I’ve been in Bolivia for seven days and it already feels like I’ve been here for a month. I really love this beautiful country. The city I am staying in is called La Paz and it is surrounded by mountains. Everywhere you look, these giant glorious mountains loom overhead. As I walk through the streets I can’t help but gaze at the wonders around me. The people are also amazing, they are so loving and welcoming. My Spanish is not very good but each day it gets better and better. It has to, because many of the people I interact with either only know a little English or don’t know English at all. I feel very independent here, which is cool, but also terrifying. I have to buy my own food in the markets and even use public transportation alone. I’m glad that I get to stay here for five weeks and really get a glimpse into this culture.
As I share weekly about my time in Bolivia I really want to share stories about the people I meet instead of only focusing on myself. So I would like to share about a family I met on my third day here. We traveled about 45 min from the city to visit a single mother and her three young boys. The mother was 27 years old and cared for her boys alone. In addition, she had another child on the way. The family lived in a small house with just enough room for a bunk bed, a regular bed, and a small stove. The children kept their toys in a small black plastic bag. Despite their living conditions, those kids had the biggest and brightest smiles. They were so happy just to meet new friends. We played UNO and also read bible stories in Spanish with them. While we were visiting, the mother gave her three sons lunch; a simple meal of rice, egg, and plantain. The oldest son prayed over the meal. “Please bless the children that don’t have food” he prayed. That really impacted me. This boy barely had any food to eat and still he prayed to God to provide for those in need. It really opened my eyes to how good I have it. It makes me think about how their are times I throw food out when I can’t eat it anymore. Or how sometimes I eat just for the sake of eating because I have access to a lot of food. Or how sometimes I stand in front of my pantry and stare at all my food and complain that I have nothing to eat. It makes me think about how I always refer to myself as a “poor college student” but in reality I am paying thousands of dollars for a great education, buy my own food each week, and rent a house in Philadelphia. I’ve never gone to bed hungry and I always have something to eat. Sometimes it’s all very overwhelming to think of those in need while I swim in my possessions and excess of food; many times I would rather not think about it. But this young boy, who barely has anything, who barely even has food to eat, stopped and thought of those less fortunate then him. He didn’t ignore the fact that there are people out there with even less than him. That is an invaluable lesson I learned from that young boy. No matter how much or how little I have, I always need to give thanks to God and remember that He provides all things. I need to stay humble and always remember those who have less than me. Caring for those in need starts with a prayer. But, when one has the means to act on their words, that is very powerful too. I can pray that God provides food for those in need, but I can also take the excess food and money I have and help provide a meal for someone in need. That's something I am learning every day. It's often hard to change my mindset because I always think of myself as barely being able to afford basic things, when the reality, is I spend at least $20 a week on coffee or snacks I don't really need... ... The organization I am volunteering with is working with this family to help support them financially and to help encourage them. That day we just went to visit and see how the family was doing. My only job that day was to play with the kids. How humbling and amazing is that? Our leader decided that we should buy ice cream for the boys and their cousins. It took less than $5 to put a smile on the faces of eight kids. Sometimes showing love is as simple as buying ice cream for a couple kids. Not really sure if any of these ramblings made sense, but all in all, God is just really opening my eyes to see those in need and to actually care about them. He is also showing me how simple it is to show love to those around me. Anyway, I just really love Bolivia! Thank you for your prayers!
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I'm going to Bolivia! I know I'm surprised too!
I've been planning to serve in another country since last summer and have been researching organizations for months. Somewhere along the way I felt God lay the country of Bolivia on my heart. Don't ask me why, because I honestly have no idea. When I first felt like I was called to go to Bolivia this summer I was shocked because I literally knew nothing about the Country. I had to go over to my wall map and try to locate it! I also felt God lay the word hope on my heart...again don't ask me why?! So I took those two words, Bolivia and hope, and went with it. I started researching organizations in Bolivia that have hope in their name. I found about 3 organizations that matched the criteria. So I contacted all three. After applying and talking to the different organizations, one in particular stood out, an organization called Hope Worldwide. This faith-based organization has a medical clinic in Bolivia. It all seemed so perfect for me! The process of applying and trying to figure out the details for the trip took many weeks and I didn't finalize the trip until the first week of May! I know that is kinda crazy, but at the same time, I felt a weird sense of peace through it all. Yes, there were some days when I was a little on edge trying to figure things out, but at the same time I felt like God had it all under control. I mean, I felt Him tell me Bolivia and I heard Him tell me hope, so wouldn't it all work out in the end if it was His will? I will be gone for 5 weeks. I'm super excited to be there for so long because I feel like I will be able to make lasting relationships with the people and really become immersed in the Bolivian culture. Many people are wondering what I will be doing while I am there, and honestly I'm not completely sure! What I do know is that I will be helping out with the social programs, meaning I will be working with the orphanages and the children's programs in the hospital. Although I will be volunteering at the medical clinic, I won't really have the opportunity to shadow doctors and nurses...sadly that is only for students in graduate school. But at the same time, I will be serving in the hospital and will get to observe the dynamics of a medical clinic in a third world country. I'm actually really okay with the fact that I won't be doing too much medical stuff because I know there will be plenty of opportunities for me to do that in the near future. Right now I feel like I just need to serve and help wherever needed. So yes, that is what my summer will consist of. Honestly all of this hasn't really sunk in yet, and I leave in two days! I've never traveled to a foreign country alone before and I can barely speak Spanish, but somehow I know it will all be okay. Call me crazy, but honestly I think God is just teaching me to trust Him completely. I would love if you could keep me in your prayers while I am away. Pray that I would be able to help where needed and that I would be able to show the orphans God's love. Also please pray for safety and continued peace! I will try to update this blog at least once a week, so check back often! Also be sure to subscribe (just put your email in the box at the bottom of this post) that way you will receive an email when I update the blog! Thanks again for your prayers and support! |
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