Now that I have hopefully convinced you that we have good, interesting excuses let's get on to what else was happening. We have many praises as we are just two days from leaving and we have been very healthy, just one tummy a little off and the antibiotics are working nicely to counter that, projects are sufficiently done and some even more complete than hoped for! Kathy had prayed that Tori would see their horse and while we washed sand for the cement Milton and family came by with their horse and offered Tori a ride. She has absolutely love the mountain house and feels like it is her! The fairly short time on the trail with the horse wove Rio Verde more thoroughly through her heart. As for the boys the have loved their time time thoroughly and Matthew wants to know when we are coming back. That we have had only minor nicks and cuts with all the machetes swinging is certainly an answer to prayers for safety! If I can upload a some video clips you will all understand!
Literacy day for the Bruces and Schaubs is very hard work! It is pretty much like homeschooloing with individualized plans for most students with some small grouping possible for those at similar levels. They had a smaller number of adult students this week but all their students are a most diligent group! Despite many challenges and an "I can't do it" attitude that grew for a variety of reasons they are about to complete this school year and continue to try. After a year of hard work they can look back and see progress! A great reason to press on next year. To help the parents-Awa and American focus the kids and Sharon went for a hike with all the tag along children. It was a lovely hike that did keep them all busy. We hoped to bring home a few rocks for the garden and found much more as the kids all noticed the wild lemon trees with ripe fruit! Long sticks were found and soon enough some lemons hit the ground. The rugged Awa kids soon scaled the trees bearing some impressive thorns and had the ones beyond the reach of the stick in no time. Here Spencer had a double encounter with a mean looking caterpillar! A swollen hand persisted but the burning dissipated by the time we got home and with Lee's help we got a nice picture of the impressive looking little fellow that did the damage. Spencer was fine by the next day and still managed to have a brush with another variety of caterpillar pokiness.
The soaking sand day followed and we learned how to clean sand to get it ready for making cement. It is a wet, messy, and at times grueling job. Praise God we got more done than had been the goal and everyone was just a little sore the next day.
The kids have seemed to have a wonderful time! Lee and Spencer were practically inseparable. They both loved all their adventuring in the balsa forest, generally had machetes within an arms reach, and love video games! When they had worn themselves out with play and chores (they worked very hard to devise a way to shorten Lee's water carrying chore)they relaxed for a bit with the iTouch. Plenty of giggling and chatting went on between Kimberly and Tori.
Today as we left the mountain, feeling a bit sad and yet anticipating a special day ahead, we ventured to the hot springs for an afternoon swimming and playing in pools filled with spring water heated by a currently inactive volcano. The air was cold and the pools delightfully warm, though the one with lots of floaty sediment made one wonder just a bit. Chlorine is not a part of this pool system... They just empty, scrub, and refill periodically. The kids had a great time sliding down the caterpillar and dragon. The water made you feel very botany and tasted a bit salty, we were trying not to drink any, and when you got out you felt so heavy! Despite sunscreen we are all a bit pink or burned. That equatorial sun is pretty tough.
Arriving at the Ibarra house was a strange shock. It seemed so quick to go from the remote and rustic living at the Rio Verde house (hand washing laundry, using the outhouse, and seeing the Awa go about their lives) to instantly being in the modern world with a clothes washer and running water and busy city life. Being with the Awa is in general peaceful and quiet. It was wonderful to meet the people and fellow believers we have heard so much about. The desire to lift them up in prayer increases as you get to know them more and connect with their lives. Milton asked when we were coming back. Good question. That one will have to be the Lord's to answer.
Tomorrow is a day at the market and then packing. Our hearts are sad to leave though it will be good to see all of you. As the busy school year begins we will miss the basics of life we have had the joy of experiencing and the time to be a family without running here, there, and everywhere. We feel blessed to have been here. When one goes on a trip you always wonder if you gave as much as you received. I personally feel filled to running over, we pray that the Lord will use it to his glory.
I really will try to post pictures tomorrow!
One last praise-while in Rio Verde Matthew got spun in a hammock chair and was so dizzy he thought he would be sick! We thought,"Oh boy, here we go!" and wondered how long he would be dizzy. In the past it has been days. A few hours latter he was fine and for the first time since January experienced several days of no dizziness! He's had a couple day with some dizziness as we've gotten to the last days of the trip and I suspect got a bit run down with all he did and how much sleep he got. We are very thankful for how well he did and consider it very much a God thing that the spinning episode was about what it would be for any normal person! Thank you, Jesus.
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