As I said last time, I have a house now. Or at least I will soon…it needs a bit of work. I drove a visiting missionary from I.T. Latin America by it yesterday and her first words were, “Wow…..it’s… kind of small.”

I prefer to think of it as cozy. And it’s bigger on the inside… One good thing is that I’ll probably be able to reach across the living room to change channels on the TV while laying on the couch. What guy doesn’t appreciate that?

So this morning I took a couple of the guys over to check it out. After the inspection, we went into the little town nearby to buy stuff to clean it up and get it ready to be painted inside. We bought some pails and soap, etc. Then I asked Nico if there was anything else we should buy, and he used a word I didn’t understand. I asked him what he meant, and he started acting it out. I started laughing when I realized that he thought we should buy a hose. Granted it’s pretty bad inside (think house that’s been abandoned for a couple of years)…but hosing it down still seems a bit like overkill.

We also had to sand down all the walls. If you think washing walls to get them ready for paint is a pain…try sanding them. What they do here is build with brick and then cover the bricks with cement. The house was plain brick for most of it’s life (don’t imagine nice North American bricks either. Here they’re much more….gnarly is the word that comes to mind. But not gnarly in the good sense…). Fortunately my landlady decided to cement over the bricks and it looks much better. But as I said, it all has to be sanded. And the guy who did the work got cement everywhere! That was part of the cleaning that needed to be done. But I think we’re ready to paint tomorrow, so that’s kind of cool.

I also have a floor now. Well, I guess I had a floor before if dirt counts. But now the new tiles are in and they look better than I expected. I try to be optimistic…but sometimes it’s hard. Different cultures sometimes have widely differing concepts of what looks goods. I’m still waiting to see what colour my house will end up being when it’s painted on the outside. I’m pretty okay with whatever…except maybe baby blue and anything pastel. Interestingly enough, those are surprisingly popular colours here.

We’ll also start the landscaping this week. The yard’s a bit of a jungle right now. And being that this is South America…that’s not actually an exaggeration. My landlady has hired the guys from the home to redo the whole yard. So I should end up with a pretty amazing garden…once we get rid of the weeds, random piles of dirt and the rusting swing set.

Anyhow, I’ll keep you updated on the progress. I’m hoping to be able to move a couple of weeks from now. I still have to buy all my appliances and furniture though. I have moments of being excited about that process….and moments of complete panic. You don’t really realize how much stuff you need in your house until you contemplate buying it all at the same time. I had a nightmare the other night….I was trying to buy dishes and all I could find were these totally girly ones with pink and blue flowers. Wait…that actually happened. Of course if I end up with a pink house, the dishes would match….

A couple of prayer requests before I go. I’m starting a class on computers next week, and as of tonight I have 35 boys signed up….and 5 computers. If you could pray for wisdom for me as I prepare the classes…and clarity of thought as I try to teach in Spanish. Maybe prayer for patience might be a good idea as well.

As you’ve already read, there are lots of things happening with my house. If you could pray that what needs to happen, would…in a timely manner. I’m anxious to move in and get settled. As well, for safety as I live on my own away from the home. That was the first question my mom asked me…was I going to be safe. I think so…but there’s no doubt that as a gringo (white guy) I tend to stand out a bit.

Finally, on a serious note. The brother of my friend Julie, who I worked with last year in Cochabamba, died unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago. She’s flying home in Feb. 9 for the memorial service. It’s been very difficult for her, being away from family as she works through the grieving process. If you could remember her as well.

As always, thanks for taking the time to read this and to pray. I appreciate the letters and e-mails as well. It’s always great to hear what’s going on at home! Take care and we’ll talk again soon!

Hasta luego,

Ken

PS: It was 37 Celsius today. But before you lament the cold in Canada (although I hear it’s been amazingly nice. But let’s face it…it probably won’t last!), keep in mind that along with the heat comes the bugs. My legs are covered in mosquito bites…..and whatever stupid bug that manages to bite me at night under my blankets!