My How Time Flies....

Dear Family and Friends, can you believe we’ve been here 8 weeks?  So much has happened in such a short time, and it feels like we’ve been here a lot longer. Connor finally got his 2-year residency, and leaves for Guanai next week.  From the pictures I’ve seen it looks pretty, and there is even a river close by with fresh water dolphins.  But, it’s also closer to the rain forest and so I’ve been ASKING/NAGGING him to get some shots before he goes.  I’ve heard stories of other friends that have gone to the rain forest only to get malaria or some other illness.  So, each day I’m calling him with one purpose in mind – GET SOME SHOTS!

The Bolivian Immigration changes are still up-in-the-air, and many of the Need Greaters here still don’t know if they’ll be able to stay.  As of today they’ve told me and the girls we can get our one-year residency, but until we actually have it, I’m not getting too secure.  We’ve finally started making plans to see some of the sights.  Over the next 8 weeks we’re hoping to do a combination of sight-seeing/preaching trips.  There is a lot of natural beauty in Bolivia and it’s easy to plan trips where you go and explore and also preach.  We’re heading to Santa Cruz on December 31^st to visit Bethel, spend some time with friends, see the Rain Forest, and get the girls safely on their flight home.

As we get closer and closer to Jasmine & Jaina leaving, all of us have been getting sad.  We’ve shared so much together these last 2 months. We’ve laughed together – Cried together – and been there to help each other through challenges.  We're going to miss them both so much, and we want to make their last 2 weeks here fun and special. Twice this week the girls have gone into the mountains with friends to pick crops!  THAT’S RIGHT! - they’ve actually become farm helpers. What’s cool is that they get to keep what they pick.  So, we have these huge bags of carrots and potatoes.  Who knew the girls would learn some farming skills in Bolivia?

We’ve also gotten an unexpected pet – A CAT OF ALL THINGS! Our family has never liked cats – we’re dog people. Our landlords below us have dogs and cats, which they take good care of but live outside.  One of their Siamese cats (her name is Melissa), has decided that living outside is for the birds, she thinks she's a Little Princess, and so we are her new family. She comes in through one of the open windows and has just made herself very much at home. It's nothing to find her in bed with Priscilla or Jasmine and Jaina.

Speaking of Open Windows..... we finally got some screens – YEAH!  No more mosquito bites!  Living in Bolivia really does help you appreciate the small things in life – like window screens.  We all feel so special and pampered now.  But the cat, who has been use to just coming and going whenever she feels like it, now comes to the front door and cries for us to let her in.  I’ve honestly gotten really attached to the little fur ball

One of our friends was asked to leave Tarija for 3 months and go help a group that is 2 hours away.  He’s invited us to come next weekend and help preach, and so that’s one of the little trips we’re planning before the girls leave.  Anyway, we had a Going Away Party for him with his family last weekend.  The food was simple – grilled meat that they passed around on trays, some boiled potatoes and salad. Everyone danced until around 1:00 in the morning, and while there was some modern dancing, there was also a lot off native Bolivian folk dancing.

  

I’ve mentioned before how you meet friends that have come here from all over the world.  In Tarija there are a lot of brothers and sisters that come from New Zealand and Australia.  But, we’ve also made friends with a couple from England (Ben and Dawn).  They serve in the town of San Lorenzo (about 30-minutes away), and we’ve been able to visit them to help in the ministry.  San Lorenzo has a group of about 17 people.  We met Ben and Dawn while Connor was visiting and since then we’ve become good friends.  

Recently, the girls were invited to take a trip with them to see one of the famous sights in Bolivia – the Salt Flats in Salar de Uyuni.  The trip is really long, and it’s a really high altitude (bad for asthma), so a lot of the friends here warm me not to go.  But, the girls had so much fun, and even stayed in a hotel made of salt. 

Day 1 – They visit the old Train Graveyard built in the 1800’s.

Ben and Priscilla quickly become partners in mischief………  

Next they headed to the Salt Flats.  We’re told that at one time Bolivia was on the Pacific Ocean, but over time that part of the ocean dried up and left this giant salt lake

Here they all are at the Salt Hotel….

The last day is spent visiting Hot Water Geysers, and in the middle of nowhere they find flamingos, llamas, and other wildlife. 

So, that's all for now.  I’ve gotten some requests to provide more information about living here (what things cost, the preaching, things that are common and different, etc.).  In the next Blog I’ll try and provide some interesting information on living in Bolivia.

News from the Hughes

Faster Your Seat Belts…. It’s Going To Be A Bumpy Ride!

We’re still trying to get into a steady routine of Spanish Classes, Meetings, Personal Study in English and Spanish, Field Service, and supporting both the South Congregation and Padcaya Group (1 hour away).  Not to mention we still have to work 3 days per week. Being so busy is really challenging, but it's also helping us to make friends fast and immerse us in our new life here.

The process of applying for our one-year residency has been really involved and time-consuming, but had been going really smooth (UP TILL NOW)!  The day that we go to Immigration to apply for our one-year residency, we are told that just the day before, a new law was passed whereby you can no longer apply for residency in Bolivia.  The only exceptions are if you have Bolivian family, work for a company in Bolivia, or have come for specialized health care – WHAT THE WHAT?

The law has just been passed, so the lady at Immigration, who we are told is usually really nice, has now turned into this stressed out, grumpy, and frustrated woman.  Not only does this change affect us, it affects a lot of the Need Greaters.  It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been here -- 1, 2, 3 years, unless you have already gotten your permanent residency (which most of us haven’t), we are told that you can no longer get a Residency Visa.  We are asked to come back next week (which we do) – only to be told they still can’t help us – come back again next week.  Our Specific Purpose Visa, which is good for 30 days while you request residency, has now expired.  They can’t give us an extension today, but maybe next week.  Talk about being frustrated.  But what can you do in Satan’s whacky world?  We just keep doing what we came here to do. 

Up until now, I’ve been scared about going with the girls to preach in the mountains because it’s a 12-hour preaching day walking across a lot of rugged terrain. But, after the experience at Immigration and knowing that any day we might be kicked out of Bolivia, I decide I’m going.  So, today we spend the day preaching in the mountains of Padcaya. It takes us 1 hour to get there, and then sometimes another 20 to 40 minutes to reach nearby towns. Tarija is dry and so the mountains remind you of the Rockies or even some parts of Mexico.  There are cactus and thorn bushes everywhere. 

As we travel down the dusty road to find houses, it’s nothing to see cows and sheep just walking along -- even in town. At one point I go around the corner to get to a house and come face to face with 3 large pigs who are taking a nice leisurely stroll through town. At another house we knock on the door, and two chickens pop out on the veranda – that one did scare me!  The girls even saw a monkey. But in just one day of preaching, I get 6 return visits where I read a scripture (because of my limited Spanish I only read 1 scripture but most of the friends will read 2-4), and place literature – AND THAT WAS JUST ME!   

As the day goes on, I see a bull in the distance and of course, being a city girl, I’m excited, I get out of the car to get a picture, waiting for him to get closer and just as I’m ready to get that up close and personal shot, I hear Aubri’s voice and others telling me to get back into the car. He’s gotten close really fast, and I suddenly notice he’s huge, has these really big horns, and at any minute he could charge at me, and so I quickly jump back into the car.  So, instead of getting a cool picture I only got this one from the safety of the car.

But what makes the day so nice is the response of those in the territory.  The whole day is just filled with meeting and talking to really nice people who are respectful of our message – even the teenagers.  For me personally, I’ve never experienced anything like this before, and I come home tired, but realizing “I DID IT, AND IT WAS REALLY FUN!”

In such a short time, we’ve made some really good friends here (both Bolivian and non-Bolivian), and while it’s still hard sometimes not being around our dear friends in Good Ole’ Indy and other parts of the U.S., we think about all of you and hope you think about us.  

Oh yeah, and the next time we go back to the Immigration office, they give us a 90-day extension on our visa, and because Aubri and I have jobs in the States, they are now going to let us get a one-year visa.  But, we’re still not sure how the change will affect other Need Greaters.  For those of you that were coming to Bolivia next year, the government is supposed to be releasing additional information on December 4th that should give you more options for getting a Residency in Bolivia.  I'll keep you posted. Until Next Time – Love The Hughes Family

News from the Hughes

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY OF BEING IN BOLIVIA….. 

The weather here has been nice.  We live in a city surrounded by mountains and we’re going into our Summer = Rainy Season. So, while the day can get a bit hot, it’s usually a dry heat and at night the mountains tend to cool things down.  Tarija is a bit dry and when we first got here everything looked brown.  But now that it's raining, the mountains are turning green and pretty. After being in Bolivia for 10 days we have to head off to Cochabamba for the First English Speaking District (now Regional) Convention.  We decide to fly there because it will only take 1-hour vs. a 16-hour bus ride through the mountains.  Connor lives about 22 hours away from us and so he meets us in Cochabamba. 

As soon as we get to our hotel, I make a big mistake – THE BAD!  I flush some toilet paper in the hotel’s toilet.  I swear, it couldn’t have been more than 4 or 5 squares, but the hotel staff come up, shake their heads at me, and it becomes this huge problem to try and fix. For the rest of my stay in Cochabamba I’m constantly met with signs (even at the Regional Convention) to not flush your toilet paper, but throw it away, and I’m so proud of myself because I’m obedient and do it.  It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be and the friends were very diligent at cleaning out the trash bins to keep everything nice and tidy.  Bolivians don't flush toilet paper, they throw it away -- no exceptions!

THE CONVENTION IS AMAZING – THE GOOD! We arrive on Wednesday and the next day the kids head off to the convention site to volunteer to get everything clean and set-up for the program. It turns out really nice.

There are about 25,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Bolivia, and of those about 638 are Foreign Need Greaters. So, you can see there is a lot of work to be done. The Need Greaters are from 30 different countries including the US, Spain, England, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Korea, and the list goes on….  Friends come from all over Bolivia to attend.  Having an English-speaking convention is something special the Branch has done to help encourage those who have come to Bolivia to serve. So, everyone is excited to be here.

The talks are all given by Gilead graduates, Bethelites, Circuit Overseers and I think to myself, “I don’t belong with this crowd -- I’ve only been in Bolivia for 2 weeks -- I’m not one of them.”  But everyone makes you feel so welcome and treats you like they are so happy you’ve come to Bolivia.  The Convention has more the feel of a Family Reunion, and everyone giving talks and having parts are just relaxed and not afraid to have fun and laugh on stage. The talks (while the same as other Regional Conventions) have been personalized to address the challenges of living in Bolivia, to encourage us regarding the choices we’ve made, and as each brother comes on stage you can’t help but wonder, “What country is he from and what accent will he have?” 

This is Carol.  She’s a sister from England that has been serving in Bolivia for 35 years and is currently at Bethel. Carol sat in back of us for one of the days, told me she knew Connor, and just started talking to me and giving me words of encouragment.  People do that all the time here -- the other Need Greaters go out of their way to share their own experiences, challenges, and give you encouragment regarding your decision to come to Bolivia.

Can you believe who we ran into at the convention – it’s Jacob McLaughlin from our old congregation in Indianapolis.  What a cool thing to see him.

In just the 2 weeks that we’ve been here the girls have made so many new friends with sisters from all over  Bolivia who have invited them to come and visit them in their assignment.  

So that the Need Greaters could get the most out of the program, local Bolivian brothers and sisters have been behind the scenes doing all the work that attendees would otherwise do.  They didn’t attend the convention because they don’t speak English, but just worked really hard to give us the nicest convention possible. As we prepare to leave a group of Bolivian brothers and sisters give us this loving farewell.  They announced at the convention that they are going to try and have another English-speaking convention next year -- YEAH!

Connor came back to Tarija with us to stay for 2 weeks. But 2 days after we get home he gets a call from his Circuit Overseer.  He is being appointed as a Ministerial Servant and they need him ASAP to move with a single Elder to a more remote town in the Rain Forest.  I feel a bit bad for him because he’s a little panicked.  Now only has he been told he’s going to be a M.S. but they want him to move to an even more rural area where only he and this Elder will be the appointed brothers. The Circuit Overseer doesn’t pressure him to say yes, he only tells him that after much prayer, they feel like he’s a good fit for this assignment (NO PRESSURE)!  So, now he’ll be living even farther away from us!  But he also has to cut his visit with us short and head back home to get ready for his new assignment.

On one of our field service days we come across what is supposed to be a good restaurant known for their really good pork.  They are just getting the place set-up for dinner later. Now this is something you don’t see every day in Indianapolis – THE UGLY!

I also have my first battle with a Bolivian parasite -- AND I LOST.  It was also pretty ugly.  But the girls run to the local Farmacia (pharmacy) get me some meds and in 3-days time, I'm on the mend. I've been told that no matter how careful you are, everyone eventually gets sick here.  I've been really careful what I eat and drink, but you meet so many different people and the standard greeting is to hug and kiss each other on the cheek.  It's a custom I love about Bolivia because it just a few seconds, you have this really intimate contact that sort of just sparks instant friendship.  But, you can also sometimes get sick too.  Oh well, it was worth it!

It’s really amazing to be here and have a share in the preaching work.  Every congregation in Tarija is assigned rural territory in the mountains to work, and many of them are trying to get groups organized in these remote areas (usually 30 minutes to 1-hour away). Jaina has been going out in service alot with the Ketchawan congregation and is learning Ketchawa (in addition to Spanish). So, we’ve been visiting congregations, going out in service with their groups, and trying to figure out what is the best fit for us here. It's hard because no matter where you go, there is a need and you want to be part of everything and help every group here, but you just can't.

We re leaning towards joining the South congregation, and if we do, our life will consit every Friday of traveling 1-hour to reach the territory, having a 10-hour preaching trip in the mountains, going to meeting in the city to still suport the South congregation on Saturday, then turning around and going back to the moutains (still 1-hour away) to support the Group's Sunday Meeting.  Oh yeah, and we started our Spanish classes this week -- busy, busy, busy -- but who of Jehovah's people aren't?  So, today is November 12th and Connor leaves this morning to head off to his new assignment.  We're a bit sad but know we'll see him soon. Well, that's all the news and here are a few more pictures I hope you enjoy.  UNTIL NEXT TIME.  Love the Hughes Family.

News from the Hughes

So, I finally have a few quiet and free moments and wanted to let everyone know we’re here.  It starts off a bit bleak, but just keep reading, it does get better.  DOROTHY, YOU’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE!

The First 24 Hours – We arrived in Tarija on October 18^th at around 5:00 pm and what should only be a 13 hour trip was more like 2 days for us (Lesson Learned -- the cheaper your flight, the more you wait and wait and wait at airports).  We arrive in Tarija tired and a little worse for wear.  There is a lot of beautiful landscape in Bolivia and as we fly to our new home in Tarija, I can see lush green mountains that must be the rain forest.  I’ve never seen such beautiful mountains, and I hope someday I get to see this beauty up close.  We arrive at Tarija’s small airport and our plane is the only one that arrives. I think they must only have 1 flight arrival per day.  Then we see our friend waving at us in the distance, mountains on the horizon and flowered trees, and I think to myself, “I’M GOING TO LOVE IT HERE.”   

Our friend has come to the airport with two Bolivian brothers to pick us up. The Bolivian friends are wonderful (both the Need Greaters and native Bolivians).  We have a lot of luggage and it takes 2 cars to get all of us and our luggage to our new apartment.  As we drive to our new home, the scenery begins to change.  We start to see less tropical flora and fauna, and instead there are run-down buildings, stray dogs, and things begin to feel very strange and foreign. Tarija is a small city, but unlike U.S. neighborhoods with manicured lawns as far as the eye can see, you have a nice home and then right next door will be a run-down home with piles of rubble everywhere. A brother and his wife who are from New Zealand have gotten us our apartment, which is in a safe part of town.  We live above a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses (our landlords).   Our apartment is huge, and has a lot of nice comforts including a modern fridge, nice stove, and washing machine.  We even have a microwave!

I’ve been told by other Need Greaters that no matter how much you plan and prepare – nothing prepares you for the reality of actually living in a new country.  THAT IS SOOOOOO TRUE!  Everything in Tarija feels strange -- the language, the people, the food, even the smells.  Our first night we go out to dinner with some friends and the 2 brothers that picked us up at the airport. In hindsight we probably would have fared better just having a nice, quiet meal at home.  As we drive to the restaurant there is some celebration going on and it seems as if everyone in Tarija has crammed themselves into the central Plaza.  There are a lot of cars, crazy drivers, noise, and everything is hectic and strange and I think to myself, “I HATE IT HERE. WHAT HAVE I DONE? I DON’T BELONG HERE. WHY DID I THINK I COULD DO THIS?”  

The cars don’t stop for people and so if you cross the road, you had better make sure you can get across in time because the car won’t stop.  Our dear brothers that valiantly volunteered to take us around are no different.  It feels as if any minute he’s going to hit somebody crossing the road and by the time we reach the restaurant we are all stressed out.  I tell myself not to panic – I can come home at any time, and there is no doubt in my mind that we’ll be going home with Jasmine and Jaina in 3 months. The dinner was nice and calm and we get back to the apartment feeling more at ease with our situation.

It’s been unusually hot in Tarija and so we stop to pick up two fans to keep things cool – you know the kind you buy in a box at Walmart and open it up and it’s pretty easy to assemble.  Except the fans you buy in a box in Bolivia include 50 different pieces, needing to be assembled by some skilled factory worker – no instructions, and we’re expected to know how to put them together. So, the fans don’t get put together, we open up the windows and let the nice breeze from the mountains blow through our place.

STILL THE FIRST 24 HOURS…..  So, we wake up the next day and all of us are covered in a lot of mosquito bites.  I mean just on one arm we each have about 15 bites.  We later learn that the unusually hot weather has also brought a wave of mosquitos that have bitten the mess out of us. As we begin to start our day our little water heater begins to have flames coming out of it inside the apartment. Aubri walks over to shut it off when it does this steam explosion.  I’m in a panic because all I think is that Aubri has now been severely burned. Fortunately, the water was cold but now this thing is leaking water all over the kitchen.  Aubri runs downstairs and the dear brother rushes upstairs to help us.  He has to run and get some needed parts and so we take turns putting pots under the leak and dumping it into the kitchen sink while he runs and get the parts needed.  The water heater gets fixed, and the 5 of us survived. But we all start looking at each other, feeling over-whelmed and stressed out, and wanting to be back home.

The dear sister who met us at the airport comes over to the apartment to take us to the local market where we can buy food because there is no food in our apartment. As I walk around the various stalls of fruits, vegetables, meat, and other household items like toilet paper, I start to feel like this pampered American princess that has left a cushy life in the states to come to this place where everything is hard and feels different. I’m mad at myself because I think that unlike Abraham and Sarah who left the comforts of Ur to do Jehovah’s will, I’m a Lot.  I want to live in a nice city where things are easier and it irritates me that I feel like this.

All shopping in Bolivia is done at individual shops.  You need pillows and towels– go to the linen shop. You need stuff for the kitchen like pots and baking dishes – go to that shop.  You need meat – go to that shop and so forth and so on. And not all the shops are by each other.  So for someone like us that need a lot of things to set-up a new household, you can spend days visiting all the different areas of town and different shops to get what you need. AND YET JUST A FEW DAYS AGO I DROVE 5 MINUTES TO THE LOCAL WALMART FOR EVERYTHING. Sorry, I can't figure out how to rotate these pics.

We’ve been in Tarija less than 24 hours and instead of feeling excited and wanting to embrace all that comes, the five of us are feeling over-whelmed and homesick.  It’s true that Aubri has lived in Bolivia before, but she lived in a quiet and calm town in the mountains -- and that was 2 years ago.  She’s gotten use again to the U.S. way of life.  We have Sunday meeting tonight at 6:30 and while we want to just stay home and relax and unwind, we get dressed and go to meeting.  Most people in Tarija walk everywhere.  So, to walk 15 minutes to get to meeting isn’t a big deal, but as we get ready to leave the house it begins to pour down rain.  We do live in the sub-tropics so the rain won’t last too long, but for now, taxis must be found to get to meeting, which isn’t hard because of where our apartment is located. The couple from New Zealand have really looked out for us.  They’ve made sure we have a comfortable place to live in nice part of town with easy access to all we need.

So, we get to meeting and the kingdom hall is pretty (of course), and as we sit through a meeting where no one (except Aubri) understands what’s going on, I’m suddenly struck by how wonderful it is to be in Jehovah’s house.  No matter the language barrier or culture change, we’re all Jehovah’s people and I suddenly feel very OK.  These dear brothers and sisters don’t feel foreign at all.  They only feel like Jehovah’s people and my friends. After meeting the friends surround us with hugs and kisses and we even get invited to a party.  Most speak no English at all, yet they find a way to let us know they’re excited we’re here and suddenly Tarija doesn’t seem so bad. An American couple that have been living in Bolivia for a year offer to walk us home, even though it is out of their way. The girls like them a lot and we start very quickly to now make friends. 

Day #2 – The girls (who are quickly becoming amazing Need Greaters) figured out a way to put the complicated fans together, and as I write this the girls are standing on chairs on top of a bed, hanging mosquito nets. They even bought this hand-held bug zapper that you wave around and it kills mosquitos. 

A sister shows up this morning with flowers to welcome us.  She is American, and 4 years ago their family including her husband, two sons and her parents moved to Bolivia.  They are actually in the sign group but her son is helping me to get internet.  We find out that she and her husband use to be Missionaries in Bolivia before having children and wanted their children to have this experience.  You meet people like this all the time in Tarija, and in just the 2 days we’ve been here, we’ve met some really nice and wonderful friends. For example, the couple that found us or apartment used to be in the Circuit work in New Zealand.  Everyone seems to understand of all the adjustments we’re making, and they encourage us to just hang in there 6 months – in 6 months things won’t feel so hard.

Today we sign our lease for the apartment, and I think, “NOW IS MY CHANCE TO BACK OUT, DON’T SIGN IT, JUST EXPLAIN YOU’RE ONLY STAYING FOR 3 MONTHS.”  Me and the girls look at each other and we all agree to sign a one-year lease.  The family that owns our apartment invites us to get pizza, and while I decline, the girls go and have a wonderful time.  Here is Jaina and Aubri with their new friend Eva that lives downstairs.  Eva is a Regular Pioneer and has invited the girls to do all sorts of things with her including being part of a Quick Build in November.

Day #3 – Jasmine and Jaina go out in service (their first time) while me and the girls head off to the Central Plaza to do more stuff for our residency.   The girls go back to the market (you have to go almost every 2 days to get food), and later that day I have a good cry.  It all starts to sink in that we’ve moved to a new country, and I’m a bit nervous that it was the right thing to do.  Then, the friends from downstairs come up and start measuring our windows.  They are going to install screens on them so that we’re protected from the mosquitoes. 

Their new friend Eva invites Jaina and Priscilla to go out in service on some Bible Studies the next day.  Me and Aubri have to work and Jasmine is going to just take a much needed day to relax.  The sister also invites us to go to the mountains this Saturday with their congregation to work a 12-hour day in the ministry.  The girls also get invited to go out with another congregation on Sunday that also go to the mountains.  They are trying to form a new congregation and so a group of about 30 go every Sunday and preach in another part of the mountains. 

Mountains surround Tarija and every congregation is assigned a portion of their mountain (or rural) territory to cover.  It’s also the area where you find the grape vineyards and wineries.  The problem is that it’s not as safe for us 5 women to live in that area, it’s harder to find places to live, and you end up being around a lot of other Gringos versus your Bolivian brothers and sisters.  Everyone patiently explains that we’re in a really nice situation because we have a comfortable place to live and for those times when we want to preach in the mountains, we can. So what if we have to constantly doge dog poop on the sidewalks.

Day #4 – Jaina and Priscilla have for field service, when about an hour later we see Priscilla is home with 2 sisters and she is white as a sheet.  She has fainted in field service.  Priscilla didn’t eat breakfast + the much higher altitude = dizziness and fainting. Priscilla’s blood sugar dropped.  So, we are making her take it easy today. 

Our First Week is Over - As I finish up this update we’ve been in Bolivia 1 week, and despite the challenges and the strangeness, I think I’m really going to like it here. Can I stay 2 years – the verdict is still out.  But, I’m excited about at least mentally committing to one year and I’m happy that we made the decision to come.  It’s not what I expected, I wouldn’t call it a tropical paradise, but there is a lot of natural beauty in Bolivia and it has its own charm. But the most amazing part of this whole thing has been meeting the friends.  They are so wonderful and loving and encouraging and they’ve made us feel that even though we’ve had to say good-bye to our friends and family in the U.S., we now have new friends and family that love and care about us and are there for us when we need help.

I THINK I’M GOING TO LIKE IT HERE!

Dear Friends and Family

So, when I sent my last e-mail, I found out that some of you were able to view the attached pictures but some couldn't see them.  SO MUCH FOR THINKING I KNOW HOW TO E-MAIL.  So after much thought, I decided to try my hand a doing a blog.  I'll still e-mail and respond to friends and family that e-mail.  But this will be another tool to stay in touch with our friends.  So, for those of you that couldn't see the pictures, here is my e-mail.......

Hi Everyone:

So, after a lot of thought, I think this will be the last e-mail to update everyone regarding the Hughes Family antics.  I’m probably just going to set-up a blog, e-mail the link to all of you, and then just let you know when it’s updated.  But, don’t hold me to that.  So for now, I’m still communicating via e-mail. But, sadly for you it’s time again for a Hughes Family update.  For any of you that might not remember who we are – think Squirrel Pin at the International Convention – and that’s us.

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I know we’re not in Bolivia yet, but wanted to give everyone an update on our life.  Like all of you the month of August was busy doing the Special Campaign to distribute information about JW.org. What a great month all of Jehovah's people had in being involved in the campaign!  And I've heard the response to our tract campaign has been amazing.

Our offical date for leaving the U.S. is October 16th and we we've been trying to visit friends and family to say our Good Byes.  We recently visited some friends of our that live in Ohio.  We were with them for 4 days and it went by way too fast.  For those of you that may not know, my youngest is constantly drawn to animals.  So, here she is forcing her unwanted affection on a chicken. POOR CHICKEN!

 Our friends live in the country, and so for us, it was fun just preaching in their territory, and seeing different farm animals.  Here is a picture of all our kids together after meeting (they are always being silly), and Priscilla horse back riding.  For me, it was a bit too many animals with their animal smells.  I know, I know, I had better get used to it before going to Bolivia. But for at least the next 5 weeks, I'll stay a city gal!

 

Connor arrived back in Bolivia -- safe and sound.  I will admit I'm feeling a little sad at him leaving. Our house is looking pretty empty these days, and for any of you that ever want to come and visit us, you are welcome.  So, that's all the News from the Hughes.  Look for my next update after we're in Bolivia. Take care and please keep in touch.

Love, the Hughes Family