You know how in Canada we use the generic term “drugs” to refer to prescription drugs as well as the non-legal variety? It turns out that’s not the case here in Bolivia. Which is why the guys were so entertained the other day, when I made the comment that I really liked my drugs. To be clear, I was referring to the doctor proscribed, buy-them-at-the-pharmacy versions. But to a bunch of ex-street kids who are familiar with more varieties of the not-so-legal kind, than I even knew existed, the idea of their leader/director/father figure stating that he likes his “drugs” was pretty entertaining. It got a good laugh. They quickly corrected me, that I, in fact, liked my “medicine”.

Anyhow, the doctor gave me this liquid stuff in a little bottle (since I don’t really know what it is, I like to think of it as my “magic liquid”), to help me sleep. Between the back problems and the ridiculous neck brace I’m supposed to sleep with…I needed a little help. And help I got…it’s good stuff.

The reason I’m sharing this little personal tidbit of information that would probably be better left unwritten about, is that I had a funny experience last night. At least funny to me. I think I may have overdosed a bit. I forgot to take anything Thursday night, and had a brutal sleep. So last night when I was finally heading off to bed, at the last moment I remembered to make sure I took my recommended dosage of my “medicine”.

But see…that’s where I messed up I think. I’m supposed to put five or so drops of the liquid into a glass of water and drink it. But it was late and I was tired and I didn’t have my contacts in. It’s hard to see little drops at the best of times. Suffice to say that I may have put more than five or so drops into my water. I remember thinking for a moment (before I dropped into unconsciousness) that the liquid tasted a little more strongly than normal.

I remember one of the guys who wants to live with us, coming into my room at around 10 AM to talk to me. I kind of remember the conversation (sadly it was supposed to be an important one) and the fact that I couldn’t seem to form my words very clearly. My tongue kept getting in the way and my lips seemed really big. Then Franz came into my room with my lunch and I couldn’t believe I’d slept until noon. Then I looked at the clock and realized I hadn’t actually slept until noon. It was, in fact, two in the afternoon.

So again, just to be clear…I really do like my drugs.
  

Lots of you have been writing and asking what’s going on…how Jorge is, and why I suddenly seemed to drop off the planet. Well, here’s the story… =)

First of all, Jorge. He’s doing better each day. Last week he needed surgery to deal with more bleeding in his stomach, and that went well. Then this past Wednesday he had another surgery to his face and shoulder. I guess he broke bones in his face in the accident, but in the moment there were more pressing issues, and that wasn’t mentioned to us. So on Wednesday the doctors did some repairing…I don’t know much more than that I’m afraid.  But I did talk to his sister today, and she said he’s doing well.

Thanks again to all of you who’ve been praying and giving towards Jorge’s medical costs. The family has asked me a number of times to express their thanks. It really has meant a lot to them and to me.

So, secondly…what’s been happening to me. I just reread my last post and realized that I did kind of leave things hanging. Sorry about that. I went to the doctor that week re: my back and neck. As it turns out, it seems I wasn’t very diligent with taking care of myself after my accident last August (go figure) and it’s come back to bite me. At first he thought I had a herniated disk. I didn’t know what that meant, so I wasn’t that worried. Then someone from Canada told me it was actually kind of serious…and I got a little freaked out. For a couple of days there was talk of surgeries and whatnot, and I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen. But then I had an MRI (yea?  I think that’s what it was…) and the doctor happily told me…something… In general I understood that I had problems with a couple of disks in my middle back, but with physio therapy and two or three weeks of bed rest, I’d be fine.

Which brings me to why I haven’t written anything before now. Normally I have to go to one of the coffee places here in town that has free wireless to check my e-mail and get online. But not being able to drive has made that a bit complicated. It’s actually made life in general a bit complicated. I’ve had to interpret the doctor’s “stay in bed” command a little loosely to mean, “stay close to your bed”. But before you all freak out and send me a million e-mails lecturing me, I’m doing pretty good with not doing too much. There are moments when I don’t have a choice (the boys would get rather grumpy if I didn’t go to the bank to get money to buy food to feed them…), but mostly I’m trying to relax. I’m pretty sore, so it’s not hard to be motivated.

As to why I’m now able to get online in my house…I finally broke down and got internet. After one day of doing nothing I was pretty much ready to snap. I read….watched TV…read some more…cleaned my room a bit…watched more TV……then had lunch… By two in the afternoon I was ready to kill someone I was so bored. So Isabel called and arranged for me to get hooked up. Funny thing. I thought it was going to be this big ordeal and be super expensive. It’s a tiny modem that connects to the USB port on my computer. It’s wireless and high speed. And it’s costing me less than my “free” wireless at the coffee places (come on…I had to eat while I was there…and trust me when I say, they have the best cheesecake you’ve ever eaten…and then a couple of Cokes to wash everything down…). I’m actually going to save some money. Go figure.

So, I should be able to keep you a little more updated now, on what’s happening here. Like you need more updates on my blog.  But for you few diligent ones, there should be lots to read these days. I have nothing else to do…

Just to close off, let me just tell you a couple of things about my medical treatments.  Yes, yes, I’m getting old. I know. Just let it go…

Anyhow, the MRI was freaky. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, let me tell you about it. =) You’re slid into a long, plastic tube that’s only inches from your face. I’m not really claustrophobic, but I had to keep my eyes closed the whole time. It made me tense. I’ve never been in a coffin, but it’s what I imagine being in a coffin would feel like. And it sounded like I was in a helicopter. I’ve never been in a helicopter either, but the technician warned me that it would sound like a helicopter and I have no reason to doubt him. All I know is that it was noisy.

And then there’s my physio. For you late nighters, remember the Oriental, really happy, health nut guy’s infomercial about those little pads you put on your back or legs and then electricity passes through them? And it makes your muscles twitch and contract? I was always a little sceptical about that one. However, I’ve become a believer. They’ve been doing that to relax my back, and it’s pretty cool. It makes my shoulder jump up and down and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve already decided I want a set of them, and Isabel told me tonight she’d look into where I can buy them. They’re awesome…

So there you go. That’s my life.  Thanks again for praying everyone!  I appreciate it…

I just spoke to Noelia, Jorge’s sister, and there’ve been some complications with Jorge.  Something to do with the bleeding in his stomach.  So I’m on my way over to the hospital.  I’ll write more when I have a moment, but if you could just take a moment and pray for Jorge, the doctors and Jorge’s family…I would appreciate it.
 
A minor other prayer request would be for my back and neck.  Ever since my accident last summer, I’ve been having problems, but this is the worst so far.  I’m back to the doctor on Thursday for more tests, x-rays and whatnot, and…I’m not so happy about it.  I don’t do well with doctors or hospitals in general.  I’m trying to make a concious decision not to take it out on the guys or be grumpy or whatever…but some moments that’s a bit tough. 

Anyhow…I’ll write more later.  Thanks for praying!
 

Well, I have a definite “Praise God!” story to share. I tend not to use those words much. Not because I don’t like to praise God…I do. But sometimes I feel like they’ve become too much of a cliche in Christian circles. Kind of “How’s it going?” and “Those are nice shoes!” -ish. But when it feels like a “Praise God!” moment…you have to go with it.

So Jorge woke up on Saturday! That’s a “Praise God!” if I ever heard one. I don’t know all the details, but I do know what his first words were.

“Coca cola?”

And that my friends is why this guy is such a good friend. Well…that and a few other things. But still, that rates pretty high up there. In his defence, he did say his son’s and wife’s names later on. And he was in a coma for a week and a half. I imagine one get’s thirsty.

I also found out that his family’s hospital costs are much higher than I expected. We’re talking in the tens of thousands of dollars US. This clinic has the best ICU in the city, and the best neurologist as well. So obviously it’s worth it. I don’t imagine Jorge would be with us if it wasn’t for the care he was/is being given.

But this is just another reason for me to express my thanks to you, for your generosity. So many of you have contacted me regarding how you can help Jorge and his wife, and for that I am very grateful.

And, of course, thank your for your prayers. More than anything else, your prayers have made a difference here. Please continue to pray. We’ve seen amazing healing happen in Jorge over these past two weeks, but there’s still a long journey ahead. Please continue to remember and pray for Jorge, his wife Viviana and Jorge’s son Andres.

Keep tuned. I’ve got some blogs re: “Christmas on the Streets” (ie. “The Feeding of the Five Thousand”) and the team from Saskatchewan that celebrated Christmas with us, brewing in my head, along with some pictures. I’ve been a bit preoccupied, but I promise those will show up here shortly.

Thanks for reading everyone! Talk to you soon…
  

Some of the guys from my place spent last week at a Bible Camp up in the mountains. It’s put on by the same denomination as the home where they used to live…so they been there before and enjoy it. Trust me…it’s a different experience from camp in North America. The guys jammed in with 300 other kids into a space that would conservatively fit only about 80…and then sat through four or five sermons a day.

However, there were girls there and they got to play a lot of soccer…

So it seems they had fun. And from what I understand, they really enjoyed the preaching of one of the speakers. I winced a little at the one sermon series about what was appropriate attire for Christians. Certainly I’m not opposed to a discussion about appropriate standards for us as Christians, but 99% of the talk was a list of don’ts for Christian girls, while the guys got a “Don’t wear tight pants.” Maybe some constructive instruction for guys on having respect for women and not staring down their shirts every chance they get, for example, might have been helpful. But anyhow, that’s just my opinion.

The two hour drive up into the mountains on Saturday to get the guys, took nearly five hours. The highway is a mess right now. Of course…it’s always a mess. I remember driving it just after I got here and thinking, “When they finish work on this road, it’s going to be a really nice drive!” That was four years ago, and it’s worse than ever. It washes out in various new places every year, so the work is constantly ongoing. A bridge partially washed out this year, so the road in that spot now goes down into a small gully, through the river, and then back up the other side. It’s not a problem for my truck (not even a little problem), but big semi’s and busses always struggle. But it makes for a nice break in the drive to sit there for half an hour while the semi in front of you makes three or four tries to get back up the hill through the mud. And at least I’m not one of the people filing off their bus, wading through the river, and then walking through the mud on the other bank while the bus revs his engine and the driver works up enough courage to make the run.

After getting to the camp late and then taking the guys out for lunch and explaining to them what had happened to Jorge (I didn’t tell them earlier because there wasn’t much they could do and I knew it would be pretty upsetting to them), we decided to stay overnight and drive back to Santa Cruz in the morning. Samaipata (where we were) is a small, kind of touristy town in the middle of one of Bolivia’s national parks. It’s a cool place. The guys had never been there before, so I showed them around a bit, and then we drove up into the mountains for something to do and to see the view.

We ended up finding a beautiful spot where all you could see were mountains and sky. It was amazing. It was also entertaining. My guys have spent the majority of their lives living in the middle of a very urban city, and they kept marvelling at every little thing. One of the guys stood on a big rock with his arms outstretched and yelled, “YO SOY!” Which translates as “I AM!” I’m not entirely sure what the significance of that was, but all the guys laughed. They also kept taking deep breaths and asking, “Smell that?! Smell that?!” Finally I was like, “What? Cows?”

The top of our mountain was pretty much covered in big rocks, which in turn had big white spots on them. We have the same thing in Saskatchewan. The white markings are from a type of moss that grows on the rocks, and when it dies, what’s left turns white. Daniel wanted to know who painted all the rocks, and then after a pause he asked, “And why?” I tried to explain the whole moss thing, and the guys all laughed at me. Sandro was like, “It’s from the humidity!”

Humidity? At 7,000 ft the rocks were…moulding?

This tends to happen with the guys. There’s this general consensus here that North Americans don’t really know much. At least I like to imagine they include all NA’s in that and not just me. At any rate, when I get an opportunity to prove my wisdom and knowledge (and by default their ignorance) on a specific topic, being the good missionary that I am…I jump all over it. So when we stopped, I had a little mandatory nature lesson and showed them the moss and where it had died and turned the rock white. They were all duly impressed.

Then they made up for their lack of knowledge in the middle of a conversation about what wild animals our respective countries have (I had to work pretty hard to convince Jose Miguel that Bolivia is not, in fact, home to tigers), by telling me a story about some big snake that burrows into the ground and then jumps out at you. They were so intense and earnest that for a moment I was like, “Seriously?” Then I quickly realized they were lying and I told them so. They didn’t say much, but the satisfied smirks on their faces told me my momentary gullibility had just reconfirmed their “Gringos are dumb” mind set.

But for five minutes there, they thought I was smart. So that was nice. I also made sure they understood that our wild animals would kick their wild animals butts. It was a small, insignificant victory, but it made me feel better.

We arrived home in Santa Cruz the next morning safe and sound. It was nice to have this moment with the guys. With the stress and emotion of Jorge’s accident, it was nice to relax and just enjoy each other’s company for a moment. I enjoy building good memories with the guys. They haven’t had that many in their lives, so I’m always thankful when we have the chance.

Thanks for praying for us over the past few days. We appreciate it. Jorge is doing better for sure. I’m going over to the hospital again this afternoon, so I’ll write a bit more when I have newer news on what’s happening with him.

As a funny note to end this post I’ll just share…when it was -34 C for you guys the other day it was +34 C here. Funny eh? =)

Man…where’d your sense of humour go?
  

I found this video clip yesterday, of Jorge preaching in our church last June.  I thought I’d throw it up here so you could have a better idea of who he is, and who you’re praying for.  It’s only about 20 sec. long.

I know I write this every time, but again…thank you so much for praying and for all your e-mails and notes.  It’s been really encouraging.  Each day at the hospital I pass it on to Jorge’s family that you’re praying, and I know it’s been a help to them.  And to those of you who have expressed an interest in helping Jorge’s family with their medical expenses, thank you so much for that as well.  I know that’ll be a huge blessing for them. 

Jorge is slowly doing better.  He’s still uncounsious, but I got a call yesterday afternoon from his aunt, that he’d openned his eyes for a moment, for the first time since the accident.  So that was pretty exciting.  When I went over to the hospital last night, for the first time his sister, Noelia, and her mom weren’t there.  They’d left to go get something to eat.  I figured that was a good sign.  =)  They haven’t left his side since the accident last week.  Jorge only has one sister, but he’s got a truckload of relatives…so there’re are always cousins and aunts and nephews and whatnot sitting in the waiting room.  They’ve kind of taken over.  =) 

Anyhow, here’s the video.  Thanks again for your prayers and support.  It’s encouraging to know that people at home care about this guy….that we’re family even though we may not have met. 

Thanks for that…

 

(This is all of us at lunch that same day.  The first guy with the long hair is Tonchy, Noelia’s husband.  Noelia is sitting beside him.  Then farther down the table is Maribel, another of our volunteers.  Jorge is next in the yellow t-shirt, sitting beside his wife, Viviana.)

  
 

Again, I just have to start by thanking all of you for your thoughts and prayers.  It’s been very encouraging for me (and for Jorge’s family as I’ve shared with them) all the letters and notes from people back home who are praying.  Thanks you! 

Just a quick update…Jorge had another surgery last night to place another shunt (I think that’s what it’s called) in his head to relieve the preasure from the liquid that’s been building up.  They also worked on his arm (I think his arm must have been broken in the accident, but since everyone was so focused on his internal bleeding and whatnot, it wasn’t mentioned before) to fix…something?  =)  I get a little lost in some of the Spanish explainations.  But what I did understand for sure was that things went very well.  The doctor was extremely pleased with how Jorge responded to the surgery.  So that’s pretty exciting.  He was heavily medicated all day, so he didn’t move or respond at all today, but that’s to be expected. 

It seems clear now that in terms of the immediate danger of his dying, Jorge is past the worst.  The doctor has been pretty straight forward however, that the healing process is going to be a long one.  But again…that’s to be expected.  And with what we went through last Friday when we all thought we were going to lose him…everything now is something to be thankful for and praise God for.  And we are!  =) 

One last thing…I’m writing this from the hospital where I just spoke with Jorge’s sister, Noelia, about something.  This hospital is amazing…it’s one of the best in the city, and for sure the best neurologist in Santa Cruz works out of here.  But it’s expensive.  This family is of pretty modest means, and this has been a challenge for them.  I’ve been feeling pretty strongly that they have enough to worry about, without having to worry about money as well.  So I’ve put the word out about their need to a few friends and family in Canada.  And now…I’m tossing this out to all of you.  If you’d like to help them, even a little bit, with some of their costs, just let me know (you can e-mail me at ken.switzer@iteams.org and I’ll give you more info).  That’s one of the great things about Bolivia, money goes a long way here.

For sure though…we are most thankful for your prayers for Jorge.  It’s just been one miracle after another here, right from the moment of the accident itself.  If you could see the car, you’d understand that Jorge probably shouldn’t have even survived the initial impact. 

So God is good and is answering the prayers of His people.  I am so thank you for your faithfulness in prayer and for God’s faithfulness in responding.  Thanks again for taking the time to read this and for writing me to let me know you’re praying.  Sometimes I feel pretty far away from Canada…but this week hasn’t been one of those times!  =)
 

I’m sitting at the hospital right now, writing this.  Just as I openned my blog to update you, my friend Maribel came over to tell me the good news that just now Jorge moved his arm and was squinting his eyes.  He’s been in a medically induced coma since the accident on Wednesday, so this is the first movement or signs of consiousness we’ve seen since then.  It’s pretty good news…I’m actually getting a bit emotional as I write this.  For those of you who know me and are smiling to themselves about the whole “twitchy nose” thing, let me just say…I’m so far past that, you can’t even imagine.  =)

First of all, before I go on, let me just say thanks to all of you for praying and passing on notes telling me such.  You guys have been amazing!  It was encouraging to hear from people all over the place telling me that they were praying for Jorge.  I’m sure he’ll appreciate it too!

It’s been a rough few days.  Within minutes of finishing my update last Friday, we were told that Jorge would need immediate surgery for more internal bleeding.  His stomach was becoming so swolen and enlarged that the doctor said he would die without the surgery.  But the doctor was very clear that he didn’t think Jorge’s chances of surviving the surgery were very good either.  He suggested that Vivianna (Jorge’s wife) be brought to the hospital immediately.  So Maribel (another of my volunteers) and I took off to the house where she was staying, to get her.  

Let me say right here, that Vivi has been unbelievable.  Her and Jorge were just married last May, so I feel like I’m still getting to know her.  Through all of this, she’s been a rock of peace and stability.  Her faith has not dimished even for a moment.  The only time I saw her cry was when we first got to the hospital and Jorge’s mom hugged her.  Other than that, she just keeps on believing and trusting in God’s faithfulness.  I’m not saying that she didn’t understand the situation, or know that Jorge was likely not going to survive the night, but her faith in God sustained her through it all.  

I, on the other hand, felt like a basket-case.  I’m not good with the emotion, people.  =)  It makes my head hurt…  Every time I openned my mouth I think I started to cry.  But I was comforted by the fact that I wasn’t the only one.  Jorge is one of those people who is pretty universally loved.  

By the time the surgery started, many of the people from our church had gathered at the hospital.  Most had been at the church praying, but when the news went out about the surgery, they all came.  We gathered in a courtyard next to the hospital, in a big circle, and prayed together.  Seriously, at that point I’d used up all the words I had…all I could pray was just, “Please God.  Please God.” 

I feel dumb saying this next part, because obviously this isn’t at all about me.  But…whatever.  I just couldn’t imagine losing the guy who’s become probably my closest friend here.  I feel dumb because other people were faced with losing their husband or son.  But, I guess my perspective is my perspective.  Truth be told, it’s been tough the past few years.  I left some good friends in Canada, and I’ve had a hard time making new friends here.  Okay, even as I write that, I feel like a twelve year old writing about changing schools in some after-school TV special.  But it’s true.  So when Jorge and I became friends, it was definitely a blessing.  To think about losing that friendship was incredibly painful. 

So words fail me when I try to describe what it was like when one of the ladies in the church came out to tell us that Jorge had survived the surgery and was stable.  Suffice to say that it was a good moment. 

We still covett your prayers however.  Jorge is definitely stronger and the doctor is using the word “hope” a lot more.  But even as I write this, we’ve been told that he’s still got liquid in his brain, and they’ll have to operate again tonight to relieve the preasure.  No one is quite sure what Jorge will be like when he regains consciousness…but that’s tomorrow’s problem.  Today we’re just going to continue to take one moment at a time.  People are smiling more, and there’s more of a sense of peace here.

Please continue to pray for Jorge, for Vivianna and for his family and friends.  Everyone is tired and emotional.  His family especially, needs your prayers.  Jorge’s sister, Noelia and he are very close (Noelia and her husband are also volunteers with us).  I can see this has taken a toll on her.  Jorge also has an eight year old son, who I’m sure is struggling to understand everything.

But like I said, through all of this we can see God’s faithfulness.  No matter what the future holds, God is good, and worthy of our praises.  Thanks for reading, praying and for being concerned. 

I promise to get back to normal posting soon, but right now I have a pretty serious prayer request.  I’m at the hospital right now…my pastor (and very good friend) was in a car accident Wednesday night with his wife.  They were hit broadside by a drunk driver, driving a big delivery truck.  It’s pretty bad.  I’ve spent most of this week here at the hospital praying with his family and other people from the church.  Jorge is in an induced coma right now.  He was bleeding internally as well as within his brain.  Earlier today they’ve managed to stabalize that, but this afternoon one of his lungs collapsed.  Probably within the next hour or so, he’ll be going in for his fourth or fifth surgery since the accident.  His wife Vivianna was released from the hospital today.  She’s banged up, but is doing okay.  The news of how Jorge was doing was kept from her until tonight (she just wasn’t ready to hear it).  But the family felt it was time for her to know.  So as you can imagine, she’s pretty upset.

Jorge is probably one of my closest friends here.  He and his wife helped run the home while I was home in Canada this past summer.  I can’t even express what he means to us.  He’s been one of the few guys in my guys’ lives who accepted them unconditionally.  We love him a lot.

So if you could pray, it would be greatly appreciated.  It’s been a emotional rollercoaster.  There’ve been a few moments when we thought we were losing him, but he’s hung in there.  God is definitely working.  But it’s still pretty hard.  I’ll keep you updated as I know more.

Thanks everyone…