September Synopsis

Regretfully I've realized that the month of September has come and gone without an update on the blog. I suppose that describes the theme of the month - busy! Every day has brought new insights, challenges and growth opportunities for us and the staff at New Hope. The good news is that we are starting to get a feel for the average week here, though the word "average" itself seems to change with great frequency. Some highlights of the month:

A New Family Member
After years of begging for a Great Dane, Tony fulfilled that desire and bought me a puppy in early September. Her name is Davy (yes, a girl named Davy - it's from A Severe Mercy) and she is a wonderful addition to our family. She's growing quickly and is still rather uncoordinated, so we get a lot of laughter from her. Here are a few pictures from the last month - see how quickly she's growing!

Our first night with Davy (4 weeks)

Cuddly Davy (5 weeks)

Still cuddly, but much bigger (9 weeks)

Mike and Dana Arrived!
After several weeks of traveling through Central America, Julie's brother Mike and his friend Dana arrived in Arequipa to stay with us for several months. They have come to love the city of Arequipa as we do - great people, great food, and a great climate. Thankfully they love playing with Davy too - it helps to have 4 pairs of eyes to keep her out of trouble.

Mike and Dana are taking Spanish lessons and volunteering a lot of their time at the orphanage. They've been dry walling, playing soccer, and teaching English thus far. They are consistently "wow"-ed at in public and can't get through a conversation without at least one comment on how tall they are. There's no blending in here!

Mike and some of the boys at the orphanage

Dana playing with John

A Visitor from Home
Our friend Krista and her boyfriend Mike arrived on Sept. 20 for a 10 day visit. It was a wonderfully refreshing time for all of us - speaking English, playing cards, tasting Peruvian foods, and exploring the country together. After a few days in Arequipa, we traveled by bus to Cusco. We took a train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, en route to Machu Picchu.From there we took off to the Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca, near Puno. These islands are made from reeds that the island inhabitants weave together to create a sturdy, floating surface. It is absolutely incredible to learn about the history, culture, and methods of construction that have kept these islands around for hundreds of years.
We traveled by boat to a natural island on the lake, Taquile. There we found host families who put us up in their homes for the night. The surrounds were breathtaking - the waters looked almost Mediterranean or Caribbean. The island is almost entirely without electricity or running water, and sheep roam the land freely. We stayed in a little mud hut with a thatched roof, small candle for light, and a bed made of mud bricks and reeds. The sheep grazing outside our hut served as our alarm clock in the morning - a strangely pleasant sound because of the novelty of the experience. As you can see, September was a month full of blessings amidst the busyness. We vow to post more regularly this month - thanks for keeping up with us!