Found an Old Man in a Tree

So today in service we found this old man sitting in a tree chopping the limbs off with a machete. We asked to take his picture and he was very willing to have his picture taken. He had to be around 80 years old sitting in this high tree. It was quite amazing and comical at the same time.

Fair Time

 Yesterday I went with girls from our hall to the fair that is currently going on during winter here in Tarija. I was worried at first because the rides did not look too safe. But I figured if the girls do it so can I. I still was careful with a few rides :D. There were 8 rides, 3 games, and some fair food. Had a great time. It was super cold and I was not dressed warm enough. I did not expect to be playing outside. The girls did not tell me where we were going. Here are a few photos of our day.

On the bumper cars.

At the Viking ship.

Coming off the viking ship

On the viking ship.

Service with Our Chica

So this afternoon no one showed up, except for this young sister about 9 years old in our hall. Yesterday and today she accompanied us in service. She is really been enjoying it and loves riding on the moped with us. We stick her between us. We must be a sight. A Bible Study's daughter asked me if she was my daughter. I laughed a little because Darian is so dark and I am so white. She is the sweetest little girl and she likes to hold our hands while preaching. We enjoy her company and believe she will turn out to be quite the little preacher.

This is where Darian lives. It is very hard to drive the moped to her house. But we did it. She walks with her 2 sisters and mother to all the meetings and service. And is always on time.

Justin, Darian and I

Justin's study's dog had 9 puppies 2 weeks ago. They were sooooo sweet.

Sometimes You Have to Look the Other Way...

That is exactly what I had to do to enter my house about 2 months ago. I forgot I had these pictures of a giant spider that was sitting outside our door to the house a week before my trip. I had to look the other way and run inside. I was so scared it would come in. Come to find out it was a baby Tarantula. Just a baby... and it was the size of my hand. We have not seen it the past two months so far so good. I heard you spray them with hairspray and they freeze up then you can kill them or throw them somewhere. I think I would need a shotgun to shoot an adult one. I have never seen one in the wild before. All I could think was run and do not provoke it or it will chase me. LOL Well sometimes you have to deal with things like this, but they are so few and far between that they make great stories. :) Oh and Justin took the photos because I was inside trying to fill in the cracks so it could not enter. :D

One Seriously BIG Pizza

So the other night we decided to buy the biggest pizza you could here. It is said to be able to feed 12-16 people. We had a total of 4. LOL Needless to say we had leftovers.

Micka modeling our Super Pizza for us.

Our Super Pizza was so big our island in the kitchen was almost too small.

Cherimoya Fruit

So the other day a sister was telling me about a Cherimoya Fruit. She said it was a sweet fruit with white insides, lots of seed, and was green and bumby. So today I went to the market and picked up a few. I tried one for lunch. It was semi-sweet with lots of seeds. It did not have to much of a flavor though so I really do not know how to describe the taste. I guess you will have to come and try one for yourself. :)

Justin's First Public Talk in Bolivia

Well the title says it all. Today was Justin's first public talk here in Bolivia. He did awesome. His Spanish has improved so much from when he first gave this talk. I was so proud. I also got to wear my Dirndl. It was a hit. After the meeting Justin had lots of brothers and sisters tell him how good of a job he did. One sister who has a 11 year old mentally challenged child came up and told him she was so encouraged with his talk. We talked with her for about 30 minutes. You never realize what people are dealing with in their personal lives. You realize how much you impact ones just by example. I am glad we talked to her, because now I know she does not mind having help with her child. So maybe I can help during the meetings, because he tends to yell out things when he gets a bored. Anyways....Justin did great. A Sr. Sabina came with her daughter to see Justin's talk also. She is the sister we go to every Thursday for empanadas. Her experience and what she has dealt with is in the 9/1/2009 Watchtower under "A Letter From Bolivia Happy and Hopeful Despite Poverty". I just finished reading it, very encouraging.

Justin, Me, Sabina and her daughter Milena (click on photo to enlarge)

Then after we were invited to go eat at a small restaurant/ house for lunch. It was really good we had Sopa de Mani (Peanut Soup eaten every Sunday) and Saice. {The links are recipes to these dishes if you want to try them}

Sopa de Mani

Saice

Then I took a nap and we went in service. Had a great time in service. A young publisher asked me to go on a call with him and we started a study with her. It is so great to see the progress the young ones make. He is such a great teacher and is only 15 yrs. old. I was very surprised and impressed with his love and emotion with which he taught.

That's Leonardo and I in the distance. (click on photo to enlarge)

Then Justin and I went to a brother's house to help him with his heater. He is in his 80's and live in a room the size of our bathroom. And you all know how small that is. It did not work so we brought him a spare we had. We still had to MacGyver it a bit, because it would not worked right in the outlet. Oh and there is one outlet with one place to put a plug in in the whole place. But hey we live in Bolivia everything is MacGyvered. He was so happy, because he has not had heat this whole time.

MacGyvering an outlet. Justin is almost standing on his bed in this picture.

That is about all for today. Tomorrow is very busy because it is our only free day this week because we have the overseers visit.

Trip to Germany

So as many of you know, I was in Germany and the States this past month. I was able to visit my family, buy what I needed for Bolivia and have a great time with my mom in Germany. Here are a few of the 1000 plus pictures I have.

Where we stayed in Amberg, Germany. The pink house the bottom floor.

City Hall in Amberg, Germany.

Market Plaza in Amberg, Germany.

The Church in the middle of Amberg, Germany.

We stayed on the left side for 3 days at the beginning of our trip.

On a hike I found this snail.

Waiting for the train.

Some flowers in Regensburg, Germany.

 

Ancient Roman Ruins in Regensburg, Germany.

David and Goliath painted on a building.

Where we ate lunch at in Regensburg, Germany.

Drinking a beer in Regensburg, Germany.

Waiting for a train with my grandfather.

A 17 mile round-trip hike we went on. This was the easy part.

The beer garden we hiked to.

My grandfather loving his lunch.

 

 

A palace in Wurzburg, Germany.

 

Passau, Germany where my mother was born.

Mom and her brother, Gunther.

Eating out on the top of the hill in Amberg, Germany.

Gunther, my grandmother and mom.

My Dad playing with the dogs.

My nephews Matthew and Jacob being silly during lunch at the convention.

Crystal and I.

 Had a wonderful trip. But I am glad to be home. Missed Bolivia and Justin so much.