Great Friends..&. . .the end is near.

I have been having the time of my life here in Cusco these past couple weeks. My great friends Janice Preston and Ashley Summers came to visit me and we have just had the best time together. Last week we went on a 4 day hike through the Andes Mountains to reach Machu Picchu! Some days we hike 12 miles and other days 14 miles and hiked up to over 15,000 ft. It was quite a challenge, but I LOVED it!! It was so fun having this experience with such great friends and I have just so enjoyed showing them my life that I have lived here the past 7 months! I am so thankful for these two special friends and our relationship! Real friendships based on Christ are so important and rare to find and I am so thankful for them! :)

On the other hand, I can not believe that I have just one more week left here in Cusco. It is so hard to think about leaving here and the relationships I have developed. I know it is going to be a tough transition but am trusting God for the next step! My friend Bekah Talarico gets here to Cusco tomorrow morning! Next week (Oct. 18) we leave for our Chile/Argentina travels! The plan is to bus down in to northern Chile and fly to Santiago. From there we will fly down Punta Arenas where Torres del Paine national Park is in PATAGONIA! Then we will head back up to Santiago and bus across to Mendoza, Argentina! (wine country) From there we will go to Buenos Aires and over to Iguazu Falls then I fly out of Buenos Aires to Miami on November 10 where I will spend almost a week with my sister Martha, Dougan and baby neice Grayson!!! Then I will be home in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas! :0) Lots to look forward to!

I have been so incredibly thankful for this time in my life here in Cusco Peru! What an experience and amazing stage this has been. I have learned so much and know God will continue to show me things I have learned here in the years to come. I am really trusting God for the next step and seeking his clear direction! Please pray for this transition I have coming up as I know it will be so difficult to leave the people here that I have grown to love! I feel like I have really invested my life in to the people and relationships here.... I know I will someday be back here, atleast to visit! :-)