November Letter 07

Hannah and Baby

I finally talked Hannah into letting me take some snapshots of her with Baby McCall at 7.5 months into the pregnancy. I would like to take the best ones and frame them for the baby's room. I'm posting some of my favorites on the blog and ask that you would comment on which ones you think we should frame for her room! Also, I'm not sure if I'm going to have them printed black and white or color ... feel free to give your opinion on that as well.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support as well as the clothes that you sent for Hannah. We are looking forward to meeting Baby McCall - her due date is January 7, 2008.

Click on slideshow below to see pictures in full resolution.

Paro! Paro!

Yesterday we experienced yet another paro (strike) in Santa Cruz. This one was set off mostly due to the shortage in diesel fuel and the underpaid transportation government employees.

So what does a strike look like here?

See the pictures that we took a few blocks from our house. The micros (mee-cros), public buses that serve the majority of Santa Cruz' population, lined up together to block the major roads and the airports literally shutdown.

The grocery stores close along with everything else. It's quite a site. This is the fourth one to take place since we've been here. We take advantage of the the work we have to do at home as well as enjoy a nice walk without any traffic. Many people ride bikes, fly kites, etc. in the streets and then the paro usually ends around nightfall. Charles and I can't quite figure out why the strikes aren't any longer than they are. Often it's uneffective and just seen as a break for everyone but there is a lot of politics behind it - more than we understand.

We were talking yesterday about how that would go over in DC if all the metro shutdown and the public transportation stopped for a day. Chaos. Thankfully it doesn't seem to get too violent or chaotic here. Or maybe we just don't realize it if it does.

Passing Through

Oct. 28 our friends Drew and Laurabeth Harris came to visit for a week while doing some extended travel in South America. They were the first of our friends to arrive in Santa Cruz by bus - they came from Peru and were headed back that direction when they left a week later.

While here, they were able to see some of the ministry we do with the Ayore as well as take some down time to enjoy Bolivia. We ended the week with a chilly weekend in the mountains of Samaipata with them. The four of us mostly spent time in front of the fire and caught up on some much-needed sleep. It could be my last little trip before Baby McCall comes - I've got 8 weeks to go!