Seasons.

I feel like I hear the word "season" a lot in the Christian vocabulary (mine included)...  A "season of quiet" or a "season of busyness" or a "season of rest".  It's a good word, I think, because there does seem to be defined periods of time that the Lord creates in our lives that often have distinct beginnings and/or endings.  I think I'm coming to an end of a season, of sorts.  And, I'm not sure how well I'm handling it.  It's the season of babies.  I've had my last, unless the Lord adds by adoption.  One child is starting school in a few weeks.  I went to her little kindergarten and enrolled her yesterday.  Then I bought her some jello to make myself feel better.  I'm not freaking out yet, but I might cry a bit the week she starts.  I had to remind myself that some missionaries have to send their kids to boarding school and at least she'll still be living with us and home in the afternoons.  Also, I'm planning a huge first birthday party for next month.  My baby is going to be one.  So, I feel this change and have been feeling it coming ever since Jubilee was born.  My kids will only get older and bigger and more mature now.  We won't go through newborn cries and breastfeeding and snugly baby stages anymore.  I think I've done a fair amount of grieving (or complaining) about that already so I'm starting to come to terms with it.  But, it feels weird.  However, I'm starting to learn that life is a series of events that may or may not be exactly what you want and  you can choose to fight against them or trust that they are the Lord's perfect plan for your life and they are good.  I'm working on the latter.

Differences.

Sometimes we're surprised by how frequently we continue to clash with Bolivian culture.  I think we're realizing that we are and always will have a North American way of thinking and reasoning and it's not something we're always even aware of until we find ourselves frustrated inexplicably.  It's helpful to see it, however, and to come to understand the fundamental differences that shape Bolivians in their own special way.  So, as Scotty and I continue to adjust to life here after almost 10 years (!), I just wanted to share more about what I love about this country.  Yesterday, Scotty and I had a few minutes in the afternoon to take a walk together.  We walked as a family to a house nearby where Natty has a special friend, dropped her off, and then hiked around with Jubilee in her backpack.  As we were returning, we ran into a new-ish neighbor that we have exchanged pleasantries with a handful of times, but don't know well.  She was walking with her sister and we stood around for some time talking with her, sharing our hopes to start building our home across the street from her very soon and so on.  Her sister, who doesn't even live in Bolivia anymore, offered the use of her house (that she stays at when she is in town) to store building materials in if we want to buy them early before prices go up again.  She told us to stop by anytime and made sure that we knew exactly where her house was and gave us the exact date of her departure so that we could catch her before she leaves.  Our neighbor offered to give us any help we might need as we thought about starting our house, since they had recently built their own home.  A common phrase I hear here is "cualquier cosa"- if people can do anything for you, they will and are honored to be asked.  I love how involved people want to be in your life and that feel of community you have with your neighbors and those in your circle.  It can be tough to get used to from our very independent mindset when you're given unsolicited advice from everyone and anyone, but we see now that it means people care and I see how much closer that is to what God intends for us as His family- to be intimately involved in each others lives.  I pray that I can learn from my Bolivian friends.