Hello dear friends in Christ! We are now back from our Bolivia Mission trip and it has been almost 2 days since our return. I must say that for me, these past two days have been a little numb. Numb because I am readjusting to the life that I lead before going on the trip. I am back to looking at really organized towns and cities which I must say was to some extent a shock for me. I remember feeling this when we flew over Miami coming back from Santa Cruz. From the sky, everything looked so organized, neat and proper. It was not all like that in different parts of Bolivia. I became so accustomed to looking at the scenery and the structure of the towns in Bolivia that when I saw Miami, I was surprised. Going through the motions of the day felt really numb too. I missed waking up for mass and morning prayer and being able to look forward to meeting the Ninos of San Martin De Porres or the children in Santa Theresa De Los Andes.
As I continue to ponder on the past 10 days in Bolivia being the face of Christ to the children in both the orphanages, I am amazed at how powerful our God is. I have been on various mission trips and doing missionary work in the past two years of my life. But this was a whole new experience for me. It was easy to rely on my strength to do the mission that was given to me on my previous mission works. However, during this trip, I was striped of the one thing that I do alot and best. It was talking. The very fact that I was in a country that spoke Spanish majority of the time, limited me to really simple conversations. This was hard for me to get over as I am a naturally talkative person. I love long conversations with people and it was hard for me to hold a conversation like that with the amount of Spanish that I knew. I thought that it would hinder me from bonding with the children in San Martin de Porres or with the Dominican Brothers in Cochabamba. This factor made me frustrated so many times. So, I cried out to God. I prayed. I surrendered everything to Him knowing that there was nothing more that I could have done.
Doing that, made the biggest difference. After praying, I felt such peace in myself and I felt the strength to continue to persevere and to not quit learning. God really did kept his promise as it is said in Isaiah 40:31 'But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.'
The Lord showed me, that there is absolutely no boundaries and limits that can hinder the work of the Lord from coming to past. He showed me that even with a language barrier, as long as we are open and sincere in our mission, He will provide a way. After all, we are merely empty vessels, instruments to be used by God for the fulfillment of His will. It may be a different culture or a different language but as long as we trust in Him, He will make the way.
Coming back from this trip, I feel like my faith level has been increased. It is always easy to say 'trust in God' or 'have faith in God' or 'there is nothing impossible to God' but experiencing it first hand brings a deeper meaning to those common phrases. With this experience that I have been blessed with, I know for sure that no matter where I am or what I do, God can use me to do His will. I learned first hand that it is God who equips us with the skills necessary to do His will. Some of us didn't or could not speak Spanish fluently, but were still able to communicate and even form close bonds with the people around us. Some of us felt uncomfortable carrying out some of the chores at Santa Theresa but in the end, were able to overcome it and did a far better job than what we expected. God provides us with all that we need. All we have to do is just be there and be open to allow God to work through us. Indeed, there is really nothing impossible to God.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to this mission trip. You may have donated money or prayed for us every single day. I am here to tell you that every penny donated and every prayer prayed made this trip a BLESSING to all of us who went on it and definitely a blessing to those who encountered us. Your contributions made a way for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus and for us to be touched by the love of Jesus through the people whom we encountered. I pray that God will bless you abundantly and give you tenfold of what you gave us. Thank you and God bless !
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Santa Teresa de los Andes
After returning from Concepcion, we spent two days at Santa Teresa de los Andes. This is a center that takes care of people with serious disabilities. This is the part of the trip that I consider the hardest, as it stretched me beyond my zone of comfort. It was truly moving to see the challenges faced by the people at this center, but equally moving to see how the staff took care of its residents. Some of us were more comfortable at performing the tasks necessary to help than others, however, even those of us who weren't that comfortable, steeped up to the plate. The afternoons were spent with the priests at Cotoca, which were very gracious hosts in showing us the area.
A break at Concepcion
After leaving the San Martin de Porres Orphanage, we spent two days getting to know Bolivia a bit better. Our journey, again, involved some travel. We first took an overnight bus from Cochabamba to Santa Cruz. Although the seats were prety comfortable, it was still a very long ride. After arriving at Santa Cruz, our guide took us away from the city towards visiting the smaller towns of Concepcion, San Javier and Santa Rita. Many of these towns were founded by Jesuit priests who came on missions during the period of colonization of Bolivia. The towns still conserve some of the original buildings and churches built by the Jesuits. It was interesting to see the mix of religion and local traditions displayed in the artwork. The two days we spent were fun in that they typically ended with a night of kareokee.
San Martin de Porres - Part II
It has been a while since I write on this blog. However, there is much to tell about the remaining days at San Martin de Pores near the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. During our second day at this center, some of us spent some time in the library with the kids. First, some of us learned how to play "uno diez" - a game literally translated to one ten. Later, a kid asked if I could sing. Not knowing what was ahead of me, I said yes. All of a sudden he gave me some lyrics, played some music in the background and had me sing. It did not help that other people in the room including Alfredo encouraged it. I think its possibly some of the worst singing, I've done, but they seemed to like it (or at the very least be amused by it). After we left the orphanage, we visited the sanctuary to the virgin of urkupina.
Our last day at the orphanage, began with a game of "quemado" or dodge ball. The kids continued to be curious about the different hobbies or abilities we, missionaries, had. Lindsay and I gave a quick lesson on Latin dance and others showed their respective talents. At last, departure time came. It was as you'd expect, a sad goodbye. Later that day, we visited the market at Cochabamba, which was made up of multiple small booths containing almost everything you can expect to see in a department store.
Our last day at the orphanage, began with a game of "quemado" or dodge ball. The kids continued to be curious about the different hobbies or abilities we, missionaries, had. Lindsay and I gave a quick lesson on Latin dance and others showed their respective talents. At last, departure time came. It was as you'd expect, a sad goodbye. Later that day, we visited the market at Cochabamba, which was made up of multiple small booths containing almost everything you can expect to see in a department store.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Part 3- Santa Cruz
Friends and family,
Hope all is well in the states, we´ll be back tomorrow! The past few days we have been working at an orphanage for children with special needs called Santa Theresa de Los Andes. It has been a moving experience and I´m so amazed by the people that work at the orphanage. There are 147 children and adults with special needs there and they are one of three centers in Bolivia that accepts children with special needs. The children here are completely dependent on the care of others and the majority can not preform basic tasks that we take for granted. Over the past few days, we have been taking them on walks, bathing them, dressing them, and feeding them, all of which have been both rewarding and fun. Once I got to know a few of them personally, it became easier to relate and spend time with them. One of the girls, Felicidad (literally translated into English is happiness), smiled at every opportunity for human interaction. I was so touched by her light hearted spirit and she reminded me of the importance of simply being there for other people and helping them when they need it. I know I learned a great lesson in dependency and am better able to realize the love and support that is constantly present.
Speaking of love, I became friends with the altar server children at the church that played in the evenings. They were very fun and we played a lot of soccer and basketball. They loved the fact that we were from America and we seemed to be the gateway to a million and one questions about America. I love those kids and I think everyone should get at least one opportunity in their lives to feel as popular as Justin Beber, as I have felt the past few nights.
So after our last group reflection, I wanted to leave with a few ending thoughts. I´m so grateful for this experience and for all of the people that have supported me along the way. One of the lessons that will remain with me is how lucky I really am. I have a loving family, an awesome group of friends, and opportunities to impact my community on a daily basis. I don´t want to forget these opportunities to live in the light of God and serve his people to the best of my abilities. Also, I´m healthy and fully able to serve others around me. I hope to channel my opportunities and efforts to help some of the main problems in Bolivia and around the world, such as sanitation, political stability, poverty, and injustice. These issues require massive support groups to make change and I plan on extending an encouraging influence to those who need it. I know I won´t ever forget Bolivia. I am so content with this trip and the amazing experiences we have had as a group. Thanks to everyone who helped and prayed for us and God bless.
Much love,
Lindsay
Hope all is well in the states, we´ll be back tomorrow! The past few days we have been working at an orphanage for children with special needs called Santa Theresa de Los Andes. It has been a moving experience and I´m so amazed by the people that work at the orphanage. There are 147 children and adults with special needs there and they are one of three centers in Bolivia that accepts children with special needs. The children here are completely dependent on the care of others and the majority can not preform basic tasks that we take for granted. Over the past few days, we have been taking them on walks, bathing them, dressing them, and feeding them, all of which have been both rewarding and fun. Once I got to know a few of them personally, it became easier to relate and spend time with them. One of the girls, Felicidad (literally translated into English is happiness), smiled at every opportunity for human interaction. I was so touched by her light hearted spirit and she reminded me of the importance of simply being there for other people and helping them when they need it. I know I learned a great lesson in dependency and am better able to realize the love and support that is constantly present.
Speaking of love, I became friends with the altar server children at the church that played in the evenings. They were very fun and we played a lot of soccer and basketball. They loved the fact that we were from America and we seemed to be the gateway to a million and one questions about America. I love those kids and I think everyone should get at least one opportunity in their lives to feel as popular as Justin Beber, as I have felt the past few nights.
So after our last group reflection, I wanted to leave with a few ending thoughts. I´m so grateful for this experience and for all of the people that have supported me along the way. One of the lessons that will remain with me is how lucky I really am. I have a loving family, an awesome group of friends, and opportunities to impact my community on a daily basis. I don´t want to forget these opportunities to live in the light of God and serve his people to the best of my abilities. Also, I´m healthy and fully able to serve others around me. I hope to channel my opportunities and efforts to help some of the main problems in Bolivia and around the world, such as sanitation, political stability, poverty, and injustice. These issues require massive support groups to make change and I plan on extending an encouraging influence to those who need it. I know I won´t ever forget Bolivia. I am so content with this trip and the amazing experiences we have had as a group. Thanks to everyone who helped and prayed for us and God bless.
Much love,
Lindsay
...near the end
Tomorrow we leave for the Santa Cruz airport at 5:30AM and will be arriving in Lafayette IN, after a layover in Miami, late at night.
Our experience in Bolivia has certainy been diverse for all of us. On one end, from the seven of us students, I was the most comfortable one with the transportation, language, food, and general culture. On another extreme, some of us felt like in a completely different world; not only that but they were much more sensitive to the differences of way of life in Cochabamba and Santa Cruz / Cotoca.
Yesterday we toured the facilities in Santa Teresa de los Andes in the morning. This is a home for the physically and mentally disabled, mostly abandoned by their families. Often, newborns are left at the steps of the gate because their parents know that they cannot provide for them. Within the compound there are several smaller houses (buildings) where people with different dissabilities are housed. They range from the highly functioning autistic individuals who have full motor cotroll of their bodies to those who are moved from crib, to mat, to wheelchair, back to a mat and then a crib all day, everyday for the rest of their lives.
Once again, our responce was very diverse. Some of us were very comfortable interacting the people housed in these homes while others were not. I must admit that I was initially uncomfortable with the sight of human souls trapped in their disabled bodies. It was hard for me and a few others to rid ourselves of discomfort and even fear of the unknown but I think we did very well.
Today we arrived at Santa Teresa de los Andes around 8:30AM after they had been fed. They were ready to be bathed and changed. Kenny, Edwin and I went to the house where the disabled individuals (I say individuals because not all of them were children) had a condition that affected the full development of their cognitive abilities as well as bend their joints (I don´t remember the name of this condition).
It was quite a daunting task for me but seeing Kenny dive into the task encouraged me to do the same. Edwin followed as well. We learned quickly how to dry them off and put their clothes on. The women running the home suggested we should stay the rest of the year in order to help! I think we did a great job and I´m happy I was there.
More importantly, something dawned on me while one of them (Pedrito) and I went for a walk on his wheelchair. At first I was nervous and concerned: what will he do? what should I do? how do I interact with him? what would he like me to do? Those concernes melted away once I realized I was in the presence of someone who was guaranteed a seat at the Lord´s banquet.
I had heard before that I would encounter saints but those words didn´t mean much to me until that moment. Suddenly I could imagine myself, if reaching paradise, a conversation with Pedrito about that very moment. What would he say then? What would I say then? And the questions that were making me nervous and unsure became the same questions that lifted my spirit and eagerness to continue our encounter.
Tonight we rest from a simple yet good day of work at Santa Teresa de los Andes. It rained intensely for a few hours and that has prevented us from doing some last minute touring as we had planned. Neverthless we leave Bolivia having learned much from our many encounters and diverse experiences.
Our experience in Bolivia has certainy been diverse for all of us. On one end, from the seven of us students, I was the most comfortable one with the transportation, language, food, and general culture. On another extreme, some of us felt like in a completely different world; not only that but they were much more sensitive to the differences of way of life in Cochabamba and Santa Cruz / Cotoca.
Yesterday we toured the facilities in Santa Teresa de los Andes in the morning. This is a home for the physically and mentally disabled, mostly abandoned by their families. Often, newborns are left at the steps of the gate because their parents know that they cannot provide for them. Within the compound there are several smaller houses (buildings) where people with different dissabilities are housed. They range from the highly functioning autistic individuals who have full motor cotroll of their bodies to those who are moved from crib, to mat, to wheelchair, back to a mat and then a crib all day, everyday for the rest of their lives.
Once again, our responce was very diverse. Some of us were very comfortable interacting the people housed in these homes while others were not. I must admit that I was initially uncomfortable with the sight of human souls trapped in their disabled bodies. It was hard for me and a few others to rid ourselves of discomfort and even fear of the unknown but I think we did very well.
Today we arrived at Santa Teresa de los Andes around 8:30AM after they had been fed. They were ready to be bathed and changed. Kenny, Edwin and I went to the house where the disabled individuals (I say individuals because not all of them were children) had a condition that affected the full development of their cognitive abilities as well as bend their joints (I don´t remember the name of this condition).
It was quite a daunting task for me but seeing Kenny dive into the task encouraged me to do the same. Edwin followed as well. We learned quickly how to dry them off and put their clothes on. The women running the home suggested we should stay the rest of the year in order to help! I think we did a great job and I´m happy I was there.
More importantly, something dawned on me while one of them (Pedrito) and I went for a walk on his wheelchair. At first I was nervous and concerned: what will he do? what should I do? how do I interact with him? what would he like me to do? Those concernes melted away once I realized I was in the presence of someone who was guaranteed a seat at the Lord´s banquet.
I had heard before that I would encounter saints but those words didn´t mean much to me until that moment. Suddenly I could imagine myself, if reaching paradise, a conversation with Pedrito about that very moment. What would he say then? What would I say then? And the questions that were making me nervous and unsure became the same questions that lifted my spirit and eagerness to continue our encounter.
Tonight we rest from a simple yet good day of work at Santa Teresa de los Andes. It rained intensely for a few hours and that has prevented us from doing some last minute touring as we had planned. Neverthless we leave Bolivia having learned much from our many encounters and diverse experiences.
Impressions from Bolivia-Part II
Dear friends and family! Hope that everything is doing well whenever you are right now and thanks for your prayers. By this moment we are in Cotoca, a town located at 18km of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. In this place we are volunteering at the orphanage Santa Teresa de los Andes. This is an orphanage created for children with physical and mental disabilities.
First of all, I would provide you a brief description of the orphanage. It was founded on 1986, by a Colombian priest who in his way to Peru had a layover on Santa Cruz that was longer than expected. Given the additional time he had, he decided to go and visit the city. While, the priest was touring the city, he found a disable child that was begging for food in the street and this encounter ignite in him the desire to establish an organization to take care of these kids.
Actually, the orphanage has 147 children. The total capacity is approximately 170. However, they prefer to maintain a reserve margin in order to offer the kids quality and to maintain the cost within manageable limits. They received children with four different disabilities: Down syndrome, autism, encephalopathy, and cerebral palsy. Also, the orphanage receives kids with different levels of severity ranging from normal to severe.
The kids are distributed according to their age and the severity of the disability. The distribution is made in houses of different colors (e.g. brown, blue, red, green). There were children with moderate levels of disabilities, like the ones that live in the orange house (e.g. can walk by themselves, swallow) to children with severe disability like the ones in the red house (e.g. they spend the day from the brick-mattress-wheelchair and vice versa).
In my perspective, it was almost impossible to be mentally prepared to the experience we are facing in the orphanage. Definitively, it is a heart-touching experience working with these kids. While, I was walking them outside in the afternoon in the wheelchairs, I was constantly remembering the words of Fr. Patrick when he expressed that these children are surely creatures of God, because they do not have the ability to sin. Honestly, it was comforting to me to know that these children would more likely make it to heaven than me, but I couldn´t hinder my sorrow for the mental conditions of the children. Tomorrow is going to be our last day at the orphanage and we´re hoping to get there as early as possible given that the main bulk of activities occur in the morning.
Once again, I sincerely appreciate your prayers and support. I would be updating the blog with more details concerning the work at the orphanage at our visit to Conception, Bolivia. Finally, I have been able to upload some pictures. I promise that I would be updating more pictures once I am back to the US.
Best regards,
John
First of all, I would provide you a brief description of the orphanage. It was founded on 1986, by a Colombian priest who in his way to Peru had a layover on Santa Cruz that was longer than expected. Given the additional time he had, he decided to go and visit the city. While, the priest was touring the city, he found a disable child that was begging for food in the street and this encounter ignite in him the desire to establish an organization to take care of these kids.
Actually, the orphanage has 147 children. The total capacity is approximately 170. However, they prefer to maintain a reserve margin in order to offer the kids quality and to maintain the cost within manageable limits. They received children with four different disabilities: Down syndrome, autism, encephalopathy, and cerebral palsy. Also, the orphanage receives kids with different levels of severity ranging from normal to severe.
The kids are distributed according to their age and the severity of the disability. The distribution is made in houses of different colors (e.g. brown, blue, red, green). There were children with moderate levels of disabilities, like the ones that live in the orange house (e.g. can walk by themselves, swallow) to children with severe disability like the ones in the red house (e.g. they spend the day from the brick-mattress-wheelchair and vice versa).
In my perspective, it was almost impossible to be mentally prepared to the experience we are facing in the orphanage. Definitively, it is a heart-touching experience working with these kids. While, I was walking them outside in the afternoon in the wheelchairs, I was constantly remembering the words of Fr. Patrick when he expressed that these children are surely creatures of God, because they do not have the ability to sin. Honestly, it was comforting to me to know that these children would more likely make it to heaven than me, but I couldn´t hinder my sorrow for the mental conditions of the children. Tomorrow is going to be our last day at the orphanage and we´re hoping to get there as early as possible given that the main bulk of activities occur in the morning.
Once again, I sincerely appreciate your prayers and support. I would be updating the blog with more details concerning the work at the orphanage at our visit to Conception, Bolivia. Finally, I have been able to upload some pictures. I promise that I would be updating more pictures once I am back to the US.
Best regards,
John
Monday, May 23, 2011
Part 2- Concepcion
Hello everyone!
The past few days in Bolivia have been awesome! Most of the group agrees that Bolivia is a paradise all its own. The past few days have been the more tourist section of our trip.
Before leaving Cochabamba, we went to a few of the local monuments, such as a large statute of Christ overlooking the city. You can see it from nearly any point in the city. We also went to the HUGE market called La Cancha. The best way to describe it was a flea market with every imaginable item you could think to buy. It was a like an outdoors Walmart with a few more flies. After doing a little sightseeing in the large city of Cochabamba, we took an overnight bus ride and eventually arrived at the town of Concepcion.
After getting of the bus, we met our tour guide Mercedes, a wonderful woman who showed us the historic and most beautiful parts of Concepcion. The town began as a Jesuit mission and she told us how the Spanish and Germans brought religion to the area but did so peacefully and altered the language of the bible to the native culture. It was really great to hear about the adaptive styles of the missionaries. The churches we have seen established by the missionaries are absolutely beautiful. They are so elaborate and even have wood carvings of bible stories on the side of the pews. The history of the churches was really enlightening and I´m so glad I´ve gotten to see the area and understand more about our faith.
In the other aspects of the trip, our tour guide Mercedes has taken us to really great local restaurants. Although many of us have had upset stomachs, I think we can agree that it was worth it. Also, we went to a small village of San Rita that was celebrating the feast of San Rita. There was a small party and while only a few of the Americans danced and everyone else watched us, it was still really fun. We also went to a lake near our hotel and Kenny, Marybeth, and I jumped off a 15 foot bridge into the water. It was so fun!! Finally, we ended our nights in Concepcion at the Karaoke bar with lots of singing and salsa dancing :) The hotel in Concepcion was very relaxing and looked like one of those hidden secret hotels off the travel channel. We are now in our last city of Cotoca and will go to the other orphanage tomorrow.
While it is nice having to check my phone, Facebook, email, fan mail, act. I do miss you all very much and can´t wait to see you soon! Thank you all for your support and hope all is well in the States!
Much love,
Lindsay
The past few days in Bolivia have been awesome! Most of the group agrees that Bolivia is a paradise all its own. The past few days have been the more tourist section of our trip.
Before leaving Cochabamba, we went to a few of the local monuments, such as a large statute of Christ overlooking the city. You can see it from nearly any point in the city. We also went to the HUGE market called La Cancha. The best way to describe it was a flea market with every imaginable item you could think to buy. It was a like an outdoors Walmart with a few more flies. After doing a little sightseeing in the large city of Cochabamba, we took an overnight bus ride and eventually arrived at the town of Concepcion.
After getting of the bus, we met our tour guide Mercedes, a wonderful woman who showed us the historic and most beautiful parts of Concepcion. The town began as a Jesuit mission and she told us how the Spanish and Germans brought religion to the area but did so peacefully and altered the language of the bible to the native culture. It was really great to hear about the adaptive styles of the missionaries. The churches we have seen established by the missionaries are absolutely beautiful. They are so elaborate and even have wood carvings of bible stories on the side of the pews. The history of the churches was really enlightening and I´m so glad I´ve gotten to see the area and understand more about our faith.
In the other aspects of the trip, our tour guide Mercedes has taken us to really great local restaurants. Although many of us have had upset stomachs, I think we can agree that it was worth it. Also, we went to a small village of San Rita that was celebrating the feast of San Rita. There was a small party and while only a few of the Americans danced and everyone else watched us, it was still really fun. We also went to a lake near our hotel and Kenny, Marybeth, and I jumped off a 15 foot bridge into the water. It was so fun!! Finally, we ended our nights in Concepcion at the Karaoke bar with lots of singing and salsa dancing :) The hotel in Concepcion was very relaxing and looked like one of those hidden secret hotels off the travel channel. We are now in our last city of Cotoca and will go to the other orphanage tomorrow.
While it is nice having to check my phone, Facebook, email, fan mail, act. I do miss you all very much and can´t wait to see you soon! Thank you all for your support and hope all is well in the States!
Much love,
Lindsay
Llegamos a Cotoca!!
Despues de un breve descanso en Concepcion y San Javier, hemos llegado a Cotoca y estamos descansando despues de un viaje largo. Pronto cenaremos con los padres y hermanos Dominicos y mañana empezaremos el segundo y ultimo trabajo misionario en Bolivia.
Aunque sea otoño por aca, la temperatura esta como 70 grados F. La humidad tambien esta alta!
Hata ahora nos ha ido muy bien y no hemos tenido ningun problema. Me siento bien comodo con los compañeros que tengo y en este pais bellisimo donde estoy.
Aunque sea otoño por aca, la temperatura esta como 70 grados F. La humidad tambien esta alta!
Hata ahora nos ha ido muy bien y no hemos tenido ningun problema. Me siento bien comodo con los compañeros que tengo y en este pais bellisimo donde estoy.
We are now in Cotoca
After a wonderful weekend visit to the Jesuit Missions in Concepcion and San Javier, we are in Cotoca at the next phase of our mission work. We arrived not too long ago. The humidity is higher here and even though it is at the start of winter the temperature is high, approximately 70deg F. Soon we will have dinner with the priests and brothers here and tomorrow we will go to the orphanage where the children are mentally and physically handicapped.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Impressions from Bolivia
Hi everyone! I hope you all are doing well. I am having a wonderful time here in Bolivia with the children from the San Martin de Porres orphanage and with the Dominican brothers. I am very grateful for this opportunity to visit this orphanage and to get to talk, play and laugh with these children. This orphanage is part of a program develop for orphans, and children off the streets with the purpose to give them a family and a place to call home.
When we first arrive to the orphanage I was very pleased with the amicability and the openness of the kids, especially the youngest ones. They were always eagerly to learn, play and ask questions. Honestly, this have become unique learning experience for me, the children truly are a source of inspiration and perseverance. I am very impressed with their good behavior and their responsibilities towards chores and homework. Furthermore, for their self-esteem and determination to keep moving in life as every normal kid would do.
Essentially, we have been engaging with them in conversations or helping them with their shores (e.g. homework, workshops). I have had the opportunity to participate with them in carpentry and bakery workshops (i.e. we make delicious empanadas with cheese or jam). Moreover, we have had the opportunity to engage with them playing football, frisbee and basketball.
I consider that my most heart-touching moment was when we were leaving the orphanage and this kid (called Jose Antonio) approaches me with a sad expression and ask me if we are leaving. Then, he hug me and later others kid did with me, as well as they hug Fr. Mike and the other missionaries. Definitively, it was a sweet and sour moment. While, I felt glad to make such a bond with them, I was sad because we would just stay with them until Friday the 20th at noon. When we arrive on Thursday for our second day in the orphanage I was joyful when the children were receiving me and calling me by name. I believe that I can´t describe with words how happy and impressed I was with the bond we have created with them.
I am amazed with the Bolivian culture and the warmth of its people. I have been feeling here like home despite of being so far for it. The Dominican brothers have been very welcoming and attentive to us. I am very grateful for the attention that they have given us, and for the opportunity to participate in their morning and evening prayers.
Sadly, tomorrow Friday we would be leaving Cochabamba to travel to Concepcion. Nonetheless, we just have spent 2 days with the children, I have gotten very attach to them, to their smiles and their optimism. I promise that I would be updating some pictures as soon as possible. Thanks for your prayers and blessings for me and the missionaries. Please continue keeping us in your prayers as we continue our mission in Catoca.
Best regards,
John
When we first arrive to the orphanage I was very pleased with the amicability and the openness of the kids, especially the youngest ones. They were always eagerly to learn, play and ask questions. Honestly, this have become unique learning experience for me, the children truly are a source of inspiration and perseverance. I am very impressed with their good behavior and their responsibilities towards chores and homework. Furthermore, for their self-esteem and determination to keep moving in life as every normal kid would do.
Essentially, we have been engaging with them in conversations or helping them with their shores (e.g. homework, workshops). I have had the opportunity to participate with them in carpentry and bakery workshops (i.e. we make delicious empanadas with cheese or jam). Moreover, we have had the opportunity to engage with them playing football, frisbee and basketball.
I consider that my most heart-touching moment was when we were leaving the orphanage and this kid (called Jose Antonio) approaches me with a sad expression and ask me if we are leaving. Then, he hug me and later others kid did with me, as well as they hug Fr. Mike and the other missionaries. Definitively, it was a sweet and sour moment. While, I felt glad to make such a bond with them, I was sad because we would just stay with them until Friday the 20th at noon. When we arrive on Thursday for our second day in the orphanage I was joyful when the children were receiving me and calling me by name. I believe that I can´t describe with words how happy and impressed I was with the bond we have created with them.
I am amazed with the Bolivian culture and the warmth of its people. I have been feeling here like home despite of being so far for it. The Dominican brothers have been very welcoming and attentive to us. I am very grateful for the attention that they have given us, and for the opportunity to participate in their morning and evening prayers.
Sadly, tomorrow Friday we would be leaving Cochabamba to travel to Concepcion. Nonetheless, we just have spent 2 days with the children, I have gotten very attach to them, to their smiles and their optimism. I promise that I would be updating some pictures as soon as possible. Thanks for your prayers and blessings for me and the missionaries. Please continue keeping us in your prayers as we continue our mission in Catoca.
Best regards,
John
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Hola from Bolivia!
Hi everyone. Thanks be to God for this wonderful experience - it is unlike anything I could have imagined. I have a hard time putting into words all of the feelings of the past few days - a mixture of excitement, nervousness, frustration, relief, etc etc etc.
I don´t even know where to begin... it seems like the others have done a good job updating on everything we´ve been doing! The kids are amazing...I haven´t ever worked with just boys before, and it is a totally new experience! They are fun and have so much energy!! There seems to be no sadness about their situation - the orphanage is a great program that instills values and self-worth in them. According to one of the men who work there, there is a pretty high success rate that the boys go on to become productive members of society...I am glad these boys aren´t out on the streets. It is hard for us, as Americans, to imagine such poverty and uncertainty. I sometimes find myself overwhelmed with the immense amount of need here, not just in the orphanage, but in Cochabamba too. I am interested to see the differences between Cochabamba, Concepciòn, and Cotoca.
One thing I am sure of - it is B E A U T I F U L here!!!! Everything - the mountains, the city, the people, the traffic! I love it! I am taking lots of pictures and can´t wait to post some so you can see. Tomorrow we are going to St. Martin de los porres (the orphanage) for half the day, then exploring downtown Cochabamba before we take an overnight bus to Cotoca/Concepciòn. We´ll be shopping :) :) which as many of you probably know, is one of my favorite pasttimes! More to come later on, but hello everyone and thanks for reading! Please keep our group, but mostly the people of Bolivia in your prayers.
I don´t even know where to begin... it seems like the others have done a good job updating on everything we´ve been doing! The kids are amazing...I haven´t ever worked with just boys before, and it is a totally new experience! They are fun and have so much energy!! There seems to be no sadness about their situation - the orphanage is a great program that instills values and self-worth in them. According to one of the men who work there, there is a pretty high success rate that the boys go on to become productive members of society...I am glad these boys aren´t out on the streets. It is hard for us, as Americans, to imagine such poverty and uncertainty. I sometimes find myself overwhelmed with the immense amount of need here, not just in the orphanage, but in Cochabamba too. I am interested to see the differences between Cochabamba, Concepciòn, and Cotoca.
One thing I am sure of - it is B E A U T I F U L here!!!! Everything - the mountains, the city, the people, the traffic! I love it! I am taking lots of pictures and can´t wait to post some so you can see. Tomorrow we are going to St. Martin de los porres (the orphanage) for half the day, then exploring downtown Cochabamba before we take an overnight bus to Cotoca/Concepciòn. We´ll be shopping :) :) which as many of you probably know, is one of my favorite pasttimes! More to come later on, but hello everyone and thanks for reading! Please keep our group, but mostly the people of Bolivia in your prayers.
The Beginnings of Bolivia
Hello friends and family!
I hope all is well with everyone and I´m pleased to say that we´re having an awesome time in Bolivia! There is so much to take in and the experiences so far have been amazing. I´m very grateful for the opportunity to be here and am learning a lot about the Bolivian culture. In addition, my appreciation for Catholicism has increased dramatically as I see the same practices, prayers, and kindness from Catholics all over the world. The sincerity and generosity of the priests in the seminary we´re staying in is truly moving and insightful.
As for the landscape of the country, it is absolutely beautiful. We´ve been to three cities so far- La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba. Although we were only in La Paz and Santa Cruz for a short time on our way to the seminary in Cochabamba, it was very interesting to see the differences in the cities in comparison to the United States. Driving is a whole new ballgame and I´m glad I don´t have to navigate our big red van through the crazy traffic of the city. The buildings are very open and many of the restaurants, stores, and houses don´t have doors or completely covered roofs. Due to the warm climate, the atmosphere of the stores and houses is very inviting and open. Although it is considered winter in Bolivia, I was getting pretty hot playing soccer today in 80 degree weather. Winters in Indiana should be more like this.
For the past two days, we have been getting deeper into our missions work at the orphanage called San Martin de Porres. The house holds 90 boys ages eight to eighteen and is a really great place for the boys to grow up. Oftentimes, the children in these cities end up on the streets and resort to crime and drugs to make a living and sustain themselves. However, the orphanage accepts boys off the streets and gives them a place to call home and an opportunity to grow up in a loving community. The staff at the orphanage is amazing and strives to improve the lives of the boys in all aspects including education, morality, religion, work ethic, and emotional stability. Once the boys are 15, they can choose a path they would like to specialize in, such as cooking, mechanical work, or carpentry. They are very dedicated to their work and when they are not at school, they spend time in their specialized areas and play games such as soccer, cards, and baseball.
Tomorrow is our last day at this orphanage and then we will be going to another in a few days. I´ll be sad to say goodbye to the boys but I know they´ll be just fine after we leave. I´ve definitely improved my Spanish and am looking forward to exploring other parts of Bolivia within the next few days. Hope all is well in the United States and can´t wait to see everyone when I get back! There will be lots of pictures don´t worry!
Much love,
Lindsay
First Encounter at the Orphanage
The first two days can basically be summed up as travel. Some of these experiences and interactions were interesting , and will likely be the subject of other postings. Today, I´d like to talk about our first day at the orphanage, which goes as follows:
A few minutes before our time to leave, the taxis arrived to take us to the San Martin the Pores, which is one of the orphanages we planed on visiting. As some of us rushed to the entrance of the seminary (where we were staring), I can say there was much excitement and anticipation. As we arrived in the orphanage, a large wall surrounded the area and from the outside, it was not very clear what the area would look like. After ringing the bell, someone opened the door for us.
The orphanage was possibly larger than expected with several buildings and a long stretch of land which was filled with various crops. The buildings had probably been in there for some years, but seemed overall in good shape. After waiting for a while, we were greeted by one of the staff at the center. We went on to get a tour of the orphanage. The orphanage is not only a place of residence, but also a place where kids learn technical skills. Typically, they go to school for part of the day and spend a few hours in one of four areas: carpentry, mechanics, farming, and a bakeshop.
We went on to visit several workshops. I personally stayed at the bakeshop with Kenny and Father Mike. At this point; I will mention that one point of stress for me was being able to simply communicate and establish commonality with kids of various ages. After some time of working at the bakeshop; conversation started. I broke the ice with music; whereas Kenny broke the ice with martial arts.
The work finished ahead of time, and we were able to take some time to play basketball with the kids. This helped to brake barriers even quicker. A funny noise came in the middle of recreation time; it was the bell that called out the children to come for lunch. We were able to talk a bit with children during lunch, albeit lunch does not seem like as much conversation- prone than other times of the day. After lunch, we went to a small park behind some of the buildings. The kids were quick to show us the way to a small farm, where they raise chickens, guinea pigs, turkeys, and rabbits, as part of their agriculture workshop. As the downtime ended, I was able to see a the largest group of kids, I´ve ever seen pack into a pick up truck. They were wearing uniforms in preparation for an afternoon at school.
Towards the end of the day, we opened up some of the toys we bought from the states. In the middle of a large, dusty field; an organized chaos erupted with a small group of kids playing Frisbee, another group playing soccer, and yet another group playing baseball. After we left the orphanage, we went to visit a sanctuary and ended the day at the seminary with a small celebration (ps- seminarians can dance).
A lot more can be written about this day, but hopefully; I´ll be able to share more about my visit in conversation or later during my posting.
A few minutes before our time to leave, the taxis arrived to take us to the San Martin the Pores, which is one of the orphanages we planed on visiting. As some of us rushed to the entrance of the seminary (where we were staring), I can say there was much excitement and anticipation. As we arrived in the orphanage, a large wall surrounded the area and from the outside, it was not very clear what the area would look like. After ringing the bell, someone opened the door for us.
The orphanage was possibly larger than expected with several buildings and a long stretch of land which was filled with various crops. The buildings had probably been in there for some years, but seemed overall in good shape. After waiting for a while, we were greeted by one of the staff at the center. We went on to get a tour of the orphanage. The orphanage is not only a place of residence, but also a place where kids learn technical skills. Typically, they go to school for part of the day and spend a few hours in one of four areas: carpentry, mechanics, farming, and a bakeshop.
We went on to visit several workshops. I personally stayed at the bakeshop with Kenny and Father Mike. At this point; I will mention that one point of stress for me was being able to simply communicate and establish commonality with kids of various ages. After some time of working at the bakeshop; conversation started. I broke the ice with music; whereas Kenny broke the ice with martial arts.
The work finished ahead of time, and we were able to take some time to play basketball with the kids. This helped to brake barriers even quicker. A funny noise came in the middle of recreation time; it was the bell that called out the children to come for lunch. We were able to talk a bit with children during lunch, albeit lunch does not seem like as much conversation- prone than other times of the day. After lunch, we went to a small park behind some of the buildings. The kids were quick to show us the way to a small farm, where they raise chickens, guinea pigs, turkeys, and rabbits, as part of their agriculture workshop. As the downtime ended, I was able to see a the largest group of kids, I´ve ever seen pack into a pick up truck. They were wearing uniforms in preparation for an afternoon at school.
Towards the end of the day, we opened up some of the toys we bought from the states. In the middle of a large, dusty field; an organized chaos erupted with a small group of kids playing Frisbee, another group playing soccer, and yet another group playing baseball. After we left the orphanage, we went to visit a sanctuary and ended the day at the seminary with a small celebration (ps- seminarians can dance).
A lot more can be written about this day, but hopefully; I´ll be able to share more about my visit in conversation or later during my posting.
My Take on Bolivia
Hello there !! Praise and thank our God for blessing us with this life changing experience. So far, this experience of being in Bolivia in a totally different environment and culture is one that is very enriching but yet challenging to me. For the first time in my life I really felt like a foreigner. Technically, I am a foreigner in the United States but I am able to speak English well enough to have a decent conversation with everyone that I meet in the US. Plus, I am familiar with the US culture, music and movies which is always good to know to start conversations or to participate in one. However, I do not know how to speak Spanish, I do not dance Latin American dances nor do I know any Spanish music or movies. This made it so difficult for me to communicate and to hold conversations with anyone. I was so dependent on our Spanish speaking missionaries to help me translate what the people were saying and this made me REALLY frustrated at myself.
That was the challenging part about this trip. However, this experience has been AMAZING thus far. The children at San Martin de Porres are beautiful. Being around them reminded me of why I love children. Their openness to receive a foreigner into their lives and their sincerity in love and care really touched me. Though they know that I do not speak their language and that it is hard for me to converse with them, they continue to talk to me and ask me questions about my life and my background. Even I struggle with this in my daily life; to accept others for who they are and love them unconditionally. But these children do it effortlessly.
I do not know if I am able to change their lives throughout this process. But I know that God has placed me here for a reason and that he has helped me every step of the way to be the face of Christ to these children. Infact, as I think about it, I feel like they have taught me more than I thought I could have taught them. They showed me that it is not words that matter but it is action that means the most. They brought life to that old English phrase for me and it is one lesson that I will never forget.
That was the challenging part about this trip. However, this experience has been AMAZING thus far. The children at San Martin de Porres are beautiful. Being around them reminded me of why I love children. Their openness to receive a foreigner into their lives and their sincerity in love and care really touched me. Though they know that I do not speak their language and that it is hard for me to converse with them, they continue to talk to me and ask me questions about my life and my background. Even I struggle with this in my daily life; to accept others for who they are and love them unconditionally. But these children do it effortlessly.
I do not know if I am able to change their lives throughout this process. But I know that God has placed me here for a reason and that he has helped me every step of the way to be the face of Christ to these children. Infact, as I think about it, I feel like they have taught me more than I thought I could have taught them. They showed me that it is not words that matter but it is action that means the most. They brought life to that old English phrase for me and it is one lesson that I will never forget.
Llegamos bien y sanos!!
Hola todos:
Hemos llegado el martes en la tarde casadisimos. Tuvimos que tomar tres aviones y el viaje entero duro mas que un dia. Pero, llegamos y no sentimos bien bienvenidos. Los hermanos y padres en el seminario donde nos hospedamos son muy hablames. Anoches hasta nos tiraron fiesta! Pusieron musica cumbia, salsa, merengue, mas cumbia y un poco de saya... un baile Boliviano paresido al huayno Peruano. Nos divertimos bastante y todos bailamos... especialmente yo que me encanta la cumbia sudamericana.
Nadie se ha enfermado todavia! Solamente tenemos doleres de cabeza de vez en cuando por el polvo y contaminacion en el aire que no estamos acostumbrados. A mi especialmente me fastidia.
En la mañana a las 9AM vamos al orfanato San Martin de Porres donde niños barones de 8 a 15 años viven. Al principio eran muy timidos y nosotros tambien pero rapidamente en el transcurso de un dia no mas nos hemos hecho amigos y conversamos mucho y compartimos bastante. Ayer cuando era hora de despedirnos a las 3:30PM los niños ya nos estaban preguntando cuando ibamos a regresar y cuanto tiempo nos ibamos a quedar. Que gran pena que solamente estaremos aca hasta mañana, el veirnes.
Durante las tardes descansamos un poco ya que estamos corriendo bastante con los niños y tambien salimos a la calle para pasear y ver siteos turisticos. Cochabamba es una hermosa ciudad rica en cultura con gente bellisima. Me siento bastante comodo en esta ciudad ya que se parece bastante a la Lima de hace mas de 10 años donde creci. El idioma y la gente son las misma y como dice el Padre Pedro, solamente la bandera cambia. Me siento tan comodo que hasta en algunas ocasiones he tenido que ser el lider ya que el padre quien nos acompaña de los EEUU no habla bien el español. Osea, me he encargado de hablar por el por las calles y encontrar siteos donde tenemos que ir.
La comida es deliciosa. Hace dos dias prove Pique Lobo que en como un Pique Machu mas jugoso y un Lomo Saltado Peruano pero sin arroz y aji. Riquisimo!
Bueno, ya me retiro. Pronto vamos a salir a comer!
Hemos llegado el martes en la tarde casadisimos. Tuvimos que tomar tres aviones y el viaje entero duro mas que un dia. Pero, llegamos y no sentimos bien bienvenidos. Los hermanos y padres en el seminario donde nos hospedamos son muy hablames. Anoches hasta nos tiraron fiesta! Pusieron musica cumbia, salsa, merengue, mas cumbia y un poco de saya... un baile Boliviano paresido al huayno Peruano. Nos divertimos bastante y todos bailamos... especialmente yo que me encanta la cumbia sudamericana.
Nadie se ha enfermado todavia! Solamente tenemos doleres de cabeza de vez en cuando por el polvo y contaminacion en el aire que no estamos acostumbrados. A mi especialmente me fastidia.
En la mañana a las 9AM vamos al orfanato San Martin de Porres donde niños barones de 8 a 15 años viven. Al principio eran muy timidos y nosotros tambien pero rapidamente en el transcurso de un dia no mas nos hemos hecho amigos y conversamos mucho y compartimos bastante. Ayer cuando era hora de despedirnos a las 3:30PM los niños ya nos estaban preguntando cuando ibamos a regresar y cuanto tiempo nos ibamos a quedar. Que gran pena que solamente estaremos aca hasta mañana, el veirnes.
Durante las tardes descansamos un poco ya que estamos corriendo bastante con los niños y tambien salimos a la calle para pasear y ver siteos turisticos. Cochabamba es una hermosa ciudad rica en cultura con gente bellisima. Me siento bastante comodo en esta ciudad ya que se parece bastante a la Lima de hace mas de 10 años donde creci. El idioma y la gente son las misma y como dice el Padre Pedro, solamente la bandera cambia. Me siento tan comodo que hasta en algunas ocasiones he tenido que ser el lider ya que el padre quien nos acompaña de los EEUU no habla bien el español. Osea, me he encargado de hablar por el por las calles y encontrar siteos donde tenemos que ir.
La comida es deliciosa. Hace dos dias prove Pique Lobo que en como un Pique Machu mas jugoso y un Lomo Saltado Peruano pero sin arroz y aji. Riquisimo!
Bueno, ya me retiro. Pronto vamos a salir a comer!
San Martin de Porres
Today was our second day in the San Martin de Porres orphanage in Cochabamba. We can´t believe how fast we have bonded with the children. In one day we went from children shying away from us and us also being timid to playing loads of games, sharing stories and being silly. Yesterday as we were leaving they would ask us: are you leaving? when do you come back? for how long? We love it and we are sad to say that tomorrow is our last day.
We should be uploading some pictures soon; haven´t been able yet as the internet here is slow and we are not the only computer users. Our days have begun around 9AM in the orphanage. We usually just walk around their small campus and engage them in conversation and/or help them with whatever they may be doing: chores, homework, etc. At 10AM there is a morning snack break where children grab a cup and line up to get some tea or milk drink with some bread. We join them and chat and joke around.
At noon the bell rings and it is lunch time! The chefs cook so well and we, for the most part, enjoy their meals. The kids are so well behaved too. They have chores and do them right away. Some of them are assigned serving plates and cleaning up. I was impressed as to how well they cooperate.
At lunch time kids that were in school in the morning arrive and those that go to school in the afternoon get ready. It is all nicely timed so that all kids eat together. At the orphanage there are four houses based age groups. Each house has its own chores. They consider themselves family! It is great!
Today we played a whole lot with them. Kenny taught them some martial arts and they loved it. We played basketball, soccer, threw the freesby around and some other random games.
At 3:30 when we leave, we have gone site seeing. I´ll leave the pictures to tell that part of the story. I have to go now. Adios!
We should be uploading some pictures soon; haven´t been able yet as the internet here is slow and we are not the only computer users. Our days have begun around 9AM in the orphanage. We usually just walk around their small campus and engage them in conversation and/or help them with whatever they may be doing: chores, homework, etc. At 10AM there is a morning snack break where children grab a cup and line up to get some tea or milk drink with some bread. We join them and chat and joke around.
At noon the bell rings and it is lunch time! The chefs cook so well and we, for the most part, enjoy their meals. The kids are so well behaved too. They have chores and do them right away. Some of them are assigned serving plates and cleaning up. I was impressed as to how well they cooperate.
At lunch time kids that were in school in the morning arrive and those that go to school in the afternoon get ready. It is all nicely timed so that all kids eat together. At the orphanage there are four houses based age groups. Each house has its own chores. They consider themselves family! It is great!
Today we played a whole lot with them. Kenny taught them some martial arts and they loved it. We played basketball, soccer, threw the freesby around and some other random games.
At 3:30 when we leave, we have gone site seeing. I´ll leave the pictures to tell that part of the story. I have to go now. Adios!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
WE MADE IT!!
After traveling many hours, over a day in fact, we´ve finally arrived in Chochabamba, Bolivia. The Dominican brothers/priests have treated us so well and are very welcoming. We could not be any more comfortable and are very happy and eager to begin our journey here.
Well, in fact, we´ve started our journey already - in Santa Cruz. We had a small excursion to a local plaza where many people stared at us. We aren´t sure why but we suspect it has something to do with the studly men in our group :-). We visited the Cathedral of St. Lorentz and many pictures yet to upload.
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers! We´ll be in touch.
Well, in fact, we´ve started our journey already - in Santa Cruz. We had a small excursion to a local plaza where many people stared at us. We aren´t sure why but we suspect it has something to do with the studly men in our group :-). We visited the Cathedral of St. Lorentz and many pictures yet to upload.
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers! We´ll be in touch.
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