Denise´s Account of Our Lives in Cochambamba

"Most Wanted" List

2012-01-30T18:32:00.000-04:00

Since a few of you faithful readers have expressed an interest in sending us letters/cards/packages since my recent post and have asked for requests of what we would like the most I thought I'd write this post as a follow up. Here is our list of "most wanted" items that will fit in one of those padded envelopes. Some had asked if there was a size limit for the envelopes. As far as I know

PS to My Last Post About Mailing Us Stuff

2012-01-25T18:17:00.000-04:00

I forgot to tell you the cost of mailing us those padded envelopes that weigh around 4 pounds. They are about $30 to mail from the US to Cochabamba. I think we'll only have one person mailing us stuff from the UK and he's already an expert on the cost. :)

Our Bolivian Address

2012-01-25T18:03:00.000-04:00

A few years back I posted a blog about sending us letters/cards/packages. Just in case any of you are interested in sending us anything, I thought I'd write again a little about that and give you our address. First things first, here's our address: Joe and Denise Holman Cajon 6762 Cochabamba, Bolivia It's not expensive to send us cards and letters, but I think that most people don't think of

Sunday Selections

2012-01-24T13:44:00.002-04:00

For many years now I have a Sunday morning routine. As I ready myself physically for worship, I also ready myself spiritually for worship. Part of that preparation includes listening to worship music and worshiping God for who He is, asking Him to purify my heart and get me ready to hear what He wants to speak to me. I usually listen to the same group of songs week after week for months and

How's the Weather Down There?

2012-01-19T12:25:00.000-04:00

I get lots of questions about the weather here in Cochabamba. Since we don't have heating or air conditioning people think that we must get super hot and/or super cold. We do have days that heating or air conditioning would be a nice luxury, but most days we get along just fine. In fact after living in whatever the weather happens to be....hot or cold....and experiencing the reality of it,

Addendum to my last post.....

2011-12-13T19:55:00.000-04:00

After all who can say this is not a wonderful idea of God's? How much would our lives be missing without her!

Why?

2011-12-13T19:44:00.000-04:00

Recently I was at a lunch with a bunch of friends. The conversation came around to having children as it usually does with a group of women. Eventually there came up discussion about someone who has 'lots' of kids. With the national average of children per married couple in the USA at less than 2, I suppose even 3 or more is considered 'lots', but this person they were talking about was an

Great Christmas Quote

2011-12-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

From my favorite preacher who also happens to be my hubby: "Christmas is not about Jesus. LIFE is about Jesus. Christmas is a reminder to us of the meaning of life." Help me, Father, remember the Meaning of life all year round.

Happy December!!!

2011-12-07T19:30:00.000-04:00

The countdown to Christmas has begun. I turned the page on the calendar to the last month of the year today. December. I love it. We finally got our Christmas tree up yesterday. We had quite a few interruptions on the way to getting it completed. We usually try to put up all our Christmas decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving. However this Thanksgiving weekend was unusually busy

An Even Dozen

2011-11-08T12:19:00.000-04:00

So this blog post marks my 12th of the year. Yes, far behind the number I set out to do, but one more than I did all of last year. So, I'm choosing to look on the bright side and see the glass as half full of blog posts with more to come.

Thanks and Giving: Gratitude is Not Enough

2011-11-07T13:22:00.000-04:00

I have to admit I am a Christmas freak. I love Christmas and everything it entails. Even though I love every last strand of it, the true meaning of it does tend to get lost in all the tinsel and merriment. So, for a 'truer' holiday my preference is Thanksgiving. Even though football, turkeys and shopping have crept in to try and steal the day and the big Halloween push in stores seems to have

Colossal Fail

2011-10-12T19:40:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah I know. I blew it. Once again. The big March date of my last post is staring me in the face just taunting me. So much for the 2 a week goal. Did I say 2 a week? Maybe I meant 2 a quarter....nope, I'm behind on that one too. Two a year? Yeah, then I'm ahead. You see....it's the American way...when I don't meet my goal or what I've said I'll do I just change it. Okay, now

On the Verge of a Breakthrough

2011-03-25T15:33:00.000-04:00

As I think about going back to Bolivia, I am excited. In fact, I feel like I am on the verge of a breakthrough. A personal breakthrough. A spiritual breakthrough. I am more excited about my future than I have ever been. People often ask us if Cochabamba is really our home or do we feel more at home here in the States. I have a couple of different answers, but I'll share just one of

Discouragement and Encouragement

2011-03-14T16:50:00.000-04:00

Today I've been thinking about how easy it is for me to get discouraged lately. I don't think I am typically someone who feels discouraged easily. This seems to be a recent phenomenon. Usually it takes a lot to discourage me. Maybe I've been feeling discouraged more recently just because I don't feel like I belong anywhere these days. (I'm thinking of a whole post on this later.) But for

I Want to Be Where You Are

2011-03-03T19:27:00.002-04:00

Mercy is a momma's girl....although she's turning into a mamita's girl too (mamita means little mama....in other words Faith's girl) . She doesn't want mommy too far out of her sight. She likes to be near me. She sits on the island while I am cooking, she sits in my lap when we are watching movies, she asks to sit beside me (the highly coveted seat) at lunch and dinner. She misses

Observations from the First Half of our Time in the States

2011-02-03T18:28:00.000-04:00

There is good medical care available...even if you don't have insurance, but you have to pay dearly for it. It is so easy to cook in the USA with all the prepared, canned, and frozen foods. North Americans are very friendly, but lack truly deep friendships. There is an abundance of water and even an abundance of hot water here. There is wealth everywhere even in the midst of economic crisis. The

Making the Cut

2011-01-31T22:25:00.000-04:00

If you haven't noticed the USA is a land flowing with milk and honey. I know there is an economic crisis and all, but seriously almost every single American is rich by world standards. (I don't want to get off on another subject here so I'm saving an entire blog to show this, but for now let me just give you one statistic: If your income is $25,000 you are wealthier than approximately 90% of the

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2011-01-25T20:49:00.000-04:00

Last year here in the DC area they were pounded with tons of snow. In fact at right about this time one year ago there were 30 inches of snow on the ground outside of the window that I am looking out right now. At that time I was in Bolivia enjoying our 85 degree sunny weather. As I saw all the pictures of cars and porches and doghouses covered in snow posted by friends I admit that I felt

Masterpieces

2011-01-15T13:20:00.000-04:00

Last night our family was talking about the value of paintings. Joe mentioned to the kids that he remembers a long time ago when the Kimball Art Museum in Ft. Worth purchased a Van Gogh and that they paid more for it than any of their previous exhibits. Numbers in the millions of dollars for paintings baffled our kids, so one finally spoke up and said "WHAT is the picture of?". She was

Can't Get Enough

2011-01-04T22:31:00.000-04:00