Welcome to Cusco!

(Great apologies for the sideways pictures. I think I should have rotated them before posting them, but too late now and I don't want to wait for the computer for another 10 minutes!)

Flying across Peru, into Cusco from Lima... early, early last Tuesday morning (above).

Part of Cusco, near the school during the day (above),
and the view out of our bedroom window at sunset (below).

I tried to write a post last night, but with no success. Internet services are available, but not necessarily "rapido!" It's hard to believe that we have been here in Cusco, Peru for almost 2 weeks. But, it has been wonderful, interesting, strange, exciting, exhausting, and many other things! We adjusted to the culture fairly well, and we didn't experience any health problems related to the change in altitude. (Although we continue to laugh at ourselves as we become breathless after a climb up the stairs or a walk up the street. Pathetic, we say.) I got a cold about two days and have been dealing with a runny nose since then, but no other major health problems, praise the Lord!

We have been spending some of our time at Promesa (the school), helping in the 4-and-5-year-old classes, signing out books for the students in "library" from 2-2:15 each school day.

Children at Promesa in the library at the end of the school day.

I also was able to help Jen, one of the other missionaries who is a pediatrician and is completing health checks on all the students. I helped by taking the students vital signs and completing documenting/charting. (The picture below is of our little health room at Promesa.)


We also helped at Prosim (the health clinic) by bagging (and remeasuring, readjusting, and rebagging) food for a nutrition program for 37 students in Cusco who need food assistance.

In our other time, we spend time with the Shultz's, either by tagging along on errands, playing games with the kids, watching movies, or taking little half-day trips to the main plaza to watch parades and celebrations, which are a signature of the month of June in Cusco.

We have also enjoyed getting to know several other people who are serving here in Cusco for short terms. Today we enjoyed a day out with Nick and Sylvia (who will be here for another week) and Steve (who is here for 5 more weeks); we ate out at a restaurant near the Plaza de Armas. (I had an Alpaca sandwich!! It was delicious!) After lunch we went shopping before heading to the "March for Jesus" to walk with the kids from Promesa through the city of Cusco.