#ThanksgivingSeason

When a student brings you fresh mulberries from her family’s garden (and you already have an array of seasonal fruit from the open market on hand), why not serve fruit salad over ice-cream (from your favorite “mom and pop” shop) – and call it supper? 😄

That’s exactly what we did earlier this week... 😉

#CelebratingThanksgivingInSummerWeather

“Driver’s Diploma!”

After originally getting my driver’s license in the Great State of Ohio (decades ago!) 😄

...and driving for over two decades in the Sovereign State of South Carolina (with all the crazy drivers there!) 😆

...and even having some experience driving in six countries (on three continents!) 😜

Finally this afternoon I received my Uruguayan Driver’s License!

It was a process 🙃 involving, of course, red tape and multiple visits to the municipality.

I had to...

...take the written (computerized) test,

...put in 15 class hours of “Driver’s Ed” (a big “thank you!” to “🚘ter’s Academy” for his patience!) 😁

...and then take the actual driving test.

So this little plastic card ranks up there with a diploma or something along those lines... 😉

Edited to add: 

The process was at least somewhat complicated by the pandemic (due to limited postal service, etcetera).

“Revalidating” a document internationally now requires the country of origin to “apostille” the document, thus certifying it as genuine. However, the interruption of international mail caused by the current pandemic complicated that aspect, so it was easier (and cheaper!) to start at Square 1. (Plus, I frankly was not confident that the DMV would be up to the challenge of validating a document internationally, pandemic or no...) 🙃

When it came down to the actual driving test (and the instructor found out that I’d already had a driver’s license elsewhere for years), all I had to do was drive around and through the park. Grace! 😉

Moon and Mars!

Moon and Mars, as seen from Montevideo tonight...

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens...

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

(Psalm 8)

¡En la Rambla de MVD!

Disfrutando de unos momentos en la Rambla de Montevideo...

🌞💙😊

¡Flores Silvestres del Uruguay!

Me encantan las flores silvestres...

En la costa de Canelones, especialmente en el entorno del Campamento Emanuel en Guazuvirá, se encuentran en abundancia...

Y al mirarlas, al notar su variedad y estudiar sus detalles, recuerdo grandes verdades...

Como un padre se compadece de sus hijos,

así se compadece el Señor de los que le reverencian.

Porque Él conoce nuestra estructura,

se acuerda de que somos solo polvo.

El hombre, como la hierba son sus días;

como la flor del campo, así florece;

cuando el viento pasa sobre ella, deja de ser,

y su lugar ya no la reconoce.

Mas la misericordia del Señor es desde la eternidad

hasta la eternidad,

para los que le reverencian

y su justicia para los hijos de los hijos,

para los que guardan su pacto

y se acuerdan de sus preceptos para cumplirlos...

(Salmo 103)

Visitors from AK and SC!

“Aunt Shannah” came to MVD for a quick visit since she was “already in the neighborhood” on a missions trip in Peru.

Sunset over Montevideo

Supper in Barrio Palermo

Her visit overlapped with that of the work team from one of our partner churches in Fairbanks, AK.

A typical tourist pic in downtown Montevideo

Conference in Fray Bentos

This past weekend we returned to the “Litoral” (the western side of Uruguay). The drive, four hours west and north out of Montevideo, took us through the departments of San José, Colonia, and Soriano, across the Río Negro itself, and into the department of Río Negro, to Fray Bentos, the departmental capital, on the Río Uruguay.

Getting away for a bit, even on a drive to another area of ministry, is always refreshing.

¡Los amo!

This visit to Fray Bentos was a first for our family (and even for me), and I echo thoughts I penned almost one year ago when we traveled to Carmelo, also on the southwest side of Uruguay.

I love being in cities in the interior of Uruguay, where a major portion of my childhood memories were formed. Though I also love living in MVD, part of my heart will always be in these areas of Uruguay that seem to have remained largely untouched by so many of the daily challenges in the capital...

Looking back, I wish I’d taken pictures of our hotel, a colonial style household, complete with a central patio courtyard, full of springtime blooms.

This amazing architecture was across the street from our hotel!

Teatro Young: SorianoTurismo.com

JM and I both spoke at the one-day family conference, attended by about 90 from various area churches, including one from the Argentine city of Gualeguaychú, across the Río Uruguay.

I’m thankful once again for the opportunity to learn, to grow, to share... As I said last year, opportunities like these force me (to make more time) to do what I need and want to be doing anyway – studying Scripture (on a deeper level) in order to be better able to share Truth that I’m learning...

Responsibilities back in Montevideo kept us from staying longer, but we enjoyed the (almost) springtime scenery on the drive home...

E spied a Tarantula Hawk (“San Jorge” in Spanish),

the largest wasp with the most painful sting!

The “Barrio Anglo” (in Fray Bentos) was declared a World Heritage Site in 2015 because of its role in WWII. We need to return for a tour someday.

Thankful for these blessings!

Late Autumn Foliage!

It’s late autumn – almost winter now – in the southern hemisphere, and the fall foliage everywhere we turn is beautiful! I’ve tried to capture some glimpses while running errands...

JM and I agree that this autumn season has probably been the most beautiful we’ve experienced since we arrived in 2013. One key may be that leaves have stayed on trees longer this year; we haven’t had multiple wind storms like we’ve had in past years – not yet anyway! And the weather hasn’t turned too cold, too suddenly, this year. So we’ve been enjoying an abundance of color – and cool weather!

That said, the weather guy I follow (via fb) said that last night the city of Mercedes (in Soriano on the western side of the country) got temps down to freezing (-0.4°C) for the first time this season. And cold(er), stormy weather is supposed to be arriving soon...

The sweet gums continue to be favorites for our family. This year we’ve been enjoying the multiple shades of red on the one we pass on the way to the school gym where E has class.

And our poinsettias are in full bloom now.

It’s practically impossible to capture the amazing curtain of color lining the back wall of the yard! Thankfully, the three main poinsettia trees seem to be recovering nicely from the storm damage suffered three years ago.

The ones in front are (only!) cuttings I pushed into the ground when I trimmed the original center tree late last year.

But yellows (and browns) are more typical autumn colors for us here in Montevideo.

These are branches of two of many sycamores lining our avenue.