Visitors from Canada!

A few months ago I saw on Facebook that my friends were going on a cruise and were leaving out of Miami.  Jokingly I wrote them and asked them why, if they were that close, they didn't just come all the way down and visit.  Marilyn wrote back with some questions about how that would work and I realized they were serious and then, low and behold, they showed up in Bolivia!

So it seems that annoying pestering thing I do asking all my friends why they don't come visit finally paid off!  =) 

It was great introducing them to Santa Cruz and showing them the house and ministry.  They had the chance to meet and hang out with the guys (Darcy taught Larry how to fix chairs and repair cupboard drawers!) and we had a lot of fun just hanging out and catching up. 

Their last day here we piled them into the truck and Yimy and I drove them to one of the guys' favourite spots....the waterfalls...

First you drive across the river...

 

The view looking back...

 

The road into the jungle...

 

Just to be clear...we're not stuck...

My truck goes through everything!  =)

 

My sandals after getting out to drag a log off the road...

 

Where we were headed...

 

Marilyn and Darcy!

 

Lunch on the rocks...

 

Nothing like a little after lunch swim...

 

Yimy on the ledge...

 

Darcy getting ready to cliff jump!

 

Hiking back down the mountain...

 

There are pools and waterfalls all the way down...

 

Yea...it was a good day!  Nothin' like a little adventure...

 

 

And that was hanging out in the jungle!  Sorry for those of you who were enjoying those -25 C snowy days back in Saskatchewan.  =)  Instead of getting grumpy with me, just come on down and visit and I'll take you here too!

Then all too soon it was time to say goodbye at the airport...

 

 

 

 

Who knew way back in 1984, hanging out at Ranger Lake that some day we'd be hanging out in South America!  Thanks for the visit guys!  It was awesome...

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Tropical Thunder!

So I'm sitting here in the dark with only my computer to keep me company...at least until the battery runs out.  We just had a major storm roll through...lots of lightning and thunder...and a rain that would turn any place in Saskatchewan into a disaster zone. 

And of course it knocked the power out.

But we're used to rivers in the street as high as your bumper...the water drains off fairly quickly.  But it's why we don't do basements here.

Anyhow...I snapped a few pictures off of my deck to keep myself entertained...

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

So it turns out getting pictures of lightning is hard.  By the time I started taking pictures most of the action was right above me...or behind the building across the street.  But I got a couple of okay shots.  The rain had mostly stopped by this point too.

 

But of course the rain managed to come down at exactly the right angle to force itself past the frames of my windows. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My living room window doesn't open...but the workmen didn't seal it correctly and water managed to get in between the window and the sill...right above an electrical outlet.  Fortunately, as I said, the storm knocked the power out, so it's all good....

 

Anyhow...that was my night.  How was yours? 

 



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Who knew I had an electromagnetic field...

I'm supposed to be posting pictures of Christmas here but I got bored and distracted and now there's not enough time before I go to bed.

So instead I'm going to regale you with the story of my latest "doctor" appointment for my back. 

In case you didn't know, I've been having back problems again.  I think it has something to do with crashing down the side of a mountain in my truck but I could be wrong.  It flared up again back in December right around the time I was shopping and cooking and trying to make Christmas happy for everyone.

Yea...

So anyhow, I've been sceptical of doctors down here ever since that Chinese fellow tried to light me on fire, but this new guy was recommended to me by some friends who said he really helped them after their car accident.  So you know...why not?   

The first mistake I made was assuming that we were talking about a physiotherapist. 

We weren't.

Actually...now that I think about it...that was really my only mistake.  Everything else kind of flowed out of that decision.  I knew there was a problem when we found the guy's "office" and there was a big sign that said "Terapias Holisticas" (holistic therapies).  I'm not against holistic medicine in theory but I do happen to live in a country where that could potentially mean a number of different things.

We rang the buzzer (one of the guys was with me) and were met by a fairly normal looking Bolivian guy who it turned out, spoke excellent English.  That was a bonus.  The Chinese guy didn't and I didn't know what was happening until he lit me on fire.  So you'd think I'd be better prepared for what was going to happen this time.

You'd think so wouldn't you.

We chatted for a bit and I explained what had happened and the problems I was having.  He talked about some of his therapies and what he does.  He didn't seem like a wackjob.  I was mostly on-board (or at the very least curious and ready to be entertained) so we went into his...I don't know...therapy room?  There was a computer and one of those electric glass ball things that looks like there's lightening inside and your typical massage bed and books kind of piled all over the place.

I expected to be told to lay down on my stomach but he laughed and said that everyone thinks that's what they should do (uh...yea) but he does things differently and so I should lay on my back. 

He explained a bunch of stuff about what he was going to do but honestly I didn't really get much of what he said.  I mean...I understood the words...I just didn't have a clue what he was talking about.  There was a lot of talk about my body's electromagnetic field and magnets and bad bacteria and whatnot.

In my head I was like, "Okay sure....let's get on with this."

So I laid there as he held my feet and tapped my ankles together and started talking to my body's electromagnetic field.  I kid you not.  He ran through a list (in Spanish so apparently my electromagnetic field understands Spanish better than I do...) of all my different body parts and I guess my body told him what the problems were. 

Then as my body talked to him (in Spanish?) he put magnets on the areas that had problems.  My eyes...my arms...under my legs...on my stomach.  I guess I had a lot of issues.  Either that or my electromagnetic field speaks Spanish like the rest of me does.

So there I was lying on this table with magnets all over me and with this guy mumbling away down by my feet.  Honestly it felt a little strange.  I admit that I did say a little prayer at one point and asked Jesus not to let me get any demons. 

Now to be honest, he did get a couple of things right.  He asked if I'd had my appendix out (I have) and if I'd lost a lot of weight lately (again, I have).  But those are fairly broad questions and I'm not sure they're very indicative of his accuracy. 

After we were done with the magnets and whatnot, he did start manipulating my body in directions it doesn't normally go and then was happy when he heard popping noises.  He kept asking me if I heard them and sometimes I did and sometimes I didn't but I said I did because I'm a nice guy and he was so excited and I didn't want to disappoint him.  That also happened when he got me to walk around to see if I felt any better. 

So the question remains...did it work?  Well, that's a tough call.  If my brothers and I ever complained about something that hurt my Grandpa would punch us in the shoulder and tell us that he'd healed us because now we didn't feel the original pain anymore...just the new pain. 

There may have been some of that at work here.  But...who knows.  It's a couple of days later and I think maybe I feel a bit better.  The pain kind of comes and goes so I'm reserving judgement for a few days longer. 

At any rate, I have another appointment on Tuesday and yes I'm going back.  He told me that he also does acupunture and I've always wanted to try that.  So...you know...why not?

Besides...he didn't set me on fire.
   

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