Time for Family

I didn't plan to go back to the US this year. However, my family came up with a failproof plan to get me there: refuse to send Emma to Bolivia. Hrmph.

Emma herself sent a card all the way to Bolivia to tell me I needed to visit them in July, no matter what. So finally in April, I gave in. Okay, yes, I'm coming!!

It was the shortest trip back I've ever had - just 13 1/2 days, including travel and an overnight layover in Miami - so we made the most of it!

A few pictures of a very wonderful, relaxing trip full of great times with family and friends!

Visiting sister Heather's house. For some reason, the word "museum" always comes to mind when in her spotless, quite perfect room... (Yep, we're different alright!)

At my family's house, with Emma - now 13!!

Sisters! L-R: Sarah, Heather, Emma, Jennifer

Jennifer & Heather playing together for the first time in several years

And everyone all together! The Thompson family + Jake, a new friend who will soon move to Bolivia

Can you believe that there's not a single good picture of everyone, all smiling, no one being goofy... These are the best two!

A small little evening activity...

This picture insists on loading upside down, but now you can imagine how it was to piece it together from the wrong side of the table!!

Very enjoyable dinner with longtime Texan friends (and GOAL board member) Ben & Betsy Whisenant!

Jake & Jen by the Mississippi River

Visit to Mud Island on (a very hot) July 4th! But hey, I was escaping Bolivia in the very coldest part of what's been an unusually cold winter, so I wasn't complaining (too much!)...

And one of the events I was most looking forward to - July 4th in the US, ALSO my sister Heather's birthday!! Here we are at Collierville, Tennessee's celebration, with most of the town!

First July 4th fireworks I've seen in eight years and it was spectacular!! As many fireworks as I constantly see around town in Bolivia (they love them and there are practically no restrictions), there was NO comparison to these!

Sarah (left) is so happy now! The last time I was with my family, they had just moved and Sarah was struggling. She's a completely different person now!

So my briefest time back turned out to be one of the most memorable as we took advantage to the maximum! I'm not quite sure how the cookie stores kept running because my family only ran in and out briefly, spending the bulk of their time with me and our visitor from Washington state, Jake. It was like we were all on vacation. In fact, it was so nice, this has been a harder separation than usual. I love being back where I feel completely at home, Bolivia and Casa de Amor and the street kids, but sure miss my family!! I'm looking forward to their visits to me - after two years in a row of visits to the US, it's definitely their turn to come to Cochabamba. :)

Happy 4th!!!

Thoroughly enjoying my first "fourth" in the USA since 2008... :)

Happy Birthday to my (not so little) sister!!

Happy 13th Birthday, Emma!!!

I miss you sooooo much and wish I could be there at least today to share with you!

Sister Heather sent me this picture, of their special birthday breakfast together

You've grown so much the past few years!

May 2007, right after moving to Bolivia (age 8)


Also in May 2007, feeding her favorite baby (now a big boy who goes to school)

TE QUIERO MUCHO!!!!!!!!

new enterprise

On my last night in the US, while having a slumber party with my youngest sister Emma, we were talking about stuff and something occured to me.

I could help my friends in jail by selling stuff they make, particularly the creative, skilled girls.

They make something, are more productive with their days, and if I do it right, I can make something back for what I spend in street/jail ministry.

Simple, but it took me 10 months of visiting (street) friends "inside" before this dawned on me!

Within a couple weeks of getting back and catching up with everything and everybody, I was already taking yarns in to the girls. At first I just asked them to make in bulk some of the things they'd already given me, like this little monogrammed change purse...

This would be my name spelled Bolivian-style :)

And a beautiful scarf that they declared matches my eyes...

So far, things are going wonderfully!! I just need to start focusing more on selling than constantly taking in materials and picking up the products, which is always a fun surprise, and they do such quick, high quality work. I've had multiple other women come up to me in the jail and hug me or shake my hand, thanking me profusely for helping these girls who "have no one" by giving them legitimate work.

More stories and pictures in an upcoming post!

Caring

A few nights ago, I was happily bouncing a smiling, filthy dirty baby in my lap when I was told that her mother is HIV+. Both live in the street. My heart sunk as I quickly connected the dots and realized that her baby must be positive as well.

Apart from our little girl at CDA and an occasional meeting, I have never been in daily contact with so many with HIV until now. And I can feel so helpless beyond just being there for them and being their friend. But watching the video in this post, "Dying and Rejected by the Church", reminded me that sometimes that's all we can do.

And it is considered significant by those surviving even though rejected by "normal" society. Every day, every night, when I offer a listening ear and a word of encouragement or share a laugh, I see a light come back in their eyes. Could it be hope?

Words cannot describe how privileged I feel to be able to live here, surrounded by need, spending myself on behalf of the weak as we walk side by side. Since last week, that includes keeping track of 3 medications, multiple tests and doctor/lab appointments, and seven days of 9pm injections for one of my friends from the bridge. And that's just ONE of my friends... It's exhausting, but I cannot imagine doing anything else.

As I type, I hear little voices float up to the office. It is snack time, and the prayer included a blessing for the street children. So young, and yet already ministering.

Watch the video and think of who you can love today.


Ten years ago today, my family had the court hearing in Russia that made Emma "ours"! Today, a Bolivian couple has their court hearing to become the parents of our 20 month old boy F. Exciting!

original artwork

While I was in the US, my sister Emma told me to choose two pictures of her artwork to share with my kids here.

I got them framed and here they are!

House with picket fence and tire swing

Casa de Amor II

Gumball Machine

Casa de Amor I

Neat, huh?

Thanks, Tia Em!

Keepers

My sister Emma (now 11) is part of a group of mothers and daughters called "Keepers". Every couple of weeks they get together to sing songs, listen to a story about a missionary, and do a craft.

While I was there in Tennessee, I was invited to speak about Bolivia and Casa de Amor as a "live" missionary presentation. It was fun!


Then their craft for this evening was beading wire to wrap around crosses - gifts for the staff!

What concentration!

My sister Emma informed me she was making Tia Silvia's cross, no exceptions (the Baby Home cook, ha!)

Afterwards, the girls had another surprise.

Hand decorated bags for all of the kids at CDA II and a few of the girls at CDA I & III!

Then came the fun of handing everything out in Bolivia...

There were enough crosses to give one to each volunteer, too.

And then the bags... So practical for outings, storing their things, going to church, etc.!

Thank you mothers and daughters, for all of your hard work to bless the Hogares de Amor!!

priceless

Torturing my little sister with brussel sprouts.

Oh so fun!


And then her special request dessert, Ghirardelli Molten Lava Cakes.

Life is sooo rough.

CCCCC

So. I wanted to make cookies.

Normally that would be a piece of cake easy.

But try having cookie store owning parents who have like 48 tasty varieties to sample on a daily basis and yeah...

No pressure.

So I went to the library.

Got a Martha Stewart cookie cookbook.

And combined ideas to come up with....

Cakey Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ta-dah!

Or: CCCCC for short.

And yes, they were yum! Although I have to say they definitely fly off the plate slower than the pre-cookie-store-owning-days. But at least poor Emma, deprived of homemade cookies, was very happy. She's been requesting these for months now. =)

PS - Try this sinful little recipe for a ridiculously yummy (and easy) twist!

what I see

My view...

...from my room in Bolivia

mountains, people walking, airplanes, clothes drying, snow on mountains, children swinging and sliding, dust storms, visitors arriving, highest peak in Cochabamba, K bus passing by, diapers hanging to dry, breathtaking bougainvillea vines

My view...

...from my room in Tennessee {actually sister Emma's room}

tall stately trees, picnic table, lawn mowing men, gorgeous fall color, parking lot, falling leaves, moving trucks, people walking little dogs

Love the nature!

So long as I'm not too close to it =)

what to do on a Saturday night...

When you're a Thompson in Tennessee, that is.

Go to the location of your opening soon cookie store...

...to clean up a bit...

...try out the new phone...

Then we go to their first store...



...to put out Mom's new fall cookie cake designs...



...serve cookies to customers who think we're open...




...count the dough from the day...




...read while waiting for the new gingerbread cookies to cool...




...taste test the icing (not really!)...




...scalp a gingerbread man with a pocket knife (totally her idea, I know, a shocker!!)...




...and decorate and put out the first 11 "gingerbread people" of the season!



Happy Saturday!