Pueblo Camargo

I left Tarija at 6pm on Friday night for Camargo the trip costs about 36 bolivianos and takes between 4 to 5 hours. To leave Tarija you have to ascend via the surrounding mountains which affords a great view of the city. Although it was dark you can see clearly the outlay of the city as the city lights contrast greatly  against the vast blackness of the surrounding mountains and valleys only with the exception of an occasional fire glowing as some tarijans cook there dinner. As we got higher we eventually went through the cloud layer and the only light there is to see apart from the stars is other buses and trucks winding there way up the mountain. To get to the other side of the mountains takes about 1.5 hours it can get very cold and I have heard of ice forming on the inside of the  bus windows, however for my journey it was very pleasant. After driving though the wilderness with the occasional pueblo and a little river crossing I arrived at Carmrgo just a little before 11pm.

Here  is no bus depot here the bus simply parks in the middle of the cobbled street near a plaza. After waiting for a few minutes I am greeted by 4 brothers who take me to my accommodation. We walk through the stone cobbled streets for about 5 minutes and we arrive at the central plaza where the kingdom hall is. I am taken to a little apartment which is accessed via a little side street.

Opposite is a partly collapsed mud brick building which looks like something out of a wwII scene. My own accommodation feels somewhat antique with walls nearly a meter thick and old wooden doors with inbuilt shutters It makes me feel like I'm staying in some kind of monastery. What will tomorrow bring.

 

Im invited back to a brothers place for breakfast at 7am and we enjoy a Bolivian version of porridge and they inform me of the situation here in Camargo. There are eight publishers yet they usually have over 30 at the meetings, for the memorial they had over 90 attend. They have a kingdom hall which they use but they are not yet a congregation. For the special months of activity (March, April, May) they have three special pioneers who come to help out, one of them is an Elder. When they go a young brother from Spain who is a ministerial servant looks after the group.

After enjoying the ministry I went home to look over the talk for that evening which was my privilege to give. Then at 230 A whole group of us went to a family's place for lunch. We step off the street into a room which is used as a shop then go through another door into the courtyard where we meet some others sitting under the shade of a lemon tree.

Before long we go into another room off the courtyard and all 14 of us squeeze around a table and enjoy the food and hospitality this generous family provide. We enjoy as is the custom in Bolivia a soup first and then the main which happened to be a delicious dish consisting of Pasta, Potatoes and Meat. Accompanying the meal was a refreshing drink which I have forgotten the name of but it was delicious. This family do not have much materially but they still have found a way to be very generous.