Well,
rainy season has definitely started in Bolivia. When we first arrived in Tarija
it was dry and things were a bit brown (and
ugly). Now, it rains almost every
day and it’s really green and pretty. Some
days it rains a lot, and other days just for a few hours. When it does rain, it’s pretty intense, pouring sheets on everything and everybody. We’re told rainy season will last until the
end of March. But even with the rain, we still have lots and lots of sunshine and
warm weather (which I love)!
Because
it’s dry where we live, we don’t tend to have too much flooding in Tarija, but
in the tropics it’s a different story.
On January 15th, the girls and I had just got home from meeting
when we get this message and video from Connor.
In the town of Tipuani where he now lives, it’s rained so much that the
river has over-flowed and they are experiencing massive flooding. They've closed the town and have
asked everyone to come to the center of town so that they could put up sand
bags to protect that area. In the
meantime, the Government
of La Paz has sent supplies and aid to help.
MY FIRST REACTION – SAVE YOURSELF! – I tell him to
hop on any kind of transportation he can find and get out of there (boat, car -- I don’t care). He calmly tells me that he can’t leave
because of the older ones in the congregation that might need help, and how he
can’t just think about himself, and leave the rest of the friends there to fend
for themselves? OK,
I know he’s right, but for 2 days I’m totally stressed out, worried
that my son is going to be washed away in South America. Here is a link to a
news article so you can read more about the flooding (it’s always something):
But, after 2 days it stops raining, the water recedes,
and he’s OK – YEAH!!!! As of now, he is still living inside the Kingdom
Hall because they can’t find a clean place to rent. But even the Kingdom Hall needs a lot of
work. The friends in Tipuani have had a
hard time there. It’s an isolated little
town, and like a lot of towns in Bolivia, when you become one of Jehovah’s
Witnesses it can isolate you from your community and your relatives. And
because it’s so isolated you can get discouraged. They weren't having a regular Ministry School or meetings for field service. Plus, they didn’t have any Elders or
Ministerial Servants to take the lead. So, the brothers’ first priority was to get
the Ministry School back up and running again, get some set arrangements for going
out in the ministry again, and now they can focus on repairs needed to the
Kingdom Hall.
But, Connor is really far away from his family. So, this small cat has decided to adopt him and become his family. WHETHER HE
LIKES IT OR NOT! This little cat has
found a way to get into the Kingdom Hall, and he crawls into bed with Connor
(fleas and all) at night to keep him company.
It’s so weird that as a family we don’t really like cats, and yet those
are the animals that keep attaching themselves to the Hughes Family.
The following week (January 19th), the girls
left to meet Connor in La Paz. This was
the first time Priscilla had visited La Paz, and it’s now her favorite city in
Bolivia. Whereas most other cities have
been built in a valley surrounded by mountains, La Paz is a city built on top
of mountains, and sits 11,975 feet above sea level. It’s very common when
you first arrive to get altitude sickness = getting dizzy, tired, nauseous, and if
you’re not careful you can even pass out. I decide not to chance it this time because
of my asthma (maybe in April I’ll visit). 
The
kids spent 2 days in La Paz and did a few tourist things like shopping, riding
the sky tram which gives you a birds-eye view of La Paz , and eating some fast
food at one of the two Burger Kings in the city. Then, it was off to attend Connor’s Circuit Assembly
in Rurrenabaque!
This
picture of the airport terminal helps you appreciate how rural the airport is!
A lot of them are sent to these really remote little
towns where life can be challenging. But, they do it and are some of the
sweetest young adults you’ll ever meet (both Bolivians and non-Bolivians).
BIG SURPRISE – IT’S
RAINING AGAIN! IT NEVER STOPS…
After the Circuit
Assembly, the kids head off to take a tour in the Rain Forest and go swimming
with Fresh Water Dolphins. It’s weird because Bolivia is a land-locked country,
but these dolphins can be found in the upper
Madeira river basin. The kids said it
was really cool, but a bit nerve-racking because the dolphins are very curious. So, they will swim up to you and lightly grab
your foot to play. But for the kids,
especially when there were 3 or more together, it was a little scary having these
big dolphins grab at you. I don’t know
if you can see them in this picture, but if you look closely you can see the
top of a Dolphin’s head.
In this video, if you look closely, you can also see them pop up their
heads a couple of times.
The
kids saw a lot of big alligators, and the tour guide told them they don’t have
to worry because the dolphins keep them away from people – THE KIDS WERE HOPING THAT WAS TRUE! They even saw lots of monkeys in the trees. I
added this video of the monkeys but they move fast, and I’m hoping if you watch
it full screen you can see them hopping around.
IGNORE THE GIRL’S CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BATHROOM & NO TOILET PAPER!
Oh, the Hughes Kids – always finding ways to
amuse themselves -- even in the Rain Forest.
SIDEPOINT: This is why I didn’t go, because there
is no way I would have ever gotten in that water with those live critters. I’ve
been worried for the last few days the kids got parasites in that water
(commentary from Tracy)….
This
weird looking thing is called a Capybara. It’s basically a rodent-like creature. The kids say they are everywhere – SO WEIRD!
HERE ARE A FEW MORE
PICS OF THE RAIN FOREST…..
ANYONE CARE FOR A SWIM?
But
the girls said the inconvenience and challenges were well worth the trip.
The girls were only gone a little over a week, but I was really happy to have
them home. While my week wasn’t near as
exciting, I had a nice time going out to eat with some friends and field service. I even had a friend of mine spend the night.
That’s more my speed right now versus swimming with alligators!
So, all of the kids
made it home safe and sound. But, a day
later Connor called to tell us that the Elder who went with him to Tipuani was
injured – he’s in the hospital -- and won’t be returning for 3 weeks. So,
Connor will have to handle things while he’s away = all parts on the Service
Meeting, most of the talks on the Ministry School, the public talks, and
Watchtower. Plus, the two Elders that serve in the congregation of Guanay (3
hours away) are Special Pioneers, and they had to travel to Bethel this week.
So, it means that he’s also got to handle the Sunday meeting for them. As he’s telling us what’s happened, a mouse
runs across the floor of the Kingdom Hall/his bedroom, and there is a part of
him that wants to hop on a plane and come live with us in Tarija.
Bolivia is one of
those places where it’s nice to have a companion to laugh with, complain with,
and just have a mental breakdown with.
The girls and I have each other, and so we’re able to help each other
through the hard times. Connor has had
to adjust to a lot in a short period of time, and he’s had to take on a lot of
responsibility that at times can be over-whelming. Having a friend with him there really helped
to not feel lonely. But, he’s taking things one day at a time. I know he’ll
probably be irritated that I put this in the Blog. But, I’m his mom and I worry about him!
It’s my Blog and I can Do What I want To – Do
What I want To – Do What I want To. You
would Blog to if it Happened To You!
Connor is planning on
visiting us in April after the Memorial, and we’re looking forward to his visit.
THAT’S ALL THE NEWS FOR NOW….
Love the Hughes Family
