This could be the one!

We took a drive out to Mallasilla yesterday to check out an apartment we had heard was for rent. Scotty and I both had expected to stay in Sopocachi for many months, under the pretext of there not being anything available in the community where we'll be doing the church plant. But we've been praying so much that God would shift our hearts' focus to the ministry that He has prepared for us there, and this might be part of that plan! Because it was a holiday and the roads were pretty empty, I decided to be bold and attempt to drive our '86 Landcruiser. Our hopeful apartment is that dark red one on the leftIt's hard to describe traffic and driving conditions on a normal day, but I think the driving mentality is "every man for himself". Add that to the car stalling out frequently from the altitude and lots of steep hills, and you have a stress-inducing, but strangely fun driving experience. So we thought we'd go look at this apartment just to see what might be available in the future and what the rent might be like. After taking a quick spin through the house, where a family is currently living until December, we were in love. It is just the right size for us, including a guest room and future baby room, and a large dining/living area where we hope to share meals with the community we hope to be inviting over. There are windows everywhere, which lets in constant sunlight, and we are high enough (3rd floor) that we feel a sense of privacy, in contrast to the houses low in the valley that could be the object of spectators living on the hillsides. So, pray for us as we try to discern if this would be a wise move. The apartment is the same rent as what we are paying now (a huge surprise for us, knowing that it is a high cost area to live in) and it would be available to us the first of December. ..we're really excited!!

We also enjoyed an evening of laughter and catching up with the Maldonado family, where Scotty initially lived when he came to La Paz several years ago. Nancy and her children and grandchildren live in the heart of the market area in town. Scotty and I weaved our way through people and traffic, glancing this way and that at the plethora of products available in the streets. The Maldonados' door is located between two clothing booths and as soon as you walk into the dark hall that leads down to their apartment and close the door, you can almost forget you're in the middle of the craziness. A typical La Paz meal was served to us and we were welcomed again into the family with extremely loving, open arms. We are so thankful to have relationships like this with Bolivian Christians and pray they will become even more dear to us as time goes on.