The Blizzard of 2006, Part two

Well folks, the airport reopened, my sister and brother-in-law arrived on Dec. 23 for Christmas we left for Montrose and had a wonderful week with my parents, and then low and behold Denver got blasted AGAIN with another 1 1/2 feet of snow!!! This is just in time for me to come back :-) I really didn't need the deja vu experience, but this is probably the most impressive amount of snow I've ever seen. For those of you keeping track, the total amount of snow is about an average of 4 feet in the last two weeks. I went to my brother-in-law's parents church for Christmas Eve in Lakewood and the pastor asked everyone praying for a white Christmas to stop because we had well over two feet at that point. We have more snow now in Denver than we know what to do with, there is no parking lot that doesn't have at least a ten foot mountain of snow from plowing and there are still cars buried underneath all the snow in some places. I'm sure the tow trucks are having a field day and I pity all the emergency workers and plow drivers that have been on call 24/7 for the last two weeks helping out all the stranded people and keeping the roads clear. But, today, the sun is shining and the snow is still melting from the last storm. It'll probably take a good dry two weeks with sunshine every day for all the snow to melt and me to be able to park. So, pray for some sunshine for us here in Denver and for a 50 degree heat wave to hit so we can dig ourselves out!! I hope you all had a great Christmas and best wishes for a fantastic 2007.

Blizzard of 2006

Well, mother nature decided to get in on the celebration of the holidays and dump 1-2 feet of snow on the Denver area. Where I am we have about 18" right now. Wind caused the Denver airport to completely shut down yesterday and part of today, canceling over 1000 flights. Additionally Interstate 70 was/is shut down from just east of Denver all the way to the Kansas line. Here are some pictures to show you the madness . . .

Note the car buried, only identified by a radio antenna and the garages across the way that are completely blocked.
Here's a guy out shoveling our walkway, you can see how it sizes up on him.

Anyway, on the upside, we'll be having a white Christmas!

Bolivia followup

After I read the news article I mentioned in the previous post I emailed a missionary family I know that is in Cochabamba and they say the media is over hyping the situation. They told me seven leaders from other South American nations were staying down the street from them for a summit in Cochabamba last week and it was completely peaceful. They said there has been some tension in La Paz and Santa Cruz, but mostly just a lot of vocal opposition (peaceful protests), very few cases of violence have occurred. They told me to imagine a Bolivian family seeing the news in the US with a kid preparing to go, you might get a similar reaction. I also checked the US Dept. of State travel site and they have not issued a travel warning for Bolivia, so I still feel really good about the situation there. But, you can tell it is a serious situation that has everyone's attention because even the lowly city of Trinidad, usually apathetic to politics held a rally on Friday to support the 2/3 majority for constitutional changes.

In the news, President Evo Morales announced Friday he will meet with all 10 of the Department leaders (like our governors) tomorrow and try to better understand what the people from the east especially want in more detail. If all sides are prepared to make some compromises, I feel that things will press forward, but that would certainly be a rarity for Bolivia.

Bolivia on the brink

As I was going through my email this morning, I found a CNN alert for Bolivia. The headline reads "Constitutional Battle Threatens to Split Bolivia". Since I'm sure some of you have read this in the papers and on the internet as well (or similar articles), let me explain the situation to you.

Bolivia as I mentioned this summer is in the process of writing a new constitution, something that started in August. This was a demand of the indigenous majority in the country (the same people who voted Bolivian President Evo Morales into power). The opposition is ok with the writing of a new constitution, but insists that changes to each article must be approved by a 2/3 majority of the delegates (for which Evo's party only controls 54% of the 225 delegates). Evo's party on the other hand interprets the 2/3 majority to mean only the final constitution pass with a 2/3 majority, but that individual changes only take a simple majority (which is party alone has). The difference is that if the final constitution fails to get a 2/3 majority, it goes to a countrywide referendum anyway (which Evo and his opposition knows he can win), which takes away the power of the opposition to do anything. The opposition fears that Evo's party is seeking to make Bolivia into a socialist nation like Venezuela or even Cuba. Evo's supporters feel oppressed and that the system isn't giving them a fair shake of the economic landscape.

Now people in the "Crescent" region of Bolivia (Beni (Trinidad, etc.), Santa Cruz, and Tarija) have been protesting for weeks via road blockades (a common protesting tactic) and street protests in Sucre, where the constitution is being written as well as Santa Cruz. Earlier in September there were strikes in both Beni and Santa Cruz by government workers in protest of this same issue.

As if that wasn't complicated enough, in the mix is Evo's promise to the people of the "Crescent" region for greater autonomy seems to not be trusted and people feel like they are going to be deceived. There are some calls now for outright civil war to gain independence from the rest of Bolivia.

Either way, it's not a pretty situation. As for my mission plans, I still have two months before I'm planning to leave (I'm pushing back my departure to Feb. 13), so I'll stay posted on the situation. I am in contact with a missionary family living in Bolivia as well as my organization regarding this. If the situation becomes too dangerous for me to go, my backup option is going to the I-Teams Latin America headquarters in San Isidro, Costa Rica. I hope I can go to Bolivia though, my heart is truly hoping to be able to join my friends down there.

PLEASE PRAY FOR BOLIVIA!!!

Finishing the race

As I look back and reflect on this year, it's been a year of much change and much uncertainty in my life, yet the one constant I have noticed more than ever is God's faithfulness. Time and time again he has come through for me financially, in living situations, employment and most of all support. I am so grateful. My trust in Him and faith have grown tremendously this year and I have no doubts that Bolivia is where He wants me to be for the next two years. Almost exactly a year ago I returned from Bolivia with an anxiety to return to Latin America to do long term work and still that anxiety remains and has grown. It is so hard to be here and yet hearing about all the wonderful things happening in Trinidad, I really want to just be there and be a part of everything going on.

This past week I have been under some spiritual attack, Satan is trying to fill my mind with doubts, distractions and making this process of support raising even harder. It's taking a lot of prayer and focus to overcome this and as I come closer to leaving, I am reminded of the author of Hebrews words about "finishing the race" and holding true to our faith.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. -Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

This verse very much describes my situation because I do have a great group of believers surrounding me, encouraging me and helping me to get through this tough time. I am determined to finish this marathon of preparing for missions and although it may take a bit longer, the victory belongs to the Lord and He will deliver me safely to Bolivia in His timing.