I want to start off this week’s blog by saying that I am truly thankful for each and every one of you out there that has supported us financially, in prayer, and in the many other ways that are too numerous to mention. We are truly blessed to have any single one of you, let alone all of you.

     This past week, our home church, St Andrews, celebrated Shrove Tuesday with its annual Shrove Tuesday pancake feed put on by the men, for the lady folk in our lives.  This culinary event has been performed for decades, if not longer.  In solidarity with the men who cooked, served, and cleaned up, I too delivered piping hot hot cakes to Susan and Delaney. There is a reason that it is also called “Fat Tuesday,” and that is because we all make such good pancakes!

     Also this week, I passed a milestone. My father recently posted on Facebook that “If you hadn’t grown up by age 50, that you didn’t have to.” Yesterday I turned 50, and I don’t view myself as “not grown up”, so, by default, I don’t have to! Celebrating my birthday was a quiet affair. A simple meal of chicken and rice was served, but it felt like a gourmet meal. Susan and Delaney wrote a poem and gave it to me. The poem states “There once was a man from Waverly, Whose hat always tilted crazily, He went to the South, Lost teeth from his mouth, And turned 50 while singing terribly.” I want to be the first one to say that I think they are just jealous of my “joyful noise unto the Lord.” My oldest daughter, Hope, gave me a present too. She found out this week that she is having another boy, so I will be a grandfather again in June. But, I feel that the greatest present ever was to be here in Carmen Pampa, serving God’s people, and hearing God’s calling clearer and clearer.

     We are finally on the downhill side of our year in Bolivia. Planning is started (at least on paper!), and thoughts are turning toward home. The students here will be missed (at least most of themJ). I just wanted to remind everyone that we would not have been able to undertake this year of mission without each and every one of you. So I will close for now, but know that you are all in our hearts, our thoughts, and our prayers.

Peace,

Jeff