News from the Hughes - AND NOW, THE REST OF THE STORY!
Thanks for your patience! So, as most of you might remember, after my 5-week visit to Spain and Connor's wedding, the last blog was just about all of that -- You Gotta Let a Mom Gush a Bit.... But, I also wanted to give you an update on whats been going on in Bolivia the weeks prior to Connor's wedding and the weeks since getting back to Bolivia. SO, NOW HERE'S THE REST OF THE STORY....
The English Convention...
The preaching in Bolivia seems to be really escalating. More and more towns that had been preached to for years are turning into groups which are turning into congregations. Everyone you go there seems to be this explostion of activity and growth here. But, the Bethel Branch is always doing what they can to invite and encourage more Need Greaters to come. The convention was just another way to do that. The Bolivia Branch even hosted a Pioneer School (the first ever) in English that took place right after the convention.
So, we had 3 wonderful days of encouraging spiritual food and had made plans to stay a couple more days to spend time with Ben and Dawn. I've talked alot about them over the last 2 years -- a couple that served in Bolivia for 3 years from England, lived next door, and became family for us. Dawn is pregnant and after much prayerful consideration the couple decided it was best to go back to England for a bit to start their new family.
Sometimes, I look over at the house next door (still empty) and have to make myself not dwell on being sad but remember how wonderful things are -- Connor has this new and wonderful life with Carla and Ben and Dawn are eagerly waiting the arrival of Little Luna (their new baby girl). Of course Ben couldn't wait to rub-it-in that they were eating lots of Fish & Chips (I'm a fish-lover).
Oh well, our plan is to see all the kids this Summer. The girls and I are planning to visit England and Spain for a few weeks to see Connor, Carla, Ben, Dawn and espcially Little Luna! We're even hoping to visit in time for the English Convention in Liverpool. So, hopefully it will work out for us! Dawn looks amazing and the kids have settled back into their life in Merry Ole' England and are supporting a Spanish group there. They've mosed into their new apartments and are getting things ready for the arrival of their little baby girl.
By the time we see them again, Luna will only be a few months old and so we'll be able to enjoy her as a baby and gush all over her. I CAN'T WAIT!
Update on Connor & Carla....
Connor and Carla are settling into their new life together in Spain. They suppport the Catalan congregation and Connor was just re-appointed as a Ministerial Servant there. He gave his first part a few weeks ago. The kids have bought a ferret (Carla is an animal lover). And the kids have plans to be in Bolivia by August for a trial run.
I miss them and wish we were closer but maybe that will happen next Summer. Anything can change between now and next August.
Visitors from Around the World.....
Before leaving for Spain we’ve had a fun few weeks. Ben and Dawn had friends visit from England and they were a lot of fun (Aimee and Kye). They’re actually trying to make plans to move to Bolivia in August. They adapted really quickly to our rustic ways and seem to really enjoy their experience.
We also had another family visit with their 2 small children from France for a few weeks.
And the Borg Family arrived a few weeks ago from Sweden. This is one of the families that was able to visit Barcelona for Connor's wedding (he gave the talk in English).
Last but not least we just got a new couple in our congregation (from Finland) that have plans to live in Bolivia for a couple of years.
The Spanish Convention...
Before going to the English Convention last October, we first had our 3-day Spanish convention in September. A friend had sent me her notes in English and
so it definitely helped me to follow along in Spanish. The Spanish convention was special for our
congregation because we had a new addition – Andrea Antello got
baptized at 14 years old and so we’re now at 42 Publishers – HOORAY.
Saturday night we went out to dinner with her family and a couple from Germany who currently live in Chulmani with Madison from Grandview. Can you believe it? They are good friends with Madison and his wife. It really is such a small world in Jehovah’s organization. We didn’t know the couple but became fast friends.
More Pets - What is Wrong With Us???
So, I've talked alot about the 3 dogs we've adopted in Bolivia. They drive us nuts sometimes but we're enjoying haveing pets here. It's helped to make us feel more like home. Anyay, we took one of Ben and Dawn's cats named Ramseys. I know, I know -- and this is honestly going to be the last pet we have here. As it is we now have to get 4 anmials back to the states when we come back.
Anyway, Ramseys has settled in realy nicely to the Hughes Home! He's also doing a great job of killing any stray scorpions that make their way into our house -- YUCK!
Then, just 4 days after we got home Pris found 2 abandoned kittens on the road (both girls). It's common here for the people not to want female pets and so the next thing I know here she comes with 2 babies. I was a bit un-done at that point. We have 3 dogs, and had just taken Ramseys, and now we have 2 kittens -- NO WAY! Pris took them to the vet for parasite and flea medicine, got them eye drops for their eye infection, and 3 days later she had made a cute sign -- FREE KITTENS! Within a day we had found a nice family to take them. NO MUSS NO FUSS! OK, I fussed and bit and Aubri fussed alot but in the end, everything worked out OK!
One fun new thing we've started is a large vegetable garden. To be honest, a brother in our congregation started the garden for us. We've been in our house for 2 years and thought, "Hey, we need to have veggies and fruit too." So, he's helped us get all kinds of good things planted and we even have have some watermelon and strawberries. I feel so nature-girl!
Inches and Inches of Hail.....
One of the weird things that happened when we got back was a big hail storm that poured down inches of hail all over everything. The climate here is pretty mild and keep in mind it's our Spring. So, it was weird to have the temperature drop and within minutes all this hail coming down. We were running around trying to get potted plants to safety while not getting hammered. At one point a little river started on my front porch and we scrambled to get the water of the porch before it flooded into the house.
Yep, it's times like these when I miss having a man around but all in all, us girls did OK -- in your face Mother Nature!
Preaching Moments...
The preaching continues to be wonderful and our congregation is going quickly. We were recently notified that the Bethel Branch is building us a Kingdom Hall and so the Elders have been diligently working to find land for that. But, we've heard from several other families who have plans to hopefully come and support our congregation. So, alot of amazing things are happening in San Lorenzo.
The girls are doing well and Aubri put in her application to start Regular Pioneering again next month. Both of the girls have lots of Bible Studies and Pris has 3 that are coming to meetings. Speaking of which, I finally conquered my fear (with the help of good friends) and started my own first Bible Study in Spanish. I've always had lots of return visits but have been scared with my limited Spanish to study with anyone. But, after alot of encouragement and help, I did it. So, that's been pretty special for me.
The girls and I are planning a trip to the Beni for 2 weeks in March to check it out (it's the area that was featured in the November broadcast (maybe it was October's). Anyway, there is a huge need in the Beni, and we have some friends serving there and thought we would see what it's like. We know it's hot, hot, hot and humid, humid, humid.
We've also heard the preaching is more amazing than in Tarija and people progress quickly to Baptism. Our congregation is only 1 year old and so we defintely want to stay put for at least another year but who knows, maybe in the future we might have a Beni adventure!
Thanks for your patience! So, as most of you might remember, after my 5-week visit to Spain and Connor's wedding, the last blog was just about all of that -- You Gotta Let a Mom Gush a Bit.... But, I also wanted to give you an update on whats been going on in Bolivia the weeks prior to Connor's wedding and the weeks since getting back to Bolivia. SO, NOW HERE'S THE REST OF THE STORY....
I'm going to rush this update a bit so I'm sorry for the many typos and grammer stafus....
The English Convention...
I had originally planned on spending more time in Europe (3 more weeks) to visit with friends and spend more time with my son and new Daughter-in-Law. But, when we got the date of our English Convention in Bolivia -- we wanted to get back for that. So, I cut my plans short to arrive back in Bolivia the Wednesday before the convention. This is my 3rd English convention in Bolivia, and I still get so touched that the Bethel Branch hosts this for the English-speaking Need Greaters.
Most of our friends had already heard the program in English and so we knew it was going to be wonderful and amazing and emotional. I had actually heard the program in Spanish last September, but it's just wasn't the same. What can I say, English is the language of my heart and watching the videos (now in English), hearing the talks (now in English), singing the songs (yes, in English), well it had the same impact on me that it had on you.....
And next month we have our annual special meeting where a member of the New York branch (usually one of the Committee members) visits Bolivia and we get a 4-hour program where all of Bolivia gets tied in. At least 2 of the talks are usually in English (translated to Spanish).
Last, Bolivia is hosting a Special Convention next year and some congregations in the US were invited. I know some in Ohio and Texas were invited. Originally, we didn't think our congregation could go, but the Bolivia Branch sent a letter to all congregations asking for the names of English-speakers who could possibly attend. Our family was added to the list so we're all waiting now to see if we get an official invite to go. If we do, I'm totally dressing like a Bolivian (at least 1 day). If you want more information check out the Branch's website at https://bo.jw2017.org/
OK, I degress...... BACK TO THE CONVENTION..... It's just a cool time to meet friends that are serving all over Bolivia from all over the world. It's a time to exchange contact information and plan trips to visit them -- and for them to visit us.
There is a beautiful comradre among the
friends here because they understand the challenges you face, the adjustments you've had to make, and the sacrifices involved in leaving your family and friends. Don't get me wrong, the spiritual blessings far out-weigh the challenges. But for 3 days (really longer because we usually visit 2 days before and a day or 2 after) you're with friends that totally understand the changes your life has gone through coming to Bolivia. So, you get and give many invitations to visit other areas around Bolivia.
These are a couple of sisters we became friends with who are here from England for 3 months.
friends here because they understand the challenges you face, the adjustments you've had to make, and the sacrifices involved in leaving your family and friends. Don't get me wrong, the spiritual blessings far out-weigh the challenges. But for 3 days (really longer because we usually visit 2 days before and a day or 2 after) you're with friends that totally understand the changes your life has gone through coming to Bolivia. So, you get and give many invitations to visit other areas around Bolivia.
These are a couple of sisters we became friends with who are here from England for 3 months.
And because Bethel is located in the large city of Santa Cruz -- it's a time TO EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY!
And of course we couldn't help but act a little crazy! I blame the Kiwi sisters (New Zealanders), they always bring a fun and positive spirit to things....
A Heart-Wrenching Good-Bye
So, we had 3 wonderful days of encouraging spiritual food and had made plans to stay a couple more days to spend time with Ben and Dawn. I've talked alot about them over the last 2 years -- a couple that served in Bolivia for 3 years from England, lived next door, and became family for us. Dawn is pregnant and after much prayerful consideration the couple decided it was best to go back to England for a bit to start their new family.
We've known for months about them leaving but the last few days together was really hard and emotional. Connor's gone and now these kids (who are also family) were also leaving. We pretty much just hung out together in Santa Cruz the Monday and Tuesday after the convention, but then it was time to get home. We'd been gone for 5 weeks and so with much tears and heartache we said good-bye to them. Yep, we all just all pretty much broke down crying -- and Ben was trying to keep us all from falling apart.
Sometimes, I look over at the house next door (still empty) and have to make myself not dwell on being sad but remember how wonderful things are -- Connor has this new and wonderful life with Carla and Ben and Dawn are eagerly waiting the arrival of Little Luna (their new baby girl). Of course Ben couldn't wait to rub-it-in that they were eating lots of Fish & Chips (I'm a fish-lover).
Oh well, our plan is to see all the kids this Summer. The girls and I are planning to visit England and Spain for a few weeks to see Connor, Carla, Ben, Dawn and espcially Little Luna! We're even hoping to visit in time for the English Convention in Liverpool. So, hopefully it will work out for us! Dawn looks amazing and the kids have settled back into their life in Merry Ole' England and are supporting a Spanish group there. They've mosed into their new apartments and are getting things ready for the arrival of their little baby girl.By the time we see them again, Luna will only be a few months old and so we'll be able to enjoy her as a baby and gush all over her. I CAN'T WAIT!
Connor and Carla are settling into their new life together in Spain. They suppport the Catalan congregation and Connor was just re-appointed as a Ministerial Servant there. He gave his first part a few weeks ago. The kids have bought a ferret (Carla is an animal lover). And the kids have plans to be in Bolivia by August for a trial run.
I miss them and wish we were closer but maybe that will happen next Summer. Anything can change between now and next August.
Visitors from Around the World.....
Before leaving for Spain we’ve had a fun few weeks. Ben and Dawn had friends visit from England and they were a lot of fun (Aimee and Kye). They’re actually trying to make plans to move to Bolivia in August. They adapted really quickly to our rustic ways and seem to really enjoy their experience.
We also had another family visit with their 2 small children from France for a few weeks.
And the Borg Family arrived a few weeks ago from Sweden. This is one of the families that was able to visit Barcelona for Connor's wedding (he gave the talk in English).
Last but not least we just got a new couple in our congregation (from Finland) that have plans to live in Bolivia for a couple of years.
The Spanish Convention...
Saturday night we went out to dinner with her family and a couple from Germany who currently live in Chulmani with Madison from Grandview. Can you believe it? They are good friends with Madison and his wife. It really is such a small world in Jehovah’s organization. We didn’t know the couple but became fast friends.
So, I've talked alot about the 3 dogs we've adopted in Bolivia. They drive us nuts sometimes but we're enjoying haveing pets here. It's helped to make us feel more like home. Anyay, we took one of Ben and Dawn's cats named Ramseys. I know, I know -- and this is honestly going to be the last pet we have here. As it is we now have to get 4 anmials back to the states when we come back.
Anyway, Ramseys has settled in realy nicely to the Hughes Home! He's also doing a great job of killing any stray scorpions that make their way into our house -- YUCK!
Then, just 4 days after we got home Pris found 2 abandoned kittens on the road (both girls). It's common here for the people not to want female pets and so the next thing I know here she comes with 2 babies. I was a bit un-done at that point. We have 3 dogs, and had just taken Ramseys, and now we have 2 kittens -- NO WAY! Pris took them to the vet for parasite and flea medicine, got them eye drops for their eye infection, and 3 days later she had made a cute sign -- FREE KITTENS! Within a day we had found a nice family to take them. NO MUSS NO FUSS! OK, I fussed and bit and Aubri fussed alot but in the end, everything worked out OK!
We've Become Farmers...
Inches and Inches of Hail.....
One of the weird things that happened when we got back was a big hail storm that poured down inches of hail all over everything. The climate here is pretty mild and keep in mind it's our Spring. So, it was weird to have the temperature drop and within minutes all this hail coming down. We were running around trying to get potted plants to safety while not getting hammered. At one point a little river started on my front porch and we scrambled to get the water of the porch before it flooded into the house. Yep, it's times like these when I miss having a man around but all in all, us girls did OK -- in your face Mother Nature!
Preaching Moments...
The preaching continues to be wonderful and our congregation is going quickly. We were recently notified that the Bethel Branch is building us a Kingdom Hall and so the Elders have been diligently working to find land for that. But, we've heard from several other families who have plans to hopefully come and support our congregation. So, alot of amazing things are happening in San Lorenzo.
The girls are doing well and Aubri put in her application to start Regular Pioneering again next month. Both of the girls have lots of Bible Studies and Pris has 3 that are coming to meetings. Speaking of which, I finally conquered my fear (with the help of good friends) and started my own first Bible Study in Spanish. I've always had lots of return visits but have been scared with my limited Spanish to study with anyone. But, after alot of encouragement and help, I did it. So, that's been pretty special for me.
We've also heard the preaching is more amazing than in Tarija and people progress quickly to Baptism. Our congregation is only 1 year old and so we defintely want to stay put for at least another year but who knows, maybe in the future we might have a Beni adventure!
Last but not least, I made a video of preaching and other fun moments from the last few months. Hope you enjoy! Just copy and paste the link below to watch it.
https://youtu.be/8gprOwhr13Y
So, that everything for now. Just a reminder you can also mesage me on Viber or WhatsApp!
https://youtu.be/8gprOwhr13Y
So, that everything for now. Just a reminder you can also mesage me on Viber or WhatsApp!
