Return to Bolivia!

    It seems appropriate that this blog announcing that we are returning to Bolivia, should be posted on the second anniversary of our arrival in Cochabamba. You probably already picked up from some comments in my previous blogs that we were heading back, but I thought I would use this blog to make it official! If we weren't heading back, the previous blog posts would have been fraught with tears and lots of sadness!! Something began to change and grow into a full blown idea during the month of July. It truly felt like we were leaving behind not only OUR babies, but also some ministries that were just beginning to unfold for us. It felt like we had unfinished business in Bolivia. The day that clenched it all for me, was the day that we said goodbye to S. and A. . As we left the baby house and I sobbed my way back to the boys house, Clara told me that this was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. I asked her if she thought it would have been better if we had never come and she wouldn't have had to say goodbye or face this type of pain. She quickly told me NO, she was thankful to have had the short time with the children we cared for, than not at all.
    As we were flying out over Cochabamba on our way to Santa Cruz, Rudi and I both had the same thought, this was not our last view of this city. Neither of us said anything to each other until the next day. When we woke up we looked at each other and said, "We're going back aren't we?"!! We had a family pow-wow and everyone agreed that we should come back and adopt our babies and continue working with the Horita Feliz ministry.
    Of course, we did not know how God would work out all the details, because there were several that had to be orchestrated before we could return. We had a lot of peace though and knew that if He had us to go back He would work it all out. Within a week of deciding to go back, the Lord provided a family to live in our house AND someone to help manage the coffee shop. We are super blessed to have the Lystrup family in our home and helping run our coffee shop.
   On the Bolivian side, things came together down there as well. At first we wondered why the Lord would allow us to sell everything only to have to go back and buy it all over again. I mean He could have clued us in a little sooner and we could have saved all our things! Well God knew what He was doing (not that we're surprised by that!!), and He provided a FULLY furnished house out in the country for us to rent and we would have had to sell all our things anyway! Not only that, the man that purchased our van has agreed to sell it back to us! We feel super blessed by all of these provisions and are confident that God is leading us back to Cochabamba.
   Please pray for us as we return for safe travels and for favor with the officials as we begin the adoption process. We are excited about starting this new stage of life! Stay tuned for updates on our new country life in Bolivia!!

                                          Two of the main reasons for our return to Bolivia!

Our girl reason!!

Our boy reason!!