Day 36

So after it downpoured for a week straight and we complained about that, now it hasn't rained for a week, and when it doesn't rain, its hotter than you can even imagine. So two days ago we went to a swimming pool, which felt amazing. As we were walking home from the pool we met a brother who told us our Witness neighbors were waiting in line for gas for cooking. And the town hasn't had gas since before we got here, so its a big deal and everyone is lining up on this one street to replace their empty gas tanks with full ones. So we find our neighbors to help them wait. They decide to go home because they had been waiting for about an hour and so we took over (we being courtney, kayla, me, the three girls from WI, and kezia, a sister from Denmark who lives here now) so there is 7 of us waiting in line with about 40 other people, all Bolivians. Then in the distance we see the gas truck coming and hope it comes to our side because we were at the beginning of the line. But as he gets closer he drives past without stopping. Then someone shouts, "he's going to the plaza!!!" Which is about 5 blocks away. So as gas is this very important and emotional thing and people have been waiting for weeks and hours in line, everyone just starts running like crazy towards the plaza. Like complete madness haha. So of course we pick up our gas tanks (5 in total) and start running, awkwardly because the tanks are heavy. Two girls each carried one tank and one sister grabs a tank and hops on a motorcycle taxi towards the plaza, while yelling at us to run. So here we are running as fast as we can through the streets, us and at least 100 other Bolivians all carrying gas tanks following the truck to the plaza. Funniest scene. Ever. It was such a huge commotion that all the street dogs are barking at us like crazy and running with us (there are lots of street dogs). Just to top it all off, at one point I see in the corner of my eye something passing us. It is this scrawny little 12 year old Bolivian boy running with this huge cart, about 3 feet by 4 feet, with just one little tank in the middle of this cart too big for the boy and the tank. And his little legs are just booking it haha. And they are tons of people just watching from their houses and the streets, taking video and pictures. When we get in sight of the plaza we see at least thirty moto taxis following the gas truck with people on the back holding their gas tanks. So the sister who took the moto taxi actually made it to second in line, with 50 people already behind her. So we run up to her with our tanks and get our five new gas tanks fairly quickly. But let me tell you, people were MAD. They were screaming and throwing tanks at the driver saying they had waited for hours and would wait no longer. But in the end we got our gas, so all is good in that area. But my dear friends, I wish more than anything I had taken a video for you all to see. Unfortunately there was no time to take my camera out in all the madness. I do however have a few pictures from finally getting our gas at the plaza, which I will post soon. But even all the brothers and sisters who live here have never seen anything like it. We had a very good laugh about it for a long time.

I'm trying to get caught up with posting all my pictures, so as you have probably figured out, what I'm posting is from a week or two ago.

Day 34

Service has been so interesting here. The day after tent preaching, we went to all the schools where people are living who's houses are flooded. I saw a few people crying when we talked to them, some people have lost everything. They don't have beds or enough clothes and don't know when they will be able to go home again. Also, I talked to a man who had a stroke and couldn't move very well. I read Isaiah 33:24 and talked to him a little. At the end he grabbed my hand and either said "thanks for visiting me" or "when are you coming to visit me again?" (My Spanish still needs work haha). But either way it was very touching.

Also, it hasn't rained very much in the past week and that's our source of washing and bathing water. We really needed to wash our clothes and so we went with a bunch of brothers and sisters to a small lake to wash our clothes haha. Definitely a first for me. We stood in the water and filled a bucket with lake water and then added the laundry soap and washed with hands :) Then I rinsed the soapy clothes in the lake and hung them up to air dry. The water was brown and there were tons of floating weeds and garbage (yuck) but it was better to wash them in that than not at all. Also, there were tons of people washing their clothes there, all lined up along the edge, it was like a normal outing or something.

Since it hasn't rained much in the past week, the sun has been out a ton, and when the sun is out, it is HOT. Today we are at a swimming pool which feels so fantastic!

THE Bus Trip

Soccer Game and Super Bowl in La Paz

Trip to Lake Titicaca and Isla del Sol

Service in La Paz

Day 31

Since there has been flooding and landslides, there are many families in town that have had to leave their homes. Schools have become shelters for families, people sleep on the streets under overhangs, and in tents set up on the roads. Today for service, instead of door to door, we did tent to tent. We preached to all the people living in tents on the streets, sharing scriptures about how God does not cause suffering and that it will soon end. It was such an interesting experience. Also, the Witness families that are living in the rented apartment had to leave it a few nights ago because the water rose even higher. They had to all stay in the Kingdom Hall for a day and night. But now the water has receded some and they are back to sharing the rented apartment.

Also, good news. I have been able to import my pictures onto my computer and will be able to post them soon, but internet connections are slow, so that's going to take some time.