Where Jashton was born - literally...

Last Thursday we were able to visit where Jashton was born.  It turns out that the friends we stayed with in La Paz live a block from the clinic where Jashton was born, so when heading out to dinner on our last night in Bolivia we took a moment to swing by Cemes clinic... he's definitely isn't a baby any more!

Jashton proved to be quite the trooper as we filled a week with Bolivia.  From hiking miles, to rough roads, to dinners at 9pm, to events completely in Spanish, Jashton absorbed it all - I'm searching my cranium, but I don't recall him complaining once during the trip.  And that is impressive given the final 72+ hours of our journey.

We ended our trip with an activity level which far outpaced the first couple days.  Here's a quick re-cap.

on the Bus Cama

Wednesday night we were picked up by taxi to be taken to the bus terminal which was in a level of frenetic activity reserved only for special occasions.  This was holy week travelers.  It was packed, and hard not to get separated. Fortunately for Jashton, I'm head and shoulders above the crowd - and easy target to spot.

Once on the bus for the overnight 8 hr trip to La Paz it was a comfortable and peaceful ride.  The double decker buses have wide seats which recline and have a provided foot rest - other than the timid use of heat, it is a great way to travel.

In La Paz we took a taxi to the apartment of Tricia and Alfredo.  Tricia was a Hunger Corps with Food for the Hungry (FH) when we were there, and Alfredo was one of the top managers of FH-Bolivia.  You never know who God is going to pair up, and three years ago they married.  Tricia now works for Samaritan's Purse, and Alfredo is a developer building homes and multi-unit buildings.  It was fun to reconnect to both of therm, and they were wonderful hosts.  Thursday we explored Bolivian museums, artisan markets, restaurants, and city life.  It was a great day!  While it wouldn't be top on my list of places to live again, I sure like spending time there - La Paz is a city like no other!

After dinner I finished packing, and prepared for our departure to the airport at 4:30 a.m.  Just for fun (okay, I'm sure that's not what he was thinking) our taxi driver took us up the back way to the airport - it is decidedly not faster... we were the last in line at the ticket counter... but that didn't actually matter.

We flew to Santa Cruz, flew to Miami, changed to an earlier delayed flight to storm encircled Chicago - sat on the runway - but made it to Chicago by 9pm.  Rental car to Wheaton, night at my Aunt and Uncle's breakfast at 6:30am with more relatives (Dick, Marge & Mary), and then back to O'Hare.  A rather pleasant airport to use at 8:30 on a Saturday.... with a final flight to White Plains, NY, and a ride to Delmar.


But wait - There's more!  Arrival back enabled the completion of my preparations for the next day - Sunday, Easter Sunday.  The Sunday for the baptism of Jashton, Tobiah and a new friend within our church.

I hadn't really thought about how appropriate the theme of my sermon was when it came together - Wake Up!  On each leg of this crazy journey, I was able to wake up with excitement - because what was coming was worth it.  The message of Jesus, the message of Easter - is to wake up and become spiritually alive!  Jesus conquered the gloom and shadow of death and darkness, calls us to come awake, and gives us exciting things to do.  (if you want to hear the message, it is on the DRC website).  Then after time with my parents and other friends for egg hunts, dinner, presents, playing and clean-up (oh, and I rewired an electrical switch in there as well) - we returned home - and at that point I felt like the trip Jashton and I embarked on ten days earlier was complete!

Giesers, Carltons, Wests - Easter Dinner in Greenville!

It was an awesome trip!  Praise the Lord!