God's World is Small -- and He is Good!

This past week we spent at the ECHO (Education Concerns for Hunger Organization) Conference in Florida. We had attended this conference 4 years ago as we travelled to Bolivia and we now returning after four years of experience.

Living in a foreign country has its challenges and we have been suffering from cultural fatigue for the past few months. We were wondering what we were doing in Bolivia, if we were effective, if we should move on -- what should be we do?

Coming here was not without its challenges, also. I booked the trip in September.We planned to go to Iowa and Minnesota to visit Jake's family and attend a wedding and then fly on the the ECHO conference in Florida. The night before we left I checked the computer for a receipt for the trip but saw instead that all our flights were cancelled -- and there was no receipt. After a late night trip to the airport, we spent hours on two computers trying to arrange flights. Finally, we put one on hold at a price that was far beyond our means and our credit card limit. The next morning we were the first in line at the American Airlines counter and were told that the prices had changed -- they had gone up. However, by combining our flights the agent was able to get us a flight for a semi reasonable rate -- one that would fit on the credit card! Words could not express the gratitude we felt as we made the final arrangements and boarded the plane.

Whenever I come to a conference I am curious about the attendees. The first surprise was to find that there were six people at this conference associated with out little rural church way out in Alberta, Canada, attending a little known conference in Florida. Ad is a missionary in Haiti sponsored by our church, Jake and I are still members of WoodyNook, Andrew's girlfriend attends that church as does David and his family. It was great to spend time with people with similar ideas and to have the 'in' on the ECHO farm.

But that was not all. EFCCM is not a large organization either. The attendee list contained two delegates, Melvin and Priscilla from the Ukraine associated with EFCCM. One of the speakers, a former ECHO intern,Angela. and her husband have recently joined the EFCCM team as well.

The conference was a real blessing. It re-invigorated us, gave us a renewed perspective on what we are doing, gave us ideas for change, and gave us the support from fellow delegates. The devotions and singing were especially meaningful and many tears were shed. We feel blessed as we head back to Bolivia. Thank you, ECHO.

I encourage all those who read this to check out the ECHO link on our blog.

Is the honeymoon over?

We have now been here for four years and the honeymoon is over. We are realizing the differences in expectations between ourselves and some of the members of the community. It seems like some of them accepted us into the community so that they could benefit from the ‘freebies’ that the gringos would bring. Now that they are realizing that there are no freebies, they do not see any advantage to having us in the community.
This all started in May when the men of the community asked Jake about buying a combine. Jake arranged a day to meet to discuss the combine but no one came. Now, this was not unusual for Bolivia – rice harvesting was over so why think about a combine in May when you didn’t need it until October? There were some men who showed some interest in purchasing a combine. However, they wanted 90-100% financing and we cannot afford to do that. We also do not think that it is wise for one of them to be so far in debt.
Instead we decided to enter this as a business and to look for someone with whom to partner, someone with a good business sense, someone who was honest, and someone who would work in our area. The man we are working with is from Santa Cruz and seems to have a good head and a good heart. He bought the cat a couple of years ago and had it paid off in a year and a half. He has a chaco in one of the neighbouring communities as well as a house in Santa Cruz.
So in September, when the men asked Jake what was happening, he said that he was working on something but would not tell them all the details. Some of the men of the community became very angry and the ‘carpet bagging’ started. There were two vocal men who stated they were talking for the rest. If they were we do not know but no one asked them to be quiet. The long and the short of it is that some do not feel that they are receiving any benefits that they feel deserve and that other are getting more than others. They feel that only the Diaz family is benefitting from the tractor. Somehow they forget that two years ago they were walking or biking 18 kilometres to see if there might be a tractor or a combine available – and often there wasn’t. Now they just go 6 kms. and arrange the tractor work with Teodoro. But it is not money in their pocket so they don’t see any benefit. The health program, the transportation to and from the doctor—all the little things – those “were just little things and didn’t count”. They also thought that Jake should come to them for approval on anything that he wanted to do with anyone in the community and that no one should get more than the other –unless, of course, that someone happened to be them. They also did not want Jake to help other communities.
Thankfully, there are some wonderful people from the community who showed their support for us. We decided to purchased the combine as an investment and still want it to be available to the people in this zone. The rest of the time it can work in other areas. We should be able to keep it working 10 months of the year. There are lots of people in the neighbouring communities who are thrilled that there will be a combine in the area and we feel we made the right decision. At the last meeting there was an overwhelming show of support. Sometimes it takes a crisis to bring everything together and into perspective. We are so thankful for wonderful friends in the community who have stood by and supported us. They truly are a gift of God.
Things in agriculture have changed since we arrived. The first year was a disaster with low rice prices, the flooding and the difficulties it presented. Most of the people had small plots, the largest being 10 hectares but most being 3-5 hectares so the combine operators didn’t really want to come that far for so little work.
The next year, there was no flooding because the river changed, the weather was good, the production was up, and the price rose substantially. A lot of money was made and consequently, many of the farmers cleared more land to plant more rice to make more money. The majority of the neighbours acquired motorcycles and life looked good.
But last year brought drought conditions and production was way down. Because there was no rain, the weeds grew well. When the rice was ready, there were no combines availableso the rice became too dry. Add to that, the price fell and many were not able to sell their rice. Now is the time to plant another crop and many still have not sold their crops from last year. In other areas, because it has been a wet winter, the road is still too wet to take out the rice.
Then there is another side. With the increase of land in production, many of the farmers borrowed money from a government program called MAPA. Some also borrowed money from banks. And they borrowed some from Jake. When all was said and done, some were not able to pay all their loans. Nor did they pay the operators for combining or the cat operator for clearing the land. In the community of Tarumá, many took out loans to clear more land. Now they are caught. It is time to plant rice and there is no money. When we started the credit program we explained that credit could be your best friend or your worst enemy. For those who did not manage their money well, it has become their enemy. What will happen, we do not know. Maybe much of the land that was cleared will not be planted. There will be growing pains as the people learn how to live in a different economy.

Bridges and Roads

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We have lived in this community for 3 and a half years and have seen the condition of the road ebb and flow with the seasons. This spring , it is at its worst.

Year #1 was a series of community blockades that restricted our movement and led to many frustrating times trying to obtain permission to come and go through the neighbouring community. Thanks to their diligent blockading, the road in our community stayed in relatively good shape.

Year #2 brought increased traffic since many of the local farmers increased their rice production, the farming was more mechanized, and more people were working land further into the jungle. That meant more road traffic and our poor roads were eaten away by the heavy rice trucks. Also, the logging company moved on and the little maintenance that was done ceased.

Year #3 – a new gravel (rock) road to within three kilometres of the gate. But more problems with those three kilometres. No one was maintaining the road. People were moving the rice while the roads were wet. The dry season was wetter than normal so the road never dried out. The result was a very rough path, full of pot holes.

Of course, there is always talk of fixing the road and of installing bridges. This spring it happened. One new bridge and four culverts have been installed in the three kilometres leading to the main road. After a couple of weeks the road grader arrived and started to raise the road. As is normal, it has now broken down and is in for repairs. The local government says that it doesn’t have the money for the repairs so one of the farmers from Taruma has lent them 4000 bolivianos so that the grader can be fixed. He and his family own three chacos and have soy ready to be harvested so he sees the need for a better road.

It would cost about $1000US to put gravel on the road in Patujusal 2. Each land owner would pay about $70.00 -- about what one would receive for 2 fanagas (360 kilos) of rice. Most farmers have over 5 hectares of land mechanized and should get between 18 and 25 fanagas per hectare for a total of 90 to 245 fanagas. It would take only 2 fanagas to gravel the road but the majority decided that they would rather not gravel the road but instead, wait for a year or so to see if the local government – or someone else – will do it for them. You can imagine what the road will look like next year!

We hear that they will asphalt the first 45 kilometers in 2010. Should we count on it?

New Life

It was about 10 in the morning and I was just finishing coffee and conversation with a friend from Santa Cruz. The neighbour, Francisco, arrived on his motorbike and asked if I would come because his wife was having the baby. She wasn't due for another three days but babies come when they are ready. It took a few minutes to find Jake since he had the keys to the truck, but soon I left with a blanket, some towels, and a scissors -- just in case.

I came to the house to find Carmen standing beside the bed and Francisco, holding a very newborn baby girl while the two other boys, Fanor and William, peeked through the cracks in the siding of the house.

Gingerly, we helped Carmen to the bed. She was having problems expelling the placenta. Francisco had already cut the cord so there was a chance that the cord would slip back into Carmen's body. To prevent this, he cut a length of string long enough so that one end could be tied to the end of the umbilical cord and the other end to Carmen's toe. Very inventive and simple!

After insuring that everything with the baby was fine and that she was wrapped up in a clean, warm towel, I headed off to La Pista to get the nurse, praying that she would actually be there. Thankfully, she was and she willingly came back with me.

Santitation and cleanliness is an issue in the Western world. How would one function in a house with a dirt floor and questionable sanitation? The evidence of the birth had been covered with fresh dirt and Francisco had prepared water with herbs to clean the baby and Carmen. The IV was hung with a piece of string to the wood rafter, a used pop bottle was used for breathing, and soon the placenta was expelled. No, sanitation was not the standard we expect in Canda and most women of the developed world would never want to deliver a baby under these conditions. I was impressed by the care of both Francisco and the nurse to keep things clean.

Soon Mother and baby were clean and warm in their bed, the nurse returned to La Pisa, and I went home to prepare dinner for Jake.

(This is a picture of Abigail at 2 months of age. My picture of her taken an hour after her birth disappeared somewhere between the camera and the computer.)

Faith of our Fathers

It was 80 years ago when my dad, 25, and his eighteen year old brother left Holland and arrived in Alberta on a cold, snowy spring day. Their expected work did not transpire but Dad was able to secure work at another farm within a couple of weeks. He worked on that farm for five years until he and his brother were able to purchase their own land.

This summer our families joined together to celebrate these two events -- their arrival and the purchase of the farm. My brother resides on the original farm so we were able to celebrate there, and a celebration it was.

Although I had known the facts of their immigration, the loss of my uncle's hands and the subsequent events, the impact hit me this summer. Imagine a young man in the prime of life having only stumps where his arms once were. Imagine these stumps not being long enough even to maintain basic bodily cleanliness. Imagine being faced with deportation and loosing a dream of a new life in a new land. And also imagine the responsibility of the older brother who had already lost four other siblings as children and only had this brother and his handicapped sister left. He had promised that he would take care of this brother and he took this very seriously until the day he died.

But what remains is the heritage of faith and loyalty. Our Sunday worship centered on Joshua 4 and family members laid a stone on a pile, illustrating the faith of our fathers. What a witness to these two men and to our God.

We have chosen to move to Bolivia and we experience many of the same problems, the same challenges, that they did but how much easier we have it. We went for different reasons. They saw a land of opportunity in which they could provide for their families. We left for a calmer lifestyle and an opportunity to bring a world and life view to people in Bolivia that centers on God, his world and our place in it. We have age and experience. We left our children, not our parents. We have enough finances to purchase the things we need and many of the wants. We have instant communication while they wondered if their wartime letters reached their aging parents.

And yet one thing remains constant. We all know and experience the constant presence of our Lord through the Holy Spirit. We are confident that God guides our lives, that he turns our mistakes,our sins, our errors for good. We have confidence in his promises that he will never leave us or forsake us, that he will be with us always. That is the reason we can live where we live and do what we can do.

We become frustrated. We wonder what we are doing. We question how our actions affect the community. People ask how it is going and how long we will stay. We don't always know how to answer. But we do know that God is control and that he has brought us to this place. We can only trust that he will also guide our blundering actions to show his love and his kingdom. I think it was Henri Nouwen who, when talking about the work of missionaries, said that we must always remember that God was here before us and I also know that he will be here after we leave. We thank him for the opportunity to show a small part of his love and his grace to this little part of the world.

Farming Challenges

This year has been anything but normal. I expected to experience the January flooding but saw dusty roads. Good for the drivers but bad for the farmers.

Before we left in December we already knew that many of the rice crops planted earlier in September and October did not germinate. The plan was that these crops could be harvested in January. Other farmers planted in December, planning to harvest in April. But the rains still not come, resulting in poor production from lack of moisture.

Water in the fields serves two purposes. The first is moisture for the crops. Rice does not need to stand in water to grow and we could get into the technicalities of aeration and the water capacities of soils but I will leave that to the experts. The second advantage of standing water is that the grass seeds do not germinate when everything is wet. So, when we have a dry season such as we just experienced, the rice does not grow as well and the grasses and weeds quickly surpass it.

Now add another problem -- no combines available when the rice was ready to harvest. Many of the combine operators worked on the other side of Santa Cruz harvesting the larger fields of soy beans. Considering payment is made per hectare it makes good business sense to work the larger fields. However, that meant that there were no combines available for the smaller fields. There is a very small window for harvesting rice at its prime. When it is dry, the rice shatters when hulled and the value drops significantly. Without a combine, most of the rice in our area was harvested when it was much to dry. In many fields the grasses continued to grow and when the combines were finally available, there was too much grass and too little rice so the fields were not harvested.

Then add the third problem. The value of rice has dropped since last year. Farmers based their profit estimates on the price of the previous year and are now very disappointed. The general price has dropped and then there is the dockage for the rice being too dry. And that is if you are able to sell your rice. We have ours in storage because no one was buying. Some farmers have stood in line for two or three days just waiting to sell rice.

The farmers who planted 'chaco' rice, which is harvested by hand, were able to harvest on time and get a good price. But too many have experienced the ease of mechanized farming and decided that they would do it the easy way. Sadly, the easy way doesn't always bring a profit so many will be experiencing a very thin year financially.

Farming, no matter where it is, is a next year occupation. In spite of the problems, the rice will be planted again next fall with hopes of more rain and better prices.

Adios Mi Amiga Balentina

7:30 p.m. A knock on the door. Ángel, one of the neighbours, looking shocked and slightly teary. Would we please take his Mom and Dad and himself to Yapacani? His aunt was killed in a motorcycle accident – Balentina.

Reaction to this type of announcement is disbelief and immediate action. Within half an hour we were on the road with Ángel’s family and some of the neighbours. Still, it did not seem real. Arriving in Yapacani at 10:30 we found family and friends surrounding the casket. It was real. My friend had died. Only the day before we saw her washing clothes at her home in the chaco – the familiar large smile and the wave as we drove past, not knowing that we would never see her again.

Balentina and her family returned to the city on Monday morning. She was walking along the road close to the bridge on the east end of town. (For you who have been here that is the bridge close to our corner.) A motorcycle passed her and hit her in the side with the handle bars, causing her to fall head first on to the road and roll three times. Reports say that she got up and immediate fell again, this time backwards. From then on we are not clear what happened but she was taken to the Japanese hospital (a good private hospital) in San Juan but they sent her immediately to Santa Cruz. There she died from her injuries and the body was taken by ambulance back to Yapacani. The driver of the motorcycle spent the night and the next day in the police station. He hired a lawyer, who wanted Zacarius, Balentina’s husband, to sign a settlement immediately. A cousin suggested that he sign nothing and we concurred.

Because Balentina’s mother lives in Sucre, the funeral did not take place until Wednesday – a long wait for Bolivia. In the meantime, family and friends visited the room in which Balentina lay in her coffin. Each visitor brought something – food, candles, soda pop, coca leaves, or cigarettes. Many of the Catholic or traditional customs were observed – the lighting of the candles around the coffin, the spilling of the soda pop or chicha, the three taps on the side of the coffin, the black tops or shawls, the new shawl and food in the coffin, the washing of the clothes in acid and then burning them.

Zacarius has a very strong family circle and their support was evident. They were more accustomed to death and know what normally was done, according to their culture. Also, they are a great support for Zacarius and his daughters Erlinda, Nilda, MarieLyn and his son, Alvaro.

Yesterday was the funeral. We bid Adios—to God -- to Balentina. She was a lady who always expressed a great interest in the church although she was not comfortable attending church in Yapacani. She would attend special services at the church in Patujusal. But that doesn’t always tell the story. As we visited, I spotted a well used Bible in the house. I have no doubt that she and children used it. I believe that God takes each of his children where they are at and that, Balentina with her child like faith, has a place with him.

I will miss her. I will miss her big smile, her wonderful warm hugs, her openness, the demonstrations of love for her husband and her children, the conversations. But I will remember her fondly and will never look at a piece of embroidery without thinking of her.

A Dios, Balentina.. God bless you.

Taking your life in Your Hands

For those who have never travelled to other countries, the traffic in Bolivia may be a bit intimidating. So let me tell you a few of the ‘guidelines’ that might be useful if you decide to drive here. It really isn’t that hard. Just believe that you have the right of way, act like it, and drive a bigger vehicle. There has been a huge increase in traffic, both in the city and the country. I am sure that most have received their licenses in the Crackerjack or Corn Flakes box! There are also more women driving motorcycles, vehicles and even tractor.

1. There are no stop signs and those that exist have no meaning. Maybe you should stop, maybe not. Best just proceed.
2. You usually drive on the right side of the road. But if the left side is smoother, drive there until there is oncoming traffic. Or if the traffic is moving too slow for you and there is on-coming traffic, feel free to use the shoulder.
3. If there is a one way street and you just need to proceed a little ways down it, do so. The one coming traffic will move, although they will scold you by beeping their horns.
4. Turning left – first, do not assume that the person to your right will not decide to make a left turn. He will wave his fingers indicating that you are to let him move in front of you. Second, it is unlikely that if there are two people who wish to turn left, that they will form a line. Rather, they will both approach the intersection side by side and proceed to make their turn.
5. On a gravel road you do not expect the other driver to pull over into his own lane when he meets you. Maybe he will move a foot or two. It works to stop and just fold your arms indicating that you are not moving.turn when they consider it safe.
6. When someone peeps the horn it may mean that: a) get out of my way. b) I am here, c) Do you want a ride in my taxi?, d) Hi, e) Didn’t you notice that the light changed a quarter of a second ago?, f) Move!
   
7. When you pass, try to ensure that there is enough room. But it there isn’t the on-coming traffic will move over for you.
8. If you are entering a busy intersection, just enter and slowly merge. Either you will get in or you will wait. It depends who backs down first.
9. If you need to need to stop to go into a store, just double park.
10. In the smaller towns, park where your vehicle fits. Don’t worry if you are nearly on the road. Better there than getting blocked in by parking ‘correctly’.

Most of all – be alert and have fun! No one wants to be involved in an accident.

A new year starts

After a long trek across the Americas we arrived safely home in Bolivia. We are always grateful for the ease at which we can traverse the globe. After a couple of days in Santa Cruz we headed back to Patuju with the truck and the quad, thinking that we if the roads were flooded we would be able to get home. However, we were shocked by the lack of rain and lack of moisture for the crops. No water – no flooding!

There had been very little rain since we left five weeks ago. The rice is showing stress but the weeds are growing well. Although there was some rain it wasn’t sufficient for the rice. The impact that this will have on the economy of this area is uncertain.

But things have changed and the rain has come. Again, we wonder if there is enough. 2 ¾ inches in North America would last for quite some time but not so in Bolivia. However, it has been raining off and on for the past week and the rain has soaked in. For our rice, which is just flowering, this rain has been a blessing.

Being farmers, there is much complaining! Although the rice price is much lower than it was last year, it is still higher than it was the first year we lived here. Like everyone else, they get used to the higher price and feel that they are in a bad situation when the prices lower.

In spite of the lack of rain the weeds continued to grow, and I have a couple of weeks of work cleaning the flower gardens in front of the house. Grass is the dominant weed and each one needs to be taken out by the root and since the ground is moist, the roots come out easily. The problem is not the weeds but the ants. They attack anything that disturbs their home so feet and hands are easy targets.

Jake tried to hook up the solar panels again but again something blew so we will have to send both controls back to USA for repair. Frustrating!!! Hopefully someday everything will be hooked up and working. For now, when the sun shines, we have enough for lights and for the computer. It is sufficient and we are thankful for what we have.

We Are Legal!

After eight years - depending on who you talk to - the communities of Patujusal 2 and Taruma have the title to their land. When these communities are started the people 'squat' on the land since there is no means by which to get title. There is also the legal aspect that this probably is part of the national reserve but no one will say that it is illegal to take reserve land. As the communities are settled, the work on legal status is started. Do I understand it? No.

Last Wednesday we saw a parade of motos, bikes, and people on foot heading to Taruma. Quickly we learned that the titles were to arrive that day. A delegation from Santa Cruz was coming to present them. There was not a quorum for the meeting in Patujusal 2 to arrange for a meeting with the delegation so their title was delivered to the president. However, Taruma held a grand fiesta to which we were invited.

The title is a document that gives a certain number of hectares to the sindicato. It does not give each person a title to their own land. All our land is held communally and the members of the community have the right to decide what is happening on each other's land, including if the land can be sold. In some sindicatos there are laws saying that only a certain number of hectares can be cleared each year. Others, such as Patujusal 2, does not want any land sold to people who do not live in the community; that is, to people who live in Yapacani or Santa Cruz and will rent out their land.

Before the title was handed to the officials, the man from INRA (the government agency that regulates land titles) carefully explained what was on the document and explained that it is the wish of the government tha the people take care of the lands for their children and their granddchildren. That fits in with our vision for these communities.

Now that the community title is in our hands, the next step will be the divison of each sindicato into separate parcels and obtaining titles for each parcel. When -- and I am not holding my breath -- this happens, the families can obtain credit from the bank.

We are glad that we live in a legal community.

Our first Workshop

It has taken two and a half years but we are finally ready to host workshops for the members of the surrounding communities. Our first workshop was led by our friend, Dr. Bill Janecke. He is a veterinarian from Iowa who works out of Santa Cruz with World Concern. All of the people have some Creole chickens running around. These are a hardy variety that does not require the same care as the chickens produced for meat. They produce fine eggs and although the meat is very tough, it is also tastier than the mass produced birds. However, these birds are still susceptible to disease and need care in order to grow and reproduce successfully.

The morning was spent getting acquainted with the people and their communities. This is essential to facilitate successful workshops. Following lunch, Bill and another Bolivian vet gave a short course on chickens and then we all went to the neighbours to actually vaccinate.

People from seven communities attended this workshop and there was a strong indication that they want more information on animal production, fruit production, vegetable gardening, and beekeeping. Women want to learn how to knit, sew, and make clothes. Their husbands want them to learn how make cake!

Transportation Bolivian Style

One of our aims is that the people of the community make enough money from their crops to provide the necessary things for their families. This is the reason that we started the microcredit project. One way we have determined the success of this project is seeing the changes and one of the most noticeable advances is the 125 cc.motorcycle, the main transportation for the people in the chaco. This moto provides a means for the men to get back and forth to their farms in a timely manner. They can also take also their families, their seed, their seeder, their food and anything else that they need for their stay.

When we moved here two and a half years ago there was only a couple of men who had motos in our community. Now everyone but two own their own transportation and traffic has increased down the road. We do not need to transport people to the doctor, except in the case of pregnant ladies ready to have their baby. Men make a trip to Yapacani in a little over than an hour and a half, rather than spending 8 hours for a return trip on the micro. Men who didn't drive a moto six months ago are now cruising past with their whole family accompanying them.

A Changing Landscape

When we decided to move to Bolivia we thought that we were moving to the jungle and that things would remain relatively primitive. But you cannot stop progress.

Four years ago each farmer was cultivating 2-4 hectares of land by hand. This is called ‘chaqueado’ farming. We were told that mechanized farming was not allowed in this area but this is Bolivia and the ‘guidelines’ are just that. Each year our neighbours have cleared more land, first by hand and recently renting a caterpillar to do the work for them.

So we joined them, reluctantly. We don’t like the impact of the machinery on the soil but we would not be able to do any experimentation unless we cleared some of our own land and started growing rice.

But we still could not be ‘normal’. Instead of simply brushing all the trees into a long row or ‘cordon’ and then burning them, we buried the trees and covered them with soil. Hopefully, this will provide nutrition as they decompose. We are not sure how the removal of that much top soil will affect the rice production but we will see.

Now instead of looking out at all the native bush I look out over our land, and the neighbour’s land, and the next neighbour’s land and so on. We plan to plant trees along the property line and also on top of one of the cordons. Yes, it looks naked right now but just wait a year!

Waiting in line

Oh, how funny! A shortage of diesel in Alberta! We love it!

It is November and it is time to harvest the soy and seed the rice. That means diesel! As many of you know, there was a complete shut down of deliveries of diesel, especially to more rural areas, during September. One the 'incidents' had died down, every returned to normal but there still is a great diesel shortage.

Our little truck uses diesel. We went into Yapacani, hoping that there would be diesel. We had some in a jerry can but things were getting pretty tight. It seems like one gas station would have diesel and one had to listen around town to find out which station would be open that night. Km. 9 was the station so off we went. Teodoro and Geraldo were already in line. Teodoro brought 4 - 200 liter barrels to the station at 8 a.m. and was waiting for the station to start pumping at 7. He thought we would have diesel by 8 or maybe a little later. Both he and Geraldo would have to be there when they were pumping since there was a limit of 2 barrels per person. Many of the people had brought their containers or their vehicles and left them in line. Everyone took turns watching each other's containers. Jake returned at 9 p.m. No diesel.

The next morning we went again to the station to find Teodoro and Geraldo still waiting in line. What do we do? Go to Santa Cruz and chance getting diesel there? We had a friend coming through that said there were station pumpind diesel in Montero, midway between Yapacani and Montero. We decided to try it. If nothing else, we could leave the truck at our friend in Montero and take a taxi to Santa Cruz. When we came to Montero, the wife of Zenon Flores graciously sold us their jerry can of diesel so that we could make the trip. When we returned in the evening we visited with them and they urged us to take their remaining diesel also, saying that they lived in town and were able to get diesel much easier than we could. What great friends! With that diesel we were able to get back to Patujusal (we would have to spend the night waiting in line of we wanted more) and then again to Yapacani.

We bought two barrels -- one had a crack in it -- but we now have one barrel of diesel. It took waiting two nights in line, a couple of hours each time, to get the barrels and the truck filled but we feel comfortable that we have enough for a couple of months.

And Teodoro? He got his 4 barrels that night and returned to buy more the next night. They are stockpiling so that they will have diesel for their tractor but they use 1 barrel each day.

Another Good Crop

Another harvest season is complete. The second soy crop appears to be better than last year, with yields of 2 to 3 tonnes per hectare. Although the price has weakened, our neighbours were still able to profit from their investment. They are paying back their short term loans and are investing their money in the clearing of more land.

When we reflect over the past couple of years we see many changes, the greatest being the amount of land that is being cleared for the mechanized production of rice and soy. Last spring most of the families in the community acquired a motorcycle, some purchased houses in Yapacani, one purchased a truck, and two purchased tractors.

Sad to say, the truck was not a good investment since the motor quit soon after purchase and Mario does not have the extra $1000 to fix it. He maxed out his loans with us so we were not willing to advance any more money. He will wait until he gets the profits from his soy, then fix the truck. His wife wanted to buy a house rather than the truck; I think she will have to wait another year for her house.

The two tractors in the community have relieved the tension over lack of equipment for planting and harvesting. Tomas and his sons purchased a new New Holland tractor with a sprayer and disk in the spring. Teodoro, his son, did custom disking and spraying this year. They have now added a seeder to their line of equipment and hope to add a different type of disk and a chimungo, a wagon for hauling rice and soy from the field. We have noticed the tractor hauling people out of the mud also!

It is good to see progress. We know that with progress comes problems but that is all part of the challenge.

Pink eye, Red Eye, Purple Eye

On Sunday morning my eye was very itchy but not bad enough to stay home from church. During the afternoon, it became redder and it felt as though there was something in it. I had spent some time sanding and had come upon termite nests so thought that maybe a small piece of termite dung settled in the eye and that it would soon disappear. My glands were starting to swell and I was having difficult swallowing. Why not just one thing at a time?

We already planned to go to Santa Cruz on Wednesday and while there I would pick up some medication. There was no reason to do to the doctor. I could buy antibiotic drops and Cipro for the swollen glands. Back home again, happy that things would improve.

But they didn’t -- they got worse!

Friday morning at 5 o’clock I told Jake that I thought my other eye was becoming infected. Remember, we do not have ‘normal’ electricity and I do not have many mirrors in the house. But when I looked – WOW! The whole eye ball was the color of the little red truck – and the eye lid as well! I guess the drops did not work. So back to Santa Cruz and this time to a doctor.

We went to the Eye Hospital, paid our 200 bolivianos ($29.00) for a consultation and waited. The actual consult was short – very short – less than 5 minutes. I was told that I had a very bad case of bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye), that it was very contagious, that I should not shake hands nor kiss anyone, that I continue taking the drops but use one drop in each eye every two hours, and that I come back in a week.

(In retrospect, I am sure that I got the conjunctivitis from the little neighbour boy. A number of small children, ages 1-2 years, develop eye infections at this time of year. Why only now and not all year long?)

I looked at my eye in the mirror of the truck. Why do you forget the camera when you need it! The eye was changing color once again. It appeared that I had applied a thick layer of purple eye liner and accented it with yellowy-orange eye shadow. In addition, there was a purple mark along the side of the nose and another one arching upwards. Poor make up job or Jake hit me in the eye!

We were home 13 hours after leaving in the morning and I continued with the medication. Within another day the worst of it was over. The eye is still very tender and becomes sore with the salty sweat that flows down my face in the wonderful plus 30 degree weather. It is still ugly but I don’t think I am going to spend 10 hours driving back and forth to Santa Cruz to be told that it is healing.

Upheaval and Survival

Round One is over. No more blockades. No more marches. No more ‘paros’. No more violence – at least not for the near future.

Up to this point we have avoided the political situation as much as possible. However, two things happened this last time that brought everything close to home. First, we were expecting visitors from Canada who were to arrive while the blockade was happening. Second, our own neigbours were active in the blockade and march. Our friends decided to postpone their trip since it was a two month stay. We are still hoping to rearrange it.

The community involvement is more complicated. During other minor blockades the neighbours may or may not have been involved. A fine of 20 bolivianos was levied but it was no big deal if one did not attend. Many times the guys would come to the blockade at roll call and then go back into town or back into the chaco; nothing was said. But this was different. All the indigenous communities were involved and all were united in their cause. They were very upset with the deaths that occurred in the Pando and with the violence and destruction that occurred in Santa Cruz. They were frustrated that the government with an initial 50% approval rating, and then a 67% approval rating, was not able to govern. The fine rose to 150 bolivianos and the men were to be there for a full 48 hours. There were three groups from our community taking turns at the blockade. We are not sure how many people were there but reports were up to 5000 people in Yapacani.

The march consisted on mainly farmers from the Santa Cruz area. We talked to our neighbours and they perceived it as a peaceful march and said that the marchers tried their best not to react to provocation. There were no injuries and no destruction of property. Reports stated that they were heavily armed – with machetes and 22s.

We did not get involved in this blockade because we were a bit scared and didn’t think that it would be safe. In retrospect, both of us are embarrassed by that excuse.

I spent many nights on the computer researching the situation. Sad to say, there was very little mentioned about the campesino march and their frustrations. Although the gas tax was mentioned, there was never any factual information on the division of taxes. Although land reform was mentioned, there was no factual information of this situation either. I became curious. What caused this dissension? Although both problems have long histories, it was difficult to find web sites that spoke without bias. Most tended to be slanted very much to one side of the other, with very little fact. Finally I was able to find a couple of websites that seemed to have more fact than bias. I encourage you to read these if you want to know why the situation is now volatile.

http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/bolivia_land_2008_07.pdf

http://www.coha.org/2007/11/agrarian-revolution/

For the perspective of an American living in Santa Cruz check out http://www.santacruzperspective.blogspot.com/. It will give you good reason to wonder about what is really going on!

What will we do next time? We are not sure but we will not be hiding out in the jungle. W We cannot sit still if we seriously mean that we believe in justice for the oppressed.

We survived -- until the next time

Last night our neighbour, Andrea, came over to use the phone and she told us the blockades and the march was over -- for now. The campesinos have abandoned their march on Santa Cruz, pending the signing of an agreement by the two parties. The men will return home and life will be normal once again.

BUT, and there is always the but, nothing was signed today. According to the Santa Cruz paper, the government ordered the campesinos to abandon the march and they obeyed. However, if nothing materializes the march and the blockades will go up again on October 15. In reading the papers today, it does not seem like there is much movement towards an accord. The five eastern provinces are determined that they will retain the oil royalties and their 'right to autonomia' while the campesinos are equally determined that they should have a share of the royalties and that the new constitution should be passed. What will happen is anyone's guess. We hope and pray that the violence shown in the Pando and in Santa Cruz City will not be repeated.

So we will life as usual in the campo and will ensure that we have enough suppplies for the long haul in case there are more blockades in October. We survived just fine this time but we remember to buy the toilet paper and the toothpaste. These were not items that we had on the 'needed supply' list. Hopefully, we will have the solar energy problem solved by then and we will be 'tranquilos'.

The Big Bad World

Today we were forced to enter into the Big Bad World out there after living in the safe cocoon of our little farm. Filipe came early this morning to tell us that Erselia was in labor; that meant a trip to either La Pista or Yapacani. Since there was no doctor in La Pista we headed to Yapacani.

To our surprise things appeared very normal except that there was no 'heavy traffic'. Most of the stores are open but the restaurants are closed. However, the small portable cafes were still in business. We were able to purchase the few things we needed -- the most important being toilet paper. Funny how that was not on the list of staples needed. There were some vegetables available but expensive. Thank goodness we have our own

We also picked up some construction supplies but were not able to purchase diesel, gasoline or propane. One of our friends took a couple of our propane bottles and will try to exchange them when the truck comes from Cochabamba. It is there at 10 in the morning and leaves when the bottles are sold. Diesel and gasoline might be available during the night but we were not staying that long.

On our way home we picked up someone in a town about 15 km. from our place. He told us that there were two barrels of diesel for our neighbour. We have given up trying to figure out how he purchased two barrels but we know that they need the fuel for their tractor. We are sure that we will be able to get some from them if we really need it.

We are praying that an accord will be signed on Thursday. The alternative is not something we want to think about.

Life in the Chaco

Returning to life in the chaco takes some adjustment. Life is back to 'normal' and routines have been established once again. Some things have changed.

We have been trying to get the solar electrical system working but have been having difficulty with it. There is sufficient energy during about 5 hours of the day to use the internet and the computer but for some reason the batteries are not storing the energy for use during the evening. Since there is a shortage of gasoline, I am thankful for the time I can use the computer without using the generator.

We also have a new well and that has supplied us with clean water. There has been a little rain so there is also water in the tank. All I have to do is turn the tap and I can fill the buckets to water the plants. It sure beats the hand pump, especially since it was not working well.

But everything is not so normal. The political situation is rather volatile and we choose not leave our little haven at the end of the world. We have veggies in the garden, fish in the river, enough supplies in the cupboard for a few weeks. There is enough gasoline to run the generator for a couple of weeks, enough propane for the stove and fridge for about that long, and diesel in the truck to get into town. The neighbours have offered to purchase the necessary groceries that we need so the first thing I needed was toilet paper! We hope that the situation is resolved swiftly and that we can return to normal activities.