Christmas in Bolivia

With 90-100 degree weather, lack of Christmas decorations and traditions, it did not feel much like the Christmas season this year.  With only a few days until Christmas we decided to find ourselves a tree.

After searching through palm and fig trees, we finally found the perfect tree!

I chopped it down.  Apparently artificial pine trees grow in Bolivia, who knew?

We lugged it home through the snow... uh... I mean sand.

Okay, so actually we found the tree abandoned in the mission mail room.  Due to our lack of ornaments, we had to go Little House on the Prairie on it and strung popcorn.  It didn't look half bad!

Noah sure enjoyed his first Christmas.

Especially eating the paper

"Okay so the dog is nice, but what did you do with the wrapping paper? I wasn't finished eating it!"

We may not have had snow, but I bet none of you went out back to pick the Christmas Watermelon!

Our family grew a little this Christmas.  Jenna got me a Blue Winged Parotlet!

It was a wonderful, quiet Christmas with our little family.  The only problem we had was a small plumbing issue in the bathroom

2 for 1 Christmas Shopping Ideas

As you all are running around trying to find the best Christmas deals, I thought I would pass on 2 different ways you can get your shopping done AND help us out at the same time.

1. Shop through iGive.com and help our ministry out
You can shop all your favorite stores, just do it though iGive.com and a percentage will be donated to our ministry by the company you purchase from. This past year you all raised $67 for our ministry by using iGive! Here is how to do it:
1. Go to http://www.iGive.com/SAM70493

2.  Register for an account* (its quick, easy, & free) and make sure "South America Mission IRE Mercy Ministries" is the charity selected (should be automatic if you follow the above link). 

3. Login to iGive.com to do your online shopping.  You can select stores like Amazon.com or eBay through the site or search for merchandise through iGive.com. A percentage of the purchase price will then be donated to the IRE ministry by the store you make your purchase through. Make sure to do the shopping through iGive to make sure the donation is made to SAM.  Right now, anyone who makes a purchase through iGive within 45 day of setting up an account will get an extra $5 towards our ministry. 

*When you register for an account, they give you an option to download the "iGive toolbar".  If you are comfortable using this, this helps track you online purchases at eligible stores to make sure the donations are made. Also, if you use the toolbar, $0.02 will be donated for every search made through the toolbar. If you don't want to use the toolbar, you can search through this site: http://www.iSearchiGive.com/SAM70493 and earn $0.01 for our mission for every search.

2. Help us out by purchasing Christmas gifts on RedBubble.com

You can purchase some of my photos from Bolivia and various other travels at: http://jganjay.redbubble.com/

You can order my photos as cards, prints, or calendars.  Calendars can be customized with any of my photos on RedBubble.

Hombres de Valor

This past Saturday I was able to help with a conference for about 40 boys ages 10-13 from around Santa Cruz (someday Noah will be that age.. what have I gotten myself into?!). They day was full of talks from various speakers, skits, shield making, devouring food without utensils, jousting, sword fighting, and various other "manly" activities.  It was a high energy day fun of fun but the main purpose of the day was to help this guys understand what it mean to be a man of valor and a man of God.

Blowout!

This past Tuesday I took a trip out toward San Jose and Robore again. It was a great, even though short, trip especially since this time I had no significant incidents with my car. Now you are probably wondering how I can say such a thing especially with a blog post titled "Blowout" and the above photo. Yes the front right tire exploded at 90-100 km/hr, but I do not consider this "significant" since no head gaskets were blown, there were no overheating issues, the cam shaft did not snap in half, and no jumps, tows, or serious maintenance was needed. All we had to do was change the tire and hit the road again! It was also a great trip since the road was much better this time and took 3 hours less than the last time I went out.

The purpose of the trip was to visit various Ayore communities and set up a time for a retreat, similar to the one we did in Poza Verde, only this time for communities in a different part of Bolivia. This is all part of the push toward a more unified Ayore church. It has been very exciting to see the process of the church coming together this past year.



Donate a Diaper!

*UPDATE: At this point we have received enough promises of diapers but if you still want to donate a diaper, I am sure Noah won't complain (nor his mother).*

It was a sunny, windy day in the city of Santa Cruz. Jason, Jenna and Noah Weigner were going about their Wednesday business- produce shopping at Abasto market. Before embarking through the crowded stalls of fruits and vegetables, Jenna fed and changed Noah's diaper. The little family then proceeded to buy their needed produce for the week.

After depositing the purchased goods in the car, Jason decided to check out a few of the plants being sold nearby. Jenna and Noah decided to go visit a friend in the hospital who had recently had her baby. Upon Jason's return to the car, he found the backseat door wide open! He immediately checked it out to see if anything was missing. The groceries were there. The produce was there. The dirty diapers were there. Yet- no diaper bag! Jason made a frantic phone call to Jenna- hoping, praying, that she had taken the bag with her. It was not to be. Jenna did not have the diaper bag, only Noah, a burp cloth, and the moby wrap. The diaper bag was GONE! Noah was terribly distraught to hear of the loss of his favorite stuffed animal, sound making machine, and several of his amazingly comfortable (kinda expensive!) cloth diapers!! His mother was distraught to hear of the loss of the baby bag- it is impossible to find that kind of quality here in Bolivia.

Noah- upon hearing the dreadful news

"They did what?!"

Needless to say, the most important items will be replaced. This is where you can come in. If you care to donate a diaper to Noah- to replace the ones that were stolen, to protect his bum from diaper rash, and spare his parents from having to buy tons and tons of disposable diapers- it would be very appreciated.

Please follow the link below to purchase a diaper for Noah:
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=2424

Please note: SHIPPING IS FREE!!! (choose economy shipping) Enter the code "BESTDEAL" in the coupon box for a 5% discount.
Also, Noah requests that one of the following colors be purchased: sweet, white or grasshopper

He also specifically requested the SNAPS version of each color.

Please contact us by email so we can send you the shipping address for the diaper.

In order to make sure the diapers get to the appropriate place on time, let us know by Sept. 30 if you care to replace a diaper for Noah. We don't want to post the shipping address on our blog for the privacy of those who will be bringing the diaper to us.

  jjweigner@southamericamission.org

Who could possibly steal from such a sweet baby?

River Trip Day 5 – July 11th

We started the day off at a village that required a little bit of a hike to get to. On the way in, I heard a Jaguar call from the forest. The two Bolivians I was with stopped in their tracks and looked as pale as a Bolivian can look. They proceeded nervously while I eagerly scanned the forest for a glimpse. We made it to the community without an sighting or incident. We stayed long enough to provide medical care and pick up some more grapefruit. Grapefruit, I cannot believe how much grapefruit we ate on this trip. I must have eaten 10-15 a day, maybe more.

Grapefruit, yum

On the river again we got a call over the radio about a pregnant lady on a boat who needed care. We stopped and the doctors saw her then set we out in search of drinking water. We stopped at a spring up on a cliff above the roof of our two story boat. It was only a cliff because of how much the water had dropped. From what I was told, just a few weeks before the spring was reachable from the first level of the boat. This time we had to perform some acrobatics involving filled water bottles being tied to a rope, dangled from a board, and slid to the roof of our boat. The picture below can explain it better than I can.

Gathering water from a spring on a 2 story cliff

Caiman at night

We spent the night at the captain’s father’s farm where we held a culto. His father was a very enthusiastic host and was eager to help in anyway he could. He promised us a cow which was butchered the next morning. That night I went out with the captain and some of the crew on a Caiman/Alligator hunt. Armed with flashlights and a .22, the captain shot two good sized Caiman to add to our food supply.

Tomorrow's Dinner

Poza Verde Retreat

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program for an important update.

Sorry for the delay in the river trip report. We have been busy with a variety of things out in Poza Verde, one of which was a retreat for Ayore believers from around the country. About 60 came from 8 different communities. It was a beautiful time of messages, testimonies, and strengthening of a very disjointed group of believers. The sharing time had to be extended since so many wanted to give their testimonies. Some of the older people shared their testimonies in the traditional song/chant used to share stories. It was also encouraging to see the initiative and leading of this 3 day retreat taken on by Ayoreos and other Bolivian nationals.

7 were baptised at the conference

Day 4 – July 10th Campfire Exchange ~by Jason

*To those of you just tuning in, we have been going day by day, retelling the story of our river trip this past July.  For more photos from this trip click HERE 

Our Capitan

Day 4 – July 10th Campfire Exchange

While on the river, our captain was in communication with various communities and boats by radio. Of course, other people can listen in, including a military port that monitors radio communication on the river. They heard that we were holding medical clinics and requested that we stop and hold a clinic at their base. We stopped but as part of the deal they got a Bible study and a culto (church service) as well. It was a unique opportunity opened by the medical ministry.

The military base has a dark past. During a dictatorship it was here that many people were executed. Last year the river team was asked to stop at the base too. When they stopped, some of the men at the base informed the missionaries that the men were terrified of this one Mango tree on the base. At night they would hear shrieks and other awful sounds from around the tree. Last year they held a prayer meeting around the tree and this year we were able to follow up on the story. We asked around and found that they no longer hear screams from the tree. What an incredible testimony to God’s power over evil.

Back on the river again we reached a dangerous rocky portion of the river. We had to stop on the Brazilian side of the river to hire a local guide to lead us through the rocks. While we waited, we were able to tour an old Spanish fortress.

The Brazilian Fortress

The cracks in the walls has just a few bats

The guide arrived and led us safely through the rocks, well almost through. No sooner did we think we were through and the guide left did we hit a large submerged rock which gave us a good scare but fortunately caused no damage.

Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryla amazona)

Our next stop was at a family’s farm. Here we fished for Piranha and Surubi (large catfish) for dinner. That night we held a culto for the family by a campfire. I thought about the fact that we had stopped and were putting so much effort into visiting just one family’s farm. Such a river trip takes a lot of time, energy, and money to run. My North American concept of “productivity” of course had to question whether it was worth stopping for just one family. Perhaps not, but that is not the standard such a trip should be measured by. Seeing just how meaningful our visit was to the family made me remember that our life endeavors should be measured by the lives we touch with God’s love.

Surubi we caught for dinner

After the culto we had a little campfire cultural exchange. We taught the Bolivians how to toast marshmallows over a fire. They were a bit wary of our strange custom but those brave enough to try really enjoyed the treat. They in turn showed us how to toast plantains in a fire which took significantly longer than marshmallows but were never the less a tasty treat.

You can join us next year for a river trip! If you are interested, let us know!

Day 3: July 9th by Jenna

We woke up already at the first community on the list to visit. Everyone got off the boat to head up the banks to do a medical clinic and a small VBS for the children of the area.

Dr. Sunny working with some patients

The medical clinics are often small, but the people definitely appreciate the service. We have those who desire medical attention line up. We take their name and ask a general overview of what’s wrong and then hand them a number to be called when the doctors are ready to see them. Medical problems ranged from the simple cough/sniffles, aches and pains to minor surgery (i.e. ingrown toe-nails). We also had a portable pharmacy that went along to the clinic where patients could receive free medication, although often its only Tylenol and Ibuprofen that are given.

Jesse manning the pharmacy

As we were waiting with people in line at the first community we also happened to notice growing not very far away- cranberry hibiscus!! Jason and I asked the group if they knew what the plant was but nobody knew what it was or what it was for! Jason (and me too) felt the need to educate all- far and near of the benefits and edibility of the plant. He even went dispersing samples among the crowd waiting for the medical clinic. I think the people really enjoyed finding out the nutritional benefits of the plant and after trying some I have hope that they will actually implement it in their cooking.

Noah was really fun to have with us as well. He is a great ice-breaker. He immediately was passed around all the ladies of the community. He even ended up taking a short nap on someone’s bed! Everyone loves his big smiles and his blue eyes- even if they think his mother should keep his feet covered in 95 degree weather.

A pregnant lady practicing with Noah

By the time VBS and the medical clinic were over the last 3 people of our group joined us (after an adventure with car break-downs and multiple forms of transportation to get there). We ate lunch on the boat and headed on down the river. That afternoon we briefly stopped in 2 small communities where several people came to the boat to receive medical care.

Singing some songs with the kids for VBS

Day 2 - July 8, 2010 – Dolphins, and Tapirs, and Jaguars Oh My!

Our Boats

There were quite a few engorged visitors in my mosquito net by morning. Jenna and Noah were able to avoid the plague in their screened-in cabin where the girls slept. Noah had the added protecting of his baby travel tent which is completely bug proof.

Top: The last of the group to arive; Bottom: Blue-and-Yellow Macaws (Ara ararauna)

We set sail around noon after Greg arrived with another flight of passengers. As we set off we ate leftover Armadillo and watched the pod of Pink Amazon Dolphins that accompanied us. Our boat was actually two large flat-bottom boats tied side-by-side. There was another boat like ours who was going our way so they tied up to us until our next port. And so we cruised the Machupo River like a logjam of 4 boats. We spent the rest of the day and night traveling, the only day with no stops along the way. We were to meet the last of our passengers in the next port.

Checking the river depth

Pink Amazon River Dolphins (Inia geoffrensis)

Capybara Family (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris)

The Tapir that was almost dinner

This day was the most wildlife filled day of the trip, probably because the river was most narrow at this point. We saw countless water birds, Pink Amazon Dolphins, Capybara (the worlds biggest rodent), a Jaguar (which only I saw, the others were just too slow to look when I yelled “Tigre!”. Really! I saw one!), and a Tapir. The Tapir caused quite a stir on both our boat and the other. Apparently they are good eating and so the Bolivians were frantically trying to find a gun. Finally the Capitan of the other boat pulled out an old 9mm and tried shooting it like he were holding a small rifle. Needless to say he missed. He tried again but the old rusted gun jammed. At this point we were so close I practically could have jumped out and brought him back by hand, but the gun was not to fire again so the Tapir lived to see another day. Though I would have liked to add Tapir to my list of odd foods I have tried in my travels, I was glad to see the awesome creature climb the bank to safety, especially since Tapir numbers are dropping rapidly in much of South America.

Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)

White-necked Heron (Ardea cocoi)

The star-littered night on the river was beautiful. I tried a new method of attaching my mosquito net and I managed to sleep slightly better in a hammock. The next day our village visits would begin.

Sunset on the Machupo River