Rachele and Snuggles Sittin' in a Tree...

Those who know me well know I lost my heart in Perú last summer on a mission trip. I brought home a new outlook on life, unforgettable experiences and lifelong friends. My best friend from Lima, Rachele, came to visit a couple weeks ago. She stayed in my ridiculous pink guest room and we had the best time.

Rach

(A.K.A. Rachele Alesandra Franchini Cueva)

Here we are, sitting on the giant shoe at City Bites. You know... the giant shoe that has a sign on it that basically says, "Don't Sit on the Giant Shoe!" Not to worry, the guy working there said it was okay. Probably because Rachele was hot and had a cute accent. :o) Just guessing. BTW, the only thing cooler than regular-sized Chuck Taylors is a giant Chuck. And the only thing cooler than a giant Chuck is a giant Peanut Butter Swirl cookie from City Bites. But only because it can be eaten and a giant Chuck cannot. Well, I suppose it could but, um... ew.

Peruvians are some of the most loving and genuinely dear people I've ever had the pleasure of being around. While Rachele is like a sister to me, I have not yet been able to meet her family. Still, they sent with her the most lovely gifts for our family. I can't wait to meet them in person because I already love them. If you want to learn the true meaning of AGAPE love (I've got that on the brain since it was the topic of yesterday's sermon), go to Perú. What I see in Rachele and the other peruanos I met last summer is what Jesus talks about when He says to come to Him like a little child. In these precious, precious people I see such a childlike wonder and innocence. It's almost too hard to describe what I mean by that. But those who got to meet Rach while she was here--my family--and friends, can attest to it.

At the Melting Pot

One really cool thing that I got to witness while Rach was here was her warming to Snuggles. If you can even believe it, "pit bulls" have an even worse reputation in Perú than they do in the U.S. Hard to imagine, I know. When Rach first arrived I'm pretty sure she was scared of Snuggles. I could see it in her body language. He would jump up to greet her (I know - I'm still working on that with him) and she would go completely rigid, turn away and sort duck away from him. And when I told her he was a pit bull, she was astonished. And a little freaked out, I think. She said, "I can't wait to tell all my friends at home that I was around an actual pit bull!" When she told a friend at home that she was staying with a pit bull, he said, "I'm scared! He's gonna eat me!" I hated that Rachele was nervous around Snugs and I was hoping against hope that he could prove himself to her and show her what "pit bulls" are really like.

Well, I got my wish and Snuggles got a new BFF! By the end of the week, Snuggles was cuddling up next to or on top off Rach all the time. She got a cold while she was visiting and napped a lot on the couch. She told me that Snuggles could tell she didn't feel well and that he laid down with her and took care of her while I was at work. He even started to obey her commands in Spanish! It was adorable.

Here are some pictures of my best buddies, shortly before Rachele's departure from OKC.

The night before Rachele's flight was to take off for Lima, I was hanging out in her room while she packed her things. It was then that I witnessed the most precious, adorable, REDONK thing ever! Snuggles brought in his squeaky bone. He gently placed it into her suitcase. He nosed it into the middle and left it there. He left the room. He came back with his sheep. He put his sheep in the suitcase. He left and returned again, this time with his froggy. He put the froggy in the suitcase. One at a time, he brought in his favorite toys and left them in Rachele's suitcase. I was just in awe of the whole thing. I regret so much not getting it on video! But I was just so caught up watching him play out this cute little drama that I didn't even think of it until he was finished.

Mr. Pouty McPouterson

The day Rachele got home she sent me an email asking me to tell everyone how much she enjoyed the visit, how much she loves them all and how much she will miss them. Then she specifically asked me to give many "besos y cariños" to Snuggles (love and kisses). She said she missed him so much she wanted to cry. She has posted her pictures with him on her Facebook saying how she loves him and misses him so very much and talks about how he is the most caring and loving pit bull in all of existence!

I can't say I'm surprised Mr. WigglyPants won yet another person over.

I had a friend mention this weekend, "Hey, did you know that some people want to like, ban pit bulls or something? Like, they want to pass laws against them and stuff. Crazy, huh?"

Yep... yep, it is...

P.D. A mi hermanita, Rachele... muchos besitos y abrazos de Snuggles y de mí. Te extraño muchísimo, Sis.