Goodbye...for now...

Our time has come to an end here in Colombia. We do not know exactly where the road of life will lead us next, but we are excited about the adventure. We do know that we have loved living this part of the journey and feel so blessed to have laughed, loved, and learned so much over the past 3 years.

We have learned that...
1) Colombia is a diamond in the rough. Very few people from around the world come here to visit or to live and that is a true shame. It is a marvelous place in which so many have discovered true beauty in the people, culture, oceans, mountains, and plains.

2) Being gringo must mean that you are tall, rich, & white. It is amazing how one's view on stereotypes can be changed when you leave your homeland.

3) Living in a different country is an adventure from the first day to the last day.

4) Eating in Latin America doesn't mean eating burritos, rice, & beans all day long. There is no authentic Tex-Mex here. As a matter of fact there is no authentic Tex-Mex in Mexico. Authentic Tex-Mex is from the Latinos in the States.

5) The British can be laid back and enjoy a good joke or two. One of our best friends made in Colombia is an Englishman who moved here to teach. We always have a good time doing anything and "taking the piss" out each other.

6) There are many ways to do one thing. Not all of them have to be my way. (Very difficult to learn by the way).

7) At times, sitting through a church service can be boring. But sitting through a church service that is in a language we are trying to learn but haven't fully grasped can be... Although, singing praise in another language is so amazing.

8) Family is of blood relation. But, there are those friends who become closer than brothers and sisters. This is the family that you gain and they gain you. Our family now is worldwide.

9) Life is truly a story. It has chapters, characters, and a plot that remains to be discovered. It is a grand story about all of us. It is bigger than all of us. It is an adventure in discovery and knowledge. We are forever grateful for this chapter in our lives.

10) Bottom Line: This life, this world is much bigger than us. There is a history that we were born into, and there is a larger story that we are a part of now. It is more than money, or fame, or things, or legacy. This life is about our Creator. It is His story and His work. We are a part of His creation. And so are you. We must love Him with all our being, and love others as we would love ourselves. It is this that we have learned. Could I have gained this knowledge in the US? Sure, but it would have taken a lot longer for us to understand how big and diverse this world really is today.

Colombia, thank you for opening your country to us...with its rich culture, gorgeous nature, vibrant music, incredible food, and loving people...our hearts will forever be part Colombian.

Con carino, abrazos, y besos...Mil Gracias!

Life at the End

Life is fun. It is like a rollercoaster of fun. One minute you are slowly going up the mountain, enjoying the view and the next, you are screaming your head off with your hands in the air hoping your back will be intact when you are done. (I know- Long run-on sentence.)

So this is life. Liz and I are about to leave Bogota in 21 days. Our life here is almost over. These three years have been amazing. We both wanted to enjoy these last days with friends we have met who are now our family. We wanted to do some last touring and picnics in the Andes. However, my limp & Liz's lump have restricted our plans. I have been house bound for the last three weeks, and I will not return to work until June 12th at the earliest. Liz has had to do all the legal and wrap-up items that are required to leave the country. I have had a physical therapist come to the house for my appointments instead of the other way around. Liz has had to teach her classes, and deliver my lesson plans too.

Our week is busy with school work and rehab. Our nights are for each other and sleep. Our weekends have been used for packing and closing up shop. Time with friends has been cut short. Last minute touring and picnics are a bit modified. This is not how we imagined our last month in Bogota, but it is preparing us a little bit for a baby. Liz keeps reminding me to enjoy this time off since Oak is on the way (he is still a little undercooked).

Momma Carter at 28 Weeks

According to the scale at the doctor's office, I have only gained 2.4 kilograms this last month...which is right on target for where I should be...but man, do I look huge compared to my picture at 24 weeks! The doctor is proud of how I am doing, though...he thinks everything with this pregnancy has been almost perfect. I am just thankful for the health of Baby Oak, my Big Baby Al (he is progressively doing better every day, walked 4 blocks yesterday), and my health.

Only 12 weeks to go until we get to see Oak in person!

A Crazy Week

A week ago Alan was his lively self, had come down for a visit to my classroom during break and was playing in a basketball tournament during lunch with some other teachers and students. At about 12:30 pm that day, I got the call to my room to go to the nurse's office immediately. And our daily life has not been the same since.

What happened...
While playing a friendly game of basketball, Alan hit against an opponent with the left side of his body and heard a "pop." From there, he could not walk on his left leg...but the nurse and doctor that came to school said he was fine, he just needed to rest for a few days. We went to our orthopedist that afternoon, though, because Alan was in so much pain he felt it was more than just a slight sprain. The doctor ordered immediate X-rays and an MRI. The X-rays showed no damage, but by Saturday afternoon Alan's knee was swollen twice the size of his other and he was in tremendous pain if he was up for more than 10 minutes. The MRI on Monday showed that he had torn his ACL, a major ligament in his knee and would need reconstructive surgery as soon as possible. All week, Alan laid in bed, used his crutches to move to the kitchen to get food, and Friday night he had surgery. Since then, he has not been able to move from the bed more than twice. Tomorrow we meet with the surgeon again to figure out details about how long he will be out of school and when to start rehab

What changed...
We have not walked together outside for over a week. I go to school by myself, make dinner, clean, pay bills, pretty much everything is up to me. And I am pregnant. But that is okay, Alan is going to get his due in about three months.

I am really happy that he is alright and the surgery was a success. I just pray that he will be able to move and travel by the time we leave Bogota. And, I really hope that he makes an almost full recovery before Baby Oak comes.

Cali (or)

There and Back Again
by Alan Carter (a human not a hobbit)

This tale begins much like that of the Hobbit Bilbo and his companions. However, unlike JRR Tolkien's classic, this story is a little different. It involves two friends, who are a little bigger than hobbits, who leave their shire, Bogota, in search of a ring. This ring however is not one to rule all rings, but it is a 5th year anniversary ring that had to be repaired. It was not made in the fires of Mordor, but by a husband and wife team from a place in the Andes called Cali. There were no orcs or evil horsemen to stop our journey, but there are guerrillas around the area. We needed to travel safely, and we were to keep the ring secret, keep it safe.

So my friend, Ben, and I began our travel not on horses but in a valiant carriage called Chevy Spark. We had no elfin bread, but we did have Doritos and carrots. We left early in the morning and drove through the valley of the Colombian Andes. We traveled swiftly through the countryside enjoying the scenery and the conversation. Our trip was planned for three days. It was to take us eight to ten hours to reach Cali. We would spend a day hanging out in Cali to pick up the ring, go to church on Sunday, and then come back to our "Shire."

It was in Ibague, a town in the mountains where we met our match as the mountains began to shed some of their sides. This caused more than four landslides that blocked all passages through the mountains. We could not, like our hobbit friends, go into the mountains with the dwarfs. Our options were to find another route, wait for the roads to be cleared, or go home. The road through Manizales was closed because of a bicycle race. The other road through Huila and La Nieva would take us to some less safe areas. Taking an alternate route was out of the question. We could wait, but we remember that the clean up is on a Colombian schedule. It could be cleared in a couple of hours, or a couple of days. We did not want to wait around in Ibague for an indeterminate time and traffic was starting to back up behind the landslides.

Our final option was to turn around. Ben & I returned very much unlike Tolkien's heroes who trudge on. We made it back to Bogota in time to return the car and take our wives out to dinner. Thus our adventure ended with less glamor and honor and more time to be at home on the weekend.

And the ring? We had it mailed in a box of panela sugar.