Lab complete!!

I have some exciting news people, the computer lab is now complete! I only need to put in the network cabling, but the machines are put together, the electrical work and painting has been done (thank you Minneapolis team!) and the room has been rearranged. I'm two weeks ahead of schedule which is good because here is my list of things yet to do:

• Finish installing the wifi network (which is proving difficult due to concrete walls)
• Plan my curriculum for my class which starts Sept. 10
• Make the framework for a student/sponsor tracking system that will be put on the website and interact with a database
• Make a website for the PSJ La Palmera football (soccer) team
• Finish the main website for the La Palmera project

. . .Lord help me. . .

Additionally, God has been weighing on my heart the desire to start a university ministry within the La Palmera church. It's the only group of people that our church does not reach out to and we have recently had attendance problems with one of the adolescent groups, so we are going to revise and revamp it. As most of you know, I accepted the Lord during my college years, so I have a passion for that age group. I am hoping to model it somewhat like the format at my home church, but of course with Bolivian flavor. If you need something to pray for for me, pray for this, it's a daunting challenge and right now I'm really trying to discern if this is an eventual role that I maybe will do long term here after the computer projects/program is fully developed. The few people I've been talking to about this have said it's a great idea, but that people of that age really need someone of character to lead them. I would be ok with leading them, but would be also concerned about my time commitments and my Spanish abilities in giving talks.

Busy two weeks

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, I've been so swamped with work. Some good news though, I just finished building the five new computers I bought parts for and they are up and running in the lab. I am nearly done with revamping the lab, just a bit more cleanup and then installing the network. I setup a wireless network for the offices in the front of the school, so the administrators now have access to a networked laser printer (also something I purchased). Special thanks to all of you for your support, none of this would be possible without you all!

In personal news, I celebrated my 27th birthday last weekend. It was great, I went and spent the weekend in Santa Cruz with a good friend and we had a great time. Lucho and Lorna were away, so it was a good time to travel. Monday, the other volunteers and the staff at the school celebrated my birthday with salteñas (a pastry type thing stuffed with chicken, potatoes and eggs) and Coke. Monday night I also had ice cream that was purchased with money my mom left with my friend Mary Lynn.

I am starting to get close to catching up with everything, though I still have a lot of work to do on the La Palmera website as well as work in launching a new website for the PSJ La Palmera football (soccer) team. Your prayers would be most appreciated in diligence and hard work to complete these sites as well as finishing the network and lab.

Anyway, that's all for now, I hope everyone reading this is doing well!

One crazy week

I have just finished a great week during which my parents visited me in Trinidad. It was their first time in Bolivia/South America. I got to do many things with them, but am grateful that they were able to come and that they now have a better understanding of how much I like it here.

Friday I took my dad and cousin fishing along with one of the Bolivian guys from the project. We drove out by the river and then hiked to an old portion of river that is now a lake, borrowed a very worn out canoe from a family there and went to do a little fishing. As we are in this canoe, we are watching about 3 leaks filling the boat with water, so my dad and I are bailing water as we go, the Bolivian guy is paddling and my cousin is in the front of the canoe turned around filming this on his digital camera. At first I don't think any of us thought the canoe was going to stay afloat, but after a few minutes we realized we were bailing faster than the water was coming in.

Monday, we went to San Ignacio de Moxos, a town about 3 hours away where we observed the first of a four day festival celebrating the founding of their town in 1689! There was parade with people all dressed in costume, some playing musical instruments. The best were these two old men that were playing (or trying to play) these giant reed flutes which in the town is a tradition for the elders. On the way back we saw about 20 alligators by the side of the road in small pools of water and also some capybaras, the largest rodents in the world. The day before we saw a sloth in the plaza in Trinidad (a first for me!) and also some more capybaras that were swimming in the drainage area.

And now, I find myself in Santa Cruz having said goodbye to my parents last night. I am spending the day here so I can buy the computers I failed to get last time and bring them back to Trinidad.