Update 11.1.09

Good evening everyone

We apologize for the lack of posts in the last few weeks. The main reason for this is there has not been a whole lot happening once my dad visited and returned home. Basically our health has been the reason for the lack of posts, since they have been hindering us from doing some of the things we want to do.

My dad came to visit us on Oct. 14-19. We had a great visit with him and couldn't believe he was down here and living with us! He was able to experience quite a bit in his short visit, but we were just happy to be able to have him here and see a little bit of what we have been experiencing. The first and second day he was here there was a ton of rain (we have had very little rain since we have been here) but for those couple of days it did not stop raining. So, the next day when dad was going to come to school with us our teacher bus was about an hour late because of flooding on the highway. The sewer system isn't great here and can't really hold a lot of water, so the main highway in the city was flooded. It also ended taking us about 1 1/2 hours to get to school (when it usually takes 15 minutes). School start a couple hours of late and then they kids left at 11am since over half the school was not even able to get to school because of transportation.

Other than that day everything went as planned...dad was able to see Jackie and I teaching at the school on Friday as well as spend some time with our friends here on Friday night. We ended up having a pumpkin carving party for most of the new American teachers that were here and that was a lot of fun. My dad and I ended up having to carry a couple of 30-40lb pumpkins about 1/2 a mile to the place we were at (a lot of pumpkin seeds in those things).

We were also able to take him to Monserrate and downtown Bogota as well as he was able to come to a church service at the church we are attending. All in all it was a lot of fun and he was able to see and experience a little of Bogota. He was also able to try some of the foods (like the fruit and bread and I think he was a fan).

Other than that for the past couple of weeks we have been laying pretty low. I have had 11 migraines in the month of October and I have missed 6 or 7 days of school. All in all I have had 15 total migraines (as well as one that lasted two days) and it has really hindered us in what we wanted to do down here at the school and the community. I have tried a few different medications as well as visiting a neurologist down in Bogota. The best guess we have is that the altitude is what is causing the migraines to be more frequent.

Therefore, since the medication does not seem to be helping (I had 3 migraines this week) there is a very good chance we will not be able to complete our commitment of 1 year here. It is discouraging and something we are really not wanting to do, but in the end we need to do what is best for my health. Every time I have a migraine I am out for the whole day and every one includes sensistivity to light and sound as well as vomiting many times (I won't mention how many times). So the next couple of days I also am not feeling well and then I get another one. I would say in the last month I have had maybe 7 days where I felt great and the rest I either had a migraine or was trying to get over a migraine.

Please keep us in our prayers as we make this decision as well as trying to figure out what we are going to do when we do come home. There is a lot going on now and we are just trying to take it a week at a time, but in the end we need to do what is best so that I don't have any long term effects.

Thank you for your prayer and support!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!