Driving Lima to Puno

Scott and Lucho Nakagawa getting our new Toyota 4 Runner ready for the road.

This is a church project outside of Ica on the coast. A bad earthquake here two years ago left many homeless, including these children. They receive one meal a day and a safe haven when parents are away.

All of the shifting sands were just like snowstorms at home. Being down to one lane with all of their truck traffic is a bit unnerving.


















The Peruvian coast has hundreds of miles of wild coastline and very barren landscape. We felt like we were in Saudi Arabia. The steep drop offs would make nail biters of all of you hating heights. Guard rails? Are you kidding?

Bev and Rev.Guillermo in a veryvery poor area outside of Arequipa. This settlement has no water, makeshift homes and is mainly families who have migrated from Cusco and Puno looking for work.

Inside this humble church they sit on rocks and bricks for pews.

Proof we have arrived in Puno!

We met with this Peru/Bolivia delegation today to plan our year together with our new Peru/Bolivia Lake Titicaca Border Mission. They are very excited to put the church into action regarding healthcare, water systems, and improving the lives in their communities.

This last week has reminded us of how thankful we are for all we have been blessed with.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!!

Getting our act together....

Our hostess Liz (an M.D. in Lima) is having to keep an eye on her brother-in-law Willy's blood pressure.....oh those stress inducing Pressmans!

Lucho Nakagawa (Liz's husband) and Eliana Abarca (Liz's sister). Eliana is the travel agent many of you will meet in Cusco. Lucho speaks English and has been our car expert....a marvelous help negotiating red tape.

Scott getting used to our new little notebook computer in our temporary office suite in the national offices of the Iglesia Metodista Evangelica Peru.

Shhh....we are hiding from Lima. We have come to the quiet of our "suite" in the national offices of the Iglesia Metodista Evangelica Peru to get some work done and escape the large city noise and chaos for a few hours.

We have learned in just the past few days that everything you read about needing to pack flexibility and a sense of humor is absolutely positively true! To come into a new culture and to try to accomplish things like buying a used car, obtaining a longer term visa and opening a bank account are suddenly monumental tasks requiring days. All new rules and laws.....about which of course we knew nothing. For others coming to Peru for a year wanting to do similar things a word of warning: you DO need a carnet extranjeria, contrary to what you may hear before you arrive.

Our friends and the Methodist administrative staff are all patient and love to laugh....a huge help as we maneuver through the Peruvian system....and then we get to do it in Bolivia as well!

Packing and Preparing....

Thank you for finding our blog again! We leave bright and early tomorrow morning for Lima for our year as volunteers in mission through the Methodist Church. We have many unknowns to take care of in Lima (used car to hopefully buy, bank account to hopefully set up) and then on to Puno (home to hopefully find!).

In spite of the many piles of things in our Boise condo waiting to be packed, we must remember to leave room for our senses of humor! For both of us there have been long lists, last minute stresses, some difficult farewells. For both of us know there will soon be warm greetings, new adventures, and a wealth of cultural experiences. It is one of those life experiences where you hop on the train and hold on for the ride!