In the Village

Here are some recents photos of our visits to the villages. The kids seem to smile bigger and laugh harder now than before. Each one has a name and a story. We hope that you are praying with us that God will grow them into godly men and women. Enjoy them with us!

Carnaval

In February, 40 days before Easter, Bolivia has a week-long event of street dancing, parades and lots of drinking. Carnaval is a tradition shared by most Latin American countries. A highlight for Bolivians is the designated Saturday for water balloon fights. I actually got hit by one when running Saturday afternoon. It was a good shot since I was quite a ways from the traffic.

Another popular tradition here is spraying foam. I braved the crowd with Mercedes at the parade and we were both covered in foam before we made it back to the house on Sunday! The parade was fun and light-hearted. However, we were cautioned that the evenings were dangerous, as most people begin the day drinking and by nightfall are well-intoxicated. The parade starts in the afternoon and ends sometime between 4-6am. One of the traditions of the parade is the dances such as the famous La Morenada (Dance of the Devil) that reenacts the dance of Africa slaves brought to the courts of Viceroy Felipe III. The costumes often include devilish, dark-faced masks. It's a good time to rest as well as to watch Bolivians (0n TV) having such a good time.

It's a blessing to see such a poor and normally-oppressed people laughing and having fun. The comraderie and fellowship is often anticipated for a year leading up to Carnaval. We may compare the event to something like Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Although I have been to Mardi Gras and have to say that Bolivians seem mild in comparison to Americans when it comes to the partying. Of course I haven't seen much up close.

And that is until Tuesday, the last day, when the balloons are filled with permanant paint and launched at cars and people in the streets. Someone told me that anyone who chooses to drive on Tuesday usually "greases" their car so that the paint won't stick. The ones launching the paint often cover their faces in masks. The news said that this year the best-selling mask is one replicating Evo Morales, the frowned-upon president.

Carnaval ends today and all returns to normal tomorrow but supposedly more than a few people show up for work with serious hangovers ... anticipating next year's week-long festivities.

God's Little Israel

Israel is an abandoned 2-yr-old who lives in one of the Ayore villages where we spend a lot of our time. His big belly shows his parasite problem. His mother is an Ayore prostitute and father, Bolivian. He was abandoned just after birth by both parents and up until a year ago wasn't cared for much at all. It's a miracle he's alive. In the last year, a couple in our Bible study started taking care of him (along with their three small children). There was conflict between the husband and wife regarding the matter. In the Ayore culture, the woman often has more power than the man since she is the one cooking and cleaning and such. Choque and Jenny, the young couple, were at odds as far as their decision to take Israel into their home but Jenny was in favor of it. In the last year, Israel has been passed around a great deal. He latched on to me and Charles almost immediately and spends a good amount of time with us. He began calling Charles "Papa." He's so adorable! He loves my little stepping stool I keep in the kitchen. Sometimes he takes it and pulls it up to our coffee table and grabs a napkin from the drawer when he smells the food cooking in the kitchen. We're praying that he wouldn't be abused and that God would put a hedge of protection around him. He is very special to us.

Samaipata - The Mountains of Bolivia

Recently Charles and I went to a sleepy town in the mountains for a long weekend. We wanted to celebrate being together 10 years this month!
Samaipata is known for it's quiet atmosphere, German influence and cool climate. We enjoyed all three! Charles especially likes a restaurant there, La Vispera, which only serves what is available in their garden at the moment. The passion fruit nectar juice and rhubarb pie were his favorite. I really liked the herbal teas!

We're not sure why, but there is a large German population in Samaipata. The little cottage where we stayed, LandHaus Inn, is owned and run by a German family. In town we made a stop at La Vaca Loca (The Crazy Cow) for ice cream also made by Germans.

A major attraction we visited near Samaipata is El Fuerte -- the remains of a pre-Inca ceremonial site. Nobody can accurately interpret the remains but it looks like a spaceship landing ramp and a lot of doodling on stone slabs. It is fascinating to actually think that the Incas were running around this area around 1500BC.

We were able to visit the waterfalls as well that are about 30km from Samaipata. There has been so much rain that the hiking trail had been washed out and we were required to take off our socks and shoes in order to cross the streams blocking the trails. The waterfalls were beautiful and the hiking magnificent.

We spent a lot of time reading, playing cards, reviewing our goals, chatting about the future and just relaxing. It was nice to feel physically, mentally and spiritually refreshed.

After a lazy Sunday morning and a nice fire on our patio, we headed back. The tricky thing about Samaipata is the road getting to and from. There is only one and it is prone to landslides with all the rain we've had lately. Also, there is a great deal of traffic traveling the road since it is the fastest route to Cochabamba and Sucre.

On the way down the mountain we ran into quite a jam. There had been some landslides that nearly caused a truck to go over the edge. The road was blocked in several places allowing only one direction of traffic to pass at a time. An additional problem is that there are no laws regarding the amount of cargo the trucks can haul so they are often overloaded, causing more danger on the roads.

Fortunately, we made it back with minimal delay and the Land Rover all in one piece. Thankfully we went last weekend because there has been a tremendous amount of rain since and the road is closed. It is absolutely impassable they say now. Too bad that causes a shortage of fruits and vegetables that would normally come from Cochabamba on that road. God is good to give us what we need when we need it.

Quote For the Day

3 Feb. 2007

Someone visiting Bolivia from the States said this today and we laughed although there is some truth to it.

"If you want to become closer to God, drive in Santa Cruz."