Happy Godly Play Day!!

Hola everyone!

     Our adventures continue… There are so many things to tell you about this time, I’m not even sure where to begin. Firstly, our residency visas are finally almost done. We did the final paperwork on Monday, and now we must wait 4-6 weeks to get our cards (they’re called carnets here). The government just automated this process somewhat, so we can check online, and when the website says they are ready, we have to go to La Paz one last time to pick them up. Not that this will be the last time we go to La Paz, just the last time we have to. It will be a great relief to get that done. We ended with having to pay a pretty hefty fine, almost $100 each. This is because it costs 20 Bs. per day once your temporary visa expires, which ours did on August 10, so 20 Bs. times three people times almost another month equals about $300. It was a little painful, but not totally unexpected. Of course, it wasn’t anything we had any control over, either, which made it that much more painful!! Most of the extra time was in waiting for Interpol to issue the certificates saying that we aren’t wanted international fugitives. I wonder how that would have been handled if the NSA leaker dude had sought asylum here? Hmm…

     Secondly, Jeff developed a mighty toothache a couple of weeks ago, and Hye-Jung recommended a US-trained (and English-speaking!!) dentist in La Paz. Jeff saw him Monday while we were in town, and he needs 3 root canals! Even here, where medical and dental care is so much less expensive, that is a budget-buster, so we will have to take the alternative route and get the three teeth pulled. This will only cost about $150 US, rather than almost $1200 with root canals and crowns. It is a shame to remove teeth that could be saved, but that is the only fiscally sane option.  Please pray for him on Monday, when he will travel back to La Paz to have the first of 3-4 appointments to get this taken care of.

     On a brighter note, the weather is definitely changing here. Spring is in the air! It is always green and beautiful, but the nights are not as cool, and the afternoons are getting nice and warm. Today there was a delightful breeze, so we opened all the windows, set up Jeff’s screen door contraption in the doorway, and hung out our sheets and blankets to freshen. It was also a very nice day to hang laundry, as it will undoubtedly be dry by morning – rather than the 4 days it took a couple of weeks ago because it was rainy and cool for 3 days and nights in a row!! Tomorrow looks to be much the same, so pillows and towels will get the same treatment. It is especially nice to have that warm, dry wind and sunshine, as it does a great job of eliminating the musty smell things get when they’re damp for days or weeks on end.

     Next, a few words about our daily lives… Our Spanish is getting much better. Mine is improving the fastest, mostly because I have daily interaction with my students and I get much more opportunity to communicate with people than Jeff and Delaney do. Delaney is having a wonderful time with the kids and the library, and is beginning to feel as though she understands her patrons and they understand her, at least some of the time. Plus her two weekly storytimes are really helping with her pronunciation! She will also be taking on some administrative duties in the main offices over the next few weeks, and most of the staff there speaks limited English, so she will have many more opportunities to improve her skills. Jeff spends much of his time working with a very specific vocabulary in his daily maintenance tasks, but he is building relationships with the machine, woodworking and construction staff, so his Spanish is coming along. We finally have our home all settled in and comfortable, so that we can all start and finish our days pleasantly, and we can all rest well. A special thanks to Hugh and company for getting Jeff and I a much better bed!!

     Finally, I just wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and support. It is wonderful to have our faith community at home always there for us, never underestimate how important that is to us, and to the people we serve here. We have been welcomed with open arms, and we will always have a family here, but none of this would be possible without the physical and emotional support we have gotten, and will continue to get, from all of you. As we work to build bridges here, we are always mindful that a bridge is nothing without its solid foundation. We are very much enjoying the calendar that was a gift from St. A’s (special thanks to Mark D.!!) It says that tomorrow is the first day of Godly Play. Enjoy! We will be thinking of you and hoping for a very special morning filled with little voices and busy hands.

Blessings and love to each and every one of you,
Susan