A few months ago a member of our church told me she had an idea of a way to honor us for ten years of service in Bolivia. She had rallied some other people from church to help her with this idea. They wanted to bring DaRonn’s mom down for a visit. She had never been to Bolivia before. This member of the church said that she wanted DaRonn’s mom to see all we had accomplished and be proud of her son. I told them this was a great idea.

For the following weeks we communicated across the continents to prepare: the tickets, the time off work, the passport, the visa, and the vaccination. Finally she came! We had a wonderful week with Grandma Charlie in town.

On her final day in the city of Cochabamba we observed Pedestrian Day, during which use of motor vehicles is prohibited. After the church service we had a nice little walk together. Back at home we made fun photos for posterity.

We are so very grateful for this amazing gift given to us by the church body here at Iglesia Cristo Nación. ¡Los cristonacioneros son lo máximo!

Enjoy some pictures from our final day together.

"Aragatza" best ice-cream in town and it's sold from the side of a truck

Gabrielle wanted to bring our poodle Shep along for the walk (photo by Raimy O.)

Another photo by Raimy O. of Timothy

DVD sales in front of our gate. That's our ministry's sign. DaRonn and his mom share a love of movies.

The blue graffiti says "Rechaza el Engaño" which means: Resist Deception

Our neighbor in the market. She sits here every day.

The Washington family with Grandma Charlie

Mother and Son

It’s called ‘Huminta al Horno’. Here it is pictured fresh out of the oven. It’s a dense, moist, corn bread wrapped in corn husks. Two types of humintas exist in Bolivia, baked and boiled. I prefer baked.

Gives new meaning to the mascot of my beloved state of birth: Cornhusker. You peel back the husks trying not to burn your fingers in your haste to get the delectable goodness to your mouth. The huminta is the size of my hand.

I couldn’t tell you how to make them but I can tell you how to eat them and how they taste. The main ingredients are white corn meal, a salty-melty-white-hard cheese made locally, and aniseed. Hardy, sweet, filling, and just plain good.

Friends are God's way of taking care of us.

This very awesome cup was given to me by a dear friend right here in Cochabamba. It was wrapped in a cute green bag along with some other very fun goodies. I feel loved!

Even though more than a year passed during which we relied on phone calls and facebook to keep in touch when we saw each other again it was as if we had never parted. She lives 5 minutes up the street from me.

Scattered around the city are a handful of ladies who live close enough to hug. We do coffee together. We get our nails done together. We get our kids together to hang out. We go to the movies together. Most importantly we talk and laugh and cry and pray and share our hearts.

An occupational hazard of mission work is getting caught in the revolving door of hellos and goodbyes. Maybe that makes us treasure more the times we have when we live a quick drive from each other.

A while ago I started to take pictures with my friends. I call the folder where they are stored ‘&’. These images are so precious to me.

Talk Topic Q: What do you do to show your friends you appreciate them?

Peering down from my kitchen window you see the market. Every day this young mom hauls two buckets to a small spot on a concrete slab. Moving away the clutter and rubbish she clears a temporary workspace. Her children bounce, tumble and play while she scoops.

First the small plastic cups are half filled with jello, always red. Carefully lined on a tray they await their cap of homemade cream. The huge whisk with the wooden handle attests to strong forearms due to much time passed whipping the heavy, white, milky liquid to a sweet, firm, fluff. Balancing the tray on her shoulder with one hand she sells the treat to vendors and shoppers.

I ask myself questions as I spy into her life through the lens of a camera that probably cost more than she will make even after a year of selling jello and cream.

Would I have the tenacity to sell jello and cream every morning if that was what I had to do to keep my children fed?

What hopes lie in the heart of this woman?

Why do I let spirits of worry, complaining, or envy settle in my soul when my neighbor lives day to day on the coins she collects?

Since winter is creeping in crisp and fresh here in Cochabamba I thought I’d share one of my favorite recipes made to warm the insides. Most Northern hemisphere readers might just want to tuck this away for when the cold winds blow in your part of the world.

This hearty stew like dish is sure to be a crowd pleaser due to the simplicity of the ingredients and the attractive display of colors. As in any typical Bolivian dish many flavorful spices will leave your taste buds satisfied long after the meal. The original preparation requires a half cup of chopped spicy peppers. When preparing it for my children I substitute this fiery goodness with a tablespoon of paprika to make it a mild mix. Use your favorite fresh spicy peppers if you prefer the hot stuff.

“Saisi”

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 30 minutes prep., 1 hour cook

Sides:

8 potatoes peeled and boiled (use chuño when available to maintain authenticity)

White rice, prepared (1 cup dry)

Ingredients and preparation for topping; to be made while the main part cooks:

½ cup white onion chopped

½ cup tomato, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

(opt.) a few drops of olive oil

(opt.) 1 small hot pepper chopped (use locoto when available – when made with locoto the Bolivian name for this spicy topping is Llajua and is a main staple on the table in most Bolivian homes and restaurants at all lunches and suppers.)

To prepare topping mix all the ingredients.

Ingredients for main part:

1 pound ground beef

½ cup oil

1 cup fresh uncooked green peas

2 cups chopped white onion

1 cup peeled and chopped tomato

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon fresh parsley finely chopped

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups broth or cold water

(opt.) ½ cup chopped spicy pepper (sub. 1 Tablespoon paprika for a milder dish)

Preparation:

1. Begin the rice and potatoes. Allow them to cook while preparing the main stew.
2. Place all the ingredients for the main part in a stew pot or large skillet with a lid. Stir.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook over low heat for about one hour. Everything should be very well cooked. The mixture should be very juicy. If it dries while cooking add more broth or hot water.
4. Prepare topping while it cooks.

click image to enlarge

How to serve:

In a soup or pasta plate place one cooked potato. Beside place about 1/3 cup cooked white rice. Pour a large ladle full of the stew next to the potato and rice. Spoon liquid from the stew pot over the stew on the plate. Between the potato and rice place 2 teaspoons of topping. If the spicy peppers are used for the topping as a variation it can be served as an option in a dish on the table.

I can just picture it now. My husband and I are sitting on our front porch with a pitcher of lemonade between us. The grandkids are running around in the the yard. It’s sunset. I look over at him and smile at his grayer than ever salt and pepper hair. Then I say, “Remember that time when we bought the bowling alley?” He’ll grin and nod. We’ll reminisce about the details. What a nice time that will be.

The city of Cochabamba, Bolivia is home to roughly 800,000 people and one bowling alley. For the past five years or so DaRonn’s hobby has been bowling. Those who know my man can testify that he never does anything half way. He strives to be the best he can be in anything he becomes involved in. So it was no surprise that after a short time DaRonn began competing in bowling tournaments and joined the bowling association. Traveling to the other two cities in the country where decent bowling alley could be found to play with his team against the representation of those cities became a fun get away a few times a year.

You can imagine the surprise when late last year rumors began to circulate that the bowling alley was going to be closed down. They were offering the lanes for sale in pairs. There would be no more bowling alley in Cochabamba.

At this same time the school that we had started in 2009 had been experiencing some amazing growth. We needed to purchase a building. There was no time to construct our own due to the demand. So we began shopping around. After a few deals didn’t pan out we finally found a school that suited our needs. We began to speak to people about the idea for the school and the plot of land that comprised half of the property. We would be able to build an annex for Christ Nation Church as well as a permanent home for The House of Dreams Orphanage.  Thanks to the generosity of various individuals and congregations around the world we were able to give a sum of money that got us into the building to start renovations in preparation for the start of the school year in just a couple short months. The former owners, acquaintances through the bible school network that we oversee, allowed us to continue to look for financing for the project.

As we began painting and repairing that location DaRonn talked with the bowling alley owners about what was happening. He asked them how much they were asking for a couple of the lanes. He had the idea that he could enhance the physical education program by installing them in the school. In the chats he was having with the owners a new idea bubbled to the surface. They asked DaRonn if he would consider buying not just a couple lanes but the whole bowling alley.

At this point DaRonn did a number of things. Prayer was one of those things. Second, he acquired legal counsel by way of an astute lawyer. Finally, he began to think of how he would present the idea to his wife. In doing all these things a new thought occurred to him.

The orphanage had been running since inception in the red. Somehow we were always able to make ends meet but it never has run to the fullness we originally envisioned. The new idea formulating in the mind of my husband was the option of operating a business that covered the lacking expenses of the orphanage with its excess income.

Still the thought of presenting to his wife the concept of taking on the responsibility of not one but two large operations all at once was a tad bit daunting. It was a fleece. If his wife would go for it then this had to be the right thing to do.

He talked with me about the plans and explained that we were still looking into the financial aspect. Then he asked me if we could get the financial stuff worked out would I be fine with him moving forward in buying the bowling alley. A few days of questions and a bit of investigation went by. I told him that we should go for it.

With the lawyer helping with the deal DaRonn approached the owners with an outrageous offer. We had not yet found financing for the school property. He explained this to the owners. He told them that he would purchase the bowling alley if they would help him finance both it and the school. The lawyer drew it up and added a few of his ideas before presenting it to the owners. They came back 48 hours later with the answer. Yes, they would finance the bowling alley. Yes, they would finance the school. No, they were not asking for any money down. Jaw drops to the floor!

A few more weeks of tweaking contracts and gathering advice from business people to be sure this was all legitimate followed. Then on Friday, April 1, 2011 we officially took possession of Strike Bowling. Aside from lack of maintenance to the mechanics of the lanes the business side was in the black and covering its costs, plus some. The reasons the owners wanted to sell was that they were just tired or bored of having to run a business they were no longer interested in.

Since taking possession DaRonn has been having fun redecorating the interior. Comparing the numbers from last year we are already up 60% in earnings for this month. I say ‘we’ because technically I am 20% owner. So cool! We have to have an entity that Strike comes under. The one we started is called ‘S.R.L. Cristo Nacion’. SRL are the initials for a term which means ‘limited liability company’ and ‘Cristo Nacion’ is the Spanish name for our ministry: Christ Nation Ministries.

The school and the bowling alley are both doing well. Pictures are available on facebook. I tried to keep the story as concise as possible, but it is most likely I have forgotten something. I hope that you will get happy with us about this project. We are so grateful for these opportunities to continue making the name of Jesus famous in the city of Cochabamba. I am astounded at the adventure we are living.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video running time: 1 minute.

Coming out of the post office I encountered a peaceful protest by hundreds of government health workers and teachers demanding fair benefits and punctual pay. What struck me as interesting is that they all had water to drink and parasols to block from the sun. Other sectors of society are not usually that careful when they head to the streets.

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Rations a Part of Life

COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA — Dotted along every major thoroughfare, vendors set up tarps to sell their wares. When I drove by a long line of people, shopping bags in hand, I was curious what wonderful product was being offered. … (read more)

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An observation frequently made by fellow foreigners: Bolivians are sure good at standing in line. My drive to and from our Monday morning run took us by various lines.

>> SCHOOLS: This is the back to school season. It is first come first serve to sign your kids up at the public schools. So there were some parents who pupped tents and slept in front of the schools to save their spot in line.

>> BIRTH CERTIFICATES: In order to sign your kids up for school you have to present an original birth certificate. So all the parents of kindergartners and people transferring their kids to a new school have to stand in line to get the birth certificate from the central court or other satellite offices around town.

>> FOOD AND GAS: Evidently there is a shortage of sugar, flour and cooking gas (products supplemented by government funding). So there were lines around town of people hoping to get their portion.

>> I.D. CARDS: I know for certain there is a daily line at the place down town to get the Bolivian i.d. card; even more so with the start of the school year when each child must present a valid card for entrance.

>> CLINICS: I also know that there are various free or reduced costs medical clinics (also government subsidized) around town with lines forming on the sidewalks surrounding their buildings on a daily basis. A woman told me she went at four in the morning to get help for her child. She had to stand in line until eight to find out if she was there early enough. The clinic opened and they let the allotted number of people file in. A four hour wait just to find out she was too late; they sent her away.

When was the last time you stood in line outside for hours for a basic service such as food, education or medical care? Waiting rooms with seating and magazines, offices that make (and subsequently keep) appointments by phone, and online conveniences mustn’t be taken for granted.

Some pictures from our hunt for gas after the run. The trucks haven’t been running as I speak about in this vlog: Cooking with Gas. So other remedies had to be found. I am grateful for our truck so that we could haul our tanks. Most people must utilize public transportation which includes long walking as well. (Thumbnails can be clicked to see the bigger picture.)

A personalized look at the city I live in and my top 12 points of interest. Following the video you will see the complete list with a few links to past blog posts I did about that spot. A special thanks to my husband DaRonn for helping my with the technical side of putting this together, some filming and for his cameo appearance.

Running time of video: 2 minutes and 45 seconds

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. El Cristo

2. The Botanical Gardens

3. The Market

4. Cine Center

5. The Tunnel

6. The Recoleta (where the best meat in all of Bolivia can be found at a restaurant called Churrasqueria Tunari)

7. I.C. Norte Supermarket

8. El Prado (My Flickr file of images from this area of town)

9. Divas

10. Mount Tunari (2009 summit, 2010 summit, 2011 almost summit)

11. Bowling

12. Juice Zen