Amazing blessing.

   Since January our family has been in the legal process with Luke, our foster son once again. This time the process has been to receive permission from a family court judge to leave the country with him, to return for a brief visit to the States. This process, as with most processes here has proven to be much longer and bit more of a roller coaster than we had imagined.
     We began by submitting our paperwork and all the documents to verify our need to travel. You see, we cannot leave Peru with him just by saying that we want to go home and visit our families. No, we have to have specific reasons and documentation to support that. So, ultimately our hearts want to go home to see our family and friends, but the reasons that we are going are for a wedding and for Nathan to teach at a residency program in Texas. After the submission of letters from the medical university, contracts for wedding venue, and the wedding invitation we were able to speak with the judge. He was very cautious, as we are foreigners wanting to travel outside of Peru with a baby that is not yet legally adopted. So he requested many more documents like a verification of our residence here, documents showing that Nathan is on the board of our clinic, our house contract. All of these are to prove that we plan to return and that we are committed to being here. The most costly document of all that the judge wanted to see in march were our plane tickets (round-trip). Both Nathan and I were a bit concerned to buy tickets not knowing if we would officially receive permission or not, but decided that our process would not move forward if we did not step out in faith and buy them. So that is what we did. Bought tickets for April 17 not knowing if we would really leave Peru.
   After many bumps and turns in the process we were granted official permission with all the seals and signatures last Friday, a little less than a week before we were scheduled to leave. Talk about perfect timing. I would love to say that all along the way that we felt confident of the Lord's plan and that it would be perfect for our family, but we did not always. We have wanted to go to the states so badly, not because we just love the states, but because we want the people there who we love to meet our family. If we had not received permission we would have been disappointed, but I think this process has taught us to accept what God gives us. He could just have easily decided that our family would only send Nathan to the states this year and that the boys and I would go another year. And that would have been ok. But for now we can rejoice that He has given us the desires of our heart and is allowing us to travel as a family. It will be good for us to remember the Lord's faithfulness to us in giving us this gift when we have processes here that don't work out how we would like. He is still the same faithful God.
   So, all that said, Nathan, Noah, Luke and I will be boarding a plane tomorrow night for the US for the first time as a family. We will get to be a part of the very special wedding of Nathan's brother and his soon to be wife. We will get to see our family, many of whom have never met our kids. We will get to reunite with friends in Texas, Alabama and Georgia. And will get to enjoy some time of relaxing with our family. To God be the glory great things He has done.

A glimpse of our days here...

   If you were to happen to find yourself in a small town called Pallpancay, Peru, just a few minutes outside of Cusco, you might pass by the Josephine House. This is one of my favorite places in all of Peru! On Monday afternoons every week there is a weekly meeting with all of the workers. This meeting is to discuss how each of the children are doing and talk about the activities for the week. Occasionally there is a guest speaker, like my friend who works here as a psychologist or a local pastor to share from the Bible. This past Monday I had the chance to be the guest speaker. I learned not too long ago that the "mamas" or ladies who work as care-takers to the children did not know CPR nor what to do if a child was choking. So, last week, with my large CPR mannequin in tow, I taught the mamas CPR. It was a bit funny in Spanish as I never in my life had used many of the words to describe and teach CPR, but by God's grace we made it through and I think they were really excited to have learned this skill. Our prayer is that this skill will never have to be used.

Here are a few pictures from the CPR class.

     If you were to happen to find yourself on the eastern outskirts of Cusco in San Jeronimo, you might pass by the clinic 'La Fuente' or more specifically the eye clinic 'Luz de Vida'. If you were to happen to be there on a Tuesday you would find Nathan busy at work operating. It is still an amazing sight for me to see him sitting behind the microscope, helping to restore sight to those who are blind, and enjoying doing what God has gifted him to do.

Meet the Staff at Luz de Vida

Gladis, one of Nathan's two nurses

Jaki, Nathan's other nurse

Visitacion, who keeps the clinic cleaner than any other place in Cusco

   Thank you for all of your prayers for Nathan while he was away in the village Santo Tomas a few weeks ago. They had a very successful eye campaign, attending about 120 patients in one day. He did feel better from the altitude once he arrived back in Cusco (at only 11,000 feet!).

   Nathan saw many patients who had never seen a doctor before. One couple in particular he will never forget. This married couple was around 65 years old and they were brought to the clinic by their daughter because they were both completely blind. They had to be lead in by both hands. Nathan examined both of them and informed the daughter that they both had bilateral dense cataracts, and for this reason that were unable to see. He explained to her that he would be happy to remove their cataracts so that they would have restored sight. The daughter was shocked that there was a cure and communicated this to her parents in Quechua. She then began to cry and told Nathan that her parents had felt so hopeless and depressed that they had planned the week before to jump off of a very high bridge outside of town to end their life and take away the burden on their family. Nathan was able to share with them that there is hope, not only in physical sight but in Jesus and the spiritual sight that he gives as well. He is hoping to do their surgery in a few weeks and to have the opportunity to share more with them. Nathan was so grateful to have the chance to encourage this family.

   And lastly, if you were roaming the streets of Cusco, you might just see this cute sight! I am so thankful for the gift of this stroller from all of our dear missionary friends here.