The "good life" in Bucaramanga...

Yes, we are really "living it up" here in Bucaramanga being invited out to lunch (which is the main meal of the day) each day and yesterday we were even invited out to someone´s home for breakfast. This breakfast was typical for this area of Colombia and consisted of fresh squeezed orange juice, a soup, (a consumé type of soup with potatoes, bread and cilantro and then eggs poached in it!! sound gross? Quite nice actually.) arepas (a type of corn cake) and café con leche (coffee made with milk). A big meal! Then it was out to someone else´s home for lunch which was also real different especially for here. The plate came with a large crepe on it and then in the middle of the table were ingredients like we would put on a taco. You piled all these ingred. on the crepe and squeezed lemon juice over it and ate it with a knife and fork! There was cheese put on the top but no sour cream - that would have been nice too! At another home one day we were served with a soup (fish) and then rice with shrimps in it and a fish type pasta salad and mixed vegetables. So life is interesting to say the least.

Most people know that I, Nancye, like to sew so it is a dream here for me to go shopping for fabric! Here in Bucaramanga you can still buy beautiful, good, fabric as most people buy the fabric and then go to a seamstress to get their clothes made. Marcia took me (Dick of course stayed at home!) to a part of town where for two blocks on both sides of the street it was all little fabric stores (a little like downtown LA - but better!). We had fun walking in and out all these stores, and of course buying a few pieces of fabric along the way! It is real good quality and such a variety of materials. I could have bought something in each store but restrained myself knowing we didn´t have that much room in our bags to take it home!! Would love to go back.....

Dick is keeping busy with meetings and is especially enjoying his times with the men where they discuss different issues related to the local church. So far he has spoken about 7-8 times and being Easter they are having extra special meetings so has about 9 more to go before we leave Bucaramanga on April 10. There are two assemblies here and so the meetings are divided between the two with some being combined.

On Sunday the assembly we are going to is going to do something real different. They are all going to this big ´private´park (a little like a country club) where we will have the morning meeting outside in a kiosk and then there will be a picnic/potluck and an afternoon of fun I guess as there is a swimming pool. We have never been to this place so are looking forward to something different.

The weather continues to be rather pleasant with only a few times that I have really felt the heat and humidity. We have had some heavy storm like rain, but it only lasts a little while before it clears up again. Sleeping has been quite good with cooler nights for which I´m grateful.

We leave Bucaramanga next Tuesday for Bogota and look forward to our time there - maybe not so busy, but one never knows until we arrive just what has been arranged for us.

Thankyou for all your prayers.....