Update for August 2008

Greetings to anyone willing to read this after so many months!!!
So much happens in Amachuma and with the Bethel Hospital construction - it truly is hard to get into La Paz and have time to access the Internet and get info on this Blog. Today my 1973 Jeep has a hole in the radiator and something with it's carburetor that takes away all it's energy. So, while it is being worked on, I actually have some time to kill.
It has been a long COLD winter here. The nights still go down below zero (C) but the sky is beginning to cloud up occasionally so one of these months we should get some rain instead of just frost and hail and snow. An interesting thing happens here in the mountains before it snows. Up from the warmer valleys come swarms (hundreds) of little yellow birds. The people here call them Canaries and say they are sent to let us know it is going to snow. They only stay for a day and then return to their valleys. Sure enough, within the next couple of days it snows!
Within a month it will be time to plant crops again. Next Monday I have to go sell the last of my extra potatoes and chuños. Also, I have to sell some rabbits. Last Sept. I bought two of them and although many of the descendants have died or gotten eaten by dogs, there are still 30 or so and not enough food around to feed them. I suppose I will eat a few too.
The hospital construction has really come along but a lot of finish work remains to be done. In the dormitory wing the floors, windows , doors, and even doorknobs are in place. Beginning tomorrow we plan to move the clinic over from my house. The dorm wing will serve as a small hospital for the next year or so as the rest of the hospital is finished.

PRESENT PROJECTS:
1. Dentist set-up in one of the rooms of the temporary Hosp. Includes compressor.

2. Water system - there seems to be lots of water in the well, but the windmill has trouble getting it from the well to the huge storage tank.

3. Plumbing - septic and rainwater tubes , showers and toilets and sinks! By the way, we need help with plumbing plans (I have guys who can install if told what to do). Anybody out there like to come for a week or two to help with this? You'd have to pay the travel but I can put you up and feed you once you get here.

4. Electricity installation. Again, this is an area where we could really use some help with the plans. The local electrical company is trying to "urbanize" Amachuma and will be installing some electric lines that will provide Triphasic lines which we can use for the hospital. I am also very excited that they are willing to let us use a two-way electric meter which will let us run electricity from the turbine out onto their network and use from theirs when we need it. This will be a big step since I do believe that our Bergey Turbine is the only one of its kind in the Western part of Bolivia if not in the whole country.

5. Roofing. All of the roof has steel rafters and the price of steel has doubled recently so this is a real challenge. Nicolas is our roofer and we couldn't do without him and his sons. He can solder anything so once in a while we have to get him off the roof for other jobs.

Oh well, that list is long enough. We still have Dr. Roberto full - time and a lot of sick people come. The Aymara folks have so many beliefs surrounding birth, I didn't think I would ever be asked to one of their homes for a birth. But, after 6 years here, last week I was asked to attend an Amachuma birth. Bethel Hospital has had it's first home birth!!! Mom and little boy are doing great. I hope the time will come when they use our birthing center too.

Cinthia and I still have 10 - 20 teen girls coming every Wed. evening for a Bible Study and I teach Sunday School in the little local Baptist church on Sundays. Last month I had the privilege of praying with three girls who had decided they wanted to follow Jesus.

Politics here never cease to be interesting. I don't suppose I should put much on line but your prayers are always in order.

I need to get to the bank before I pick up my car. Some one of you has been so good as to donate $1,000 and I must go pick that up. It will pay for the workers this month. I experience over and over the truth of the promise in Philippians, "My God will supply all your needs". All I can do is to say Thanks and make it stretch as far as possible! One other thing I find is that God never has someone send money ahead of time at all!

Bye for now. I think someone has stolen my digital camera so I will have to get some new pictures taken somehow and put them on this Blog next time. Love in Christ, Judy