We received a package today from Leon and Lorraine Pfotenhauer, members of St Thomas Episcopal Church in Sioux City. In this package was 100 pray chaplets and 2 packets of stretchable wrist-let bracelets, plus one set of each for each of the three of us. Leon, and his wife Lorraine, made these for Delaney to give to the locals as she makes friends. This box represents a LOT of work, even if it is a labor of love. Thank you SO much Leon and Lorraine. Your gift will be used well, and hopefully soon, youth all over the Nor Yungas will be praying with them!

We are getting more and more accomplished on our "to do" list before we leave, and that time is sprinting up on us! We are having trouble getting to sleep the closer we get to the date with so much to still be done!

Time for bed now, but wanted to share the joy we felt when we opened that box! Thanks again Leon and Lorraine for that thoughtful gift!

Today's news

As our departure quickly approaches, we find ourselves more and more overwhelmed -- by the love and generosity of everyone with whom we have shared this dream of ours, and by our own feelings as the dream gets closer to becoming reality. Tomorrow St. Andrew's will commission us for our year in Bolivia. We feel very humbled by the caring and prayerful support of our faith community, and though we will miss them while we are gone, we know that they will continue to pray for us and think of us while we are away.

We are making progress on finishing renovations on the house before we leave, and hope to get the kitchen floor put in by the end of the week. This will be my (Susan's) last week at work, an occasion I find bittersweet because I am very much looking forward to our stay at the UAC-CP, but I will miss the co-workers I have come to know as friends. I am so thankful for my friend Bonnie for giving me the opportunity to work with such a great bunch of people, even though she knew there was a good possibility I would leave only a year later. What a year it has been...

We have our temporary visas now, all our shots except one Delaney will get at a last checkup with her doctor this week, all our luggage. Delaney is all registered for her classes and everything seems to be ready there. Many thanks to Sue Ann Raymond for donating her laptop so that Delaney can have her own computer to do her schoolwork.

Jeff and I both have a couple more rounds of volunteering to do before we go. He will pick up and deliver the bread donation one more time this week, plus help with distribution at Faux Farms' CSA program at least once. I will do Share Iowa distribution next Saturday. I want to give a shout-out to Carrie DeVries, who will be taking over that program when I leave. Thanks so much for doing that!

Delaney is busy mowing lawns today for spending cash to take with her next weekend, when she will go with her boyfriend and his family to Valleyfair. She views that mini-trip with great anticipation, and hopes that Quade doesn't make her ride too many rollercoasters, since she REALLY hates them! I am sure they will have lots of fun together, and I hope it doesn't rain the whole weekend.

Less than one month to go until we head WAY South!!! Purchasing the tickets was a big relief. We did get our Temporary Visas in the works and should have those any day now. We are still short of our Extended Visas, so we can use some help. Those Visas cost $500 each Wife just informed me that the price is $500, not the $400 I previously stated). Again and again, we have placed this whole trip into God's hands. Again and again, the obstacles simply disappeared. We continue to see encouraging signs that our trip is still on track, yet, per human nature, we start doubting again. I pray that this is one of the last moments of doubt (at least until we get back from Bolivia!). So, once again, I am asking for assistance. We can not do this year of service on our own. If you have any questions about our trip, please ask. If you have any doubts about this trip, again, please ask for clarification. We appreciate everything that has come in, but we need a little more. I know this sounds like a telethon, but it is true. I know how those telethon workers feel. Your emotions go through the wringer. You feel the highs of reaching goals, then you realize that you have the next goal to accomplish. Sometimes that goal is higher than the one you just passed, some become lower, so you can start to see your final destination just over the hump. This describes where we are right now. We have our tickets, we have our departure date, we have our luggage (minus a carry-on), but we still need the Visas that will allow us to stay past 30 days. I appreciate everyone of you that are following this page and blog. If you know of anyone that might be interested in supporting this trip, please give them our contact information. If you need that info, please send a message. keep us in your prayers, whichever God you like, and know that you all are in ours too!

God's Peace

Jeff