A fnreid snet me tihs eaiml.
If you can raed tihs, you hvae a sgtrane mnid too.
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid! Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch porjcet at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Saturday, January 27
Friday, January 26
Back to School
My American Fortnight (see American Weekends on Xanga site) turned into almost a month. With all the political unrest there were no buses leaving from the pueblo that my house help gal was in. She had been traveling with her family and was headed back when all the problems started, so she decided to stay and not risk the roads (see Bolivia Update).
But now my husband is back and my house help is back so I am adjusting to not having the chores to do and focusing on home school and ministry. It is good.
Monday we start our school year. We follow the Bolivian school year of Feb – Nov. The kids are very excited. I am home schooling three grades this year: K, 2nd and 3rd; should be fun.
I leave you with a fun picture of some antics.
But now my husband is back and my house help is back so I am adjusting to not having the chores to do and focusing on home school and ministry. It is good.
Monday we start our school year. We follow the Bolivian school year of Feb – Nov. The kids are very excited. I am home schooling three grades this year: K, 2nd and 3rd; should be fun.
I leave you with a fun picture of some antics.
Sunday, January 21
Funny Fruits - Tuna
Saturday is market day (as some may already know). I had a particularly fun time “doing shopping”, the literal expression in Spanish for buying stuff.
As I was finishing up I saw a stand where they were selling craft items. Due to my daughter’s recent interest in knitting I first had to learn the trade so that I could coach her along. She got a nice kit for Christmas from my mom complete with a video. So we have been learning together and it has been fun. Well, at this craft stand I saw some pretty green yarn. So I stopped to ask how much it was.
As I was talking with the two little girls who were tending the shop for their mom an old lady came up and tapped my elbow a couple times with her hand that was stretched palm up. She was asking for money. I had seen her (and many others) already that day so I said no. I actually think that it was the third time I had told this woman no. But she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
She looked up to me, for she was hunched over a walker, and smiled a toothless grin and then patted my jaw as she said, “But such a lovely girl with such lovely blue eyes; you can give me something.” It made me smile.
The shopkeeper noticed that the lady was starting to pester and told her, “Look, her purchase is exactly 20 bolivianos and that is what she s using to pay. There will be no change.” She scurried off with my 20 B* bill.
But the elderly lady looked up to me and winked. She had been paying attention. She then said to me, “Look, they are trying to trick you. Each of those balls of yarn is 7 Bs, and the needles are 5. That is 19. You will have change.” She was indeed correct. And at just that moment the girl came back with my 1 B of change. Again the lady tapped my elbow and winked. I gave her the coin. It still makes me grin to think of her.
Funny Fruit Feature:
This is called “Tuna”. Pronounced like the fish. By the way, to say the fish tuna is Spanish is “atun” [ah toon’]. It gets confusing sometimes. This fruit is harvested from a cactus. It tastes like a mellow papaya. It has way too many seeds all the way through! (See the little dark grey dots.) It takes patience to eat the thing, because you have to spit the seeds out. It is a refreshing fruit.
As I was finishing up I saw a stand where they were selling craft items. Due to my daughter’s recent interest in knitting I first had to learn the trade so that I could coach her along. She got a nice kit for Christmas from my mom complete with a video. So we have been learning together and it has been fun. Well, at this craft stand I saw some pretty green yarn. So I stopped to ask how much it was.
As I was talking with the two little girls who were tending the shop for their mom an old lady came up and tapped my elbow a couple times with her hand that was stretched palm up. She was asking for money. I had seen her (and many others) already that day so I said no. I actually think that it was the third time I had told this woman no. But she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
She looked up to me, for she was hunched over a walker, and smiled a toothless grin and then patted my jaw as she said, “But such a lovely girl with such lovely blue eyes; you can give me something.” It made me smile.
The shopkeeper noticed that the lady was starting to pester and told her, “Look, her purchase is exactly 20 bolivianos and that is what she s using to pay. There will be no change.” She scurried off with my 20 B* bill.
But the elderly lady looked up to me and winked. She had been paying attention. She then said to me, “Look, they are trying to trick you. Each of those balls of yarn is 7 Bs, and the needles are 5. That is 19. You will have change.” She was indeed correct. And at just that moment the girl came back with my 1 B of change. Again the lady tapped my elbow and winked. I gave her the coin. It still makes me grin to think of her.
Funny Fruit Feature:
This is called “Tuna”. Pronounced like the fish. By the way, to say the fish tuna is Spanish is “atun” [ah toon’]. It gets confusing sometimes. This fruit is harvested from a cactus. It tastes like a mellow papaya. It has way too many seeds all the way through! (See the little dark grey dots.) It takes patience to eat the thing, because you have to spit the seeds out. It is a refreshing fruit.
*To say the letter B is the shortened term in English for the Bolivian currency called Bolivianos. Right now the rate of exchange is 8 Bolivianos to 1 US Dollar.
Saturday, January 20
Ergonomics Inventor
This branch of science fascinates me. Here’s the wikipedia definition:
Ergonomics (or human factors) is the application of scientific information concerning humans to the design of objects, systems and environment for human use. (Definition adopted by the International Ergonomics Association in 2007).
There are scientists who dedicate themselves to making things that “fit” the human body to decrease injury and increase productivity or just to make things more comfortable to use. They have invented ergonomic scissors, keyboards, pencil grips, pills, work stations, chairs, pens, shovels, cock pits, and even playing cards.
So I was thinking random thoughts the other day and this phrase just popped into my head, “God is the inventor of ergonomics.” The first thing I thought of was fruit. An apple fits perfectly into a human hand. A banana is just the right size and shape for a mid morning snack. Toddlers enjoy picking up raisins with their little fingers. Then I thought about the crops that farmers harvest. None of them are too tall or too big to gather in. And what about the trees? The rough bark provides excellent traction for children to climb. The list could go on.
Humans are the crown of God’s creation. The bible tells us that we were predestined before the foundations of the earth. So God had us in mind when He made flowers that fit beautifully into a bouquet for a lover to give to his girl. He was thinking of us when he covered the earth with the exact chemical balance of hydrogen and oxygen in the liquid that composes about 60% of our body mass. How awesome that our atmosphere contains air that we breath. All this, by definition, is ergonomics.
This makes me wonder about all the other intriguing branches of science. Is God the supreme initiator of each one? I would love to hear your thoughts…
Ergonomics (or human factors) is the application of scientific information concerning humans to the design of objects, systems and environment for human use. (Definition adopted by the International Ergonomics Association in 2007).
There are scientists who dedicate themselves to making things that “fit” the human body to decrease injury and increase productivity or just to make things more comfortable to use. They have invented ergonomic scissors, keyboards, pencil grips, pills, work stations, chairs, pens, shovels, cock pits, and even playing cards.
So I was thinking random thoughts the other day and this phrase just popped into my head, “God is the inventor of ergonomics.” The first thing I thought of was fruit. An apple fits perfectly into a human hand. A banana is just the right size and shape for a mid morning snack. Toddlers enjoy picking up raisins with their little fingers. Then I thought about the crops that farmers harvest. None of them are too tall or too big to gather in. And what about the trees? The rough bark provides excellent traction for children to climb. The list could go on.
Humans are the crown of God’s creation. The bible tells us that we were predestined before the foundations of the earth. So God had us in mind when He made flowers that fit beautifully into a bouquet for a lover to give to his girl. He was thinking of us when he covered the earth with the exact chemical balance of hydrogen and oxygen in the liquid that composes about 60% of our body mass. How awesome that our atmosphere contains air that we breath. All this, by definition, is ergonomics.
This makes me wonder about all the other intriguing branches of science. Is God the supreme initiator of each one? I would love to hear your thoughts…
Wednesday, January 17
My Hubby’s Home!
Knock, knock, knock! Three sharp raps at the door invoked excited squeals from the diligent dish washers. I rushed to open the door. Quickly undoing the latch I flung open the heavy barrier that marked the final separation between my husband and I after two long weeks. With a knowing smile on his face he began to say, “Somebody’s been waiting for me,” but the words were smothered as I threw my arms around him. The kids found their way to his legs and grabbed him as the delighted shrieks of, “Papa! Papa!” continued. One kiss just wouldn’t do; I asked for more and he gladly obliged. After patting the heads of his dear peanuts (for that is the name he gave them) he scooped up his baby boy. We are happy.
"Lost in Bolivia" (as opposed to oblivion)
Recent requests have come my way to encourage me to write an entry about our coming to Bolivia. Through the wonders of modern day technology I have been reunited with some people that I lost touch with some 10 years ago. One of them asked me, “So what were you doing the 5 years from the time you got married to when you moved to Bolivia?” One fellow blogger asked, “What are you doing in Bolivia??” Note: extra interrogative. Sometimes I ask myself the very same thing, “What am I doing in Bolivia??” Then I shake myself and say, “Oh yeah! Living in a dream! That is right. How could I have forgotten?”
I am going to try to keep this quick and to the point – but no promises.
Even before I dedicated my life to the Lord at the tender age of eight years old I knew that I was destined for the world. Through the years the Lord shaped my desire to travel to distant lands into a clear call to the work of a missionary. All through high school I papered my walls with maps of the nations of the world. Ever praying and ever waiting for God to reveal to me where He wanted me to go.
Not being one to sit on my tush, the first chance I got I was outside of US borders tromping around on the foreign soil of Australia. I was infected! My blood coursed with the incurable passion for travel. After that I made a few quick jumps to Botswana (Africa) and Costa Rica.
At the age of 15 my husband-to-be had a similar life changing experience during which he also felt strongly that God’s plan for his life would lead him to distant shores. We met at church. Upon discovering that we both had a desire to be missionaries we became fast friends. Married during his sophomore year in college he dedicated himself to study and breadwinning while I diligently worked to make a home for us.
A frequent topic of prayer and discussion was our mission career. Where would we go? When would we go? What would we do? What about funding? What about our kids? How would we get trained? At very sure and distinct times we felt that we were called to go to: Russia, India, somewhere in Africa and Sweden. You know the old saying, “Unless a boat is moving the rudder can never work.” We did our best to get ourselves moving and trusted that the Holy Spirit would be a sturdy rudder for us.
As a funny side note I clearly told the Lord, and not just once but repeatedly, “I know that you are not going to send me to South America. South America has enough missionaries as it is. Please, don’t send me to South America.”
Much to our dismay the first place that He called us to did not require a passport but rather scholarships, financial aid, grants and applications out the wazoo. DaRonn felt strongly that the Lord promised to put him ahead by 10 years when he finally did make it to the mission field if he would first acquire a degree in business. Amazingly he did graduate with that degree in 5 years; all the while he held a full time and part time job, steadily volunteered in the church, was a loving husband and a superb father.
In the middle of his schooling we were called to step out, but once again this was not half way around the world but just 2 hours south of our hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. We moved to Saint Joseph, Missouri for the SOLE purpose of hooking into Word of Life Church. There we grew in faith. The truths we learned (and continue to learn because they have live streaming of their services, very cool!) are part of our core and inner fortitude that drive us to greater heights and pull us through when times are not so easy. Pastors Brain and Peri Zahnd do not get thanked enough for the good that they do! Thank you both.
As DaRonn was sitting in a geology class learning about rocks the teacher put in a video that talked about Bolivia. When the faces of the people flashed across the screen the fire of God began to burn in his heart and he felt so strongly the Lord impressing upon him, “That is the nation that you are going to start in.” I still remember the excitement in his voice as he confidently and with such joyful anticipation declared to me the same words that he heard the Lord speak to him.
Yet, we were not released to go to Bolivia at that very moment! Oh no, training comes first. To Tulsa we headed! The good thing was that we were a little closer because Tulsa is South of Saint Joe.
We spent almost 2 years at Pastors Billy Joe and Sharon Daugherty’s Victory Christian Center Church and their World Mission Training Center. Hearing great missionaries like T.L. Osborne, Mike Francen, Bill and Trish Turkovich, Hal and Lisa Boehm, Greg and Kim Ford, Ron and Jill Stafford plus many other powerful ministers of God prepared us for what was ahead. We were able to put on paper the when, what, how, and some of the why discovered in prayer and the Word because of the training that we received there.
Finally we were equipped with the call and the practical know how to fulfill that awesome task and we were packing our bags for Bolivia. We bought one way tickets intending to make the new nation our home. Oh, the stories that I could tell! God bless us!
So that was in 2001. We have been here now 5 years. All the glory to God! We really have seen supernatural velocity in the establishment of the works down here. There have been over 60 bible schools started in Bolivia and the surrounding nations. We have produced 7 books. Many groups and individuals have come to minister. We have had intern missionaries work along side us. We are pastors of a church of more that 100 members. Various churches and individuals in the States partner financially and prayerfully with the work. Our most recent work has been to establish an orphanage for children ages five and under with a capacity of 42; currently there are 19 little ones under our care. We have a staff of paid employees and volunteers that run all that goes on. As I stated before we are deeply and gratefully indebted to our Heavenly Father for enabling and allowing us to do what we do.
Aside from the missionary work that I do (teaching, helping pastor and writing) we have now been married 10 years and have 4 great kids. I am currently home-schooling 3 grades and caring for my sweet baby boy.
I am going to try to keep this quick and to the point – but no promises.
Even before I dedicated my life to the Lord at the tender age of eight years old I knew that I was destined for the world. Through the years the Lord shaped my desire to travel to distant lands into a clear call to the work of a missionary. All through high school I papered my walls with maps of the nations of the world. Ever praying and ever waiting for God to reveal to me where He wanted me to go.
Not being one to sit on my tush, the first chance I got I was outside of US borders tromping around on the foreign soil of Australia. I was infected! My blood coursed with the incurable passion for travel. After that I made a few quick jumps to Botswana (Africa) and Costa Rica.
At the age of 15 my husband-to-be had a similar life changing experience during which he also felt strongly that God’s plan for his life would lead him to distant shores. We met at church. Upon discovering that we both had a desire to be missionaries we became fast friends. Married during his sophomore year in college he dedicated himself to study and breadwinning while I diligently worked to make a home for us.
A frequent topic of prayer and discussion was our mission career. Where would we go? When would we go? What would we do? What about funding? What about our kids? How would we get trained? At very sure and distinct times we felt that we were called to go to: Russia, India, somewhere in Africa and Sweden. You know the old saying, “Unless a boat is moving the rudder can never work.” We did our best to get ourselves moving and trusted that the Holy Spirit would be a sturdy rudder for us.
As a funny side note I clearly told the Lord, and not just once but repeatedly, “I know that you are not going to send me to South America. South America has enough missionaries as it is. Please, don’t send me to South America.”
Much to our dismay the first place that He called us to did not require a passport but rather scholarships, financial aid, grants and applications out the wazoo. DaRonn felt strongly that the Lord promised to put him ahead by 10 years when he finally did make it to the mission field if he would first acquire a degree in business. Amazingly he did graduate with that degree in 5 years; all the while he held a full time and part time job, steadily volunteered in the church, was a loving husband and a superb father.
In the middle of his schooling we were called to step out, but once again this was not half way around the world but just 2 hours south of our hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. We moved to Saint Joseph, Missouri for the SOLE purpose of hooking into Word of Life Church. There we grew in faith. The truths we learned (and continue to learn because they have live streaming of their services, very cool!) are part of our core and inner fortitude that drive us to greater heights and pull us through when times are not so easy. Pastors Brain and Peri Zahnd do not get thanked enough for the good that they do! Thank you both.
As DaRonn was sitting in a geology class learning about rocks the teacher put in a video that talked about Bolivia. When the faces of the people flashed across the screen the fire of God began to burn in his heart and he felt so strongly the Lord impressing upon him, “That is the nation that you are going to start in.” I still remember the excitement in his voice as he confidently and with such joyful anticipation declared to me the same words that he heard the Lord speak to him.
Yet, we were not released to go to Bolivia at that very moment! Oh no, training comes first. To Tulsa we headed! The good thing was that we were a little closer because Tulsa is South of Saint Joe.
We spent almost 2 years at Pastors Billy Joe and Sharon Daugherty’s Victory Christian Center Church and their World Mission Training Center. Hearing great missionaries like T.L. Osborne, Mike Francen, Bill and Trish Turkovich, Hal and Lisa Boehm, Greg and Kim Ford, Ron and Jill Stafford plus many other powerful ministers of God prepared us for what was ahead. We were able to put on paper the when, what, how, and some of the why discovered in prayer and the Word because of the training that we received there.
Finally we were equipped with the call and the practical know how to fulfill that awesome task and we were packing our bags for Bolivia. We bought one way tickets intending to make the new nation our home. Oh, the stories that I could tell! God bless us!
So that was in 2001. We have been here now 5 years. All the glory to God! We really have seen supernatural velocity in the establishment of the works down here. There have been over 60 bible schools started in Bolivia and the surrounding nations. We have produced 7 books. Many groups and individuals have come to minister. We have had intern missionaries work along side us. We are pastors of a church of more that 100 members. Various churches and individuals in the States partner financially and prayerfully with the work. Our most recent work has been to establish an orphanage for children ages five and under with a capacity of 42; currently there are 19 little ones under our care. We have a staff of paid employees and volunteers that run all that goes on. As I stated before we are deeply and gratefully indebted to our Heavenly Father for enabling and allowing us to do what we do.
Aside from the missionary work that I do (teaching, helping pastor and writing) we have now been married 10 years and have 4 great kids. I am currently home-schooling 3 grades and caring for my sweet baby boy.
Monday, January 15
Bolivia Update
Thank you for your prayers for the nation of Bolivia. Things have calmed down considerably.
This past weekend was odd, to say the least. Friday afternoon it was announced by pro-socialist leaders that the protesters that were blocking the main highways would lift the blockades. The reasons were varied. Some of the blockades were indeed cleared; but some still remained.
This last week here in Cochabamba the ministry Compassion held a 5 day conference with a concert planned as the grand finale. The concert was cancelled because the streets in front of the hotel that the singer was staying at were full of violent protesters. They were not protesting the conference, just the political issues. Of the 4,500 attendees to the conference just over 400 came from Santa Cruz.
As the buses were dispatched Friday evening after the conference to return to Santa Cruz safe passage was promised. Yet, 20 minutes outside of town the protesters began to attack the bus with rocks and large fireworks that served as rockets to shoot at the windows. Much glass was broken and the passengers were made to get off the bus while the drunken protesters interrogated them to find out if they were pro-democracy.
The people in the group told the protesters that they were Christians and showed them their bibles and the admission bracelets from the conference. The protesters demanded that they pray on the spot to prove that what they were saying was true. It is a common belief here that someone is incapable of uttering a prayer unless they are truly a spiritual person.
Finally the drivers and passengers were allowed to get back on the buses and return to Cochabamba. The reason I know these details is because some of those passengers were my friends. I called them on their cell Saturday morning to see if they had made it back to Santa Cruz.
After finding out that they didn’t get back to their hotel in Cochabamba until 4 in the morning I told them to sleep and then come over to my house for lunch. Being leaders of a group of 10 they didn’t want to abandon the youth they had brought. So I told them that they could all come. It ended up being a fun time.
On Sunday after church I took the kids out to eat and then over to a friend’s house so I could go shopping to get a few things “just in case”. (No house help, no hubby, gotta rely on friends.) But when I got to the store the doors were only half way open and there were armed guards all over the place. The place was full of customers but almost empty of the basics. No milk, no meat, no bread, etc. They had diapers so that is a good thing.
Things should be normalizing in this city this week. The city of La Paz seems to be the next target for the pro-socialists.
You can continue to pray. We are not out of the dark yet.
On the flip side church attendance has been strong. There have been many visitors and people coming back to church that we haven’t seen in a while. Even though the persecution is political, it has still had a positive effect in the church. History has proven that the church thrives under pressure and persecution. We are praying that the members and their families are kept safe during these trying times and that many people come to have an encounter with the true and living God as they seek to make sense of all that is going on around them.
Personally, our family is full of peace and great anticipation for how the Lord is going to use all these occurrences to His benefit. We are praying against a spirit of terror. As you walk around the people have a tense, solemn expression on their faces. And as you speak with them some have tears in their eyes, others have a trembling voice as they speak out the worries they have about the future.
Last year many missionary organizations “exported” their missionaries. Some that had been here for more than 20 years were told that the political situation was too unstable for them to continue in Bolivia. At this point in time we do not feel that we need to leave the country. We are constantly before the Lord seeking His will and direction. You can pray that we continue to hear Him clearly and obey Him.
This past weekend was odd, to say the least. Friday afternoon it was announced by pro-socialist leaders that the protesters that were blocking the main highways would lift the blockades. The reasons were varied. Some of the blockades were indeed cleared; but some still remained.
This last week here in Cochabamba the ministry Compassion held a 5 day conference with a concert planned as the grand finale. The concert was cancelled because the streets in front of the hotel that the singer was staying at were full of violent protesters. They were not protesting the conference, just the political issues. Of the 4,500 attendees to the conference just over 400 came from Santa Cruz.
As the buses were dispatched Friday evening after the conference to return to Santa Cruz safe passage was promised. Yet, 20 minutes outside of town the protesters began to attack the bus with rocks and large fireworks that served as rockets to shoot at the windows. Much glass was broken and the passengers were made to get off the bus while the drunken protesters interrogated them to find out if they were pro-democracy.
The people in the group told the protesters that they were Christians and showed them their bibles and the admission bracelets from the conference. The protesters demanded that they pray on the spot to prove that what they were saying was true. It is a common belief here that someone is incapable of uttering a prayer unless they are truly a spiritual person.
Finally the drivers and passengers were allowed to get back on the buses and return to Cochabamba. The reason I know these details is because some of those passengers were my friends. I called them on their cell Saturday morning to see if they had made it back to Santa Cruz.
After finding out that they didn’t get back to their hotel in Cochabamba until 4 in the morning I told them to sleep and then come over to my house for lunch. Being leaders of a group of 10 they didn’t want to abandon the youth they had brought. So I told them that they could all come. It ended up being a fun time.
On Sunday after church I took the kids out to eat and then over to a friend’s house so I could go shopping to get a few things “just in case”. (No house help, no hubby, gotta rely on friends.) But when I got to the store the doors were only half way open and there were armed guards all over the place. The place was full of customers but almost empty of the basics. No milk, no meat, no bread, etc. They had diapers so that is a good thing.
Things should be normalizing in this city this week. The city of La Paz seems to be the next target for the pro-socialists.
You can continue to pray. We are not out of the dark yet.
On the flip side church attendance has been strong. There have been many visitors and people coming back to church that we haven’t seen in a while. Even though the persecution is political, it has still had a positive effect in the church. History has proven that the church thrives under pressure and persecution. We are praying that the members and their families are kept safe during these trying times and that many people come to have an encounter with the true and living God as they seek to make sense of all that is going on around them.
Personally, our family is full of peace and great anticipation for how the Lord is going to use all these occurrences to His benefit. We are praying against a spirit of terror. As you walk around the people have a tense, solemn expression on their faces. And as you speak with them some have tears in their eyes, others have a trembling voice as they speak out the worries they have about the future.
Last year many missionary organizations “exported” their missionaries. Some that had been here for more than 20 years were told that the political situation was too unstable for them to continue in Bolivia. At this point in time we do not feel that we need to leave the country. We are constantly before the Lord seeking His will and direction. You can pray that we continue to hear Him clearly and obey Him.
Friday, January 12
Please Pray for Bolivia
Yesterday afternoon all the main streets of Cochabamba (the city that we live in) were filled with demonstrators for two separate causes. The two groups of people clashed resulting in many people wounded and four dead. They are calling yesterday’s confrontation a battle and a massacre. What started as a peaceful march turned ugly in the middle of town.
The demonstrations and marches continue today. Bolivian politics have always been polemic. As it stands now things could go either way. There may be some violent days ahead of us, or it could calm down.
During our midweek service at church last night I shared with the few members who had braved the riotous streets three scriptures that I feel are pertinent at this juncture.
Haggai 2:7 “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Matthew 24:7 “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
These are the scriptures that I am using as I pray for this nation.
If you are interested in knowing the political background of this conflict you can click the link on our ministry web site: http://www.christnationministries.org/
A picture I took from our front gate of the street in front of our house yesterday afternoon.
The demonstrations and marches continue today. Bolivian politics have always been polemic. As it stands now things could go either way. There may be some violent days ahead of us, or it could calm down.
During our midweek service at church last night I shared with the few members who had braved the riotous streets three scriptures that I feel are pertinent at this juncture.
Haggai 2:7 “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Matthew 24:7 “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
These are the scriptures that I am using as I pray for this nation.
If you are interested in knowing the political background of this conflict you can click the link on our ministry web site: http://www.christnationministries.org/
A picture I took from our front gate of the street in front of our house yesterday afternoon.
It took a good hour for the whole mass to march by our house. These marches were going on all over the city.
Wednesday, January 10
Angiesita
This is a little girl named Angie who lives in Santa Cruz. She is the daughter of Limbert and Claudia; we did their wedding for them during the time that we lived in Santa Cruz. They stopped by here at the house for a visit because they were in town. What an honor to have such a precious little girl named after me.Funny Fruits - Achachairu
Saturday is market day for us. My expert shopper husband does the supermarket and I do what would be equivalent to a farmers market in the States – but more! I take my shopping bags and walk the two blocks to “La Feria de la América”. This particular group of Saturday venders set up their stands along 4 blocks thus transforming a street that is highly trafficked during the week into a plethora of produce perfect for the pedestrians’ purchasing power. The whole experience is rich!
As I come within meters of my market there is a bunch of eager adolescents with wheelbarrow in hand and toothy grin on face greeting me, “¿Le ayudo?” (Can I help you?) The very first week I went it was hard to choose who to help me. So I let a couple of the girls accompany me. The next week I wised up. My decision would be that the first kid to make it to me I would let help me. So each week they come running; they know that I tip well. This last week Jason helped me; he just happens to be one of our stars students in the Sunday school class at our church. Not too many weeks back he won a great prize for memorizing the books of the Old Testament.
Then the shopping begins. By nature I am not a shopper; so I changed it. I make social calls. I go to the same stands each week. They know me and I know them. They give me great prices and I give them a nice chat. So I walk with my helper following. I pick what I want, tell them how much I want, they weigh it and hand it to the helper, we chat a bit, and I pay and move on. After about a half an hour the wheelbarrow is full of fruits, vegetables, and other odds-and-ends household items. We walk to the end of the market to catch a taxi. The kid helps me load up the taxi with my bags then I give my tip.
It’s really quite fun. I also usually bump into some other shopper that I know and we chat as well. This is the routine: Kisses to say hi before we talk. Start with, “How are you? Good. Good.” Adore the child if they happen to be accompanied by one. Talk. Then kisses to say bye.
I get the usual: apples, grapes, bananas, pineapple, strawberries, oranges, tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, broccoli, green beans, peppers, etc. for my family. But sometimes I find something that I have never seen before and get it to give it a try. This fruit is called achachairu. It may have different names or spellings in different regions. There is a variety of achachairu. We like ‘em all.
Sunday, January 7
A seven year old boy’s philosophy about extra terrestrials
So this morning my son made me an origami Tulip from the kit that he got this Christmas. Thus began the discussion about this type of flower. My five year old girl was convinced that this type of flower did not exist because she had never seen one before. So I explained that Tulips didn’t grow here usually. And she asked, “They grow on another planet?” I said no, they grow mostly in a place called Holland. She said, “The planet Holland?” she is my kidder. Timothy, my seven year old, found it necessary to interject, “No. There is nothing on the other planets. God just made them because He wanted to.”
teeth
Here are the fun before and after shots of the happy day when two of my kiddos lost teeth, last Friday afternoon. Raimy was so glad that this tooth didn't hurt at all. Timothy didn't want to be left in the dust so he worked on his tooth and finally yanked it out when he was supposed to be going to sleep. They are such dolls!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
