Colossal Fail

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 that I've admitted defeat and failure I will try to pick up the pieces and start again.  Here's the quick update since March:
March:  We had our first ever fund raising banquet.  It was lots of fun with friends who came even from far away places like New Jersey.  We had it catered by On the Border and boy was it yummy.  Oh, yeah, I guess you want to know about more than the food....even though that was a high light.  Joe shared a bit of what we had accomplished our last term and our vision for the future and he did an outstanding job if I do say so myself.  We asked people to get behind us and support our ministry and they responded.  Thank you God.  As always we had people give sacrificially who really 'can't' afford to do that, but they did.  May God bless them with many returns in this life and the one to come.  It always blows me away who gives and to what extent.  We know some awesome people.
April/May/June:  Joe and I took a 2 year late 25th  anniversary trip and had a FABULOUS time alone together.  We came back home and hit the ground running.  We got to take Jake, Caleb, and Ben to the Passion Conference in Texas.  We had a great time just hanging out together, participating in awesome worship with Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, and Ben's favorite LaCrae.  We also heard some great teaching from John Piper, Francis Chan, and Louie Gigglio.  Next, we went on a 4 week road trip.  It was fun to take the gang....well not all of them, but the seven youngest...to Texas to visit relatives and friends.  Caleb and Ben worked at Sandy Cove Ministries for the summer and awesome times of their own.  We got back from our road trip in time for me to speak at a one day Ladies' Retreat at Blue Ridge Bible Church.  It was a highlight for me.
July:  It sinks in that we really are leaving....and soon.   We start packing selling and dumping.  When the big dumpster is delivered I breath a sigh of relief.  Good friends chip in to a fund that Joe created so I don't have to do a second yard sale.  Like I said....we know some awesome people.

August:  We finish packing and saying our goodbyes to family and friends and head back to Bolivia.  Our time in the States literally flew by and it is hard to believe that we were there for a little more than a year.  We arrive in Bolivia on August 18th.  We were greeted at the airport by good friends.  I cried as I deboarded the plane on the tarmac to their welcoming yells. Home.  Home to an apartment that we are locked out of (the locks on the gates had been replaced) and no electricity (the bill had not been paid).  Oh well we were tired anyway so we lit a few candles to get us through the night (good thing I'm a candle freak, cuz we had plenty) and hit the sack....after Joe and our good friend/neighbor, Jaime, drilled out the lock on the gate.  The next day some of my dearest friends come to surprise me and take me out for a welcome home dinner.  Magnificent surprise.  I've missed these girls.  We spend the rest of the month readjusting to life here and unpacking our things.  We've decided to stay in our apartment.  It's a cozy three bedroom (a girls' room, a boys' room, and a parents' room) but we're happy here.  The day we went to start our visa process the battery from our truck was stolen.  Welcome to Bolivia.  Then we learned that a crucial step had been skipped in the US on our paperwork.  We work for the next few weeks to get that issue resolved and get our visa paperwork completed on the last possible day that we could without having to pay $30 a day fines.  YEA!  Four short days after we arrive, Caleb and Ben start school at Carachipampa and I begin homeschooling six others 3 weeks later.  The joy of homeschooling.  On the 27th we celebrate Caleb's 19th birthday with a huge chocolate chip cookie made with real Nestle Semi Sweet Chips I brought from the States.  We are so happy that Caleb has decided to come back and spend this year with us.
September:  We're still working on settling in and readjusting.  Joe begins preaching at the Cochabamba International Church.  I begin homeschooling after reorganizing our school bookshelves and a week or two of putting it off.  We're also preparing for some friends who are coming down near the end of the month to work with the House of Dreams orphanages.  We are also in the middle of our birthday season....6 birthdays in 5 weeks starting with Caleb's 19th.  This month we celebrate Mercy's 3rd, Patience's 7th, Joe's 48th, (yes, Joe I announced it to the world....well not really the world...in fact, you are pretty safe because I'm pretty certain I've lost all my blog readers by now) and then the Holsingers (well part of them, Steve, Emily, and Amanda) arrive on the 30th (David's 15th birthday).  We also receive our first packages from our friend Tim this month.    YEA!  The fun has begun.  Also the Holsingers brought down tea and Reese's I had ordered and sent to their house.  They also brought us gifts of pepperoni, parmesean cheese, more chocolate chips and pecans.  Tastes of heaven.
October:  Well here we are.  The Holsingers left today...one day late because of a cancelled flight and I decided to start writing on my blog again.  A landmark day.  Or not.  Anyway here is where we stand....and no promises so as to not affect my fragile ego with more failures, but I really do think I'll be writing here much more often.  And posting pics too.  Check back and see if I continue to fail or not.