MY LIFE IN BOLIVIA

AT THE CONVENTION

Many might wonder what it is really like in Bolivia.  It’s a third world country..Do you have electricity or a bathroom?  I will try to share with you a little about my life in Bolivia.  Maybe you might want to come visit me.

We go in service 4 days a week. We chose days where the group meets close to our apartment. We don’t have a car so we have to walk there.   Our neighbors had a motor cycle attached to trailer and a few times we got a ride.  That was quite interesting since it wasn’t enclosed or covered. My first few thoughts were, is this legal? This seems very dangerous, does anyone agree? Where are the seats?  But after a moment,  I went with it and enjoyed the ride.  Funny,  I nagged Chris for a Toyota Camry when we lived in the States and here I hitch rides when I can in a trailer. It’s very liberating...I must admit.

  Our service group meets at 8 am and we work till 12.  We usually start out with around 7 or 8 people in the group and within an hour another 10 join us. It’s amazing how they can find us in the territory.  I’ve had a chance to work with several of the sisters here.  They are very encouraging and supportive. A few speak louder and very slow so I can understand them.  It’s quite amusing. I want to kindly tell them “I can hear just fine, I just told always remember all my grammar.” I wonder how many times I did that in the States to the Spanish speaking friends….

We don’t have an oven yet. One of the friends loaned us a double gas burner. It’s kind of like camping but in my house.  That has taken a bit to get used to. Our neighbor, who is also a need greater,  has let me use her oven a few times.  I’m very appreciative of that.  We don’t have a washing machine yet either. That’s been very interesting. We go a whole week without washing clothes and when we run out of under clothes we use our neighbors’ machine or if she’s not home, I wash them by hand.  Yes, I wash them by hand. It’s an experience. It truly takes talent because anyone who’s done that before knows you must rinse all the soap out of your clothes or they will be incredible hard. The true key also is to make sure you take them off the line before they change color or fade.  You only have a small window of opportunity because they could dry in 1 hour or 4.  

We have a small fridge, we bought it second hand.  It has a freezer inside the fridge.  You have to defrost it every week or it’s a solid block of ice. That also takes much skill. See, if you defrost the fridge you must patiently wait so you can collect the water that drains out of the freezer or you will have water all through the fridge and on the floor. 

NICKOLAS IN SERVICE

I have learned being here in Bolivia just a few weeks that Jehovah gives me what I need not always what I want. I also realized that I can live without so much less.  I’m truly content with the simple things because it makes me realize how fortune I am to have them: the tiny fridge, camping like stove, sink, water and soap to wash my clothes.  I've learned to laugh and smile and not fret over the little things. I can't change it anyways. Most importantly, I have more time for the ministry and to spend with my 2 precious boys that do give me much joy.  A minor glitch is that I’m without my Precious Beautiful Chloe and that at times I do suffer thinking about that, but Jehovah has given me some dear precious spiritual daughters to keep an eye on here and to love and they love me back...I can truly say I am lacking nothing.

OUR APARTMENT

CHRIS WAITING FOR A BUS