A random conversation...

Larry was at my house for breakfast on Monday.  We do a discipleship thing every week.  After we were done, we were just kind of shooting the breeze.  He was wearing shorts and I noticed a scar on his leg behind his knee so I asked him how he got it.  He said that he got tangled up in some barbed wire when he was a kid and instead of trying to get out slowly, he just ripped it loose and gave himself a pretty good scar.

Then he pointed to a scar on his other leg and said that he got that one when a monkey bit him. 

I was like, "A monkey?  How did that happen?  Was it a wild monkey?" 

"No, it was a pet."

"Why did it bite you? 

He got kind of a sheepish look on his face.

"Well...I kind of bugged it a lot."

Then he showed me a scar on his stomach and said he got it in a fight...the guy stabbed him.  Then he showed me another scar on his back, "Here too."

Then he pointed to the scar on his cheek.  That one was from the motorbike accident in September. 

Then he started laughing...the one on his forehead?  Well, he had a bracelet on his wrist and a dog jumped up and bit onto it with it's mouth and wouldn't let go.  So Larry was trying to get rid of the dog by cutting the bracelet off with a knife.  When the knife finally cut through the string and the dog and braclet fell off his wrist, the knife arm jerked upwards and he stabbed himself in the forehead. 

I laughed very hard.

I love these conversations...

"Bolivia: Treasures Within"

As some of you know, my friend Jacqueline was down here filming a travel show about Bolivia this past year.  I had a ton of fun driving her around and being the entertainment while she did her filming.

Well...okay...she was pretty entertaining all by herself.  I think we may have egged each other on a little.

If you want a little better idea of what Bolivia is like and where I live, take a look at the 90 sec trailer she posted.  It's a lot of fun!  There are a couple of money shots of my truck that I'm proud of.  And Andres got a speaking part...




If you come visit me we'll have an adventure! 

Taxi cab confessions...

Yimy had the truck today helping someone, so I was briefly forced to take a taxi. 

Public transportation never ceases to amuse and entertain me.  When I'm in it.  When I'm following it in my truck it makes me want to ram it and drive over it.

Anyhow...here's my conversation with my driver.

Driver: "That's our casino."  (as we drive past a casino that's been closed for a couple of years)  "It's closed."

Then he says with disgust..."Evo."

Evo is our president of whom many (most) lowlanders are not a fan of.  He's to blame for all of the ills that befall us. Including, it seems, the closing of the casino (which didn't pay it's taxes and was therefore shut down).

The conversation continues.

"Where are you from?  The United States or Europe?"

"I'm from Canada."

"Canada?!" he says approvingly.  "CanaDA.  CanaDA.  CanaDA" 

He just kept saying it every couple of seconds as we drove.  Then he asked, "Is that close to Holland?"

"No.  But it's close to the United States."

"Ah..."

We drove in silence for a time.

"How long have you been in Bolivia?"

"About seven years."

"SEVEN YEARS?!"  He seemed impressed by this.

"Are you going to marry a Bolivian girl?"  'Cause you know...that's the next obvious question.

Laughing a little I replied, "I don't know.  I dated a Bolivian girl a couple of years ago."  Why I volunteered this information I have no idea.  It just encouraged him.

"You did?  But you're not with her now?"

"No."

"Why?  Was it because she wanted to get married and you you didn't?"

"Uh...no not exactly."

"Was it because you wanted to get married but she didn't?"

"Uh...no not exactly."  At this point I really want out of this weirdly personal and awkward conversation with my total stranger taxi driver so I start tapping my fingers on the door in time to the music.

"Ah you like this music?!"  He's sufficiently distracted.

"Of course.  It's clasic rock!"  It was some song in English from the 1970's.

"Yes!  It's my favourite!  How old are you?"  Again with the weirdly personal questions.

"45."

"Then you understand about this music!"  Yes...because I was 4 when this song came out.

"There's a bar where only single people go to meet other single people who like this music too.  People who are 40 or 45 or 50." 

Uh...

Not sure how to respond to that.

As I'm contemplating my answer he says, "So you're Catholic." 

Seriously I can't keep up.

"Uh no...I'm evangelical."  Thinking this conversation is moving in a more serious, spiritual direction I add, "I work here with a Baptist group."

"AND YOU LIKE THIS MUSIC?!?"  he yells at me and starts killing himself laughing.

I start laughing too.  "Of course!  And lots of my friends like it too!"

"Truthfully?!"

"Yes!"

At this point we've arrived at my destination and I pay him.  As I get out of the car and he drives away I hear one more, "CanaDA" and him still laughing. 

Ah public transportation...

Why won't it stop raining?!

For those of you who aren't on Facebook...let me recap briefly...

I wanted to do something a bit different with this class from SCS, so Tuesday we took the group up into the jungle to our favourite waterfalls.  Yimy and I checked the road out the day before and it was fine...nice and dry and no major issues. 

We had a fun (if a little rough) trip in and then the kids had the chance to enjoy one of the prettiest places I know.  One of the girls said she was speechless for three minutes before she could do anything.  =)

While we were swimming and enjoying lunch, it started to rain.  I figured it was just a little shower like we've been having off and on for the past couple of weeks.  Usually the sun is out again after a few minutes.

Except this time it didn't happen.  It just kept raining.

So we decided to take off early and head back into the city before the road got too bad. 

Yea...missed that one by a bit. 

I was in the first truck and I knew right away we were in trouble.  My truck handled the mud well enough (okay...there was a little sliding around but nothing too major), but I knew the bus was going to have problems.  I sent Americo hiking back to tell the bus not to try to go anywhere (he ran for 45 minutes), while I drove my group of kids out.  I figured we could ferry the kids out in the two trucks...I had no idea what we were going to do with the bus.

We waited out at the river and after a bit, Yimy arrived with the other truck and the rest of the kids.  We hired another bus to drive the kids back into the city and I went with them while Yimy headed back to where the bus was stuck.  He and a couple of the guys got the bus unstuck and tried to convince the driver to park the bus at someone's house and leave with them until it was dry enough to drive out.  He didn't want to leave, so Yimy and the guys headed back to the city (at 4 AM).

The SCS group got away fine the next morning and in the afternoon (after sleeping) Yimy, Roberto and Larry tried to get back to the bus via another road that didn't have to cross the river.  By now the news was reporting that low-lying areas along the river were being evacuated (by helicopter) and that the river was expected to rise by two metres overnight.

The guys didn't make it either.  I was waiting for updates and at 2 AM they called and said they were stuck.  At 4 AM they said they were going to sleep in the truck and try to find a tractor in the morning.

The next day Americo and I borrowed a friend's truck and went looking for them. 

I took pictures...

Roberto sleeping in the park of a little village

after walking out of the jungle with Yimy for six hours...

 

 

We parked my friend's truck and walked in the last mile or so...

 

 

The truck was in the middle of that mudhole at 4 AM...

 

 

By the time we got there Larry had found someone with

a tractor to pull the truck out...

 

 

The guys all happy that the truck is out of the mud...

 

 

10 minutes later...

 

 

Words fail...

 

 

Yimy tried to dig for awhile and then he and Larry went

after the tractor guys while I, Roberto and Americo kept at it.

 

My back is feelin' it today...

 

 

The guys shovelled sand into the box to try

and weigh it down a little...

 

 

Ohhh...the cab of my truck...

 

 

Yimy had to take the truck to three different places today

before he found someone willing to wash it...

 

 

Roberto's sandals...

 

Well...technically they're mine since he borrowed them from me.

 

I got the car wash guy to power wash my shoes when

I had my friend's truck washed...

 

 

Finally the tractor showed up...

 

 

The tractor guys made a killing off me.  But I had no option...and they knew that.  Oh well...they were nice enough guys otherwise. 

We eventually made it out of the jungle (I've never been that far back into the middle of nowhere) and after one other dicey spot we were on our way home.

The bus driver is still waiting with his bus.  I heard today that the rain is supposed to let up by Sunday but I'm sure it'll be a day or two after that before he can drive out. 

I imagine he'll be grumpy.

We will be paying him for his time, so hopefully that will help.  But I don't imagine he'll be driving for us next year.  =) 

Anyhow...thanks for praying for us and please keep praying for the driver.  I feel bad about what's happened, even though it wasn't really anyone's fault and we've tried hard to get to him.  I'm sure it'll be fine eventually but I'll be glad when it's over.

So...another day in South America...

My Little Shoeshiner Family...

Last year I wrote a little about this family and how I know them.  I haven't seen them in awhile, but last week as I drove past the Cristo statue and stopped at the traffic light, Christian came running out from the sidewalk waving his list of school supplies.  I have no idea how many days he'd been there watching for me, but I guess he knew I'd drive past eventually.

You should read the above link, but just in case you don't, Christian and his brothers are shoeshiner kids I got to know a number of years ago.  I help them out whenever I can and I took Christian and his brother to buy their school supplies last year.

So we made plans to get together this morning to buy the supplies they need for this school year (school starts in February here). 

Larry and I arrived at the house only to be handed the school lists of all the kids (six) who are currently in classes (there are ten kids all together).  But it's tough to say no when you see how this family lives and how hard they're trying to stay together and maintain a "normal" life.

We picked up Maribel...after being lost for half an hour on a "shortcut".  The funny part was the family was so excited about everything we saw...so I don't think it mattered much.  I imagine it was the first time for the two youngest girls to ride in a car or truck or vehicle in general (other than a city bus).

We also went by the children's home where Andres and Sandro have their soccer ministry.  I wanted to show the boys and invite them to be a part of it.  I think they were excited about it because I got asked about every five minutes for the rest of the morning when I was going to take them back.   =)  So they'll be going next week for sure!

Maribel went with the kids' mom and Christian to buy everything while Larry and I entertained the two girls and little Brian.  Turns out it's tough to entertain little kids in a vehicle for an hour and a half. 

So I taught them rock, paper, scissors.  It was lots of fun.

The three youngest. 

 

I wish I'd gotten a picture of the disgust on Brian's face

right after this from having his sister's arm around him...

 

 

...without his sister's arm around him...

 

 

Rock, paper, scissors...

 

 

Funny enough...Larry lost a lot...he's a bit predictable.

 

 

If you look closely his arm is actually red....

 

It's mostly from me...I don't claim to be the best parent.

 

 

Seriously...this went on for like an hour.  Kid are weird. 

 

 

Back at the house with all the bags of school supplies.

 

There were lots of smiles and happy faces!

 

 

Mom and the kids looking through their bags of goodies!

 

I still really love their purple house with green chairs....

 

It helps to have these moments when life get's grumpy.  It's good to remember that God has good plans for us.  I also need to say a big thank you to the Christian School kids...they're coming in a month and some of the extra ministry money they raised went towards buying these school supplies.  It was over $300 US for everything, so it was a huge blessing to have those funds!  I don't know you all yet, but THANKS GUYS!

And that was my morning...
 

Visitors from Canada!

A few months ago I saw on Facebook that my friends were going on a cruise and were leaving out of Miami.  Jokingly I wrote them and asked them why, if they were that close, they didn't just come all the way down and visit.  Marilyn wrote back with some questions about how that would work and I realized they were serious and then, low and behold, they showed up in Bolivia!

So it seems that annoying pestering thing I do asking all my friends why they don't come visit finally paid off!  =) 

It was great introducing them to Santa Cruz and showing them the house and ministry.  They had the chance to meet and hang out with the guys (Darcy taught Larry how to fix chairs and repair cupboard drawers!) and we had a lot of fun just hanging out and catching up. 

Their last day here we piled them into the truck and Yimy and I drove them to one of the guys' favourite spots....the waterfalls...

First you drive across the river...

 

The view looking back...

 

The road into the jungle...

 

Just to be clear...we're not stuck...

My truck goes through everything!  =)

 

My sandals after getting out to drag a log off the road...

 

Where we were headed...

 

Marilyn and Darcy!

 

Lunch on the rocks...

 

Nothing like a little after lunch swim...

 

Yimy on the ledge...

 

Darcy getting ready to cliff jump!

 

Hiking back down the mountain...

 

There are pools and waterfalls all the way down...

 

Yea...it was a good day!  Nothin' like a little adventure...

 

 

And that was hanging out in the jungle!  Sorry for those of you who were enjoying those -25 C snowy days back in Saskatchewan.  =)  Instead of getting grumpy with me, just come on down and visit and I'll take you here too!

Then all too soon it was time to say goodbye at the airport...

 

 

 

 

Who knew way back in 1984, hanging out at Ranger Lake that some day we'd be hanging out in South America!  Thanks for the visit guys!  It was awesome...

Tropical Thunder!

So I'm sitting here in the dark with only my computer to keep me company...at least until the battery runs out.  We just had a major storm roll through...lots of lightning and thunder...and a rain that would turn any place in Saskatchewan into a disaster zone. 

And of course it knocked the power out.

But we're used to rivers in the street as high as your bumper...the water drains off fairly quickly.  But it's why we don't do basements here.

Anyhow...I snapped a few pictures off of my deck to keep myself entertained...

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

So it turns out getting pictures of lightning is hard.  By the time I started taking pictures most of the action was right above me...or behind the building across the street.  But I got a couple of okay shots.  The rain had mostly stopped by this point too.

 

But of course the rain managed to come down at exactly the right angle to force itself past the frames of my windows. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My living room window doesn't open...but the workmen didn't seal it correctly and water managed to get in between the window and the sill...right above an electrical outlet.  Fortunately, as I said, the storm knocked the power out, so it's all good....

 

Anyhow...that was my night.  How was yours? 

 



Who knew I had an electromagnetic field...

I'm supposed to be posting pictures of Christmas here but I got bored and distracted and now there's not enough time before I go to bed.

So instead I'm going to regale you with the story of my latest "doctor" appointment for my back. 

In case you didn't know, I've been having back problems again.  I think it has something to do with crashing down the side of a mountain in my truck but I could be wrong.  It flared up again back in December right around the time I was shopping and cooking and trying to make Christmas happy for everyone.

Yea...

So anyhow, I've been sceptical of doctors down here ever since that Chinese fellow tried to light me on fire, but this new guy was recommended to me by some friends who said he really helped them after their car accident.  So you know...why not?   

The first mistake I made was assuming that we were talking about a physiotherapist. 

We weren't.

Actually...now that I think about it...that was really my only mistake.  Everything else kind of flowed out of that decision.  I knew there was a problem when we found the guy's "office" and there was a big sign that said "Terapias Holisticas" (holistic therapies).  I'm not against holistic medicine in theory but I do happen to live in a country where that could potentially mean a number of different things.

We rang the buzzer (one of the guys was with me) and were met by a fairly normal looking Bolivian guy who it turned out, spoke excellent English.  That was a bonus.  The Chinese guy didn't and I didn't know what was happening until he lit me on fire.  So you'd think I'd be better prepared for what was going to happen this time.

You'd think so wouldn't you.

We chatted for a bit and I explained what had happened and the problems I was having.  He talked about some of his therapies and what he does.  He didn't seem like a wackjob.  I was mostly on-board (or at the very least curious and ready to be entertained) so we went into his...I don't know...therapy room?  There was a computer and one of those electric glass ball things that looks like there's lightening inside and your typical massage bed and books kind of piled all over the place.

I expected to be told to lay down on my stomach but he laughed and said that everyone thinks that's what they should do (uh...yea) but he does things differently and so I should lay on my back. 

He explained a bunch of stuff about what he was going to do but honestly I didn't really get much of what he said.  I mean...I understood the words...I just didn't have a clue what he was talking about.  There was a lot of talk about my body's electromagnetic field and magnets and bad bacteria and whatnot.

In my head I was like, "Okay sure....let's get on with this."

So I laid there as he held my feet and tapped my ankles together and started talking to my body's electromagnetic field.  I kid you not.  He ran through a list (in Spanish so apparently my electromagnetic field understands Spanish better than I do...) of all my different body parts and I guess my body told him what the problems were. 

Then as my body talked to him (in Spanish?) he put magnets on the areas that had problems.  My eyes...my arms...under my legs...on my stomach.  I guess I had a lot of issues.  Either that or my electromagnetic field speaks Spanish like the rest of me does.

So there I was lying on this table with magnets all over me and with this guy mumbling away down by my feet.  Honestly it felt a little strange.  I admit that I did say a little prayer at one point and asked Jesus not to let me get any demons. 

Now to be honest, he did get a couple of things right.  He asked if I'd had my appendix out (I have) and if I'd lost a lot of weight lately (again, I have).  But those are fairly broad questions and I'm not sure they're very indicative of his accuracy. 

After we were done with the magnets and whatnot, he did start manipulating my body in directions it doesn't normally go and then was happy when he heard popping noises.  He kept asking me if I heard them and sometimes I did and sometimes I didn't but I said I did because I'm a nice guy and he was so excited and I didn't want to disappoint him.  That also happened when he got me to walk around to see if I felt any better. 

So the question remains...did it work?  Well, that's a tough call.  If my brothers and I ever complained about something that hurt my Grandpa would punch us in the shoulder and tell us that he'd healed us because now we didn't feel the original pain anymore...just the new pain. 

There may have been some of that at work here.  But...who knows.  It's a couple of days later and I think maybe I feel a bit better.  The pain kind of comes and goes so I'm reserving judgement for a few days longer. 

At any rate, I have another appointment on Tuesday and yes I'm going back.  He told me that he also does acupunture and I've always wanted to try that.  So...you know...why not?

Besides...he didn't set me on fire.
   

My pastors....

I've said it before and I'll say it again, God has given us an amazing church down here. It's a church that stands out from most other churches I know. I remember back when I first started going there five or six years ago...I didn't always understand much of what was being said, but I always left with a sense of God's presence...like I'd met with God's Spirit.

And that's still the case today. I never have to work at convincing the guys to get up for church on Sunday morning. They enjoy it as much as I do. I think they probably have better friends there than I do.  They seem to know everyone.  =)

A big part of why we love Kairos so much is the leadership of our pastors, Jorge and Tonchy. They're two young guys (brother-in-laws) who really love God and who really love people. It shows in everything they do. They're gifted speakers, amazing musicians and just all around fun guys.

Last November they recorded some of Tonchy's music (a lot of what we sing at Kairos are original songs that Tonchy has written). They video taped the recording session and put together a little documentary.

It's just over half an hour (and in Spanish), but if you're a musician or you just want to listen to some great Spanish music, give this a listen to. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. It's just Jorge on accoustic guitar and Tonchy singing (Caronport people...pay attention to what Tonchy is playing...look familiar?).

Sit back and enjoy. This is what we're blessed with every Sunday...

To keep you entertained....

I'm working on getting our Christmas pictures up...but until then, I offer up this for your entertainment. 

It's the final fireworks of our Christmas Eve celebration...