This past month our family needed to travel to Bogota to renew our visas. However, before I even left the house my mind was preoccupied with how cold the temperatures would be. Once there I realized there is more to Bogota than just the cold.
So here are my thoughts on Bogota:
1. Oh yes....it is VERY cold. I have lived in 90+ degrees for two years now. When I explain this to friends and family members I wonder if they think my body adjusting to the heat is an exaggeration, But when I say we live in 90+ degrees, that is all day everyday without air conditioning. My body has definitely gotten acclimated to the heat. I went from 90 degrees to 66! Yikes. We wore on average 4 shirts, pants and 2 pairs of socks daily. I realized that flip flops with 3 young boys is the only way to go...I forgot the work that is involved for a mom when your kids wear sneakers. Oh, the amounts of times I had to stop and tie shoes. :)
2. With the cold weather I along with my girls enjoyed singing a Christmas carol or two...It felt like December to us.
3. I found out that my kids who have walked everywhere for the past two years have land legs.The buses are very full and travel very fast and with it's jerkiness and many stops my kids cried with sea sickness. Needless to say we seemed to have adequate room....I think my kids hanging their heads out the windows gave the other passengers an idea of what was to come.
4. I learned that having a passport for your 7 kids, with which we can leave the U.S.A with all 7 kids and live in another country with a visas issued from the Colombian government to all 7 kids...there can still be doubt with the Colombian government that these 7 kids in fact are all ours. This leaves Nate traveling back to Bogota this week with 7 birth certificates that will be translated by the government and legalized to say that yes in fact we do have 7 kids.
5. People here in South America are just like Americans; they become preoccupied when a large family walks by, they use their finger and mouth the numbers to count our kids. Their actions are so obvious they could just ask the number...
6. I have realized when you live on an island with out vehicles you notice big city traffic at night.
7. Having grown up in Vermont for 22 years I find myself always enjoying the mountains. The beauty is breathe taking. It was a treat for our family to see green grass and clean streets!
8. We were blessed from the church in Bogota named Tu Presencia. They were more than hospitable; every aspect they could think to help us with they did. I am reminded over and over how if I did not listen to the call of being a missionary I would miss out on these wonderful relationships, these gifts with which the Lord has blessed our family with.
9. I have come to the conclusion that a time away does the family good. Now this wasn't really a vacation. We were always on the go, but at night sleeping in one room as a family sharing stories and enjoying one another's company was refreshing. Not having to cook, do chores, and entertain visitors was needed even if it was just for a short time.
With love,
The Ariels
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