It's a small world, after all.  We recently learned just how small when we were contacted by a Finnish university student about doing an internship for her Masters in Development through CUDA (formerly known as ICDU).  A few conversations later, we agreed, and she and her husband packed up and headed to Arequipa to spend the next several months.

So, Anna and Sakari Heikkila arrived last Tuesday and have been staying with us while we look for an apartment for them.  We have really enjoyed having them so far, learning a little about Finland, introducing them to the city, and generally having a good time just hanging out.

They definitely deserve some recognition, not just for their attitude in picking up and moving halfway around the world for a semester, but for the way they have welcomed our daughters.  And let me tell you, our girls have been stuck to their sides as much as possible.  Cora particularly likes Sakari, and has even sought him out rather than me a couple of times for comfort after a fall.  Shaye and Anna are bonding over girly stuff, like knowing how to fix hair in fancier ways than Mama (not my strong suit, by a long shot).  They have both gotten crash courses in princess and ballerina life, been served tea in princess cups, read more than their fair share of kid books (Anna read about half of the Bible storybook to Shaye this morning), and are getting a kick out of Shaye's way of talking.

<Example:  When setting the table for lunch today, Shaye put Anna between her seat and Cora's.  I asked Anna if that was okay with her.  She said that was fine.  Shaye turned to her and asked, "Do you like being between stuff?">

It looks like it will be a fun semester!  And with as much going on with the development projects as there is right now, it's a great time to have extra hands.