Bible School Reunion

This last weekend we were able to spend at a retreat for the alumni of the Bible school Franco attended. He had been asked to be the speaker for the retreat, and we were able to take advantage and visit his family who live near by as well.

The Bible school is also a farm, and many of the students receive partial to full scholarships by helping with the care of the cows and crops. Franco went to the school on this scholarship and learned as much about cows and crops as he did the Bible... Almost! :)

The theme of the weekend was based on 1 Peter 5:6-10. In the morning the days started off with breakfast and a devotional, and then a time of worship and a sermon. After the sermon was a time for sports! (My personal favorite.) after lunch, we had smaller groups to discuss and reflect on the messages. I had the privilege of leading the women's discussion group, and was encouraged by the openness of the women to how God is working in their hearts and lives.

In the evenings there was another message, and testimony of the ministry of alumni. Students from all over Bolivia and some from Argentina shared about how the Lord has used the Bible school in their lives and ministries.

Below are a few pictures from the weekend:

Group Photo

Hight-tec projector set-up

Franco preaching and representing UNT!

Screen printing t-shirts

 

 

 

 

 

Corn fields and the coulds covering the mountains

Finished product

 

 

 

 

 

Visa Trip to La Paz

In order for Franco to travel to the United States, the first step in the process was  to get a passport. Once we had the passport, the application was done online, and the application fee paid at one of the local banks. Finally after completing the steps, we were given an interview date in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia.

The city of La paz is about a 7 hour bus ride from Cochabamba where we live, so we took the bus (for  $4.50 each) to one of the highest cities in South America. At almost 12,000 feet altitude, La Paz is a beautiful city, surrounded by mountains, and breathtaking, literally. Even with altitude medicine, the symptoms of altitude sickness start to kick in.

Thankfully, a good friend from college, Ludi lives in La Paz, and helped us find a place to stay, and took us to dinner!

The next morning, our sweet host guided us to the American embassy. We avoided morning traffic by using the cities cable car system for only 50 cents each! We finally arrived for the visa interview (4 hours early just to be safe) and took care of some last minute details for the visa. Once we were finished and had only 3 hours to kill, we walked around the city a little before running out of breath.
 

For lunch, I was very excited to find a Subway across the street from the embassy! Cochabamba does not have one, so it was a special treat! A little before 1:00, we returned to the embassy to wait in line. At 1:30 Franco went in for his interview, and I went to an internet café nearby to wait and pray. I´m sure it was not as long as it seemed, but it was a good time to pray and remember that God is in control, and He is good, whether the visa turns out accroding to our plans or not.

After getting the good news!

After an hour and a half of waiting, Franco walked in with good news! He got the visa!!!!!! Although I had mentally prepared for the answer to be no, I was very relieved to hear the great news.



Since we had to be back in Cochabamba the next morning to teach at the school, we headed immediately to the bus terminal, and bought the cheapest/most reliable option back to Cochabmba. We calculated that we should be home around midnight if everything went smoothly.... HA!



About three hours outside of La Paz, we came to a stop at a small store in the middle of nowhere. Our first thought was bathroom break, but then it seemed too long to be a bathroom break. Then, one of the indigenous women in front of us gathered her stuff and climbed off of the bus. She returned shortly, clearly angry. Speaking in Quechua she announced something to the other passengers, and soon half of the upper level of the bus had gotten off. At this point, Franco and I decided to see what was going on, and were met with a crowd of angry passengers surrounding the driver of the bus.

                                                      Outside of the bus terminal in La Paz





We never did figure out exactly what went wrong, either a small crash, or mechanical problems, but whatever the issue was, the bus was not going any farther. I hadn't planned to start hitchiking on this particular trip, but unless we wanted to spend the night on the side of the road, it was our only option.


Thankfully, after about an hour (and lots of truck drivers turned down) a bus headed to Oruro (the next town with a bus terminal) picked us up, After about an hour and a half, we arrived at the next bus terminal and purchased a ticket for the 11:00 bus to Cochabamba. From there we had about 4 1/2 hours to Cochabamba, and arrived safely around 3:45am. Almost midnight!





It was an exhausting/productive trip, but we are so thankful for God's provision in the big things, and the little. Thank you for your prayers throughout the process!

 

Father’s Day!

In Bolivia, Father’s day is celebrated each year on March 19th. In the Catholic Church this is also the day that Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus is celebrated.

At Casa de Amor, Father’s day is always a difficult day for our kids. We are blessed to have many wonderful people in our kid’s lives both near and far, but this is a day that the kids are often reminded of the absence of their biological fathers.

This year, only three of our children celebrated Father’s day at their school by preforming a special dance and sharing a meal with their “fathers” in their classroom.

AM, B, and E were all excited to participate in the festivities, and were joined by a crowd. Tio David, the administrator of Casa de Amor, three volunteers, Franco, and I, were able to there for the dances.

B with her classmates!

AM dancing as Celia Cruz with her class!

A.M. Front and center!

After the dances, Tio David, Franco and I split up to eat lunch with each child. While I was honored to be an honorary father, I also was reminded of the difficult situation so many of our kids find themselves in. As we got to the classroom, B’s classmate was questioning her about her father. B has grown up in the home, and accepted Christ as her savior last year. When I arrived, she informed the little boy that we shared the same father. The boy looked at her questioningly, until B informed him that God was our father.

As we were waiting for our food, another classmate asked B where her mother was. She successfully ignored the question and continued talking, but it was clear she didn’t want to answer.

I left the school with a heavy heart that day, but I am thankful for the reminder that God is a good father, and that He allows His people to be a practical part of His plan on this earth. Thank you for your prayers personally and generosity in allowing me to be here in Cochabamba, and for loving the children from afar!

Fresh Bread

At Casa de Amor, breakfast and dinner typically include some form of fresh bread. For breakfast, children normally eat a piece of bread accompanied by a warm drink. Bolivia is famous for its warm, purple drink called Api, but there are many other drinks that the kids also love!

Although bread is relatively inexpensive in Bolivia (14 pieces of bread/ $1) the staff takes time each week to make fresh bread from scratch. This is a great way to save money, but also an opportunity to teach the kids (and volunteers!) new life skills.

Although the kids don't exactly speed up the process, they enjoy helping the tias with the dough, letting it rise in the sun, making balls of dough, and then cooking the bread in the industrial sized oven! (Don't worry, the kids don't get too close to the oven!) 

Making the bread also helps the kids to appreciate the food they are eating. Often when food appears on the table the kids struggle to be grateful because they do not have a good concept of the work that has been put into providing and cooking the meal. When the kids eat bread, they are proud to offer bread to visitors, and are more appreciative! 

Thank you for helping to provide our daily bread!! :)

Hard at work....

Making bread in style!

Oops, I accidentally got the dough in your hair....

No one is too young to help! 

New Year, New Volunteers

At Casa de Amor, we are so thankful for the love and support of people from all over the world. From Bolivia, to Denmark, to Canada, to the United States, to Ireland, to the Netherlands, to Austria, and all over the world, people are praying and giving to support the children of Casa de Amor.

This year, we also have four new volunteers from the United States and Denmark that have come to serve with Casa de Amor!

As I have served as the volunteer coordinator, I have been so encouraged by their willingness to serve and learn. It can be very overwhelming to come to a foreign country, learn a new language, meet 30 children and lots of caregivers, and adjust to a new way of doing EVERYTHING. :)

We have tried to make that process as smooth as possible, so it has been a busy week!

Last Monday and Tuesday were filled with trips to the airport to pick everyone up, and LOTS of luggage.

Waiting at the airport!

Wednesday was orientation day, and was spent getting to know each other better, learning the history of the home, practical information about living in Bolivia, and learning about the different responsibilities of volunteers.

Wednesday night we ate at a restaurant that serves Charque (fried llama meat), as a cultural experience, and rested from a long day.

A mountain of food shared by 3-4 people for about $12. 

Thursday morning the volunteers made a trip to Pairumani, a national park with lots of hiking and beautiful views. (I wasn’t able to go because I had to finish up paperwork for my two-year visa in Bolivia!)

Thursday afternoon Franco came to mow the grass (jungle) at the volunteer house, and Amber (another long-term volunteer), came to help make general repairs to the house.

Friday we had our first full day of work for the volunteers, and made a trip to the grocery store in the afternoon.

Chelsea with our littlest baby boy, and S. who starts Pre-K next week! 

Cecilie with our littlest baby girl, and A.M.!

Snack time with the girls!

Saturday was my sister, Autumn, and my friend Victoria’s last day in Bolivia, so we multi-tasked and I met with other volunteers, and they said goodbye to the kids.

Sunday morning we all met for church, and then went with a group from church for lunch afterwards. Some of the volunteers tried a typical Bolivian dish, Silpancho, and the rest of us had another typical Bolivian dish…. fried chicken. :)

Please continue to pray for the volunteers as they get settled into their schedules at the homes, build relationships with children and staff, learn Spanish, and adjust to a new climate and food!

Thank you all for your prayers for me, and your encouragement during this new and busy season!

Discovering the Christmas Tree

Last weekend was Pedestrian day in Cochabamba! Pedestrian day comes three times a year, and is an effort to reduce pollution in the city. On this day, no cars are allowed on the roads, which can make it

difficult for the women who work at the orphanage to get to work.

When it is possible, the volunteers like to help the tias by taking children home for the weekend. This past weekend, 7 of the volunteers took children home, and we were able to spend some much needed one-on one time with the kids!

I got to spend the weekend with “A”, a little girl who is relatively new to Casa de Amor. You can read her story here.

Although A has a heartbreaking story, she is one of the sweetest (and sassiest) little girls I know.
Friday night we got to my house about dinner time, and she was amazed by my Christmas tree. She had never seen a Christmas tree before, and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. By the end of the weekend she was much more comfortable with the idea of a tree with lights, and it was a great opportunity to explain why we celebrate Christmas!

"Tia, it glows!"

She needed a closer look.

"What are these balls for, Tia?"

We also got to spend time learning valuable life skills, like hanging clothes on a hanger. As I caught up on laundry, A watched me and wanted to learn as well. It always surprises me that things I don’t remember learning, I was taught at one point.  It makes me extra thankful for my parents, and more mindful of the fact that so many children don’t have parents to teach them simple things.
Thank you mom and dad! :)

ENGAGED!!!

When I was preparing to come to Bolivia, many people asked me about marriage. Don’t you want to get married first? Would you ever get married to a Bolivian? Aren’t you afraid you’ll never get married? I usually responded with a joke of some kind. My sister often joked about how there are a lot of “fish in the sea”, but because Bolivia is a land-locked country, there’s not a lot of sea. I have always wanted to get married someday, but I also knew that God was clearly leading to Bolivia. I didn’t know what that meant for my marital status, but I knew that God was good, and in His time and His will, he would provide. Or not. And that was okay.

When I arrived in July of last year to serve at the orphanage and school, I also had the opportunity to be involved in a neighborhood Bible club (Happy Hour) that meets every Saturday. The Happy Hour is run by members of my church in Bolivia, and the kids from the orphanage have gone every Saturday for the last 4 years. As I began to get more involved, I began to get to know better the other people that helped every week. From the beginning, one of the guys, Franco, caught my attention in the way he interacted with the kids with love, and humbly served in whatever ways he could find. His love for the Lord and desire to serve caught my attention, but I never thought he would be interested in me. Through mutual friends we began to spend time together at other church events. We became friends slowly, and then he left for two months to visit family in another part of Bolivia.

During that time I remember praying for wisdom and guidance in our friendship, but still thought that anything other than friendship was unrealistic. When he returned in February, it seemed like God answered my prayer in the opposite way of what I had prayed. Instead of maintaining a distant friendship, it seemed like the Lord constantly put us in ministry situations where we worked closely together. I began to see more and more of His fear of the Lord, and commitment to following Him. A missionary family that knows us both well began to ask me what I thought of Franco, and others asked him as well.

The “dating culture” in Bolivia is much different than in the U.S, so I tried to be very careful to observe and not initiate anything. From February to August we spent lots of time together in group settings and in ministry, and ocassionally time with just the two of us going from one place to another. When I came back from the United States, Franco was waiting at the airport, but didn’t say anything about why he was there. I didn’t want to be the one to initiate, so I (impatiently) waited. About two weeks after I arrived in Bolivia again, I prayed again, asking the Lord for a clear answer about whether or not God was leading towards a relationship with Franco. I prayed that it would be that week, and that God would convict him clearly of the need to have a conversation.

God quickly answered my prayer, and Franco invited me to go to lunch the next day. After lunch was over, he told me he had been praying about our friendship for the last year, and that he felt like the Lord was leading him to tell me. In the church here, “praying” means that you are praying about the idea of marriage, to see if that is where God is leading. It is similar to courting or very traditional dating. He asked me if I would consider praying also about how God might lead, and I told him that I would be happy to continue praying, since I already had been as well. He was sursprised, and said he had no idea how I had been feeling. Because I was not sure exactly how “praying” works, I asked. “So we pray, and then what happens?”

His answer was surprising and not at the same time. “I wouldn’t be asking you to consider it if I didn’t know that I want to marry you.” I don’t rememeber what my response to that was, but at that point I felt the kind of peace that can only come from the Lord. I told him that I would pray and talk with my mission organization, parents, church, and a few other people. At that point, I felt like I knew my answer, but I wanted to know what the “authorities” in my life had to say. I talked with my parents who were not as surprised as I thought, and then the mission organization, my home church, and my church in Bolivia. To my surprise, everyone I talked to was surprised, but completely supportive, encouraging, and affirming of God’s leading. After much prayer, and counsel, I am confident in the Lord’s leading, and have told Franco yes!!!!

 Our desire is to continue to serve in whatever way the Lord allows. He is currently serving in the local church and Bible club, and our prayer is to be able to assist with a church plant in the place that Happy Hour currently takes place. My work with the orphanage will stay the same, but the children will gain a new Tio (uncle)….and he will gain 27 neices and nephews ! I will keep you all posted as decisions are made, but I wanted you all to hear it from me! I am so thankful for the ways the Lord is working in Bolivia, in the orphanage, and in the ministry of the Bolivian local church. I am so thankful for you, and for the ways you generously and sacrificially give and spend time in prayer for not only the Lord’s work, but also me personally. Our God is faithful, and I am overwhelmed by that faithfulness in you all!

Group picture outside of the church with kids from Casa de Amor!
Thank you so much Sarah and Hannah for bringing SO MANY kids! :)

So much personality in this picture!