Calle 5 #14-32
La Mesa, Colombia
aaronlaurak@gmail.com
News from Down South
Hello dear friends and family,
After five days we are still enjoying life here in La Mesa, which is a good thing since we'll be here for a while! We are being hosted by the pastor, Martin, and his family. They have been so gracious and kind, sharing with us their home and knowledge of La Mesa. Our house is in the process of being set up, which is taking a little longer than we anticipated. The house, by the way, is quite comfortable by Colombian standards, and has a back yard that is bigger than ours in the states! It's like our own private tropical fruit orchard, with lemon, orange (naval and mandarin), mango, avocado, banana and plantain trees. It also has a little spring with a small pond and flowering bushes! We were overwhelmed by what a beautiful place it will be. While it feels strange to have more space than many others in the church, we've been encouraged to accept the home they've found for us. They were very happy that we'll have a nice place to live, even though it's more than we expected. We'll just have to use the space to host many people as they come through (hint, hint)!
We've had lots of "down time" to hang out with the family, which has been very relaxing. They keep telling us that these first few months are a "vacation" and time to get to know La Mesa. Then they'll put us to work. :) Our Mennonite work ethic is starting to kick and in, and I think we both want to feel productive. I'm sure that will continue to be a struggle. One way we're trying to manage it is by starting to make lists of things that need to get done, even if we can't work on them right way. We're also trying to take more initiative with what we would like to do. The first few days they had things sort of planned for us to participate in, but there's less of that now. We have to maintain a balance of accepting their hospitality and adapting to their way of getting things done, while at the same time taking the steps we can to be proactive in this period of adjustment.
Abigail is doing very well, though she's been a bit cranky the last two days. We think she's teething, evidenced by drool and biting and a slightly runny nose! The kids at the school and church just adore her, but it seems like sometimes the noise can bother her. Like Guillermo said to us our second day here, Latin cultures are noisy! Abby also really enjoys playing with Martin's girls. They like trying to teach her to draw with crayons or play patty-cake or do other things she's not quite ready for. She is standing a lot more, and vocalizing too, but still there haven't been any steps or definitive words. We got a little stroller for her, and she seems to enjoy getting pushed around town--there's so much to see!
The other day we enjoyed walking to another edge of the town and seeing a breathtaking view of the mountains and valleys here. It really is a gorgeous place, and it feels very safe, too. Supposedly there are places in town that we should avoid, or that might be a little more "shady," but we haven't noticed them yet. We haven't felt any negative sentiment: nobody talks bad about us being gringos, and no one shouts or whistles or looks suggestively at Laura (to Aaron's great relief!). They say that Colombia is a bit less machista (less male-dominated), and that women have a lot positions of influence in society, and it seem to be true. At church women are involved a lot; several are taking this three-year Bible certificate course on Saturdays. Most of the teachers are women at the school, plus we've met a couple of guys already who are studying to be nurses.
We'd like to say that we miss you, and it's true in part, but we're experiencing so many new things, and feel so welcomed, and have been here such a short time, that we haven't really felt homesick yet. I'm sure that time will come. We value your prayers and emails so much. Thanks for your love and support.
With love,
Laura, Aaron & Abigail