VENGA TU REINO

the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few -matt 9:37

"There is a needs-be for us to give ourselves for the life of the world. An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power. Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs--an easy-going one for easy-going Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only ONE Christ. Are you willing to abide in him, and thus to bear much fruit?" -Hudson Taylor

El reino de Dios no terminara. Implications. There is no other message I will give my life to proclaiming. I have no rights of my own. DO what you will in me and through me, Lord...

I'm alive, in case you were wondering

The pictures don't do it any justice, for on this Friday trip down the Death Road I saw the most beautiful views of my life (and Marianne, this is no exaggeration, seriously :) The contrast between the reddish and snow covered crags which melted into waterfall-sprinkled jungle was incredible. Pines and eucalyptus trees which gave way to palms and banana trees. Some places along the road you could see the jungle with a snow-topped mountain in the background... Glory!! I could barely keep my eyes on the road! Which was terrible because this road is NOT for the faint of heart. I was expecting a fun bike trip, I mean with a name like Camino del Muerte, this had to be a cheesy tourist attraction with plenty of terrifying stories but no real danger. FALSE. All those tourists were either extremely fit and fearless, or else dead. Hit a rock the wrong way, and you are CHAU like that Italian or Frenchman back there. Let's just say this is an extreme sport, if you go fast enough, which I did, since our guides gave us no choice! I'll be ready to pick up extreme mountain biking in a few years as my thrill of choice, once I actually build up the muscles for it :)

So yes. A wonderful thrill. God blessed us with glorious weather the whole trip. Sadly we couldn't stay overnight in Coroico to hike, since the hotel overlooked our reservation (I was so ready to lodge for the night for $1 with this crazy old lady with an empty upstairs room, but she had coca leaves plastered to her face, not suuuure how wise it would've been... thankfully I travel with wiser companions...) Saturday I spent the day easing my sore muscles in the family pool with Sara. Today I'm not at work because I've finally caught the family fever, which is sort of a blessing in disguise because I was desperately needing some R+R before returning to the suicidal insanity that is UofR. Haha. So today will be much Bible reading and finishing up all those books I brought with me... please pray for my healing! Can't wait to see you all in just a few days...

These are the people I live with.

=D they're wonderful. (all family! from left: Claudia, Sara, Ceci, Christina, Stephy, Sergio, Jose Andres, Monchi, Christopher). We stole a few Deloglos kids also. This week has been MORE birthday parties (6 in about... 8 days) and homemade pizza and coffee shopping and trip planning and movie watching and late night cheese-snacking and laughing at old pictures.

And... Friday is a holiday!! Off to the Death Road :) Think of me fondly, may be the last time...

Boats and Rocks

Lake Titicaca is majestic. I've wanted to visit that lake for so many years, actually being on it in a yacht was quite the feeling. I went with the Richmond Eteam last Saturday for a several hour cruise and some trucha--Titicaca trout--DElish! This lake is supposedly the 'highest navigable lake in the world,' and flying over it on my way to La Paz I seriously thought it was the ocean. The water is the same color as the sky with snowy mountains indiscernibly dividing the two. It was FREEZING cold but brutally sunny at the same time. Hopefully I will get to return before I leave to see some Inca ruins!

Yesterday Sara, Moises, Keri and I went to Tiwanaku, the oldest ruins here in Bolivia. The Tiwanaku civilization spanned centuries from the Greeks until the Incas in the 15th century. CRAZY. Archaeology is interesting here because hardly anything has been excavated--it's like history is still living in Bolivia, so the people don't seem to care as much about bringing all the past to light right away. Maybe it's just their super relaxed (ahem kind way of saying, LATE!! today i almost exploded when we were an hour late for church...) culture. Anyways, it was fascinating. They've located where temples and

tombs are but the process is veeeery slow. In about 20 years this site will be incredible!! But nonetheless it was wonderful. Thought all day yesterday again why I am not studying archaeology... I simply love learning this stuff... aside from the one actual class I've taken. Haha. That makes me rest in peace that I've chosen the better career with Economic Dev. :)

Just got back from El Clasico, futbol match between the two La Paz teams, Bolivar and The Strongest (haha sweet name huh). Awesome. And now I begin my last two weeks here. Really hate thinking about it. I feel connected to this place in a way I don't feel for any other country... I don't know how to explain it... I just know I will return :) I have left much unseen on purpose... I mean, still gotta punt down the Amazon.