We did it... Guinea Pig dinner

Well, we finally did it... we ate cuy.  Cuy is a traditional dish in Peru.  A cuy is a guinea pig.  

Okay - don't go crazy and act like I just ate the family cat!  I raised guinea pigs when I was growing up... they were cute little long-haired guinea pigs.  I have very fond memories of going out the back door and hearing them squeal their cute little high-pitched squeals because they knew I was coming out to see them.  I remember "Pearl" and "Digby" and "Santa" and "King"...

It's not like that here.  People raise cuy with the same passion that we raise cattle in Texas.  It is very common to go to someone's home and be shown their cuy pens.  With great pride they will show you how fat they are, how prolific they are, and how many they are raising.  It is not unusual for someone to have a special room or place in their home (usually in or very near the kitchen) where they tend their cuy.  

So for Father's Day, we went out to eat a special Father's Day lunch of cuy.  We have the Mitchells (from Texas) and the Goshorn family (from Kentucky) here visiting and working with us for awhile, and all wanted to try the traditional cuy before they leave Peru... "you just can't go to Peru and not at least try cuy!".

Bottom line -- It was really good.  And, no joke, it tastes like chicken.  I know - they say that about everything that is "weird" to eat.  But it's true.  It tastes like dark meat chicken.  The skin is pretty greasy and I peeled that away, but the meat was very good.  Several of us had "Cuy Colorado" which is cuy cooked/baked in a spicy sauce.  A couple of us had fried cuy.  It was all good.

So, there you have it.  We did it.  It didn't kill us.  We'll do it again sometime, without hesitation.  I just can't eat it while thinking about my cute little friends in the backyard...

Photos from this week

Photos from this week... I love the people here!!!

Long time, no see (or post)

Okay, okay... I know it has been a long time!  Sorry.  Let me catch you up to date (kind of like when a TV program picks up the second episode in a "to be continued" series).  Since we last posted...

• Laurie had pneumonia and was down for about a week.  What at first seemed like body soreness from several hikes in one week, turned into a 103+ fever and a trip to the emergency room for tests and xrays.  No wonder she couldn't breathe!  Who knew?
• We went back to the States for Miles' high school graduation.  It was great to get to be there for this momentous occasion!
  
• We spent a whirlwind week visiting family and friends in Texas.  It was wonderful to see everyone (or at least everyone that you can possibly fit into a few days of visiting).  We enjoyed WAY too much food while we were home and really need to go back on our Peruvian diet and exercise plan to lose the weight we gained in Texas!!!
• We took the kids on a quick trip to Disney.  It was a graduation celebration / we're all together as a family celebration / vacation, etc.  It was fun to get to be with all of our children at one time without the distractions and competition of other things.  Just the family and Mickey.
• We parted ways with our boys once again.  They boarded a plane for College Station and we boarded a plane for Peru.  They are both staying in College Station right now - Miles is preparing for college (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) and enjoying his last weeks with his friends before everyone leaves, and Ryan is taking a couple of weeks to visiting with Granny and his friends back home before starting the second summer term back at Texas A&M Kingsville.
• We came home to Peru and met up with friends/fellow missionaries Midge and Betty Mitchell.  They are staying with us in our home for most of this month.  They have spent their days here helping us in our ministries, watching what we do on a daily basis, and doing some ministry of their own... they are teaching art classes at the orphanage each day.  We have had a great time so far and we are so grateful to have people in the house who #1 are Texans and understand our needs (TACOS), #2 are fellow missionaries and understand what we do and why we do it, #3 we don't have to speak our second language to talk to them, #4 want to help and do everything that we do, and #5 are eager to learn about the Peruvian culture and try different foods, customs, and see different places.
• We have made LOTS of progress on the education center in Iscos (for street children).  We have hired a director and a teacher.  We have met with the mayor again and the city officials and everything is going great with the municipality.  We have seen our new building/classrooms and are making progress on what needs to be done before we open, etc.  And we have 13 sponsors for the children... we lack 17 more.
• We have a team in Huancayo right now from Asbury, Kentucky.  They are here working on a construction project and doing children's ministry (Kid's Club).  We are helping to lead the team, as well as acting as translators.

So, a lot has transpired since we last posted!!!  Sorry to have let so much time lapse... but we're a little swamped right now!  :)