We went, we saw, we conquered!!!

We are home now, back from our very quick excursion to Chile and so far that haven't really kicked us out! Ok so here is how it went:

Eli ready to take a trip on a plane!

Thursday afternoon we took off from Peru for a VERY short trip to Tacna (20 minute flight versus 6 hour bus ride, um YES please sign this pregnant women up!). The flight was good and Eli did well. As soon as we arrived a new friend of ours from the church we are attending happened to be doing some work in Tacna, so he went out of his way to meet us at the the airport! He arranged a driver and his friend to take us to the border of Chile, assist us with lines and paperwork and then take us back to Peru. He also set us up at a very nice hotel/apartment for the evening (but more about that later). We met Edgar (our friend) and he introduced us to the driver and his friend and took our luggage to our hotel so we didn't have to lug it around with us...if he hadn't done that for us we would have had to take our small suitcase and stroller out of the car 4 times...not a big deal but when you have a kid every little thing you DON'T have to think about is incredible. The drive took us about 30 minutes. The climate in Tacna and Arica, Chile is beautiful...palm trees and dust :) We finally got to the border of Chile and the fun began. In and out of the car, paperwork and a restless un-napped child. We crossed thru "quickly" and when we came back into the country, that is when the begging and groveling in nervous Spanish began. At our last stop thru (4th and final stop into the country) we didn't have the right paperwork. After figuring out what we needed to do we filled out our paperwork and then returned to the immigrations agent. Here is where I had to beg. Nervously I fumbled through my Spanish asking for 180 days and trying to explain why. The agent only wanted to grant 90 days at first but I begged. The idea of having to go thru this process in 3 months....me 9 months pregnant and due at anytime, did not sound fun and sounded like we would be spending more money then we really HAD to. So I prayed and begged for more time. Kindly he looked at me and granted us 180 day. Thank you Lord!

Beautiful Peru/Chile sights! :)

Here we go to Chile!

Thanks for coming to Peru! 

Welcome to Chile

Friend of Edgar who helped us HUGE!!

Welcome back to Peru!!!! Whew!

180 day!!! Wahoo!!!

From there I could breath again! 2 hours of the whole ordeal and we are finally headed back into the country and to our hotel. By now we are ALL wiped out from the stress of the day. When we go to the hotel we met up with Edgar again who then took us to get something to eat and then we went back to the hotel and crashed.

Eli enjoying lots of room
in our hotel

Eli CRASHED on the flight
home after our long adventure!

Outside of HAVING to take care of our visa's, it was such a blessing to get some time as a family to relax and rest. We didn't do anything special and due to time constraints didn't get to see Tacna, but we rested and ate lots of Trix cereal (or funny bunny as Eli calls it). The hotel was an amazing deal and was 2 rooms, 5 beds, 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room and kitchen! Way more then we ever needed and 20 times bigger then a standard hotel room here in Peru (which are much smaller then you would believe)! Edgar was our super hero! He totally blessed our family and there is no way we could have done this so smoothly with out him. He is our Peruvian example of community. We have so much to learn from people like him and we are blessed to be able to get to know him and his family!

Now we move forward. Virgil and John are on their way to having their business set up and V and Jenn will begin the process for residency on Friday. Paperwork here takes a gazillion times longer then  what we are used to but we expected this and know and trust that the Lord has a plan. 

Please pray for V and John that they can get there business established soon and that the process for residency goes smooth and "quickly" for Jenn and V.

More to come from our lives soon...