¡Hay Bolivian weddings and Peru!

First of all, Bolivian weddings are the most formal events next to prom. And as I say that, it may be about equal. I bought a dress last weekend and wore what was possibly a former prom dress. It was used and dirty, but only $6.50 when converted to dollars. The bride was a fellow volunteer at the center. Somewhat last minute, the servant team got invited, and I am so thankful. It was held in La Paz, and she married a gringo from the US! The ceremony was supposed to start at 6, but being in Bolivia people kept arriving until 7:30, and about twice as many people showed up at the reception than attended the wedding! The wedding was completely bilingual and incredibly beautiful and focused mostly on their mutual love for the Lord and worshipping him in that time, and secondly, on their incredible love for each other. It was beautiful! It was so much fun putting on any makeup for the first time since I have been here and wearing a dress! Before, I was only wearing my wonderful jeans and sweatshirts! Also being a Bolivian wedding, dinner was served...at 11:30 PM and the cutting of the cake did not happen until 1:30 AM! I arrived home around 2:45! It was so interesting to see the mixture of cultures betweeen a Bolivian and gringo wedding, and definitely one of my most fun nights here!

My team and I are traveling to Lima, Peru this week! We hop on a bus at 2 PM Monday and then, sit for 30 hours! It will be an intense time, but should prove to be memorable! We are then going on a retreat with another Word Made Flesh servant team there to the jungle for 3 days!!! I am so excited about this...for warm weather and hanging out with this team. I have also heard rumors of Papa Johns and McDonals in Lima. I have never craved fast food or "American food" so much in my life. We wll be helping in their ministry there with the street population. I hope it is eye opening as we have recently watched a documentary on the street kids in Romania called "Underground Children." I would like to ask for prayer for our traveling especially because we will be returning by plane...and then driving for another 7 hours. But as most of you know, we had a pretty rocky time getting here by plane, and I am starting to lose complete faith in the equipment. I have not lost faith in our God that can do all things...like land our last plane safely! So, I can not wait to update you on all of the wonderful things happening in Peru! God Bless!

Miss you, mean it.

Pray for D

These past couple days have been incredible in book studies, spanish class, and GREAT times at Missionaries of Charity. I really feel like I am connecting so much with so many new women each week, and I am already dreading leaving their community. Sunday night, I came home from a big day in the local market which was also AMAZING fellowship with one of the Bolivian staff that has only gotten out of prostitution a few years ago. She helped me find a dress for a wedding I am attending this weekend, and it was a huge blessing to be able to connect with her, just hang out, and laugh. She really took care of me, too. She made sure I wasnt overpriced and got my money back, and even held up a sheet while I tried tens of dresses on! It was in one word: incredible.

Then, I came home on Sunday night to find Sipriana crying. She had just gotten off the phone with her son that lives with her father. D is only six years old and was crying the entire time on the phone. She says that his dad has been beating him which was a huge part of family life when he and Sipriana were together. My heart is absolutely breaking for this child whom I havent met, Sipriana and the helplessness that she feels, and for this father who does not understand the Kingdom of God and the love that only comes from knowing Jesus. I am also feeling helpless in this situation as I long so much to relieve this childs pain, to protect him, and possibly witness to this father, but they live so far away in Bolivia. Sipirana doesnt even know then next time she may see him, so I am writing this to ask for your prayers. There is also another son in this situation at the age of 15, so I ask for prayer for all of these children, the father, and the family on my side feeling helpless and only wanting to the best for their brothers or sons.

Simplicity

A lot of what I am learning is just through life, interacting with the amazing people I havet met here, Bolivians and gringos alike, but I am also learning so much through studying the Word and studying the Word Made Flesh lifestyle celebrations: intimacy, obedience, humility, community, service, simplicity, submission, brokenness, and suffering. As I have learned and witnessed the simple life, I have been learning this is really what we´re called to. With this way of life, we are so much more free from distractions of the world and culture. We are then able to truly enjoy what the Lord has to offer and love and enjoy the people of God so much more purely. This is a way of life, a state of mind, and a lifestyle which is often skewed by the cultural lense through which we view our world. Acts 2:42-47 talks of the first church where they shared everything. Everyone was equal and I think this is how God intended it to be for us. Mother Teresa said "We can´t do anything great, but only small things with great love." I learned in our bible study on Simplicity that we must first be focused on God nd not worry about being everything or doing everything. Then, we will have the time to love and worship God, free from distractions and be available to people as they need it. I know I am completely guilty of this in SO many ways, but I am learning so much about living to your needs and not just divulging in all the wants of the world. We must do this, so that others can be covered because there are SO many people in need. "There is enough in the world to END poverty. It just isn´t distributed right."-Ron Sider
"There is enough for all the world´s need, but not enough for all its greed." -Ghandi
Most of this should be accredited to my team and their wonderful insights that allowed me to absorb and learn all these things, but I am just feeling this transformation of mind and spirit which I feel will certainly be diffifult to maintain in the states where anything you want or need is at your fingertips. It is so easy to divulge all your money into your wants and extravagant items that you don´t necessarily need, only want the best there is out there when there are indeed starving people in this world. Over half the world does not have running water, now what should we do about it?

MC and My Visit to Noelia, my Compassion Child!!!!

This week has been great. The times at Missionaries of Charity were so life giving this week. A patient that had been lots of trouble and commotion with depression is now better and danced the entire day in the sun. Her name is Otilia, and she is now a transformed person. I really connected with many of the sisters. They sacrifice SO much to do the work of the Lord. They can only visit home every ten years and when they do, they are only home for 15 days. Other than that, they are placed whereever they are commissioned, but normally NEVER stay more they 2 or 5 years as another form of sacrifice. I believe they have all shaved their heads to rid themselves of the beauty that it gives them because they desire to be humble and servants of others. They are a HUGE challenge to be as I complain about having only two more months until I get to go home. This week, I also gave Caludina, the mother that had her son die a month or two ago, some yarn to make a sweater for me. I then can pay her when she is finished and it will be a small source of income for her and her seven children. She is such a beautiful woman inside and out.

AND THEN, I went to visit Noelia yesterday and it was amazing. Noelia, her mom, the director, and her tutor all met me at the Plaza Hotel in La Paz at 9 AM and then I got to go to her house and have some breakfast, give gifts, and take pictures. She was super shy whenever lots of people were around, but lightenened up whenever there were only a few of us. She gave me a cholita doll that I will cherish forever. I really think it may be one of my favorite gifts I have ever received. The director showed me a small binder that Noelia had made with all my pictures and cards I have ever sent her. It was the sweetest thing. I got to see the church that Compassion has across the street with her classroom, the kitchen thatr feeds 370 in the afternoon, and many of the offices and other classrooms. We played with her classmates and had jello and cake! Basically, it was an amazing day. I brought her a coloring book and crayons because she wrote me that she loved to color, and she colored the entire time. I am trying to schedule another visit for before I leave. I don´t know if its possible, but I sure hope so. I would like anyone who is looking for a place to give back to look into Compassion. It is a fabulous organization that truly changes the lives of so many kids that otherwise would not have the support of a Christian community to help them grow into the men and women they can become!



This is part of the book that she had made for all my letters I sent her!

This is one of the pictures I had sent her of my family before, yes, you guessed it, an Auburn football game.

A close up of Noelia and I. I don´t think she knew what was happening.

A beautiful picture of her.

Birthdays...

So, this weekend has once again not let me down. Early Saturday morning, the group minus Laura (sickness) went down into La Paz to meet up with our Spanish tutor. She is an incredible lady that sincerely desires friendship with us before a superior profesor figure. We continued down into the city to the Museum of Natural History. It was so fun. There were so many fun things to see and look at, and it only cost about 40 cents to enter. Then, we walked through botanical gardens filled with many cacti and flowers. It was great to spend time with Veronica, our tutor, and our group in a laid back setting.

Then, we traveled the 2000 ft back up to El Alto to begin cooking for Heathers bitrhday party. She is on staff and turned 30 yesterday. Our leader, Cara, had somehow talked Autumn and I into performing a song for her at her birthday. As we got ready for this, we tried to figure out how she did this. You can look up the song on youtube if youd like. It is "The one semester spniahs love song." Possibly the video will be to come. It was so much fun though. We dressed up as cholitas in flowing skirts, shawls, and top hats. There were many cholitas in attendance including both of our Bolivian moms, and they loved it. There were about 40 people there, and I have never really known if I have stage fright, but once I got out there, I wasnt at all. Her birthday continued long after my energy ceased, but it was lots of fun. I then went home and slept ten and a half hours because this week has been a little overwelming otherwise. Weve had lots of actividies every day and I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend ahead. Although, on Wednesday, I am traveling to visit my child I sponsor through Compassion. Please pray that this visit goes well, and we can really connect in this time. Her name is Noelia if youd like to pray for her by name. If youd also pray for health for my team member, Laura. Shes been sick off an on the entire time weve been here and seems to have another bug. Thanks for everything again!

Beautiful and Strong Women

I recently was told of the WMF policy with children and posting pictures. Basically, I am not supposed to do it, so I am letting you know if anyone is confused why the pictures of the kids have been removed from the blog. I am sorry because I know everyone loved to see them, but I also want to protect these kids from any harm that could come from this.

Otherwise, I would like to tell you about the women of El Alto. I personally, strongly believe they are the strongest women in the entire world. In El ALto, they are mostly indigenous women dressed in traditional clothing. They are called cholitas and wear long beautiful skirts, flat, plastic shoes, a shawl of some sort, and a top hat. Whatever they need to carry, groceries from the market, their babies (most often), or even their GAS TANK to their stove goes on their back. They are the workers in this society. I rarely ever see a man doing the labor work here. The women are often digging outside with their children on their backs. Some men do work, but I am just continually impressed and even sad for these women who DO care so much to put food on the table for their children that they will go to any length to do so. The other day, we had a bag of potatoes, peas, and beans that came to my hip that I could only lift a foot off the ground, and Sipriana put it on her back and walked for half a mile. I will never be able to forget the strength she has in her and is willing to do for her children!

Health, sickness, and ice cream.

Hey! This is a picture of the whole group! They´re great! It is my team, plus Heather (on staff), our leader, Cara, and Julie (also on staff). It is from the gringo community dinner about 3 weeks back!


So, this weekend, we went hiking. We hiked up a HUGE mountain called Valley of the Moon, then down and back up another part called the Devil´s Molar. This is at the top of the Devil´s Molar! I didn´t go to the top because I thought I might die of lack of energy, but a few did!


This is just an amazing view on the way back down. I thought these rocks looked incredible! Don´t you think?


This is all the girls! It is our leader, Cara, me, Autumn, and Laura. They are all insanely incredible people!


So, after we went on this BEAUTIFUL hike, I had absolutely no energy! My legs were about to snap and my heart was going to pound out of my body. Let´s remember, I am not doing this at sea level. It is hard to breathe when you walk on level ground here, so going straight uphill for a couple hours is MUCH different. So, afterwards, we were treated to ICE CREAM! I have missed ice cream for quite sometime or anything chocolate for that matter, so put the two together and I am one happy lady.

The next day, I wake up and am not feeling my best. My neck is aching and my head feels about 40 pounds. I am hot. I am cold. I want to sleep. I have a fever. I have no appetite. Basically, I am convinced I have the flu. I had to skip church because the walk to the kitchen was enough to about do me in for the day. I slept something like 28 hours in a span of 36 hours. I only was awake for a few hours and out of bed, even less. I lost 5 pounds in these 2 days. This shows how much I eat here normally, aye!? PRAISE THE LORD, I felt much better Monday afternoon, and today, I am back to normal! It was amazing how quickly I recovered. He took all my pain away and healed me immediately!

Anyways, enough about me...Sipriana went to the doctor this weekend and has discovered she has an infection in her ovaries and kidneys. She is telling me constantly of the pain she feels. I have no idea how serious this could be or really is for her, but I am concerned about it. Today, she also was complaining of her heart hurting after we ran about 10 yards together for a bus. She is going to another doctor in a week or two to find out more, but please be praying for her health and safety as she looks to these doctors for guidance. Pray that they have the medications and resources necessary to treat her, that they can do so simply and with little cost, but even more so, pray for God to completely heal her as He IS the ultimate healer of all of our wounds. By His Wounds, we are healed.

I miss everyone!

Small p.s. I found out there is a ban on packages over 4 pounds. The airlines won´t take them for some reason, so if you ARE sending a package, make it less than that in weight, and send it quick because it may not get here before I leave. Letters are always welcome anytime! ;)