Serving in Bolivia

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2009-08-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

While celebrating my brother's wedding this past weekend, I had the opportunity to talk with family and friends that expressed appreciation for my blog. I soon realized I hadn't updated my whereabouts since my return. I arrived safely to the Akron, PA on July 18 and after a week of debriefing I flew home to Washington, Iowa on the 24th. I am happy to be home and have enjoyed getting reacquainted with family and friends. A couple of weddings and a road trip to Pennsylvania have helped provide such opportunities.

I miss different aspects of Bolivia such as: the people, food, developing my Spanish speaking skills and the market. However, being home is a wonderful feeling and I am thankful for the opportunity to say "Hello" again to persons I had missed. Thankfully they were just as excited to see me too :)

The month of August is passing rapidly and in about a week and a half--the 28th of August--I will be heading to Goshen College for my junior year. I want to thank all of you that have faithfully read my blog and for those who have supported me throughout this past year. Thank you so much for your prayers and for showing interest in my activities in Bolivia. God Bless.

Trekking

2009-06-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today I am exhausted, sun burnt, in need of a shave (upon close inspection), coated in kerosene fumes, extremely sore and thankful that the bumpy 16 hour bus ride from La Paz is over. Yes, I just returned from a hiking trip. On June 12 a friend and I headed to La Paz where we spent a couple days exploring the city, relaxing and making preparations for our hiking trip in the Andes Mountains. After visiting the Coca Museum, Witch´s Market, local trekking shops and meeting up with some friends, we anxiously left the city on Tuesday and made the three hour bus ride to Sorata, a remote community nestled in the Andes mountains that, according to the Lonely Planet, serves as a base camp for hikers around the world. In Sorata we enjoyed the sights and restaurants the village had to offer, but also made sure to talk with some of the locals in order to find out more information about the hike and to iron out final details and questions.

Wednesday morning we woke up early, packed our packs, ate breakfast and headed out of town. Our destination for the day was a lake at about 14,000 feet where we would set up camp and spend the next couple of nights. Along the way we met up with a local farmer who was making his daily hour walk to work in his fields that line the mountainside. We chatted with him for about an hour, but soon realized he was also acting as our guide. We heard him bragging to his friends along the way that we had "hired" him, he was pretty excited. When we finally reached his fields, we payed him for his service and continued on our way. About two hours later we ran into a group of hikers, who were being lead by an actual guide, which thought we were following them; using them to find our way(this was a false assumption, we just happened to stumble upon them). After talking with the guide, we compromised and told him that if he helped explain the route on our map and provide some pointers, we would pay him; hoping no further discrepancies would arise. I guess this was to be expected since we didn´t hire a local to go with us, however not being able to figure out the trail for yourself takes away from the fun of exploration.

At around 4:30, exhausted due to not being in shape, we arrived and set up camp close to the lake. The view was spectacular, definitely a haven compared to the dusty and dirty streets of Santa Cruz. The scenery, fresh mountain air and tasty Romen Noodles for supper was well worth the trek. Darkness and the cold quickly moved in and we ended the day by settling into our sleeping bags and our Mountain Tent (we found this small A-frame tent in Santa Cruz, probably something our parents would have used, and decided it would be fun to travel back in time).

The next day we planned to hike to continue on up to find the popular glacier lake, but I ended up going with some other people who were also staying at the lake since my friend was unfortunately dealing with some stomach issues and altitude sickness (I would later suffer from the same). After hiking for about three hours, I decided to break off from the group and explore another area. This turned out to be an exciting adventure, but also left me worn out since I ended up having to climb two bolder fields in order reach the glacier lake. So there I was, feeling sick due to the elevation and too tired to really enjoy the moment. I could only think about returning so I could eat more Romen Noodles and sleep. Looking back, I wish I would have stayed put and enjoyed God´s beautiful creation instead of constantly hiking around and entertaining my love for exploration. Something I will keep in mind the next time, but I know will be difficult since I am constantly on the move.

The next day we were both tired and ready to return home. Instead of staying a third night like we originally planned, we packed up and returned to Sorata. We then found a micro and made the three hour trip back to La Paz. This included waiting out a bloqueo (persons will block off the roads as an act of protest in order to bring awareness to certain issues such as the price of public transportation) and walking 45 minutes since the driver decided he could go no further due to the blocked roads. Thankfully we found a taxi which took us to where we would stay the night in La Paz. The next day we then purchased our bus tickets and headed back to Santa Cruz. I will remain here, except for a quick trip to Concepcion, until July 17 when I will be flying back to Akron, PA. Chao.

Not Much Time

2009-06-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

Winter is finally only a couple of weeks away which means cooler weather and restful nights; thankfully. Cold showers before going to bed are no longer necessary and instead of waking up periodically due to oven-like temperatures in my room, I can sleep the whole night through beneath my wool comforters. I have been longing for cooler weather for some time now, yet the change in weather has left me a bit confused. I usually associate cold weather with trees changing the colors of their leaves, snow and Christmas. I periodically have to remind myself I am in June and not November or December.

As I enter the winter months of June, July and August here in Bolivia, this also means my time is drawing to an end. The remaining time should go fast as well due to final reports, activities with the library, numerous final goodbyes, MCCs 50th anniversary celebration, a little bit of traveling and my brother visiting. Before I realize, I will be sitting on a plane and heading back to the United States si Diós quiere. I am both excited and sad about this fact. It is difficult to say goodbye to the people I have met and leave behind cultural habits I have adapted to. For those who do not know, I have roughly a month and a half left before flying home.

Looking back on the month of May, it has been one of the fastest months yet due to a number of activities. All the MCC Bolivia workers got together for a two day retreat, we purchased new books and materials for the library (thank you Susan See, those who played in the concert and to those who donated), mother´s day was a large celebration, my host brother was also confirmed this past Sunday and I took a weekend trip to visit a friend a couple weeks ago. Seeing how May flew by, I am rather positive June will be similar, if not faster. Nonetheless, I will continue to have patience, trust in God and rely on your prayers.

It has been a while, whoops.

2009-05-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

It has taken longer than I had expected to adjust to life here in the plan 3000. Before arriving I had spent a month in Santa Cruz with a host family and I also spent three months in Concepción. These experiences allowed me to adjust to the idea of being away from family and friends, to a new culture and to touch-up on my Spanish, but moving to the Plan 3000 required adapting to a new host family, living conditions, community and library. Thankfully the adjustment period has passed and that life here in Bolivia feels more normal. Looking back I am at peace about my decision to move, even though I basically had to start over again in a new environment. Yet, it is difficult having three host families who desire frequent visits and I know they would wish to see me more than what is possible. I am doing my best to visit and make phone calls so they know I haven´t forgotten about them, but this isn´t always easy. Hopefully they understand it is important for me to spend my energy and time with the community I am with.

Speaking of time, it is passing rather quickly; shockingly. I never dreamed I would admit that since July has always seamed like a distant reality. The next two and a half months should fly since I am more adjusted to life here in the Plan 3000, this is both exciting and disappointing. Please pray for me in that I can remain focused, especially since there is more for me to attend to in the remaining months. My schedule is getting rather busy, at least for me anyways, while March and April were more tranquillo. Well, except for Easter weekend.

Easter passed in a very different fashion for me this year. Instead of the typical Thursday evening meal at my home church, an Easter service on Sunday morning and a lunch with family and friends, the weekend was more active. Here in Bolivia, Easter is a four day holiday. All the businesses shut down and for the Catholic community, Thursday evening Mass kicked-off a weekend full of reverence and celebration. Friday, in the heat of the afternoon, I attended the via cruz ("way of the cross", we walked around to 14 stations--representing the 14 stations of the cross--while singing and reading scripture. About a two and half hour event) which was then followed by a mass in the evening. Saturday we went about our normal routine until the 9:00 p.m. Mass in the evening; afterwards a vigil until midnight. Sunday morning we then rose bright and early for the Easter Sunday celebration which consisted of joyous singing and praise. Thankfully this time the passion story wasn´t read, unlike the previous three, a fourth time in Spanish would have been a little too much.

Since then I have resumed my regular routine, but excitingly I now tutor a student every morning. I appreciate having a regular and consistent visitor. Other than that, I also help other students when they come to the library for homework, to work on puzzles or to play chess. Occasionally the nuns will also stop by to chat. Yet, excitingly in a week we should be going to the book store to purchase some new books; well, maybe. Experience has taught me that this could most likely change, a frustration I have learned to accept and adapt to. Plans are always changing and one never knows what to expect.

While living here in Bolivia, I have experienced numerous unanticipated changes, challenges and feelings (wouldn´t have been much fun had I not). I can´t thank enough those who have offered their prayers and support, they have been greatly appreciated and have provided a foothold during difficult times. A supportive community in Bolivia and abroad, as well as God´s grace, have been a needed crutch which I am thankful for. I hope you all have a wonderful May. Blessings.

March...

2009-03-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been keeping busy with my tasks in the library: tutoring, helping kids find books, planning upcoming activities and deciding what books to purchase that will best serve the students. At times, 20 kids will swarm into the library in order to practice different subjects, such as Math, or to play different board games. Other days require much waiting. The weather and encouragement from teachers and parents greatly affects library attendance. Hopefully both will continue to offer positive encouragement.

In April we are planning to have activities for the youth of the neighborhood. We are planning different games and crafts for them to participate in. We desire for more students to know about the library and thus have decided to team up with the Catholic Church. Around 100 kids will be preparing for their first communion April 12 and the nuns have asked us to help organize different activities for them in the morning, prior to the mass. We jumped on the idea and decided to use this opportunity to help benefit the library. Since the library occupies a room within the church´s compound, it shouldn´t be too difficult to use the space for various activities. We also hope to have seminars for parents about the importance of reading later on in the month. Students come to use the library to do homework, but very few come solely to read the different novels and stories we have available. Hopefully such seminars will help promote reading at home and library attendance.

During the month of March our group of SALTers visited Cochabamba for three days. We traveled the 12 hour bus ride on a Friday night and arrived Saturday morning. We then spent the next two days in meetings and seminars about the new constitution, Indigenous Cosmology and beliefs, law 1008 (established to help reduce drug trafficking and production, but instead has resulted in thousands of unjust arrests.) and about an organization called the Democracy Center which helps to lobby for citizen rights in Cochabamba and Bolivia as a whole. We also spent time sightseeing, but we were all very thankful for such an informative experience.

As for me, I am enjoying my time here in Bolivia. Every week presents different challenges, but I am thankful for the lessons I have learned from them. My host family is very hospitable and I appreciate the relationships I have established within the community. I feel more adjusted to the culture and language which helps as well. Time is moving quicker now and I realize July is rapidly approaching. Please continue to remember me in your prayers during my last three and a half months abroad. Chao.

February...

2009-02-27T19:43:00.000-08:00

Time is passing rather quickly right now as it is already the end of February, but of course having my parents and others from church visit has helped pass the time. At first it was an adjustment having them here since they are foreign to my Bolivian reality, but I easily adjusted to their presence. I enjoyed working with them at the day care--part of the reason for coming was to help with a work project--, showing them around and introducing them to the people I have been living with for the past six months. Their time here passed quicker than I had anticipated or wanted, but I have adjusted to my normal routine since their departure. As normal as it can be during Carnival anyways.

I had learned about Carnival in the Spanish class my final semester at Hesston College and I was anxious to experience it first hand. Hearing my host brothers talk non-stop about the festival and listening to all the propaganda also fueled my anticipation. Therefore Sunday afternoon my host brother and I dressed in our oldest clothes and headed downtown to participate in a massive water balloon and paint fight. After about four hours we then returned home soaked and covered in paint from head to toe. Definitely a worthwhile experience we both decided to repeat the following day. However after two days of having people smear paint on your face, having party foam sprayed at your eyes and mouth, and getting soaked by water balloons, we decided to call it quits.

Tuesday we relaxed at home and participated in the custom of giving thanks to the Pacha Mama (mother earth). This included presenting a burnt offering of different foods and of course fire works for some added noise. We then threw confetti and watched the smoke from the offering fill the house which is supposed to bring good luck and a good harvest. I realize this may strike some readers as odd or unnecessary, but it was definitely a unique cultural experience to witness. Afterwards we shared a celebration lunch of Spicy chicken, chunyo (dehydrated potatoes covered in a peanut sauce), yucca (same family as the potato), rice and soup. It was a well needed day of rest after a busy month of visitors and the biggest celebration of the year.

Currently I have resumed my regular routine of working in the library. I have been living in Santa Cruz now for two and a half months and it is a wonderful feeling to be adjusted to my new work and new host family. Again thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. Chao.

First Week in the Library

2009-02-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a brief update of my activities this past week. I have successfully completed my first week of work in the Plan 3000, working in the library San Silvestre and at the Parish. It was a slow week since very few students attended the library due to the lack of homework assigned this week. The first week is usually spent sitting through "entertaining" and "interesting" syllabi's right? I am not sure how enthusiastic the youth were about resuming their studies either. Some of the schools nearby also didn´t begin classes because some of the classrooms were being painted. However more students should attend this coming week as they get settled into the routine of the new school year. If not I will resume cataloging books, reading and waiting patiently, a routine I have grown accustomed to. Probably the hardest part of this week was waiting in anticipation for my family and friends to arrive.

Saturday my Dad, Mom, Jason Widmer and two persons from my church will be landing here in Bolivia. I have been looking forward to this day for sometime now. I am anxious to show them where I have been living for the past 6 months and to introduce them to my friends and family here in Bolivia. They will be working on a daycare laying bricks for the first week and then they will get a chance to see where I have been working the following week. Hopefully we have desirable weather and everyone stays healthy.

The begininning of February also marked the half-way point for my time here in Bolivia. When looking back it is tempting to say time has passed quickly, but in reality October and November were long and arduous. I faced new and unexpected circumstances daily which challenged me in positive, yet annoying ways. However time is picking up steam and the months are passing quicker as I have grown accustomed, to some degree, to life in Bolivia. The second half will most likely pass quicker than the first, so I am told anyways. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers and God bless. Chao.

Another Year of Conflict

2009-01-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the whole city of Santa Cruz shut down to vote on the new constitution that was recently formed this past year. Businesses closed, churches moved their services to Saturday night, the public transportation system was suspended, buses were not allowed to enter or leave the city and few vehicles traveled through the streets. All attention was focused on voting in order to ensure a good turnout. The government also took precautions, such as restricting vendors from selling alcohol, in order to keep things under control.

The new constitution has been heavily debated and persons on both sides feel extremely passionate about their opinions. The majority of the people in the department of Santa Cruz are not in favor of the new constitution due to some of the articles. Land distribution coupled with ownership regulations and control of the country´s natural resources are concerns for persons in Santa Cruz.

Supporters on the other hand are from the western part of the country, home to the majority of the indigenous population. They are in favor of a more state-run economy where funds generated from natural resources will be evenly distributed throughout the country. They also favor the new constitution because of the new land regulations. However due to numerous concessions on the part of Evo Morales, as demanded by the opposition, there will be less land distributed than initially promised. Only unused land will be repossessed and distributed to the indigenous population. An owner simply has to prove he or she is farming or using the land in order to keep it.

Today, Monday, the puplic was informed that the general population voted "yes" for the new constitution; 60% voted "yes" and 40% voted "no". Evo and his supporters see this as a victory, but the opposition has also celebrated. The departments of Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija celebrated the fact that the majority of the people living in these regions voted "No". Definitely a pride issue. This has definitely emphasized the polarization of the Country which will inevitably lead to more conflict and the possibility of violence in the future.

Hopefully this gives you a glimpse of what is currently taking place here in Bolivia. This is a very interesting time to be here. Currently the city is calm with the daily functions taking place in a normal manner. I pray though that conflict in the future can be handled peacefully and persons will refrain from using violence to express their fears and anger.

On another note, this is my last week working here at the MCC center and I will begin my job in the Plan 3000 on the 2nd of February. This is very exciting. I will be working in a library run by the Catholic Church (San Silvestre) during the day and three nights a week I will be supporting/ helping start an after school program where kids can play games, hang-out with friends and do homework. This will take place 20 minutes from my house in the Parish. We are unsure how this will turn out and I ask that you pray for me to have patience.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. God bless.

New Years

2009-01-02T12:45:00.001-08:00

The New Year passed in a similar manner as Christmas with lots of food. It was the anniversary for Catholic church I will be attending and we started the night out marching around the neighborhood with a band playing instruments and persons reciting various readings. Also four people carried a doll of San Silvestre around in honor of him. We proceeded through the streets for about a half hour and then returned to the church where fireworks were lit off by the kids. Fireworks are a very popular item here in Bolivia. After the mini celebration we attended Mass which ended at around 9:30.

Drinks and refreshments were shared afterwards and I then went to a New Years Eve party with my new host brother. This consisted of a lot of food, some dancing and talking. When the new year finally passed everyone went around giving hugs, kisses on the cheeks and best wishes for the new year. The evening finally ended at around 3:00 in the morning and we returned to our homes. However the following day I was invited to another party where a lot of food, dancing and more friendly conversations took place. The holiday season here was a lot of fun and definitely a good experience. I wish it could have lasted longer, but I will resume work on Monday and hopefully I will soon establish a regular routine with my new job. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Christmas

2008-12-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving passed as an ordinary day here in Bolivia, I was looking forward for Christmas and the holiday season. I was very excited to see how a different culture celebrates the birth of Jesus. This would also be the first time I would celebrate Christmas in 90 degree weather, along with rain instead of snow. Not something I particularly appreciate because I miss the cold weather and snow, but I do realize others would gladly spend Christmas in a warmer environment. However location should not make a difference since or focus is on something more.

Christmas Eve started like any other day, but soon evolved into a food extravaganza. The MCC couple and myself planned dinner with another MCC couple because we had yet to be invited to another celebration. The other family are also new to Bolivia and have yet to establish many relationships. However later that day someone did finally invite us, well actually two families extended an invitation. Not wanting to cancel plans with anyone, we went ahead and ate dinner at 6:00 with the MCC couple even though we would have more food later that evening. We then went to mass at San Silvestre where the MCC couple (Chris and Lindsay) and my host family attend.

The Christmas Eve service resembled a typical mass. There were literary readings, music and communion. However, at the end of the service everyone lined up to have the baby Jesus from their nativity scenes blessed. They would later be added to the nativity scenes after midnight, when it was officially Christmas. Infant baptisms then took place after the whole service was done. All in all it was a very nice service and I was thankful I could attend a Christmas Eve service. Had I been part of an Evangelical church here in Bolivia, I would not have attended one because they don´t have Christmas Eve services since they want to be distinctly different from the Catholic Church. I might also mention that we got invited to another meal after the service. That meant we had to fit in three more meals before going to bed. For one that is difficult because two of the meals needed to be completed within 2 hours and secondly our guts were in for some serious torment.

We managed to attend two of the invitations within an hour and a half. Pork, yucca (similar to a potato, very filling), rice, potato salads and pop were served at both and we had the joy of looking forward to the same meal at the next house. I was stuffed after my second meal and the third was just painful. The other two volunteers were feeling the same. However denying the next family´s hospitality would have been rude so after finishing our third meal we painfully jogged to our final invitation because we were running late. We arrived just as they started to serve one another.

I don´t know where I put my final meal, but it was definitely not enjoyable. I never thought I would have to say that. I was just glad they didn´t offer me seconds. Anyways after the meal we were then entertained with two hours of fireworks. A Bolivian tradition is to light off a hoard of fireworks during celebrations, thus it felt more like the fourth of July than Christmas. Finally at two in the morning we hobbled home and went to bed, only to look forward to a large Christmas meal the next day.

Christmas day is very relaxed here in Bolivia and everyone sleeps and rests from the previous nights festivities. So we ended up having a delicious meal at the MCC center. We then returned in the afternoon because we were supposed to practice for a dance, but that ended up getting postponed to Saturday.(I felt privileged to participate in a native dance despite my lack of grace and smooth, rhythmic movement) Instead we relaxed in the afternoon and opened a couple of presents in the evening. All in all it was a very good Christmas and I am very interested in seeing how the New Year celebration will proceed.

Moving

2008-12-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I will be moving in with two MCC volunteers who live in the Plan 3000 while we wait for the husband of the projected host family to approve the living situation, but he has been absent for the past couple of weeks due to his work. I will also be attending a meeting tomorrow in the evening with persons from the community and MCC to finalize the logistics of my job, which is very exciting. Christmas and the New Year celebrations will also allow me to establish new relationships and beomce more familiar with the new setting. This will be helpful as I plan for the coming year. Thank you for your prayers, Dios les bendiga. ¡Feliz Navidad!

Another thing, I appologize if you have left a comment and are waiting for me to respond. For some reason I have had difficulty receiving comments and whenever I check it says I don´t have any which I assumed to be true. But a friend recently told me I have receieved some, but I couldn´t find them. I don´t understand that, but please feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.

Change in Location

2008-12-15T05:35:00.000-08:00

Many changes have taken place since my last blog entry. Our SALT group traveled to Moro Moro, a remote city in the Mountains, for a re-scheduled orientation trip due to the conflicts back in September. A MCC team lives there, along with another SALTer, working at providing clean, running water to the people. They utilize natural springs and through a system of tanks and piping, fresh drinking water is available for families. The SALTer living there, along with another volunteer, also help construct dry latrines which not only provide bathroom services, but fertilization for their gardens as well. All in all it was a good escape and break for us SALTers and a chance to experience a 10 hour bus ride on less than desirable dirt roads. More often than not we would pass very close to the edge of cliff allowing the window-seat passengers to feel a little uncomfortable. During the rainy season the passage is quite dangerous and one of the volunteers entertained us with stories of close calls while making the trip during the rainy months. The cold weather was also a wonderful break from the heat here in Concepcion and hiking through the mountains provided much needed exercise.

Before leaving for Moro Moro though, I had a meeting about my job here in Concepcion. My original job did not turn out as anticipated and basically there is only enough work for one person instead of two. In the coming months the library will also not be funded by Plan International who MCC works which raises some questions about the future. Instead the city government will provide funding. Therefore the new job was presented and left up for me to decide. A very difficult decision for me to contemplate given the relationships I have established with my host family and others in the community. This also means I will basically have to "start over" again, getting accustomed to a new location, host family and work environment. However I will possibily return to the libary for one week in February when they plan on having activities.

I will be living about an hour away from the MCC center in the Plan 3000 with a host family. This suburb (I use this term for lack of a better word. The Plan 3000 is not an escape from the poorer parts of the city) was constructed to accommodate for the rapid growth of the city. It is a poorer neighborhood and where a considerable amount of violence took place back in September. The library in the Plan 3000 is supported by the Catholic Church and a 16 year old male (Maurico, who will also be my host brother) works part time in the library while also attending school. Thus the library is not consistently open while he is away which does not provide a consistent opportunity for people to utilize its resources. Therefore I will be supporting Maurico, attending to the library while he is at school. Living closer to the MCC office also allows me to support Sandra who is in charge of the library program for MCC. The volunteer who was previously working with her finished their three year term which will not be filled by another volunteer. This leaves Sandra rather busy and she would appreciate my support.

Due to the violence back in September, there is also the possibility of me supporting and working with the Catholic Church on a peace commission. The church desires to provide a safe place where dialogue can take place and the idea is that the library could provide such an opportunity. I do not know all of the specifics, but this sounds like an exciting opportunity. We will just have to patiently wait and see what can possibly develop.

The MCC office will be celebrating Christmas December 19 which means I will move from Concepcion the 18th and move in with my new host family within the next week. I am learning to adapt to the unexpected during my time here in Boliva, something Bolivians are experts at. I have appreciated all your prayers and God Bless.

Preparing for the Summer

2008-11-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

This Friday marks the end of the school year here in Concepción which means the library will offer summer activities for the next two weeks and possibly again in January. The students will come in the afternoon and we will provide activities accompanied with time spent reading. I am not quite sure how many students will participate, but looking at pictures from the previous year it appears we will have a good turnout. This is very exciting.

The following week I am hoping to begin classes for computer computation which will last through the summer months and possibly extend into the school year. Much depends on the level of interest within the community. Various persons have expressed interest, but I will just have to wait and see. I am also waiting on the materials to be purchased in Santa Cruz and sent to Concepción. Sandra, who works with the library program for MCC, is looking around for the materials but has expressed difficulty in finding them. So classes could be delayed another week or two.

I feel more adjusted to Concepción which feels as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Definitely a wonderful feeling to move past the initial feelings of being lost. However I still anticipate returning to the city once a month to reunite with the other SALTers and MCC volunteers. Having the MCC office only 5 hours away is a blessing. These weekends allow me to recuperate and provide me with the opportunity to use SKYPE. Previously I haven´t been too thrilled during my bus ride back to Concepción, but now that I am more accustomed to the town I anticipate future returns to be easier.

Spanish flows much easier at the moment compared to when I first arrived in Concepción. Definitely a gradual process and I still need to broaden my vocabulary, but being able to engage in deeper conversations makes this experience a lot more fun. I am nowhere near fluency, but at least I have more to offer than confused head nods and awkward silences. As always, thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. Blessings.

Patience

2008-10-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

After the MCC retreat that I attended three weeks ago I was rather apprehensive to return to Concepcion. In some aspects I knew my experience would be different given I knew what to expect and the town was no longer unfamliar or an idealized place in my mind. I was heading back into my work better prepared to face the challenges since I had time to pray and reflect about them; taking fresh ideas which could take place within the library. Throughout the day people would also be thinking and praying about me, providing strength and encouragement alongside God´s continued presence with me. Nonetheless I still had the first week fresh in my memory and was not too excited to repeat or experience more challenges. However I boarded the bus and began my five hour trip to Concepción.

Reading has become a constant daily activity and thus I immediately cracked open my book and began reading. I was hoping the trip would take as long as possible. I thought perhaps we would run into a road block and be stranded for a couple hours, maybe even days. Then I would have an excuse to spend less time in Concepción. However the trip went smoothly without any problems. There was one bonus though, well kind of. I was able to talk with the person next to me and a few others in the seats nearby who appeared to be the same age as me. It was friendly conversation about the town of Concepción in general, family members, where I am from, interests and more. This was exciting because if they lived in Concepción, I would maybe have a couple more familar faces to add to my relatively short list. But that idea quickly fell through after learning they were studying in Santa Cruz and were only returning to visit for the weekend since there was a festival. "Oh well," I thought. "At least it was a chance to practice my Spanish and to meet new people, even if I did never see them again.

I arrived in Concepcíon Saturday night and then resusumed my work Monday. Marley (my co-worker) and I discussed possible ideas. We decided I would help students in grades 1-3 with reading, homework, writing and spelling. First we would have to talk with the school principal to gain approval and to organize a schedule. This was exciting for me and I was anxious to get things rolling. Each day I would ask Marley if they had responded to a possible date in which we could meet, but she always responded, "Sorry, maybe tomorrow." I did not get a chance to talk with the school principal until the following Monday because of schedule conflicts. Then after talking with the principal and the teacher that was excited to utilize our help, the kids did not start showing up until about Thursday. I am definitely learning to have patience. Lots of patience with myself, job, host family and the general nature of the town. Of course everyone is learning to have patience with me too :)

So after two weeks I was very excited since things started to develop. However more patience was required. I had planned with the principal three time slots in the morning and three in the afternoon, each lasting an hour. Four kids would come each hour and thus I would tutor 24 kids total. Yet I ended up tutoring a total of 10 kids the first week for a total of maybe five hours. I forgot to realize new programs take time to develop. I was stuck in the excitement of initiating a new program, but quickly bounced back to reality. The tutoring sessions are in the students´ own free time as well (they only attend classes half days and are scheduled to come during the part of day when they do not have classes) which means less motivation to come since they are only held accountable to their own honor and desire. If you were 8-10 years old would you head to the library on your own will instead of playing outside with your friends? I will have to look into possibilities on how I can encourage them to come.

We also started another program, or at least we hope it turns into a frequent activity. One of the teachers from one of the schools brought her class Monday, Wednesday and Friday to the library. We had the kids read a short novel and then provided questions for them to answer. Hopefully other teachers will choose to do the same the following school year since classes will end the first week of November. I am also working on starting English classes and possibly computer computation classes. This will all depend on the interest within the community and if I can find a place where I can use some computers. We will just have to see.

I appreciate the emails people have sent me providing support and giving me insight to what is happening back home. To answer some questions, I have yet to play soccer in Concepción but hopefully that will change this next weekend. There are roughtly 12 teams in the town and they have been playing every Saturday and Sunday evenings. However the tournament just ended and now people play solely for fun which means I can finally participate! The town where I live is the location of a Jesuit Colonial Mission. I will try to post pictures of the town sometime when they are done with construction. They are currently remodeling the downtown plaza (which is beautiful) and the church was recently renovated as well. You can also search for images on the internet. There are plenty since the town is a tourist attraction.

As for me, things have improved. My first week was definitely the hardest for me, but I am slowly adapting. I do have some rough days every now and then when I miss people and wish I was back in a more familiar setting. According to what I learned in orientation, I have definitely moved out of the "honeymoon" stage and am not exactly as thrilled to be in Bolivia as I was at first. However I am slowly making my way back up to a level of appreciation and enjoyment which for some poeple comes faster than for others. I just wish I could fastforward to when I will finally reach that point and skip over the rough times. Yet that wouldn´t be beneficial. According to Luke Timothy Johnson (the author of a wonderful book I am reading called Living Jesus: Learning the Heart of the Gospel), "personal learning cannot take place all at once, but only with the passage of time. . .this means that patience is a necessary component in personal learning. Hand in hand with patience comes suffering. . .because it is painful to open the mind and the heart to new truth. . .pain likewise results from the need to stretch mental muscles around new ways of viewing the world. . .both for good and for bad, for loss and for gain personal learning is always accompanied by suffering, and patience is the virtue that makes such suffering positive and meaningful: we endure for the sake of an education."

Ok, the word suffering gives a bad illustration to what I am feeling. Please do not get the wrong impression! I have many good days and have much to be thankful for. Instead I would say I have faced difficulties (it is easy to only focus on these days), we all face them and they vary from person to person. I just appreciate what the author has to say and he makes a good point. The tough times we face, even though not fun, are beneficial in the long run. This was a very good chapter for me to read, and something I will contintue to remember. So, even though there are times when I would rather be elsewhere, I am definitely thankful for this opportunity and am glad to be here. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I am truely blessed to have such a great support system. Blessings.

First Week in Concepcion

2008-10-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today I traveled back to the city after spending a week and two days in Concepcion. I was introduced to my host family the first night (Sunday 28), unpacked and settled in. It was sad leaving my host family in Santa Cruz, yet also exciting to have another opportunity to connect with another family. My host family is very nice but it will definitely take some time for us to feel comfortable with one another. My dad is the director of the schools in Concepcion (similar to the superintendent) and my mother is a teacher. I have a ten year old younger brother and a sister who is 17. They also have an older son and daughter who are in their 20s, but are both currently living in Spain.

My first week working in the library was a challenge for me. I was expecting to immediately dive in and start working. I had been waiting for this moment for six weeks in Santa Cruz and was anxious to begin my assignment. Yet I found myself spending a lot of time in the library, not knowing exactly what to do. Kids would come occasionally to do homework and I would help with research on the Internet or help them find books related to their homework. However, the library is only a year old and many still do not know of its existence. Thus there were not as many visitors as I had expected. I was feeling a little useless and it was difficult to know exactly how to manage my time. I have ideas on programs that I would like to start, but I felt lost because I was stuck in a whole new environment, still had yet to figure out the cultural norms and felt isolated because I could not fully express all my ideas and opinions. I have been told to have patience, yet that doesn´t always agree with my personality.

Being away from the SALT team in Bolivia was also a struggle. Even though I miss friends and family back home, I still had the support of the SALTers and the other MCC volunteers in Santa Cruz. However, I moved away from all of that when I traveled to Concepcion. This was my first time being away from close relations which is an uncomfortable feeling. Thoughts and prayers were felt though and I managed to make it through my first week. I definitely was wondering what I had got myself into this past week and was wishing I could be surrounded by familiar faces again. Yet it is also a nice feeling knowing that I made it through the first week. Others have expressed that when they did service in years past, the first couple of months were the hardest, but things improved over time and in the end they were extremely grateful for the experience. This was encouraging to hear.

After returning to Santa Cruz I have been able to bounce ideas off others and gain some different prospectives on different programs I can manage through the library. I hope to start tutoring kids for a couple of hours in the morning and afternoons. There is also the possibility to teaching computer computation skills and research, yet space and equipment is limited. During the summer months we would like to have reading programs as well. I would also like to be in contact with the schools to encourage the kids to visit the library. I am excited about the possibilities and feel that when I return, things should improve. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers this past week, they have been felt and are very comforting. God Bless.

Leaving for Concepcion

2008-09-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven´t updated my blog in a while and so I apologize for this. I will work on trying to write more frequently in the future. This is my last weekend in Santa Cruz because I plan on leaving for Concepcion this Sunday afternoon. I have greatly enjoyed my time here in Santa Cruz, it has been very beneficial. I have had the opportunity to adapt to a new environment, study Spanish and connect with my host family. I have really appreciated having a safe environment where I could practice my Spanish. Even though my family would laugh occasionally at my misconstrued sentences, they were very considerate and corrected my mistakes; street vendors have been less sympathetic. I am especially thankful for Doña Nati because she would talk slowly and would always make sure I understood what was said at the dinner table. I will also miss our conversations on the way home from work every day and all the wonderful food she she has prepared for me. I was truly blessed to have such a wonderful home stay and will look forward and visiting them when I return to the city every month (unless there are bloqueos).

I am very anxious to be leaving even though I have enjoyed my time here in Santa Cruz. They city is nice, but after spending time in Santiago this past weekend (remote town south east of Santa Cruz), I am ready to live in the country; I hope I still hold this opinion for the remainder of the year. I am very anxious to meet my new host family, yet also a little nervous. I have become comfortable with the customs of my current host family and they have adopted me as part of the family. I realize it will be an adjustment moving in with another family and learning to abide by their expectations. It will take some time to build trust and become comfortable with one another, yet hopefully that won´t take too long and I will have as good, if not better, of a relationship as I do with Doña Nati and her family.

Most of all I am anxious to begin my job which starts this Monday the 29. I am excited to meet the people I will be working with and to begin working with the youth in the community. Besides helping the youth with reading, I might have the opportunity to also address other aspects such as teaching proper research and paraphrasing skills. Please pray for my patience though because at times I desire to see immediate and explicit results, which is obviously not always possible. I must remember not to focus solely on being effective. Also, despite my best efforts, I will most likely be effective in a way I originally did not intend.

I would also like to reinforce that I am doing fine here in Bolivia and feel perfectly safe. Currently there is a festival going on in Santa Cruz and the violence has resided. All the bloqueos have been lifted as well, thus Gas and other goods can be distributed and sold. Talks will then resume between the opposing parties on October 15. Depending on how those turn out, things could flare up again. I pray a compromise is reached and the situation isn´t reduced to violence. I will do my best on trying to keep all of you informed.

I want to stress again that I appreciate all the prayers, they are very comforting. God Bless.

An Unfortunate Week

2008-09-12T11:08:00.001-07:00

This weekend our SALT team was supposed to be traveling to Moro Moro to visit one of the MCC locations. However our travel plans have been postponed due to the current situation. It is a rather interesting time to be living in Santa Cruz, especially this past week. Road blocks are scattered throughout the country inhibiting travel in and out of the Santa Cruz, unrest between classes because of attempts to redistribute land and money, and the city of Santa Cruz is facing uprisings and much vandalism. Many places, such as the national phone company Entel, the immigration office, the bus station, land distribution offices and more have been victim to mobs within the past few days. The whole situation here is escalating rather quickly and many Bolivians have commented that things are the worst they have seen. Also, if you have been following the news lately you will have read that the United States ambassador was kicked out of Bolivia and recently the same has happened in Venezuela. The United States has answered by removing the Bolivian and Venezuelan ambassadors from the United States. I have also been told Evo Morales has sent the military to Santa Cruz today to "help" sort things out given there is much vandalism and deaths have started to occur. Obviously there is much to be sorted out.

I am still learning more about the history of why events have unfolded in this manner and why there is so much tension and unrest. I would love to be able to provide a detailed response to why the problems exist, but I feel rather inept at the moment because I am still figuring out a lot for myself. However, one of the other SALTers serving here in Bolivia has a wealth of knowledge in the history of Bolivia and being fluent in Spanish, has been able to dialogue with many of the locals. I have enjoyed talking with him about the present situation and have learned much. However there is no use in me writing about the topic when he has already done such a nice job. If you have interest in finding out more about the present situation and why there is so much tension within Bolivia, I encourage you to check out his blog at http://wiggipe.wordpress.com/. He has three posts which are quite interesting and worth your time.

I will do my best in the future to keep persons updated on the situation at hand. I do not feel threatened and the other the volunteers have commented they feel very safe as well. It is just sad to witness the recent events and to see, what are normally very peaceful people, resort to such behavior. Blessings.

Host Stay in Santa Cruz

2008-09-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

On the left is a picture of my host mom Doña Nati. I hope to get a picture of my two brothers when they are both around.

(Above picture) The door on the far left opens to my room and one of my brothers has the room on the far right. The other brother generously moved out of his room and shares with Doña Nati so I could have my own room. They are very hospitable and I am very thankful.

The picture above is of our dining room and through the door is the kitchen. My host mother is an excellent cook and I have been spoiled with delicious food for the past couple of weeks.

The pictures below depict the courtyard and were taken from the door of my room. This is where we do our laundry and where they raise their chickens. I am so thankful for my host family here in Santa Cruz. They have been so hospitable and have made my transition into the Bolivian culture much easier. They are truely a blessing to me.

Three Weeks Come Tomorrow

2008-09-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will complete three weeks since my arrival on August 17. The first week seemed to drag on given I was extremely overwhelmed with language and the whole shock of a new situation. The following weekend seemed to last just as long, if not longer than the first week because for the first time in my life I was fairly isolated. This was a new experience for me because at college and back home, friends were always right down the hall or a phone call away. A year was beginning to seem like a very long time. However this previous week was much better for me. I feel more adjusted to the culture and my Spanish has improved since my arrival which I am appreciative of. It is also very helpful to have other SALTers for a support group and the persons prayers from back home. Yet three weeks will soon pass quickly and I will be on my way to Concepcion where new challenges and experiences await.
I am anticipating this move because even though I really enjoy my host family and the MCC support group, I am anxious to be in a smaller setting. Maybe my perception of the campo (country) is a little idealistic, but I believe I will enjoy it a little more. I will let you know if my opinion changes after a couple of months. I do like the city and all, but it is very busy and like I have previously shared, you can feel very isolated. Primarily though I am quite ready to start my job even though I have enjoyed this period of adjustment in Santa Cruz.
Nothing has really changed thus far in my schedule. I have language study two hours every morning and spend the afternoons with my tutors for a couple of hours. This past Thursday we went and saw a movie dubbed in Spanish: The Mummy. I then spend the evenings with my host family. However this weekend we will be hopefully be heading to Moro Moro, it all depends if there are bloqueos (acts of civil disobedience in which citizens block all travel on different roads throughout the country) or not. They are quite annoying and have caused a diesel shortage in the city which means there are less micros driving around and people have to wait longer to get home.
I will hopefully be posting some pictures soon showing where I live and who my host family is. Blessings and thank you for all your prayers.

Moving In

2008-08-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon I was introduced to Doña Natiz who will be my host mom for the next five weeks while I am living here in Santa Cruz. She cleans at the MCC center which is convenient because we can travel together back and forth in the morning and afternoon; about an hour bus ride. This allows us to have some good conversations (I try to anyways) so long as the bus isn´t overcrowded with people. Which given the fact that they cram as many people as possible into what looks like VW micro buses, many times we ride in silence. She has been very helpful though and is a wonderful host mom. I am so thankful for the family´s generosity and hospitality even though it must be inconvenient, but I know they do not see it like that. She enjoys showing me off to her friends and explaining that I am her "new" son. Doña Natiz also has two other sons which live with her.
My spanish thus far is improving, but I have also been quite frustrated lately. I have never heard people talk so quickly in my life. I sympathize with persons who are new to a different environment. Not being able to express my thoughts clearly and accurately, do to my relatively small vocabulary, has also been rather annoying. People have told me that I will be fluent in no time, it is very hard for me to believe them. I realize the posibility, but right now it is just hard to imagine myself speaking fluently. However, my spanish teacher is very helpful and I have millions of opportunities to practice. Yet, thoughts and prayers would be much appreciated nonetheless. I am just so thankful I have a chance to get adjusted before traveling to Concepcion. Worrying about a job would make my experience a little more stressful at the moment.
I must keep this post rather short since my host mother has just motioned for me to hurry up. I do not have a lot of time to write about everything and if anyone has questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Blessings.

Arrival in Santa Cruz

2008-08-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Santa Cruz, Boliva at 10:15 Sunday morning exhausted after spending all day Saturday in the airport and finally leaving at one in the morning on Sunday. There are six other SALTERS serving in Bolivia and we were all very enthusiastic about the fact that we finally arrived! I always thought my arrival was so far away when I first accepted the position last April, but can hardly believe it has arrived so quickly. We spent the rest of the day Sunday touring the MCC center and resting since we were rather tired. I am especially thankful for no jet-lag since Santa Cruz is only an hour ahead of central time.
Today was my first full day here in Bolivia. The reality is still settling in and I expect a little culture shock to kick in. We studied culural habits during our session today and will be learning more about the political situation and other customs this coming week. I begin language training next week and also move in with my host family on Saturday or Sunday, but am currently staying in the MCC guest house. My day consisted of walking around the city with the other SALTERs and MCC workers in order to become aquainted with the busy city. Yet by the time I memorize the micro system (public transportation) and where everything is, I will be heading out to Concepcion to begin my assignment. I am thankful for my month in Santa Cruz though because it allows me to study the language and become more familiar with the culture before I begin my job.
I will admit I have spoken a decent amount of English since my arrival, but they said the headaches will begin next week during language training. I will also be living away from the team with a host family and thus surrounded by those who know little English. This is exciting and hopefully I will be fluent in no time at all (I pray anyways). Dios te Bendiga.

Orientation

2008-08-14T10:12:00.001-07:00

I arrived in Akron, PA on August 10 anxious and excited for this opportunity. I checked into my room in the Asia house and met my roommate who would also be living in Bolivia. Orientation is at a complex in Akron which has a very communal atmosphere. There are four different houses with names from the different continents around the world which host the 125 SALT, IVEP and YAMEN participants. A kitchen and meeting place are here as well. It is impossible to get bored because there are plenty of opportunities to interact with others.
All three programs have a combined orientation. IVEPers are persons from other countries coming to the United States and Canada and YAMEN is a young Anabaptist exchange program. My house consists of persons from Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, United States and Canada. After a fun filled day of seminars, we spend the evenings talking in Spanish, drinking coffee and learning about one another's cultures. I have greatly appreciated this because I am able to practice Spanish and develop friendships with persons from around the world. Soccer is another activity enjoyed by all. Usually we play SALTers (U.S and Canada) vs. IVEPers (rest of the world). This has been a highlight for me because I haven't been able to play this past summer. I also enjoy playing against some good competition. I had to adjust playing barefoot though. I am just disappointed because we will not have a combined re-entry. The IVEPers have difficulty getting U.S. visas and thus theirs will be held in Canada next July. I will not be able to see these amazing and wonderful people again which is rather disappointing, but I am thankful for the opportunity nonetheless. I have one more day of orientation before leaving for Bolivia on Saturday. I am excited my departure is rapidly approaching and am so thankful this is finally becoming a reality. Please continue to remember me in your thoughts and prayers. Blessings.