Bolivia, Peru and Home

After three weeks of separation, we were finally rejoined and happy to be that way too. Evie is still mentioning the fact that Dad is home and often gives random hugs for being here. I thought it would be good to share of some of the things that I did while away. Where did I go? Cochabamba, La Paz and Copacabana in Bolivia then to Arequipa and Lima in Peru. Let's say that Cochabamba had great food. It was great to see Latins preaching exegetically. It was also encouraging to see other missionaries in action who had been in action for many years in a Latin context. I was given some great ideas for our future. I think for both of us to hear that there are people out there doing siustainable projects, working with pastors and doing these things well was a great thing for us to hear so early on in our time here in Loja. I look forward to being able to call on them when the time arrises.

The random photos are of the Christ statue in Cochabamba, which has a hillside around it covered in thorns, quite appropriate. A bus flying through the streets of Cochabamba. The bus that flew off the road while I was on board and finally the scenery at the main plaza in Arequipa, stunning.

Loja Trembles...

With John away and all, there I was reading away at the happy hour of 12 midnight last night when suddenly everything began to move. Not just a gentle sway but a significant rocking. The bed was moving, the windows were making noises in their frames, it felt like the whole building was creaking.

The normal few seconds of a tremor passed, but the shaking continued….oh my word, when was it going to stop??? It felt as if the ground was alive! So I jump out of bed, deriding myself for not keeping up to date our ‘emergency kit’ and run to Evie’s room, in which she continues to sleep peacefully oblivious to all. Do I wait a few more seconds? Do I grab her and run outside? By the time these thoughts had whizzed through my mind it seemed as though the tremor/quake had stopped, praise the Lord! So I make my way back to bed with my heart pounding in my chest.
Apparently it was a tremor of 5.9 with the epicentre not too far away from Loja.

All I can say is that the novelty of feeling the earth move under my feet has definitely receded and I’d be happy to be on solid ground the rest of my days (you’ll be happy to know that about 12.15am a friend who lives across the road buzzed a couple of times on my door to check that Evie and I were OK)!

Karine learns to drive...the Ecuadorian way

After 3 weeks of driving school, including discovering the major potholes of Loja along with lurid depictions of the accident injuries, a few tests in Spanish and my driving instructor practising his english with me I have come out the other side almost with a local license. Almost, in that now I need to wait for the driving school to put together the necessary paperwork in order to take it all to the police who will hopefully award me with the final product (who knows how long that will take)! Will keep you posted!

PS E for experienced! Not really, 'estudiante'