Scribbles in the Sun

About a week and a half ago, I got to go on a road trip and as with any adventure in Venezuela, it was quite the ordeal!  We started by heading out to the C&MA National Pastor's retreat...no wait, first we started with a prayer that our vehicles (ie: my car) would make the journey without incident.  After picking up some pastors and lay leaders in Cartanal, we managed to fit 10 adults, 2 kids, an infant, a stroller, and all our luggage into our two vehicles (my car held 6 adults and the baby so I'll let you use your imaginations).  We traveled through pouring rain and arrived in the town near the camp we were going to.  Our only instructions to arrive at the camp were to stop at the town square and ask for directions from there (!).  After asking 6 or 7 people, and a few wrong turns, we found our way to the country road and made it to the camp safe and sound.  I am convinced that if we didn't have any Venezuelans with us, we would have never found our...

Sometimes, living in South America makes me a little disoriented (to say the least!).   What I mean is that Canadians learn to live life through the seasons, and you look forward to each of the four seasons for different reasons.   I loved winter because it meant breaking out my cozy sweaters and my ice skates.   Spring brought fresh breezes, the joy of the snow melting and adventures awaiting as the days get longer.   Summer meant making the best use of warm days to hang out at the lake, go on road trips, and BBQs in the back yard; and fall meant a return to routine, and the smell of the falling leaves.   These are things that I admit I miss from Canada, and one reason is because they marked the passing of time and my movement through the year.   Now here I am in South America.   I am close enough to the equator that the sun basically rises and sets at the same time.   Every day.   There is a dry season and a rainy season, but they both...