't chatted much since then. You never know what your team will be like until you're all bunched together.

Once again, God did His thing, and brought together an amazing group! We got up super early Saturday morning to head to the airport. I think I'd only slept about 4 hours the night before. I took the medication as we got to the airport, another half while I was sitting waiting, and I think another one as I got on the plane. I honestly don't remember. I slept from Baltimore to Dallas. I tried to conjure up the the anxiety, just to see what I'd feel as we were taking off, and it wasn't at all like it had been for years. I still wasn't thrilled with going up in a plane, but I wasn't freaking out, and coming unglued.

We headed out from Dallas in the afternoon, and once again, I slept off and on for the next 7 hours. The only bad part, which I didn't realize until later, is that I didn't walk, which meant swollen swollen calves and ankles for a day and a half. Note to self, walk walk walk while on a plane for more than a couple of hours!

Molly playing with the lady's (near the window) baby.

We got into Lima Peru around 10:30pm CT, and made it to our host's home about an hour later. Needless to say, we were all exhausted, and we were ready to fall right into bed, once we found our rooms. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised we weren't sleeping on a floor for an entire week. We were told only a few days before the trip that we weren't going to be staying in a hotel, but at one of the pastor's houses. Fred and I thought, we're going to Lima, Peru, we've seen the homes down there, he's a pastor, no way will he be able to host 11 people. God is so great at surprises! Shoot! I just realized I never took a picture of our room! I'll have to get one.

Here's one of the first glimpses we had of where we were staying. This spot was absolutely magical (in a totally Christian, non-magical way)!

I'm planning on sharing about our days that we spent in Peru over the next several days. You watch. It'll turn into a week or two, but what can I say. I get distracted!

10 Things I Love About Football

Well, I love football. More importantly, I love the Minnesota Vikings. Now, I know they're not a very good team. They've got a lot of issues on and off the field, but Vikings fans are loyal to a fault. I remember going to work, back in Minnesota and talking to the guys about the games and the players. It was SO much fun!

Now I'm in Maryland, and I can't watch my team. =( They're not in the same division as any of the teams around here. So sad. I do keep up with the scores on game day using Facebook, nfl.com, and Twitter. It's still not the same.

The fall before we moved, three years ago now, our church was signed up to send out emails to people for discounted Vikings tickets. It was the only pro football game my boys had ever been to. It was a blast! Now they're building a new stadium, and it's going to look like a viking ship. Actually it looks somewhat like an ark! When we were back in MN last July, and was left wow-ed by it.

So, here are the 10 things I love about football:

1. The yelling! I'm very vocal during games! Lots of yelling and telling the players what they're doing wrong. My kids would get so annoyed with me. They'll understand one day!

2. Pride in our home team. It doesn't matter if we have the worst record, we love our Vikes!

3. Camaraderie. I'd imagine this would be the same for any sports fans. Cheering, together!

4. Hanging out with friends! What could be more fun during a game than being with friends?

5. Talking about the game after it's over. Rehashing the plays just extends the game's fun.

6. Harassing people I know who like the other team. It's all in good fun!

7. Wearing purple and gold. Yes, as you can see above, I do have gold jeans! BOOM!

8. Chatting on social media about the game. It's a blast to be on Twitter during game day!

9. Fantasy football. So, this technically isn't football, but I played once and won! I like the strategy behind it, and my oldest daughter is playing this year for the first time.

10. Being able to say Skol Vikings. Skol basically is a Danish/Norwegian/Swedish word for "cheers," or "good health," a salute or a toast, as to an admired person or group.

Writing Prompts:

1. 10 Things you love about football.
2. 10 Things you don’t love about football.
3. Write a blog post inspired by the word: fate
4. Something funny your child said.
5. You won an award at some point in your life…what was it for?
6. Coffee Talk! Share your first pumpkin spice latte of the season with us.
7. 10 reasons why you’re glad it’s Fall.

Wordless Wednesday: Our House Is Almost Done

The kitchen is coming together! I love my dining room light that I got from Menards, on sale! It's even better than I expected!

I plan on using this closet for a pantry. See the opening above in the kitchen? To the right of that wall is this closet. Not inside the opening, but to the right of the opening. Where that black smudge is. lol

At the opposite end of the house from the kitchen is our living room and a gas fireplace. I'm looking forward to it being cleaned and one day having an amazing mantle around it!

I'm seriously dig the hardwood. It turned out so beautiful! I never knew how much I'd love hardwood floors.

So, this is part of our bedroom. I like the fan, and have to admit that I'm still loving the door design we went with!

This is the only thing my hubby wanted for sure in the new house and I made sure he got it! Even when they forgot it initially, I was adamant that he have a jacuzzi tub! Wishing we had a ledge around it though...especially for this book lover! ;) And yes, that big tear in the drywall on the bottom right will be fixed before we move in.

Since I'm back to doing these again, I'd love to have you join up below!

Pre-Order Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman & Enter to Win

I have been SO happy getting back into a reading routine! Life has settled down enough that I can read on a regular basis, and I've even started a book club at church! I'm back in with keeping up with my favorite authors, and it seems fitting that Julie Lessman's book Isle of Hope will be coming out next month!

To celebrate, Julie has a contest going on. There are two chances to win. You can enter to win your name being used as a character & one of her books! I'm totally entering to win!

It's Time To Travel, And I'm Freaking Out

Guess what, I'm terrified to fly on planes. I don't mean just a little bit. I mean ter-ri-fied. I have massive amounts of anxiety weeks, sometimes months leading up to getting on an airplane.

In fact, last week my boss was joking around telling me I needed to forget my trip and stay home to work because we're so busy. I told her I was absolutely fine with that. And about a minute later I was crying because I knew staying home wasn't what was going to happen. I used to travel by plane ALL of the time. I've flown around the world since I was a young girl.

About 15 yrs ago though, something clicked in my brain, and flying became a bad thing. It was scary. It's only gotten worse over the years.

Two years ago, I went on a mission trip to Peru. The trip was probably one of the most amazing trips of my life. Unfortunately, the flights were hard on me emotionally and mentally. I was pretty out of my mind when we left. First we flew to Florida, and then caught another plane and flew to Lima, Peru.

The flights themselves weren't bad. No turbulence thankfully. I just get inside my own head and freak myself out. One thing I've learned that helps me get through the initial stages of taking off and ascension is talking to someone I don't know. If they can distract me with conversation, then I can focus on them. I just have to let the people around me know that I'll probably cry, but if they talk to me, then I'll be ok. I always make sure to tell them I don't puke or go nuts, I just cry.

So, I'm subjecting myself to that plane ride again. Down to Lima! We're flying to Dallas, and then on to Lima. My experience with our previous mission trip was spectacular. When Fred signed us up at church last winter, my first thought was, "I have to get on a plane to get there." You'll have to be sure to check out the photos from our last mission trip down there. That was in July 2013.

I'm looking forward to our trip. Truly, being down there, putting wheelchairs together, possibly building a "house" for someone, I can't imagine anything better. Getting on that plane makes me wish there were another way to get there. It's very possible this could be my last trip down there. I don't know if I could handle getting on a plane again.

And yes, I know, it's safer to fly than drive. It'll be ok. blah blah blah You could tell me everything that's reasonable until the cows come home. Heck, I've said them to myself. It doesn't change this fear. Now, the "bright" side of this? I have medication for the first time! My best friend has this same fear of flying and taking medication has helped her. So, I'm planning on the same dang thing! If so, maybe I will be able to travel again one day. There are still a lot of places I want to see.

Do you have any fears as bad as this?

Writing Prompts:

1. Write something that begins and ends with the words “When I was younger.”
2. Listen to the sounds in your house for 5 or 10 minutes. Write about what you hear.
3. Write a blog post inspired by the word: travel
4. Locked out.
5. 10 Reasons why you love your job.