Cinco sole haircuts & A trip to the Zoo

As I am sure many of you have noticed by now that we have been sending out a bit more frequent updates via email and although they have been more detailed they have been lacking photos. Since many times in the updates we feel the need to share with you the names of people to whom we are ministering we feel it better to keep those things a bit more private by sending the prayer requests/updates to those of you who have requested to receive this information. If you are not on our email list please send us an email to Koplinfamilia@gmail.com and we will add you. We would like to continue using this site to post pictures of our everyday life and the people we meet and minister to here in Peru.

Sometime in early January the kids and I went to get haircuts in the neighborhood where Eddy grew up. I know this is not a very interesting thing to post about except for the fact that to have our hair cut it cost us less than $1.70 per person. Unfortunately the saying "you get what you pay for held true, even across the equator."

Saying goodbye to those curls...

Josiah did pretty well as long as he was entertained with various hair instruments.

He is looking more and more like a little boy everyday.

Hadassah and I were next. She got to sit on the horse.

The next day Lucho and Chipy invited us to the Zoo with their family. Peru is a very diverse country, the topography consists of desert, jungle (Amazon) and mountains (the Andes). This zoo was set up with animals and flora to reflect the various regions of the country. It was very interesting and we were able to see many different kinds of animals that are not in the typical Rochester zoo.

I think these were Jaguars.

These are condors, HUGE birds with a wingspan of up to 10 feet.

Monkeys, there were lots of monkeys. We had no idea that there were so many different types of monkeys.

Josiah enjoyed watching the monkeys.

We have no idea what this creature is, as I said it was interesting to see animals of which we had never heard of.

A lagoon in the Selva (jungle) portion of the park.

Lunch time. Chipy made us a picnic lunch, hamberguesas.

Siesta time.

Catching Up

This month has flown by so fast and I do apologize for not having updated the site until now. Here are a few pictures from mid-December through the early part of January.

We spent both Christmas as well as New Years Day in Chaclacayo with the Eatons. It was just the eight of us for Christmas (Justin, Sarah, Eddy, myself and all of our little ones). We cooked a traditional American Christmas dinner with a few recipes that Sarah had brought from home. We did cheat however and buy a few Turkey breasts and a precooked ham. We ate the left overs for days.

Since we were completely stuffed from our delicious Christmas dinner and the homemade apple pie that Justin baked, we had to hold off on the chocolate and paneton until the following evening. It was Justin and Sarah's first time partaking in the tradition and we were happy to share in it with them, that chocolate was delicious!!

Hadassah and Josiah hanging out in one of the bunk beds we use while were are there.

Whenever we go to visit the orphanage the days are usually spent as follows:

The guys work all day until the last speck of light. They have been working on the deck and for these two trips they were installing the floor. Sarah was climbing the ladder here to get a peek at the progress.

Justin working some kind of power tool.

Eddy using the hammer.

Pepe waving, he joined us for the New Years Day trip.

While the men are working Sarah and I tend to the children, we have (2) two-year olds, a one year old and baby Anna is now eight months old.

Josiah enjoying some of Kathryn and Anna's toys.

Usually after we have taken care of breakfast and a few morning naps we take the kids out for a stroll to break up the day.

We sure are a sight to see... two double strollers (I've yet to see one in Peru) with four blond-haired babies.

I love walking the streets in Chaclacayo as they are so peaceful, you can actually walk in the street. This is a photo of the street Sarah lives on, tranquilla (peaceful.)

Sometimes we walk down to the main square and let the kids play in the park, they always have such a great time and it provides an opportunity for Sarah and I to have a bit of fellowship.

Precious.

Just a cute picture of Daddy sharing his breakfast with his babies.

Hadassah has been invited to a few birthday parties and here are some pictures of her with her classmates at KFC. Here it is common to rent a KFC, McDonalds or other facility to have your child's birthday party.

Paying close attention to the DJ.

Enjoying her meal after the festivities.

Here she is with the "two Lucianas."

I think I already posted about how she would come home and talk of the two chicas or the two Lucianas in her class. I just assumed there were two girls named Luciana in her class. We discovered that there were not really two Lucianas, just one with a twin sister named Macarena.

(Luciana is the one in the striped dress, Hadassah just loves her.)