Wow how the Lord works!

Hello Everyone! Hola a Todos!

I hope and pray that this email finds you all doing super well!

So, I have a lot to write about it seems. Get ready to laugh because as usual, life on the research team is always filled with laughter and funny things happening.

We were able to get on a bus from Nazca around 12:30am to get to Puquio. They kept telling us that the bus could come from 10:30pm till 2:00am. So we had no clue what was going on. Finally one came! Praise the Lord! After a horrible 3 hours of bus ride...our research notebook somehow came out of the bag we had it in and went all over the bus. Thank God we were able to find every page. It was the entire summer's research information. We got kind of scared when we saw what happened. That poor notebook has had it. Then, my fash wash bottle thing...exploded. Not sure why it waited until this far into the summer to do so. SO much stuff was well, coated in fash wash. We arrived to Puquio at 3:30am in the morning. We went around for 2 hours trying to find a place to sleep. Either the people didnt want to get out of bed or they didnt have rooms. We chose to go to this one place last because we stayed there last time we were in Puquio and the guy tried to rip us off and we did not end on good terms with him. So, we go there. He tells us that if we check in at that time, then we have to pay for two nights. BUT, if we wait until 8 something then we just have to pay for one night. We really are hating this town at this point. I am not even going to try and lie and say that we enjoy being here. He told us to go wait in the Municipal building until then. We went there and walked in. We found an empty room and just went in there to chill. (Remember...IT IS FREEZING!!) I go to close the door to help keep the cold out and there right infront of me is an attack dog! I freaked out as it was drooling and grawling and all. It was huge too. I slam the door shut and the dog is trying to get through the door. There was a person outside sweeping the steps and this didnt fase him at all. He sees Jenna and asked her if something was wrong. In a high piched voice she said, "Um...hay un perro...mas grande ... um...all." Haha...I just started laughing. (remember it is like 5:30am and we are delirious) It took me a while to quit laughing. THe dog finally left and we were able to get out. THen it started to chase us and the guy sweeping decides to control the dog then. Well, we were able to find somewhere to just put our things down and rest. Jenna and Sarah were so sick. They get motion sick really easy and after the day befores travel. Wow! We got up and went to the place where the guy told us to come back at 8 and found out that he gave our room away. We had to wait until 3 to get one. We were honestly...Not happy.

We get some sleep and then the Barnabus team arrived and we went to have some amazing chicken. We rested that night and decided to just go to bed. Steve and I had to find a room because there were not any more at the place the girls were at. He gave another one away. Well, today we wake up and Steve and I go to get tickets to go to one of our villages...San Pedro and find out about more Huelga action (this means strike) So, the lady told us to come back around 11 or after to get tickets when the combi leaves at 12. It was 10:30am then. So we both had the feeling that there were not going to be 6 seats. WEll, we decide to just research Puquio today. THat was an amazing thing because GOd had so much lined up for us.

We go to the Municipal building and ask for the mayor. As always, he was on a trip and so we were able to speak with the Atiende. THis is the person that stands in when the mayor is gone. He was not from there so he went and got another guy for us. HE was so nice. He was giving us the hook up on information. There are 20,000 people here! He is also going to have the Atiende, who we spoke with about the situation, line up transportation for us to the rest of the villages we have to go to. He gave us official documents signed from the Atiende. And, he is going to contact the mayors in all of those villages and have them have a place for us all to sleep and meetings set up to research there town. God is so AMAZING!!! Gosh, He truly rocked ours socks off today.!!.

In the morning, we leave at 5am to go research Santa Lucia, Saisa, San Cristobal and San Juan. We are doing it in two days because the Atiende said that is the only way we could do it. We trust his judgement. Please pray for us as we travel and for the villages as well.

Another thing we found out is about the Paros and Huelgas. The creative ministry team traveled to Puquio tonight and we went to pick them up at the bus station. We are having a great time together. Good times! Lindsay, the leader of the team, contacted me yesterday to tell me that they need to go to Cusco. So we all went and asked around to see which buses go to Cusco. We found out that only Palomino goes there from Puquio. WE also found out because of the Paro and Huelgas, there are not going to be any that go that direction for a while. So now the Creative ministry team is sort of stuck. They will go to Nazca tomorrow night and then look for a bus that can take them to Puno. We are hoping the Huelgas and Paros stop. THey have been such a pain as well with researching because most Saluds and Schools are closed due to the Huelgas. So we cant go visit those places and find out informaion from them. BUT, the Lord has been so merciful and we have been able to get all the information we need.

Thank you all for your prayers! Will update upon our return! Blessings!