Yesterday was good we woke up and Mr. Terry decided that he just needed to send us in to camp because the rain had been so bad…it usually is about a fourty five min drive to the drill sight that is not far away ,but because the roads are so bad it takes a while.  We got everything ready to leave and we headed off.  Mr. Terry stayed behind because he needed to hold down the Waller compound.  Me, Teo, and four other boys that Mr. Terry hired left and it very soon started raining.  We made the call to give it a try.  We got about fifteen min then it started raining harder to Teo who was driving decided  with the rest of us we should not continue because if we got the truck stuck then that would be a long walk back home.  The road is narrow so we did not really have a place to turn around so we just sat there.  No one but me spoke english and though my spanish is not bad I had a hard time explaining to Teo that I didnt think the rain was going to stop and we prolly needed to try and turn around.  I was unsuccessful in this attempt, so we sat in the middle of the road for an hour waiting for the rain to stop I napped and thought about life and so on and so forth.  Finally a truck coming the other direction made it were we had to move our truck and then leading to us turning around and heading back.  Me and Teo spent the rest of the day making our pump station mold out of concrete.  It was a good day.

We woke up this morining and it was raining again so we could not go drill.  We are going to go on Monday and camp I think.  Me and Mr. Terry went fishing last night a block from the house with his cast net.  There is a really low area that fills up with water and so we were about to throw from the road and actually caught some small fish.  This morning we found out that at  that same time we were fishing about three blocks away there was a lynching of a young man here in San Julian.  I am telling this not for anyone to feel sorry, or for anyone to think that we are in danger ,or for a good story ,but simply because prayer is needed.  I dont really know much but listening to Mr. Terry talk who has lived here for seventeen years it sounds pretty bad.  This is the tenth lynching this year in Bolivia.  So pray for the people of this country, and for that matter the people of the states and the world.

-Addison

So someone has got to tell the real story of what happened to Mr. Jarred Griffin.  It was a warm morning in March a crew had gone out to drill and on the way had stopped to check out a model homestead.  Upon arrival we all noticed the two rather large windmills that soared over the property.  Upon further inspection my counterpart ,Jarred, noticed a small litter of kittens stuck at the very top of the windmill.  Being the brave soul he is he knew it was his right no his obligation no his duty as a human being and more importantly as a Christian to save these lost creatures from certian death.  He began his free climb with nothing more than a used match, and pair of dirty socks and his camera just because it happened to be in his hand at the moment of need.  Being a speedy climber he made such good time that he was able to stop half way up for a wonderful kodak moment.  After a few photos he continued on up making quick work for what would have taken a normal person three days.  Upon reaching the summit he summoned the fourteen kittens upon his back and prepared for a quick decent when he suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye two eagle wasps heading straight for the two smallest kittens in this abnormally large litter.  In a true moment of selflessness while risking certian death Jarred “The Juggernaut” Griffin flung his right thumb directly in the path of the eagle wasps.  Upon contact with the stingers that rival most swordfish instant pain shot through Jarred “The Juggernauts” body, but in this time of need he felt no pain. Jarred believes that pain is a choice.  He immediately noticed that the other humans on the ground were also in danger.  Quickly Jarred top roped off the windmill and face first repelled down the tower with the kittens still clinging to his back.  Reaching the ground Jarred placed each kitten in an individual large blanket with warm milk.  He then attended to the humans which were in harms way for the eagle wasps had been making haste directly towards them the whole time.  He then engaged an intense stare down of the winged creature killing them all instantly.  True bliss filled the air as all of the other humans rushed up to the man who had saved their lives.  It was sure a sight the Jarred “the Juggernaut” Griffin saves the day again. 

Tune in next week to see what the Juggernaut has in store for us.  (No animal or Human was injured in the ordeal.  The only injury sustained was the right thumb of the Juggernaut ,which will never have arthritis,  and a large gash in the open palm.  Notice no animals or Humans were injured for the Juggernaut is simply of another kind.

-Merely a mortal-

So today was a good day we drilled again.  It was a lot slower we hit 38 meters.  We are into very hard clay that is very tough to drill through.  We broke three couplers but got it all fixed fairly quickly and were back at it.  Today was Mrs. Kathys B-Day and the custom here in Bolivia is basically the the person whoes B-Day it is hosts the party ha.  So we had twenty Bolivian women here when I got back from drilling and they all brought their kids and dogs.  It was great.  Jarred you will get a kick out of this.  When we first arrived at the Wallers we were pumped because they had gotten fans for us and our rooms here at there house.  It was great for the first two nights that me and Jarred used the one we had.  Well it was late afternoon and I was about to jump in the shower and was cleaning up my room a little.  NOTE – I was not wearing shoes – My fan was kinda in the way and so with my right hand I reached to move it slightly to the left.  Upon doing so I suddenly recieved one of the most painful and terrifying thing I had ever felt/experienced.  I immediately felt a sensation/pain take over the right side of my body and not release for about two or three seconds/ days my body recieved a nice Bolivian shock from the outlet.  I physically was able to release my grip because my feet lifted off the ground when I used my 44 inch vertical.  If not for my wonderful leaping ability I might not have been able to tell this story.  For the rest of the day and until the next morning I was able to feel a tingling sensation in the right side of my body.  It was amazing.  Bolivia runs on I dont know what this means but 220…The States uses 110 I beleive.  I have no data to back this up but you do the math and go stick two pennys in the socket for three seconds.  but really it hurt but everything is safe here…Mr. Terry is ready for bed maybe tommorrow.

-Addison-

So they have two little girls Margarita and Mary Lou.  They are the coolest little girls ever the oldest Margarita reminds me of Kennedy..(boo she is three days younger than you)…the youngest is six and a little spark of energy. They both speak english and spanish and its really funny.  There household communicates in half of each language all mixed together.  While Jarred and Rach were causing the price of steaks to rise all over the world me and Mr. Terry were in our PJ’s  watching a storm roll in in the front yard, then we had spaggetti again.                                 

Today we did not go drill because it was to wet and the roads were flooded ,but I worked with Teo in the shop and we made pumps and drill bits.  He is also a gladiator at the whole drilling thing. 

Addy

Rachel and I left Santa Cruz last night around 6:30, an hour later than the scheduled departure time. That should have put us in La Paz around 10 or 1030 this morning. We arrived at the bus terminal after 130 pm this afternoon. Raise your hand if you want to know why…..
I was sleeping peacefully on the bus (a first) when I was awakened by swift swurving of the bus and supposedly a loud thud which I did not hear. The bus pulled off to the shoulder. A lady got off the bus and soon came back on and I heard the word vaca, which is cow. The passengers gathered that the bus had hit a cow and one by one they filed off the bus to see what had happened. The front right side of the bus looked terrible. I dont remember much of what was said, probably because I couldnt understand it. So, during the mayhem, I walked about a quarter of a mile back down the road along with a couple of Bolivians. There we found that our bus did not hit a cow; it hit TWO cows. The cows died along with the front right headlight and fender of the bus but no passengers were hurt. We stayed at the scene about an hour while the drivers debated on what to do, whether to go back 3 hours to Santa Cruz, head to La Paz, or wait there for another bus. They eventually decided to keeping driving with one headlight. Our crippled mode of tranportation stumbled along the road until we arrived in Coachabamba around 730 am where we changed buses. To all the motherly type, dont worry. This could have happened in Clay County. I would say it was an adventure but unless otherwise noted, I ask that the readers assume each day is an adventure.
Before that, as Addison was saying, we did some work with the Wallers in San Julian. They were extremely nice and hospitable. I had sweet tea there. More than that, I was fascinated by what they are doing in Bolivia and around the world. Water for All has drilled over 2,000 wells in 13 countries, each one costing little more than $100 as oppossed to $7,000-$12,000 it costs to drill a well in Bolivia. We got to see the model project of what a piece of land can look like if the local people use wells and windmills to supply water to their crops and cattle. Terry had asked me if I minded climbing one of the windmills to take pictures of the land. I said sure and began my ascent. I was at a point where I thought I could get decent pictures but I thought to myself, since Ive come this far, I might as well go to the top. That I did. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by a small swarm of black wasps the size of eagles. Subsequently, I was stung on the thumb twice and in my hurry to scurry down the windmill I received a nice cut on the palm of my hand. The pictures turned out well.

Addison rocked the well going 5 feet in 5 minutes by hand. I got his autograph.

– Jarred

(Sorry for spelling in advance) Hello sorry I have not posted in so long…I have been slacking while my counterpart is on the ball. Wow, a lot has happened in the past few days. Santa Cruz is amazing. We were there for one night as Jarred said and its was glorious with the AC and Frig. Ha…the three musketeers are split up now Rach and J-Money left this morning for Santa Cruz then La Paz then Ixiamas. I am still here with the Wallers who are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Mr. Terry is the well drilling gladiator who I am learning from and just for an example on the two hour car ride from Santa Cruz I learned more than I knew previously. His wife Mrs. Kathy has made French fries and spaghetti so far….need I say more. They have adopted three little Bolivian girls. One lives back in the states along w

*edit* : Administrator’s note: Somehow half of Addison’s post was lost. We’re not sure why, but if you want to see the site of Water for All, please visit Water for All to see some examples of what Addison & Jarred are learning.