To all, Well I figured that I should bring you all up to date on the rest of my time in Bolivia and on the things that are going on in my life now. I know that this is little late seeing as I have been home for about two months but they have been very busy. The last 2 months of my time in Bolivia were amazing I made a lot of progress with Noemi one of the little Girls that I worked with she was only 4 when we got her but she looked more like she was 2 and could not speak very well. She was doing so amazing when I left. And I am sure that she is still doing amazing. Talita Cumi has some amazing big hearted staff. I miss working with them all. One of the big things that I learned is that it doesn’t mater how well you know the language. What maters is love and how you love. Love can cross so many bounders more than words or training can cross. Every one needs love in there lives and its sad when people especially kids get deprived of that need. So I want to thank you all for sharing your love with me, and making it possible to experience Bolivia the kids and the love that the kids have and being able to share my love and your love with them. I would ask that you continue to remember Talita Cumi the kids and staff in your prayers. Because of love their futures are bright ones. Ones filled with hope, purpose and love. And thanks to all of your generous financial giving the staff at Talita Cumi will have some money to do up keep and improvements on the facilities at the children’s home. And now I am working for my parents as well as starting my own massage business, as I just finished a 2 week Brandon Raynor course on massage therapy. I am also catching up with friends and adjusting to being home and all of the changes that took place while I was gone. I am looking forward to see what God has in store for my future and where He will lead me next, blessings on you all. Laura

I am safely home now and starting back to work.

My last few weeks in Bolivia were fantastic but very stressful. Saying good buy to the kids and staff at Talita Cumi was hard on all of us.

My time there is something that I will remember with fondness for the rest of my life.

It was an amazing experience. I enjoyed it completely. I am so glad that I went. God has done lots in my life over the last four months. And I will continue to learn new lessons from my time there.

I look forward to chatting with all of you and sharing photos of my trip with you.

I look forward to the future though I have no idea what the future holds. I know that God holds it in the palm of his hands and He is the master artist. So with that thought I continue forward to another day and to the Journey that God has for me.

I pray that God will bless you all richly, and thank you all for your prayers, support and encouragement. You have all been a blessing to me.

March 16 to April 4, 2009

Monday - this was a sad day as my aunt Debbie, passed away early in the morning. She had suffered form cancer for about 2 years. Though we are all glad that she will not suffer any more, we will all miss her. I also went to the Biocentre Güembe, which was a relaxing adventure. God gave me beautiful things and joy amidst the pain.

Tuesday- Thursday was for the most part the same as usual and a fantastic few days.

Friday, I along with a friend jumped on a plane to Tarija, and had some wonderful days there I got to see El Candalero coffee house and the Candalero street kids ministry and do a little sight seeing and I took a bunch of photos. We came back on Tuesday so it was an amazing few days. I saw lots, met lots of people and had a really good time.

Wednesday- was back to my amazing job and the kids, we had a good day.

Thursday evening I went with Holly. To the seamstress and was fitted for the dress that I am having made.

Friday - was the EFCCM potluck. The food was good, I took cookies, chocolate pudding stuff that I concocted, and home made garlic bread. There was lots of other fabulous stuff besides what I brought. And the night went really well. Jake and Marg gave me a ride home as the place they stay at in Santa Cruz is only a few blocks from my place. And they also picked me up for church Sunday morning.

Sunday- after church I headed out to the jungle with Jake and Marg Hoogland.
I stayed in there guest rooms/ team accommodations, It was nice. But I did not get much sleep because I went to bed at like 9:30 or 10:00 and the rain started crashing on the tin roof at 4:20 in the morning and did not quit till it was well past time to be getting up. So I did not sleep the best. For breakfast the Pastor of the Church a few villages away and two other men from different communities came and then talked with Jake and Marg and got some seeds and things to start crops of there own, they had lunch with us as well. Then Marg and I went to Villa Trinari to see if Hotel Puente would be suitable for some guests that are going to be staying with them for a bit. And so began the next part of my adventures in the jungle

we set off with the truck. You have to under stand that the road to there house is a dirt road. Well it’s more like a couple of bumpy vehicle tracks in the middle of no where with two feet deep water on both sides. The dirt in there area is clay and when you get clay wet it gets very slippery and there was lots of rain. About 2 or 3 miles down the road we got the truck stuck and I don’t mean pansy-stuck I mean high centered on one of the holes in the road. So there was no way the two of us were going to push is out. So we set off camera in hand, walking back to the house to get Jake to help us get the truck unstuck. On the way a guy with a motor bike passed us on his way to the community meeting. Jake was also attending this meeting. We asked him to tell Jake that we got the truck stuck and that we needed him and the quad to get it unstuck as we were walking and trying not to wipe out in the slippery clay-muck it started raining, and this was not just a little trickle it was a good rain. Jake met the soaked pair of us about 30 feet from the drive way to there house and we hopped on the quad and headed back to where the truck was stuck. We got to the truck and the rain stopped go figure, God has a good sense of humour. Jake was able to stay mostly dry as he figured out how to get the truck unstuck. There were no sticks around and digging it out was not an option though we did have a plant spade/latrine spade so Jake jacked the truck up with the tire jack in order to get the chains on the front tires. You probably did not know but ice chains are good for mud as well. Once we had the chains on Jake drove the truck to where the gravel starts which was not all that far from where the truck was stuck. We then took the chains off and continued on our adventure, Jake went home with the quad. and my camera was fine though it got a little moist. Though it may not sound like it this was so much fun I think that I smiled and laugh the whole time. And I felt so refreshed afterwards. Every thing went good till we got to hotel El Puente, just out side of Villa Trinari, including the two hitch hikers that we had a man and woman with a bicycle. We got to the hotel and as with most places your really not sure where the parking lot is so we stopped the truck kinda in the middle of nowhere and inquired about a room. This nice lady showed us to a room/cabin. And then we went to unload our stuff and re-park the truck. The truck would not start and I don’t just mean that it would not crank over I mean that we had no power what so ever. Though it was only 6:30 it was already dark. So we unloaded our stuff and ordered some supper at the hotel restaurant. Then we borrowed a flash light because the flash light that belongs in the truck did not get put back in its place after using it the night before. We popped the hood just to make sure that the battery had not been stolen in the time that it had taken us to look at the room. It was still there but the rubber thing that covers the red side of the battery had slide off so I put it back on and in the process wiggled the battery cable and so now we at least had lights. But the engine still would not turn over. So we decided to leave it and get a mechanic in the morning we ate our supper. It was very good. Steak, eggs, rice, and fries and cooked vegetables. They serve rice with every thing they look at you funny if you ask for a meal sin arroz (with out rice). We then showered and got all of the mud from earlier in the afternoon off of us. It was nice to be clean again. Shortly after we went to bed, and it started to rain again. And not just rain lighting and really loud thunder as well, suffice to say we did not sleep very well. In the morning we had tea and papaya juice for breakfast because the buns had cheese in them which I cant eat and Marg cant eat flour. But that was ok. The truck still would not start so we got a cab to take us to the wildlife refuge place which was not open then because of all the rain things were too wet. And the animals would not be out and about. So the nice taxi driver showed us around town and took us to talk with the mechanic, but the mechanic could not look at the truck till after 12:00. so we went to the market and bought some fruit then went back to the hotel and had the cab driver help us push the truck to see if we could push start it but first we had to get it pushed off of the hill and berme that it was stuck on. We got it unstuck, though I pulled a muscle in my back. Once it was unstuck we tried to start it again and it started just as if nothing was wrong with it. So we let it run while we took a walk and snapped some photos, me and Marg like talking the same kind of photos. After our relaxing walk we went to the animal refuge place this time it was open so we walked around there for a while and saw some monkeys and some birds and did a bit of hiking then we headed back towards Jake and Marg’s place and hoped that we would be able to get in with out getting stuck and we did as it had not rained much that day. we had supper and chatted some more and then I went to bed, and was woken up by the rain at like 2:00 in the morning, So I did not sleep to well. After breakfast we went for a walk to the river and took lots of pictures of butterflies and amazing plants and flowers. There is so many Hollywood trees there. After Marg and I took the quad to school where she teaches religion a couple times a month we sung songs and had fun with the kids. Then we met Jake and switched him for the truck as he thought it would be better for him to drive the truck out as we had lots more rain and the clay tracks / the road was very muddy and slippery. then we (Marg and I) drove in to Yapakani and had lunch at a chicken palace and then she got me a cab back to Santa Cruz. The ride to Santa Cruz was uneventful. My time at Jake and Marg’s was so much fun and so refreshing even though I did not sleep much. Jake and Marg Hoogland are amazing people and you should defiantly check out the work that they are doing, its amazing stuff.

Thursday- I went to work late because the ATM’s were being finicky and I did not have much cash left. But the day at work went well. and I had a good time. In the evening I went with Holly to the seamstress my dress in coming along nicely and should have it this coming week. Its very cute.

Friday – in the morning Uncle Steve and Aunt Myra arrived in Bolivia with some of their two week team. So we all went to Warren and Jackie’s place and had saltañas, and welcomed them to Bolivia. Oh and the ATM’s work again not sure why they were down for the two days but they were. I went to work for the after noon. And then went to meet a friend for coffee and to go souvenir shopping. But the plaza where we were going to meet was getting ready for a political march that they were having. It was supposed to start at 4:00 the same time I was to meet my friend. But I was early. My friend called me and said that she could not make it. So I ordered a frit salad and a sprite, and relaxed for a few minuets before getting a cab and heading to my place. There was nothing major going on yet and I felt safe so I did not worry about it. There were police all over the place and had the streets in to the plaza blocked so I had to walk a block or two to get a cab but no big deal.

Saturday April 4, 2009- I just chilled at my place went in the pool tanned a little and read a book studied Spanish and started organizing my stuff in order to gift things to people here and decide how much free space I have.

Thanks to my family and my many supporters and all of my friends for your prayers and encouragements. I am truly blessed by all of you.

As March begins and my time here draws to a close, my heart is hit with a conflict. On one hand I am thankful for all of the amazing things that I have experienced and the memories that I have made, and am looking forward to the rest of my time here and the things that it will hold. On the other, I am hit with the realization that my time here is running out with that comes a sense of urgency to make a difference and bless the kids at Talita Cumi and the people that I am working with.

Right now my work mostly consists of helping with homework and going to the park. The kids are amazing but they lack confidence in who they are and what they can do, so I am hoping that by playing sports and giving them something at which they can succeed will build confidence in their lives and help them tackle other things. As well, it gets them more active and helps to burn some of the energy that they have. So I am thinking of ways to expand the things that we do at the park. I have quite a few ideas I just have to see if I can find the things I need, in order to do them.

Three new girls Sonja, Miriam and Katrina have just joined us from one of the tribes out it the jungle the Yuqi. They speak both Spanish and Yuqi. They came to us because their family situations are not pleasant or their family can’t provide for them. They are sweet girls. The last few days have been really challenging for them as they get used to living in the city of Santa Cruz, and the modern living conditions that go with that verses living in the jungle with nothing modern, in sight. They are learning fast and fitting in wonderfully. I am looking forward to getting to know these girls over the next two months.

2 Timothy 4:7-8
I have made a good fight, I have come to the end of my journey, I have kept the faith:

From now on, the crown of righteousness is made ready for me, which the Lord, the upright judge, Will give to me at that day: and not only to me, but to all those who have had love for his revelation.

For the daily happenings of my time here in Bolivia, please check out my Blog at lauraslifeadventures.blogspot.com

For the glory of God

Laura

February 23- March 14

Ok so its been like 3 weeks since I have updated this my Blog. Sorry for that. But I will try and fill you in on what’s been going on.

The rest of the week after carnival went really well.
Friday we had the EFCCM pot luck, I brought sliced potatoes which we deep fried with Erna’s deep fryer, and they were good fries. On the weekend I went out to Pilone where the Trans World Radio (Radio Trans Mundial.) is, along with the woman’s shelter and the multipurpose building. We went to a German speaking church at one of the colonies. I understood nothing but it was still very interesting and good to experience. Over all it was a relaxing weekend. I took lots of pictures.

Over the course of the last three weeks we have also gotten some new additions to Talita Cumi.

One of our new additions is Naomi she is almost four. She has taken to me and occasionally calls me mom. She is cute. I have started teaching her the alphabet and numbers. She is learning fast.

The other Three Sonja Miriam and Katrina are from the Yuqui village out in the jungle. They are finding it a bit hard to adjust but they are amazing girls.

Last week Monday the 2nd was good I spent the morning with the four new girls Naomi Sonja, Miriam and Katrina. we played with my pink baseballs and a soccer ball we had fun. In the afternoon I went shopping with Heidi and bought fabric for a dress that I am having made. I bought some beads for the girls as well.

The rest of the week went well. on Friday the 6th we played fruit soup in the morning it was so much fun. I had to remember all sorts of fruit names it was kind of hard but we had so much fun.

Saturday was a “para” a stop day where you’re supposed to clean your house and make sure that you don’t have any thing contributing to the dengue epidemic. Our house was marked dengue free. But because it was a stop day I did not go out.

Sunday was Jackie’s Birthday so the beams had us and some other friends over for a birthday lunch for her.
Sunday night I started house sitting for some friends, which has been fun and they live close to where I work so I can walk to and from work. Which is a good thing, I need the exercise.

Wednesday the 11. Jackie had a surprise birthday party for me it was so much fun it was themed strawberry short cake. I love strawberries and I love the strawberry shortcake girl. I got to ware a hat and there were surprise bags. And it was just so much fun, it was my first ever surprise party. I feel so spoiled and cherished.

My actual birthday was not the best day, but it was still good. I ended up sick just before noon but the morning and the evening were both good.

Friday at the home they sung happy birthday to me and one of the boys Cesar whose birthday was on Friday, they encouraged us and affirmed us and prayed for us. we had cup cakes that Heidi made that were dairy free. It was so cool to experience.

To day I am just talking it easy and catching up on things that have been undone for a while.

I do have a few prayer requests that I want to share with you.

1- pray for Naomi
2- pray for all of the kids of Talita Cumi.
3- pray that I will stay focused as my time here comes to a close.
4- Pray for safety as I travel to visit some of our other missionaries
5- Pray that God will continue to use me wherever I am.


Blessings on all of you and thank you for your prayers they are greatly appreciated.

February 16th to 22nd

Monday was a good day at work. In the morning Lucas and I played with play dough and I taught him new words in English, like Octopus. We had lunch then I helped Christina with home work, the girls had lots of home work to do and so we did not go to the park.

Tuesday, Lucas was busy for the morning and I had home work to do for the ladies bible study that I’m going to we are doing a study by Beth Moor on the fruit of the spirit. It’s really good but has a lot of home work. Andy was also there in the morning so we chatted and read and sort of hung out. The kids came home we had lunch then the girls had to do laundry after they were done there laundry and homework we went to the park and had fun.

Wednesday morning I helped Heidi paint scarves and things, some of the kids were home as the school was having a dance for carnival. And it was morally incorrect for the kids to attend school. We had lunch and then I got sick and had to go home. I slept for the rest of the day

Thursday morning I still did not feel that good. So I stayed home and babied my head it still hurt a lot, by supper I was feeling a lot better and went to some missionary friends the Fehrs for supper and met Olya, she is a Friend of the Fehrs that’s from Saskatoon and is working at one of the other children’s homes here in Santa Cruz. She is very nice and bubbly I like her.

Friday I got sick all over again, and did not go to work, or do much of anything.

Saturday I picked up a few groceries, and made cookies.

Sunday I went to church it was good then I came home for lunch and Skyped my family and talked to most of them as they were all together for Chris’s birthday. It was so cool to be able to talk to them, I had a fun time though I wish that I could have been home for it, it sounded really fun.

This is a long weekend because of Carnival so I am off work till Wednesday which is kind of nice. I have not participated in any of the events that are happening for Carnival. So I have got lots of things done at my place and got caught up on emails and chatted with friends on Facebook MSN and such things.


I hope and pray that you are all in good health. And that God is shining bright in the midst of the snow and cold. With love thank you all for your prayers they are greatly appreciated.

Feb 9-15 2009

Monday was my first day back at work, it was a slow day the kids were all in school for the morning but I did not know this when I went or what time they would be getting home from school so I spent the morning reading a book and just relaxing which was nice as I was still getting over being sick with bronchitis. The kids came home just before lunch we read books for a bit had lunch and then I helped them with home work it was raining so we could not go to the park.

Tuesday was such a good day it started with hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock then time spent with God then breakfast and getting ready for work, then the taxi ride to work was, let’s just say comical. All the kids have school in the morning except the directors son so I watched transformers with him and talked English (as to his mothers request) then I read a book and met a really cool guy his name is Andy he’s from Minnesota. Then the kids all came home and we had lunch, after lunch we did home work and read books then we went to the park just as we got there it started to rain and the girls decided to play in the rain and get soaked the boys met us at the park so all the kids got soaked together it was so much fun watching them play and wipe out in the rain oh and I met yet another boy a friend of Tony the guy I work with that’s form Manitoba. His friend is from Paraguay I can’t remember or pronounce his name. There is no special reason why this was such a good day besides the fact that I invited God to hang out with me, and God answers prays.

Wednesday I spent the morning with Lucas the director’s son. We watched Stewart little and then played and coloured along with Tia Heidi and we talked English it was fun. The kids got home in time for lunch. After lunch we did homework, the girls had a lot of home work and it took us till, my home time to complete it. The kids are so smart the math that they can do is incredible, I happen to dislike math and have never been good at it, so the complexity of the math problems that they can do astounds me.

Thursday was really rainy, so the kids did not go to school, so we did homework all morning, and some of the afternoon. The rain cleared up in the afternoon so we went to the park and had a lot of fun.

Friday the honour roll students at the Santa Cruz Cooperative high school had all the kids and some of the staff from Talita Cumi over for an afternoon of games and Pizza. It was so much fun the kids had a blast, and for participation each of the kids got a bag of candy, and the wining team got a basketball and volleyball. There was so much Pizza that the kids got to eat as much as they wanted. It was amazing to have high school students put on an event for the kids at the home. You could defiantly feel the energy, and enthusiasm that everyone had not just the kids but the students as well. It was defiantly a cool way to bless the kids of Talita Cumi.,

Saturday, I just relaxed, went shopping and made cookies. And talked to people on MSN, Facebook and such stuff and I got this really cute and hilarious Valentines Day e-card, from one of the boys that worked at camp silversides with.

Today I went to church and then to the Beams for lunch we had salteñas they were good I had a fun time at lunch. It was nice to be asked over especially because I don’t know that many people. I also got invited to go to the parade at carnival I’m not sure if I will go though. I am still thinking about it. It could be fun. After lunch I came home and chated with friends over the internet. And Skype my parents and my uncle Gary, we had some good talks. And now I think I am going to get ready for bed and maybe watch a movie.

I hope all of you amazing people back home are doing well and that God is present in your lives in a big way. Blessings on you all, may Gods love abound in your life.

Monday I was not feeling good so I went to work for part of the morning and then took the rest of the day off to recuperate to hopefully go for the whole day on Tuesday but that did not work as I had a fever on Tuesday so I spent the whole day home doing nothing.

Wednesday I was till not feeling better so I went to the Doctor, they took chest x-rays which were funky looking, I found out that I have bronchitis, the Doctor prescribed antibiotics and come cough syrup which seem to be doing the trick but they make me kind-of loopy. After the doctor I decided to take the rest of the week off work as I do not want to give the kids what I got. So it has been sort of a long week. But I finished reading a book, so that was good.

On Saturday went grocery shopping which I desperately needed to do as I did not have much left in the house to eat, I also attempted to make bread and I think that I have failed it doesn’t taste bad but it did not rise like I wanted it to and its kind of doughy I will have to try some thing different next time.

I went to church on Sunday the serves was good. But I got sick from my allergies on the way home and spent the afternoon in bed. But over all it was a good week.

Well this has been a long hot week. Jan 26 - Feb 1

Almost everyday this week I have been to the park with the girls. We played soccer and climbed trees. Most of the days we played soccer with kids from the neighbourhood this was very fun, some of the girls are really good.

This week and sadly only this week, we had two volunteers from Texas. These girls were really nice and were a blessing at Talita Cumi, the home where I work. We spent one of the evenings at my house in the pool, that was a very hot day and the pool was relaxing for all, I was thrilled to have had them over.

I am doing better with my Spanish. I’m getting more comfortable using it, which is always a good thing.

I am getting a pretty nice tan. People keep commenting that I am getting darker, which is ok considering that I live in a hot sunny country.

I have not been sleeping very well lately, but I did get new pillows which seem to be helping out some, but it is defiantly hard to sleep in the heat I hope to buy a fan this week.

I am still getting over my cold, and yesterday was sick from my allergies and am still recovering this fine Sunday. Though right now my whole body is sore from being sick with my allergies and getting comfortable is a hard thing to do. Though I did manage to nap in the hammock for a few hours yesterday

I went to church this morning, though all through the serves I was thinking that I should have just stayed home, but I am glad that I went the sermon was very good. After church we (like 16 of us) went out for lunch. We had Chinese it was good but I did not eat that much, at least not nearly as much as I normally eat at Chinese restaurants.

To day I am just taking it easy and recovering, I may walk across the street and buy some movies but I have not decided for sure if I will. Though I would like to get a few more Disney classics to watch is Spanish.


Well that is how my week went I hope yours was just as exciting and full of God working in your life. May you all be richly blessed as you go about his work. thank you all for praying for me it is truly a blessing.

On Monday night I moved to the place where I will live for the rest of my time in Bolivia. It’s a big house with a pool and we have a maid during the week. My house is just down the street from a grocery store I have shopped there a few times now.

I am learning to cook new things the other day I made coconut rice with garlic, I had leftovers and we do not have a microwave so with the leftovers I made rice pudding just by adding some cinnamon, cloves and sugar it was really good, and Saturday I made pasta, the noodles I used were these really tiny bowties it was very good but I ate to much.

My cold turned in to more of a stomach thing with the trots for a few days. But I am feeling much better now and just have a bit of a cough.

On Thursday I went to week after being sick for like a week. It was a good day I went to the park with the Girls we had fun. Friday they made pizzas again and I got them to make one for me with out cheese, I may have that for Sunday lunch. Friday I went to the park with the boys it went well to start with but then they started fighting and annoying each other and throwing dirt I told them several times to stop or we would go back to the house they sort of listened but I ended up with a handful of dirt in my face so that ended the outing at the park.

Saturday I caught up with e-mails and such and I was going to go to youth but warren cant find the keys to the land rover so they took the bikes to youth so there was not room for me and I have no idea how to get there in a taxi so I stayed home and watched Marley and Me, my roommate owns it. Here is a side note, most if not all of the movies that you can buy here in Bolivia are burned disks. Such a warm night my father would love it here, as I do I love the heat but I miss the snow and sleigh rides, and warm fires and singing. Oh well I really can’t complain it’s not worth it and I am enjoying myself here.

I have seen so many cool things here like giant toads in holes in the middle of the side walk, amazing flowers that smell so interesting, markets like you can’t imagine.

Oh here is a cool thing that I am thrilled about, but there is a bit of a story behind this so I will start at the beginning….. Ok so when I was is Argentina I came across these green gummies and fell in love with them they are flavoured eucalyptus and I think that they are just the best thing, my friends at school thought that they were gross but I love them, which is about the only think that I really missed from Argentina. And they don’t have the in Canada at least not that I have found (so sad) anyways I found them here and bought a whole bag of them they are like the best kind of gummies I have ever found and you probably thinking eucalyptus yuk but that’s ok, I like them and that’s what matters, and they are GREEN. Woohoo

The sun burn that I got the other day when we went to the pool with the kids is finally peeling but its mostly just my back where I have not been diligent with lotion, my knees which where burned the worst have not peeled yet and I hope that they don’t. its like the weirdest thing my arms are so much darker that my stomach so when I put my arm across my torso I look like tow different people its awkward but I am slowly fixing this emphasis on the slowly, I do not want to burn like I did last time.

This morning I slept in some and have not done much I studied some Spanish and read a little and watched Cinderella in Spanish, though it’s a Sunday there is no church because Bolivia is having a vote for the new constitution so every thing is closed. People are very riled up about the vote, I think most people don’t want it to go through but the government may have enough money to make it go through, I am praying that Gods will be done in this situation.

I am loving it here and am thrilled about the things that God is doing in my life. I am reading so many amazing books, about how to be a woman of God. I feel as though I lack so much in the area of being quintessently feminine and yet being motivated to succeeding and rise to the top in a male orientated world. I want to fill the womanly roll that God lays out for us ladies in the bible.

Thank you all for praying for me and supporting me in this adventure in my life. I am so blessed to have you all in my life, you truly have no idea how much I appreciate all of you.

In other news….. I ask that you would pray for my aunt Debbie she has been battling cancer for a while now and was doing better but the Doctors have found a tumour in her brain, the tumour is in the center of her brain so operating is not possible they are trying to shrink it with chemo and other drugs but I would ask that you pray for complete healing for her. And pray for her husband as well as this is a time of uncertainty.

If you read this (my blog) on a regular basis please become a fan so that I know people are counting on me to keep it up dated.

I am usually online Saturday and Sundays during the day. If you send me messages on face book or e-mail me I probably won’t respond till the weekend but pleas do message me. I want to here what is going on in your life.

Thursday I felt better and went to work it was a good day they had a meeting and I had all of the boys to watch over we watched a movie. Some of the boys were really well behaved but some of them were not but the oldest boy Alex he is 17 or 18 he helped me with the rest of the boys so that was good. Friday I tried to read to the girls but it ended in cough in fits. We also made pizza the older girls at the home have a pizza business, so with the help of a missionary lady Erna Friesen we revamped there pizzas. She is an amazing lady and a good cook by what I hear, so I helped translate a bit for her she knows some Spanish but her ministry is in German. So that was fun, I got the girls to make me one with out cheese it was very good.

On Saturday morning we went to the Ferria a huge permanent market that has like 6 big buildings a little bigger in size than the prairie pavilion at the westerner park. We only made it through like half of one of the buildings.

On Saturday after noon I had a meeting with the teachers that I am moving in with, to see if it would work out to live to together and they said that yes it would.

I tried to go to church on Sunday but with miscommunication with the taxi I did not end up going. We tried to go to a movie but it was in Spanish and we did not think that we wanted to tackle that so we went to the main plaza and walked around and went up the bell tower in the cathedral it was fun but the stairs were spiralled and tiny so I was dizzy by the time I got to the top which made looking out over the city hard to enjoy because I was dizzy. We then went and looked at the market booths that were set up in the plaza. Then we went to the cultural building and looked at the paintings and stuff then we went for lunch at Alexander’s Coffee. Then we went to a grocery store and got bedding for my new place, and I will probably go grocery shopping tonight or tomorrow depending when I move.

Over the weekend my cold has gotten worse so last night I picked up some cough syrup and it kind of seems to be doing some thing so hope fully by the end of this week I will be better. to day is Monday and I have taken the day off to pack my things and rest some.

I hope to get into more of a routine ounce I move, there are lots of things that I want to accomplish in my own personal life while I am here and a routine will help me with that.

I hope all of you are doing good and enjoying my Blog please let me know if you are following my Blog so that I will be motivated to keep it up to date. And pleas feel free to tell you friends about me and that things that I am doing, spread as much excitement as you can, its all for the glory of God.

Love you all and remember a little time with God is better than nothing

Saturday was youth and we had lots of fun we played games with my pink baseballs the games were so fun we played the chin passing game and the under over game but here they play it a little different when the ball gets to the back of the line the person then has to go over and under all the people in front of them to the front of the line and then start the ball again it was so much fun. I think that I will be attending this youth group regularly. Church was good as well the pastor Andy Pardington talked about how God is a global God (Isaiah 44:24 – 45:25 the three points of his message were 1 the start point of missions is always God. 2 his purpose should be out purpose and 3 his concern should be out concern.

Here are three things the help us share the gospel
- God has the authority to achieve his goals
- His purpose, he redeems his people
- His concern, he calls all people.

After church we went to lunch with the Friesens and the Beams and the whole McCaig house hold we went to a Mexican restaurant the food was good but I had to be really picky. We tried to go see “Marley and Me” on Sunday night, but it was sold out so we bought movies instead, and we watched “Mr Magouriums Wonder Emporium” at home, it was fun.


Here is a poem I wrote, hope you like it

With Out

With out love, I am nothing
With out passion, I do not truly live
With out trust, I can not achieve my purpose
With out Christ in my life
I am empty and dead and these things
Love, Passion, Trust matter not



Monday at work I was pleasantly surprised they had just gotten new books from some one that had once helped out at the home, the books are all in Spanish but they are new and the kids have not yet seen them. And it is my privilege to read them with the girls one on one, it is such a blessing to show the girls love in this way. In the afternoons I still go to the cancha with all the kids that want to both the boys and the girls it is so much fun. On Tuesday we went to the home of this amazing couple and went swimming in there pool all the kids and some of the staff went it was a good day had by all, they served us lunch as well it was some amazing food there was stake and sausage and rice and all was cooked to perfection so delicious. The couple even gave all of the kids and the staff presents the younger girls got Barbie dolls and the younger boys god bow and arrow Nerf like sets and the older kids and the staff got bags with there company logo on it. (My bag is green and black) We all had a wonderful day, I got sunburnt but hopefully I won’t peel to bad. Monday night Tuesday morning I got a sore throat and this morning (Wednesday) I could hardly talk without my voice dropping half way through what I was saying so I have taken the day off to try and get better before it gets worse and I lose my voice completely so I slept most of the morning hand have doubled up on some of my vitamins like my C and garlic and Echinacea and my greens I hopes that I can kill this thing before it gets the best of me. Right now I am drinking hot tea to try and sooth my throat and try and kill the bacteria.


Though I am so far away from every one I am not as lonely as one should think. I have talked to both of my parents and unlike when I was in Argentina for school, phoning them dose not result in a sob fest, instead I glow with smiles and feel like every thing is all right. If any of you would like to try and Skype me, my Skype thing is Laura.Suzanne1 I am going to try and do internet stuff on Saturdays so if you want you can see if you can get me on a Saturday though I would ask that you do not try and call me after 5:30pm because I will be on with my parents but any time that I am on before 5:30pm your time you can try me. I am three hours ahead of you guys in Alberta so do try and take that in to consideration when you decide you would like to chat with me. But I am totally up for hearing from all of you. I hope this week has been a good one for you. Blessings to all.

Well I have been here almost a week and it has been fun, exciting and emotional. I haven’t exactly cried yet but I have come close many times. I started work to day it was good full of things. in the morning I tutored one of the younger boys. Then I helped paint one of the amazing works of art that they do to help supplement there funds. Some are scarves others are shirts and other things, it was so much fun. The art work that they do is all for sale, and they do custom art as well. We had lunch together and after I helped finish the paintings. while the older kids were having English class, then we went to the cancha (soccer field) and played games with my pink baseballs it was fun I tried to teach them a new game but they didn’t get the concept of it and it was hard to explain in Spanish. we were at the park till 5ish then we got back to the home and I got a taxi back to Jackie’s place. Even though emotions ran high every thing went really well and it was a good first day at my work. The next day was really good I took the kids to the cancha by myself their was eight of them and me. It went really well the next two days were rained out and Friday I had most of the kids especially the younger boys while the other staff was is a meeting with a psychologist on how to discipline the kids with out being physical, at work I usually end up with the kids hanging all over me its exhausting but well worth it all I can hope is that they feel loved. And now it’s the week end and I don’t have to work. On Thursday we went and saw Yes man, at the cine center it was so funny it was in English with Spanish subtitles so it was really interesting because our row of five would get the joke before the rest of the crowd and then they would laugh seconds latter so it was like delayed reaction but not really because that was how long it took them to read the joke. Any ways I am doing really well so far it has been a very good adventure, though the food keeps trying to kill me.

If any of you want more info about the art at Talita Cumi let me know and I will get you the info

well i am in Bolivia now. and i'm still excited to see what God will do through and in me.

i had very good flights and nice people to talk to all of my seat mates were guys, the first one i did not talk to because he listend to his iPod the whole time the next was a military officer in the american navy and the last was from bolivia that has lived all over the world.

i have had such a good time so far, i got in only yesterday and i have aready been to a theater and watched Nick and Norahs infinite play list, it was is english with spanish subtitles witch was good because i was so tired from flying the whole day befor and that morning. the movie was ok the whole gum thing was the funniest thing.

we also went grocery shopping it was fun and a little chalenging. After we went to a nice resturant called Micalangelos it has very good italian food. i slept realy good last night partly because i was exausted from traveling and did not have a nap when i got in and because my tummy was so full of food.

now we are just about to get ready to have some supper, i think and then after supper we are going to youth at Warren and Jackies church.

i am living with Warren and Jackie for a few weeks till the teacher that i will be living with is home from summer vacation and then i will meet her room mates and see if things will work out.
Jackie has me in the Guest house. so i have my own batheroom and i have the only airconditioning. because the one in the office is curently broken. so my room is chilly and i slept with blankets last night.

things as far as food are kinda fend for yourslef so for breakfast and lunch so its kinda like home.

i will not be meeting the kids and staff at the home till monday i'm looking forward to it.

thank you all for praying and for the notes that you wrote in my book they made my heart melt i am blessed to know each one of you. and thank God for you daily

Laura