Ready....Set.....

Piles of clothing, paperwork, medical supplies, gear, and suitcases have taken over the living room. We scratch our heads wondering if we can make it all fit!

We leave from Portland this Sunday, May 10, with our dear friend, Arturo Fernandez, a Methodist pastor from Salem, for three weeks in Peru and Bolivia. We will be meeting with church leadership and valuable contacts in both countries in preparation for our return this coming November for a year commitment as Individual Volunteers in Mission with the Methodist Church. Arturo has been working in Peru and Bolivia for over 30 years, and we could not be taking this on without him. Our main goal is to work with the indigenous communities in the Lake Titicaca border region of Peru and Bolivia. We will be establishing a mission base that will work alongside the Peru and Bolivia Iglesia Metodista Evangelica towards more sustainable healthcare and educational programs.

Following Peru and Bolivia, we will be joining our Rotary team from District 5400 of Idaho in Ecuador for an additional two weeks. We will visit past, present and future potential projects....water purification, education, microlending. It is a great team, and we have asked them to also participate in the blog when we get to Ecuador.

For both Rotary and the Methodist Church, it is about building relationships, and all of the emails that have been flying back and forth the past few months verify that. We are excited about renewing our old friendships, and know that new friendships are waiting for us as well.

Note.....anyone traveling to Bolivia....they now require a visa for entrance. Research all requirements sooner than we did! We will let you know how it goes.