Wow, how do I report all that has happened in the last month. First of all, another sad goodbye took place on Friday as we said goodbye to Leann. She had been here since January and was a blessing and encouragement to our house over the last few months. Here is a pic of us together being goofy. Everyone thought we were sisters…what do you think? There are now three of us remaining at the hacienda.

It has been a busy busy month, especially at the community center. As you all know, I am in charge of teaching the girls group there. They had been behaving very well, so I thought it would be a good idea to take them to the movie theater. Going to the movie theater is a huge privilege for these kids and they seemed to really enjoy themselves. Here is a pic of us right before we packed into the taxi.

This past week at the center, we celebrated the fifth anniversary. Instead of doing the normal daily routine, we (the interns) were asked to plan a majority of the week for the kids. It actually ended up being a very very fun two days. We kept the celebration focused on Easter. We had an Easter egg hunt, we made salvation bracelets, and played lots of games. Here below is a picture of the balloons animals that we taught ourselves to make….it was quite a funny experience. Each kid got one and they loved it. The other pic is prayer time with the director, David. What a great time we all had!!! I have really grown to love the kids at the center…

The kiddos at the Frutillar orphanage are all doing very well. There are now 9 kids there and it is such an encouragement to leave each day knowing they are growing up in a wonderful house. Last week, we decided it would be nice to give the parents a break all day, so we took all the kids from 9-5pm. It was so fun. They came to our house for the morning and we did more Easter activities. We all went out to lunch and played the rest of the afternoon. They all seemed to enjoy themselves and I’m sure the parents did as well. We have also visited the four brothers from villa Israel a few times and they seem to be getting better as time goes on. We spent a couple hours there last week, played soccer and goofed around. I still miss them so much and miss how things used to be, but I know they are in a better place now.

After being in Bolivia for 8 months, I finally had the opportunity to see the city of La Paz. A friend and I took a bus there for the weekend to visit and see the sites. It is so different from Cochabamba! The city is huge and has high rise building everywhere and hills everwhere. Before we left, we paid to see Cholitas fight. These women wear their traditional dress (big skirts, long braided hair, and colorful sequence tops) and wrestle like WWE in the states. It was hilarious to say the least. Here are some pictures of the city as well as the fight. We were also there on Palm Sunday so it was interesting to see how this culture celebrated. We found they had many of the same customs that we do in the states with the palm branches and celebrations. It was quite an experience and I’m glad I got to go.

Well that’s it for now here in Bolivia…

A Hard Month...

I wasn’t sure where to go with this blog because it’s been so long since I last wrote and a lot has happened. Ill try to be positive with how things have been going here in Bolivia. I will admit that this past week has been the hardest since I have arrived in Bolivia. The few weeks before this week were wonderful for various reasons. I feel a true purpose at the center working with the older girls. It has been wonderful and rewarding. They are a great set of girls and I really enjoy teaching them more about Jesus and who He is to me. As I mentioned in my email, we had an overnight camp for the older kids and I was able to spend the night with my girls. Tim was here during the camp, so he was able to come help out as well. Here are some picks of us all being silly. This is tim with two of the boys…our team was called the “cobras” and they loved doing the snake hand motions...so funny!

Here is a pic of all the kids that came to the camp…here we are praying for our snack. It was really a great time, full of games, bible time and more games.

Here are a few more pics of some of the kids at the center on a normal day. I’m very I encouraged by how well things are going at the center and I praise God that I am able to work there.

While the center is thriving, this past week at the Villa Israel Orphanage was very hard. Since I got back in January, the kids have been getting worse and worse, behavior wise. We thought the new house parents were doing well, but about 3 weeks ago they came to us with the intention of quitting. The mother is pregnant and they felt the stress of the house could be detrimental to her baby. We decided it would be best to change the mix of kids in the home, because they were really struggling. About 2 weeks ago, we removed two brothers and placed them back with their biological mother. About a week ago, we removed two more brothers and placed them in the Frutillar Orphanage. On Tuesday, one of the hardest days here for me, we moved four brothers to an all boys orphanage. We all went to the Villa Israel orphanage to pick them up. The hardest part was seeing Jhoel, my boy, sob his eyes out as he said goodbye to the house mom. That’s the point when I could not hold it in anymore; the rest of the day consisted of me holding back the tears. It was so hard to take them to a completely new house, with 16 new brothers, knowing that things would never be the same as I remembered. Although it was one of the hardest things to be apart of, I feel confident this new home will be a good fit for them. I have to believe that God is good and cares more about these boys than anyone else. I will keep you updated on their progress. We would like to visit them often!! I miss them so much already!! The only child left at Villa Israel right now is Neydi. We are hoping to find a more structured environment for her as well. Below is a picture of the four boys in their new home…Brandon, Erland, Jhoel, and in front is Samuel. Please lift them up in prayer as the next few weeks will be hard for them, especially for Jhoel, the oldest.

As I finish this blog, I ask that you would continue to lift this place, this country, this ministry, the children, and my heart up to the Lord. I’m trying to stay positive and trust the Lord even when I don’t understand what’s going on. Farewell for now, from Bolivia!!

Team Time

As I wrote in my email, we had a team here with us for 10 days and it kept us very busy. As interns, we are expected to do all activities with the team and answer any questions or concerns they have. There was really no free time from the minute they arrived til the minute they left. I’m not complaining, we’ll just say that I’m happy to be back into my normal routine of things. We took them to both orphanages that we work at. They got to meet the kids, play and see how they live in each home. We also were able to do tidy up projects that needed to be done at each home. We painted, planted flowers and trees, built doors, cleaned and much more. I personally think the team enjoyed meeting and playing with the kids the most. Here is a pic of us at The Frutillar Orphanage and the flower garden that was planted.

We also took a trip Sipe Sipe and did a bread run. We were able to hand out 200 little bags of chocolate milk and the same amount of snacks. Of course, we had a bunch of candy to give the little kids as well. We were able to spend a few hours in this town, it was really neat. After that we drove up the mountains to some ancient Incan Ruins. We ate lunch up there and explored what it must have been like to live hundreds of years ago…here are some pics below of the bread run and the ruins. This is my roommate craig handing some things out to the little kids....

We spent a couple days in chapare (the jungle), but did not do much because of the accident. We were able to stay at this orphanage below for the night. It was cool to see the inside of a place where children will be living very soon. We stayed there for the night and the next day went to the nearby monkey park. This a park run by volunteers who care a lot about the monkeys in the jungles. They started a park that people can visit. Below is me making friends with one of the monkeys, before he realized I had gum in my mouth and decided he wanted it. Then he attempted to pull my hair out…awesome. Also below is one of the three orphanages in the jungle...

Here is the church that we partnered with while building the orphanage....the team.

Here is craig working hard at cutting back the crazy growth in the jungle...

So after the team left, we were able to get back into our routine. Here are some pics of us at the Villa Isreal Orphanage. Its still a joy to go there and see how well the new parents are doing with the kiddos. There are rules and regulations all over the walls in the house and the kids really seem to love the parents. We (the interns) decided to try some new things with them each week. We are going to have a specific time set aside for bible study time each week. This is one area that the kids really need more of. We tried it last week and it went really well. They enjoyed the story (Daniel and the Lions Den) and the questions that followed.

This is Neydi….she lives at Villa Israel Orphanage. She broke her leg last week and will be out of remission for about a month or more. She has a lot of energy and I’m sure it will be hard for her to be on the couch for the next month.

We were also excited to get back to visiting the kids at Frutillar Orphanage. We played an intense game of soccer with them and did some tutoring. The kids have been out of school since the beginning of December, so I think they’re all ready to get back into that routine. They start school again February 2….that will be good for us interns as well because we have more options for tutoring. Here are two girls at the Frutillar Orphanage (Dhalia and Viviana).

Hope you enjoyed the updates…sorry there were a lot. There are always things to report about here in Bolivia. I miss you all lots!!!

Sweet Reunion!!

Thursday January 8th, 2009. A day I will look back on and smile. Craig (my roommate) and I went to visit the kids at Villa Israel and it was the sweetest reunion I have had in a long time. Before I left, I gave them a mini countdown calendar so they would know that I was coming back and on what day. So I decided to hide while Craig rang the doorbell. They all came to the door and came out saying hello to Craig and looking around. I jumped out from behind the wall and they all screamed, “hermana Jenny, Jenny!!” It was the cutest thing and it brought tears to my eyes; which as some of you know is a hard thing to do. They bombarded me with hugs and “te extrane mucho”(I missed you a lot). The rest of our time there was very fun. We all went to the park, I showed them pictures of the snow from Chicago (they loved that), I gave them each a little gift from the states, we read some books, colored and had snack. It was a fun filled day and a wonderful way to spend my first day back.

Things in Cochabamba are the same, except greener. We live in a forest area and when I left, things were not as green. Now I feel as if I’m living in a jungle, with growth everywhere and green everywhere. It is gorgeous and I’m very blessed to be living in this house. While things in the city remain the same....things at the hacienda have changed drastically and for a week it was me and Craig doing ministry together. In December we said goodbye to the two Katie’s, Kristen and Bethany, all who had been here since I arrived in July. It’s been hard not having anyone sleeping in my room or running into the girls in town. There are many things I miss, but I’m so thankful for the time I got to spend with them. Leanne (a girl from the states) is scheduled to come this Thursday, so I look forward to having another girl in the house.

There is really not a lot to write about right now, since I just got back and am getting back into the swing of things. I look forward to getting back into the schedule I had before I left. I want to continue with ESL, bible study and much more. Bolivia has been and will be my home for the next five months and I’m excited to see more of God and his work here . Here of some pics…hope you enjoy them!!

Here´s craig being crazy with the kids...

Here are some of my best buds....adrian and craig!

Bolivian Fun in the Cemetary and The Jungle

Well the past month has of course flown by and has been full of many valuable cultural experiences. I wouldn’t say we celebrated Halloween, but we definitely were able to experience how Bolivians celebrate the Day of the Dead. The Day of Los Meurtos (the dead) is an important day here because relatives believe that if they leave a feast of food and gifts for the deceased and pray a lot, the relative will come back for a visit and eat the food. Another ritual here is to go to the cemetery all day and gather around the grave site and place food out for the dead as well. We all decided it would be fun to go the cemetery to see how Bolivians celebrate. We went with two other Bolivian people so we wouldn’t stand out too much and seem culturally insensitive. This was unlike anything I had ever seen before. People were everywhere! People were singing, crying, dancing, sleeping, celebrating, having picnics, and much more. There were even groups of singers that would get paid to come to the grave site and sing for the deceased person. Women and children were camped out with their blankets of bread, pastries, and meats for their loved one to enjoy.

Here is a picture of a man who was sleeping with a dead baby chicken on his chest. There are a lot of indigenous beliefs and practices associated with the god, Pachimama; this being one of them. They use dead fetuses and animals as protection to ward off negative spirits.

I was blown away by the crowds and crowds of people in every corner of this cemetery. I don’t know if I will ever go back, but I was grateful to experience this part of Bolivia and how different it is from the US.

Another highlight of this past month was our day journey to The Chapare, the jungle of Bolivia. We have been working on bunk beds since I arrived and they were finally ready to be delivered to the orphanage that is being built in the jungle. Five of us piled into the back of this huge fruit truck, not really ready for the bumpy and rainy ride.

Thankfully there was a huge tarp over us, until we got far enough into the jungle to take it off. This place is amazing, humid, steamy, green, and so different from Cochabamba. We got to the orphanage six hours after leaving, dropped off the beds and got back on the road home. It was a very quick ride, but I’m so glad I got to see another orphanage in the making. I’m so excited to be here in the upcoming months when they move kids in and get another orphanage started. Here are a few pics of what The Chapare is like. Below is the orphange.

Another highlight of this past month has been getting sick AGAIN! This is a pic of my roommate and I eating street food; excited at that moment. Haha if I would have known what was in store. I would not have taken one bit of that Lomito. All that to say, this time was worst than the last and I am now much more aware of what I’m putting in my mouth.

Our work at the orphanages continues to go well and I love spending time with these kiddos. I’m going to miss them so much while I’m away for Christmas. At the “Villa Israel” orphanage, there were four boys who earned enough points to go on an outing. They decided they wanted to go the cinema. Guess who had the honor of chaperoning….me! It was actually a really great time as we all sat, ate our popcorn, and enjoyed the entire two hours of high school musical 3. There were no other kid movies playing so we had to resort to singing, dancing, bad acting, and high school drama. Overall, they loved getting out and doing something fun. We also did face paint with both groups and they loved it!

On a sadder note, this is officially the last week that all four of the original girls will be here. When I arrived back in july, there were three girls here. As of next week, two of the three will have left. Things are coming to an end very quickly and come January, it will be me and the new intern, Craig, for some time. I know things will be fine and I praise God for the past four months he has blessed me with. I have made some life long friends and I can wish them the best and say that I’ll miss them terribly.

I can’t believe it’s already thanksgiving. Unfortunately it doesn’t feel much like the holidays without snow and family. God has richly blessed me with a family here, whom I look forward to spending the day with. I leave you with a psalm of praise and thanksgiving to our Lord and Savoir, Jesus Christ.

Psalm 92: selected verses
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to you name, O most high.
To proclaim you love in the morning and you faithfulness at night,
For you make me glad by you deeds, O lord;
I sing for joy at the works of you hands.
How great are you works, O lord, how profound you thoughts! You O lord, are exalted forever!

Lots of smiles, lots of pics....

Well, I feel like there is so much to write about since it’s been about a month since my last
post….sorry about that. Hmm where do I start? I suppose we would officially say that rainy season has started here in Bolivia, it’s going to be a long couple months. No it’s really not that bad, there’s a lot less sun and frequent down pours when you least expect it. October has been a big month here at the hacienda; people have once again come and gone. We had to say goodbye to our great friend Jeff. Him and I arrived in Bolivia together, so it was hard to see him go. He may be back, we’ll see.

We spent a lot of time with the kiddos this month, playing, learning, and swimming. One Saturday, we had the kids from the Villa Israel Orphanage over at our team leaders house. They have a pool so of course the kids had a blast. Here are some pics of the kiddos sunbathing. Here is a pic of Jhoel, the boy I want to bring home with me….what a great kid he is.

The other days spent at Villa Israel could not have gone better. These kids seem to improve more each time we go. I think my boys really enjoy our tutor time together, not only because of the candy I bribe them with to work, but also because they get my undivided attention for a full hour. These two are so sweet and we always have a blast. We have started memorizing Psalm 100 together in Spanish, so Ill let you know how that goes.

Here is a pic of Neydi, the girl that I mentioned in my email. What a beautiful heart she has. We still don’t know exactly how she is adjusting to her new home, but we continue to pray for her and that she would feel God’s love and her family’s acceptance. The other little guy is Arland, he has good days and bad days. He loves to eat….that’s all he ever wants to do!

So another fun thing we did this month was celebrate my birthday. I don’t think I have ever felt so special on my birthday; God is soooo good and surrounded me special friends here in Bolivia. Not only did we celebrate on the actual day, as you can see in these pics below, but we celebrated for a good week. I got a north american and a south american cake, yes!!

We also celebrated in on the weekend by going out to a nice Italian restaurant. Here is a pic with some of the other volunteers that I have the pleasure of working with on a daily basis.

I thought the celebrations were all over until the next day, another cake appeared and we celebrated with our Potosi Team. How wonderful it felt to know that, even though I was far away from home and from friends and family, I was surrounded by friends and family here.

I haven’t written about our Wednesday mornings building bunk beds in a while. Things have really been progressing over the past couple months and soon the beds will be ready to assemble. I have used some heavy duty machines and have been scared to lose a finger or a hand, but God has kept us all safe. These beds are going to be used in the new orphanages that are going to built in Chapare (the jungle area where we work). It’s very exciting to see the progress of something we have been working on for months now.

As for the other days during the week. Our time at the center has it’s up and downs. The kids continue to be crazy and unruly, but we continue to learn from them each time we’re there. I have been working with the littlest kids and they have been improving for the most part. They still enjoy climbing up the book shelves, spitting on each other, hitting each other in the face, swearing, and crying. Aside from all that, we somehow manage to teach them about Dios (God) and how much He loves each one of them. This is Dennis, probably one of the most misbehaved kids at the center, but has grown on me in a weird way. Just look at those eyes.

These are twin sisters in our class. They are bad too, but just crave a little attention.

There’s not much to say about the Frutillar Orphanage except that the kids are the sweetest kids here in Bolivia. We see them twice weekly and enjoy our time with them each time. Just look at these pics….so great!

Well thanks for taking time to look at all these pictures, even if I got a little carried away. Sometimes pictures are the best way to express how wonderful things really are. Praise God for his continued faithfulness and for all the ways he is growing the kids. I miss you all....