Missionary Baker

Note:  Stephen Caudill, who wrote this report, is helping set up bakeries at GMI projects in Bolivia.

 

Dear Friends,

The last 2 weeks have been very busy with Papa Juan and Emmy being gone. The new boy Edwin is very lively, and pretty smart for his 9 years old. He can read well, and sometimes he uses his smarts for trying to be smart. But he is a precious lamb for the Jesus´ fold. He is affectionate. Like giving me a goodnight kiss after putting antibiotic ointment on his sore, which is getting better. Little Juan that Erin was with for 14 months really shows her influence on him. The children love helping with making balls of dough for the trays, but it is a challenge to get them to help clean up when finished. But then they are only 8-11 years old. They love to play. The creek is a favorite. Most of them wash their own clothes, even if in the creek.

Of course cooking takes a lot of our time. Especially when a fire has to be built first.

Eric and Chad are busy with being “house parents” to about 8 or 9 boys.

Most nights we have to run the Filtro system; it pumps collected water through a sand filter, then charcoal, making the toma water better for drinking by the locals. We foreigners still buy water, or I pump it thru my purifier. Sure glad for it.

Monday put more mud on the oven.

Eric had to go to the Toma last week to fix a disconnected pipe, so we could have water again. This week Jose, a 17 year old, went with some others to clear the debris out of the inlet, because the water went out again. When is rains hard like it did Saturday night, it plugs up, and then our water goes out. But a side benefit is they bring back jungle fresh mangoes.

But Sunday morning I put a clean trash can under the downspout, so we had clean-up water for baking. Then Tuesday in moving it to catch the dribble from the faucet, I got stung by a wasp, which felt like fire. Glad for the charcoal. So a couple of girls and Jose helped mix the doughs. Jose really mixes very well. Then Chad got back from Rurre just in time to help the boys make balls for the trays.

Chad had gotten some banana flavored soy milk Friday, so we made sweet rolls, –practicing for making them for Christmas. It seems far away. It´s summer here! Grass grows well with the rain and heat!

Son after the bread was out of the oven, a couple from Poland came to visit, and Chad showed them around. They are going to volunteer at a place up the river to help build something for animals, not sure what exactly.

Thankful for the sunshine, to dry clothes, because it is starting to be the rainy season now. More bugs.

May you each have a blessed holiday time, and I pray the new year brings rich rewards.

 

Baker Steve