July 12, 2008

It’s Our Two Month Anniversary!

Can you even believe it? Bolivia and I have been together for two months. And a wonderful two months it has been.

-I have only been sick once and was cared for very well.

-Erlon nearly knows how to write numbers 1-5

-Maria still has a beautiful smile

-Each week The Center becomes more and more organized and creative

-I have created a beautiful bond with some of the youth through the CIC Youthgroup

-Relationships have been created. With the Wilsons, Youngbloods, Hedvalls ect.

-I saw the Harlem Globe Trotters. Ha.

-Grandma and Grandpa met the Bolivian Bishop in the states and gave me his contact information

-I am also in contact with some men at the Zurich here in Bolivia

Life in Bolivia is wonderful. I continue to struggle with Spanish, but I pick up more and more every day. God is so wonderful to me and gives me a number of different options for my lack of Spanish (yes, including sign language). Although I have missed home more than I thought I would, I also have realized how not ready I am to leave. It was within the last few weeks that I thought about leaving and what that would look like. As of yet, with 5 and a half months to go, I would be devastated to leave. This is a beautiful feeling. This makes it worth it.

What is it to be Christian? To walk with Christ. I get that. But I want to walk so close with Christ that those around me would know I was Christian. That without asking strangers would know that I belong to Christ. I recently made a CD for Carla, my friend who works at the internet.

She loves English music but can only listen to it on U-tube, with terrible quality. She loved it. She cried. I wrote her a letter and Kristen translated it for me. It was amazing. I say this not in pride, but this is how I want to be. Walking and saying hello to those around me. Helping someone onto the bus. Living in such a way that I am Christian. Not simply nominally. Two months in Bolivia has shown me that being a missionary looks different that I expected. Ministry is different than I expected. Ministry can occur with the lady you buy your bread from (her name is Jenny) or the one who helps you print at the computers, Carla.

Two months without my ‘home’ has been tough. But I’m not ready. I’m not done learning. What a beautiful feeling.