Just Us Boys

Yesterday Jenna left for a 10 day boat trip in the Beni region of Bolivia in the Amazon Basin.  That means I'm home with Noah for that time.  Then when she gets back we will switch, I'll be going on a river trip and Jenna will stay home with Noah.  What never ceases to amaze me is how so many people cannot believe that a man is capable of taking care of a baby for any period of time.  Bolivians are especially shocked and seem to think at least one of us will not survive.  Don't worry everyone, we're doing just fine.  I am keeping him well fed on soda, keeping him busy playing with knives, and teaching him how to operate motor vehicles. 

Photo of the Week: Monster in the Shower

We've found cockroaches, ants, scorpions, spiders, tarantulas, and even a snake in our house, but this one topped them all and even gave me the willies. Jenna was about to get into the shower when she gasped and went running for the closet.  I was expecting one of the usual home intruders, not this 9 inch monster that was writhing its way out of the shower drain.  It was a Amazonian Giant Centipede (Scolopendra gigantea). They have a fairly potent venom. While not likely to kill a healthy adult, they are still dangerous and not welcome in my house.

Photo of the Week: Toborochi

A Toborochi tree in full bloom out in an Ayore village.  For some reason they are blooming 2 months early this year.

San-Fran-sis-co... I mean... San-Fer-nan-do

We packed our bags, kissed Noah goodbye (we left him with another SAM family), jumped in a SAM plane, and made our way out to the little town of San Fernando near the Brazil boarder this past Monday.  We went out there to visit fellow SAM missionary (and fellow FHS Alum) Katie Wells.  She has been living and working out in this little town of about 40 families that is only acessible by land for a small portion of the year.  I brought a load of plants, Jenna brought a load of food, and Walt (another SAM missionary) brought a load of tools.  Once there, we each went to work with our cargo.  Walt went to work screening in the church and Katie's quarters, Jenna went to work cooking some food for Katie other than rice, and I went to work putting in a garden and planting trees.

Trees on a Plane

The area around San Fernando from the air

Katie meeting us at the "airport"

Inside the San Fernando church (notice the 'congregation' in the lower left corner)

Walt working on the church

Jenna in Katie's kichen

Me planting trees...

...and puting in a veggie garden

Our Taxi across the river to visit a family

The family was pressing sugar cane when we got there. No maternity leave here! That woman is 9 months preggo!

Katie Wells (not Katie's well) by a well

Plush-crested Jay (Cyanocorax chrysops)

Photo of the Week: Syracuse in Bolivia

So we were out in Poza Verde the other day and ran into this teacher at the school.  She had no idea what the shirt meant.  We told her it was from our home town. (For those of you who don't know what 'cuse stands for... Amy... it stands for "Syracuse")