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.