Good To Be Home In Levi

The youth group is divided into tribes. The tribes always sit together during the service. They also have a small group Bible study during the week. When the teams visit, we encourage them to sit with different tribes. So I haven’t been consistent with any tribe. Lately, I have been sitting with the boys in different tribes too.

Last week, a couple of different boys asked me which tribe I was in. When I told them I moved around, they wanted to know why I didn’t just pick one. I thought about it. I didn’t have any reason. Especially now, when I don’t have a group here. And Claudia and Arturo have offered to drive me home after their tribe meeting. On Saturday, I sat with some of the boys in Benjamin. Someone approached me and told me they were from Levi, but they wanted me to come to their meeting. So I agreed.

Tonight was the meeting. There were only about 15 of us. I REALLY enjoyed it. Made me miss my old small group a lot. At the end, we started talking about Christmas. They wanted to plan a special dinner together. They picked the day after the team arrives, meaning I wouldn’t be able to go. I was okay with that. I wasn’t going to ask them to change plans when I was at my very first meeting! But then someone turned to me and asked if I would come. I had to say no, and explained why. That started an uproar! The date of the dinner was quickly changed to make sure I would be there. It felt really good to be a part of this group.

Afterwards, Arturo, Claudia, and I met Karen for dinner. That was also a lot of fun and we talked about everything under the moon. I am blessed with magnificent friends!

The First Thanksgiving

Earlier this week, Pastor David invited me to have dinner at his house Thursday. “Just with the family” he said. When I got there last night, I found a looong table set. Slowly, all of the pastors, most of the church staff, and there families arrived. A table was laden with food. With plenty of jokes and laughter, we dug in. Pastor David asked for people to share what they were thankful for.

Last year, the pastor and his wife were in the States for Thanksgiving. It was their first experience with the holiday, and they loved it! As we neared the end of dinner, the Pastor explained that he had invited everyone to come and have their first Thanksgiving experience, and next year he expected them to continue the tradition in their own homes. He declared that a day of giving thanks would be a tradition of their church and every year, the day after Thanksgiving, there would be a special church service to give thanks to the Lord.

Before dessert was served, Hermana Lita approached me and asked me if I knew how to make pumpkin pie. When I told her that I did, she explained that she had had it the year before and enjoyed it so much that she had tried to make it herself. She wanted me to try it and see if she had done okay. IT WAS DELICIOUS!! I must confess that I was a little sad before, thinking that I wouldn’t have Thanksgiving this year, but it turns I had it to its full :) I am so very blessed.

Higher Education

This morning after I dropped Julio off at school, I joined Alfredo and Marcos for a trip to one of the Universities. Alfredo is our first graduate, and will start classes in January. We did a little exploring, but were disappointed when we inquired about the entrance exams for his chosen major. His major won’t be offered next year. Which means that none of the Universities here in Cochabamba have the major that he wants. And different from the states, you have to know your major upon entrance, and if you change it, nothing transfers.

We were bummed. So we went to eat Salteñas at Marcos’ sister’s restaurant. Feeling better, we got to talking. Most of the work for this major would be found in Santa Cruz. And we were pretty sure that the universities there would have the major. So we picked up Julio and headed back to the BLC. We checked it out on the internet, and sure enough, the first place we check had it! Alfredo was a little nervous about the idea of leaving Cochabamba. He has never lived anywhere else. He was also worried about not knowing anyone. But we do have the church plant in Santa Cruz, so he will have a place to stay, and he will know a few people. I talked to him about my own trek from Oklahoma to Florida for the University, and he started feeling a bit more confident. He declared that if he just joined a game of soccer, he would leave with friends. Cocky. But true. Next step is getting permission and then entrance exams!

Happy Thanksgiving by the way! It is not a holiday here, but I am going to have dinner at the Pastor’s house tonight. More tomorrow!

Bad Day

Today was a bad day. Really just this morning. Julio and I left late for school. He wanted to run in circles instead of getting his backpack. And when we finally got to the gate, I realized he was still wearing yesterday’s shirt. So we had to go all the way back to his dorm to get him changed. I hadn’t even crossed the street after dropping him off at school when it started to rain. I had to praise God that there was a tiny covered bus stop across the street, because the rain was terrible. It POURED. Even with a little cover and my umbrella, I was soaked by the time it let up enough for me to walk to church. When I got there, I called to confirm that someone else would be picking Julio up, but I was informed that that had fallen through, and it was all me for the rest of the week. So I had to wait in the church, soaking wet, for four hours. And then it was public transportation home.

Yeah, it was a bad morning.

It's A Girl!

I woke up early this morning to take Julio to school, and as always I went to the window to see if there was rain towards Cochabamba. But as I looked out over the park, something wasn’t quite right. I had to count again. One. Two. THREE. Three cows. Last night there had only been TWO.

I got dressed quickly and ran downstairs. A little baby cow lay sleeping near her mom. I called Humberto to let him know, and he promised to come right away with a vet. As I watched, the vacita (little cow) stood up for the first time. She started her search for milk, but unfortunately began at her mom’s neck…a long way from the udder! She did eventually find it. Soon, the boys came swarming downstairs for breakfast and spotted the baby too. She was quite the show. She was also very friendly and let everyone gather around and pet her. I started asking the boys for names. Several got voted down, but eventually someone said “Kassandra” and no one had a problem with that. I decided to keep going with it, and asked for a name for the middle cow, who 6 months into her life at the BLC still was nameless. Amanda was chosen.

The boys have a million questions about the baby, and I’ve had to do a lot of explaining about simple things. Why doesn’t she walk well. Why can’t she eat grass. Why doesn’t she know where to get milk? Is she a boy or a girl (the drying umbilical cord was enough to convince most of them that she was a boy). Throughout the day all of the staff have come to sit with her too. We are all happy to welcome her to the family!

Lessons

I just finished giving a two hour lesson on how to work Photoshop to two of the grandes. Really just to one, but the best place for the lesson tonight was in the apartment, so two came and the one who wasn’t as interested listened to the ipod and half slept. The other left afterwards saying that his imagination was going crazy and he would be back in a couple of days after he had the chance to take all the pictures that he wants to edit and transform.

The boys here are so creative and artistic it blows me away. They are constantly showing me things that they have drawn that are far better than I can do after years of art classes at school.

The Talk

Four of the oldest boys sat me down for a serious talk today. Many of the boys are constantly full of questions and jokes about girls and dating, and I understand that this is because they are trying to figure out the whole dating thing so I am usually pretty open with them (although I do realize there are certain limits and am cautious not to get too close to those). Today, these four were only half playful as they made a recommendation to me of a certain young man from the church that they all think highly of. They were all in agreement that I should marry this man and stay in Bolivia. One went so far as to tell me that if I marry and stay in the USA, that God won’t let me be happy. Only if I marry a Bolivian and stay with them will I be happy.

It was an amusing conversation…it included a reenactment of how they heard God’s booming voice while they were praying in church for me…but I took the more subtle point to be the main point. There was an expression of desire that I not abandon them. While “being wanted” feels good, I hate that they have such a concern. I so wish that my boys only had a conceptual understanding of abandonment, instead of pasts full of it.

Birthday Outing

I got a message from my dear friend Marcos this morning asking if I was free for a little late birthday celebration. He picked me up at the BLC in the afternoon and then we picked up Claudia and started the search for Arturo. I say it that way because we were supposed to pick him up at work, but none of us were quite sure of where that was. We did a lot of “sight seeing” in the mountains while we tried to find him!!

After we finally had Arturo with us, we picked up the kids from school and then went to Marcos’ house to wait for his dad. For dinner we went to a little restaurant. I really don’t understand how Bolivians eat so much. We were each served one plate overflowing with salad, yucca, and cheesy rice. Then we were each served another overflowing plate of meats. I had a full size steak, ¼ chicken, and sausages. And it is very rude to not finish your plate in Bolivia. It was seriously about 3 days worth of food for me!

A real sight seeing drive was in order as we let all that food settle. I really enjoy doing this and getting to know the city better. Also, I always find the things that they point out to me amusing: “that’s the hospital...that’s a university but only for medical students…” Um… okay?

Normally we hang out pretty late, but I am in charge of giving one of the boys a shot every night this week, so Arturo and Claudia drove me back home early. They didn’t mind at all, because it meant they got to spend some time visiting the medianos and grandes before heading back to town.

This was the first time that I have gone out just to hang out with friends. I see people in passing at the church, but I now realize that I can not spend all of my time with the boys and remain a sane adult. We need our friends. I am so grateful to God that he has given me wonderful friends in multiple countries.

A few pictures

While I have a good internet connection, I will post a few pictures. My camera has been broken most of the time, though, so there aren't that many...

His plan of attack: hug me and step on my foot. Guess who fell off the log first?

I couldn't resist this opportunity.


It is so different to see everything green in Cochabamba. Here you can see the corn, alfalfa, and onions that we are growing. We also have potatoes, radishes, and carrots.

What handsome gentlemen we have!!

Just Julio and Me

Today started a different adventure for me. All this week I am responsible for taking Julio to his school in Cochabamba. So I'm up at 5:30am to get myself ready in time to get him ready in time to walk to Sipe Sipe and catch a trufi to Quillacollo to find a bus to Cochabamba. Julio goes to a special school near the church.

And it was still raining this morning (good thing I brought my clothes inside last night). But we made it! Julio held my hand and talked the entire way. I headed to the church to get some work done on the internet, and then picked Julio back up at noon. We made it home safely.

In the morning one of the boys had told me that Monica the cow had "secretions" and might have her baby at any minute. I was so pumped! In the afternoon, the vet came, but he said it wouldn't be until early December. He did take the time to instruct a group of grandes in how to "clean the cow out" which should be done every 3 weeks. Basically, you tie the cow up as tightly as possible, and then just stick your arm in and scoop out the poo that collects inside. No gloves required.