Baby News...but not mine...

Sorry if I got your hopes up by that title...I was feeling a little mischevious. Anyways...I wanted to share a couple of photos of some special mommies-to-be in Bocachica:

This is Sorleis and her husband Aldemar. They just got married a little over a year ago and are expecting their little girl in October. Some of you might remember that Sorleis worked on staff with us at the mission for 2 years. She is 7 months along.

This is our neighbor, Marlaine, who we have watched grow up over the years (she was only 8 when we moved into the neighborhood). She and Toño are expecting a little girl named Tamar in November. Aldemar and Toño are brothers so these two little ones are cousins.

Medical Brigade 2008

We just finished hosting a team from MMI (Medical Missions International) for two weeks, from Aug. 16-30 and were able to see just over 1000 people. It was a great time and we made new friends that we know will be with us for a long time!! Click on this blog entry title to see more photos!

PS: One of the cool things at the brigade was that 3 of our nursing student scholarship recipients from Bocachica were able to help at the brigade this year!

Willkommen Judith!

Last month we welcomed Judith from Germany who will be with us for the following 5 months. Judith recently completed her degree in Food and Hygiene Technology and will be working in our Hospitality Department. She has already been putting her training to work and is teaching us practical ways to make our mission compound cleaner! :)

A visit with Elsi...

We had a great visit with our friend, Elsi, last week. Elsi served with YWAM Cartagena about 11 years ago, then she pastored a church in one of the toughest neighborhoods of Cartagena for 6 years and then she worked with us with YWAM San Diego/Baja in Ensenada, Mexico. Elsi is still with YWAM SD/Baja, at the Tijuana base, working with the family follow-up program. It had been 3 years since she was able to come home to Colombia and almost 2 years since we saw her last!

What If You Had No More Excuses?

This is 10 minute video but worth the watch! You´ll need to pause the music on my playlist down at the bottom of the right margin in order to hear it.

I know I´m guilty of making a lot of these excuses...how about you?!

A Message from Blanca Rosa

Many of you know Blanca Rosa who was on staff with us for 3 years before she served for a year in Costa Rica. She has been back with us this year supervising the Hospitality Department and it´s been a blessing having her back! She has big plans and we wanted to share them with you:

Hello my friends,

How are you all?? Well it’s been a while since I last communicated with you all and I wish to share with you all what’s been happening during this time. In my last letter I shared with you about my desire to go to South Africa. At the time I wanted to travel to South Africa in July, but I ran into a few problems to do the application for the South Africa Visa because here in Colombia there isn’t a Embassy for South Africa, and they didn’t give me the right information about the application process that I needed to do in a different country outside of Colombia, like Venezuela. And so this slowed down the process that made it impossible for me to receive my South Africa Visa in July.

Finally yesterday my Visa for South Africa arrived and all was worth it because I’ve received a Visa for one year as a volunteer missionary and I know that God was in this process. I’m really excited about this because this is a confirmation from God that He wants me to go to South Africa. I believe that this is the door that God has opened for me at this time to enter Africa and that I can learn the English language and also get to know the culture to be able to work in African communities in the area of Community Development. Thru this whole process I have been in communication with the YWAM Base in Worcester, South African and they are waiting for me to arrive for the next English School which begins on September 9th.

And so my friends the goal is to arrive in South Africa in this time frame, but also the challenges continue for me in the area of finances to be able to complete this goal, and so I ask prayer from you that God will provide the $5000 that I will need for this next step.
If you feel led by God to participate in supporting my work financially you can make out the cheque to Blanca Rosa Salcedo Martinez and mail it to:

ECCU
P.O. Box 2400
Brea, CA
USA 92822-2400

Write on the back of the cheque, “For Deposit Only to Account #1090670

Ok my friends I would love to here from you all about how everything is going in your lives.
Thank you for your prayer and support. God’s blessings to you all. If you have any prayer requests please let me know so I can pray for you all.

With much Love,
Blanca Rosa

Turn Up The Volume!

Do you have your speakers on???? Keepin´up with the Silva´s will now feature Colombian background music!! Enjoy!!

The Yuca Man

So, I have been walking for excercise in the mornings and if I go out early enough I get to see the Yuca Man. Oh my gosh...he is SO CUTE! He´s a little old man who rides around the neighborhood at about 6 am on his donkey selling Yuca (yuca is a root, kind of like potatoe that is real common here). He has a high pitched voice and yells/sings out ¨Oye! Mira! Yo llevo la yuca!¨ Which means: ¨Hey! Look! I´m bringing the yuca!¨ . He yells it over and over again as he rides up and down each street. When he sees me he smiles real big (he makes me smile big too!) and calls me ¨Niña¨ (little girl) and comments on me walking so much! I just love this guy! The other day he came by and I bought some yuca from him and asked him if I could take his photo. He seemed proud and posed for several shots!

The Minnesota Team

This past week we hosted a team from North Heights Lutheran Church from Arden Hills, Minnesota.

We had a great time with the Minnesota team this past week! A great group...worked hard, wonderful attitudes, well-prepared, generous, etc... lots of good stuff to say about them!

Rochelle playing with the kids in the cancha.


Lindsey helping in the kitchen.

Cell group night...Robin leading worship Bocachica style.

(If you are on Facebook, I posted a video of this...check it out!)

Wish you could have been there for this one...Neider and some buddies doing a rap song at the cell group. They brought the house down!

(This one too!)

Jeff sharing a testimony at our cell group meeting and Ben translating.

Jeff and Reinel working on latrines.

(I must confess that I stole this photo from Rehanna off Facebook)

Playing Limbo in the rain.

(This one too.)

Bathing and playing in the rain.

The first couple of days the team arrived our cistern was dry so the rain was a welcome sight! Thank the Lord, the water barge came the next day and filled us up!

Lindsay playing with the kids.