CARNAVAL!

Hello again everyone, 

There is SO much to update you on, and I would just like to apologize to everyone because I have been unable to access the internet this week, and therein had no communication with all of you. Of all the weeks to lose my connection to home it was the one during which I had emergency dental surgery, 5 huge shots of antibiotics, and have now had something odd and terribly painful going on in my stomach for the past 2 days. Thank you all for your prayer through the surgery, everything went well and I am healing perfectly. And if you would continue to remember our digestive systems in your prayers, my insides would be grateful!

Now, to begin with the post! This post was originally going to be titled "The little puppy that missed" but due to the fact that today is Bolivia's largest national holiday, I decided to alter the name to something more fitting. I promise you, however, that if you inquire about the old title we will fill you in on the "comments" section of this post (this will be a chance for you all to learn how to comment, because we love feedback). 

Since Dave last blogged we have done some amazing things ! The three of us went to a camp in Los Molinos, just a half hour out of the city, with the College and Careers group from 

Muyarina (a church we have become involved with). The camp consisted of the usual campy things: sleeping in tents, Bible studies, sing-songs, water fights, campfires and waterfalls... wait a second, I guess huge waterfalls and raging rivers aren't normal camp things in Canada. You know, after a while in Bolivia you really learn to expect anything, because if you don't, you will end up crossing a river in your only pair of dry shoes. Yes, ladies and gentlemen that is me crossing a raging river full of waterfalls, and no matter what Tarryn says, I did not look that frightened the entire time. 

After returning to the campsite (slightly more damp that when we left), we dried off and shared in a time of Bible study led by Pat and Terry Janke (our missionaries here). We then ate some dinner, sang some songs... fast forward to... the campfire! Now, I have spent many a night at the fireside with friends and 

family, and both Dave and Tarryn can attest to the fact that I know far too many campfire songs, pranks and skits for any one human being. But what's a campfire without someone getting wet and laughed at?! We also taught our new friends how to make Smores (I don't know how they survived before), and now I'm afraid we might have some Smores junkies (we might have to start running a Smores rehab ministry for those who want to kick the marshmallowy habit)! I digress... fast forward again... As bed time draws near, a terrible sickness inside me rears its ugly head, and the longest night of my life begins. My night was spent tossing and turning in a my freezing-cold tent, with the occasional break to get up run outside and vomit somewhere in the trees(I'm sorry if that was too graphic). Interestingly enough however, I learned something that night. That is that, I would rather be tossing Smores in Bolivia than anywhere else in the world (sorry again, that one was even more graphic), and you know what? I think that means I like it here! 

Final thought: When I consider the mountains much larger than I, when I hear the raging river much louder than I, when I feel the wind swifter, the rain fiercer, and the current stronger... I wonder how I could ever be so audacious to think that I am in control of anything.

- Phil