sigh… our “new to us” house is GREAT for ministry and classes! But I had NO idea how significant the lack of hot water was going to be to us.

Right after moving in to the house we started getting sick. It quickly became clear that we were getting sick from the bacteria and amoebas that flourish in the water here. Even though our water in the city is treated, the water in the city is even more “dirty” than outside the city!

So… what to do!?

Even with the local disinfectant, we just couldn’t keep the dishes clean, so we started praying for a dishwasher. The Lord blessed! And a few months later, we were able to get a dishwasher.

NOW we find out that the inexpensive plastic dishware here is NOT dishwasher-proof. We had already found out that it could not go in the microwave (you should SEE what the plastic looks like after heating some tea!).

So we set out to find something we could afford that would go through both the microwave and the dishwasher.

We “thought” we found the solution… of course the tienda owner told us that SURE it was microwave and dishwasher proof! But remember that there are NO guarantees in Bolivia.

So I bought a few pieces and brought them home to test. They survived! Or so we thought…

I went back and bought a complete 12 place setting so that we could have guests over for dinner. We want so much to be able to be hospitable the way the folks of Bolivia expect.

Within a week we got proof that the dishes would crack if used in the microwave. Within two weeks we discovered that dishes weakened in the microwave would crack in the dishwasher. Within 3 months we found out that, over time, the dishes will crack through the center of the plate.

O NO!!!!! So now we are back to where we were. I wanted plastic-ware because we have tile and marble everywhere. But there isn’t a plastic in this country that can stand up to the heat of the dishwasher. We can’t go back to being sick with amoebas all the time.

So I have been dreaming on Corelle.com! lol… In the meantime, better put a paper plate under your dinner!

Lovin’ the life in Cochabamba,
Cyn