The Life of Justin & Stephanie
The Life of Justin And Stephanie
A New Addition
So since we got back to the States a lot has changed. Justin got a job at Scripps Networks. We are staying in the apartment the Cordero's own. Just adapting to life here again. But the biggest change for me is we got a little French Bulldog yesterday. She is a doll, so well behaved and listens really good. She is 13 weeks old and is really tiny.
What An Adventure It Has Been
We always knew this day would come, we just didn't know when. Our time here in Bolivia has been amazing, new friends, new experiences, new food, new culture, new language and lasting memories. Now after much prayer and discussions we have decided that based on our circumstances, that this is the right time for us to move back to the U.S. We have very mixed emotions, it's such a weighty decision but regardless of whatever pride we have or any other feeling, you must always do what's best for your family which is how we've come to this decision. The past 15 months have been amazing and it has made Stephanie and I better people. We really hope that after what we've learned and experienced here will help us when we return to the U.S. (I know our Spanish will be a lot better! :) There is so much that we could say right now but we've got quite a bit of packing and cleaning to do. We will always cherish the blessings that Jehovah has provided us with here in Bolivia and would recommend serving in another area to ALL. We love you and hope to keep in touch. Thanks to everyone who has been so encouraging to us over the years during the ups and downs, you have no idea how much it's meant to us.
Christian Love
Justin & Stephanie
Some Days...
Some days you just do not feel like going out in service. Especially on your Monday rest day. But I had promised Enriqueta that I would come and study with her. I am so glad I went. When I walked up to the house this afternoon I looked through the fence. I saw Enriqueta studying with her older sister. She had her read two paragraphs from the Great Teacher book, like we do, and would ask questions. I can not believe that she has started a study with someone. I do not know if they knew I saw them. I am always trying to encourage her to talk to others about Jehovah and his qualities. When I got to the table I saw that they are 4 chapters ahead of us. I guess they have been studying a lot together. After she told me her sister likes to read the books and magazines too. I told her to let her know she is welcome to study with us. Then she asked for the newest magazines and a Bible Teach book. She was happy to know we would study the Bible Teach book next together.
Preaching in Territorio Aislado
So today we walked to a far out area to preach. It was really, really far. We walked for 3 hours in the scorching sun. Then Justin and I went and did Bible Studies out in the same area for another 2 hours. I do not believe I have ever been more tired then after that. But you do have a certain amount of satisfaction from doing something like that. Thankfully we have a wonderful visitor Sabina and her daughters with us and they are cooking
saice for us. It is one of my favorite dishes and I really appreciate it so much. So now to rest and recuperate, so that we can go out this afternoon.
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| Our small group preaching today. |
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| I really don't know what kind of faces we were making for this pic. :/ |
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| We walked all that curvy, high, rocky road after 4 hours in service. Where is a Dunkin Donuts when you need one. |
Making Saltenas with Sabina
So a few days ago, Sabina and her two girls came for a visit. They are staying with us for the weekend and yesterday Sabina showed me how to make Saltenas. They were soooo yummy. Now I know the secret, but I still need another 30 years to catch up to her skills. Her daugthers are already learning and can make them like pros.
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| Sabina showing me how to wrap a saltena. |
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| Learning to wrap the saltenas, not as easy as you would think. |
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| Teaching Justin how to wrap the saltenas. |
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| Milena and Sabina cooking the saltenas. |
Time to Meet Enriqueta
So for the past month or so I have been studying the "Learn from the Great Teacher" book with a 10 year old girl named Enriqueta. She is really progressing and really understands what we are talking about. She actually was the one who found us in the ministry. One day while Justin was walking in service she came running up from behind him asking if she could have a Bible. So for a week we tried to get her home to give her a Bible. Well at the end of that week as we were walking away from her house she came running with a huge bag begging us for the Bible. We told her we would come back later that day with the Bible and a book. When we did she was so excited. I showed her how to look up scriptures and asked if she wanted to study together. Now we study everyday. Her mom wants her to learn English, so I teach her about 15 minutes worth and then we study for 45 minutes. It is really great. She remembers every picture why it is there and even the scriptures associated with it. I have not met her family yet but I know they are listening inside when we study outside. She is so sweet she always gives me a little spinach from her garden or a piece of candy. I really hope this study continues and she progresses.
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| Enriqueta underlining points she likes in the book. |
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| Enriqueta and I after our study. |
New Yeartext For 2012
The new yeartext for 2012 is based on John 17:17 "Your Word Is Truth" How appropriate for the times we are living it. Anywho yesterday we were able to get the yeartext up in time for the meeting. Our sign is simple yet works and we can easily move it if we need to find a new place to meet. I think it's a nice upgrade from our styrofoam sign during 2011 :)
Preaching in Salinas Round 2
So on Saturday a group of 13 brothers and sisters from Tarija came and helped us preach some farther out areas. We packed into two cars on Sunday and headed out for the 2 hour drive. It was a lot better this time because there was more room in the cars. Justin and Louis decided to take the moped and preach in Naranjas, the pueblo closer to Tarija, since there was not any more space in the cars. So I went with the group to Salinas to try and find my Bible Study. She unfortunately was not at home. But we had a great time in service. Had a dog follow us around the territory and protect us. Found ones who were amazed by the scriptures we showed them about the future hope of paradise. Had a great lunch at a studies house and went for a swim with all our service cloths on. :) Then we came back the brothers and sisters from Tarija went back and I came hope to video games and food. A great day.
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| Justin went out with his moto. |
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| The sisters preaching. |
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| My car group |
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| Just playing some video games |
Preaching On Horseback
Today was a first for me. I had the privilege of preaching on horseback. My partner was named "Bayo" and he did a great job. I've got a new study that is really isolated and he's the perfect mode of transportation. You just never know what you'll experience here!
After Humintas..It's Fishing Time
So later after making Humintas we went fishing...for the smallest fish ever. It is amazing how hard they work to get one small tiny fish. Here are a few of the photos.
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| Walking to the "special" fishing spot. |
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| Crossing a very rickety bridge thing. |
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| The river |
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| Crossing the river again. |
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| The smallest fishing hooks ever. |
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| Justin chilling in the water. |
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| Getting ready to fish. |
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| It's fishing time. |
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| Just relaxing. |
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| Another way to catch fish is with a wine bottle. |
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| Justin caught the only 2 fish. About an inch long. |
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| Albert is excited to fish. |
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| Try my hand at fishing. |
Huminta Time!
Today since it was so cold we decided to delay our picnic at the river and instead made
Humintas and are going to play basketball. Here are some pics from our making Humitas together as a congregation.
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| Grinding the Choclo (corn) |
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| Justin acting silly |
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| Before the Choclo is ground |
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| Helping with the grinding of the choclo |
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| Albert working hard |
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| Bella drinking the milk from the choclo |
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| After it is ground you mix in the spices |
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| Cutting up cheese to put in the Humintas |
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| Preparing the Humintas |
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| Justin wrapping a Huminta |
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| His finished product |
Preaching To The Inmates
This morning was really rainy and after preaching at the market, a sister in our group suggested that as a brother, I try preaching to the inmates at the local jail. I had never done anything like this before but it seemed like a great option, especially after walking in mud all morning. After entering the front, a new Bible student (who happens to be studying everyday and attending the meetings) was chit chatting with the police at their desk. After explaining why we were there and asking for permission to leave Bible information with the inmates, he quickly offered his support telling the police who we are and how wonderful Jehovah's Witnesses are. Even though visiting hours happen to be later on in the day, they gave us permission and I quickly tried to think of an approach. The section where inmates are housed is really cramped, dirty and generally cold feeling. I told them the purpose of the visit was to provide them with Bible information and no matter what we've done in our past, it's possible to change. We also talked about Jehovah's wonderful qualities such as love and patience and how thanks to these qualities, we are afforded time to learn his principles and make needed changes. During these discussions more and more inmates came up to the bars and by the end, all in the jail were listening. I ended up placing all of my Bible Teach books with them and they also would like to have Bibles. Before leaving they were all asking when we would be back to start studying with them. It was a new experience but it turned out good. Based on their current circumstances I'm hopeful that most of them will have had a chance to read a good portion of the book by the time I go back next week. We never know who will listen and be our future brother.
Found Newborn Puppy
So on Sunday after we came back the two young brothers here found a newborn puppy on the side of the road. It still had it's umbilical cord attached completely. We took it to the vet and had them tie it off and cut it. It is a girl puppy. They said sometimes people here throw the girls away because they do not want more puppies later on. It is not like you can spay them. Grrr! Sometimes people make me really mad. So one of the brothers said he would take it. I have been helping at night to take care of it because it is a lot of work. So far so good. She is doing well and eating a lot. We have not given her a name yet, because we want to see how it goes.
Our Whirlwind Immigration Vacation
So as you may know we have been on a very crazy tour of Bolivia trying to get some things figured out with my visas. Well as of yesterday I am good. We got the tourist visa canceled and now I can go ahead with my 2 year visa paperwork. We tried flying out yesterday to Tarija, but there were no flights so the earliest flight is tomorrow at 3:15pm. So we decided to have a nice time here in La Paz. We didn't have time to book a tour of the world heritage spot here, nor go biking on the world's deadliest road, nor see Lake Titicaca. Hopefully next time. But we did find a restaurant that had food very similar to the States, watched a movie in a real movie theater, got to watch our first Futbol game in person and got a massage. A nice finish to a crazy week. Here are some pics and video of our past week.
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| Dinner at Jardin de Asia in Santa Cruz. |
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| Waiting in line at the first office in Santa Cruz. |
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| Relaxing with some ice cream. |
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| Overlooking La Paz. |
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| Overlooking La Paz. |
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| Eating at Factory. The only of its kind in Bolivia. |
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| The Stadium at night. |
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| The Strongest side. They won 4-0 |
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| Leaving after the Futbol game. |
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| Sushi night. |
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| First taste of sake. Not my favorite. |
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| View from our room. The mountains are full of houses. |
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| Enjoying a warm cup of coffee. |
Dealing with Immigration
Well the past few days has been nothing more than frustrating. It started out with a phone call on Thursday from Tarija saying I (Steph) needed to sign a paper. Ok so I grab a taxi to Tarija and spend the night at the Marsden's. The next day I go to Immigration to find out that I am signing a paper to have temporary custody of my passport. They are saying that La Paz sent all my paperwork back for my 2 year visa because I did not cancel my tourist visa. First of all they tell me I have to go to the U.S Consulate to fix this. The U.S had nothing to do with issuing this visa. So then they say well you need to go to the an office in Santa Cruz to fix this. So Justin drives up to Tarija and flys out the next day with me to Santa Cruz. We spend the weekend here. Then on Monday we go to the "office". Well that place was a mad house. I was worried there was going to be fights. After 2 hours standing in line the boss tells us she can not do anything. And goes on to tell us we obviously do not understand Spanish that well. I was a little ticked at that one. Anyways we call Tarija they tell us to go to another building. After 8 trys we find the building, in a totally different area. This lady agrees with us in that we came in on an Objecto Determinado visa and that voided the tourist visa. So she calls La Paz. No one will call her back. So we go in this morning. La Paz finally answers. They say all we need to do is send a letter stating we want to cancel the tourist visa. The thing is we already sent a letter like that to them and they did not accept it. So we are flying there this afternoon. Let me tell you this is one of the most unorganized countries there are. No one knows what the other is doing. All we can do is continue praying and trying to do all we can.
Preaching in Salinas
Yesterday we had the privilege of going to preach in an isolated territory. Salinas, Bolivia it is located in a National Preserve. It took us about 2 hours to get there by car. A brother from Tarija and 4 others came for the weekend to help us. We had a wonderful time. Cooking together, sharing experiences and cramming 14 people in one car. At one point I was in so much pain I started to cry. I felt bad, but the brother stopped the car and Justin massaged the blood back into my sore leg. Justin and 2 other brothers sat on top of car. A brother and sister that live out there made lunch for everyone. They do not get to come to the meetings often because they live so far and do not have a car. It cost them $40 or so to drive home from the meetings. Which is a lot anywhere, but especially here. We had great experiences. Justin and I both started a study. We are going to go back twice or more a month to study with them. We also found deaf ones and talked to them about God and shared the Simple version of the brochure Listen to God with them. They were so happy to talk to someone. They loved talking about Jehovah. All in all it was a great day. The sun baked down on us, but we knew Jehovah was keeping us going.
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| As you can see there is no really good road there. It is just a lot of rock and dirt. |
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| Our new meeting sign. I bet we are the only ones with a picture on ours. :) |
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| Taking a break under the rare tree. Looks like something in Africa! |
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| Enjoying a rest moment. |
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| My new study, Vilma and I. She was so happy to study. She had the book already and read half of it but did not understand it all. |
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| Justin with Willy on top of the truck. |
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| Most of our group. There were 14 in all. |
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| Going home. 3 on top, 11 inside. |
Justin Washing Dishes
Here is how Justin washes dishes now. First in the States we had a dishwasher, then in Tarija we had an indoor sink and now we have an outdoor sink. We dry our dishes in the sun because it is so easy and quick.
Special Assembly Day
So this past Sunday was our Special Assembly Day. We took a taxi trufi back to Tarija at 4am Friday morning. We stayed with the Marsdens, got some much needed supplies and dealt with some issues with immigration. Had a very nice weekend. Sunday was so encouraging. We had 4 from Entre Rios baptized. That is 1/3 of our group now. The entire family we are living with were baptized and a young brother in our hall. On Monday Justin played golf with the guys and I went to lunch and shopping with Reenie and Janice. (Thank you so much I had a great time!)
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| Half of our Group. |
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| Baptism pool. There was so little water in it, I was surprised they could baptize someone. |
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| Leah after her baptism. 12 years old. |
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| Olefa about to be baptized. |
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| Very happy afterwards. |
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| Kevin. 9 years old. Comes to the meetings by himself. |
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| Leonardo a brother we know from Tarija that got baptized. |
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| Wilbur after his baptism. |
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| After the assembly we went with Leo, his family, Juan and the Marsdens to Eli's for pizza. |
Working Hard
One of the things that has made the biggest impact on me since moving here is how hard people. We take some many things for granted in developed countries such as cars, dish washers, washing machines and a doodad or device for pretty much everything.
Living here, our kitchen consists of a room. When we wash dishes, it's all done outside. When we need to use the restroom in the middle of the night, we have to go outside in the elements. We're adjusting slowly but it's like going back in time. Tarija over the past year was a big change from the US but will still very modern in comparison to Entre Rios.
Just last week, Stephanie was doing a load of laundry in the washer we brought with us from Tarija. The sister who lives next to us (who along with her husband is getting baptized this weekend) was amazed that we had a machine to wash our clothes as opposed to doing it all by hand. When the carpenter came by to do our screens he was also amazed by this "contraption". We offered to let the sister use it whenever she would like and even though she was initially nervous, she has done a few loads with the help of Stephanie. It has also freed up time for her to be able to join us in the ministry one day extra each week.
Another example occurred yesterday. We went to a brother's house for lunch. Afterwards he was going to make a salsa that everyone here loves. You would think that he would dump the ingredients in a blender and be good to go..... well not here! He mixed the entire batch with a giant rock. What's interesting is this isn't an isolated case or way of doing things. Apparently there is a word for a stone like this; So when searching for your own rock to crush and mix ingredients, you'll be sure to get the right thing.
There are many more examples, these are just a few. It really helps put things in perspective doesn't it?
Linaza a Summer Treat
So I know most of my friends that read our blog live in the Northern Hemisphere and are currently dealing with the fun of winter. But for all my friends in the Southern Hemisphere I have a recipe here for a refreshing drink made of Flax Seed and Lemon. I think I drink this everyday here. It is so good. Like a watered down lemonade. Flax seed also has a lot of good benefits for your health. Here is part of an article I found on some benefits (Just if you wanted to know.):
"Flax seed benefits have been gaining popularity over recent years because over 50% of the fat in flax seed is omega 3 fatty acid, making it the richest plant source of omega 3, in addition to many other interesting “bonuses”.... Many nutritionists recommend the regular consumption because of all the flax seeds benefit which have been shown to prevent or reduce the symptoms of arthritis, colitis, cancer , heart disease and even acne. The oil contained in the seeds is also a known natural estrogen balancer that if used regularly can help prevent and reduce symptoms that arise during menopause. It’s also a great source of fiber which can help especially in relieving constipation."
Recipe for Linaza (Spanish for Flax Seed) 1/2 cup of ground flaxseed
1 lemon
1 cup of sugar or less if you want
a blender
a sieve
a pitcher
water
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| Flax seed in whole form. |
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| Ground flax seed.. Put about 1/2 cup of ground flax seed and a pint of water in a blender. |
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| Blend well. About 2 minutes. |
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| While the flax seed is blending. Cut up a lemon in small pieces. |
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| Put the lemon in the blender. Pulse for a few seconds. |
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| Use a sieve to pour the linaza in a pitcher. |
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| Add water. |
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| Oh yeah, add a cup of sugar. Sugar makes everything better. |
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| Add all that sugar to the mixture. |
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| Add the rest of the water and stir well. |
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| And that is it. You have a tasty, refreshing drink for summer. |
A View of Around Town
While in service this morning Justin took video of the surrounding area. It was raining out so it is a little blurry.
Meeting Time!
So today we went to our first Book Study/Ministry School/Service Meeting meeting here in Entre Rios. We now meet in a small room upstairs from a store that sells bags of concrete. It is small for our growing group and I am sure we will find a bigger place soon. We had a couple that lives an hour and a half away come tonight. They made quite an effort to make the meeting. It was especially hot and humid today as well. We have a fan in the room, but that does barely anything. You just sweat the whole time while sitting on very upright wooden chairs. It is uncomfortable, but you are so happy to see all the effort our little group puts forth in order to have a full meeting. Justin had the Bible Highlights today and I was a householder for the second part. Many more talks to come in the future.
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| Our room where the meetings are held. |
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| Justin giving the Bible Highlights. |
Going to Edmundo's
Today we went to go see a brother, Edmundo, that lives up in the mountains. He lives there with his wife. It is a 45 minute walk up the mountains. He has a wonderful view of the city and was nice enough to let us ride his horse. I really enjoyed that. He showed us around the mountain a little and showed us where the two rivers meet to actually make Entre Rios. At the end Edmundo told us that he was the only witness with his wife in Entre Rios for 3 years. He said they never got new literature and he felt very isolated from the organization. We told him he won't feel like that again.
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| Entre Rios. That is the whole pueblo. |
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| Getting on the horse. |
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| Riding around the yard. |
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| Justin got on as well. He looked huge on the horse. |
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| After we got off the horse. I think he was happy we were off. LOL |
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| To the east of Entre Rios. The farmland. |
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| Me, Justin and Edmundo. Brandon took the picture for us. |
Our Entre Rios Move Nov. 1st - Nov. 4th
So we are finally here in Entre Rios. It was a lot of work packing, moving, and fixing up the house. But we are finally done...somewhat. When we arrived the house was a disaster. The pictures do not even demonstrate how bad it really was. There was so many things on the walls and floors we could not identify. But after 4 days of cleaning, painting, cleaning and scrubbing it is now comfortable enough to live in. There are still a few fixes needed...like screens in the windows, doors need fixed, window put in the bathroom (only a sheet is there now) and a wall fixed for leaks. But at least it is clean and we feel comfortable. Bella is doing great. She loves all the space, but I think she misses running up the poles in our other place. We went in service yesterday and had a great day. I have a possibility for 3 studies. We had such a nice time. The group here is so nice and really helpful. I think we are going to love it here.
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| Hoagie sad that we are moving |
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| Gabriel helping us pack up the truck for the 1st load of furniture. |
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| The 1st truck loaded and ready to go. |
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| Driving through the mountains to our new home. |
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| We had to back up so this truck could pass. |
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| Bella was not happy, but was quiet and good the entire 3 hours. |
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| When we first got in the house. Our soon to be kitchen. | |
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| Cleaning the tape off the walls and scrapping the old paint off. |
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| Before: The living room. |
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| Before: The guest room. |
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| Before: One of the windows. |
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| Before: Our Room. |
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| Before: The Kitchen |
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| Before: The guest room. |
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| Before: The guest room. |
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| Slowly getting fixed. |
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| Our makeshift kitchen for 3 days. |
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| Workers painting the rooms. |
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| We were told the electricity never goes out here. Guess it does. |
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| Lite some candles for light. |
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| Bella sleeping by candlelight. |
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| Scrubbing the paint off the floors in our room. |
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| Kitchen is almost done. |
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| After: Our living room. |
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| After: Our bedroom. |
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| After: Our kitchen. |
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| After many times scrubbing it. Our Bathroom. |
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| Preaching after a few days of fixing up the house. |
Tarija Going Away Party
It seems like just yesterday that we arrived to Tarija Bolivia unsure and excited about what lay ahead and now one year later we find ourselves in the same situation. As was posted previously, we are moving to a remote area called Entre Rios, so our congregation here in Tarija who we've gotten really close to and created great memories with threw us a going away party last night. It was a really stormy evening and most of the brothers and sisters don't have a vehicle but they came anyway. It really warmed our hearts to see the love of the brothers and sisters here and it reminded us of how close we have become. This time around instead of doing traditional Tarija dances like they did for our welcome party, the kids did a traditional dance from the area that we're moving to. A lot of effort was put into last night from the dance to the food to the music and it showed. It's bittersweet for us to be leaving but we'll never forget our first year in Bolivia that we've shared with our family in the congregation Sur.
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| The Kids After Dancing |
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| More Dancing! |
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| Resting With Bob & Reenie |
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| Steph With The Girls (They adore her) |
