Cusco, MachuPichu and HOME AT LAST

I just typed a long blog to catch you up to date and lost it all. So I will try to rethink it all. Next time I post you should see some pictures. I have 1201 digital pictures.
Monday morning at 6:00 Don and I were having our breakfast of bread and jam when Dan and Jully arrived in Cusco after their all night bus ride. We hurried to the train station for the 4 1/2 hour train ride and half hour bus ride to Machu Pichu. Since Peruvians can travel quite cheaply on a service train we left on different trains, ours was the Backpacker train. It was a beautiful ride through the high Andes Mountains. Finally we got to Machu Pichu, and it wasn't long until I discovered that I was totally unable to negotiate the steep rock mountian steps of the tour. Don continued on and I waited behind for 2 1/2 hours during their tour. Don returned just exhausted, but he loved every minute of it. It was quite spectacular.
Dan and Jully caught up to us and we all had a late lunch at Aguas Calientes, before returning to our train. We got back to Cusco at 10:00 p.m. It was a looong day. We were exhausted. Dan and Jully arrived back shortly after we did.
Tues. morning after breakfast, the four of us went to the Plaza de Armas to finish our shopping. We had lunch, returned to the hostel for our luggage, and headed for the airport. We were to leave at 2:05 but were delayed until 3:00. This last time together was difficult for Jully especially. She cried, clung to us, and finally said good bye. She said that this was the best gift God had given to her. She was loved unconditionally, and responded positively to our affection. She would love to come to the states to visit. Before she had no desire to. Jully is a very special person. As a tiny baby her older sister sold her for money for the family. Her mother had no idea this was happening, and looked for her for years. Jully was adopted by a rather wealthy family in Lima. At 18 she found her real parents, went to them, and her adoptive parents wrote her off. She was very despondent, then found the Lord. She went to Bible school in Iquitos and all of her belongings from her previous life were stolen. She said she was high and the Lord brought her low.
Apparently she was never real close to either set of parents, and truly responded to us as a daughter, even though she calls us Grandma and Grandpa. We had a really good time with both Dan and Jully.
We left Cusco at 3:00 arriving in Lima at 4:15, with a wait for our plane to leave at 11:45 p.m. Security was something else in Lima. After going through our security search,and disposing of all of our water, I really needed some water to take some pills. We were in the waiting lounge at our gate, I looked over and there were 6 or 7 soles, coins, sitting there. Just enough for a bottle of water. (We had exhaused our Peruvian money supply by that time.) I was saving the water for our trip, when they said all water had to be disposed of before getting on the plane. We just put it in Don's backpack. Then while we were boarding they searched carry on bags again. I put mine out in plain sight and they searched it and found no liquids. They passed by Don's. They also had dogs in the airport sniffing for cocaine. We had coca tea bags, and coca candy. The dogs didn't sniff our bags. We never had to open our suitcases to be searched. Another praise item it that we never had to pay for excess baggage. The limit on Lan Peru was 20 kilos each and we had 50 kilos between us. We told them this was a connecting flight, and they didn't even weigh them. There were so many times that the Lord looked out for us.
We boarded the plane about 11:15, left at 11:45 p.m. and were served dinner about 1:00 a.m. We finished about 1:30, and were awakened about 5:00 for a muffin. So we didn't have much sleep. We did have exit rows so had a little more leg room. We arrived in Houston at 6:15 this morning, had breakfast at Wendy's at the airport, and then left Houston at 9:00 arriving in McAllen at 10:10. Lloyd Stone was there to meet us.
Boy it is good to have our own big bed, no steps, and level ground. We are so blessed here in America. Peru seemed so poor, no heat in the homes, some of our hostels without hot water, towels, soap, or even toilet paper. We took along a water purifier and purified all of our water. Peruvians have to boil all their water because it is not clean.
On Sunday in Cusco I noticed that my legs and ankles were extremely swollen. They hurt from being so swollen. That has continued for the last 4 days. It can't be Cusco's altitude because we had been higher. It can't be the train and bus ride, because we had also done that many times. I also had a strange cough at the higher altitudes. I am to see the Dr. tomorrow. I have to get a couple of prescriptions anyway, so thought I would see what he says about my swollen legs,ankes, and feet. It doesn't go down at night.
We are glad to be home, but so very thankful for this trip. The Lord protected us in so many ways, we became very close to many people and kids, lives were touched, and especialy, Dan and Jully were greatly encouraged in their ministry and lives.
Thanks for all the prayers and support!!!