dos adventures in bolivia

I've been quite adventurous the past 2 weekends, if I do say so myself. The weekend before last I braved the infamous Death Road, a mostly dirt road here in Bolivia on which many people have been injured and a few killed. My friend Sarah and I geared up with a local company to try our luck, and, minus the scare when we both got a little too close to the cliff, we had an amazing time! This is pre-road practice...yes, I'm that good that I can close my eyes while riding.

Phew! Talk about an adrenaline rush. We descended from a high elevation into the jungle. That little tiny strip is the road.
After we finished victoriously, we stayed at a lovely wildlife reservation/lodge. There were animals everywhere...not just dogs and cats, but monkeys, macaws, an ocelot, ducks, bunnies, and more monkeys. It was one of the coolest places I've ever visited. Monkeys would jump up on you and "talk" to you. Now I'm not an advocate of evolution, but it was really fascinating to watch how humanlike these guys' actions were. That hairy thing on my lap is a spider monkey.

One of our other teacher friends met up with us and spent the night in our tiki hut-type cottage after we played in the jungle together. It was so peaceful and relaxing, and an incredible reminder of the beauty of God's creation. Fabuloso.
Last weekend I traveled to Copacabana (yes, like the song) with some other teachers and students from my school. We hiked and camped for three days...the longest I've walked in my life!

Even though the hiking was a bit strenuous (think Bolivian mountains at 14,000 feet), it made everything else that much more rewarding. Arriving at our destination was that much more victorious, meals were that much tastier, and sleep and rest were that much more appreciated.

It was great to get to know some of the older students better and to bond over hard work and appreciating the wonders of God's creation...
...including some llamas along the way...
...and some pigs. These animals are proof that God has a sense of humor.
The views were absolutely breath-taking (well, both the scenery and the lack of air at such high altitude).

My favorite part was camping out the second night on the beach of Lake Titicaca.
I'm so grateful for opportunities to travel rather inexpensively and experience life in another culture. I'm beginning to learn the importance of living it to the fullest! I have a much greater appreciation for the Creator and his creation, for rest time away from work, and for shared experiences that allow people to grow closer. Thank you to all of you who've made this bit of traveling possible. What an amazing couple of weekends!

spring has sprung!

Yes, my northern hemisphere friends, it is now officially spring here in South America. My roommates and I got these beautiful flowers to celebrate the start of primavera for 10 bolivianos, which is less than $1.50! I'm going to get some spring cleaning done today on my day off. Here in Bolivia they have holidays for kids, just like Mother's Day, etc. Today is Students' Day. So happy Students' Day and happy second day of Spring from La Paz! Don't be too jealous. We didn't have Labor Day off, and I miss the sweet time of fall with the leaves changing colors and pumpkins and the crispness of the air. Fall in that way doesn't really happen here, even in April. But it's still bella, and I intend to enjoy the 75-degree weather and sunny skies until Christmas!

joy

I came across a quote the other day: "Joy is not in things; it is in us." From a Christian worldview, this means that, no matter how much our circumstances change--where we go or what we have or don't have--the joy deep within us never leaves us. Jesus is God with Us, Emmanuel, and I've been reminded of that in so many ways the past few days that I've been extremely homesick. Thank you to those of you who have sent prayers and words of encouragement my way as those reminders. It's just a weird feeling to miss people and a way of life I was so accustomed to and still experience the excitement of being in a new culture, exactly where God has led me to be. He's teaching me to look for the joys in the everyday: the incredible mountains surrounding me, my students' excitement about learning, the sweet and funny times I spend with friends, and the sacredness of serving here as a missionary. Even though I miss some of my old comforts, and even if things appear to be a little politically unstable in other parts of the country, I am reminded of the ever-present gift of God with me:
"Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God—soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God."
(Psalm 43:5)

home

I've been a little--okay, a lot---homesick this past week. And if I may, I'll just vent a little about the things I miss. First of all, I miss my family a ton, even the ones I didn't see all that often when I was in the States. I miss talking after dinner with my folks in Greenville, watching "So You Think You Can Dance" with my sister and brother-in-law, and spending precious time with my favorite niece in the universe. (Isn't she a doll?) I miss my good friends, many of whom were scattered about anyway, but I could've arranged to visit them from a couple hundred miles away as opposed to the now 2,000-mile distance. I miss my Bible study girls, my incredible church, and my Glenwood girls. I miss Diet Mountain Dew. I miss Target. I miss driving my own car. I miss Cracker Barrell and Nannie's Sunday lunches. I miss familiarity. But if all of the unfamiliar things I'm experiencing are now becoming more familiar and routine, I'm at a bit of a standstill between two worlds: one that used to be my comfortable home and one that is becoming that way. Although wonderfully challenging and an incredible opportunity to trust in the Lord's constancy, it is a bit unnerving at times. Hence the reason why I find so much joy in going to
restaurants that remind me of people or places in the States:

Thank God for Blueberries! This restaurant in particular reminded me of my mom because, not only do they have delicious pancakes that are almost as good as hers, but the decorations inside are also cats and moons and stars, which are trademark of my mother if you know her. Thank the Lord for this oasis up in the city, away from the crowds and smog and car horns, and a little reminder of the place that, no matter where I go, will always be home.

incredible hikes

I haven't remembered to blog about it until now, but the first week I was here, my director took the other two new Highlands teachers and me up to a mountain called Chacaltaya, which sits at over 17,000 feet! We drove most of the way up, but what we walked was a steep, rocky climb, so I was pretty proud of us. Here is one of the amazing views from the top.

We had a sip of coca tea at the lodge on our way back down, which was hot goodness because that wind was so chilly! Yes, our coca tea was water and coca leaves, the same plant from which cocaine is derived. It's supposed to calm altitude sickness, and it didn't have any weird effects on us, regardless of what the excited look on my face may say.
This morning--4 am, as a matter of fact--we drove a couple hours up to a trail called Taquesi. Our director made my roomies, me, and a couple others a yummy breakfast of egg and ham burritos and coffee before our pretty strenuous uphill climb.

Almost there!

And here are my roomies and me at the top of our hour climb. What a wonderful way to worship on Sunday morning!
We each shared Scripture as we took in the beauty of God's creation. "I lift my eyes up to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. " (Psalm 121:1&2)

birthdays in bolivia

Friday night I had the honor of celebrating a staff member's birthday around a campfire, which felt wonderful in the not-quite-spring night air here in La Paz. This is a picture of the birthday dude playing Chubby Bunny. He won with a whopping twelve marshmallows. It was disgusting. Before I was grossed out by the game, however, we made yummy s'mores, looked at the stars, and discussed how Australia is not the appropriate name of the continent. My New Zealand friends corrected me: It is Oceania, or more even more correct, Australasia. Get it right, U.S. school textbooks.
I also hung out with some lovely ladies whose hearts and lives all encourage me so much. Here is my sweet roommate Sarah, who is the other one that is new to teaching, Bolivia, and Spanish like me.

Tomorrow happens to be Sarah's birthday! Unfortunately, especially for her, we don't get the day off (Labor Day is a U.S. holiday, as I had to remind myself) but we are celebrating her at dinner tomorrow night. Happy 21st, Sarah! I hope that you feel loved and appreciated for the awesome person you are! I'm thankful you're in my life!

rabies, highlands, and mushrooms

Tonight I found out some helpful information. I can get rabies vaccinations here for about $10. It would have cost me $1000 in the States! This is pertinent info because our school has some German Sheppard watch dogs that like to bite every now and then (but don't worry...only if you are on campus when after dark). Besides the Germans and the three other dogs that live on our school campus, we also have sheep that graze around our school, and they usually come right up to the fence.

In other school news, my kids are great. I feel like we're getting to know each other, the daily routine, and what we're supposed to learn in first grade. :o) For the most part they are well-behaved, eager to learn, and very creative. It's exciting to be at Highlands, one of the few Protestant Christian schools in the country, and also exciting that I get to teach the Bible. We really try as a school to integrate the Bible in a practical way into all curriculum so that students have a Christian worldview from the beginning, whether or not they are Christians. Many of them are highly influenced by Catholic churches and schools which are very different from those in the states. Catholicism here is a mix of worshipping Jesus, the saints, and animal spirits, since much of the Catholic theology is intertwined with the paganism of the indigenous people. Thus, many of my six-year-olds are already confused as to who God is and what a relationship with Jesus is all about. I'm honored that I get to be one of the first to teach them about what life in Christ looks like. Here they are making gardens of Eden.

And here are some views of my fun little classroom.

Thank you to everyone for providing things to help the kids learn and make my room look nice!

Here are my crazy kids...this is how we say "thank you" in La Paz. :o)

Lastly, a quicky funny...I was trying to ask the guy at the grocery store what some vegetables were, thinking that they looked like mushrooms. However, instead of saying, "Are these like mushrooms?" I ended up saying "Are WE like mushrooms?" I'm sure he thought I was referring to my friend and me. I didn't realize my blunder until after I walked away with the vegetables, which to my disappointment were only rotten-looking potatoes. The only mushrooms, I guess, were Sarah and me. I love learning to laugh at myself!