Home again...

I’ve been back in Bolivia for either nineteen or twenty two days depending if you count from the day I actually arrived here or the day everyone mistakenly went to the airport to pick me up.  We’re still not exactly sure how that happened.  But once Maribel got her “Thanks for putting up with the guys for five weeks” gift (we split the price of a laptop)…she was pretty much fine.  Maribel’s gifts are getting bigger and better each year.  I know what she does for me and I don’t want to lose her.  Haha…I think she also knows this. 

Everyone's been asking how my trip was and how things are going now that I'm back. And by everyone I mostly mean my mom. At any rate I figured I'd jot a few things down and let you all (mom) know how it’s going.

The trip was actually one of my more uneventful travel experiences.  I had the chance to visit some friends and family in Ontario/upstate New York on my way through, which was great.  Plus I had supper with my 98 year old Grandma who looks amazing.  We had pizza and wings. 

The only travel stress I had was the usual “Are my bags over weight?  Are they going to look closely at my 46 pound carry on?”  That’s always the challenge.  Even after I manage to get my suitcases checked in, there’s always the fear that some keener at the gate is going to realize my carry-on luggage is perhaps a little weightier than it should be and make me check it too. 

This year that stress lasted until the plane was in the air.  The plane was really full and they were asking people to only put one of their bags in the overhead compartment.  My second bag was just as large as my first and there was no way it was going to fit under my seat.  So when no one was looking I put both of them in the overhead compartment.  Then I stuck my head in my book and ignored the flight attendants comments about the “huge shopping bag” and how it was “seriously heavy” as they tried to maneuver more bags into a somewhat limited space.  I felt guilty, but obviously not guilty enough.

My only other “oops” moment was when my carry on (with my laptop and the new laptop for Maribel) flipped off the top of my stack of luggage on the wheely cart at the airport and landed on the floor…and then as I watched, the next 50 pound bag on the stack rolled off and landed on top of it. 

As it turns out, laptop computers don’t like having 50 pound duffle bags dropped on top of them. 

Maribel’s laptop survived fine, but mine didn’t.  The screen broke.  I didn’t even know that was possible.  There are lines that look like lightning strikes across one side.  Which, in other circumstances, would be cool.  At first they were mostly clear and you really only saw them when you jiggled the computer and then they looked like water ripples.  Also…sort of cool.  Now, however, they’ve turned black and are kind of annoying and distracting.  And they’re spreading.  It doesn’t bode well…

My first week back was definitely the honeymoon week and we all enjoyed each other’s company and life was mostly smiles and chuckles.  When I say first week I actually mean first five days ‘cause we didn’t quite make the week before reality returned and life as a family of fourteen smacked me upside the head.  Ah…those five weeks in Canada as a once again single guy with no responsibilities….

But life is what it is, and of course God is faithful and we always manage to work our way through the grumpiness with a few extra doses of patience and God-given strength.  I do see a lot of growth in the guys, which is why, I think, it’s tougher when someone throws attitude around or takes a major header into some sin issue that I thought was long gone. 

It also didn’t help that my first week back it rained…a lot.  And then rained some more.  As well, because my room was mostly closed up while I was home in Canada, there wasn’t much air circulation and lots of things in my room molded.  Shoes, leather sandals, my straw boats from La Paz, books…the wall…  I’m still finding mold on things. 

Ah life...

Anyhow, a couple of prayer requests before I go. 

There are a couple of guys we know and work with who are still really struggling with their addictions and pain from their pasts.  I can see God healing them, but it’s definitely a battle.  If you could pray for strength and wisdom for them, that’d be great.

Pray for peace and stability and a sense of God’s presence in the house as well.  Some of the guys don’t always think through their actions and how they affect others.  They throw attitude and say dumb things and then when they feel better they think everything is fine.  They forget that what they did and said had consequences.  So pray that they start to think more about others and have the wisdom to ask for forgiveness when they need to.

And finally…I NEED TO SELL MY OLD TRUCK.  I mean, I really, REALLY need to sell it.  I need the money and I’m tired of dealing with that silly thing.  It looks good and has nice, new mudder tires on it…so it should go.  Unfortunately it’s not a good time to sell.  Nothing is moving much.  Please pray that it goes soon!  I like buying trucks.  I don’t like selling them.

Thanks everyone!  Tune in here again soon and I might have some cool news to share…  =)

Oh…and funny story for the day.  Last Friday I was driving people home from El Jordan’s monthly church service and I ended up in an area of town I don’t know very well.  The last person to be dropped off was a little old Grandma who was pretty darn excited to be riding in a nice truck. Together we bounced along down some somewhat, shall we say, dicey roads.  With the rain I mentioned there were huge ruts everywhere. 

All of a sudden, as I drove through what I thought was just another deep rut, the front end of the truck dropped and my front two tires entered into what, by the smell of things, was a pit of raw sewage.  I mean really, really vile raw sewage.  I seem to have a habit of doing this.  This time was infinitely worse though.

All I can say is that these are the moments that do wonders for my prayer life.  I pushed the button on my dash to put the truck into four wheel drive and felt a rush of unparralleled thankfulness to the wonderful folks at Toyota who invented the push-button four wheel drive…as compared to my first truck where you had to get out and manually lock the wheel hubs.  Let’s just take a moment to imagine that scenario shall we. 

It took a few tries and some serious prayer (I kind of get the sense that God was enjoying this little moment and let me sweat a little just for fun) and then the rear tires caught and pulled us out.

I have never been so happy in my entire life.  Little Grandma seemed to enjoy the excitement as well.  I’m not sure she totally got what was going on, but she had a big smile on her face and an unending commentary running the entire time that I didn’t understand a word of.  I think we bonded.

My front tires still smell like sewage and the guys who share the room that has the window right by where I park my truck aren’t overly impressed.  But life is what it is.

Live the adventure people…