Look for...

Since beginning this blog four or so years ago, I've thought of it as a way to keep mainly family members informed of our goings-on in a distant land (thus all the baby photos). But I'm slowly realizing that others of you are also reading this blog (thanks - and sorry about all the baby photos). And the more I read and follow others' blogs, the clearer it's becoming that what I most like are the little details of life: Food. Current thoughts. Sights and smells outside the front door. Travels. Plans. Books. Funny things said by a 2-year old (yesterday as Jonathan's Fisher Price man fell off the tractor, he said, "no hay Bappa" in a rueful tone. Meaning Opa fell off his tractor.)

So although I remain a rather private introvert to the core, I think the content of Willage Vater will be shifting slightly. Hopefully this will involve more frequent postings with more "mundane" topics, thoughts, and photos (since I'm usually holding at least one baby and don't take many photos anymore, I'll have to rely on others' resources, namely Willmar's facebook albums).

For example, why is that vehicle so muddy? Stay tuned.

Sneak preview

Anna turns four months old in a couple of days. Here are a few shots of her these days.


This "car" (as Jonathan calls it) is seriously amazing - she likes it, Jonathan loves zooming her around the apartment, and her parents consider it a life (arm)-saver.

Retreat and farewell

A few weeks ago, the MCC Bolivia had its annual retreat (usually happens in October) - three days spent away from work, telling each other about our work and life, corporate worship and eating, swimming, and that kind of thing. It's something we usually look forward to. Especially the pool - super especially at the height of the hot season as this was. This year we had kids. And it took all our energy to keep them from drowning and crying. It was exhausting.



However. There were also childcare providers for the morning sessions, and they did great things with all the kids. Above is Jonathan the kitten on his car (very exciting, the car). Below he calmly rides the beast with fierce tiger-driver (cousin), Reuben.



* * *



The other big event in January was two-fold. My cousin, Helga Fehr, has been volunteering at Centro Menno for the past (almost) two years. She lives in the colony of Canadiense II (Morgenland), and makes the 2-hour trip to Santa Cruz weekly. For the last few months she's been warning us that her "term" will be ending soon - "when the Kennert books come."

These "Kennert books" (Auf den Spuren der Mennoniten)are the result of a Jeep trip taken a few years back from Manitoba, Canada to Chaco, Paraguay by the editors of the Mennonitische Post. The 300+ page book is packed with photos, and since they hit several colonies on their way through Bolivia, the Bolivian Low German Mennonites have been waiting with bated breath to see if they made the cut. (Ramont's homemade triple bunk bed is on page 266.) After months of mishaps and waiting, the books arrived just after New Year. Helga has been key in distributing these hot items to the impatient customers. While the rest of us looked for mention of ourselves in the book (above), Helga was busy serving people...


Since Helga worked two days a week, she stayed the night here with us. Through this opportunity to get to know her better, I've come to count her as one of my best friends. I will miss these regular times with her.



Farewell!

At peace

What we (also) do

If you've been looking at this blog, you might be led to believe that all we do is gaze at our children all day long. But actually, we do work fairly regular hours for MCC, in the Low German Mennonite program. Ramont continues to "oversee" the water projects around the Chaco town of Charagua, as well as help staff Centro Menno - which has been extremely busy the last month or so. I work every morning as a "publications worker" (how's that for vaguely discriptive?). This means coordinating the printing and distribution of the (twice monthly) Mennonitische Post and (monthly) Das Blatt - both prepared by MCC Canada. We have around 2500-3000 copies printed here in Santa Cruz, then label and distribute them to some 30 colonies via mail boxes at Centro Menno.

But the bulk of my work is to arrange content, prepare visual layout, and edit our own monthly publication, the 20-page Menno Bote. This magazine goes to about 2700 Low German Mennonite families (of 5-10 persons each) each month. It features articles, lots of photos, news, and so on - and for many of our readers, it is the only publication they get. Quite a challenge, and like I tell Ramont at least weekly, probably the most fun job I'll ever have.

Here are the covers from the last four issues, just to give an idea. You can click on any one of them to enlarge it.

Trying to stay cool

Two months

Yesterday our baby turned two months old! Anna now spends long periods awake, looking all around with huge eyes, smiling easily, and cooing like a happy little bird. This isn't to say that she's always happy...when we leave her even for a moment, even when she seems to be dozing, we soon hear about it. Her daytime naps still aren't entirely predictable, but she loves sleeping outside in the hammock, on our balcony (as she is now).

So, Ramont took apart the car seat swing featured a few posts back and made a baby hammock holder. It's still being tweaked, but it will hopefully allow me to do a few more things with both hands throughout the day.



Jonathan's new favorite thing to do with Anna is, in a rather accurate mimic of mama, put his arms around her as though to lift her, and say in a sweet voice, "come." As I've probably written before, he is increasingly serving as a mirror of our own actions and words. Humorous and humbling, it is.

More new photos in the Jonathan and Anna albums to the right.

Just because...

...they're this cute:

Water projects continue

It's been so long since we've posted anything about our MCC projects that some updates are in order. When we moved to Santa Cruz in February of this year, another family replaced us in Charagua to continue MCC's water projects with Mennonite colonies and Guarani communities. That family had to leave the country quite suddenly in September due to visa issues. Since then, no MCC workers have lived on-site, and Ramont has carried on some of the work from here in Santa Cruz (six hours away over some pretty rough roads).

At the end of October, MCC hired a former local worker to help a group of families in the Guarani community of Caipepe (with whom we've worked in the past) dig shallow wells using a manual well-driller. These wells are already being used for household needs and to irrigate family gardens. In early November, Ramont and Willmar (who coordinates the this part of the MCC Bolivia program) drove down to take part in the festivities surrounding the completion of the project. The photos above and show Ramont and community members looking at one of the wells.

Below: A previous MCC project involved colony Mennonites setting up a windmill to pump water from the community well to households. Here Ramont and a community member look at the distribution canal that Caipepe dug. The man in the red striped t-shirt is Juan Garvizu, who led the three-week project to dig the shallow wells.

The families who took part in the well-drilling project hold a closing meal and simple closing ceremony in the shade. Below, Ramont, who is sitting beside the community mayor, shares a few words from MCC.

Unrelated, but on the same day, the Caipepe school held their end-of-the-year celebration. Here the kids share some of the traditional dishes they learned to cook during the year - every single one of which feature corn. And more corn.

And just for kicks, here is our official (rather grim) end-of-the-year Centro Menno photo for 2011:
L to R: Hannah Neufeld and Willmar Harder, Elisabeth and Ramont Harder Schrock, and Helga Fehr.

Locro

On Anna's fourth day of life, the Bolivian MCC women hosted us for a meal of locro, which is a savory chicken soup. The point was not just to feed us some good food (though it was that). Locro is evidently essential for getting the mama milk flowing. And did it ever.

Here Juana Masavi holds Anna. Juana has been Jonathan's main abuela while we've lived in Santa Cruz, and will likely be the same for Anna.


And here are the amazing women with whom we work in Santa Cruz: Eloina (who made the locro), Nati, Juana with Anna, Carmen, Paola, and Zulma. Thank you!

MCC baby shower

In early October, on Bolivian Women's Day as a matter of fact, the MCC Bolivia team also held a baby shower for yet-to-be-Anna. We are so lucky to be a part of this generous group.

Above: Marcello prepares the main entree - grilled kabobs (pacumuto) and sausages.
Below: Piling up our plates are (l to r) Cesar, Becca, Paola, Juana, Cesar's mother-in-law, and a very pregnant me.


Above: Ramont draws a...bottle? in a rousing game of baby pictionary.
Below: It must be standard Bolivian baby shower fare to blindfold the pregnant lady and have her guess what each present is (and color and so on). If she's wrong, the gift giver draws either on her belly or on her husband's face with lipstick. I, fortunately, didn't have to bare my belly.


And Jonathan turned 19 months old during this time. What an inquisitive, wide-eyed, skip-while-he runs, chatty, whole-hearted little guy we have been blessed with!

Harder-Schrock-Neufelds in Bolivia

Santa Cruz, Bolivia
October 2011

Cousins Elias (holding our Anna), Amos and Reuben Neufeld Harder with our Jonathan

Our family on the right, with my brother Willmar and Hannah's family to the left. All of us work for MCC Bolivia, Low German Mennonite program, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Six weeks

Our little Anna is already six weeks old! She is growing well bodily, and slowly developing a personality as well. We've gotten a few coos and smiles out of her that we believe are intentional (but probably have more to do with moving shadows and the like). More photos are somewhat regularly posted in the Anna and Jonathan photo albums to the right.

It has been exceedingly hot during her short life - last night our rooms were over 90F when we went to bed - and probably because of this, both she and mom are struggling with thrush.

Jonathan is adjusting to life with "Anna!", as he exclaims 900 times each day. He calls for her first thing in the morning, and kisses her head before going to bed (and plenty of other times throughout the day). We as parents are still trying to figure out how to parent two kids and still find time to go to the bathroom now and then (not to mention update this blog). Yesterday Ramont finished this swing for Anna, so that we can rock her in the car seat. We're hoping this will help her sleep better during the day outside of our arms.



All in all we're doing well, and enjoying life. I hope to soon post more photos of our projects and other recent events.

Anna Harder Schrock

Anna Harder Schrock
Born 22 October 2011
Santa Cruz, Bolivia

2,70 kgs (5 lbs, 14 ounces)
50 cms (19.7 inches)

Anna looks like the female version of her big brother, Jonathan. She, too, came out with her eyes wide open and seems to be perfect in every way. Here we are about 2 hours after her birth.

The photos above and below are from day 2 (Sunday), once back home. Jonathan thinks Anna is kind of exciting, and is rather solicitous of her. And thanks to Willmar and Hannah's good training of him while we were at the hospital, he arrived at our room last night saying "baby? baby?"

We are extremely grateful for our new little bundle. Thanks be to God!