life

So, in a short 33 days, I will be on vacation again! amazing huh? It's to Nebraska to see my brother and his family (and hopefully college friends!) and then to Boston for my cousin's wedding. My mom will be going with me too.

And, is it too early to start counting down for my next compassion trip? To Thailand, with my oldest nephew (he will turn 18 while in Thailand...but will be a senior in High School still) The trip is in November. It's 162 days, just over 5 mths away. I really can't wait for that trip either. The girl I have there is above average in school, loves music, and is 16. She asked me to come visit in her very first letter!! Very brave of her. But, in every letter she writes me she introduces herself, like it's the first letter she ever sent. I just got one from her yesterday. My day with her (at an elephant park I think--we get to ride them!) will hopefully show her that her name is written on my heart and soul and that I love her!! And would never forget her.

The picture is of Jose, he's 15. I met him in Peru. He's a compassion kid. He was sweet and followed me around for awhile. I asked him the few questions I knew in spanish, and I told him my name and how old I was. That will be so different about Thailand. I don't know even the basics of that language!!!

God bless.

To Peru and back

First, lets start with how after all the planning and waiting and excitement, the trip almost got cancelled!! My dad went into the hospital on April 12th, just 9 days before we were scheduled to leave! and thru miscommunications between the 2 hospitals he was in, he didn't get transferred til the 16th and the angio test wasn't done til the 17th! He finally was released on the 18th, just 3 short days before mom and I get on a plane for Peru!! He went in because the defibulater worked again. It shocked him. Apparently, he is one of minority of people who will have arrythemea (sp?) the rest of his life, which terrifies him, because the defib going off is very very painful. But I had so many people praying that mom and I would still be able to go to Peru and that dad would be find and God is great and merciful, and let us have that special trip together. My dad is still scared, but is otherwise fine.

Mom keeps telling people it wasn't a vacation, but an adventure! They are so poor there, and so connected to God there, sometimes I wish we had simplicity in our lives, no ipods, computers, tvs, nintendos and the 1,000's of THINGS that drown out God's voice.

The girl I sponsor there, Jenifer, had one real possession, her pet dove. Her pet, that she loved. And she wanted to give it to me!! how amazingly sweet and generous of her. Of course, I was relieved that the compassion staff explained to her that she couldn't do that and that she left the bird at home!! She is an awesome big sister and helped her mom all day long with her baby sister Sarai. She's 10 mths old. The family left the mountains when Jenifer was 15 days old because in the middle of the guerilla warfare, soldiers beat up her father and stabbed him (he's fine, he has an ice cream cart) They live on the side of a sand hill in a small house (2-3 rooms) with dirt floors and plywood walls. No electricity, no water. She is 9 now, and has never lived in a house with electricity!! The community is almost 10 years old, when that happens, they can work on getting the gov't to run water and electric lines to the "town" and after 10 years of squatting they can own the land. There are 4 kids and 2 adults living there, in that tiny place. Some of the visit was so sad, like the woman who has flimsy walls and gang members knocking them down all the time to try to get at her daughters. Some was amazing like the 15 year old kid who is in the leadership development program that Compassion has who was in his second year of college and spoke awesome English, a mind that would have been lost if not for Compassion!!

God bless