Saturday Post -- 29/05/10

You spend the whole of the year waiting for holidays and then, come May, two come along at once. Or, at least, that was always the way of it back in the UK. Here, too, May is prime time for free time, but the way things are turning out around here, it’s a wonder the Bolivian authorities don’t just give us the whole month off!

Monday ended up being a general strike in Trinidad, with a plethora of issues bringing the public to a standstill – not least the as-yet unresolved electoral tensions, with La Paz in seriously uncooperative mode in the weeks following the government’s defeat here. Today (Friday) is Día de la Santísima Trinidad, essentially Trinidad’s equivalent of a town gala day. Indeed, I’ve just arrived back at the flat and taken a time-out from a parade of all the town’s schoolchildren which began at 9 o’clock and which was not even a quarter completed by the time I left at Noon. That said, one’s endurance is rewarded by a seemingly endless stream of cultural colour and light – you won’t find ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ floats here.

And that same folkloric flair graced the corridors of the Fundación on Wednesday afternoon in which the official inauguration of the new operating theatres took place (and, yes, no work was done then either!). As alluded to last week, a programme of cultural dances was a highlight of the afternoon and yours truly was there at the centre of it all, doing for Bolivian bopping what James Bond did for feminism.

Of course, the main event was the inauguration itself. The construction of the operating theatres was funded by Iain and Ruth Sommerville – Scots who moved some years ago to Canada. Alas, Ruth passed away a couple of years ago but the operating theatres have been named in her memory. Iain and his daughter Carolyn, who have visited along with Iain’s sister May Young (Scotland) unveiled the plaque outside the operating theatres. I was asked to give a closing prayer and then, after a buffet of calibre, we set off to review the couple of hundred pictures that Amanda and I had spent the afternoon taking for the Fundación.

And here are a few of them now...

Elías (church elder and basketball coach) and I pre-kickoff.

Amanda with the nurses.

Me with Ana (FT secretary), my partner in crime, just before the dance.

And the dance itself.

Though our effort was nothing compared to these boys. They had swords and everything.

Iain and Carolyn, having just unveiled the plaque.

Amanda with our friend and choco-baiter, Maicol.

One of the many construction workers, posing in front of his handiwork. The continued building work has provided steady work for many such guys.

A quick mention, before signing off, to our old friends Chris and Carolyn Sampson, who this week furnished us with a package including Milka chocolate, McCowans Highland Fudge and, crucially, my first pot of Shock Waves! They responded to the call with typical aplomb. Who will be next, I wonder? I took a couple of extended moto-taxi rides yesterday and I can report that not a hair was out of place when I got back. Perhaps Wella will find our blog and reward us for the free advertising they’ve been getting. Though they might ask me to kindly remove the dancing pics. Can’t be having that.

Prayer
• For the English classes, which begin this Wednesday and Friday. Pray for a comfortable switch to teaching mode for Craig (five months is a long time) and a sense of diligence for his students.
• For Craig as he preaches on 1 John 4:1-6 this Sunday morning.

Praise
• For a great celebration of the Lord’s work here at FT on Wednesday afternoon.
• For Amanda’s developing relationships with the health workers here.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda