Swimming up to Our Necks

Hi,  we are swimming in water up to our necks.  Literally!  The roof is still not shingled and we have had torrential rains.  I finally broke down and made Eric buy more tarps (now watch it be Sunny Cochabamba again).  Everything was getting ruined.  So, on that aspect, I am not so good.  Don’t think I like “fixer ups” too much.  We have two working bathrooms but the toilet paper is now soggy and not fit to use and so it goes.

The kids love school again this year.  I am noticing that not one of them can spell in either language.  I have hopes they will come around this year.  They seem to have good teachers and they are with good friends.  It will be hard for them not to do afternoon PE because of the drive…

We had to put our pretty dog down.  His breathing got worse and worse…  But before we did, he mated with our female and had the most beautiful lab looking puppies.  We gave them away all except one and we named her  “Mercy Me!”  Said with a Southern Accent.  But, now for more dog news.  I asked a family at school if they could loan us their male for a time so we could have more puppies.  Then they came to us and asked if we would like to have him, pedigree and all.  Then they offered their female, pedigree as well.  The puppies here sell for 200 female and 250 male.  Anyway, I see it as God’s gift.  I gave the last guys away knowing that the Dad was so sick when he mated that I didn’t feel well about someone paying for a dog that just might not be 100 percent.  I fought with who to give them to and when I gave one to the orphanage, God gave me two classy dogs.

We had some trouble this month with our account.  The bank sent us a refund for an ATM transaction that did not give us what we asked for way back in November (the notification letter went to my sister in AK).  It was for 200 dollars.  Anyway, we had had a few low months on our account where we almost didn’t make it.  So, then, I freaked!  (no roof, school fees and school starting…no money this month–now give me a break! — I freaked!)  But, when I sent out a letter the church jumped in AK, because they had not put money in the account this month because they do automatic transfers and their computer was not working.  Anyway, we came out OK in the end.  I just look like a money hungry fool to those who still have been giving.

Well, lots of news on my end.    We are sleeping in a tent with real mattresses.  Not a bad night in a large tent with 7 bodies.  It warms up nicely.  (It is a tent we bought in AK at a garage sell for 50 bucks.  Worth every penny!)