Cochabamba Crazy

Hi its Annie,

I accompanied on the chapare visit and enjoyed it very much. The kids were really sweet and we got to play with them for a while which was nice. The humidity nearly killed me though! Also getting up at 4am to make it there for an 8:30 meeting wasn't something I can say pleased me much! Ha...I'm not a morning person! Had to be done though.

I feel like I'm pretty settled here now and am even going bowling, to the cinema and enjoyed some night life! Probably not what I expected I could do and probably not what I should spend my money on either!

The weather has been gorgeous for 3 days now and so I've done a little soaking...may be a little burnt though!

I've managed to take trufies now...even if I did miss my destination by one street because I wasn't paying attention and trying not to fall out the thing!...maybe a little practice is needed here.

So carnival seems to be in pretty full swing...water balloons flying everywhere...some good dodging is going on by me! I've got a bet on that if I don't get hit the whole of carnival I am owed an ice cream sundae! Lots of sprinting from buildings to taxis!

I'm now staying around 5 nights at the Mosey's which is really nice and after finding a TARANTULA at the hacienda this week!!...I'm pretty happy about leaving that place! It was just sitting on the living room table! So many photos were taken and I've left him in a tupperware box because thats all we could think of doing....although a little cruel...what else do you do to kill it?!

I'm helpingout once or twice a week babysitting a little adopted boy because his mum has gone back to the states for a while. So last week I managed a 24hr shift with little Angelito. Hard work but a very cool dude! Getting up to feed him his bottle will give me very good practice for being a mother myself...even if that is in a good few years!

Tigerlilli and Leon are doing good and I've made the top level of the Hacienda kitten proof so now they are alowed out for a little fresh air. There are a few new arrivals to the chicken coop...after the last 2 chicks dying, we bought five slightly older chickens and one has already been frightened to death...yes it sounds like I'm an awful animal keeper...not really its those stray dogs!...but Ted Mosey helped loads by pretty much barracaded the chicken run with all sorts including a fair bit of barbed wire. They should be safe now...Oh I hope so!

The kids at frutillar are doing well, really enjoying school now its back on. The biblestudy we have started went well and we ended up doing two becasue they didnt really take long and they all participated well! We are off tommorrow to help them with homework which I'm looking forward to seeing as I feel like I haven't used my brain in months!

Chapare Visit

This week we piled in Mike's car and headed out to Chapare! There were many things on the slate for this trip. Included in the things to accomplish were: meet with a church that is partnering with us on the almost complete kilometer 14 home, get the power turned on for the 14 home, meet with the Sindicato (local governing board) about the operating home at kilometer 21, and meet and better understand the situations and needs of the childred at the kilometer 21 home. Many other things were accomplished on the trip and many new relationships were formed. It is truly amazing to see how the work that has been so long in process is starting to bud and bear fruit. We thank Him for everything that is being done in Chapare and are happy we can play a part in it! Below are pictures from the trip:

Above: The kids preparing for Carnival (alot of water baloon throwing).
Right: They could use a little practive filling them up!



Bottom Three
Top: Mike with the head of the Chapare Sindicato. Also, he is wearing a Evo for President hat to amuse them:)
Middle: The kids were excited to show us their rooms and beds.
Last: Kids biggest to smallest.