Villa Nueva buying snow

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Villa Nueva buying snow

After a long hot and dry couple of months, we received rain this weekend, and what a blessing it is. The only downside to the rain, is that it makes the dirt roads virtually impassible. So thankful that the internet here works so well…. Most of the time. I officially moved two weeks ago and am working on settling in and getting used to the quiet. Wow, what a difference from living in a community surrounded by friends and neighbors to living way out in the country with only one close neighbor. The verse I find meaningful right now is Ecclesiastes For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. I spent the day baking Christmas goodies that will be put onto trays and delivered to my neighbors. With my family so far away, I am so thankful for my MEM family. I have been busy trying to get some projects done, and now planning and dreaming about a big, brand-new project. I am super excited about the land that we are in the process of purchasing and plan to start a new ministry. I have attached a short video below. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. Psalm This year seems to just have flown by. In April I flew to Canada for my home assignment. I spent three months traveling all over Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, driving 12, kms on a vehicle that friends from my home church were generous enough to let me use. I reported in various churches and groups and met up with a lot of friends, new and old. Time spent with my family and friends was precious. This was the longest I had been back since I left in In July I returned to Bolivia and have been adjusting to my new schedule. I miss the children at school everyday, but am happy and excited about where the Lord will lead; possibly start a new school in the Tres Cruces area. I still do all the administration for MEM, and have been concentrating on working with and developing a Low German school curriculum. I also go out to the Belice Colony as much as I can. We have been meeting with a couple of families, and I am able to share Bible stories with the children and do some crafts and games. Such a joy to spend time with the children. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Proverbs The weather is beautiful, no warmer than 30C and cooler evenings and nights, which mean no air conditioning required. Sometimes it feels like the days just all seem to roll together, so I am thankful for technology that lets us capture the small moments that make life beautiful. This verse just kept popping up everywhere in the last little while: I taught my classes this verse in a song, it was our weekly memory verse for our Teens Group, and it was part of our Sunday worship. Philippians Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice! Such a simple verse, but so meaningful. My prayer is that you and I will always take time for the smaller moments in life, and rejoice and be thankful for the abundant blessings God gives us. March and April have just seemed to fly by, and looking back at these pictures, I can see where the time went. I had someone ask me yesterday how things were going in Bolivia, and I said that things were good, for the most part. Of course there are struggles and challenges. Working with people, whether in the classroom, in my Teens group, my church family, or community, there are bound to be differences of opinion and clashes. Being so far away from my family, especially this year, is hard. But every day I call upon the Lord and thank Him for so many bountiful blessings. I am thankful for health, for my comfortable home, for the safe community I live in, for the wonderful people I serve with, and for all the opportunities I get to share the gospel and hopefully make a small difference in the lives of those around me. After spending a wonderful time in Alberta with my family and friends over Christmas and New Year, I arrived back in Bolivia on January 13th. It has been a hectic six weeks, but things are finally easing into place, and looking positive as we start We had 10 teens go from Villa Nueva. It was a weekend spent with singing, learning more about God, games, swimming, and of course eating a lot of yummy food. Show me your ways Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalms I am a firm believer that a picture says a thousand words, and I love to take pictures to capture memories, instead of long journal entries. So here are some pictures I wanted to show you, that capture a bit of my life here in South America. The year started off great, but then in March we had to close down the school for only two weeks, they said , but never reopened. We tried having classes virtually for a couple of months, mostly lessons sent over WhatsApp, which did not work, and then had to shut down completely in July. In April I got sick with dengue, which really took its toll. I had just started feeling better, then got sick with Covid. After spending a week in the hospital, I spent a couple of months recuperating at home. I decided to go to Canada on home assignment and spent November and December with friends and family in Alberta. I did some church reporting and fundraising, but things did not go as planned when Alberta implemented a bunch of restrictions where travel and visiting outside the home was not permitted. I ended up having a lot more downtime and family time, which I am very thankful for, as it took until December for me to feel completely back to normal. I arrived back in Bolivia on January 4th, and have been running ever since. Praise the Lord we were able to start school again after an eight month break. Teachers and students are having to work especially hard to catch up from all that was missed last year, but everyone is enthused and motivated to have an excellent school year. We are currently having classes three days a week, with two days working from home. Even though I have had more time at home than I have ever had, the days just seem to fly by, and seem to all run together from one day to the next. In Villa Nueva, things have loosened up a bit. We are finally allowed to have church again as of last Sunday with certain restrictions , and I spend a couple of mornings a week at school, working in the office and meeting with students and parents to help with whatever I can. Students are continuing their studies via electronic devices, which in most cases means whatsapp on their phones. No word as to when school will be allowed to start up again. Almost every household has had at least one family member hospitalized due to dengue. I have never been so sick, for so long in my life. I spent two weeks on bedrest, and it took another two weeks to be able to do light work. I still have not regained all my strength, but I am so thankful to be feeling well again. Due to the pandemic, I was not able to fly to Canada as originally planned for this summer. I was looking forward to seeing family and friends, and of course, eating lots of yummy food. I have been craving a delicious Canadian hamburger and poutine for months now, after eating nothing but my own cooking for months. It has been a tough couple of months, but I am at peace knowing the Lord is in control, and He has a plan, even though we can not see it. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Well folks, with extra time on my hands these days, I made a list of a bunch of things I have been putting off, and writing an update was top of the list, so here goes. We had a great start to the school year, and I felt like we were just settling in and getting organized, when this whole Coronavirus thing happened and we had to shut down the school on March 13th. Then on Sunday March 22nd the government called for a country wide quarantine to last for two weeks. They are serious. No going anywhere unless absolutely necessary. Only one person in a family allowed to go for groceries. We have had law enforcement patrolling our little village making sure that we are staying home. My sister reminded me to enjoy this time, so I will give it my best. Our Lord God made the world and everything in it. He has a plan and we just have to have faith that He will get us through. Prayer requests: Pray that our ministry here in Amanecer will be effective;that the Lord would guide and direct. Amanecer — my house is the one on the right. Visiting a family and their new baby in the colony. Good-bye to my home in Villa Nueva that has been such a blessing these last six years. Moving day My turtles seemed to have settled in fine in their new home. Planting grass in my front yard. Bolivia has had a diesel shortage for the past six months or so. Huge line of jugs waiting to be filled once the diesel truck arrives. Such cute visitors. So proud they finished their Sunday School book. My house in Amanecer getting insulation and a new ceiling put in. Bathroom and storage room built. Every day I am thankful for my solar system. It has been working great. All three houses are benefiting. Thankfully Bolivia has a lot of sunlight. Pray that the funds would be raised that are needed. Pray for wisdom and guidance as we minister to the colony people. Some things you can pray for are: For wisdom and guidance as we minister in the Belice Colony. How to help so many who are suffering from abuse, addicitons, poverty, and fear. Pray for the MEM team as there are many changes happening. So here goes…….. English teachers working together on our report cards. Making queso empanadas as a special treat for the school children. Teachers and students planned a very special program, games and snacks to celebrate Mothers Day. Villa Nueva Church put on a fundraiser for the school. Great turnout and lots of fun. Singing, message, lunch, and an auction completed the day. An evening spent singing and visiting in the colony. Shepherdess and her sheep. Anyone need garlic? The Christian Mariachi Band was a great surprise. Hanging out with some of my students,such wonderful young women. Special Thanksgiving service at church. I Thessalonians Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. Learning how to make queso empanadas with this lovely grade 11 student. I so enjoy my Teens group. Pictured here all dressed up for our Easter Program. We performed a drama about the empty grave. I spent quite a few evenings sewing costumes. Youth night at church. We had a church group from Santa Cruz visit and share with us. Teens group last week was led by visitors from Canada. My favorite little people. The girls playing with my tortoises. Can you spot my favorite bird in the tree? Made my day spotting this toucan at church right behind my house. It was a fun, extremely busy day. Spent the day with these lovely ladies cooking for approx. Meet the newest members of my pet family; Pumpkin and Munchkin. It was good to meet and learn from other teachers and directors. We received a certificate for completion of the workshops. New elections in the Villa Nueva Church. So proud of all these brothers and sisters in Christ who are willing to help serve and further His Kingdom. After weeks of planning and organizing, hiring new teachers, and training, we started our new school year on February 7th. We have a total of students, from kindergarten to grade 12, with a staff of Susie is the librarian, and also helping teach English, and Ashley is the new secretary. They will be great Christian role models for the students. With students from so many different cultures, languages, and learning levels, this year will definitely be a challenge. Please pray that the Lord would lead and guide us so that we can make a difference in the lives of all the children. MEM accepted three new members into our group. Santa Cruz I took a little time out and went to visit a flower market in Santa Cruz. I love gardening, especially since I never have to worry about cold and frost killing my plants. Rainy season in Bolivia. We received 5 inches in a couple of hours. My backyard was completely flooded. Had to save my little tortoises from the flood waters. After calling around everywhere to try and find someone to repair my broken stove, this wonderful friend said she would take a look. Sure enough, after coming over for lunch after church, she got right to it and started taking my stove apart. She found and fixed the problem in no time. I think I owe her another lunch: Sunday afternoon playing games with friends. Meet the newest member of my pet family. This is Coco. She is an adorable, happy, playful little puppy. I love all the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at the local markets. Spent a couple of days with these lovely people in Villamontes, a beautiful town by the Andes Mountains, close to the Paraguay border. The Andes mountains reminded me so much of the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Alberta. A lot of my time is spent at school, whether teaching an ESL class or as part of my duties on the school board. I love spending time with the students. Due to Covid, we only have classes three days a week and two days of working from home. Thursday nights are spent with the Teens Group. What a joy these young people are. On July 1st we had frost! It was a new experience for me to see frost in Bolivia. February 2nd, first day of school. The area rug is a new addition this year, and is a big hit. Now all we need is air conditioning: Thursday night, Teens Group. The church bought some new table games, which are a lot of fun. My tortoises are having a growing spurt! New pets. A group of 37 youth, ages spent the weekend playing games, swimming, eating, singing, and learning more about Jesus. What a blessed time. Villa Nueva Teen Group getting ready to go to camp. Transportation for our Teens Camp. Proverbs Here are some recent photos: Protesters blocking the highway between Villa Nueva and Pailon. I needed some things from town, so I decided to walk. The watermelons this time of the year are abundant and delicious. Here I am learning how to to make bagels. We recently had a huge rainfall. My road and yard were completely flooded. I had to rescue my little tortoises from drowning in their pen. With dengue I was put on intravenous. I decided to stay in the comfort of my own home instead of staying in the clinic. Had to get creative when it came to hanging up my intravenous bag. This is what my church looked like for the past couple of months: listening to the service on the radio in my backyard. I spent 4 hours waiting outside in the lot sun, in line to try and get into the bank in Pailon. With banks only open for limited hours it is almost impossible to get in. My pets are getting spoiled with me being home so much. They all jump into my lap as soon as I sit down outside. Getting sprayed down with a disinfectant when entering Villa Nueva. Started the New Year with these wonderful people. Took a road trip into Brazil. Checked off another country on my list:. Create a free website or blog at WordPress. Subscribe Subscribed. Sign me up. Already have a WordPress. Log in now. Loading Comments Email Required Name Required Website. Design a site like this with WordPress.