The New Point

Back by popular demand is this, our new blog. I was so surprised and humbled by the number of people who said they missed it and wanted to hear updates from us. I have never been much of a blogger so the whole idea of this took awhile to get used to and then after Bolivia I just didn’t see any point.

However, we have a new “point” coming in about a month and a half.  I know family and friends will want to see pictures and adventures of our new addition and therefore, the point of starting our blog again. Same blog, same people, different name. Thanks for being interested and willing to come back!

Our update is this. Andy and I are now BACK in Waukesha, WI like I posted before. Andy is finishing up his last year at NTBI. We so enjoyed our time in Kansas. It couldn’t have been better. I traveled with my mom and Andy worked long hours landscaping and working with the youth at church. We kept really busy but were so blessed by the people there in that community. I miss my family already. It was nice to have them so close.

So, back in Waukesha. We have an apartment ON CAMPUS which was a huge surprise and blessing. Also Andy has a job working at Dairyland which is amazing. He’ll have so much more free time to be with me and bambino. I can’t wait. My job plans are…at this point on hold. I want to stay home and be a mom and get used to things before I add something else to my plate. I think I am going to miss having and income and feeling like I contribute to our family. It will be quite an adjustment and I hope I have contentment in that.

So far things with baby are going good. HE, yes a boy, is due October 4 and so far growing right on schedule. We have learned that it is probably not the wisest things to have 3 different health care providers over the course of a pregnancy. I felt really awful catching up the doctor who will be delivering our little man. Everyone has been so nice here but I definitely felt like they would have every right to be a little peeved. Here I am, due in seven weeks and laying all my paper work in their laps and expecting them to pick up the pieces and make it work. :/ Not very nice of me. I’m thankful for their patience.

Ok well, I guess that’s as good an update as any…We have exactly two more boxes to unpack and then we are officially MOVED IN! Oh, and two shelves to hang. Pictures of the apartment will come soon! Andy and I were just saying how great it feels to have a place for our family to be…it really does feel like home. We feel so blessed. 

Yes, its true...

Well...to be honest I have been SO dreading writing this...feels a little lame and abrupt but here goes...


Andy and I are going to be leaving this beautiful country and heading back to the U.S.A. February 1st. We sent out a prayer letter with all this in there...but not EVERYONE got one...so I thought I'd put it on here as well! Basically, to sum it up...the couple we had been replacing could not get their visa renewed as planned SO they came back early...and so then we, together with the mission decided that we would not become associates as originally intended but rather just stick with a six month volunteer status. To be honest...we are just as thrilled about this new direction as we were about coming down here. We came what to came here to do. To be a blessing to missionaries and serve our God in whatever way was available to us... This time down here has been so precious. We've met friends we will never forget and gone through some true hardships that we have learned and grown from.  I feel like Bolivia has blessed us more than we have blessed it...but nonetheless, we have loved our time here! Not gunna lie it will be nice to have clean water, speak english, eat McDonalds...you know...the basics... :) But man, we will miss a whole lot too!  Andy got offered a few (yes a few) jobs while down here...which was so very encouraging! He is one great man that man of mine...

Ok, so next up is... KANSAS!!!! I never thought I'd be excited to live in Kansas again. (sorry friends) BUT...we are anxious to get to know Church family there and be with my amazing mom who is busier than she can handle. Andy is already set up to work with the church there in some capacity...and we are both praying for jobs...which might be easier said than done. We just need money for Bible school in the fall. Yep...still back to NTBI in the fall of 2011! Still a year there. It will be good! The Lord has directed us through all this and given us every bit of confidence we needed...and I know he will continue to do so with the unknowns in our future!

Right now we are with Andy's family in Cochabamba, Bolivia. We have enjoyed these weeks with them and it really has been such a blessing to be around his family more. When I say we are leaving Feb. 1st I mean that we get to the states that day...BUT...we won't reach our final destination (Kansas) until mid February. We have quite the tour of the U.S. in store for us before we make it home. First we will fly to Tampa FL to see Andy's family that I have never met before! Then off to N. Carolina to see Andy's sister and her twins as well as another of his sisters...then to Wisconsin to renew my drivers license... oops... and THEN HOME!!!! It will be a wonderful couple of weeks with family and friends. Pray for us as we travel and live out of a suitcase as well as fit all our stuff here into four suitcases. :) Good thing I married a good packer... AND had a mom come visit this close to our moving date...she took quite a bit of stuff for us! Thanks Mom.


Thank you everyone for your prayers!!! We so appreciate them...and couldn't have done this without you all!

Here's us at the Copacabana! Inca ruins. Just part of our lovely vacation!

Learning

Its been awhile. :)

Christmas and New Years have come and gone. We have been so blessed to have my mom and brother here visiting with us for the Holidays. I enjoyed so much having some good talks with my mom and seeing how little I really know my little brother anymore. He's grown up so much. I love my family and am so blessed to have them in my life. They are leaving actually today...and while I should be writing about the adventures we have had...I read something SO encouraging today that I would like to share with you. Its from my devotional called Streams in the Desert. My mom in law gave it to me for my birthday. :)

It starts with this verse: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

It then goes to tell a story of a man who found a bottle-necked cacoon and kept it for over a year waiting for the emperor moth to emerge! One morning he found that the moth was emerging but was struggling to make it through the bottle-neck. The moth would get stuck at the same point every time. The man "thought the confining fibers were probably drier and and less elastic that if the cacoon had been left all winter in its native habitat." Having reached the end of his patience he thought he would help it along and got a pair of pointed scissors and snipped the threads to make the exit just a bit easier.

"Immediately and with perfect ease, my moth crawled out, dragging a huge swollen body and little shriveled wings! I watched in vain to see the marvelous process of expansion in which these wings would silently and swiftly develop before my eyes. I looked for my moth, one of the loveliest of its kind, to appear in all its perfect beauty. But I looked in vain. My misplaced tenderness had proved to be its ruin. The moth suffered an aborted life, crawling painfully through its brief existence instead of flying through the air on rainbow wings."

This is such a neat story to me...especially when watching with tearful eyes those who were struggleing with sorrow, suffering and distress. My tendency would be to quickly alleviate the discipline and bring deliverance. BUT who am I to say that one of these pains or groans should be relieved?

"The farsighted, perfect love that seeks the perfection of its object does not weakly shrink away from present, momentary suffering. Our Father's love is too steadfast to be weak. Becasue He loves His children, He disciplines us that we may share in his holiness. (Heb. 12:10). With this glorious purpose in sight, He does not relieve our crying. Made perfect through suffereing, we children of God are disciplined to make us brought to glory through much tribulation."

I think its hard to imagine God allowing or even intending to bring us suffering...even if its all for our glory and perfection. I am so saddened by my friends sadness and suffering...I pray that I have the right attitude of prayer for them...no quick fixes...just that they are able to "suffer well." I pray God's strength surrounds them as they look to the only one who can provide for them in this time of need.

Dear to my heart.

 I never got the opportunity to introduce to you our lovely puppy Lola. Lola was an early Birthday present from some dear friends. She was PERFECT timing for me because I felt like I needed something else to take care of and speak english to. :)  She was SO TINY when she arrived...only six weeks old. We named her Lola after the Barry Manilow song "Copacabana"...you know... "Her name was Lola...she was a showgirl...haha. Anyway...just a fun, silly name.

Lola quickly grew on my heart and she really seemed to care about me. I love it when animals care about me...We kept her inside until we thought she was big enough... then, much to my dismay, we put her little bed outside and she seemed SO happy to be out there. She loved terrorizing Dudley who didn't want to have anything to do with her. She however, thought he was her best friend. =) It was so cute to watch them together... All the guests that visited here really loved her too...she made friends easily and we never worried about her. She was alot to handle...but we loved the responsibility...

Monday (11/29) it had rained all day long. I stayed upstairs and worked on the computer trying to get our newsletter finished... Andy and I went to the flower shop later that evening and when we returned I remembered I still hadn't seen Lola all day...I was a little worried but decided not to panic quite yet...Andy said he had seen her playing in the grass earler. We planted the flowers and then hunted through the yard for her...she didn't come when I called her name...and we looked everywhere. I got really nervous. Andy said the dogs had been in the back shop throughout the day because of the rain...so we hesitantly went back there. I took a few steps and then I saw her back legs...she was underneath one of the shelves on a towel. She wasn't moving and I knew right then she was dead. It took me a few seconds before the sobs began. I really really loved that dog and she meant so much to me! Andy hugged me for awhile then grabbed a shovel and burried Lola in the yard. When he came upstairs he told me he had found a half eaten square of rat poison right next to where Lola was...and some pretty convincing evidence that she had died from poison...

I'm so sad that i didn't post more pictures of her before she was no more. I guess things just work that way. This has been such a hard month with Thanksgiving (pictures soon. :)) and missing my family and... just alot. I will miss that little dog terribly...she took up so much of my time. I just wanted you all to finally meet her so you could miss her too. :) Here's Lola.

so tiny

I got her a shirt...but she didn't like it very much.. :/

She loved her naps with Daddy

Love her.

So... I almost forgot my password it had been so long since I'd been on here. Sorry guys...life is crazy right now.

First of all let me just say that down here under the equater...it is HOT. Hot and WINDY... I am not a huge fan of the heat and enjoy the days when it rains even just a little bit. I'm missing snow and cold right now...it will be interesting to be spending Christmas in hot weather...but just makes for more memories I guess. :)

Here in Bolivia the school year for students is coming to an end. Andy and I had the privilege of going to a graduation ceremony for ETNOS. I've mentioned ETNOS before...it is a Bible school down here along with missionary training...much similar to the NTBI in Wisconsin. ETNOS is the only Bible school in South America that offers the kind of missionary training necessary for reaching tribal groups. It has been AMAZING to be able to fellowship with believers out there. We enjoy Monday evening volleyball and I definitely have probably learned the most spanish from just simply being out there... We were so excited to be able to attend the graduation ceremony for four students out there. One of them was a Paraguayan girl...another was a Brazilian and his wife (Bolivian)...and the other was another Bolivian. We got their at around 7...(when it was supposed to start) and it really didn't end up starting till around 8 I would say. We were definitely one of the first ones there...SO LATIN. :)  The place was PACKED to see these students make that huge step. Family, friends and church members all came to witness it. I couldn't understand much but Andy's Dad sat right next to me and translated...SO NICE. These students really have given up SO MUCH to go and reach the lost. I even got teary eyed as they hugged their teachers and excepted their new shoes as a symbol of their new calling to go reach the world with the gospel of Christ. Such a touching moment. I thought the shoe idea was SO GOOD. We are all called to follow in the path of Christ to pave the way for those in need of a Savior. Such a good reminder. Afterwords there was cake and sandwiches...good fellowship. I'm amazed at all the giving hearts that work out there to make sure these students are well-equiped for the job they are going to do.

That same weekend we went to a wedding back out at ETNOS. The Paraguayan (Melissa) that just graduated married another Bolivian student there (Ronald). They are practically starting off just like Andy and I. She graduated two days before her wedding...and he still has a year left for her to be there. The same...basically. :) They are such a sweet couple. The wedding invitation said to be there at 6:30...so...after grad had started so late we got there at like...6:40. We were STILL the first ones there and the decorations hadn't even been set up. Nobody was dressed. It was so funny. I was humiliated to be there so early...but hey, I was assured that they know we are foreigners and it is totally ok. haha  So...two hours later the grooms parents had arrived and the show finally started. :) It was a beautiful ceremony. Oh, but it was only the civil ceremony. That just means its technically before the law...but not the church. Their "Church" ceremony will be in Paraguay on the 28th of this month. So...after that whole party the bride and groom went to their separate rooms and will be together as man and wife after the 28th. I told Andy that that was the first "fake" wedding I'd been to. ;) I couldn't imagine planning that whole thing and then having to do it all over again in a few weeks. How awful. It was a wonderful party and I SO WISH we had not been dumb and taken our camera... UGH...I'll hopefully find some pictures to put up soon. There was a Mariachi band and everything!!!! SO FUN!!!

Thanks for enduring this long post. THe longer I wait to post things the more I have to say. Thank you all for praying for this field! It is amazing to see Bolivia take steps on their own to reach tribal people. I guess most people believe that the missionaries have to be the ones that come from another country...but here, they are really working to make it a Bolivian goal. It is amazing to see! Thank you for praying!

The Narrow Escape

Yesterday at about 4:45 we were headed to the airport to drop off my in-laws who were headed home. It is about a forty-five minute drive...depending on traffic. We loaded the car... Andy driving, his Dad in the passenger seat, me behind Dad and Mom next to me...we were pretty squished in there with all the stuff we had to take and had TONS of suitcases in the pick-up. Andy and I have made this trip several times and Andy has become a very confident driver.

We were joking around having a good time...and came to stop at an intersection that we ALWAYS pass through. It was rush hour and very hot. Tons of people walking as well as driving.  We stopped at the light and I caught a glimpse of a cop standing in the intersection scanning through the crowds of people. His eyes suddenly came to rest on our very full car of gringos. He looked from Dad to me (he was on our side) and then he began walking towards the car. My thought was that I wasn't wearing my seat belt...but then I remembered that there was not a seat belt to wear. :) He asked Andy for his papers and Andy passed over what he had. I don't think the police man knew what Andy's international drivers license was... He asked us to pull along the side of the road...basically double park as he decided what to do about the situation.

Andy and I don't have our year visas yet...they are still in processing...Turns out...Andy and I were supposed to carry with us at all times a certain document that states that our papers are en transito...The police man (Alfonso) was very upset...and there was much discussion about what should be done. It was clear that Mom and Dad could miss their flight and once Alfonso heard this he wanted them to go ahead and take the car, leaving Andy and I  with him to resolve this whole thing...well, THANK THE LORD FOR PARENTS...they did not leave us and just kept assuring the guy that we didn't have that paper and that it was with our lawyer in Cochabamba and that Andy and I would NEVER leave the gate again without it...no good. We got on the phone with the mission lawyer in Coch and he talked to Alfonso...there was really nothing he could do except go get Andy out of Interpol (police station) later...so...Alfonso got in the already squished vehicle and we headed to Interpol. By this time I was on the verge of tears and so incredibly embarrassed and SCARED. My main thought was..."ok...no matter what just DON'T let them take Andy away! Stay with Andy!"

***

A few blocks later we dropped Alfonso off...and he gave us directions to the airport (cough cough). We thanked him for his help and PROMISED we would get that entransito visa paper right away from our lawyer and we would never leave the gate without that ever again.

All I have to say is THANK YOU LORD that we had people who knew what they were doing in the car with us. Dad is a very good communicator and it was by his help we were able to avoid any serious implications for not having our proper paperwork.

Andy's parents made their flight home safely...and Andy and I very CAREFULLY took the drive back. All I said about anything at the end of the evening was... "I want to go home." :)  But God has us here through good days and bad days. He's definitely watching over us! I'm thankful my husband didn't get imprisoned...and that was definitely a good lesson to learn. ALWAYS HAVE YOUR PAPERS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES! ALWAYS! =)

sorry no pictures...I didn't think that would be the wisest thing to do at the moment. ;)

...Update...

The three month mark of us being here arrived the end of September. It seems crazy to think that we have been here that long. It still feels like we are adjusting...and I imagine it will for quite awhile yet... 

Just a few highlights of the past three months-

• We have had 69 families stay here at the guest house. We've already seen alot of faces come through here and are so thankful for the relationships we've built.  
• We are figuring out finances and havn't had any mishaps with money which is a huge relief!
• I had my first Spanish phone conversation...it was SO AWKWARD...and the poor guy had to shuffle through all my wrong words...but I got the point across. I just told him that Andy was gone and would be back in like 15 minutes. =) So...that was HUGE for me!!!
• We have had a missionary couple here for almost a month now who had an accident and both had to have surgery. So we've had fun waiting on them and wheeling them around in wheelchairs to their Doctor appointments. They are recovering now and hopefully will be back in their tribe soon. I've found out that missionaries don't sit still very well. haha
• We have had our FIRST Saltena! A Slatena is a sort of empanada type except it has like a soup mixture on the inside...SO GOOD! It is probably the first thing I've had here that I don't think I can live without in the States. :)

.....
My in laws are here! They've been traveling all over the U.S. and have returned bearning MANY gifts! :) This is my birthday month and I LOVE BIRTHDAY MONTHS! I'll be 21 on the 17th and I am pretty excited for this Birthday with just me and Andy.

These days I'm missing fall...I LOVE fall season in the states with the changing colors and the pumpkins and the weather... The other day Andy and I were both just WANTING something from the U.S.A. So...we hopped over to the Burger King across the street and paid WAY more than we should have for a burger and fries that tasted WONDERFUL! I couldn't believe how wonderful it was to have that taste in my mouth. haha  Burger King over here is one of the most expensive places we eat... about ten bucks for the both of us...still cheaper than the U.S. :)

Thank the Lord for Burger King! =)