Home for the Holidays

Tonight we fly out to the states for six weeks. We are looking forward to meeting our family at the airport tomorrow afternoon! As you can see in the picture above, we have been enjoying or at least experiencing the 90 degree heat of the jungle while the weather up north has been changing and becoming increasingly colder. So landing in Indianapolis with the snow, ice, freezing rain, and wind will be a shock to our systems and especially to Cael's who has only known warm weather for the entire 8 months of his life.

Cael has also discovered that he loves to stand on Dad's lap and grab the steering wheel. He would probably do a better job driving around Pucallpa than some of the motor-taxis drivers!

Update

Cael wiped out at the end of the retreat

Cael practicing standing - we are still pretty wobbly

Roasting marshmallows with the girls

Cael, Paul, and Luke starting our campfire

This past weekend was our end of the year retreat with our fellow coworkers from the states. It was a nice time to sit and visit, worship the Lord and take a little time to reflect on what the Lord has been doing in our lives over the last year.
We are preparing to leave for the states on the 16th of December. We will be visiting family and supporters over a six week period. It is hard to believe we have been in Peru for 2 years and are now 3 months into our last year. The savings groups that Paul is working with are closing this next week and are making plans to restart in January. Each group has been able to save over a $1000 (3000 soles) over the last year, which is approximately $100 (300 soles) per person. One of the groups has had a 40% return on their savings due to the interest rates placed on the loans given out to the group members. It has been a huge success! It has also been used as an outreach to non-believers within the communities and has been exciting to watch God work among the members this past year.
Enjoy the photos and we look forward to seeing you all in a few weeks.

Month of October

Cael having fun during bath time

Cael and I enjoying the pool at a local retreat center in Pucallpa

Lauren holding the 20ft. Anaconda

Loren, Paul and Cael on their way to the Zoo

Paul translating for the Vision Team from the States (Luis Chamorro, FH Pucallpa director to the left of Paul)

Cael and Juanita

We wanted to give you a quick update on what we have been doing over the last month (October). During the first week of October, Paul and I were able to assist with a Vision Team in Pucallpa. Paul was able to assist with some of the translation and Cael and I were able to visit with the team and answer any questions. Cael is pictured above with one of our Pucallpa staff members, Juanita. He is always a big hit in the communities.

We were also privileged enough to receive our great friends, Loren and Lauren, to visit us in Pucallpa. We were able to show them around town and were encouraged to hang out and catch up. We visited two of the Zoos in Pucallpa, the regional zoo and the petting zoo where Lauren was able to hold a 20ft. anaconda.

Towards the end of the month, a pastor from the states and his wife came down to Pucallpa to spend some time and work in the local communities in Pucallpa and also to provide a retreat to encourage and spend some time with the Pucallpa staff. We enjoyed an all day retreat at a local park playing games and swimming with our staff. It was a nice break from the every day routine. Cael loved swimming in the kiddies pool.

This month I, Megan, have also started going to a local clinic in the community of La Florida to volunteer my therapy services once a week. I have enjoyed visiting with community members and see my role as providing medical/health information to the patients as well as sharing God's love by caring and lending an ear to the people who come in to see me. Several of the people I talk with have no access to health information and can't afford general medical care so we talk about ways to address their condition in practical ways.

Paul continues to work with his two savings groups, which continue to do very well. They will both be ending at the beginning of December. He has also started teaching Worldview studies in the office on Monday mornings and "Running your Business for the Glory of God" in the communities throughout the week. Please continue to pray for the people in Pucallpa as we continue to try to serve and love the people of Pucallpa as best as we can.

We also continue to praise the Lord for Cael's continued health and safety here in Pucallpa!

Now That We're Back

Grandpa Jim at our trip to the Fort Wayne Zoo

Great Aunt G, John, Aiden and Kimi (cousins)

Mom and I

Grandpa Mike and I at the airport

Aunt Jen

Cousin Aidan and I playing

Swinging with Grandpa Mike and Grandma Jill

Grandma Chris and I at the Zoo

Gran Nana Hannum

Megan and Cael:
It took a total of 15 hours to arrive in Indianapolis from Lima. There was a 6 hour flight from Lima to Miami (Cael slept the whole way there), a 6 hour lay over in Miami (Cael played and made friends with other people waiting in the airport), and a 3 hour flight from Miami to Indianapolis (Once again he slept the whole flight). Even though Cael did wonderfully on our trip I was still exhausted and so thankful that my parents were at the airport waiting for us.
During our time in the states we were able to meet and visit with several family members. Cael was able to meet for the first time his Aunt Jen, my sister, his Great Grandmother Hannum (Gran Nana), Great Aunts and Uncles, cousins, and of course see both sets of grandparents and his aunts (Paul's sisters) once again.
I don't think Cael spent hardly any time on the floor while we were there...he was always in someone's lap. It was such a blessing to be able to visit home and see family. This was Cael's first trip to the states and I would say it went very well.
We are currently back in Pucallpa and back into our daily routine. Next Tuesday I will be visiting a local community in the afternoon to assess any therapy needs they may have. So hopefully I will be able to provide some help to local community members in their homes one afternoon a week.

Paul:
He was able to spend the two weeks we were gone traveling around Peru visiting different sites and learning more about the economic development that is taking place within the country. He first visited Chinchay, the site of last years devastating earthquake, and was able to see the work that FH has done in this city. He was also able to talk with local community members to see if there was interest in starting savings groups in the area. Later he traveled to the north of Lima and was able to visit a city that has started a few economic initiatives (sandals business) where local women are able to make and sell sandals made of rope (website: http://www.islacreations.com). His last stop was in the city of Trujillo, which is a larger city on the coast of Peru, where there is a group called Mission Peru, who have started a few savings groups, have a lending program for small startup businesses, and teach English to natives as part of their ministry.
He is now back in Pucallpa overseeing his savings groups, which will be ending in December of this year and restarting in January with farther reaching influence within the community. Praise God!

I have attached a few pictures from Cael and my trip to the states. Unfortunately Paul didn't have a camera with him, so there aren't any photos from his trip.

We wanted to update the blog with a few new pictures. Everything is continuing to go well in Pucallpa. For the next few weeks, Paul will be traveling to a few different areas of Peru to observe other micro-finance programs already established along the coast of Peru as well as visit Chinchay, the city affected most severely by the earthquake last August. He will be speaking with the FH staff members as well as community members concerning the economic effects of the earthquake in the city. I fly to Indiana tonight to visit family for the next couple of weeks with Cael, so please pray for a safe and easy flight. Enjoy the photos.

Golfing in the rain. He just needed a little recreation and couldn't wait for it to stop raining. Over the last few weeks the temperatures have been averaging in the high 90's to the low 100's.

Cael helping Violeta fold up his clean diapers.

Cael sleeping at the office

Cael and Paul enjoying an afternoon under the shade trees by our house.

Cael enjoying his time outside (almost 5 months old!)

Yesterday Paul had his biweekly meeting with the savings group out in the community of La Merced de Neshuya, and Cael and I tagged along. This was the first time either of us had visited this community and we had a great time.
It takes approximately 1 hour to drive to this community and half of the trip is on the backroads crossing makeshift bridges made out of logs placed across the road. We passed small horsedrawn carts carrying produce (mostly palm oil trees and sugarcane), fields of produce which is the main source of income for the people living within this community, and several juice stands along the side of the road.
There were a few highlights, starting with our stop at one of the juice stands. I had a glass of the freshest and sweetest orange juice I have ever had. The price for three decent size glasses of this orange juice totaled a whopping $1. Upon arriving in the community we stopped to visit the pastor of the local church and were able to meet his wife, Marisol. She took to Cael right away and is pictured above holding him at her house. We were also warmly welcomed by the savings group who to date has saved over $500 and are already talking about restarting the group at the first of the year and including more people from within the community. This has been a true blessing and encouragement to our time here in Peru.
However, the real highlight of the evening was Cael. Because this community is so far away from downtown Pucallpa, it is very rural and there are not too many white people living there. So, to see a white person walking around is unusual and the only thing more unusual is a white baby. We were surrounded by several kids from the community wanting to look at Cael. Then on our way home, in true Peruvian fashion, we were asked to take someone back into town, which by the time we actually left ended up being a family of four and a tank of gas.
All in all we had a great time and plan on returning soon.

The Whereabouts of Cael

A few people have asked, after seeing our last blog entry, where Cael was during our tours? So we wanted to let you know we didn't just leave him at the side of the road while we were out having fun. :) Our friend, Oscar, who picks us up from the airport when we fly to Lima, has met both of our parents, is well known by other missionaries in Pucallpa, and runs his own tour agency here in Peru was with Cael the whole time . He loves kids and Cael was fond of him. We found Cael sound asleep on our return from the sand dunes. As they say here in Peru, he is a "hombre de confianza" (man of trust).
We are now back in Pucallpa readjusting to the heat. Paul's sisters have made the trip back to Indiana safely, but before they left we were able to show them some of the sights of Pucallpa.

Downtown Pucallpa Streets

The market where we find all of our produce and meat.

The Local Pucallpa Zoo

Blindsighted

Here we sit, breathing, alive...in Lima. The past two days has held some exhilarating and adrenaline producing adventures as we headed to Paracas, Nasca, and Ica. These are three cities located south of Lima on the coast of Peru. These cities are a desert climate with no rain, yet travel 100 km and you will reach a new climate.

In Paracas we took a boat tour of nearby islands that had several native birds, penguins, dolphins and sea lions. Taking the waves head-on, we flew airborne over several in a speed boat. :) It was a blast! Along with these islands was a huge candelabra etched in the rocks of an island off the coast created over 2000 years ago. It's still in tact because the sand has solidified as well as the wind blows from the other side of thet island. This is Paul, Megan and Cael sightseeing. The other is of Julie & Joanna wind-blown on the ride to the islands.

Next we traveled to Nasca to see the Nasca lines made by the Nasca people who were long before the Incans, created drawings in the sand desert that could only be viewed from a plane. There are several theories as to why these were created, but none for certain. This plane ride was terrifying. In a 6-passenger plane, we drove over a desert land and tilted (to a BIG degree) then flew around in circles over the drawing. The pilot happened to b Next, we went to Nasca - the group of peoplee talking on his cell phone for a few minutes as well as one time taking h is hands off the wheel. Talk a bout terrifying. However, here we are safe and sound. The Nasca Lines have recently been made popular by the new Indiana Jones movies. Although the movie doesn't depict Peru the way it really is (geographically, etc) , the Nasca Lines are very true. The first picture is of an alien (we like to think he looks like ET), and the last of Paul, Megan, Julie & Joanna about to board the plane.

Today we went to Ica for a Dune Buggy "tour"...or what we thought was going to be a tour. These "dunes" looked like sand mountains from the Middle East...they were HUGE. What we thought was a tour ended up being a 2-hour ride-of-your-life hold-on-to-your-seatbelt-for-dear-life adventure. Our crazy driver took us down 80 degree hills at speeds up to 40 mph! As well as driving crazily through the sand mountains, we had the opportunity to go sand boarding- which was a BLAST!!!! We took snowboards and slid on our bellies down HUGE slopes at incredible speeds! This is us at a stop to take pictures, and the other is of Megan sand-boarding down a hill.
So although we had such an incredible vacation, we are happy to be back lounging in Lima. Tomorrow Paul will go back for a check up. All is healthy here in the McCann household. Cael's cold only lasted one day. He, by the way, is the most "tranquille" baby ever. (That's what they call him over here). He did a magnificent job in the car today and is just a joy to be around!! We head to Pucallpa Thursday!

Surviving Lima

Aunt Julie in the doctor's office waitin' for Mom and Dad
Aunt Joanna and Cael in Lima at the restaurant.

Julie and I decided since many of you have not visited Lima, we might enlighten you on this wonderful piece of South America. :) First of all, Lima has no sunlight, it is only gray skies. Also, imagine walking into a room full of cigarette smoke - except replace cigarette smoke with car exhaust and multiply the intensity times 20. That's Lima. Also there are no road rules - well, the unspoken one is: the biggest car wins. Today went to the Plaza de Armas in Lima. We walked around downtown and then ate at a great restaurant and walked around an Incan Market. This is all of us in front of the President's Palace downtown and Julie & Megan in front of a bead shop in the market.


Health news update: Megan and Paul are clear of any sickness! The doctor inPucallpa was very wrong in her diagnoses and the doctor here in Lima thinks they both just ate something that caused the sickness. However, Cael is now experiencing his first cold - with a fever and a runny nose. That's Mom and Dad giving Cael Tylenol!

Aunt Julie & Joanna Arrive!

This is Joanna and I've decided Paul and Megan need a little help with updating their blog. Julie and I flew in early this morning to Lima to see baby Cael and help out with Paul and Megan. Recently, Paul and Megan have been very sick, and with the health care being not-so-outstanding in the jungle, there has been some misdiagnoses which has led them to get much better health care here in the capital, Lima. Paul has what we think is Typhoid, along with who knows what. Megan also has been feeling under-the-weather. But no fear, Aunt Julie and Joanna are down to save the day!!!

3 months old and counting!

It has been a while since I have updated our blog and I was recently asked to share this photo because of how big Cael appears next to Violeta, a friend from our neighborhood. Just remember she is only about 5 ft. tall. This picture was taken at 2 1/2 months old and we just recently past the 3 month mark.

Updated Pictures from Pucallpa

Out for a stroll in the evening...don't leave home without your mosquito net!

working on strengthening those neck muscles!

Cael and Mom out to visit some neighbors

We continue to adjust back to life in Pucallpa. Paul has been setting up meetings within the various communities that FH works and several of them have been interested in starting up savings groups. He has been very encouraged by there interest and excitement and knows that God has been answering his prayers by opening these doors.
Cael and I are getting use to being at the house and are able to regularly get out and visit our neighbors who also have small children. This has been a huge encouragement as well.
Now we are anxiously waiting the arrival of Paul's parents, who are coming to visit us and see their grandson for the first time. They will be arriving next Tuesday night in Lima and will fly to Pucallpa on Wednesday. Please pray for a safe trip and pleasant weather (it has been around 100 degrees here this past week!).
Ok, enjoy the pictures!