The Next Step....

Rudy at work!

As many of you know, we have to be out of our house in Bolivia by February 1st.  This house has been an amazing place for us and I definitely have mixed feelings about leaving.  It's where we all came together and became a family.  I remember very clearly our first night in the house and then trip after trip after trip to the market (constantly making lists) to get everything we needed to make it ours.  I'm saddened that I won't be in Bolivia when we give it up and move out. 

But along with that sadness is an excitement about what's next.  It was exciting when God provided this house for us and I'm excited to see what the next step is going to look like.

BUT...there's a lot that needs to happen before we move out.  We have to restore the house to it's pre-us state.  =) 

Fixing...painting...replacing...it's been a lot of work already.  We've hired a young guy we know well to do some the work (fixing walls..varnishing doors...replacing broken tiles) and then the guys will do what they can do (painting and gardening).  We took good care of the place (well....except for the grass in the yard...stupid soccer cleats...) but there's still quite a bit of work to be done. 

And of course, this all costs money.  More than I had expected actually.  There have already been a few Skype conversations about how we can cut back and save a little.  On top of that, January is when we have to pay for the new university semester for most of the guys. 

As you can imagine, it all adds up.  In fact, it's over doubling our January budget.  Which is keeping me up at night a little.  Well, okay...let's be honest, I was already up.  But it is cause for concern.

I'm throwing all this out there in case you've been thinking about making a donation.  =)  Now would be a great time!  If you're interested in helping us out, you can call International Teams at 1-800-465-7601 and they'll be happy to help you.  Or, if you'd like to donate online, you can just click on the link above "To Donate" and type my name into the search field. 

As always, we are so appreciative for your gifts and support.  There are so many of you who give to us sacrificially and we are very thankful!  Thanks for considering this need! 

As well, please pray for Maribel, Andres and the guys (and myself)...pray for motivation (mostly the guys) to do what needs to happen before the move...pray for the transition from what we know and love to something new...pray that God will lead Maribel and Andres to the right next house...and finally just pray for wisdom and a sense of peace for all of us through this process.

Thanks everyone!