I think we were all excited about seeing the two boys playing together. Jesse just had a really good time with his second cousin Gabe over Christmas so was a little primed for the meeting. Edna and I arrived a few minutes late from work to find the two boys feeling each other out in a delightful display of curiosity and play. We looked at books in English and Spanish, played with balls (with Alex calling out "GOAL" with every kick!) and toy farm animals. I pray that a real relationship develops between the two.

Erika, accepted Christ several weeks after joining the team and has been a wonderful picture of transformation over these last months. Before she joined us she was working in the capital, about 45 minutes away, while Alex stayed with her parents here in town and the two only had time together on the weekends. She's a rocket, really sharp and usually "on," keeping up with the many details of our various businesses and pushing ahead with all of the "next steps." We would not have had the success that we have without her. It was probably a bit of a struggle for her to really relax tonight, especially with Alex exploring as a young boy should, but I think she had a good time. (Edna told me that she teasingly told Erika a couple days ago that she should make sure that Alex didn't push Jesse or she might be in trouble with me. Edna told me today that since then Erika has been training him to not push!) We certainly enjoyed her presence.

Our friendship with Edna continues to grow, even though we haven't spent much time together outside of work—I think this was only the third time that Madeleine and she have hung out. We're so grateful for her beautiful spirit as well as her insight into the culture. 2005 was a really hard year for her physically, with a lot of doctor visits and even hospital stays. She told me recently that because of the drugs that the doctors have had her on she's gained over 40 pounds over the year—she was evidently very thin before all this happened. I got to meet her two sisters, both older, several weeks ago. They both speak very good English; in fact they both teach English. Then, last week, during a surprise visit, I got to meet her dad, a gentleman by all accounts. I am grateful for Edna's presence in our lives.

None of us shared deeply or even started notable conversations, but it was a really good time. It's just nice to be known a little bit and to know in return, to hear from "the locals" that our family has a place here. I'm probably being a bit dramatic, but tonight it feels this significant.

We continue to be grateful to be here. After this last trip to the 'States, our longest yet, the transition back home was the easiest yet. I was actually a little concerned coming back—I was ready to return to our rhythms here and the beauty and the lack of options and activity, but I was very aware of the lack of developed beauty: architecture, coffee shops, bookstores, thoughtful design, good food, and so on. I find I've been chewing more gum and sunflower seeds, and ordering various loose ends, but the deeper beauty consistently outweighs the lacking hospitalities, and the tostadas really are pretty good. As is the case for us all, it seems, it is in the absence of apparently unnecessary "needs" that our roots deepen and we discover new elements of our homes and even ourselves.