Sabre rattling in South America

Hello everybody

I´m starting this blog thing just because it´s awkward to be sending hundreds of emails and have them returned because an old address, or even worse, to be rejected by some programme that considers my email as spam only because it goes to 2 or 3 hundred folks simultaneously.

Our lives are not that interesting or exciting as to be sending out emails with news very often. Actually, those of you who get a newsletter from us know they only arrive every 3 or 4 years (the time it takes to accumulate interesting enough news). However, the current situation in this part of the world made us cry out for prayer, and we need to keep you informed and updated as far as possible.

So there you are, we are "blogging" now.

General Update:

After deploying troops at the Colombian border, Venezuela has done nothing else, yet. There were some lorries detained, but as they were full of food (something a bit scarce in Venezuela these days), they were allowed into the country. Chavez has announced today that he will cease all commercial relationships with Colombia, ...and that can be good, as today also one of the most important papers in Caracas editorializes saying that the time might be ripe to bring down such an irresponsible President... Bravo!... now let´s sit and wait.

Life in Colombia goes on more or less as normal. Kids go to school, the new house is a mess... by the way, we have moved into a smaller house (we can´t make all the old furniture fit!... time to change it?... uhm ...wishful thinking!). Anyway, our new address:

... I changed my mind and decided not to post it. If any of you want to know it, please email me and I will send it to you in a reply.

All missionaries linked to the seminary are OK: Latin America Mission, Latin Link, Free Church of Scotland, Grace Baptist Mission, OMS, Christians in Action, Looney Tunes... the lot!

Embassies advice wisely not to do anything other than living normally and let the storm die away.

Having said that, remember that "normal" in Colombia could make many of you die of an adrenalin overdose, so please don´t stop praying. Last month millions demonstrated against FARC, and today there are demonstrations being called against paramilitary´s and state´s crimes... polarization all over, tempers going high...

That´s it. I´ll try to post every couple of days during the emergency and see how it goes. If any of you has comments or specific questions, please either leave them here or send me an email... whatever suits you best.

Bye just now.

Part of the Latin Link team in Colombia. Sitting from left: Catalina (with Lord Fitzwilliam Darcy in her arms), Patricia, Noemi, Silvie, and Fiona. Standing: Yours truly, Benji and Simon.