Life so far...

So, today we brought a cow to someone and I took a shower with a frog. Which one is an expression and which one literally happened? I will tell you at the end of this post.

Now that we are settled and know the routine I can describe everything a little better, so here is our new life so far:

The Family:

Jesus, Kelly, and Laura. Jesus is an elder and all three are pioneers. We could not have asked for a better family to stay with. They are warm and inviting and include us in everything they do. Kelly is teaching us to cook and clean and do all the wifely duties in which she is so skilled. They are learning English at a British school which makes communication a little easier. They have learned to piece together our broken Spanish and understand what we are trying to say. They all have a great sense of humor so we are always laughing. We feel very much at home.

The Place:

The beautiful house (as you have seen in pictures) is in a town called Tienda Nueva which is right outside Palmira which is about 30 min from Cali. Cali is a city like Tampa and Tienda Nueva is more in the country. Every time we go out in service I am amazed at the view. Sugarcane fields to the left and mountains to the right. Most of the houses are more on the “rustic” side but many are very nice with big gardens. In this town, you say hello to everyone you pass in the street. It is generally safe but you do have to be cautious of going into certain areas, like into the mountains. The weather is florida-esque in temperature but minus the humidity. Overall, a BEAUTIFUL place to live.

The Routine:

Monday- house cleaning day.

Tuesday- Service in morning, lunch/siesta at noon, studies in afternoon, meeting in evening

Wednesday- Service, lunch/siesta, studies, family study

Thursday- Service, lunch/siesta, studies

Friday- Service, lunch/siesta, studies

Saturday- Service, lunch/siesta, meeting, Plan B family study

Sunday- Service, lunch/siesta, studies

Of course this is the general plan which can be altered if we want to sleep in or go somewhere, but as you can see, life revolves around service. I am sure it is no surprise that I slipped into this lifestyle pretty smoothly..especially the lunch/siesta part:)

We are loving every minute so far and are learning a lot. We will keep you posted on exciting events and good experiences.

Oh and if you guessed bringing a cow to someone as the expression..you were right. It means everyone chips in for one person.

I took a shower in the outside bathroom and a frog croaked on the wall next to my head the whole time because I was too afraid to move it...it did not seem to have nearly as much fear as I did.

Estefania