Still here!!

July 11/09
Hi everyone,
Sorry I haven’t written in a llooonng while!! Lots has happened so this should be long, ha!!
Franklin Jr and Ruth his sister have been with us for several months. They originally stayed when their parents left to help me when Paul went to Oregon to visit his mom who was sick. Then Paul came back and we moved out to the country in a quiet, gated neighborhood. We can leave out things like bikes and balls and they will still be there in the morning. Matt has a lot of boys to play with and his Spanish is much better, he understands more than me probably. There is another house in town we rent also that is used for the English school, the meeting room and Dany and Durley live in part of it.

Well, Paul had to go back to the States and then the rest of us went back for his mom’s funeral in March. We had nice visits with many friends and family. The kids got in on the SS treat in Gresham, which was fun for them. Matt had his 12th birthday with friends and family at a McDonalds playland while there. We got caught up on haircuts, chiro appts…

Sooo, we love our new house, except that the walls and ceilings are also occupied with rats, mice, termites, bats, ants and now, this week, bees. We can control the rats and mice with poison, but don’t quite know what to do about the bats, as there are many holes, too many to plug, (any suggestions anyone?). The house is mostly made of wood, which is rare here, due to the above problems, but mainly the termites. But it is quiet out here, except for a few times a day an airplane comes or goes from the airport which backs up to the neighborhood property.

Lately the military has been doing practice exercises with helicopters and dropping guys down from them, so we often have them coming over the area with several guys hanging onto a rope from the helicopter. There is a new colonel in town and I think he is trying to show a strong military presence here. The other day we waited in line to see some airplanes- bombers, etc.

We were invited to the ceremony of the exchange of the military colonels a few weeks ago because we know the ones that were leaving. We got to watch a lot of marching, saluting, etc, speeches about all the good things he did for the community, etc. Actually, he was a very good and honest colonel. (note-the local governor is in jail for pilfering money from what was supposed to be used for the new electricity plant and road repairs, etc, so honesty is significant) Paul taught him English and I taught his daughter for a while this year also, as they are to be going to the US for one year so he can train to be a general, or something like that. Anyway, it is sad to see them go. We also got to eat some fancy or’dourves (sp?), delicious juice, etc.

Paul has been teaching the preschool kids, has classes everyday, but wants to have a day for two off a week so he can do more visiting around, so is trying to cut out or consolidate some of the classes. Ruth usually went with him, as she helps with the little kids, and she has really been learning lots of English. Franklin Jr has been working for Dany so that has been good for him. The two of them left us last week to go back to Lima via Bogota and Quito for 2 months. They plan to come back, Lord Willing, in about 2 months, in time for our conference which is Sept 25-8/09. Anyone interested in coming??

Every Tues pm we go to Santa Rosa and visit Jaidro and Franscesca and her parents and sometimes neighbours come in and listen to the Bible study. We actually met them first when we were passing out calendars at Christmastime with the Totems. They had a turkey and we stopped to look at it. Well they have twins, 1 year olds, who only have 2 fingers on each hand, and 2 toes each. We took them to the dr to be assessed. They were proclaimed fine and intelligent, except for a little malnourished, so they are doing better in that area, as Grandpa and Grandma are now there to help put food on the table. The finger problem runs in the family I guess. Very cute girls. They have 2 other older girls. Shortly after this, Fransesca started reading the Bible we gave her to the family, and all were brightly saved!!! Parents included. There has been a big change in the husband, who used to be in the selling of coke business, and sort of a rough guy. We have also had visits with her sister, who lives near us, and we are not for sure if she and husband are saved, but there is interest there.

Saturday we were going to Fantasia Island, which is the first island out from Leticia, with a little lesson, picture to color and verse to memorize in order to receive a candy. But the river went up very high this year and so after about 5 months, we have just started back over there again as there is dry land. For many months, the houses were in the water up on stilts and many people had to leave their houses and move elsewhere. A family with 3 boys sometimes has been coming to mtg from there too. The 2 little boys come often to SS, Santa Rosa and to play with Matt at our house. They are here right now as I write, and they are doing what most boys do, make lots for noise, and I hear lots of wrestling-like noises above my head right now. You know… those thumps of bones hitting the floor, etc…..and one broke his arm last week near his home! Today they showed Matt how to make a home-made kite with reed sticks, string, tissue paper and glue. Since school is out for 3 weeks, he has had some other kids over too and it has been nice for him, but it does take some patience as they are so excited to see all these different things they seem to jump from one toy/interest to another, so you have to sort of follow whatever they are doing as they don´t realize the value of things and pick up things and break them if you are not there to say ¨cuidado!¨ They mostly like to play with his legos and create things, so that keeps them occupied for a long time. Sometimes we take them to the big pool down the road and it is funny to see their faces when they realize they are going to play in that HUGE pool!! They think they´ve died and gone to heaven!! For the most part, they are usually good kids and obey well.

Then on Saturday pm, Paul is off to Santa Rosa for a SS. Some of the SS kids go usually too. They sing, talk, and do a picture and verse also. They let him use the school, which is always open. Then in the evening is our reading mtg. So Saturday is a long day. I have to prepare something for the next day, which includes some sort of easy meal for maybe up to 20 people.

Well, I learned how to ride a motorcycle so now I ride to town on my moto for all shopping, which is often everyday, as you can’t take too many groceries home at one time on a moto. Bethany is learning, but is not on the road yet and hopefully not for a while.

People have been asking how Durley is, because she has been real sick and had to get treatment in Bogota. She has been up there since April sometime and is hoping to come back here this Tuesday. She may or may not have to have surgery later, depending if the medication works for her or not. It has been really hard for both her and Dany. She has been with her parents and aunt up there so at least she had family to take care of her.

Our jeep has had a complete make-over look to it. It is now fire-engine red….uggg, and Paul has been trying to sell it. If it sells it, it WILL be the fact that it is fire-engine red!! The people here LOVE the color. Not me thanks!!! I’d like to disappear into the woodwork, thank you! As it is, we get enough stares anywhere we go. He hasn’t had any serious bites on it, well they want to buy it but don’t have the money….so he is going to fix the engine and maybe keep it if it isn’t going to sell. So it is back in the shop.

I am going to try to do a diary-type blog for a while, and see if that works for me. Otherwise I don’t seem to get back to my blog for months! I will eventually add some pictures, but only with what time I have at the internet, as they take a very long time to download.

“The Lord’s mercies...are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. “ Lam. 3: 22-3

Love and miss you all,
Martha