Weekends

Scotty leading small group discussion.

Weekends for us are the busiest part of the week, but usually the most satisfying as well. Saturdays always start early with some sort of church work to be done- meetings or setting up or prep for small group. This Saturday it was a meeting with pastor Edgar at our house at 9. I set the boys up with some cinnamon bread and hid in the bedroom reading Real Simple for the duration of the meeting- a little treat for myself that I felt would be much appreciated by the end of the day. Small group is probably one of the most encouraging aspects of our ministry- we weekly watch the group wrestle with real issues and encourage each other, especially in the arena of parenting. We had our last session of follow-up for the parenting conference, and although these families still have a long way to go in changing some habits, they have also come a long way and made a lot of important realizations about how to be godly parents. Scotty and I have learned a lot in theory, but will see how things go when it's our turn to put it all into practice. Sunday morning's service was beautiful and challenging- there were a handful of people there that we haven't seen for many weeks. Scotty and I both had a break from some normal duties, so we actually got to worship together and sit next to each other through the whole service- also a treat! The afternoon was very restful and we spent part of it doing what Scotty loves to do most- "work the land"! Since we just purchased the 2nd piece of property, Scotty has been itching to get out there to chop branches and pull weed bushes and collect rocks and other random building materials and junk that people have a tendency to throw in empty lots. I could only handle the intense sun for an hour before returning home- but he was at it until sundown. It's really incredible how intense the sun is, even though it's winter, it'll sap every ounce of energy you have in a very short amount of time (especially if you're pregnant). We wrapped up the day with a chapter of Love and Respect, the book our recent Marriage seminar was based on. I'd highly recommend it for any married or engaged couple- revolutionary, yet practical advice. Tomorrow, we're off for a full week to Cochabamba for our annual SIM spiritual life conference. This time of rest and refreshment should be great to recharge our batteries!

Hotdogs and charades

Last night we walked to our neighbors house at 8 to get the San Juan party started. Me and the girls hung out in the kitchen boiling hot dogs, talking about babies, and making cabbage topping for the dogs. The guys sat in the family room making a roaring fire, telling the kids not to get too close, and distracting the kids with card and dice games. Little by little, all the members of our Bible study showed up- the first time they've all been in the same room at the same time- and with all their kids! The house noise volume went up quite a bit as the kids started doing what they do best- play and scream. We were thankful that they all seemed to be enjoying each other. Claudia told me this was the first time she and Sergio were able to have a big group over to their new house since they moved in about 8 months ago and that it's something they've wanted to do for a long time. It was fun to chat with different people and munch on hotdogs and marshmallows. We played a few rounds of charades and tried to teach one of our favorite dice games- liars dice. After a few more marshmallows, it was already past 11 and I was beginning to fade, along with most of the others. We called it a night, but not before making plans to go out for a day in the country as a group on a Bolivian holiday in July. I continue to pray for unity and deeper friendships in this group of great people.It might be hard to tell- but it was really smoky when we woke up this morning from all the tradition fires that were burned all night long.

Super Sunday

Yesterday was one of those great days where you are constantly reminded of the goodness of God and are content in the place He has you in life. Sundays always start early and they are full of activity. Scotty is the first one over to the school to get church set up- usually meeting another guy there to help. I went over with him this week (I'm usually a little behind) and we began setting up Sunday school rooms and organizing a bit. Scotty had lots of nervous energy because he was on for preaching this week. I was excited about teaching the 10-12 year olds in Sunday school, something I have no experience doing. We got everything put together in time for people to start showing up and I ran home to pick up a teenage neighbor boy who wanted to come this week. As time goes on, people are showing up later and later to church- a natural habit here is not to show up on time for events. But, I very much enjoyed worshipping at the beginning of the service, doing my best to not be distracted by those who filed in late. Then the kids were dismissed and I had a nice, small group of 4 to teach about Solomon's temple and talk about what it means to be the temple of the Lord ourselves. After church, we invited the whole congregation to drive a block down to the new land that we signed off on last week to build our own church building. This land buying project has been a source of joy, praise, and a little frustration too. But, the truth that we continually come back to is that God provided in less than 6 months over $180,000 for this property and it is a piece of land that is ideal for us. At one point, we thought it was impossible because the family did not want to sell, but all things are possible for our Lord and He chose to make it available for us again. And now, it is ours! Our church is 8 months old and we already own land!! We went out as a body to pray and thank the Lord for His goodness. It was a neat time to be united together, bringing in the congregation who hasn't been involved in the purchase and helping them to see this is God's good gift for all of us. The neatest moment was when a friend of all of ours who was once very hardened to the gospel but has recently been broken and changed, prayed aloud to God and cried out for the salvation of his son and others in Mallasilla through the ministry of our church. What a special event to be a part of!

Later in the afternoon, Scotty and I headed down to town to hit our favorite coffee shop so that we could work on a special newsletter, drink cofffee, and satisfy my great sweet tooth. We ordered 2 slices of chocolate cheesecake, each slice big enough for 3 people to share! We both ate almost our entire slice without a problem. It was nice to relax and work together on a project. Then we were off to the grocery store to buy several kilos of hotdogs. Today is San Juan day in Bolivia. Fires are burned all over the country today to ward off evil spirits on the coldest night of the year. The more recent tradition is to get together to roast hotdogs, drink and sing. We are getting our small group together to burn a fire in the fireplace of our friends, the Pastens, boil hotdogs and play games- wanting to put a wholesome, Christian spin on this holiday. We see it as a great way to interact with our smallgroup in a more informal, friendly way and get to know each other better. I crashed hard last night, thankful for our great God who truly is at work around us, and the amazing husband and baby in the womb He has blessed me with.

Knitting

Me, Jimena and Julia in the pharmacy

It's funny how God uses things you would never expect to open up relationships around you. Knitting, I have found, is something that almost every woman here knows how to do- taught at a young age in school. Women love to get together to make sweaters or baby clothes and chat away an afternoon. I thought it would be fun to learn how to make a little sweater or blanket for the baby and so have been asking around to see who can teach me. One of our good friends, Jimena, who owns a pharmacy nearby and is in our Bible study, was more than eager to have me come over to the pharmacy during the day to learn. She invited one of the teachers from the school in the neighborhood, who is also a good friend of hers, to come teach us both. I found out Jimena doesn't need a lot of instruction- she's already done several sweaters and other things. I, on the other hand, had never touched a knitting needle before moving here. So, we began to get together from time to time to knit and talk about life and God and family and society. The teacher hasn't been able to come but once, but now I'm in the habit of going to visit Jimena, who stays in the pharmacy from morning till 9 or 9:30 at night, every day! She always invites me back behind the counter, which makes me feel special, and we talk. Scotty and I recently had a tough conversation with a neighbor who is going through some really hard times and so I invited her to our knitting afternoons. She wasn't able to make it, but recently called to tell me she could teach me if I wanted. I readily agreed, wanting any opportunity to have more time to interact with her. She is a sad woman without the hope that comes with knowing Jesus Christ personally, but today as we sat in my living room, knitting and talking, she continued to open up and even listened attentively as I explained what the Bible teaches about salvation and knowing that your sins are forgiven. We talked about all sorts of things and I feel that we began a friendship in a matter of hours- the activity of knitting always keeping things from getting too awkward. I have a long way to go in my sweater-making potential, but I'm thrilled to be having so many chances to interact more with the women God has put around me.

Land deal

The day we've been waiting for was today. After Don Jorge died, the man who was selling us his property, we've been praying hard that his wife and daughter would be faithful to the spoken deal we made with him and would be able to travel from the city where they live to come and sign papers to make the land officially ours. We knew it would be a long process- there are always complications that you don't expect and lines to wait in. Today was no exception, but we had both asked the Lord separately and together for His hand in the process and for patience with unexpected circumstances. We went in early this morning to meet with our lawyer and check the contracts she had drawn up. Then a slow crawl through morning traffic into the city and weaving about the narrow, steep streets of La Paz looking for a parking garage. Being in a vehicle in the center of town is always a nerve-wracking experience for me as you can never predict what other cars, buses and pedestrians are going to do. We eventually found a place to park and began the journey of getting the papers checked, paying taxes that you didn't know existed before, but seem to always come up, paying land transfer fees, and getting everything notarized. We had a snag in the notarization process and hopefully will get it sorted out tomorrow after the daughter gets her documents worked on this afternoon. So, by tomorrow, Lord-willing, the land should be ours! This is the second time Scotty has had to walk through the busy downtown area with thousands of dollars in cash in his shirt- it's the only way to do transactions! Praise God that all is working out!

Chilly!

I know most of you out there are entering into those wonderful, sweltering summer months...but here in Bolivia we are reaching those frigid days where you wonder if you'll ever be able to sit inside your house in less than 3 layers. Will I ever sit down on the toilet without the painful shock of icy toilet seat? Will I ever be able to change clothes without feeling like I'm in a quick-change contest? Will it always hurt my nose and head to breath the air in the morning (even inside the house!). Does it really matter if I forget to put the milk away for most of the day? According to our super-duper inside/outside temperature gauge, it stays around the low-50's INSIDE the house all day long. Brrrr! Thanks Michelle for the ultra-warm maternity puffy black vest!!

Where does the time go?

I don't think I realized how long it's been since I've blogged cause we've been fairly busy around here. The weekend was crammed full of activities, as it usually is, but exceptionally good and uplifiting ones. We had a marriage seminar on Saturday, which about 40 couples attended, led by Pastor Phil and his wife Linda- from Faith's home church in Chicago. Scotty translated, his first opportunity to do so in a large, formal setting, and did fantastically. God has given him a special gift to do this well, with confidence, and a desire to learn how to do it better. We covered material from the book Love and Respect, which we are excited to read together to improve our marital communication and ways of interacting with each other. There were several "break out" times during the conference where you got together to discuss certain issues with your spouse. There were many serious conversations going on around the sanctuary at this time, some couples crying, some laughing, even a few arguing. But, there were definitely some things rising to the surface and being worked on- we like to see this. On Sunday, Phil and Linda invited all the missionary couples in La Paz to a more informal time of talking about having a healthy marriage and family on the mission field. They shared much from their own experiences and things God has taught them over the years, and then gave us all the opportunity to share what is on our hearts. The time was good and there was much brought up that made us all realize that we all tend to struggle with very similar issues. It's not often that you can get that many missionaries from different organizations into one place and be comforted by the fact that you are not alone. God really spoke to me in that time about some things He needed me to see about my personal relationship with Him and my individual ministry apart from Scotty. I have the feeling He is moving me into new territory and know that it will become even more apparent in the next couple months as we welcome our little daughter into the world.

The Lord has also been opening our eyes more fully to the needs of people around us. We've spent some time with several different individuals and families who are struggling in various ways, and although we know we don't have all the answers and can't "fix" them, God wants us to be a part of their suffering. And so we are also seeking ways to walk along side of our neighbors and friends and be a light in their dark worlds. It is a challenge not to take on their burdens and want to solve their problems, but we are often reminded that God's grace is big enough for all their needs and that it is His work alone to change their hearts. We pray He will do it.

And, I've officially (according to some sources) started my third and final trimester. What a gift God has given us in a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. We're slowly getting the nursery put together and look forward to my mom coming shortly before the due date to put some finishing touches on things. I think I'll feel more ready after prenatal classes and the hospital tour, because right now, having an infant in the house seems like a very foreign idea. But, the frequent taps on my belly from something inside remind me that she is not too far away from coming out to meet us!

Home again

We had such a great trip to Coch, even though it started off on a rough note. As we were packing up to leave, the doorbell rang and Scotty ran down to see who it was. He was out there for a while as I finished up making our lunch for the road and I peeked out the window to see him listening to a woman talk away at him. I wrongly assumed it was someone seeking our monetary assistance, as is somewhat common around here, and so I decided I'd go down with an armfull of stuff to put in the car to make the point that we were getting ready to leave. As I opened the door, Scotty was there and explained that this was the wife of the man who is selling us our land, and that he was killed in a car accident on his way to Cochabamba a few days earlier. I was so shocked, I could hardly believe my ears! Just the night before he left, we had been at his house, giving him a down-payment and making plans to cook out in his brick oven when he got back to town. We felt like we were definitely starting a friendship with this man and looked forward to inviting him to church and hearing more crazy stories about when he was a war prisoner during the reign of a dictator years ago. And now we were hearing he had passed away on the same journey we were about to take. It was sad news indeed. God is good and put it on the heart of his wife (who lives in a different city...we're not sure what that is all about) to maintain the verbal agreement we had with Jorge and continue the land deal. Neither of us had signed a contract of any kind, but had a verbal agreement, which is a strong bond in this culture. His wife and daughter need to find the time to return to La Paz to sign the papers, and we're very prayerfully asking the Lord that nothing will happen in the meantime to change their minds. So, we set off with heavy hearts and a fresh understanding at how precious life is and that there is no time like the present to share the hope of Christ with all. Our time in Coch was fun and relaxing. We had a great time hanging out with the Flores family and always enjoy their hospitality- even their 14 year old, Ana, gives up her room for us. The wedding we attended was beautiful and meaningful, the days were warm and sunny, and we were able to see lots of people. I haven't been back to the international church, where I worked when I was living there, since spring 2005, so there were many old friends and new faces to greet on Sunday. As always, we are happy to be back in our own house (even if there is no running water at the moment and I need to do laundry), and catch up with the happenings of the weekend. We have another busy week ahead with many events to look foward to.