Ringing in the New Year?

It has been a long time since I've posted! I have gotten a general sense from the blog community that everyone's new years resolution was NOT to write in their blog more often. Maybe they are just having the same experience I am - not much is going on to write about! Since I've gotten back from the US Dec. 30, I have had 3 meetings that I've had to attend. Other than that, nothing obligatory! So I have been doing a lot of reading, scrapbooking, and watching Friends (I'd never seen it before and Kim has the whole series so my goal is to watch every episode before I leave in May, haha). It was pretty frustrating coming back and hearing about all the fun things going on back at home (particularly Passion), but I worked through that, then spent awhile enjoying my free time, and now I am getting a little bored. Fortunately (?), Chavez threw us a curveball to add a fun adventure into the mix of living in Venezuela. What was that great idea? Minus 2 hours of electricity every day.

Each sector is on a different schedule, so it's hard to know when places will be open! Our internet service provider is on a different schedule than us, so unfortunately that's double the amount of internet time we have per day. And the worst part - our time is 9-11pm! In my opinion, that's the worst possible time for us to lose power. Here's what's involved in a power outage: no lights, water (shower, toilet, sink, washing up for bed), internet (skype, vonage-phone), tv, microwave, stove. I suppose it might be worse to lose power during a meal time, but I'm really bummed because what do you do from 9-11 every night? Pretty much nothing. That's why it's the best time to talk to people from home! So it makes me really mad that I won't have that time EVER again to talk to people at night, since that is the most convenient time for everyone.

For our first electricity schedule (lose 4 hours 3 times a week), I decided to be excited about it because it's a fun adventure, and why would I want to live overseas if stuff like this didn't happen? When I was a kid and we lost power for storms, I loved it!! I secretly always wished it lasted longer. Well, I'm finally getting my wish! So I'm going to try to enjoy it. I found out that you can download entire John Piper books from desiringgod.org! So the past two nights I've been reading on my computer (which works out GREAT seeing as how I don't have a reading light) and watching movies/tv shows on my computer. There's not much else to do besides those 2 options besides listening to music or a sermon, but I think it'll be a fine routine.

The only thing that has been impeding my enjoyment of this alone time is the banging of pots and pans and screaming during the whole two hours! Apparently that is how Venezuelans complain about what their government does. I heard that it started when there was a food shortage, so they banged their pots and pans to show that they were empty and they had no food. What I think is stupid is that no one can hear them besides their neighbors. Doesn't everyone know that if you want something done, protest before people who can actually do something about it?! Well Venezuelans have yet to learn that, sadly.

What you can do to help - pray for rain!! The electricity comes from dams, so if there is more water there is more electricity. Thanks!!