Requirements for residency in Bolivia.

This was the permancy requirements.

Here is a couple that was here a while from Sweden.

And some friends from Colorado in a nearby town, Vinto.
Two sisters serving in Vinto, Bolivia.

Greetings!  This took us about 2 hours to load...so we are hoping you all really enjoy it!  We have't posted anything since our trip to Tin-Tin which was over 5 months ago.  Here you will see a variety of photos from then till now.  We were able to go to the zone visit, here in Bolivia back in February.  There are some pictures from Memorial, and a wedding we were invited to, a kid's party and even videos including a hail storm we had recently... AND many, Many, MANY of Dakota just getting older and her many end of school year adventures for all you grandparents and family members out there! :-)  

Our congregation is doing wonderfully, really growing just to give you an idea we arrived to Bolivia on June 4th, 2011...2 years ago...time flies.  When we arrived there were 106 and now we are 142 and counting!  There is much work to be done here and all over the world!  I love what the sub-co told us on our last visit..."The teacher does much work to give a student a solid foundation to become a witness, showing them how the organization works, what Jehovah expects from his faithful servants, and helping him/her cultivate love for Jehovah...but it's the congregation that makes disciples!"  Well, Jacaranda is making disciples for sure there is a wonderful, happy, unified, loving spirit amoungst the brothers and it's a PRIVILEDGE to serve with them at this exciting time!

Dakota is doing very well still preaching with pride to everyone she comes across, students, teachers, from door to door and even on the phone!  During this school year she placed many magazines, books and bibles with both staff and students.  Even making return visits, and she has 2 for the future we will be visiting with this summer.  She really has a true love for Jehovah's work, and we hope to keep cultivating that seed in her little heart! :-)

Char working on his singing skills at the Bolivia Branch.

Dakota and her little friends love to take a hand in cleaning the kingdom hall!

Pique Macho...any and every type of meat you can think of grilled and served over french fries.

Enjoying lunch with friends!

During the zone visit weekend the branch has a very special tour prepared for all of the Bolivia friends!

Bethel Mid Bolivian summer

Zone Visit 2013!  Over 14,000 of the 22,000 witnesses of Bolivia attended! :-)

Bethel Fun!

Future sewing department

It was SOOOOO HOT in Santa Cruz at the zone visit...we were wearing layers of sweat!  But we were filled with JOY!

Campaign work for the memorial headed out to  "La Maica" our farm territory Dakota LOVES it there!

La Maica

One of the many seeds Dakota has sown!  Now a regular study of her's and our's our old neighbors!  Pablito, Teresita, y bebe.

Just too cute in service, a brother lent her his sunglasses.

Getting ready for her ring bearer responsibilities!

Typical day in service, picking exotic flowers.

Jamil and Koddie, he gave the ring to the groom and Dakota gave it to the bride.

Me and Mery Dakota's Bolivian Grandma, one of the most ZEALOUS pioneers I know!  One of the reasons the congregation is growing so quickly!

You know us! ;-)

One of my favorite studies made it to Memorial Amalia.  This 84 year old woman is learning bible truths for the first time, it is a joy to see her eyes light up in wonder on every study!  And she just loves Dakota!

This is priceless!

At memorial, another sister and I had the privilege of getting the flower arrangements...you can't see it well here, but it really was beautiful.  Jehovah blessed our work.

The bride and groom.

At Koddie's school for the science fair.

Some of Koddie's classmates...her own little territory.

Dakota showing us the many wonders of a cow.  Their science project was farm animals.

Yumi, the sub-CO's wife, I've never met such a wonderfully encouraging sister that lifts any child's spirits with just a smile!  Dakota fell in love with her.

Still taking Koddie to the salon!

Sunday afternoon at the park playing with friends.

Potolos...Dakota's garb for her Bolivian Dance, about farmers cultivating the land.

Make shift Chilindrina!

two Chilindrina's and one Chavo  ( VERY famous mexican show for kids...for those of you that aren't firmilar)!  At our latest congregation kid's party!  Boy did they have fun!

Half of Dakota's class after their dance.

Cutest Chilindrina I ever seen! ;-)

A study at our hall made this cake for the kid's party...how nice!

Headed to Dakota's graduation.

Can you tell I'm wearing 2 different earrings...I was in such a rush, wanted everything to be perfect that I didn't even notice until I got home!

Nice Bolivian tradition, a parent walks the child down on the day of graduation, to show respect, and honor to the parents who also worked hard to give their child a stable future.

It's official I graduated! 

Where's Koddie?

At Bethel

At Bethel, this represents one of the languages translated at the branch, Aymara.

So where do we start...our blog has been on hiatus for some time!  We went to the states from Sept-Oct. and after that just BUSY, BUSY, BUSY like all of you.  There wasn't anything totally exciting to tell you all...but then we went to isolated territory on Koddie's winter break!  So below you can see many pictures of that!  It was a wonderful territory...MANY interested ones, real potential.  We went for 7 days with a group of 15 approved by the branch.  

I will tell you guys 2 of the many wonderful experiences we all had.

On the first day we were there I met a young girl around the age of 16 on the first day walking down the road I stopped her and started preaching to her, was able to read several texts and left her many magazines since we won't be back very soon.  She was so attentive I asked her where she lived.  Telling her that we would be in town for the next week and that we were offering free home bible studies.  She indicated it to me and thankfully it was close to where we were staying and easy to find.  We studied that afternoon and almost every afternoon after.  Her cousin was in town visiting they were about the same age and they both sat in on the study.  The kicker was that in one of our conversations they mentioned that at night they would read the publications we gave them one reading the magazines and the other one looking up all the texts there in.  It was great...they were so interested and had many wonderful questions!

Another girl we found was born in Bolivia, but raised in the states.  She had returned 5 years earlier around the age of 24.  She was extremely interested in our message taking hours to study with us and coming to the meeting.  Her question...Why does God permit suffering?  She was so distraught going through a horrible divorce and having everyone tell her it was God's purpose....he was testing her.  She cried on and off at the drop of a dime because she just didn't understand.  When we were able to explain to her with the Bible, she lit up!  Literally as if a HUGE weight was taken off her shoulders, her eyes brightened and for the first time she was able to smile!  She made us cake and chocolate for the whole group. When we left her she was another person...with hope in her eyes!  It was truly touching!  She along with the other two girls will hopefully receive studies from brothers in a closer congregation 1 hour away.

We really wanted to make a difference on Dakota's winter break and she just loved it preaching at every door...commenting at meeting.  It was great!  Below I tried to put a video of a very recent part we had as a family at meeting, hopefully you can all see it!  There are a couple of extra pics of us around the city and a kids party the congregation did.  

Dakota is really making a lot of progress here...which is our biggest goal!  She is learning to read spanish and english at the same time, which will be great for preaching and the school...she's doing really great even formulating her own comments for the meeting according to the words she understands in the magazine.  There has been so going on here, I know I'm missing details, but this is the jist of it all!  Think of you all often...you are in our thoughts and prayers.  We love you very much!  

We went to eat fish and this was the appetizer mote... similar to hominy and fried sardines.  Which I usually hate, but deep fried...they weren't so bad! ;-P  

On a small speed boat ride here by the city.

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This was just cool...the tracks that a few weeks after would lead us to Isolated territory.  Tin-tin.

Dakota getting ready for a party.

Dancing the night away.

Headed to isolated territory on the Buscarril...a literal bus set up on the tracks.

Some of the view from the train.

Koddie couldn't get enough of my hat.

Main Plaza in Tin-Tin.

The group of us preaching in town.

An orange anyone?

We walked a few miles to this train tunnel one day during service just for a little bit of adventure.

The inside of the tunnel...halfway in we turned around because there were bats inside and it was pitch black! ;-P

At the river after a long service day!

Some of the door to door shots.

We crossed a small part of the river to reach about 10 homes it was worth it the people were very happy to talk to us.

On the other side of that river a house holder that only spoke Quechua gave koddie this puppy no more than 3 weeks old.  His name...Tin-Tin it was just appropriate...he's now bigger we think he's a black lab.  Very cute and no worries we have the shots covered.

We met this girl in service and she was so interested she actually spoke english so I was able to preach to her a lot.

At the meeting.

On our way to the river to make a bond fire.

bond fire

Crossing rivers to get to the tunnel.

hiking up hill 

At the meeting, Dakota now knows a good 50% or more of  our songs in part or fully...she loves singing them.  Often after school she comes and tells us, put the canticos on Mom.

These bulls were all over town.  One even charged at Char one day when he had a red umbrella...too funny.  He threw that umbrella so fast!

The guys walked to another territory we were assigned to for 5 hours more then 12 miles this was part of Char's Journey.

In the town they reached Vila-Vila

Koddie holding on to dad for dear life in the dark tunnel.

On the way to Vila-Vila

Some of the many things the house holders gave us.  Including Mangos, Potatoes,  Chocolate, cake, and Tin-Tin our new puppy.

On the way to the river for our bond fire.

Another river pic...Koddie fell in half on purpose!  It was really hot that day and she dried up in 30 minutes!

You can't tell but this was a VERY steep hill.  We were proud of Koddie for making it up, but she was slowly loosing energy...until....

She got Tin-Tin.....she forgot she was tired after that!

Preaching to the locals!

At the kids party.

I was Winnie

There was a drama, Salomon...any kids favorite.

Dakota figured it out right away and blew my cover!

Gift bags for everyone to end the afternoon off with a bang!

With some interested ones!