The Next Big Step

The Next Big Step for the Leinbach Sisters is Lima, Peru! Yes, South America! Cindy and I have decided to accept a very whirlwind call to serve as teachers in a English-immersion elementary school in Lima. We first heard about this school and its need for teachers at the very end of January. At the end of February (two weeks ago) we decided to go for it. We leave for Lima two weeks from tomorrow- Wednesday, March 26! (I know! Terribly fast and I've done a TERRIBLE job at keeping this blog current. All I can say is that I've had a LOT on my mind, and a LOT to do!)

We STILL have a LOT to get done. We will purge our apartment of as many items as possible, giving away to friends and family everything we can, and donating everything else to Salvation Army, etc. That all has to be done by Good Friday, and Saturday we will load a truck with the furniture and items we wish to keep in storage. We drive the truck to Elkhart Indiana to unload into several locations, the primary one being my Mom and Dad's. (Just when they thought they were good and rid of all our belongings!)

We'll spend Easter, Monday and Tuesday in Indiana with family and friends. Our flight to Miami leaves from O'Hare at 6:00 a.m. (yikes!!!). We will land in Miami at 10:00 a.m. and wait around until 5:15 p.m. for our flight to Lima, Peru. Yowsers, I still can't believe it.

The link with the title of this blog is for the school we will be serving: Monterrico Christian School. Their school year started yesterday; they are covering with subs for our classes, and the classes of 3 other Americans who are answering the call at the eleventh hour. Ironically, all 3 of those other people are also from Chicago! (or suburb)

Cindy and I went down to the US Passport Office in Chicago yesterday and applied for the fast-track process, which means we will have our passports TOMORROW (Wednesday) afternoon! Now we have to muddle through the Visa process. Prayer for that would be much appreciated, as I am currently getting mixed signals about the requirements. I am waiting for a call back from the Peruvian Consulate in Peru (an English-speaking staff member) to try to clarify whether we need a Tourist Visa. Why tourist? Well, because we are going so quickly, we don't have time to apply for and wait for our religious visas before we go, so the school recommended coming down on a trouist visa, applying for the religious visa once there, and we can take an overnight trip into Chile to pick up the religious Visas when processed. (You have to pick up visas outside of the country.) Please pray that we can get all the Visa info straightened out.

I'm not working now, and Cindy's last day of work is this Friday. We're taking only what will fit in the bags on the plane- we each get 2 suitcases for minimal fee (like $5 each) and can reserve up to 3 more for a rather hefty price. We will be living in an apartment with one or two other female teachers. The part of Lima we will be in is fairly wealthy, and therefore safer. The principal and administrator both said that if we've lived in CHicago then we should be a step ahead of other 'newbie Americans' since we will not suffer culture shock of rural to urban as well as American to Peru. I'm sure Lima will be very different from Chicago, but there are just things endemic to big cities that living in one helps you understand- like navigating safely, keeping bearings, using taxis/busses safely, etc.

We should also have access to very good medical care at the private clinics in Lima. God has also done wonderful things here in CHicago to provide for both me and cindy to have the meds we need and prescriptions for refills through the time we're gone. Praise Jesus!

So when will we come back? Right before Christmas, Lord willing. Their summer break starts then, and we'll be home for all of January, possibly some of February before heading back down for the start of the second year of teaching. We decided early on that if we went for one school year, we'd go for two. We're not completely opposed to three, we'll see what God tells us.

As you see, Lima isn't TOO far from the famous Andean Incan ruins of Macchu Pichu- Anyone wishing to come down and visit us is more than welome!!! Dad is already asking for our school schedule of week-long breaks, and Mom has said she'll go get her passport (just as soon as she's up and walking about after her second knee-replacement surgery two weeks ago!).

I will post more information and pics of our future students in my next blog.