Peru...the new normal

Well, we made it! It is summer, sunny and we are finally here in Lima, Peru and super excited to see what God has in store for us. He has been blessing us tremendously with new friends from Canada, Peru, Holland etc... They have taken us to markets, stores, shopped with us, invited us to swim, play and for dinner...we definitely are feeling the love!  I always imagined that Lima would be pretty similar to the states when we got here, and it really is! There wasn't a major culture shock in our new city. They have just as many stores, shops, businesses and amenities as we had in the states. The few differences for us are not too bad either.
Our home stays at a warm 80 degrees pretty much all day with only fans keeping us cool. So, there is no A/C in our home. That doesn't bother me much, but the males sure miss it;)  Our entire home is tile floor...which means 'grocery store' feet 24/7.  Our feet are always dirty on the bottom no matter how much we sweep or mop. Even after we wash them in the shower, they are still mostly dirty somehow.  We don't flush toilet paper and we can't drink the water, so filtering water is a daily routine. We brush teeth with cups of water, rinse all fruits and veggies with filtered water, cook with and drink filtered water:) Poor Shane, our oldest son keeps rinsing his toothbrush in the sink and getting frustrated, but he's learning. We pay with soles and walk just about everywhere (lots of exercise) or ride the bus or a taxi if traveling a little bit farther away.
We are slowly but surely settling in and learning the language too.  We officially begin language classes on March 2, but have been trying to strike up conversations whenever possible, the bus, the playground, and the markets and stores of course! Surprisingly Chris's and my Spanish is starting to come back from high school classes. We are able to talk with people more than we expected and that has been very encouraging but we still have a long way to go.
Overall, we are doing very well adjusting and making friends here in Lima, yet our hearts yearn for the people in our village of Ayaviri. We haven't seen them since July and really hope to take a trip with the boys in March but may not be able to if the roads are too hazardous. Its rainy season there right now and not the best time to travel up the mountain.  Its a little strange living in Peru and not going there yet. I constantly see women in the markets that remind me of the relationships that we have made in our village and it makes me miss them more.
I can't wait to surprise them and speak to them in their heart language!! I cant wait for the relationships to grow and to discover their worldview; good or bad. I know there will be lots of trials to come..we expect them..God has said in his word that he sends his disciples out like sheep to the wolves.  Well, I've never met a sheep that has conquered a wolf, so I know that tough times lie ahead, but we know that God is aware of everything and asks us to trust and rely on Him for all things. So, we are doing just that. We are asking Him every step of our journey, who, what, when, where ...and kind of stopped asking the 'why' because ultimately we are discovering that part doesn't matter. He is King! He is sovereign. He is a good God and we are privileged to be able to play a small part in what He wants to do for His kingdom!