Fruit Series: Uchuvas

As far as fruits go, Uchuvas are really little gems. They are also called in some other countries "ground cherries", and they are as delicious as cherries without the big pit in the middle. They are very versatile little fruits and can be eaten as-is for a quick no mess snack, or they taste great on different types of salads. We almost always have a fresh stock of these little things in our home.

The Uchuva can come in a little pod like this....

...but they are more commonly bought in bulk and pre-husked.

You might ask, "What flavor do they have?"

The answer is that they have a really unique flavor. Nothing else tastes like an Uchuva, and an Uchuva really tastes like nothing else.  So it does NOT have the flavor of whatever fruit I use to describe it. The first time I tried them at Parque Arví, I was shocked at how different and good they tasted.

Before they ripen, they have a really tangy flavor which some people enjoy. As they ripen, they develop a sweeter berry-like flavor.

There are little edible seeds on the inside which aren't a hassle at all (for those of you who don't like seeds). The inside is kind of meaty, so they are not as watery as a grape. 

I highly recommend trying this little fruit out if you ever get a chance. Hey! Why not try them out the next time you visit Colombia?

English Group Update

Great news! We just received some excellent news the other day from Bethel. The English group in Medellin is now listed on JW.org as an official group! There is still a lot of work to do, but it is a good stepping stone to becoming a congregation.

UPDATE: Starting in January, we will have a Congregation Bible Study and Theocratic Ministry School!

Assembly Hall Security

Each congregation in the city takes turns in providing volunteers for a security watch. Stephany and I were asked to cover the night shift a couple days ago. We were told to bring our own dinner, a warm jacket, and they would tell us the rest when we get there.

We arrived at the assembly hall a little before 8:00 PM to be greeted by our sisters who were finishing the shift before us. They explained a few things, showed us the security manual, and away they went. This little guard house would be our home for the night. 

The job really wasn't too difficult assuming we weren't under attack or being robbed or something. The job was pretty much to not let anybody in before calling and verifying with the assembly hall overseer. 

We knew it was going to be a long night, so I was able to use this uninterrupted time to prepare the talk for Sunday, and....

...Stephany was able to get some service time writing letters!

It's a small guard house but there is a tiny kitchen and a bathroom in there. They had everything we needed for the evening. Including Coffee!!

Around 2:00 AM or so, things started getting a little chilly, so we were glad the brothers told us to bring a warm coat and some snacks. Thankfully another brother recommended we bring movies, so we had a Netflix marathon for a few hours. 

They also recommended that we take turns sleeping. My turn never came... 

Thats OK though, it's a little hard to sleep in small plastic chairs anyway.

While we were there, the current district overseer in Medellin came to visit. He is a super nice brother from Mexico City and he moved here 32 years ago and knows the Colombian side of Stephany's family.

There was also this crazy guy that kept showing up on the security cameras from time to time. 

Eventually around 5:30 AM, the sun started coming up, and we felt the relief that we made it through the evening. Our replacements (three sisters) showed up around 7:30 and we left for home tired but happy. 

By the way, we recently had 5 bethelites from Wallkill pass through Medellin on their tour of Colombia. Their visit was really encouraging, and just what we needed. One of the brothers was also very kind and worked very hard to deliver a last minute talk on Sunday. We were feeling a little bummed out before their visit because we weren't able to go to the annual meeting or pick up a copy of the new Bible. But since these brothers work where they print the new Bibles, they were able to bring several copies down with them and surprised us with 2 of them! We love it! Thank you so much guys and you're welcome back anytime!

Our New Digs: Part 2

Hey Everybody! Sorry for not posting since forever. We went to the states for a month and got out of the swing of things.. Well get ready because we have a lot of catching up to do! We are still having a great time here and love the congregation and culture.

We spent 2 or 3 weeks in May searching for apartments around the city and surrounding suburbs. We knew we could get a lot more for what we were paying in Calasanaz. We had a few requirements: close to the Kingdom Hall,  cheaper rent than what we were paying in Calazanas, and a quiet safe area. The city is economically divided by stratas (or zones), level 1-6, with 1 being the cheapest for utilities and 6 being the most expensive.

It was pretty amazing how we found this place. After weeks and weeks of looking, we found several "winners" that we had brought to the point of signing the documents until a brother or sister warned us about something in the area. It was a very very frustrating process, but finally we ended up in an area that more than fit our needs!

Here's some shots of the place so you'll know what to expect when you come visit!

Living room

View Down the Hall to the bedrooms

Dining room/Kitchen / Don & Linda

Finally! Fresh air and trees!

We even have little birds and parrots in the trees in the morning. We had them trained for a while to eat our bananas that were going bad.

Kitchen: It's small, but it has all we need and more!

Guest Bedroom: Bienvenidos!

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

Rest of the Master Bedroom (Has since been decorated up). We made some Roman Curtains to homie it up a little. 

And it has a pool!!! These are good for cooling off after the long service days.

The view of the city at night is really pretty and mesmerizing. 

P.S. I wrote this post in June, but haven't posted it until now, October. I'll try to get an update with our little furnishing and stuff (or not)