The Newest Member of our Family...

Thank you to all of you who helped us to purchase our new motorcycle. Kelly and I were able to get a good deal on a used, but perfect, LIFAN 200GY-2. It is a 200cc all-terrain bike. This is a popular Chinese brand that has good standing among the locals here in Iquitos. It is the top of the line next to purchasing a new Yamaha, Honda, or Suzuki - those can be quite pricy. Here is a photo of Kelly and myself getting ready to head into town for a night off.

The purchase of this bike has already helped out tremendously. We are approximately 7-8 miles out of town, but 3 miles of that is solid dirt. The only other way to traverse this is by motorcar, or feet. When the road gets muddy, and it does quite often, the road is significantly more challenging to travel on. This bike has given us a good, and dependable, method of transportation. Thank you all for you help. We really enjoy this bike!

Sarai´s Birthday

This last Wednesday we had a birthday party for Sarai. It was most adorable thing in the world. She was all dressed up in a cute, pink, little dress. She is one of the little ones here at Santo Tomas. Some friends came over for some entertaining sing-a-longs, food, and conversation - she even had a piñata. The birthday song here is different than in the States. They sing the whole happy birthday part, in a slight different rendition, and then end it by saying something along the lines of, “…hurry up so that we can eat your cake.” I’m sure that I’m missing some key parts, but whatever is said makes everyone bust up laughing. Kelly and I were able to try our first ever Peruvian birthday cake as well. It was interesting. Not quite as sweet as in the States. It was very decorative - each different color was a different (and somewhat fruity) flavor. Above all, it was a fun experience.

Night Life

This is a video of Kelly and myself riding in a motocar at night. Traffic here is crazy. It makes driving in the states appear like a piece of cake. Traffic is packed, everyone drives fast, people drive on the opposite side of the road at times, and ironically, amidst all of this ¨recklessness¨there are few accidents. It took some time for Kelly and myself to get accustomed to this sort of driving, but now we are driving in it on our own motorcycle. Hope you enjoy the footage!

Aaron chasing the kids...

Here are two of the cutest kids. There are 5 little ones here at Santa Tomas, but these are the oldest of the bunch. The girl´s name is Sarai and the bigger boy´s name is Angel. They are full of joy, fun, and good times. Here was a game that we invented the other day to pass some time. Enjoy!

Our first few days

Sorry. No pictures right now. This is our first time on internet and we are sad to find out we will only have access to internet and phone once a week. Well, we made it here safely. It´s hot and humid, our clothes will mold if we don´t wash them in a couple weeks...there will be some losses. The girls at the POPPYS house in Santa Tomas are awesome. Many different personalities and we love them all. There are 4 awesome dogs at the property, 2 annoying goats, 2 crazy blue parrots (we keep our distance), 2 of the cutest pygmy monkies ever (Tito, the baby who is as small as two of Kelly´s fingers, and Tsunami, the adult who is the size of Kelly´s hand), and some chickens & roosters. We did have a gecko in our room we named Geico, but he´s not around much. And this morning we had a baby tarantula the size of my hand...yeah...that was interesting. He´s gone now. RIP.

The mode of transportation is most commonly motocarros (a 3-wheel motorcycle with a bench in the back, instead of back wheel). The rules of the road are merely don´t hit anyone else & get out of the way of oncoming traffic. Last night we had an interesting moto ride. Late at night (hopefully a rare experience) and without headlights. Our town, Santa Tomas, is about 15 min outside of Iquitos, in the daytime. It was hard to find a driver because they didn´t want to take us that far at night (no people wanting a ride back and it could be slightly dangerous in the pitch black). We were scared and we didn´t yet know the drivers don´t use their headlights to save their battery juices. It´s a long and streetlight-free zone on the very bumpy and rutted mud road out there. We picked up 3 people walking (which is a terribly long trip). Our driver got them, but they were very friendly people and we felt safer having them with us. Apparently our driver could see some remnants of the road (for we could not!) and we got there safely.

Speaking of which, we must get back to the house because it´s just as dark, but much earlier. We will post pictures soon, we hope, and you all can enjoy those. Thanks for your support and please keep praying for us! We are still adjusting.

24 Hours into the trip - in Lima!

We have had a fun journey so far. We are in the process of waiting out a 9 hour layover in Lima. Our flight for Iquitos leaves at 4:55 am local time (2 hours later than Portland, Or.). Here is a photo of us chilling at Starbucks at the airport. The drink was $12 (of course, that is in the peruvian sol, so about $4 USD). Oh the lengths that you will go to, to stay awake...

Here we are getting our luggage. We made it through customs without any problems...phew...

Great Message, Horrible Marketing

This was taken during our 5 hour layover in San Salvador, El Salvador. Somewhat of a humorous shot.

Family, Friends and a Farewell

It was a sad goodbye, but it felt incredible to have our families' support on this joyous, yet sad, departure. Christy and Brent drove from Illinois to beat us at pool, and say goodbye.

Arthur the Incredible also showed up to show his support and see us off. Andrew additionally was there to say, "Adios!"

My clan, and my father to boot, showed up as well to see us off, provide some laughs, and represent the Linfoot heighth -much to Kelly's dismay.





Here is another photo of the Linfoot/Harvey family at the nurses dorm in Portland. Mom (Becky) is in this one. Thanks for all the support everyone, it was greatly appreciated!

How to send us mail in Peru...

Here is our address down in Peru. We have been told that it would be better to send us letters, and not packages, through the mail. If you would like to send packages, let us know, and we will have you send it to a group that is coming down (groups from the states frequently come down for medical trips), and they can take it to us -otherwise, we will be taxed.

Aaron Michael and Kelly Marie Linfoot
Ave. Abelardo Quinones No. 3912 (k.m. 4.5)
San Juan Bautista - Iquitos - Loreto - Peru

Our Nephew Herkimer Mbuku Kendall

He's the newest edition to the family since Kelly (and that was a while ago...). He was born July 10, which is also Aaron's birthday. His name is a topic of much debate. A rumor started by his own father, Trevor, claimed his name to be "Herkimer Mbuku Kendall". Some declare his name to be "Brosh Jad" (and the source of that name is from the boys Josh and Brad...wonder how they came up with that one...). Still others call him "King Kylan". His parents, Trevor and Tasha, allegedly put the name "Kylan Sean Kendall" on the birth certificate. No one knows which name is legitimate, but you all can decide for yourselves.

BLYC and Tom Fisher

We had a great summer at Big Lake Youth Camp. We will miss our friends there dearly. All the snow did melt, the lake warmed up, but the mosquitoes never totally left.

We had many opportunities to chat with PCT hikers (for those who don’t know, the Pacific Crest Trail runs from the Mexican to the Canadian border…this is a hike that takes several months). The conversations were always engaging, but one hiker in particular stuck out. He has come through camp several times in the past and has always helped out for days. Honestly, the man deserves a staff jacket or something. He’s like family to Big Lake. His name is Tom and he currently claims Colorado as his home (woo-hoo!!!! What a cool place!!!). He is such an inspiring man of faith. God clearly uses this man to help others. He’s a walking billboard that says “God is the greatest ever!!!!” and he was so encouraging to the staff and to us. He had gone to the same region of Peru a time in the past and shared fascinating stories with us.

We just want to thank Tom for his support, his prayers, and his inspiration. He is praying that God will challenge us. We don’t know what that entails, but know that we will not be bored.

What is still needed for Peru?

Here is what we still need for Peru.

(1) $3,200 for Insurance -this covers two years worth of General Conference Insurance for both Kelly and I.
(2) $1,200 for a motorcycle -in order to get around down in Peru, due to the fact that we will be living about 15 minutes outside of town, and the road is not in the best of condition, a mode of transportation is needed.

We have raised $11,000 so far. This money will cover our living expenses, for the both of us, for two years. We need about $4,400 more in order to cover the above mentioned. We keep praying, and know that God will supply the rest.

Camp is Almost Over

It is hard to believe that Kelly and I leave for Peru in a little under 5 weeks. Time is just flying by. Here is a picture of camp now -after all the snow and ice have melted.

This summer is going wonderfully. We are both enjoying our jobs and are sad in realizing that there are only two weeks left. Kelly and I are on the same softball team, as well as Josh, and we are in third right now out of four teams. Our record is 4-6, and there is basically a 3-way tie for second. There are 4 games left, and we have a chance to make the playoffs. Big Lake softball is different than typical softball, but incredible fun. You get 1 pitch, and 5 outs for your team. It takes some getting used to, but it is a blast.

Kelly and I just traveled to Lincoln City and received a rabbies and meningitis vaccination. We will be heading down next week as well to receive our second shot in the rabbies series. All is still under way for Peru. God is still helping us as we prepare for this incredible new saga.

How Much Have We Raised?

So far we have raised $11,000. Through your help, we can achieve the rest.

You Can Now Use Your Credit/Debit Card For a Donation. This is a secure transaction. In using this method, the money comes directly to us.

Click on the Donate button below.

To see other ways in which you can help, see the link on the right side, "How Can You Help?"
Thank you for your continual support and prayer!

Kelly and I at Big Lake Youth Camp

Camp has officially begun. We are in our second day of Junior 1. As you can see in the image, the snow has begun to melt significantly. The water is now clear of all ice and snow, and measuring in at a chilling 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The runoff has provided for some exciting mud pits, but nothing a good pair of rubber boots can't fix.

It feels great to be back at camp and apart of a larger picture. It feels different not being a counselor, but we are still able to interact with the kids a little bit, and we both try to be as involved with them as our schedules allow. This is going to be a great summer. The staff are AMAZING! Staff training week went very well, and the staff are bonding well together.

Kelly and I headed up to Lincoln City this last Saturday and put on a presentation about our trip to Peru. The Lord really blessed us. We walked away with a little over $2,000 in our hands. The more we pray, the more he has come through for us. We have almost reached our goal of $10,000. Seeing how the Lord is helping us really reiterates his power and love. It also shows us that Peru is really what he wants for us at this point in our lives.