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.