Addendum to most recent up-date

I have a couple of quick things that I wanted to share with each of you...

1.) My grandfather is doing quite well. He has been moved to a room in the rehab center. Today the physical therapy had him up and moving a few feet with a walker. It will be awhile until he is home and moving around on his own, but we are praising the Lord for his progress! If you are interested in contacting him, he is now in room 307 and his phone number is 757-569-6307.

2.) I wanted to request a specific prayer request for the country of Bolivia. This weekend the political disagreements are excpected to become even more of a problem. The government is calling for military action and there are rumors of Civil War. I am concerned for the country I have come to love, as well as my missionary friends and Bolivian friends there! Please join me in lifting them up in prayer.

December 10, 2007

Thank you to all of you who prayed for my grandfather last week. I am happy to report that he is doing quite well. The surgery was a big success and they were very pleased at how strong his bones actually were once they got into performing the surgery! Praise the Lord for that! They wanted to keep him in ICU on Friday night, due to his age. However, he ended up staying longer than that, because there were no available beds elsewhere. We are thankful that today he was moved into a regular room, which makes it easier for others to go to see him or call him. Interestingly enough, they moved him back into the same room that he was in last week. He is in room 247 at Southhampton Memorial Hospital in Franklin. The phone number is 757-569-6247. Thank you once again for praying...please continue to pray for his recovery as he still has a long road ahead of him before he'll be up and walking.

Yesterday, our church in Suffolk had Michael Card come to do his Christmas concert titled "The Promise". The choir that mom and I sing in at church was his backup, along with an orchestra. It was a lot of fun and a very big deal for all of us who enjoy his music! It was a great reminder of the true meaning of the Christmas season.

With all of the activity we have had going on the past few days, I have gotten rather far behind on a research paper that I am supposed to have finished before this weekend. I have finally been able to develop an outline and fortunately I did most of the research before my travels last week; however, it is still a long process. Please pray for me as I work to finish that up this week and get it mailed to my professor.

Thank you as always for your faithful prayers. They are frequently felt and appreciated! Blessings to you all!

December 6, 2007

Greetings once again from Franklin! Due to the fact that it is already Thursday, I'm only going to write a quick up-date today and then I will write again on Monday with more details. However, I do have a couple of things on my mind.

First of all, thank you so much to all of you who prayed for my trip to Rockingham County. I had a wonderful time visiting friends. There were very few people that I wasn't able to connect with. I am tired, but feel that the trip was very fruitful! One of the highlights for me was the chance I had to talk with a friend of mine. She was actually a student in one of my inclusion classes, my first year of teaching, and graduated from high school the year I left to go to Bolivia. We have kept in touch and I get to see her or talk with her occasionally when I am in town. This time was different, the Lord blessed our conversation in a very strong way. We were not only able to learn many things about each other that we didn't know, but we also had a great conversation about Spiritual things. Please continue to pray for her, that the Lord would get ahold of her heart and call her to Himself.

The other big news that I have for today, is not quite so encouraging. This morning I was awakened at about 6:00 AM by mom asking me if I was using a hammer on something?!?!? I thought that was a strange request, but only minutes after asking me, mom discovered that the noise she heard was coming from Grandpa Pickles' room and was accompanied by a call for help. She called my dad and he went in to see what was the matter. Without making this much longer, he had fallen and was unable to get up. After getting him to the emergency room (via ambulance) and many examinations and x-rays, the doctors determined that he had fractured his hip. He will be having surgery tomorrow at about noon and would appreciate your prayers. This will be a very long recovery road for him and he isn't one who enjoys sitting still for very long so I anticipate that this will be hard for him. He is currently on a morphine drip so his pain is minimal and his spirits are positive (which isn't a surprise for anyone who knows him). I will include more details with an up-date on Monday.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! It is so encouraging to know that people are praying not only for me, but for those whom I love who are hurting! Blessings to each of you!

Almost the First of December!

The days are cooler, the leaves are falling to the ground, our Christmas decorations are up, Thanksgiving has come and gone, my mom bought me a bathrobe and slippers so that I'd stop complaining about the cold...I've been home for six months. That really is incredible! I can hardly believe it!

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with my family! There were a couple of very cute pictures that were taken, but I think they are on Emily's camera so I'll have to wait until I can get them from her.

This week I am working on school work...isn't that a surprise! I have now finished my final exam for my church history class. That means that I only have one weekend of class left, one final exam (New Testament Survey), one more quiz, and one research paper! It is nice to be able to see the end in sight! Yesterday, I worked on some research for my last paper. I have a friend from church who is attending Regent University, an evangelical university, in Virginia Beach. Since mom needed to go over that way, I rode along with her and was able to use the library at Regent. My friend checked a few books out for me, which was a real blessing. I also got a few from Gordon-Conwell when I was there a couple of weeks ago, so I should be set for my paper...with the exception of the need for an outline and the reading and the writing...HA, HA!

Tomorrow, I will be going to Rockingham County, North Carolina. The county where I lived and taught before going to Bolivia. I plan to be there until next Wednesday, although I do need to drive down to Charlotte for class this weekend. It is only a couple of hours from there so that isn't too bad. It will help to break up the trip a bit. I haven't heard anything about the couple of people interested in seeing the condominium. I will look into that while I'm in town. Please continue to pray for the sale of the property! You can also pray for safety as I travel and for strength. It is always a little tiring for me to be travelling and meeting lots of new people. I will have the chance to see old friends, but there will be new ones as well. I am scheduled to speak at one of my supporting churches in Eden and a friend of mine asked me to speak in one of her high school special education classes! God is opening some exciting doors! There is also a woman living in Eden who is from Bolivia, near Santa Cruz. Her husband is from the states, but lived in Bolivia for a short time after they were married. We will be having dinner on Sunday night, after they come to hear me speak. I am looking forward to meeting these new friends!

I know this begins a very hectic season for all of you as well! I will be praying for each of you as you seek to follow God's will and spread His love to others, particularly in this Christmas season, which can be so stressful! Blessings to you all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

...well almost! I guess we still have a couple of days until turkey day, but not many! I can't wait! I've been about to burst with excitment for Thanksgiving Day and then all of the holiday festivities that will take place after that! While we were at Virginia Beach last week, they were getting ready for their festival of lights which they set up on the boardwalk. They were testing them out the last night that we were there so we walked along and looked at them! It was so beautiful! I'm certainly not implying that we should skip Thanksgiving Day, but I love that Christmas lights are starting to go up and that many radio stations are playing Christmas music. These aren't very common things in Bolivia, not to mention the typical 95 degree weather, really just means that for the last few years Christmas has not exactly felt like CHRISTMAS! In any case, it is especially exciting for me this year.

Today I am all decked out in my Thanksgiving vest and an orange shirt. My mom is too! We dressed like twins today for a special lunch at my dad's school and then I came with her to work this evening. She doesn't have to work tomorrow and she is very excited (as am I)! Of course, I plan to spend most of the day moving the boxes that I dumped in the guestroom so that Emily, Christopher, and Wesley will have a place to sleep when they come up on Thursday. It will be nice to have them here.

Before I forget, I wanted to let you know that I talked to my real estate agent today. He told me that he has a couple of people who have requested to see my condominium and he is working on setting up an appointment with them. Please pray for those meetings in particular and continue to pray that God would lead the right buyer at the right time!

I am also very glad to report that I only have one more weekend of class! That is a very nice thought! Thank you to all of you who prayed for me last week as I was finishing up my research paper. Praise the Lord, He gave me the strength to get it through and I was able to enjoy the rest of the time at the beach. Other than the remaining weekend, I only have one more research paper, two final exams, and a quiz left to take! Another reason to look forward to the upcoming holidays!

Well, I guess that's all for this week! I know I say this many times, but in the spirit of this upcoming very special day, I want to say once again how thankful I am for each one of you. God uses you in so many different ways (both small and huge)...more than you'll ever know. There have been so many times when letters, email, and/or money have arrived for me at the house, reminding me that you are thinking of and praying for me. Of course, these things always come at the exact moment that I need them! Isn't God's timing perfect?!?! I pray that each of you have a very wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the fellowship of family and friends this holiday season!

Greetings to all! I apologize that I haven't up-dated my blog in a couple of weeks. Last week I simply forgot until about Friday, at which time I decided I would just wait until Monday. However, Monday came and went and then I realized today that I still haven't up-dated my blog, so here I am. I have been rather preoccupied with a research paper that I needed to complete this week for my Theology Survey class. Praise the Lord I was able to complete the paper today and emailed it to my professor this afternoon. I am very glad to have that behind me. This week I am with my family at Virginia Beach. Emily, Christopher, and Wesley came as well. Christopher had to go home on Monday to go back to work after the long weekend. Emily and Wesley stayed with us and I will take them back to North Carolina on Thursday, since I have to go down for class this weekend anyway. This will be the last weekend of my Church History class. After this weekend, I will only have one weekend of my New Testament Survey class left, plus two final exams, a research paper, and a quiz. I still have plenty of work to keep me busy, but I am thankful for the light at the end of the tunnel. Well, Emily is waiting for me because we are going shopping, so I guess I will make this up-date a short one. I will plan to write a little more on Monday and maybe I'll even have a couple of pictures of us here at the beach! Blessings to you all!

October 29, 2007

I hope you were able to view the photos through the link I attached last week. If not, don't forget to let me know. I am now back in Franklin again. Fortunately things are beginning to slow down due to the upcoming holidays, at least as far as the travelling goes. I have a couple of short trips planned not to mention my weekend trips to Charlotte, but other than that I'll mostly be in this area. I am thankful for the light at the end of the tunnel!

Tomorrow I will be completing a take-home exam for my Church History class. I am not sure what to expect, it's only 3 essay questions long and I have 3 hours to complete it, but I'm not not allowed to use my notes. It really is an honor system! Other than the test I am taking tomorrow, I also have 2 critical reviews to write, some reading to do, and I have a research paper that I need to work on! Wow! It is always an eye-opener to be on the other side of the school setting (that is the student as opposed to the teacher)!

I talked to my real estate agent about a week ago and he said that there just hasn't been much interest in condominiums for a little while, that area of real estate is sort of in a lull. He was able to sell 2 condos in the same area where mine is back in April, but now he has 3 on the market and none have sold since. He said that typically it takes about 6 months for a condo such as mine to sell and mine has been on the market for only about 5 months. However, in my mind, another month will put us close to Christmas and I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy property that close to Christmas. I just keep reminding myself that God's timing is perfect and that He will provide a buyer when He chooses to. The hard part is that financially, it would be a real blessing if it would sell. Please continue to pray for patience as I wait on His timing.

I guess that's all for this week. Have a wonderful week and tune in next time for another up-date!

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

I thought I would try something a little different in this up-date. I would like to show you a few pictures that I took while I was at Gordon-Conwell last weekend. However, it takes awhile to download photos and I have more than I usually include in my blog. Therefore I have put them in my shutterfly account and have attached a link up above. If you only see an empty looking box with a small red x...try clicking on it to see if the link will open. If it doesn't, email me and I will be glad to send you the link separately! These pictures should give you at least an idea of what classes are like for me on the weekends. One thing that I frequently get asked is how large the classes are. Each of my classes has somewhere close to 60 students. They are pretty good size classes!

I am at Emily and Christopher's house in North Carolina this week. I got to babysit my nephew today so that was lots of fun! Tomorrow, Emily and I are going to Seagrove Pottery. For those of you not familiar with North Carolina, it is basically a town where everyone makes and sells pottery. I am excited! I have heard a lot about it, but I have never been there myself!

Well, it's getting late and I need to get to bed! Enjoy the pictures and feel free to email me if you have any problems or questions! Blessings to you all!

Travels, travels, and more travels...

Greetings once again from my cozy little bed, upstairs at my parents' house in Franklin, Virginia! I am thankful to be writing this up-date from home.

Thank you so much for all who prayed for my trip to Chicago. I had a great time catching up with relatives that I haven't seen in awhile. I also enjoyed meeting possible recruits interested in South America Mission at Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College. All in all, I believe it was a fruitful experience. One thing that I found very interesting, was that there have been many times in my adult life that people have described me as having an introvert personality. However, it is times like the few days I spent in Chicago that I realize just how much of an introvert I am. As much as I enjoyed being in Chicago and meeting people, it was quite exhausting for me.

After returning home on Wednesday night, I spent most of the day on Thursday running errands and packing before the next road trip. On Thursday night mom, dad, and I drove to Emily's house. Then on Friday, we went on down to Selma, AL where my Aunt Marg lives as well as my cousin Anna and her husband Bill. We were able to spend a wonderful weekend visiting with them! It was really a blessing to get to spend time with them as well as to get to share my pictures of and experiences in Bolivia. We arrived back in Franklin today, stopping to spend the night at a hotel just north of Atlanta.

All in all, I have enjoyed the experiences that God has allowed me to have in the past week. As for this week, I will be glad to have a few days at home to study and rest before going down to Charlotte this weekend for class. It is hard to believe that I am already about halfway finished with my classes this semester! That is pretty incredible! Thank you in advance for your continued prayers as I finish up all of my exams and final papers. Please continue to pray as well for the sale of my condominium as that is a constant worry of mine. Thank you as always for your faithful support and prayers!

First Exam Completed!

I know it's Saturday, not Monday. I am writing a quick note a couple of days early, because I'm not sure I'll have a chance to up-date my blog on Monday. Thank you so much to all of you who prayed for my first exam today. It was such a blessing to feel God's peace and presence with me as I worked. It involved a lot of writing, but overall I feel pretty good about it.

I'm also writing to let you know that I will be flying to Chicago tomorrow so that I can represent SAM at recruiting fairs which are being held at Moody and Wheaton. I am fortunate to have several friends and family in the Chicago area so I have places to stay and people to help me get around. I have been playing phone tag with some of them, however, so I feel like the trip isn't as well planned as it could have been. I know it will all work out before I fly back on Wednesday morning, but I could use your prayers for safety and guidance. I'll up-date again when I can! Thanks so much for your faithfulness!

October has begun!

Here we are in October...I have now completed the first weekend of each of my classes. It has been interesting to see how different each of the professors are. I also told my parents what a blessing it was that God led me to take these three classes at the same time. There have been a lot of themes that have appeared in each of the classes. Needless to say, that makes studying a lot easier. This week I have 2 critical reviews to write, plus an outline for one of the research papers that I need to do, and I need to organize my notes for an open note test I have on Saturday. This will be my first test as well as my first written assignment so I am a little nervous and want to do well. Please pray that God will guide me and give me the strength/wisdom that I need to prepare for those things.

I am also staying at Emily and Christopher's house this week. Today Emily was working so I got to play Aunt Laura and babysit Wesley! We had a very fun day together! I took advantage of nap times to get a few things done. When I'm not studying, Emily and I have a few exciting things planned while Christopher is working or out of town (as he will be at the end of the week).

I have one other quick prayer request that I keep forgetting to mention. Some of you may know that I was buying a condominium in Eden, NC where I lived before going to Bolivia. While I was overseas, I was able to rent it under the management of a realtor in Eden and the help of Emily and Christopher. However, a few weeks before I came home, I decided to put it on the market to sell as it doesn't fully pay for itself, even when it's being rented. Praise the Lord for providing a current rentor on a month by month basis who is willing to allow potential buyers in to see it. Anyway, please pray that God would provide a buyer and that I would be patient in waiting for His timing on that.

Well, I guess that's it for this week! Blessings to each of you!

A Little Late This Week...Sorry!

Sorry I am a little late in up-dating my blog this week. Last night I realized that I had been so busy on Monday that I forgot to do it, but sense it was late, I decided to wait and do it this morning.

This weekend I drive back to Charlotte for the 1st class of the only class I haven't been to yet, New Testament Survey. I have had my first sessions of Theology Survey I and Church History Up to the Reformation. I am really enjoying both of these classes, but I believe the Church History class is my favorite so far. I find it very easy to forget that the people and places in the Bible were actually REAL and this course seems to be a great reminder of that, not to mention there are tons of things that I am learning about these people and places that I never knew! At times it's a little difficult to concentrate for so many hours, especially on Saturday afternoon, but I am often thankful that I am not working 40+ hours a week like some of the students are. I don't know how they get all of the assignments done, plus sitting in class all weekend after working all week would be extra difficult! Like I've said before, I spend most of my days reading/studying. Occasionally, I run errands for my mom and on Tuesdays/Thursdays I go with my grandfather to aerobics. Not to mention I enjoy going to the YMCA on my own on Mondays/Wednesdays when I can. Next week, in between my two classes, I plan on staying with Emily and her family in Graham. I get to babysit my nephew a couple of days and Emily and I have a few things planned. Of course, I can't miss a week of studying either, so I'm sure I'll be doing a fair amount of that!

One of the requirements with the mission is that I receive a pretty extensive check-up, while I'm home, to make sure that there is nothing wrong that could possibly delay my return to the field. In light of that, I am spending a fair amount of time this week in doctor's offices getting bloodwork and other exams taken care of. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Tonight I will go with my mom to choir practice at church. It has been awhile since I have sung in a choir, but I'm enjoying it. Although I am travelling a lot, I also continue to be active in my Sunday School class at church, when I can. They recently decided to meet in the afternoons, 2 Sundays a month for fellowship. I will enjoy doing that when I am in town.

Well, I guess that's about it for me right now! I'll try to do a more in-depth entry next week, maybe even with a few pictures! Be sure to check it out!

September 17, 2007

This will be one of those weeks that I don't have a lot to share! The conference last week was wonderful! I think my favorite part was meeting retired missionaries and listening to their stories of serving in South America about 60 years ago! Pretty incredible!

Now, I'm back at my parents house. Most of my days are spent reading and studying. I will be going back to Charlotte this weekend for another class, although I plan to come straight back to Franklin after class on Saturday.

As the weather cools off a little, I'm reminded what fall is like. It has been a while since I have experienced fall weather. I love it! Last night my parents and I enjoyed a campfire on the back porch for a couple of hours. It was great!

Well, I guess that will be it for this week, I need to go get dinner started! Thank you so much for your faithful prayers!

Greetings from Winnsboro, South Carolina!

Obviously I was able to find a computer, with internet, here at the conference center so fortunately for you, my blog is being up-dated!

This past weekend I completed my first weekend of classes at Gordon-Conwell. Praise the Lord for helping me to complete all of the required reading for the first class and for helping me to arrive safely (without getting lost and with time to spare). The class itself was very intense. Thankfully, the professor gave us frequent breaks (about every hour and 15 minutes), plus we had time for lunch. I tried my best to get down the notes, the professor goes fast, but he is efficient and speaks on a level that is easy for me to understand! I was grateful for that! During the weekend, I had the pleasure of staying with Bruce and Linda Dial, friends of my parents from Abingdon when I was younger. They actually moved away from Abingdon quite some time before my parents did so it has been a while since I have seen them. Bruce was travelling so this time I was only able to visit with Linda. However, it was a wonderfully relaxing "girls" weekend! I really appreciated her hospitality! I hope to stay with them again while I am in Charlotte for class. My next class will be in a couple of weeks.

Yesterday, I left Charlotte and drove a little farther south...about 45 minutes...to the White Oak Conference Center for the South America Mission annual family conference. This is the first one I have gone to, but I am really enjoying the chance to meet people that I have only heard about by name! Many retired missionaries come to conference and I love hearing their stories of South America in the 50s, 60s, 70s! It's pretty amazing to even get to get a glimpse of this history! I will be here until Thursday, at which time I will drive up to Emily and Christophers for a night and then on to my parents on Friday! Thank you so much for your faithful support and prayers...this kind of longevity that I am seeing this week is only a brief sample of the thousands of people around the globe who are praying, supporting financially, and going! The network is incredible! Blessings to you all!

Vacationing in Florida...Visit with the HAuses

Sunday night I arrived back in Virginia after spending the week with the HAuse family in Florida. Fortunately, my parents were willing to come and pick me up at the airport, even though I didn't get in until the middle of the night!

Part of last week was spent with Jeff's family in Clearwater, FL...near Tampa. They were kind enough to put me up for a few days so I was able to actually stay with Jeff, Beth, and the kids. We did lots of shopping, and of course went to the beach!



One day we also went to a Christmas shop, which was lots of fun! That's where the picture below, of Beth and I, was taken! We also took a few other pictures, making it look like we had skipped ahead a few months!



On Thursday, we all loaded into a rented minivan (the only one you can't see here, other than myself, is Pablito) with our luggage. Keep in mind that each person is allowed two check bags and two carry-ons when flying. When returning to Bolivia (and I imagine other countries as well), you make a point to stock up on many things and use every inch of the allotted amount! I also had my luggage so there were 6 of us total with lots of bags as you can imagine! I think we used every corner of the minivan! We then went to Lake Worth, FL, stopping to have lunch with fellow missionary friends and then having dinner with other friends upon arrival in Lake Worth.



We were able to stay at the old home office, which has some housing available. That was convenient and much more cost effective than staying in a hotel! After more shopping, more packing, and again loading into the minivan, we drove to Miami Sunday morning at which point we said our good-byes. The HAuses flew out at about 3:00 in the afternoon and I then flew out at about 7:00 pm. All in all, it was a wonderful time. I enjoyed getting to see them all again and was able to send a few gifts with them for my friends back in Bolivia! Praise God for the enjoyable and safe week!

This week, since I am up-dating my blog a little late, I will go ahead and share that my grandfather celebrated his 102nd birthday yesterday, September 4th. My mom prepared a brunch in his honor and invited the ladies from his aerobics class. It was a lot of fun! I especially enjoyed it since I had missed the past couple of milestones! He continues to do well...playing the drums, going to aerobics, working on the computer, driving, etc. He talks about his memory going, but that just makes us all laugh!! His idea of his memory going is that he can't remember someones name, yet he doesn't have any problem telling you about a restaurant or place he went to 50 years or so ago! Incredible!


Well, I guess that's it for this week. I drive down to Charlotte on Friday to attend classes and then I have a conference to go to with the mission until Thursday, Sept. 13th. I'm not sure if I will have internet access next week or not, so it may be a week and a half before I up-date my blog again! Thanks as always for your continued prayers!

August 27, 2007

So I've been trying to remember if I actually did all of the reading required for my coursework when I was at Radford University and UNCG...probably not. However, now, as I begin my seminary assignments, I am realizing how necessary it is! Since the classes are only offered on the weekends (and once a month for each class) there is a great deal of reading to be done before the classes start and then throughout the duration of the three months! Wow...and to think I'm only getting started! That was mostly how I spent my last week. When I didn't have my nose in a book I was running errands, going to the eye-doctor, taking cars in for their state inspections, taking grandpa to the audiologist, etc. It's been a rather busy week.

Today I am actually flying to Tampa, Florida. You may remember me talking about my friends the HAuses in Bolivia. They flew up to the states about a week ago for his parent's 50th wedding anniversary last week. This week I am joining them in Tampa and we will vacation a bit before landing in Miami next Sunday at which time they will return to Bolivia and I to Virginia (as long as I don't actually get lost in one of their duffel bags...hee, hee).

Well, I guess that's it for now. I will be sure to send pictures and an up-date of my trip to Florida next week.

August Already?

Well, I believe we have established that I don't do well up-dating my blog every couple of weeks due to the fact that it has been over a month since I last up-dated. In light of this "new discovery", I have decided to return to up-dating my blog once a week, on Mondays. Please bear with me, however, if I have an occasional week without much of anything interesting to share!


My travels over the past couple of weeks included a trip to Eden, NC (actually Rockingham County), where I used to live before going to Bolivia. I was able to speak briefly at the church I attended there. I was also able to attend and share a little in a Spanish speaking church that I was involved in at that time. After that my family and I spent the weekend in Abingdon for the Virginia Highlands Festival, a large arts and crafts festival that is held there the first two weeks of August each year. I was also able to share about the Lord's work in Bolivia with our "family" at Abingdon Bible Church. During these two weeks when I wasn't in Rockingham County or Abingdon, I had the pleasure of staying with Emily and baby Wes while Emily's husband, Christopher, was in Guatemala on a mission's trip with their church.


Now, I am back at my mom and dad's house in Franklin. I have been officially accepted, oriented, and registered for classes at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. My first class will be September 7-8. One of the things I like about GCTS was that the classes are offered on the weekends (Friday nights 6:30-9:30 and then Saturdays 8:30-4:30), during September, October, and November, which means I can drive down for a couple of days and then drive back to Emily's house or my parent's. The classes I have registered for are: Theology Survey I (1st weekend of each month), Church History to the Reformation (3rd weekend), and New Testament Survey (4th weekend).

Please continue to pray for me that God would strengthen me and grant me wisdom as I begin taking classes at GCTS. Also, that God would provide the financial support that I need in order to cover the costs of my classes and allow me to return to Bolivia. May He bless each of you for your continued faithfulness to Him.

Greetings from Franklin, Virginia!

Hello there once again!
I pray this letter finds you all doing well. I had high hopes of updating my blog about every couple of weeks, but now it has been about a month...so much for that! Anyway, better late than never! Here's a little update as to my activities over the last 5 weeks.

Trip to Texas:

The trip to Texas went very well...no car trouble, no accidents, no screaming baby (at least not until the last 10 minutes or something, which was quite impressive), etc. The wedding was beautiful, the bride was beautiful, and of course the maid of honor was a knockout...just kidding, the bride was the real beauty by far. For the most part everything went smoothly and everyone had a very nice time.

Spending Some time in Franklin:
I have had some time to hang around the Franklin area. I am slowly getting to know some of the singles at my parent's church and enjoying the activities they have planned. I also have a great time hanging out with my grandfather who lives with my parents. We often have lunch together and at times I go with him to his arobics class. Of course there are plenty of other things to keep me busy as well; walking the dogs in the afternoon, taking naps, emailing, making plans, etc.
Trip to Abingdon, Winston-Salem, Fort Mill, Graham, Wilmington:
This was my most recent trip. I spent a few days in Abingdon, sorry if I missed you when I was there. I wasn't there long, but I'll be back again in August. I also spent some time visiting a friend in Winston-Salem, not to mention my friend Dana whom I met in Bolivia flew to Charlotte and spent the week with me. We basically drove all over North Carolina, spending time with my younger sister and her family as well as seeing the beach. We also spent a couple of days in South America Mission's Home Office in Fort Mill South Carolina. This was a wonderfully renewing time of debriefing and preparing for my return to Bolivia. More details to come on all of that!




Visit from a Good Friend:
For the next week and a half my friend Jen is here to visit with me. We have a few plans to take in some of the local flavor, but are also enjoying a little rest. Fortunately she is willing to let me get a few things done too as I have some speaking engagements to prepare for.
Well, I guess that's about it for now. I will try to write more in a couple of weeks from Rockingham County, North Carolina, which is where I will be at that time (or maybe from my younger sisters as I will be there part of the time as well)! Blessings to you all!

Home At Last!

Here it is...my first blog post from Franklin, Virginia! I arrived in the states without any major problems. Thank you so much for all of your prayers. The flight was delayed leaving Santa Cruz; however, I had plenty of time before my connecting flight to Raleigh so it worked out great. I landed in Raleigh at about 12:45. My mom, dad, Emily, Christopher, and baby Wesley were waiting! We enjoyed a wonderful lunch together and then I came on to Franklin with my parents.

The last few days have been spent unpacking and running errands. My mom took a few days off of work so that we could be together. It has been great! On Wednesday we are driving to Emily's house to spend the night. Then on Thursday morning all of us will begin our two day trip to Waco, Texas for Janet's wedding on Saturday. I will be back in Franklin next Monday, June 18. If you would like to contact me feel free to do so via email at boycelj@yahoo.com or you can call my parents house at (757)562-4432. I look forward to making arrangements to see as many of you as possible while I am home. If you are ever in this area...feel free to stop by, my parents have plenty of room and enjoy visitors as much as I do! Blessings to you all!

Last Blog Entry from Bolivia!

Sorry I didn't get a chance to write last week, I was busy moving out of my house. I officially moved in with the HAuse family on Friday night of last week and have enjoyed visiting with people/buying souvenirs this week. I don't have much time right now. I have just finished my last prayer meeting and fellowship dinner with my SAM family and I want to make sure I get to say all my good-byes before everyone leaves. This Friday night at aproximately 11:00 PM, I will leave Santa Cruz on American Airlines Flight 922. I arrive in Miami early Saturday morning and then at about 11:00 AM on Saturday, I will be flying to Raleigh/Durham, NC. I would appreciate all your prayers as I say my final good-byes and prepare to greet my family! Thank you so much! Blessings to you all!

2 Weeks and Counting!

Hello there family and friends! We're getting there bit by bit! Two weeks from today I will be saying my last good-byes and getting ready to board a plane for the states! I have my last meeting here at the school in about 20 minutes so I'll give you a few quick up-dates for this week and then maybe next week I'll have some pictures and more information to share.

School things are finished! My classroom is all packed up, all my grades are done, etc. This morning I have my last meeting and then tonight I am partly responsible for the reception at graduation. Other than that, my responsibilities here at the Learning Center are finished!

Yesterday I took Princessa (my cat) to the Mercado's house, which is where she will spend the next year. It was easier than I expected it to be, but still somewhat difficult. I didn't sleep well last night since she wasn't there to keep me warm. I woke up a couple of times thinking she was there and realized that it was a pillow. I know it sounds silly, but any kind of change can be hard. It also felt weird to move around this morning, checking the time and hitting snooze without her thinking I was getting out of bed. Please say a little prayer for her and the Mercado family as you think of it. I would appreciate it and I am sure they would too!

Cold weather...It seems like for the last few weeks we have had one cold spell after another, hence the struggles with my health. We are in the middle of another one this week...I got out of bed this morning to temperatures in the low 40s. That's pretty cold when there's no heat. You would think that living in this tropical paradise there would be great weather all the time, but winter is still winter. For the sake of my allergies and other cold symptoms, I am looking forward to summer weather in the states.

My friend, Dana Sterling, leaves to go to the states on Monday morning. She has a forced overnight in Miami, but will arrive home on Tuesday. Please pray for safety as she travels and for the bittersweet emotions that she is feeling. I understand them all to well!

Well, that's it for this week! I really look forward to seeing you all soon! Blessings to you all!

3 Weeks and Counting!

Here we are...3 weeks to go! This week I finished my last week of teaching. In the upcoming week I will be busy recording grades in the computer, attending meetings, helping to plan the reception for graduation, and packing up my classroom...all of those lovely end of the year activities! I also plan to take Princessa to her new home and work on packing a few things in my house as I have time. However, my main focus will be in finishing up things at school. My health has gotten better. I have been able to work at school all week. The antibiotic is definitely helping. You can continue to pray for strength. I can tell that my body isn't completely healed as I still have a few symptoms that are holding on. I am praising the Lord, though, that I feel strong enough to continue with the things I need to do. Well, I guess that's about it for this week! I really don't have too many new or exciting things to share! Thanks as always for your continued support and prayers!

4 Weeks and Counting!

Greetings from Bolivia once again! Yes the title is correct...I am down to four weeks exactly! That seems so hard to believe! We have two weeks of school left, so my goal is to get all of my school things wrapped up in that amount of time, then I will have a week to pack up and farm out my personal belongings, then I hope to have the last week to visit with friends and say my good-byes. I think that would help me to be somewhat more relaxed in leaving if I don't need to worry about packing issues my last week here.

Some of you may be curious about Chiquito, my dog...he made it home all the way to my parents without any major issues. According to my parents he is making himself at home, eating everything in sight and enjoying all of the attention. I miss having him here, but it is nice to not have to worry about him and to know that I will get to have him with me while I am at home. God really opened a lot of doors in getting him to the states, that it was rather miraculous for me to watch. Other than the obvious ones of providing a family willing to travel with him and weather that was appropriate for animal travel, there were other things as well. One of the most miraculous for me was the paperwork. I knew I needed a certificate from a vet, but I just thought the vet could sign it, etc. Apparently, it had to be stamped by a government official, etc. About 2 hours before I left with him to the airport, I had the paperwork in my hands. The vet told me that she didn't know how they got it done in time. She said that is usually takes 6 days and this time it had been done in 2. I told her I had been praying really hard...her comment was that she could tell! Praise God for His provision!

The other question that may be on the tip of your tongue is with regards to my health. The stomach issues seemed to get better but my sinus issues took a turn for the worst. I finally talked with a doctor friend in our mission who determined that I had Bronchitis. She started me on an antibiotic right away and encouraged me to get some rest. I moved into the HAuse home for a couple of days, mostly because it's nice to be pampered when I am sick, plus someone is usually home here so I have had plenty of company. I am writing from their computer now, which is dial up so I don't want to use up too many more of their minutes. I am planning to go home this afternoon. I am feeling somewhat better, but I still have a ways to go. Please continue to pray for my health. This isn't a good time for me to be sick!

This coming week is my last week of classes! YEAH! I am looking forward to that! Thank you for your continued prayers! I feel them frequently and take comfort in knowing that you are lifting me up! May God bless each one of you for your faithfulness to Him! See you soon!

Chiquito...My Dog

Well, as you may have realized, I never got the pictures attached to the last entry like I had hoped. I did attach them today, so if you would like to scroll down and look at them, feel free!

This week has been filled with many challenges as well as lots of blessings! I have a couple of quick prayer requests and hopefully in those you'll see the praises! Last Sunday I received confirmation that a family here visiting could take my dog back to the states with them. The rest of the week has been busy trying to get all of Chiquito's flight arrangements made so that he can go all the way to Atlanta with them and then be shipped from Atlanta to Norfolk where my dad will pick him up tomorrow evening. The praises are simple, God has totally opened all the doors in making this possible to Chiquito to go to the states now, rather than with me in June. There were too many possible hindrances with weather and other things at the time of my flight that it will be much more relaxing for me to know that he is already safe at home with my parents. As far as prayer requests go, I still have several things to take care of today to get him ready to go. Not to mention there's the fact that he has a rather stressful few days ahead of him and a lot of travelling. Please pray that connections are made without any difficulties and that he arrives in Norfolk as scheduled tomorrow evening. You can pray too that it won't be too hard for me to say good-bye to him. I know that God has made all these arrangements, but it's still hard to part with him for a month!

The only other prayer request that I have is that I have been battling with health issues this week. I have a cold that has been sticking around for about a week now and for the last 4 days, my stomach decided to add a few problems of it's own. I am sure that none of it is serious and that my body is struggling to heal itself due to the emotional state that I am in. However, God is the great physician and can help me get the rest my body obviously needs. Please pray that He will strengthen me through all of these things that I am trying to get done!

This is it! Only about a month left! 2-3 weeks of school left plus about 2 weeks to finish packing up an say my good-byes! We're getting down to the countdown!

Finishing Up!

This will be a short blog entry week, but enjoyable just the same. Last Monday I completed my last night teaching at CIET (the Bible Institute where I've been teaching English for about the last 3 years). The trimester has ended and by the time the next one starts it will be time for me to head home. I have enjoyed teaching in CIET and have learned a great deal from being a part of that program. If I return to Bolivia next year, I hope to be able to teach there again.

This week was a slow week for me, but it was fairly relaxing so I appreciated that. They were having achievement testing at school so many of my morning classes were cancelled, which meant that I was able to arrive late. I enjoyed many slow mornings and lengthy devotional times. Praise God for the refreshing, relaxing time!

You may remember praying for my friend Avelina who had gall bladder surgery. I am happy to report that she is doing quite well now! The true test for me was that she was able to make empanadas with me again this week (kind of like a fried hot pocket, filled with cheese or chicken/beef and vegetables). Avelina has been teaching me to make them so that I can introduce them to you all while I am home. However, since the surgery she hasn't been able to make them. I enjoy spending time with her chatting and drinking mate (in spanish the a is pronounced with a short a sound and the e is pronounced with a long a sound...just so that you don't think I'm looking for a mate!...it's a hot drink that I've come to love!).

Well, I guess that's about it for now. Thanks as always for your continued prayers! Hugs and Kisses to you all!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me!

As I mentioned in my last entry this week was full of birthday celebrations! It all started last Saturday when we celebrated Pablito HAuse's birthday, then there was Diego's birthday (Diego is one of the kids in our youth group) on Sunday as well as Samuelito's 1st birthday (another child from church), my birthday party at the HAuses was on Tuesday, then many of my students and friends worked hard on Wednesday and Thursday to make my birthday week extra special! I am sure I've gained about 10 lbs on cake alone! The only other highlight from the week was the Jr. /Sr. Banquet on Saturday night. It was a big hit and a very special night for students, teachers, and parents! I decided to make this a short entry as far as news is concerned since I mostly just wanted to share a couple of pictures with you. It was easier to place the pictures in Shutterfly and attach the link here for your viewing pleasure!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNnDNm5btmMA

Enjoy and thank you as always for your continued prayers! Blessings to you all!

Lots of News!

Welcome back to the weekly blog! I hope this note finds you all doing well. I have many things to share with you this week. I'll start with the biggest news of all! God has provided someone to keep my cat while I am in the states. Drs. Placido and Tony Mercado are SAM missionaries who run a medical clinic which ministers to the Aeyore, an indigenous group of people. They have two children Jose (5th grade) and Emily (3rd grade). Emily is the most excited and I know she will take great care of my baby. I talked to them on Wednesday and got an immediate yes. By the time I saw some of the 3rd grade students on Thursday morning, Emily had already told her friends that she was going to be taking care of my cat! You can continue to pray for them and for me as it will be hard for me to leave her behind, and they are afraid of her running away or something happening to her while she is with them. However, God has been faithful in providing for that need and I know he will take care of any struggles that occur along the way.

Last weekend was full of fun! Dana and I had a wonderful time in San Ignacio! We had calm flights, beautiful weather, and a very relaxing time. We stayed by the pool a lot in the afternoons, reading and napping. We also walked around a fair amount, visiting a few people that I had gotten to know last summer. On Sunday morning, we took a retreat of silence to spend time thinking, praying, and reflecting. Then on Sunday night, we went to a service at the church I attended last June and July. All in all, it was a wonderfully relaxing time! Definitely one of those vacations that's hard to come back from!

I forgot to mention last week an experience I had a couple of weeks ago. I went to the youth group meeting on Saturday night, like I often do. There was a boy there who has just recently started coming. He is in my Sunday school class, so junior high age. During the time of fellowship I was just chatting with him about school and things. Out of the blue he turned to me and said, "My teacher says that babies whose parents aren't married, aren't wanted, is that true? My parents aren't married..." It opened wide the door for me to talk with him about the love of God and how God doesn't make mistakes. I don't know his mom, I don't know what her plans were for having children, but isn't it wonderful that I could still tell him about someone who loves him very much and who has great plans in store for him! I didn't get to go to church last weekend since I was travelling so I haven't seem him since then, but he is often on my mind. Please pray for him and for the other kids I meet here who come from broken homes and whose parents aren't walking with the Lord. Oh that these children would not seek to be walking in their parent's footsteps, but instead would be looking for the path God wants them to take.

Well, I think that's about it for this week. The upcoming week will be full of birthday celebrations (not just for myself...since my birthday is April 18, but also for Pablito HAuse and another friend from church whose birthdays are on the 14th and the 16th). We also have the junior senior banquet tomorrow night. It's formal and exciting for students and teachers alike! Tune in next Friday for up-dates on these major events! Blessings to you all!

Packing Up and Other Vacation Activities

Well, here we are in April...beginning a countdown of sorts. This weekend will be exactly 2 months until I board the plane to return to the states. As usual, that's hard to believe. We are on Easter vacation from school today, tomorrow, and Monday. I started my vacation this morning by beginning the packing process. I finally organized and officially packed up my Christmas decorations, I know it's about time for that one! I also packed up a lot of my winter clothes. They aren't put away too far in case we have a cold spell, but far enough for me to feel like I was productive. After that, my friend Avelina's son Cesar came over to hang out for a little while. We had lunch then went running around to do my grocery shopping! I know, tons of fun for a 12 year old boy! Now, he's waiting for me while I write to you so I'm afraid it will be another short letter. This week has been good, short and tiring, but good. I asked a couple of other people about keeping my cat, but haven't heard back yet, please continue to be praying about that. Tomorrow my church is having a retreat so I plan to go with them for the day. In the evening, the HAuses invited me to go to their house to dye Easter eggs so I am looking forward to that! On Saturday, my friend Dana and I will be going to San Ignacio for a visit. Some of you may remember that I stayed out there last summer with a team that was here from the states. I am hoping to get to see a few of the people that I got to know while I was there. Dana needs to go as part of her orientation to the country so we are making it a multipurpose trip. I am excited about getting to show her around and getting to teach her a little more about this country. We were unable to get a bus ride for tomorrow night, because of the holiday, so we decided to fly out on Saturday morning in a small plane that SAMair owns (the aviation component of SAM). We will be staying through Monday morning and then flying back. Please pray for our safety in travel as well as our time there. I will be sure to send an update and pictures next Friday! May God bless you all as you focus on the sacrifice He made because of His love for us. Oh that we might be mindful of that every day and not just at Easter! Blessings to you all!

Nine Weeks and Counting!

Well, here we are practically in April! Incredible really! This afternoon there are some special activities at school that I plan to participate in so I'm running around trying to squeeze too many things into my morning! What else is new!

Events from this past week...

1. There is a woman at church, Leonor, who accounced that she was pregnant about the same time that Emily and Christopher told me they were expecting. It has been fun for me to watch her tummy grow and think of Emily at the same time. I am proud to say that I get to be "aunt" to more than my flesh and blood, and this little one I actually get to hold. They keep teasing me that I'm getting lots of practice in so that I'll be ready to hold Wesley when I get home. Anyway, Leonor's baby was born last Friday, 8 days after Wesley, and weighed about the same. They have not picked out a name for him, but I believe it will be Josue or Joshua. I am enjoying getting to love on him as much as I can!

2. My PreK class is usually one of the most difficult classes for me to teach. It is my largest class and they often lack discipline. However, the last couple of weeks, God has allowed me to have a great time with them. Some of the pressure to have a specific lesson for them has been removed so now, I basically work on their English using interactive play and it has been so much more enjoyable. They have loved it and I have left their room with my sanity intact! This past week I took some of my clothes and we just played dress-up for a while. This photo was taken then!

3. Please continue to pray for my preparations for going home as it consumes many of my thoughts at the moment. I continue to look for a home for my cat. It is important to me to know that she is well cared for. There are other things, some of which can't be completed until I'm getting ready to leave, but they're on my mind much of the time. It is also a difficult time, my heart feels very divided. I know that I am ready to come home for a little while, but it is difficult to pack up and say good-bye, even if it's only temporary! My sleep is affected by my stress so I feel tired a lot of the time. If only I could be successful in truly leaving it all in the Lord's hands, some times it is so difficult to let go.

Well, that's basically it for me this week. Next week I hope to up-date my blog on Thursday instead of Friday, because I will be travelling for Easter vacation. Thank you as always for your faithful prayers!

Greetings from Sunny Santa Cruz!

Hello there! Thanks for tuning in once again to this amazing blog, that I am sure just knocks your socks off. As promised I have posted another photo of my adorable nephew, who of course is not the least bit spoiled! I am looking forward to the day when I get to see him and hold him for myself!


I don't have a lot of new information to share with you this week. It has been a rather slow week. Some of you have asked about my friend Avelina who had gall bladder surgery a week ago. She is doing quite well. I haven't been able to get by to see her for a few days, but I plan to go this afternoon. The last couple of days have been full of birthday celebrations. It seems like the majority of my friends have birthdays in March, very strange! I believe most of my time, recently, has been spent buying presents, planning celebrations, and attending birthday parties! Of course that makes it fun for all of us!

I do have a specific prayer request for you to lift up. A while ago I asked a friend from school if she and her family would be willing to keep my cat while I am in the states. This week, she told me that they would not be able to. I don't have very many options in mind right now of who I could ask to take on this responsibility. Please pray that God will give me the wisdom to know what to do with her while I am gone. I would like the comfort of knowing that she will be well taken care of.

Thanks as always for your support and prayers. I think of you all often and look forward to being reunited with you!

The Arrival of Little Wes!

Greetings from Santa Cruz Bolivia! May the God of creation be ever drawing you unto Himself! As you may have guessed from the title, my biggest news this week has to do with the arrival of my nephew. Wesley Andrew Marks was born on March 15 at 8:01 pm, 19 1/2 inches and weighing 7 lbs 2 oz. Mother and baby are both healthy. I was able to speak with my mother briefly last night who was at the hospital with them. My dad is supposed to drive down to North Carolina today to join them after a meeting that he has this morning. Praise God for this new little life he has brought into our family!

In reality that's about all the news I have for this week. As promised I'm attaching a couple of pictures this time for your enjoyment. The top picture, of course, is of Wesley. The other pictures are of my Kindergarten class. You need to notice that they're wearing my shirts for the activity we did that day! I thought they looked so cute!

We are enjoying Beth HAuse's arrival this past Tuesday. It is wonderful to have her back with us. I also mentioned in a previous post that my friend, Avelina, needs to have surgery. God has provided all of the necessary funds, thank you for your prayers, and the surgery has been scheduled for this morning. Today, I am at school for a workshop which is about to start so I need to get going! Thank you once again for all of your love and support! I look forward to being with you all again soon!

Another Week Gone By...

Greetings from Santa Cruz Bolivia once again! Sorry for the delay in updating my blog! I tried to write a quick note on Friday afternoon, but it didn't save correctly which is why it ended up looking so scattered. Anyway, a lot has been going on this week and I am excited about sharing it with you!

First of all...
A couple of months ago, one of the girls in the youth group confessed that she was pregnant. After receiving a lot of advice suggesting that she shouldn't marry the father of the baby, because he is not a Christian; she chose to marry him anyway. She also stopped coming to church. Anyway, to make a long story short, about a week ago before the evening service at church, I went with a couple of girls from the youth group to visit her. We had the opportunity to talk with her about God's forgiveness and encourage her to come to church with us. The good news is that she did! It was amazing to see God's timing in it all. She was really ready to come back and ready to talk with us. It isn't going to be all peaches and cream, that's for sure. She also didn't return again this past Sunday, but there was something in it that felt like a breakthrough. I believe that with some continued support/prayers on our part combined with God's conviction and strength...she will return to Him and seek the relationship with Him that she once had.

Secondly...
I spent a fair amount of time last week visiting and helping a friend of mine from church who is sick. After several tests being run and a lot of communication with the doctor it was confirmed that she will need to have surgery to have her gall bladder removed. She has had stones in her gall bladder for awhile, but now she has more of them and they have become more irritating. We are currently working on collecting the funds that she will need for the surgery since she and her husband don't have the money. Please pray that God will provide for their financial needs.

Finally...
Beth HAuse is coming home! She flies back tonight arriving tomorrow, Tuesday, morning! Basically, she is returning knowing that she actually has two problems. One is the problem with her eye, I think I mentioned that one in an earlier blog entry. The other one is the infection in the bone of her sinuses. The discouraging news is that it appears that there really isn't anything they can do to help her and she will just need to learn to how to live with it as well as what antibiotics she can take on a more longterm basis to allow some relief. In any case, we are all very excited that she is on her way back! Please continue to pray for her and her family.

Well, I think that covers the main highlights. I took some pictures this week, but I borrowed a friends camera and so I need to get them from her before I will be able to share them with you...maybe when I update my blog on Friday, I'll be able to share them! Thanks for reading all the news, praying for me, and just in general...loving me! I appreciate each one of you!

Is it really the beginning of March?

Hello there once again! Just so that you are aware, my plan is to update my blog each Friday so that it will be ready for you anxious readers on Monday morning. In actuality it works to check it Friday afternoon or during the weekend as well. Since I plan to write each week, I might not have a lot to say every time. This week would be one of those! However, I will list a few highlights for you...

1. My plane ticket home has been bought. I fly out at night on June 8, arriving home on June 9 around 1:00 in the afternoon.

2. I had a meeting with two of the SAM leaders to discuss my plans for departure as well as the possibility of my return. They provided me with lots of good advice concerning my preparations for leaving and some of the things I can expect when re-entering the states. If I return, they also have given me several ministry options that I can consider to see if God may be leading me in one of those directions.

3. I had a very busy week at school, since I have added on some extra tutoring assignments and there is a student teacher who will be working with me a couple of afternoons each week. God did provide a couple of moments that warmed my heart! One of them was with my Kindergarten class. I was doing a special activity with them, working on places you might go in a town. Since I was going to be giving out treats...I invited the rest of the Kindergarten class. As it turned out, I had so much fun with them. We not only had a great time while they were in my room and I felt like they learned something. Then, when we returned to their room early and their teacher wasn't there yet, I had a few minutes to just play and laugh with them! It was such a blessing to me. The other little boost that God provided was when I saw another class waiting by the kiosko (a place where the students buy snacks) and I stopped to talk to them. I found out their teacher was buying a few of them a snack as a reward, so I said, "Wow, you must have the coolest teacher in the whole school." However, the little girl's response was, "No, you are, but she's really nice." That really cracked me up, since it came from a little girl who is not in any of my classes, in any case, I appreciated the compliment.

4. Beth HAuse had her appointment with the neuro-opthamalogist who told her, praise God, that she does not have a problem with the back of her eye. He say that he believed that it is a problem with the front of the eye, but suggested that it wasn't progressively getting worse. However, the neuro-opthamalogist did recommend that she go back to the doctor she saw in November when she was in the states to see what further treatments he would suggest for her sinus issues. She has been able to schedule that appointment for Monday, March 5.

I think that's about it for this week. Stay tuned next week for more 'Lil Bits from Laura Boyce!

Life and Making Plans

Well, here I am...ready for Blog entry number 2!

Up-Date...
A couple of you have written and asked how Beth HAuse is doing with her medical treatments in the states so I thought I would give you a brief up-date concerning that. Last week she went in for an MRI to see if they could find the source of the problem. Unfortunately the MRI came back normal. The specialist at John's Hopkins then basically told her that there was nothing more he could do for her, she should take the antibiotic that at least provided some relief before and return to Bolivia. The most frustrating part about this news is that it doesn't fix the problem that she is currently having with her loss of vision in one eye, which was said before to be caused by the infection. Due to this, she has decided to stay a little longer and go to see a neuro-opthamalogist. That appointment will be next week. Please continue to pray for her and her family.

Campamento 2007...
Many of you will remember that each year in February I have gone to camp for a few days with my church to escape the "festivities" of Carnaval. This year my church decided to go to a camp taking place in Concepcion which is about a 5 to 6 hour bus ride from here. My friend Dana who lives with me also went with us, not to mention another SAM missionary went with his church from the town of San Javier. It was kind of fun to not be the only "gringo" ( North American). The whole experience was great, we had a lot of fun together and it was more relaxing than some of the other camps I have been to. One of the things that stood out to me the most was that when we were leaving Santa Cruz, my church was under the impression that we were basically going only to participate. However, once arriving there, we quickly found out that several organizational things had been left undone. In the end, my church basically ended up running the camp. I was very impressed at how quickly and willingly everyone jumped in and did what needed to be done. My worship team led worship, one of the pastors preached a couple of times, others took over the teams and organized the schedule, etc. God has definitely blessed me with a wonderful church!



Coming home...
Now for the information that all have been waiting for! As I write I am working on looking for a plane ticket home. School will end around May 25 and my desire is to have a little time after that to say my goodbyes and pack up. I am looking for a flight sometime around June 6th to the 8th. The mission has given me permission to go straight home so that I can drive with my family (including my nephew who will be 2-3 mo. old at that time) to Texas for Janet's wedding on June 16. The rest of my schedule is still a little up in the air. I am packing up my things here, with the understanding that I will be returning in May of 2008. I would like to see the students at the Learning Center graduate that year. If God is leading me elsewhere, than I will permanently share or sell my belongings and move on at that time. If not, I will begin a 4 year term that May. Throughout the course of the year, while I am home, I plan to visit and spend time with as many people as possible. Some of those trips I have begun to plan, others will wait until I am home. I will also spend some time at SAM's new home office in Fort Mill, SC as well as possibly take more bible classes at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Charlotte, NC campus). I have a meeting next week with some of the leaders of our mission to talk about my possible future with SAM. Some of my plans when I am home will be based on that meeting, others will change and develop as I am in the states. One thing I am sure of...I plan to spend as much time as I can getting to know the new additions to my family!

Thank you for your continued prayers, interest, and support! I think of you all often and am counting the days until we will be able to share jokes, laughter, life, prayer, etc. face to face...at least for a little while!

My First BLOG Experience!

Recently I have heard a lot of people mention their blog sites where people can be kept informed on a more regular basis. It's easy to up-date and sometimes many of you are looking for information more often than I have time to right and send a formal letter. In light of that I have decided to try out a blog of my own. Feel free to give me some feedback letting me know what you think.

While I'm testing it out, I might as well fill you in on a couple of recent happenings in my life. For the last couple of weeks I have been helping with a Conference for Princesses that the SAM children's ministry has been coordinating. This was a day-long conference held for girls, ages 8-12. The main purpose in the conference was to teach them how they can become daughters of the King as well as to teach them how a daughter of the King should act. We made crowns out of flowers for them to wear and they were escorted in by a "gentleman" who came to help. There were games, a craft, teachings, and a drama. We only allowed 40 girls each day. After two days which were completely full and a waiting list of about 30 more girls, we decided to hold the conference one more day. It was a great blessing to me...praise God! I was able to see many girls come to know the Lord, not to mention He gave me the strength to teach my first lesson to that many girls and adults in Spanish! I was quite nervous, but God saw me through...and spoke through me in many ways.

Other than the Princess Conference, I have continued to stay very busy with church activities, playing on the worship team, helping with Sunday school, tutoring, etc. The new trimester in CIET, my last one, started about two weeks ago. So, now I am back to teaching English on Monday nights. One of the things God has been teaching me recently, although I am a very slow learner, is that I don't necessarily need to be doing anything major...sometimes it's just important to take time to hang out and talk with people. I am trying to rotate my schedule so that I make time to visit more with people throughout the week. Praise the Lord that He constantly is teaching us new lessons and that He doesn't give up on hardheads like me!

There are two things left that I would like to share with you, than I'll sign off and see how this all turns out. Today is a beautiful sunny day, which is one of the first that we've had for a while. It has been a very rainy summer for us and now we're definitely beginning to struggle with flooding and mold issues. Although my house isn't flooded, the school playground is! My room is battling the mold issue. Last night, once again, I laid my head down on my damp...starting to smell musty...pillow and wondered when things would ever dry out. However, my problems are minimal! There are many people who are being displaced because of flooding or who are in need of food and other materials, please pray for them. Finally, most of you have heard me mention the HAuse family many times. Beth HAuse, the mother, has been sick for quite some time with a staph infection in the bone of her sinuses, causing severe headaches, fever, etc. You may remember that several months ago she spent about a month in the states looking for a treatment that would work. Once returning to Bolivia with an antibiotic she had to wait to see if it would help. The treatment did not work and she has gone to the states again to seek further treatment. Her husband and children are remaining here, until they know more about how long she will need to be there. If it is too long, the rest of the family may be joining her in the states. Please pray for their family, the separation between them now as well as for a quick return on Beth's part so that the children don't have to leave school before the end of the year.

Thank you so much for your constant faithfulness and prayers! I appreciate them so much! Look for weekly blog postings on Mondays and an e-prayer letter coming soon concerning my return to the states in June.