Life is a Kick

REVEALING. . .

soon, a new blog site that Nick and I will have together as one, now that we are married!!! 

For now, more honeymooning……….  

yea, I start Tues!!

Wow, wedding plans continue, along with house stuff, counseling and sleep (somewhere along the way)

The Story

After the picnic we drove around for a bit trying to find a coffee shop that didn’t exist or wasn’t open after 10pm.  So we went to try to find his surprise.  He couldn’t find it but was very determined to, so he called a friend to ask for directions a few times.  We finally found the place and it looked like we were going to a cave or something.  I figured it had some special significance to it, however still didn’t know what was going on.  He starts to climb up this area of boulders and such and I’m following as best as I can with a flashlight.  Then he turns around and goes back to a different area.  We kind of go in circles for a while, he calls his friend back, we continue to go in circles and finally I find a place on a large rock to sit and wait and watch the stars. (out of Denver enough that there is a sky full of stars)

Anyway, then we hear a truck approaching and he goes down to see if it’s locals that can help.  It is and they do help us to find this place.  We climb over a log propped on boulders and then Nick starts shedding his phone, hat, gloves and I take off my sweatshirt (it was too warm) then he pulls me aside with no lights and takes my hands and tells me that we are going to be going through “the crack” which is a series of crevices, cracks, and shafts through these boulders. We would have to work together and trust each other to get though with no lights.  We didn’t really have much of a moon either, I was a bit scared at this point, but when he asked me, “Do you trust me?” I of course said yes.

So we started, then we retraced our steps again and found the correct starting hole.  We slithered our way through these rocks and crawled around.  He was leading and talking me through each step.  I had to cautiously feel with my hands and feet so that I wouldn’t fall, trip or bang my head.  We got through most of it (the downward shafts were the hardest for me) and at the end there are 2 downward shafts.  Nick without really knowing it (because he couldn’t see) went down both, so couldn’t reach to help me at all.  I started going down the one and ended up getting stuck.  I mean really really STUCK.  I was so scared and at first Nick didn’t realize how stuck I was until he climbed back up the last shaft and put his light on my leg and saw that my entire right leg was wedged in the rocks.  He suggested going around to pull me from the top but that meant that he’d leave and with him the light so at first I said no, but then I finally told him it was ok.
  Through all the tears that were running my nose was also running so bad that after a while wiping on my sleeve was no longer working.  I kind of laughed through the pain and told Nick I needed a tissue.  He told me to “farmer’s blow” so I blew a whole bunch of snot out of my nose. . . Yuck!!  Nick made the comment a few times that he was glad that I could laugh in spite of the circumstances.
  Well, he made it back around “the crack” so he was now above where I was, he talked to me the entire time so I wouldn’t be as scared.  He then prayed with me and then we worked to try to get me out.  He pulled while I wiggled and eventually I was loose.  He held me for a while as I continued to cry.  Well, then he said that he had bad news and good news, what would I want first.  The good news was that we were almost done, but the bad news was I still had to go through the crack where I got stuck.  So he went down first then talked me through it again.  I finally got out and we finished. 
  We collected our things and went down to the car and got some water and tissues.  We then stood outside the car and looked up at the stars and he started asking a bunch of questions.  Questions like: “How do you see “the crack” correlating to life?”  and “How do you see it relating to our relationship?”  So we talked for a while and I kind of wondered what was going on. So after a while we meandered over to a rock and he sat me on the top. Then he said, “I have one more question for you, Will you marry me?” He started messing with a carabineer on his pants, which the ring was attached to.  I of course said yes and switched my purity ring over to my right hand, so that he could slip the diamond on my left hand. 
  The funny thing was that is was still pitch black so I couldn’t really see the ring, my first response wash, “Is that it?”  So then he shined the flash light on my hand.  I wasn’t expecting the ring for another few weeks, but was pleasantly surprised that he had gotten a better deal for a bigger/better diamond that would come in faster.
  So when we first started dating I told him “Hugs are free, kisses are not.”  In other words before he could get kisses, he would have to give me a ring.  So then once I had the ring on my finger, my first thought was, ok, now you can kiss me!  It took him a while to remember that, but then we were able to share our first kiss as well.

So there you have it. . . check back for more wedding details, but for now we are looking at an intimate family wedding in late September.

The diamond is .59ct round cut in a mock tension setting where it is suspended between the gold with a bridge underneath.

Our first “engaged” picture!! 

 I’ll post the whole story and pictures later this week.

Counseling

Well, Nick and I started “Pre-engagement” counseling with our pastor and his wife.  I am really looking forward to getting to know them better and being able to work through issues that we don’t yet know about. . .    When Ken asked about our expectations though, the first thing I responded with was, “I expect to cry!”  Oh well, it has been a bit of an emotional rollar coaster recently.

All for now!!!

WEEKEND TRIP TO KC

Nick and I had a great time being together for a weekend and I enoyed introducing him to everyone!!! 

Joya and Brian Edmonds – the groom did not want to see her until she walked down the aisle, except they wanted pictures together before . . . so he was back to back the whole time. . .

Yea!!  Always good to see my Brooke!!!

How much more fun than being blown around in the KS/MO wind at the Plaza by the fountains!!!

IT’S SPRING

I think it’s finally spring Although I’ve been told it can still snow in April and May . . .

I think,  and I enjoyed it more this time too. . . Didn’t cry. . . YEA!!!!

 The Folded Napkin …

2. I do not like tomatoes.

3. I have ridden on the back of a motorcycle for an afternoon with my man. 

4. I can not touch my nose with my tongue. 

5. I am not a friend of spiders, except Mrs. Spider.

I tag Nicolas, Katie H., Kathryn, Jesse, and Kristen

SNOW!!!

So I don’t know why I’m still up at this time of night let alone awake!!  Oh well, It’s not that I can’t sleep, just a fun night of shopping, baking and being with Nicolas has given me enough to not really want to go to bed yet, probably because I know tomorrow I get to work a lovely 11 hr day!!!  Yuck!!!

It’s ok – only 7 more days of school left before vacation!!!  YEA!!!

Yes, it is snowing in Denver and that means in my mind at least that Christmas is comming!!!

Flipping, my Bible falls open to Ecclesiastes 12 – “the Conclusion, when all has been heard is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person”  Solomon’s life search for fulfillment concluded with those words: fear God and keep His commandments.  Then the question that should be raised is what are His commandments? The law can be assumed as His commandments, but all of Torah, there is no way we must or even perceive that we can keep all of the law.  Or is it just the 10 Commandments: Luke 18: 20, “You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’ “  It is possible that we can physically keep the 10 Commandments, until Jesus says in Matt 5, “. . . you have heard . . . but I say. . . ” and essentially tears apart the commandments and the law as they and we see them at times.  So then my thought is Mark 12:28-34:

Love: What is it??  It’s a fruit of the spirit: Gal. 5:22
1 Cor. 13:4  Love is patient, kind, is not jealous, does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does  not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all thinks, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails.

I know I don’t have this kind of love for anyone, definitely not for God, my “love” is always failing.

Hurts, love hurts, life hurts, but if we are called to love God and love others that means that we WILL be hurt, it is unavoidable.  God is alone able to heal the hurts, however how then can it be explained when it seems that God causes the hurt in indirect ways.  He leads people away from us, they leave because “God called” but it hurts.  God takes someone home to heaven, they leave, it hurts.  Not much in life happens without hurts.

Little League baseball can be a brutal sport, especially for nine- and ten-year-olds who compete in national tournaments.  It was the area Little League championship game.  The stands were packed with families of each of the players.  One young man brought his mother and father, both grandparents and three uncles and aunts to watch him play.

The bottom of the seventh inning was a nail-biter. The other team was ahead by one run, the bases were loaded, two outs, and the little boy with the large family was up to bat.  You can probably guess where this is going? If he made an out, the game would be over and his team would lose.  If he walked or hit the ball he would be the hero of the game.

He swung at the first pitch and missed.

“Strike One!” the umpire yelled.

The families from the other team cheered, but his family cheered even louder.  “It’s okay, Carl, No problem.  You almost hit the ball! Now clobber the next pitch.”

“Strike Two!” the umpire yelled after the next pitch.

Pandemonium broke out.  Both teams and their families were yelling back and forth at each other.  Carl’s family and team were encouraging him; the players and family of the defensive team were taunting.  No one could hear themselves think.

Wrinkles appeared on the nine-year-old’s forehead as he waited for the next pitch.  As the ball left the pitcher’s hand, it became very quiet.  The ball sped toward Carl.  It seemed like it took forever to cross the plate, but cross the plate it did, and Carl swung with all his might.

“Strike Three! You’re out!”

Not only was Carl out, the game was over. And he was the cause of the loss.

The winning team went crazy, their families swarmed onto the field and everyone was dancing, laughing cheering, and celebrating. Except Carl’s team.  As Carl’s team walked off the field, dejected, they mingled with their families and headed back to their cars in silence.

Except for Carl.

Carl was still standing at the plate, devastated, alone, his head down in disgrace.

Suddenly someone yelled, “Okay Carl, play ball!” Startled, Carl looked up to see his family spread out over the field.  Grandpa was pitching, Dad was catching, Mom was at first base, Uncle David was at second, and the rest of the family had covered the other positions.

“Come on, Carl, pick up the bat.  Grandpa’s pitching.”

Bewildered, Carl slowly picked up the bat and swung at Grandpa’s first pitch.  He missed, and he missed the next six pitches as well. But on the seventh pitch, determined to get a hit, Carl smacked the ball to left field.  His aunt ran, picked up the ball, and threw it to first base in plenty of time, but the first baseman, Mom, must have lost the ball in the sun, because it went right through her hands into the dugout. “Run!” everyone yelled.  As Carl was running to second, the first baseman recovered the ball and threw it.  Amazingly, Uncle David was blinded by the sun as well.  “Keep running!” yelled someone, and Carl headed for third, where the throw went at least two feet over the head of the third baseman.  “Keep running, Carl!” and Carl raced for home, running as hard as he had ever run.  The ball was thrown with deadly accuracy as the catcher, blocking the plate, waited to tag him out, but just as Carl reached home plate, the ball bounced in and out of the catcher’s mitt and Carl was safe!

Before he knew what happened, Carl found himself being carried around on Uncle David’s shoulders while the rest of the family crowded around cheering Carl’s name. 

One person who was watching this amazing event commented to a friend, “I’ve watched a little boy fall victim to a conspiracy of grace!”

Wow, Isn’t God’s grace like that!!  Touching story – there are more in this great book!  You should pick it up.  Maybe I’ll post another . . . later.

So. . . what’s really sad is the fact that as I read this over to make sure it’s all there and at least most of the spelling is correct, my eyes are welling up again with tears!

I’m so proud, but it makes me sad I’m not closer! I guess that’s what webcams are good for! 

I am enjoying my time in MI with my brother and family.  Especially Silas!  I have found out that there is no real significance to the name except that he looks like a Silas and not like other names they were thinking of and that Silas is a “cool” character in the Bible.  I have found out that Silas means “man of the woods or forest” and Kaden means “companion/friend” or  “fighter” depending on which website you go to.   

Anyway, here’s some more pics.  It’s great at this point because he’s 12 days old and sleeps “like a baby”.  Ha ha. But really, he sleeps all the time and it’s the baby sleep where you can move them all around and play with them and they don’t wake up.  Yesterday we were trying to wake him up so he could eat at an appropriate time that would not disturb with plans for the evening.  He just would not wake up.  Josh made a comment that his son is like himself.  Definately true!! 

Check out that head of hair!!!

Look at these lips!! Aren’t they so cute!!

This is a very proud daddy!!!

Proud Daddy! 

I’ve always been told or thought that prayer was dialogue, well, then studying prayer though scripture – specifically Paul’s prayers in Eph. 1 and Col. 1 and now that I think about it even Jesus’ prayer for the believers in John 17- I have found a lot of prayer and intercession for others.  So as part of my study and search into this I started to pray, intercedingly for others, many others in my life and what has been affecting them recently.  I don’t think that is a bad thing, it is a very good thing but is that all there is to a “prayer life” and if so is that enough?? 

It seems like all my intercession was asking “God do this, and God do that, God bless so and so, God strengthen uphold them, encourage them.   THESE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS, BUT WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE??

So then the other night I was at church (here in CO called The Next Level Church) and they were finishing a series on The Lord’s Prayer.  I was challenged again by the idea that prayer is dialogue!!  And much more challenged in the way that I

DO WE EVEN KNOW HOW TO LISTEN TO GOD???

I just did a search at crosswalk.com for listen or hear.  In the whole Bible the word listen comes up 275 times, the word hear comes up 373 times.  The words quiet and silent produce about 100 responses.  Granted there are many different contexts, but that is a lot!!!! 

Another challenge to me in general communication has been in the area of when I’m finished talking do I really listen.  Do I listen trying to think of the next thing to say, or do I listen with my whole mind and body.  WE all know that body language talks 70% more than our verbal words, what do we communicate?

Anyway, lots of random thoughts, I need to go to bed, Good night.

Have you ever been running through the fountains down in Crown Center?  If not you have to take some friends and go run!!!  It is so much fun!!

Well, it is a little depressing to be sitting at home on a Friday night with my parents, but such is the life of one without a job new to the area.  Oh well. 

On the up side. . . I do have an interview on Monday for a local school for an assistant position.  I think it would be in a SPED classroom, so similar to what I’ve done before, although with older students.  I dropped off my application this afternoon and about 2 hrs later got the phone call, so that was exciting.  I’ve submitted probably a dozen apps and resumes by now with not so much as an e-mail back, so things are looking better.

Oh, another note, I went shopping today after realizing that I have absolutly no clothes for cool weather.  Not good for living in CO.  So I spent a bunch of money, actually only $60 to get about 5 pants, 3 sweaters, 6 long sleeved shirts, shorts, a robe and a cd.  I think I did pretty well!!!!

In other news, I found a singles worship time on Thursday nights at a local EFree church.  It was fun to get out and meet some people single and my age.  No prospects of any guys though, bummer. . . oh well, God knows

http://www2.biology.ualberta.ca/jackson.hp/Photography/Birds/killdear/index.php

See you soon

Times Square

Dear Friends,
Hi, I’m trying to do pictures again. If this works I am showing you pictures from my trip to NYC and the beach with my roommates from college. We went to Coney Island and Times Square and Ocean City, New Jersey. Hope this works.

Still in PA and heading to MS on Monday.  See all you crazy folks in KC soon!

God bless America, the land that I love!! I have never felt more happy to be on US ground and out of the mess in La Paz.

Check out the news, New President – The marchers got who they wanted in, so we will see what that does to the country.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/06/10/bolivia/index.html

I am trying to get out of the city Thursday morning early and we´ll leave our house probably 2am to get through to the airport.  Please pray for Big Angels!!!

I hope to see you Thursday night at the airport or sometime later.

We have pretty much had two completely wasted weeks of school and we get to go back next week to clean up and check out.  Yikes.  I´m ready for this to just be done or to be home.

8 More Days!!!

Half Day again today because of the marches and riots.  Craziness!!  Some of our students who live down town couldn´t even get home because we let out too late.  Please continue to pray for safety if we have school this week.  Personally I would not mind cancelling school, but we need to go.  I have a bad case of spring fever though that doesn´t help.

It was interesting today, my roommate found some church bulletin bloopers and printed it out.  I took it to school today thinking to give my kids a break with a laugh.  Almost all of them I had to explain to at least one student.  Most all my students English is their second language, so some basic words they don´t know or understand.  And play on words such as those then to be at times, they definitely do not understand.  It has been fun however to see their creativity in writing narrative stories.  It has been a lot of fun!!!  Maybe I´ll share some later when they are finished.  We will see.

Love ya,  10 more days!!!!!

Anyway, I knew coming to Bolivia that I would experience many different situations, however I never thought I´d do what I did last night.  Rache was still feeling bad, so the Dr. wanted to admit her into the hospital, so I took her and stayed with her all night.  It was an interesting experience!!  The nurses do not bug as much here,  I don´t know if that is good or bad, but I was able to sleep a few hours and another friend is staying tonight, because I could not handle staying again then teaching tomorrow. 

The room was very plain and they did not offer much amenities, although we did have cable tv, so that is really nice!  I got to catch up on some BBC and CNN news as well as old reruns of Growing Pains and other great classic shows. 

Anyway, Please keep praying for Rachel´s health and for the political situation.  At this point nothing has been solved yet, so we expect things to again get worse before they get better.

Thanks for your prayers!!  I will be home in 12 days!!!

Well, taking care of Rachel today has kept me close to home, however my nerves are still on edge because of the gas bombs or something that goes off almost every hour.  It is pretty loud, and I do not know what it is, which is why it is so nerve wracking.  We were at an office to see the Dr. uptown a ways today and did not really see anything unusual, except for two major roads that were closed for no apparent reason. 

Please keep praying.  Things seem to be ok, but I am constantly hearing talk.  Thanks.  Love ya.

Well, you would think that I would have applied and obtained my VISA to stay here long before now since I have now been here 5 months, but no! We had to wait till the last minute and now I am asking God for another VISA miracle!!!  I submitted it for the last time today to Immigration office and they expect to have it till the 10th, well anyone who remembers my itinerary should remember that I leave the 10th, so that is a problem.  So I am praying for a miracle and that I can get it on the 8th of June with plenty of time left. 

So needless to say, even if I wanted to leave without getting evacuated I cannot because I do not have my passport.  Oh well.

SO I had to go downtown today to meet with the lawyer for this VISA stuff and I actually felt safe and did not see anything unusual so I went further up to the governmental area, but there is also tourist shopping there.  I did not go all the way to Plaza Murillo, but toward that area, there are people standing around idly protesting, but nothing like we have seen this week.  Please continue to pray as things are expected to get worse again on Tuesday.  We expect a pretty calm weekend, so that is good, maybe we can actually get out a bit!! 

We did have school today, despite the fact that there were marches and protests starting this morning in El Alto, but that is far from us.  We are also praying that school will be normal on Wednesday because we have a parents day celebration that has already been postponed twice now. 

Please continue to Pray!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/05/26/bolivia.reut/index.html

Another great article about La Paz.  I´ve heard rumored that a war reporter from CNN has come from Iraq to La Paz.  Now that is encouraging isn´t it.  Yikes!!

Today things calmed down a bit in the city.  It is a national holiday for the Catholics, so that encouraged them to stop for the day.  We actually ventured uptown a bit, but not to the bad area, but did not see anything unusual. 

 Tomorrow is Bolivian Mother´s day so the protests and strikes in La Paz are on hold until Tuesday, so we´ve heard from the news and friends at the Embassy.  Tomorrow might be bad or it might now, we really do not know.  Right now at 8pm we are still scheduled to have school with many families informing us that they do not plan on sending their student´s to school tomorrow.  Please continue to pray for the country. 

I have heard that American Airlines plans to resume flights tomorrow.  There are many families from my church leaving this week or next so pray that they will be able to get out.  There is a possibility that if they won´t fly internationally out of La Paz that they will have to go to Santa Cruz and fly from there, but from what I´ve heard the airlines are not offering help for this. 

There is also a problem with the strikes because there is a shortage of fuel for vehicles including airplanes.  Although I did see gas trucks at gas stations today, so that is good.  We saw markets opperating normally, which is also a good sign. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and e-mails of encouragement.  I would not mind leaving early, but it is pretty dangerous to go to the airport right now.  Please keep praying!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4557379.stm

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/05/24/bolivia.protests.reut/index.html

I was reading scripture and listening to some great music when I came across this song that I wanted to share with you.  It is by Christopher Adam on an album called Prayer Meeting in a Box.

When you hold me in your arms, I feel like I can fly.  It´s been raining in this storm so you can never see me cry.  I ust need a little love right now.  I just need a little shelter.  I just need to get away from myself.  Will you let me rest my weary head?  Will you let me fall asleep in your arms?  Will you help me be the man you want me to be?

Chorus: My arms are outstretched, I´m crying out to you.  Lord have your way in me I´ll to what you want me to.  My arms are out stretched, I´m crying out to you, and there is nothing is this world I would not give, for you alone I long to live, just let me know that all the while you´re my father and I am your child.

This song was extra touching right now.  Please pray that I can feel the loving arms of my Father right now!!!

On a lighter note, I was able to attend a gringo party last night.  Well, it felt that way at least.  Two families from church were playing Irish music at a local British Pub that is conected to a Thai restraunt.  Go figure all the nationalities there.  Well, it was a lot of fun and made me for a moment forget where I was and the struggles I deal with. 

See you soon!!!

This week of testing went well! It was an easy week for me since I just had to supervise and did not have to teach except for Bible and health. We have a full week this week, then a partial week, then a full week, then 2 and a half days and I am DONE!!!!

Please do not brag, I know most of you at home are finished before Memorial Day or the end of May.

Praise God I leave Bolivia in One month to come back to the beautiful US of A.  I´m cold and lonely and ready to be among friends and family, and even strangers that I can understand!!!  I´m looking forward to the heat, humidity, Wendy´s, Smokehouse, Cheesecake Factory, Ikea, driving a vehicle, go when and where I want, talking on the phone for hours, seeing green trees, peanut butter, Internet in the comfort of a home, Good coffee at Friendly Bean and many, many other things. 

Please continue to pray for strength and endurance.  Pray also for Iggy, my student.  He cut his shin at camp and has had to have surgery 2 times now and it may still be infected.  He has missed a week of school with no much hope of coming back soon.  This is adversly affecting me and his learning as well, which makes things difficult.  Please pray that he will heal soon and will be able to join us back at school.  Thanks.

Bolivia Story about neighbors.

The other week we were hearing lots of noise from upstairs and then found out they were moving.  We heard from our landlord that the neighbors downstairs were moving in May but didn´t know about upstairs.  Well, it was confirmed when we saw the elpliada (maid) carring the stove, and refrig on her back down 2 flights of stairs.  With the family directing her were to go not at all helping.  YIKES!!!  So anyway, the neighbors upstairs had the line outside to hang laundry and they took it with them including the hooks in the wall.  So the next day we saw a line out and hung up wet clothing only to get yelled at by the neighbor downstairs because it is her line and her hooks.  Well, Rachel, the one with the most Spanish, talks to her and they decide that we will put of line on hooks that she is going to lend us then we will share the 2 lines.  WEll, Friday I came home to fine laundry hanging on both lines.  About 10 min after I got home she took it down and went inside.  Then I did some laundry and when I took it outside about an hour later, she had taken her laundry down and taken the line inside as well, so we couldn´t use it.    Oh well, She´s moving out soon.

Happy Sunday and last week of April!!

Well, this happened Saturday that I forgot to write about.  When we had Praise and Pizza at our house we had a great group of people over. After the night was mostly over, I was messing around and dancing and sliding around in my socks on our wood floors.  It is pretty slick, so . . . I ran over to get some more water and totally slid into the table and crashed on the floor.  I was so embarassed especially with the company, but couldn´t get up b-c I was laughing so much.  Anyway, they all said it was the most graceful fall they´d seen in a long time.  YIKES!!

Today at school  my students were asking for music. I told them my computer is acting funny so I couldn´t bring it to school for music.  Iggy replies, can you tell us a joke.  I totally didn´t get it and was like. . . What? So he explained, your computer is acting funny so you should be able to tell us a joke.  Oh my.  I couldn´t help but laugh.

Anyway, HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!!!

Saturday, after relaxing and reading a book for a while, we cleaned the apartment to host Praise and Pizza at our house.  It was a lot of fun.  Usually it is on Sunday nights, except last time we stayed way too late and completely crashed on Monday, so we decided to have it on Saturday instead so everyone could stay late, however then everyone left so we ended up watching a movie.  Oh well. 

Well, I hope and pray that this week continues to get better, please pray as well.  Thanks.

Please continue to pray for widsom in decisions and meetings that still need to happen.  Thanks.

I´m also looking and praying about applying for grad school with my university so you can pray for this situation as well.  thanks so much.  

I´ll try to make time to get some pictures and get a funny story up here soon.  Life is just busy.  Thanks for understanding. 

Well, a day shopping with 3 gringas is quite an interesting experience.  We did however manage to get a washer and TV and DVD player on Saturday.  We were completely exhausted by the end of the day however and we even started in the afternoon after a relaxing morning.  Oh well. I learned that when buying something large and needing a taxi don’t get the taxi yet until the items are on the curb.  The taxi driver that we got ended up waiting about 30 minutes since we had to wait for them to box up the stuff, find the remote, antena and all kinds of stuff that just took forever since they were not in a hurry.

Another thing learned from shopping and buying a coffeemaker is to make sure if something seems wierd don’t buy it.  I bought a coffee maker that the place that holds the grounds doesn’t stay up, it rests on the coffeepot.  It is so annoying that I may just try to sell it to someone at school for cheap then spend another $5 to get a better one.

Lesson #3 Make sure everything is plugged into converters and transformers if necessary.  I was so excited to finally have a 3 way converter and 220 transformer for my printer that I forgot to plug it all together before turning it on and completely blew my printer.  All this nasty smoke came billowing out from the printer and it sounded horrible.  I’ve been asking to see if I can get it fixed, but I don’t know if it’s worth it.  Oh well.

That’s all for now, however the lessons that I’m learning continue daily about general life in Bolivia.  Life is never dull from trying to figure out the electric water heater in the shower and the gas stove and the postage system to get packages and mail.  Transportation is also one of those fun things to learn and even the Spanish keyboard at the internet cafe’s.  Life is always fun. 

Have a wonderf ul week.

I’m trying a picture, let me know if it works.  Thanks

3rd Quarter ended this week and we had report cards go out.  My first time doing report cards. It went fairly well I think, despite computer and disk problems.

Have a great week!

Well, after another tiring 60 hours of traveling we finally made it back to La Paz on Sunday afternoon 2pm.  We ended up staying overnight in the town of La Quica,  Argentina.  Saturday morning we crossed the boarder and got on a train to Oruro, we had 17 hrs on a train.  It was very nice service with a server that would bring food that you had to buy extra.  Oh well, it was nice to at least have it excessable.  I met a lady traveling through South America.  She is from England and has been here for about a year traveling.  I was able to share the gospel with her, but it was difficult because she is Jewish by heritage and quite closed to any religion.  Please pray for her if you think about it.  I at least planted the seed.

WEll, back to work after a crazy week.  It is kind of good to be back, but I did enjoy the time off.  WE have grades due Thursday as today was the last day of the 3rd quarter, so I am going nuts trying to get that ready and coach gymnastics afterschool and organize the singles dinners for our church with Rachel. I feel quite busy, but it makes the time go by quickly.

Well, look soon for pictures. I am trying to get all the Buenos Aires pictures together so I can burn a CD and show you the best ones, so hopefully by this weekend I will have time to do that.

Love you all!  KJR

Well, back on the road again with the gang.  We left Buenos Aires Thursday night at 7.30 and now we have a layover on JuJuy, Argentina.  We´ll get to the boarder before tonight and hopefully be on another bus on our way to La Paz to go through the night.  The last bus is the worse so I´m hoping it will be at night.  Part of the roads in Bolivia are lovely dirt roads with creeks running through the road that we just drive across.  It is definately not for the weak stomach!  The last bus we got off was very nice.  2 stories with movies in English and a stewardess to serve food and drinks.  That´s the way I´d like to ride the whole time, however those only come in Argentina and Chile (I´m told).

Anyway, we went all the way to Buenos Aires to spend 2 full days there and one of those we went to Uruaguay.  That´s  bit disapointing.  Oh well.  I think I´ll be rocking quite a bit for a few days between the movement of the bus and the boat.

Well, thanks for your continued prayers.  We are still trying to figure out what I¨ll teach next year, so hopefully that will be settled soon.

Well, indoor plumbing is great TJ and I am very thankful for the Mc Donalds that we found in Buenos Aires.  We don´t have that in La Paz.  Mc Donalds at least in my family is known for always having bathrooms and usually toilet paper all over the world.  That was a great view of home, even though I don´t go to Mc Donalds very much at home.   It was still however very South American in the sense that you can´t just get a cup of water, bottled water and that you can´t throw tp in the toilet.  Yes in every bathroom public or priviate there is always a trash can beside to put your paper.  YUCK!!! But the plumbing is not good, so paper can not be disposed of.

No there is not Dr. Pepper that I´ve ever seen down here.  Only Coke products, but not always Coke light- sorry Diet Coke.  We did actually find a TGI Friday´s in Buenos Aires, but no time to indulge.  The only restraunt in La Paz that is American is Burger King.  There is however a place that looks like Taco Bell that I¨ve heard was in the states and started this small chain of La Champa (I think that´s the name) in La Paz.  I have yet to try.

Anyway, Wednesday we enjoyed a trip across the Atlantic Ocean to Uruaguay.  We went to this really cute town called Colonia.  It really was an only colony town and the city wall and lighthouse are still there.  Very cute.  WE actually did a totaly tourist thing and went on a paid all inclusive tour which included the boat, lunch, and a city bus tour with a guide.  It was a bit too touristy for the guys in our group, but it was nice since we didn´t have much time. 

Well, we are maybe getting on a bus tonight.  I would rather wait and get good sleep at least on more night, but it depends on times and it´s really long, so the guys would rather do it at night when you can ¨sleep¨.We will see what happens.

More stories when I get back home to La Paz, ok.  IF you have questions ask away.  I´d love to hear from you!!

Wow, what a beautiful city.  There is so much about this place that makes me want to move down here.  Yikes.  It is very European in culture and even the people. 

Anyway, after almost 60 hrs of traveling we made it to Buenos Aires Monday morning around 5.30am.  We waited around for a few hours trying to figure out where to stay and how to get around since we could not get a taxi because there are 5 of us and they actually follow the laws about seatbelts here.  Wow, what a thought, we just can not cram in as many as possible.  So we tried to use the bus, well the next interesting issue was how do you get on the bus.  In sophisticated Argentina the busses actually have stops that one gets on and off.  In Bolivia you just wave one down whereever you are and yell when you want to get off.  The hardships of a developed country.  I hope you can sense the sarcasim here.    I am absoltly loving staying here and enjoying the new scenery.  Real malls and real grass and trees.  It is socuh a beautiful change.  I actually feel short here as well, since there is much more of a European flavor than in La Paz. 

Well, after 45 hrs on a bus to get here Rachel and I are thinking of flying back at least part of the way.  The busses in Bolivia are much worse and there was a stretch of ¨road¨ that was dirt and we were definately just going along on a path that of which I would not have called it a road.  Anyway, so flying at least in Bolivia would be nice. 

Please keep praying for Bolivia and the politics here.  Apparently Bolivia was featured on the front page of one of the major magazines in Chicago, that does not suprise me since it is kind of crazy here.  Please pray for a peaceful transition of power from the current president to whoever is going to take charge till the August elections.  Thank you so much.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

I will post pictures as soon as I can from this beautiful city. 

Friday was an absolutly crazy day.  I had to go do a medical check for my visa processing, so I missed our Friday morning prayer and praise.  But praise the Lord that the medical exam went well despite my lack of language.  The doctors and nurses were very understanding and patient.  I felt however that I went back many years with ancient x-ray equipment.  Sanitary requirements definately not like the states.  Oh well, I continue to pray that the Lord will protect me here in circumstances like that.

AFter a crazy morning with students as anxious as I was to leave, we finally left and went down town to try to book our flights.  We had found a SA pass and wanted to travel to Caracas, Buenos Aires, and Santiago.  Well, talking to the travel agent we realized that I needed yellow fever vacine to travel to Venezuela, that of which I hadn´t gotten yet.  So we ran to a really sleezy clinic up down paid the man more money to get the shot and pre date the paper the required 10 days.  When we went back to the LAB office we realized the silliness of trying to book a vacation like that the day before and two of our other friends wanted also to travel with us but didn´t have the money to fly. SO. . .

We go to the bus station to check out the plans for our origional thought of bussing down to Buenos Aires.  WEll I had also arranged in the middle of this to meet with two other women from school for a Birthday tea, so I left the bus station and went down to meet them only to get a call after 5 min. saying we bought tickets we leave in 2 hrs.  So raced home packed, ate and raced back up to the terminal. 

We left La Paz around 7.30 pm and traveled all night and all day and arrived in the boader town in Bolivia.  We walked across the boarder into Argentina by a miracle since I didn´t have some paper and one of the guys was past his 90 day visa.  WEll, God continues to be with us in traveling.  We will get on another bus tonight at 11pm and travel all night and all day and arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina early MOnday morning.  What a way to spend a birthday, on a bus all day with friends.  Oh well, the week will make up for it.  Although I think at least Rachel and I will fly part way back next weekend.  This is crazy, but lots of fun!!

Praise God we´ve had some awesome talks and discussions in Bible class, by far my favorite class to teach.  They didn´t want to stop today and most days.  I´m working my way through the Old Testament stories.  I wish I could show them the video clips and such from the VBS at Avondale this summer on the Israelites, they would enjoy the hands on stuff.  Oh well, I can´t do it all.  Please continue to pray that these students will want to study the Bible and that I will have wisdom in teaching and answering questions.

Well, politics continues to be interesting down here.  The president again is saying that he wants to resign.  He has called for early elections and is stepping down.  He as supposed to be in till 2007, he was just elected this fall, but can´t handle the junk that the people put him through. 

We were concerned that with all the blockades on the roads everywhere that we might not be able to go anywhere for spring break.  I think at least Rachel and I have decided to fly and travel some places.  We are still trying to figure it out though.  Please pray for safety in travel and a fun relaxing time.

Our first gymnastics class went well, we have a maxed out class at 16 with 2 teachers.  It is lots of fun, but I´m sore.  Oh well.  With more students than expected we were able to order more mats.  PTL  Please pray they will come in quickly so we can better use our time.

PTL SPRING BREAK IS NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!  I´M SO READY FOR SOME TIME OFF!!!!!

Well, the administrator got back from his time in the US for training and stuff.  He was very encouraged by all that he learned.  I was encouraged to hear that the other administrators are all about helping Ron.  He is going to Peru to learn and watch the school there.  The school in Korea has offered to at their cost bring some teachers here to La Paz next year to offer in-services for us.  YEA!!!  That is so awesome!!!  Liberty University has offered to come down and start our special education program this next semester and help us get that going.  Please continue to pray for the many changes and new things that Ron learned. 

Life continues to be exciting!  Spring break starting the 18-26.  The choices of where to go are mind boggling.  We´ve narrowed it down to Buenos Aires, Argentina or Iguassu Falls.  We´ll see, either way it will mean at least 48 hrs in a bus over some interesting roads, but it´s with friends so that helps. 

My kids were doing what we call “choice day” today.  They are given a list of all the work that must be accomplished in the day.  This includes all subjects and they can work at their own pace on anything they want on that list in any order.  They love it and it’s a treat for me to not really have to teach, so I usually catch up on grading and planning.  Anyway, they were working and I always play music while they work.  On choice day they can also choose to bring in their CDs from home to share.  Someone brought POD so we listened to that for a while, someone else brought a WOW 2004 DVD so I played that to listen to the songs.  Well, one of the songs on the WOW was a more rap-ish getto black song (I say that in the nicest ways possible b/c I was thourghly enjoying it).  Anyway, I started to dance around to the words “put your hands up, put your hands up”  The kids were dying.  They were all like look at Miss Reimer.   I was laughing and asked them if they thought I was wierd.  One of my students, Christopher, “No, you are just special.”  Wow, thanks, now my mind takes that comment and puts me in with the “special kids”.  Anyway then Iggy (I love him.) made the best comment, “you know that there are many meanings for the word special, like the special kids, you know you can’t say retarded, they are special.”  Wow, thanks Iggy.  I was laughing so much by this point.  I love this age – they say some of the greatest things.

Well, Praise God today I found out that I have been given enough gifts this month that I have just enough to buy my airplane ticket!  Praise the Lord.

You know what a great snack is. . . pretzels and cream cheese, well here we use Bonle, and chocolate icing, we actually have great Betty Crocker frosting.  It’s pretty expensive, but we had splurged for V-day for our kids and now the left over works well with pretzels.  haha

Happy Friday

Sunday Lessons

WOw, It’s God’s timing amazing.  It was so interesting, today at church the sermon was on God’s soverignty in specifically Joseph’s life – wrapping up the sermon series.  Very touching considering my last few months.  Then I was reading this afternoon and found a very touching verse in Ps. 25:12-13 “Who is the man who fears the Lord?  He(God) will instruct him(me or you) in the way he(I or you) should choose.  His(our) soul will abide in prosperity and His (our) descendants will inherit the land.”  Wow, so God will direct and INSTRUCT us so that we CHOOSE the path He wants us to take.  A good lesson today on the fact that God’s plans the end of the path, we choose the journey to take.  He will teach us in all we do.  Anyway, just my lessons from today. 

Songs for today are: It is Well and Take my Life

It Is Well

WHEN PEACE,
LIKE A RIVER,
ATTENDETH MY WAY,

WHEN SORROWS
LIKE THE SEA
BILLOWS ROLL

WHATEVER MY LOT
THOU HAST TAUGHT ME
TO SAY
IT IS WELL IT IS WELL
WITH MY SOUL

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
IT IS WELL IT IS WELL
WITH MY SOUL

THOUGH SATAN
SHOULD BUFFET,
THOUGH TRIALS
SHOULD COME,

LET THIS BLEST ASSURANCE
CONTROL
THAT CHRIST
HAS REGARDED MY
HELPLESS ESTATE
AND HATH SHED
HIS OWN BLOOD FOR
MY SOUL

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
IT IS WELL IT IS WELL
WITH MY SOUL

Take My Life and Let it Be

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Friday

Yea!!! It’s Friday.  After a week of not really feeling well, I finally could kind of breathe today and had enough energy to survive the whole day! 

The big moral of this week is that I’m not ready to have kids!  I’ve stayed with 2 very spoiled crazy boys.  It is crazy taking care of a 2nd and 4th grader while teaching full time!  I have a lot more respect for working moms who can still raise their kids well.  I also have the help of a full time maid to cook and clean.  YIKES!!!  Although the G-ma that lives at home is often more a hindurance than a help when the kids go behind my back to get something they want from her even after I say no.  OH well, only a few more days!

Happy Friday to all – Have a great weekend!

On a lighter note. . .

Well, here’s a funny story from yesterday.  My students read stories and give me comprehension sheets or other type handouts.  Yesterday we talked about predictions based on pictures in the text.   So before they read they had to look at the pictures and make predictions.  The prediction I got from Iggy yesterday went like this: 

“Some men go on a journey with their houses, but while traveling in the wilderness they decide to rest a little bit.  Then one of them disapears. He is a trator, then while everybody is in a circle around the fire, ‘the time has come,’ He said.  Then silently ran to a horse and pt a bomb in its food.  But they discovered him so he escapes on another horse.  One man saw how the horse swallowed the bomb. ‘I’ll shoot the horse!’ said a man.  ‘No, let’s just go to Kansas City I know a man that takes bombs out of horses stomachs.’ So they went there.”  

I have no idea why he thought of Kansas City, but Rachel and I had a good laugh about it!  HAHa. Hopefully you can get a good laugh at it too.  Needless to say the story had nothing to do with this elaborate prediction.

The one thing that made my day was going to the grocery store and finding cans of Guarana from Brazil.  I was so excited! 

American Idol and Soup

It’s wierd to think of living in Bolivia yet following American Idol.  Of course it is  from at least last year, however since I didn’t really watch TV last year, I haven’t seen it yet.  Oh well. 

I tried to make Chicken Corn Soup tonight.  I used Ramen noodles (actually pretty expensive here- well, for Ramen noodles) and a can of corn and some chicken Rachel cooked.  It turned out pretty good.  I needed something to soothe my sore throat.

Sunday finally seems like Sunday now, I enjoy church.  I actually look forward to seeing others at church, am working on names and connections, but it is fun to finally enjoy it. Today I sang with 4 other women for worship team. We learned 3 new songs yesterday which was fun and most of the time just winged it.  Oh well, I was told we sounded good.  That’s nice to hear.

Music helps to heal the soul. At least mine.  Thank you God for music.  I don’t know what I’d do if I could hear or appreciate music.  Wow. 

Anyway, I’m hoping to add some more pictures soon.  My batteries in my camera were dead so I couldn’t take it.

I don’t think I posted my camera story!  Wow, we were in Oruro and sitting on these bleachers like sardines watching the parade.  It was fun and I was enjoying taking pictures and stuff, well something happened and my camera slipped out of my hand and fell through my legs down to the ground about 10-12 feet down.  Rachel immediately looked down and made eye contact with the chalita (Bolivian woman – in traditional outfit – like the picture posted a bit ago).  Anyway, Rachel asked nicely told me to give some money and for 2Bs – about 25 cents- I was able to get my digital camera back and after examining  it I realized that I lost a battery, but otherwise it was working fine.  With a bit of a more bump and scratch, but working fine.  WOW!! Praise the Lord!!

Well, I’m singing in the worship team on Sunday, so we had practice today.  It will be interesting.  There are 4 all together singing then we’ll have some instruments.  They rotate a lot, so this is not going to be a regular thing.  We are also doing offaritory.  I’m glad to be getting involved in church however and it is also fun to get to know others.

I’ve recently been encouraged by many verses and notes by loved ones from all over.  Here are some that were especially encouraging.  2 Corinthians 9:8 – “And GOD IS ABLE to make all grace abound unto you:  that you, having all sufficiency in all things at all times may ABOUND unto every good work.  His grace is all-abounding sufficient to meet your needs”

I’ve also been reading through a Max Lucado book on Ps. 23 and a Vineyard suplamentary devotion to a sermon series on Ps. 23.  Both of these things have been very encouraging to my spirit.  Most recently the encouraging verse was from  2 Corinthians  4:18 ” So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen.  For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.”

Wow, this was a great encouragement to my spirit.  Thank you all for your many thoughts and prayers.

Please keep praying.  It looks like we have decided to move into the apartment.  We talked with another teacher tonight who will move in with us so that it will be cheaper.  So now the challenge is finding furniture.  We went shopping Saturday at the Black Market to price furniture and see what we are getting ourselves into.  We ended up buying stools and a table and benches and a little kitchen hutch thing.  It is so interesting because you walk down the street and all you see is furniture lining the streets.  We bought the stuff then had to get a taxi to take it all home.  It was so funny we looked at a table and benches but it seemed too tall for Rachel’s 2nd graders, so we were trying to measure but found it easier to borrow a child off the street to sit down to measure.  It was funny, he felt very uncomfortable posing for the gringas.  Oh well.  So my stool for my class cost about $4, which is the nice thing about living here is things are fairly inexpensive, but it will cost quite a bit to try to outfit an apartment even with the minimun. 

Well, that’s all for now.  Hope you have a great Valentine’s Day!

Carnival del Oruro – I spent one day at Carnival to watch the parades and cultural dances.  It was very neat to see the colors and coreography.  I had enough with one day though because in Bolivia it’s the traditional Carnival stuff and water.  Everyone throws water balloons, sprays water guns, or sprays foam spray.  In Oruro there were 7 gringos which were prime targets, so even with our purchased ponchos we were soaked after a few hours.  They love to spray foam right in your face or burst balloons of water right down your back.  It was a fun experience, but one that I do not wish to repeat.  Oh well.  One must experience some culture. right?

Here’s a typical picture of the street/market.  Women dress like this all over the city.  Higher class people wear more western dress.

Here is La Paz, you can see some of the mountains in the background and all the valley area is the city.

Here’s a picture of Lake Titicaca – I didn’t take it but I was there.

Here ‘s a link to Bolivian history which is pretty interesting.

http://home.t-online.de/home/dobras/

Hi, I was introduced to Xanga from the youth group at Avondale Baptist Church, so decided to try it.  I’ll periodically post messages and stories of my life here in Bolivia.  So check it out periodically and you can get updates from me.  OK.

Hopefully I’ll post pictures soon as well.  As soon as I get it figured it out.