Good stuff

Have you ever had a chocolate urge but there were no cookies or miniature Hershey bars or anything else remotely chocolate in the house other than chocolate chips? And you think, "I'll just have a little handfull to take the edge off." And then the next thing you know, you've emptied a "small" bowl full and you feel totally gross. Just wondering...





So, I'm feeling better (or was until that chocolate episode) and am praising God daily for my health and Natty's health and that her cute little smile has come back. She was even flirting with a little boy at church on Sunday- something I did NOT teach her. We're getting out often and my goal this week while Scotty is away is to organize my stuff (meaning, throw out a ton of junk that I haven't used since we moved back to Bolivia) and start packing things into boxes for when we're in the states and someone else is living here. I'd also like to visit someone each day, since that is what I love doing and haven't had a chance to do lately.

Yay for happy Natalie!

We've switched our Saturday afternoon Bible study to Friday nights. This is because it is much more convenient for everyone and allows them to hang out after study is over for as long as they like- in my experience, this is easily until mid-night. Because of that fact, I am thankful it won't be in my house any longer. This past Friday, we joined forces with another small group from church in order to have an open forum with Scotty and the pastor- a free-for-all, if you will. No question was off limits- we wanted to give everyone the chance to voice the doubts and questions they've had on their mind since our little church began a year and a half ago. Topics ranged from women preaching to spiritual gifts to worship styles (just how demonstrative can we be during praise time?) and then back to spiritual gifts. It was a good time for people to be really honest with where they stand, admit that they don't know where they stand, and to hear exactly where the pastor stands. It was good for the leadership to also emphasize that they haven't talked about everything or decided where we will stand as a church (on form issues, not doctrine). We talked a lot about love and grace and how those must trump differences in style and grey issues that will often arise. I feel like it was another time for us to grow as a body as we wrestled together with what it means to be a church and how that is practically played out. It could have gotten messy, but pastor Edgar did a fantastic job of reminding people that above all, we are called to love each other. And I think it made people feel like they really are important in the process. We've been told how much we will be missed in the time we are away. It is good to hear and good that we will miss them too. We're at such a tender age right now as a church- I can't wait to see where we are when we come back.

Heatlh update

Well, praise God, Scotty remains well and has not yet caught the monster cold that is going around. Natty seems to be mostly better, other than a nasty cough, but has retained a mostly fussy attitude, which I'm hoping is related to teething and doesn't mean she still has something that needs to be looked into. Poor thing eats like a mouse- good thing she has some reserves in her chunky thighs. I am finally on the mend, after seeing a doctor yesterday who prescribed some stuff for the congestion and some drops for a minor ear infection. I spent most of yesterday sleeping while Scotty took care of Natty, neglecting a whole lot of other things he's got going on right now...what a great husband! My Bolivian friend, Ericka, came over today to visit and made some chicken soup for us. Then Faith sent over some soup with Greg- so I'm good for the next few days. I can't even tell you what Scotty has been eating while I've been bed/couch bound. Did get in a good read by Chinua Achebe: "Things Fall Apart". Very interesting and simply written look into Nigerian culture. I appreciate all the well-wishing and prayers. God is always good and takes care of His children.

One more thing. This is a funny glimpse into how life changes once you have a baby...I know you know what I'm talking about.

Overheard (in baby monitor)
Scotty changing Natty's diaper

Scotty: "Good job Bo-D (don't ask about the nick-name, I have no idea)!

Natty: "Ma."

Scotty: "You're a rock star...a pooping rock-star...you're a poop-star!"

Yes, we might need to get out more.

Uuuuugh....

There will be no pictures today. There's nothing cute happening at our house this week. Natty and I have decided to have our first mother-daugther bonding time (besides the whole birth/breastfeeding/raising time, etc...)- we have the flu. I'm a couple days behind Natty, so I get to watch her to see what's in store for me. She's held on to a particularly nasty strain for a whole week now- most of that week with a low grade fever and lots of crying/whining. I, being an adult and very healthy, figured that this would not be an issue for me. Oh- was I wrong! My body also is not letting go of this one, or it's not letting go of me, and every day seems to make me feel a little more awful...I wasn't sure that could happen. So, that's been our week. A couple times, I've felt up for leaving the house and thought maybe a distraction would be good for Natty so we went to the park and into town once for sherbet. Bad idea. There was lots of crying and a few quizzical/judgmental looks thrown our way. I did have a melt-down yesterday after going into town, feeling not so hot, but determined to have my gyro and sherbet. Natty fussed as soon as we got her out, I lost something in the car, Natty cried through the gyros (which I couldn't really taste but left a nice, gritty film on the roof of my mouth), and then couldn't find my sunglasses upon leaving. Needless to say, we skipped the ice cream and drove directly home, Natty crying just for a minute before falling asleep, and me crying for a good while after that. Well, I suppose that is enough complaining for one blog. I did listen to an excellent sermon from John Piper this morning about John 3:16. He unpacks this well-known verse into the 7 most profound, important, life-changing truths you will ever hear or hope to understand. It was effective in making me see how petty my little sickness is and how great is the God who raised me from death to life through Jesus Christ.

And now, I shall put the egg casserole in the oven that Scotty prepared last night in honor of Mother's Day. This was a big deal for him, as cooking is #567 on his list of favorite things to do. May the Lord sustain us as mothers and bless us today as we celebrate the gift of our children!

Little. Yellow. Different.

So, Nattybear is fighting a nasty cold this week, so I'm inside a lot. Therefore, I decided to wander around the house while she was napping to capture a few, everyday things we live with that are different from the US. Not better or worse- just different.


There's no such thing as central heating and air in the homes or buildings of La Paz. 12,000 ft. can mean warm, if you are outside in the intense sun, or cold, if you are inside- at almost any part of the year. Now that it is coming on winter here, it is COLD inside. We cart this puppy around- a gas heater with wheels that warms up a room in no time. It's a must for heating up the kitchen for breakfast, Natty's bathtime, and sometimes even the bathroom when you don't want to come out of a warm shower into a frigid bathroom.

Bolivian builders are less than creative when it comes to light. The majority don't figure into the equation how lighting will affect a room and most rooms sport the classic lightbulb-hanging-from-a-wire look. Thankfully, our landlord has an artistic side and most of our other fixtures have nice iron work of some kind.

Hot and cold water coming from the tap is extremely uncommon (which, paired with the chilly temps of the city, makes for constantly icy fingers). But, if you have a magic box like we do, you can get hot water from the tap AND the shower. The other alternative is what is affectionately called the "widow maker"- an electric device that is wired to the spout where the water comes out in your shower. DON'T TOUCH. This is an electric water heater and I love it.

Dish washers are pretty much unheard of. I don't mind hand-washing, especially since we have the electric water heater.

There are no electric stoves/ovens, that I'm aware of. Gas is nice and heats up quickly.

They do exist, but we don't have gas lines that come from a gas source directly into the house. Most people don't. So, we (meaning Scotty) lugs a very heavy gas tank to and fro the shop down the street or from gas trucks that drive by to replace your empty containers. I'm afraid to change the tank on the stove because I'm convinced I will do something wrong and blow up the house. It's not out of the realm of possibility.

Drinking tap water is a "no-no". Here is our beautiful water filter that actually says "Stefi" on the side. I guess that's her name.


We drink milk from liter bags. No milk jugs here. Sometimes they spring leaks on the way home from the grocery store and you don't realize it until you start unpacking milky food products.

Fruit and veggies must be soaked in disinfectant for a few mins before eaten. It's even advisable to soak your eggs cause they come in the nice, little egg cartons with bits of poop still stuck to them. Don't want to crack that into your frying pan!

Yogurt is sold in liter bottles and labeled "Ready to Drink". That's right- we don't want any rich, creamy yogurt with big fruit chunks...right? This stuff is drunk (drunken?) from a glass.

220, not 110. Too bad we've blown stereo equipment, coffee grinder, telephone, Vonage system, and various other things forgetting that fact.

Hence- there are many converters littered around the house. This one is very important- for our imported coffee grinder and crock pot.

Bath tubs aren't so common- standing showers are. I haven't taken a bath in at least a year (but lots of showers, don't worry).

Plumbing is not up to the standard necessary to flush your toilet paper. So, you put it in the trash can...I know, a little yucky. It also messes with your mind when travelling to and from the US.

Whirwind weekend

Frisbee... grocery shopping... cooking... cleaning... Bible study... friend's house... sleepover in the living room... church... friends for lunch... picking up furniture... sick baby. It was a full two days! The party in Mallasilla seemed to continue picking up speed and volume until it reached a crescendo Saturday afternoon. We had been invited mid-day on Saturday to visit some friends we haven't spent time with in a while and right before our weekly Bible study, we decided to invite ourselves to stay the night in their living room to avoid the drunken mayhem. It's Mallasilla's official birthday on Labor Day and one family each year throws a party for neighbors far and wide. What this includes, explained to us by our Bolivian friends, is spending tens of thousands of dollars on tents, sound equipment, and beer. Lots of beer. The families that participate in hosting these parties are the lower class and they are asked by the previous year's host, only to be completely rejected from the community if they are to say "no". No one says "no". Aymara are very communal and relational- there is no such thing as the individual, so to be rejected is basically the end of your life as you know it. So, what we know of construction workers, which would be a typical job for one of these men, we figured a yearly salary of less than $4,000. $4,000 yearly income and a 3-day party for $20,000= debt for years to come, or possibly the rest of your life. Besides being horrifically annoyed by the noise, we were extremely saddened to see so many living their lives for a momentary party that brings them acceptance from their neighbors. At one point, sometime late during the night before I had given up and put earplugs in (wanting to be able to hear Natty, who seemed to be waking from the music), I felt like I was in a scene from a movie. You know when someone goes to a fair and they get terribly sick or poisoned and the cameras pan to a close-up of a clown wildly laughing, children screaming with cotton candy in their hands, the merry-go-round whirling out of control- all with blurry, bright lights and blaring carnival music? Are you with me? This is how I felt lying in my dark bedroom- that's how ridiculous it was. So, we made the decision to skip night #3 of that all-inclusive party and work-it camping style on the living room floor of friends. It was SO quiet there.

So, after we had friends over for lunch today, we headed over to the house of a US military family who had offered us some old couches. Since they are moving, they also threw in a couple things they didn't want- a wooden rocking horse from Africa and a great, red kid's bike for Natty! As missionaries, we've learned the best things you can get here are from other missionaries (or foreigners) who are leaving. Natty looks too cute on her rocking horse!