Wow, I thought there would be better internet access to keep this blog updated, but where I am staying it is a little hard to come by.
My home base is the house of the Arroyo family who's land is part of the village of Tanluaha. It is a somewhat secluded village North of San Antonio up the mountain range. The population is about 300 people, who work the land growing crops such as corn and potatoes, or they work in the mines and the closest cities or towns. Life is simple, slow paced and laid back but because it is a poor village, the people must work hard nonetheless. There is electricity and water, but water is not guaranteed during the dry season, and electricity is one of those things which is more stable but that to is not guaranteed all the time either. The area is very large into mining. There are at least 6 mines in total, and that is just on the way to the village and in the area. This means that there is a great deal of heavy machinery on the road between the village and San Antonio which makes it a horribly bumpy ride and extremely dusty as well as often a dumping ground for garbage and waste. These mines are great for income and help economically but the government does not have much control over the mines so the environment is often left very desolate and trashed.
As for myself, I have been pretty busy. I am taking Spanish lessons, getting involved in children ministry, and working on projects for the Arroyo's.The latest project was a raised bed garden that Bayardo and i built. There is a Tuesday and Sunday group of kids from the village which i help out with every week. We play games, memorize bible verses, read bible stories and have a simple devotion and eat a snack. I also go to bible studies, youth events and other things to involve my time in the people.
two of my favorite activities to do on my own are bike riding are hiking. I have explored the local area on my bike as well as climbed a mountain just east of the house. Recently the Arroyos took my to have guinea pig, which was interesting that's for sure.
It is a very beautiful country to say the least.
I would like prayer as I am going to visit the Amazon region. Please pray for safety and a good trip. I will be going for a week and visiting the Cofan tribes in three different villages. Here is a link to a website with a great deal of information pertaining to them which was started by the brother of the man I am going down with. http://www.cofan.org/
I hope that this has given you a little gimps into my life here. I will try and stay on top of doing a good job of updating the blog regularly.
Chow and God Bless!
