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.

We arrived in Santa Cruz around 11:30 this morning. The bus ride was much smoother than the ride north towards Ixiamas. It is night and day difference from La Paz. The city itself is more modern looking and the people are mostly mestizo rather than indigeneous. Terry, the Baptist missionary (or as Tom says “mercenary”) has been extremely hospitable. He treated us to lunch today and we are staying the night in an apartment with the works. (That being hot showers, air conditioning, and a refrigerator). We even get to use a computer with normal keys. Example: I can actually push the @ button as opposed to alt+6+4 and @ comes on the screen) We will leave tomorrow morning for a town about 2 and a half hours away. We will go to church there tomorrow night and I am guessing begin with the wells Monday morning. It has been extremely interesting listening to Terry talk about the specific goals for Water for All, their origin, and missions in a more general context including the benefits local people receive by organizations focusing at starting from the bottom up rather than the top down. Today has been extremely educational for myself and I am looking forward to spending a few days here. – Jarred

Rachel, Addison, and I will be leaving for Santa Cruz tonight around 7 or 8 and should arrive there around 11 am tomorrow. From there, I believe we will be riding with the group from Texas another 2 and 1/2 hours to another town. For the next few days we will be receiving well drilling training with the goal of successfully installing a new well at the Internado and maybe after that at 2 Trees and ultimately in the future (after we have gone) needed communities around Ixiamas. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a partnership between SIFAT and the Texas group, Water for All. – Jarred

Sunday night, Rachel told Addison and Jarred that the van to Rurrenabaque would be leaving at 4 a.m. Monday morning and they would need to be up by 3:30 in order to make it into town before the van departed. They slept peacefully, as if it was the night before Christmas and all through the Internado was well, except for the mice in the wall by their heads. The young, handsome men woke to the booming of a sub-tropical monsoon that little did they know would not cease until 10 a.m. Addison, the bravest of the two, put his life in the hands of the Lord, started the moto promptly at 3:42 a.m., and drove into town through the relentless rain in search of an answer as to whether or not they would be leaving. Jarred stood motionless, watching the taillight fade into the storm and thinking, man, its pretty wet out there. Addison returned at 3:58 with an affirmative response from the driver whom who awakened. Even so, the young men and lady decided not to use their ticket and wait for a time when they thought the rivers were crossable for sure. In a nondramatic turn of events, the vans departure had been postponed until 3 p.m. on the same day. The trio carried their luggage into town along with no idea of when, or if, they would return. They boarded the van along with 11 other citizens of Ixiamas with the goal of eating supper in R’town. The van reached a distance of 200 yards when the conductor received word that the series of creeks between the two towns were un-fordable. The departure was delayed 12 more hours until 4 the following morning. The third time was the charm. The trio arrived in R-town in time for breakfast Tuesday morning and to purchase floata tickets to La Paz. The 20-plus hour journey had the trio encountering a delay due to an apparent landslide of somesort that had held up traffic for an undetermined amount of time. or, predetermined depending on your view of Calvinism. The journey also had Addison fending off a pack of arctic wolves with only a dull arrowhead fossil. Jarred slept most of the time. Rachel talked with strangers. The three amigos arrived in La Paz at 6 a.m. local time, and they are now, with the exception of the lady whose whereabouts is unknown, restfully sleeping in Hotel Sagarnaga after the men hunted and found the #1 Whopper Value Meal.

Nathan ‘Watson and Crick’ Paulk, Jamie ´The Cannibal´ Waldhour, and the rest of the Domestic Staff

Call us at 256’396’2015. We need more work to do and want to fill the remaining Learn and Serve Slots.