News from the Hughes

How's The Weather? 

So, as I’m sitting here I can’t help but imagine how beautiful it is right now in Indiana – the trees all changing colors into beautiful hues of red and orange; the weather starting to get  crisp and cold, knowing that winter is right around the corner. I have to admit, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic for an Indiana Fall.

For us, it’s just the opposite -- we’re now in spring, which in Tarija means it's gotten HOT very fast. We went from having 3 months of cold weather to over-night it's just HOT! It still cools down at night, but during the day you can definitely tell we're going into our Summer. We’ve not had rain since last April, and I’m constantly amazed at how growing things don’t just shrivel up and die, but seem to have adapted to the pattern of life here. They go into some sort of hibernation where they don’t need much water. Then, starting in October things change…..

We start to have these torrential downpours of rain that last anywhere from one to several hours.  The streams and rivers fill back up, and things get green again.  Tarija turns into flowering trees, green mountains, and it becomes very beautiful.  Until then, I’m just counting down the days for rain!  

A Visit to El Valle…

Connor’s been busy traveling the last few weeks giving Public Talks, and one of the cool places we visited was the valley. The area has a lot of grape vineyards, and the group there works hard. Even though they have about 25 Publishers, their meeting attendance averages 70 people with all the visitors and Bible Studies that come.  After the meeting we were invited for lunch at the home of sisters from New Zealand.  It was a really nice day.  

Most of the groups (including ours) don’t have a Kingdom Hall.  We have to find a decent place to rent, put up signs, and that’s where we have meetings.  Below is a picture of the meeting place for El Valle.

A Trip to La Paz….

So, I recently had a cancer scare a few weeks ago, which required a trip to La Paz to see my cancer specialist.  YUCK!  I hate dealing with this stuff. I always feel like I’m this ticking time bomb that at any moment will just explode! I really like my doctor here and he seems to really understand the type of cancer I had, and what to do to make sure it hasn’t come back.  Within moments of talking to him, he made an appointment to see me, and 2 days later Connor and I were on a plane to La Paz so he could run tests.  Happy to say things look good.  It was just a bad infection (hey, I’ll take an infection any day to cancer).  Anyway, come to find out I was just really sick and so after getting on some heavy-duty Bolivian meds, I was right as rain. 

It turned out to be a really nice trip. I’ve mentioned before how the city of La Paz is built within a bowl surrounded by the Andes mountains.  The neighborhoods were just built up the sides of the tall mountains.  You can take one of these gondolins and ride from the bottom of the city all the way to the top in El Alto (a difference in altitude of a few thousand feed).  

But an unexpected treat was that we got to attend the meeting in English.  La Paz now has an English-speaking group, and since their speaker had to cancel, Connor was asked to give the Public Talk. For me, anytime I can get some spiritual food in English – it’s a treat! I got to meet some amazing brothers and sisters in the group, including a Special Pioneer couple. After the meeting a group of us went out to eat and just had a really nice time together. And who of all people did we happen to run into? AUSTIN & MICHELLE!

They went to the Airport congregation in Indianapolis for a few years.  They currently are serving in the Yungas where Aubri and Connor use to live, and are doing really wonderful things there. They also went to eat with us, and after dinner we all just hung out, talked, laughed, and enjoyed a little taste of home.  I want to tell you a bit about them because their story is pretty amazing.  About a year ago (while Connor was still in Irupana), Michelle was hit by a drunk driver and was seriously injured.  They were out preaching and had stopped at this store when a drunk man plowed his car into the store.  The car narrowly missed Connor, who was able to jump out of the way, but he hit Michelle, pinning her to the wall.

The closest hospital was in La Paz, which was a 6-hour ride over winding and twisting mountain roads.  Then, half-way to La Paz the ambulance (of sorts), breaks down for 1 ½ hours.  During this trip they’ve run out of pain medicine and so Michelle is having to endure this long trip in terrible pain. They go back to the U.S. so Michelle can heal and get more advanced medical treatment, and about 6 months later were back in their assignment. 

The Yungas are a different world, and even other Bolivians think the people in the Yungas are a bit odd. Imagine living in a town that's isolated from most other places and so all you know are the rules and attitudes of the mountain-people you've always lived around. It sort of has a feeling of the Wild West. Anyway, Austin and Michelle are now back in Irupana and doing wonderful really well.  I just really admire their courage and determination to go to an area where the need in Bolivia is really great.  Everyone in Bolivia knows there is a huge need in the Yungas (the territory of Iurpana includes 100+ towns in the Andes).  But most Need Greaters can’t live there – it’s just too hard for them.  Fritz & Kathy (BELOW) served in Irupana for about 18 months, and for those you that know Monty & Loretta Dinis and Matt Sigman, they went there for 3 months.  It’s just a rough assignment. 

Preaching in San Lorenzo….

Preaching has been good.  I still don’t have my own Bible Studies (my Spanish is still really limited), but I get invited to go on other people’s studies (which I really enjoy).  Most of the sisters in San Lorenzo are younger than me, but they’ve made me feel so welcome. They’ve found this great balance of forcing me to speak Spanish, including saying a prayer at their Bible Studies and reading the study material, but they don’t push me to the point where I’m stressed.  I like to think that in some way, as they get to know Jehovah and his beautiful organization, meeting Jehovah’s Witnesses from other countries helps to show them the world-wide unity and love of his organization.

As far as the territory goes – not much changes – mountains, mountains, and more mountains!   

Now, this is something you don’t see everyday.  This Puma was killing baby cows and so the owner killed it, had it stuffed, and it now hangs from the rafters in their balcony. MARTHA STEWART HAS NOTHING ON THEM!

This particular day, my transportation was a little red bug that transported 6 of us.  The brother would pick up 3 of us, drive us up the mountain a bit, drop us off to start preaching, and then drive back down the mountain to pick up the rest.  Poor thing, he had to spend most of the day playing chauffer to everyone. The houses in this area were pretty rustic with little to no walk-ways. So, it was challenging to try and get to some of the houses. 

This is Frabby and she’s preaching at a house without me because I was terrified that if I tried to walk down the path, I’d turn into Jill, would start tumbling down this hill, taking Frabby with me. So, we both agreed I should just stay put for this house….

It's hard sometimes to get pictures and videos of people.  The brothers & sisters get a bit self-conscious (Bolivians are shy by nature), and when you're talking to someone about Jehovah, there's not really an opportunity to ask them for a picture. So, I main just get pics of the scenery.

Priscilla has a Bible Study named Anara (in the blue sweater next to Pris) that Dawn gave her. Anara comes to the Sunday meeting and gives several comments each meeting. She’s a Cholita (traditional woman) and like all the Cholitas in our group, dresses in traditional Bolivian dress for women.  She’s really sweet, but has trouble reading and writing. So, one study each week (they have 2), Priscilla just helps her prepare the Watchtower and write down her answers in her own words.

Fritz & Kathy Arrive in Tomatitas….

Fritz and Kathy are a couple from Washington states that served in Irupana with Aubri.  Kathy is on the left in the black dress and Fritz – well, he’s the one with the moustache.  They’ve actually been in Bolivia for about 3 years now, and moved to Tarija about 1 ½ years ago.  They recently found a house for rent in our territory and this month began going to meetings in the Tomatitas congregation. Fritz is our new Field Service Overseer, and Kathy has been a real source of information and encouragement for me since coming to Bolivia.

She’s helped me to be realistic in my expectations of Bolivia, but also helped me to appreciate the beauty of being here.  I’m really excited that we’re now in the same congregation. Because of Fritz’ responsibilities as an Elder, they aren’t able to join the San Lorenzo group, but they plan on supporting the ministry there 2 days each week.

The Spanish Regional Convention...

Last weekend was our Regional Convention in Spanish.  We’re really fortunate in Bolivia in that not only do we have our Spanish convention, but the Bolivian branch decided to have a second convention in English at the branch itself.  The English convention is in the city of Santa Cruz the last weekend of October, and we’re all making plans to go. The Branch is really beautiful and the facilities they have for programs is pretty amazing.  I’m really excited.

But in the meantime, the Spanish convention was really nice.  It was my first Regional convention in Spanish.  The girls had given me copies of their notes from the convention they went to in Dayton, so it helped me to follow along with the Spanish.  I think most everyone that reads this blog has already been to their convention, but if not – SPOILER ALERT!  

The girls had told me some things but I had no idea how beautiful the videos would be.  A couple of them made me get teary – especially the one where they are recording the music – I don’t know why, it just did.  I also got teary when they showed the in-active sister that started coming back to meetings.  

A lot of non-Bolivians are scattered all over the area, and so we don’t get to see each other as much as we would like. But the convention (just like in the states), was a time to hug and see old friends.  Even though I couldn’t understand a lot of the program, I came away  feeling re-energized.  Most of the attendees were Bolivian, but you also had people there from other countries like… 

Our C.O. from France

                                  

New Zealand Spain

Brazil

                                                                    

United States

And Of Course, Bolivia

  

Ben, Dawn & Karen Get Home to Bolivia.....

After being back in England for 3 months, Ben and Dawn got back to San Lorenzo, just in time for our convention.  We all missed them so much and it's nice to have them back.  The kids are actually moving the end of October in a house right next door to where I live.  

Karen got back the same week from the US. They all had a wonderful time.  Karen got to attend Pioneer school in Arizona and visit New York and hear the Gilead Graduation program.

It’s kinda cute.  Everyone that leaves for home is always a bit lean and mean, then at home they eat good again, come back a bit heavier (we like to say healtheir-looking), and then within a few weeks of being back in Bolivia, get lean and mean again. Move to Bolivia – The Best Weight Loss Program EVER!

Who Wants to Swap Some Clothes?....

For the most part, you just don't get to see the friends serving in other areas very much. We’re fortunate to be in the same group as Ben, Dawn, and Karen. But some of our friends live many hours away. So, a sister named Amanda hosted a get together about a week ago that was so much fun.  It was a Clothes Swap.  While the gals hung out at her house, the guys came to my house.  It was just such a blast.  This is the girls wearing all their great new stuff.

It wasn’t quite the same type of gal fun as Candace’s Little Black Dress Parties (I hated to miss the last one), but still some fun Gal time. There were gals from New Zealand, Spain, England, the US, and Bolivia. 

So, that’s all the news for now.  I know I say this every blog, but I miss my friends and family back in the U.S. lots and lots and lots. Just know we’re in good hands here, Jehovah is taking good care of our family, and being here has been a wonderful and spiritually encouraging experience for our family.  It’s helped us to heal from the hurts and disappointments of this system, and to look forward with optimism to Jehovah’s new world.

Until the next time….

News from the Hughes

Aubri & Priscilla Come Home….

Dear Friends and Family,

Aubri and Priscilla got back to Bolivia safe & sound.  They couldn’t wait to be reunited with their little bad-butt puppies. Yes, they are still having accidents in the house! We can’t figure out if their dumb or just plain stubborn. But, the girls are having fun with their new dogs. These two fuzz balls are now a permanent part of the Hughes family and we have every intention of bringing them back to the states with us. 

I I wanted to give everyone a GREAT BIG THANK YOU including the Glendale, Grandview, Geist, and Devon Hills congregations for giving them such a warm 'Welcome Home', and for making the girls visit so enjoyable.  They really loved seeing everyone back in Indy. I think they felt a bit like minor celebrities because of all the special attention.  I also wanted to send a special 'Thank You' to the Power’s Family, the Walker’s and Pat Scervani, and Tony and Kelly Kane.  Thanks so much for looking after the girls and taking such good care of them including giving them a cozy place to stay and helping them to get to and from the convention. Plus, I want to thank all of you for all the other ways you supported the girls during their visit back home. 

My plan is to visit Indianapolis for 3 months in December, January, and February (yuck it’s the dead of winter) for work, and I can’t wait to see everyone. So, as I was saying the girls are back and they’ve jumped back into their life here in Bolivia.  

It was funny because the last few weeks before they were supposed to get back, everyone here kept asking us, “When do they get back?”  WHAT AM I, CHOPPED LIVER? Just kidding -- it was nice to know that the girls would have a really warm welcome.  So, once they got here, everyone was super excited and we’ve had this non-stop parade of brothers and sisters coming over to invite them out in field service, play games, make treats, and dance (they love that the girls love to dance).  Needless to say, I’m happy they are back!

Connor Gives a Witness to the Schools…..

One of the ways we've been able to give a Witness in San Lorenzo is by visiting schools and sharing some of the information and videos from JW.org.  Soooooo different from the states -- where it’s taboo to even talk about religion.  In San Lorenzo, the brothers have been invited to come to the schools and talk about Jehovah. They’ve given a few presentations and keep getting asked to give more. The above picture is one of the schools that Connor visited. It makes me think back to when Priscilla was in first grade and was trying to Witness to the kids in her class. She took a bunch of Bible Story books and handed them out.  Later, I got a call from her teacher explaining how that wasn’t allowed, and so they had to take the books back from the children.  It was cute because the children who knew their Bible Story book was about to be confiscated tried to hide them in their backpack.  Anyway, it’s been cool to see how in Bolivia the schools see learning about Jehovah as something valuable.

Karen Goes Home & Gets Invited to the Gilead Graduation

My friend Karen left on July 31^st to visit the U.S. for 6 weeks.  She was invited to come back to the states and attend Pioneer School in English.  As part of her trip, she had planned a trip to New York to visit with friends, and received an unexpected surprise – AN INVITATION TO ATTEND THE GILEAD GRADUATION! She’s super excited and we’re super happy for her.  I’m begging her to bring back whatever photos, videos, or memories she’s allowed to take of the graduation.  She gets back around September 15^th and we miss her a lot. Needless to say, these little chicas are really going to miss having their friend to play with.

 The Visit of the Circuit Overseer....

The last week of July was the visit of our Circuit Overseer.  I've explained before the challenges for me in trying to serve Jehovah in a forgien land where I don't speak the language.  For me, meetings are still more about spiritual association with  my brothers and sisters and less about actually getting spiritual food in English.  But, I find that the things that are familiar (like the visit of our Circuit Overseer), still give me a lot of encouragement and fortify me. I find that as long as I study really well in English, then do what I can to prepare in Spanish, I get the spiritual food I need.  But, it's the association of the brothers and sisters -- their hugs, kisses, attempts to let me know how happy they are to see me -- those are the things that really remind me what a beautiful organization we belong to. And despite the language barrier, that I'm still with my brothers and sisters who love Jehovah.  It's made all the changes in my life feel a lot less difficult.

Puppy Update….

Yes, they are still fuzzy, still cute, and still having accidents in the house!  As soon as Pris got back, one of the first things she did was to make them a doggie bed out of an old box. The puppies are fun to have around and they are definitely very lovable.  It's funny how quickly they adapted to their rough life as Bolivia animals to becoming pampered US pets.

A Face Only A Mother Could Love.....
 
So, I had to include this little blog about this snotty Persian cat we know.  We have some friends here that have come from Spain.  They have a Persian cat that honestly lives up to it's hype. This thing always looks so evil -- like he's planning on taking over the world.  


They were recently asked to go serve for 3 months in Trinidad, Bolivia and they needed someone to watch their cat.  Everytime I thought, "maybe, just maybe we could watch him," he'd give me this look.  I just couldn't do it, but they were able to find another couple (CAT LOVERS) to watch him.  But even they have to admit the cat is mean and moody.



Shake Your Booty &Get Down Tonight…..

So, one thing that I really enjoy about the Bolivia culture is how they like to dance.  Since coming here we've been invited to quite a few parties where we all danced.  What’s nice is how the friends in Bolivia really like to do a lot of traditional folk dances, but in a minute they'll all get on the dance floor and do the Cuban Shuffle or the Wobble.  But, doing some traditional folk dances is definitely always a part of any Get Together, like this dance called the Parrot Dance (you can see why).

And this dance…..

 A Cheery Hello from the San Lorenzo Group

So, not too much excitment has been going on since we moved. This blog is a bit shorter than usual because all that’s been going on with the move. But, I wanted to leave you with this special hello from the group in San Lorenzo.  It was hilarious trying to decide what everyone would say, then getting everyone to say the same thing at the same time.  Keep in mind that more than half of the group is Bible Studies, and so they didn’t quite understand that this video would be enjoyed by their brothers and sisters in the U.S.  But, I think you’ll really enjoy it.

So, until next time.  We miss you all and look forward to seeing everyone in December!

News from the Hughes

Mi’lady,

Your Chariot Awaits….

Soooooo, ever since moving to Tomatitas and joining the group in San Lorenzo, this truck has been my main source of transportation I’m sportin' these days.  This truck gets us to Ministry School and to a lot of our territory. The truck belongs to a brother and we try and cram as many as we can into the back, while still being safe.

When I first arrived, everyone was so careful with me, insisting that I always ride in the cab of the truck.  But you let a gal lose some weight and get a bit more physically fit and the next thing you know, I’m riding in the back of the truck along with everyone else. Still, it’s hard to complain when you see a 75 year old little sister climbing into the back with some difficulty, but just so thankful she has a ride to the meeting.  Bolivia has definitely helped me to appreciate the little things! So, after all of us pile out of the truck, we start the 2 to 3-hour ministry where we walk and walk and walk and walk! Another day of rugged preaching in Bolivia. And yes, you better make sure there is toilet paper in your bag -- just in case! Why didn't Debbie Crowder buy us those portable potties she told us about?

Today we travel about 30 minutes away to preach.  One of the people we got to talk to was this little gal. She looks like this little stern woman but she was the nicest person.  She doesn’t read (like a lot of people in this territory), but she listened as we read her scriptures and even watched the video on, "Why Study the Bible?"  We spent about 30 minutes talking to her.  You gotta love this face so full of character and memories.  She’s a true country Bolivian woman.

       




Things Have Definitely Gotten Chilly!

Things have gotten chilly here in Bolivia – to the point where you need a coat and we’ve even lit a fire a few times. It’s weird to me that in the U.S. it’s now summer = hot and a lot of green growing things. Here in Bolivia it’s winter = cold weather and a lot of brown trees and grass.  Except unlike Indiana in winter, there is no snow and no freezing temperatures.

Tarija is surrounded by mountains and so at night the temperature drops to around 40 degrees  (sometimes lower), but that’s nothing compared to a winter in Indiana.  But then during the day it usually gets to around 65-70 degrees.  There is still lots of sunshine and green here, and even some flowering trees. But there is also alot of brown grass and trees. In the past, I’ve compared the weather and terrain here to Arizona, but a lot of people have told me it’s more like California (minus the ocean, good food, and a lot of modern conveniences). I still laugh when I think about shopping at Target or Wal-mart.  Now, it’s become the habit for me to visit the butter & milk lady, then visit the bread lady, then visit the lady that actually has good cheese (Bolivian cheese tastes like rubber), than the lady that sells toilet paper – you get that idea!

But I digress – back to the weather. For someone like me that’s always lived in humid climates, it just feels so stinkin’ dry here (which is why I was comparing it to Arizona).  Will my skin ever feel moist again?  Every night I go to bed bathed in lotion, and then wake up feeling like a wrinkled prune, or Pruny (is that a real word?).  Yeah, this pictures sums up how I feel in the morning (you know there is a definite resemblance). Oh well, I won’t go down without a fight, and if that means using a gallon of lotion everyday (which is expensive here) – then so be it!

 We Got Moved Into Our New Home...

So, we’re now all moved into our new house.  I like it a lot because moving has allowed us to join the San Lorenzo group. Everyone has welcomed us warmly and the territory is really beautiful, but also really large.  I have a friend right now that travels 45-minutes one-way to get to a Bible Study.  So, while we’re now about 20 minutes from Tarija, we’re still close enough to go into town and get things we need (like good cheese – a girl’s gotta have her priorities).  It’s a big house but our options for renting a decent place are more limited, so you have to take what’s available.  We’ve gone from having a paved courtyard to having an actual yard again with grass, fruit trees, and lots of flowers. 

But best of all, the house comes with an actually working "Open Air Guest Bathroom." Just kidding, I would never make my friends use this bathroom. 

The Amazing Pioneer Sisters in San Lorenzo...

 I’ve told you about some of the brothers and sisters we’ve been able to meet and make friends with in Bolivia.  But in the San Lorenzo group there is this amazing group of 6 Regular Pioneer sisters.  They all live together and range in ages from 25 to 45 years. But, what is really cool about these gals is that they all live together in this 2-room place.  They all share one bedroom (about 14x12 feet), and squeeze beds in the space for everyone.  Then, they have a living room/kitchen/dining room space (about 20x14) feet.  Two of the sisters are from Argentina (Angie is on the left and Alexandra on the right).  

Aleandra’s mom just died a few weeks ago of illness, after having served in Bolvia for 5 years, and as for Angie, just 1 month after being married her husband died in a tragic accident at work.  What is amazing about all six of these gals is their spirit. The place they live in isn’t the best, and yet despite their losses and challenges in life, everytime I see all six of these Pioneers they all have smiles on their faces and act like they have the best life possible serving Jehovah.  I know some of it has to do with what you’re used to – how you were raised, what you are use to having, etc.  But it helps me to appreciate just how little a person can have materially, and yet how much joy you still have when you are a friend of Jehovah. I try and have the gals over as much as I can because their company is really encouraging. But, I try and give as much to them as they give to me. 

I was recently telling a friend of ours how in Bolivia I feel like I’m always around alot of spiritual heavy weights (Regular Pioneers for 10+ years, Gilead Graduates, Special Pioneers).  I feel a bit out of my league.  But the friends treat us like they need us as much as we’ve needed them.  They make us feel like we encourage them, and that spending time with our family fortifies them in their choices to be in Bolivia. It makes me feel like maybe I’m contributing a bit afterall!

The Challenges of Learning a New Language...

One of the biggest challenges for me in Bolivia has been trying to learn Spanish.  The brothers & sisters have made us feel welcome, but it’s hard to make really close friends when you can’t really communicate except on a very basic level.  So at first, a lot of the friends I made spoke English. Except when you spend most of your time with English-speakers, you limit your ability to learn Spanish.  I’m finding that the more I’m in the ministry and the more I try to communicate with the Bolivian friends, the faster I learn their language.

So, while I still only get so much from meetings (thank you, thank you for JW.org and it's Broadcasts and videos in English),  I get alot by way of an out pouring of love and support from my Bolivian brothers and sisters. You have people telling you all the time how good your Spanish is coming along. Little do they know it takes me about 3 hours to prepare for a meeting, and 20 minutes to prepare just one comment. For me, I find it crucial to first feed myself spiritually in English, and then after that I can focus a bit on what’s being said in Spanish. 

It’s not just learning Spanish the language that’s been hard for me, it’s learning to think differently.  There are words in English that convey thoughts and emotion that just don’t exist in Spanish.  So, you don’t always have a literal translation of English to Spanish. For example, the Watchtower article entitled, “How Real is Your Relationship with Jehovah?” ends up being tanslated in Spanish as, “Do You See Jehovah as a friend of Truth?” It’s subtle differences like instead of saying Cheese Cake, you would say Cake of Cheese.

I try to take to heart the encouragement we get in the magazines – just focus on the small accomplishments. Do you remember when you were first learning how to look up scriptures as a child or Bible Study? At first it was all you could do to find the right book, and by the time you found the scripture they were already reading it.  Then comes that feeling of triumph when you realize you were able to find the scripture and can now follow along with everyone else.  It was such a small thing and yet made you feel really good.  Yep, it’s those small accomplishments these days that I cling to. The joy of realizing that in today’s meeting I was able to find half of my scriptures in time to follow along.

But, moving to the San Lorenzo has really helped me a lot.  It’s small (around 23 Publishers), and so it’s been easier to get to know people and make friends. It’s also been easier to have conversations with people. The Bolivian friends are really nice in trying to help you.  They’ll tell you the right way to pronounce or say something and then commend you on trying to learn their language.  A lot of them will tell you they could never learn English and so they admire you trying to learn Spanish.  But, it’s felt a bit lonely at times, and I’ve missed having Elders that speak English.  It was just a few weeks ago I was praying to have an English-speaking Elder and what happens? The congregation for the group (Tomatitas) has two English-speaking Elders, and a English-speaking Ministerial Servant. 

Preaching In Different Conditions

In a lot of ways the preaching in Bolivia is familiar (the same purpose of helping ones to become Jehovah’s friend), but in many ways it’s very different.  Going from climbing into my heated or air-conditioned comfortable car, driving along paved roads, knowing that a bathroom (if needed) was just a few minutes away --  to climbing in the back of an open truck and driving along dirt roads – I feel a bit like Indiana Jones sometimes (minus the cool hat and whip).  I guess Connor is probably more like Indiana Jones and I’m more like his fumbling side-kick.

There are still times when I can’t help but laugh to myself.  Who would have thought that at 52 years old I would be climbing up into the back of a truck with other sisters, wrapped in blankets to stay warm, and then traveling 30-minutes for meeting? It cracks me up sometimes!  But the ministry here is really something and whatever the future holds for our family, I’m glad that I at least got to experience it. One you’re preaching with brothers and sisters from Spain, the next with friends from Argentina, and the next day with friends from England.  Being in Bolivia has definitely helped me to have appreciation that no matter where you were born in the world, when you’re one of Jehovah’s people you really are part of a world-wide family based on love.

 

An Update On The Puppies.....

As all of you know we got two puppies – little cute but stubborn Bolivian puppies that keep wanting to use the inside of our house and their personal little potty. I’M NOT HAVING THAT!

Our puppies are driving me crazy – Bolivian dogs don’t understand what it means to be potty-trained, and so we keep working with the little knot-heads.  But, they are now healthy and growing and I can’t wait for my girls to get here and take over being their Mommy.

Karen & Connor Bring Home a Baby Goat

So, two weeks ago Karen and Connor come home from field service and have a baby goat with them. It was given to them by a Return Visit and according to Connor, it would have been rude not to accept it (WHATEVER!).  I think Karen and Connor thought the little guy could just wander around our yard munching on grass and stuff. But it was 1-month old baby that actually screamed bloody murder whenever you left it alone and needed to be fed three times a day from a bottle.  So, after one night of dealing with the little guy, Connor called a friend that has a farm and he came to take it home – HOORAY!

Fun News from Costa Rica......

I recently got an e-mail from the Dortch Family in Costa Rica that was really nice and I wanted to share with my friends and family.  They are part of the English group there and recently their group joined 3 other groups to form a congregation. The friends were so excited about the first meeting, there was 85 in attendance and was a really amazing experience for them.  Some of you might recognize Juan and Millie (front row) who gave the special program a couple of years ago in Indy.

Like me they continue to work hard in learning Spanish and the Dortch Family (now back in the U.S.) are planning on trying to make it back to Costa Rica in September. 

Well, that’s all the new for now.  Keep us in your thoughts and prayers and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone when I visit the U.S. in December. P.S. My girls get home this Sunday -- I've missed them so much!

Love, the Hughes Family