March (...and a bit of April)

Some friends and I as we visit pre-Incan ruins during Easter Break


I sit only two months out from returning home from Bolivia. It is incredible the things that God has done in the past 8 months to change me, challenge me, and give me a bigger view of himself.

Daily I am both challenged and filled with joy as I teach my 16 precious second graders. They can sure test my patience and push my limits of energy, but at the end of the day I can say that it truly has been a privilege to encourage them onwards in life.
Here are few of our class highlights from the past month:

Friendship Day
In response to some unfriendly behavior in class, I decided to forgo much academic learning one day in lieu of some team-building activities, lessons on forgiveness, and role-plays on conflict-resolution. Although "Friendship Day" didn't solve all of our problems, it did open some eyes and brought to light some of the issues between friends.

The kids picked several Bible verses on friendship to put up in the class; here they are making posters of them.



Chapel
Grade 2 performed their last chapel of the year. We chose to dramatize Psalm 23.
Here Celeste and Rodney pose in their sheep costumes.

One of the lessons we learned form Psalm 23 was that as sheep in Jesus' flock, we can always trust our Shepherd to take us to good places.

Field Days
Just before Easter Break the entire school participated in Track and Field Days events. We had two fabulous days in the sun running and jumping and throwing. I helped to measure and judge the long jump. And even with all my practicing between measuring and raking the sand pit, I couldn't even beat the 12/13 age girls record (something over 4 meters)!

Here is me with some of my boys as they wait their turn to run one of the races.


Two second-grade girls won second and third place overall in their age bracket!



Sunday School Through Skype
On Easter Sunday (churches could not have normal Easter services here because elections were scheduled for April 4th, and during election days no cars are allowed to travel) I was able to Skype the Sunday School class at Woodridge and tell them a bit about being a missionary here in Bolivia, and to challenge them to think about missions for themselves.
It was a lot of fun to have a bit of a "live" connection to home.

The Conclusion
Amidst the struggle of decision-making I have felt God calling me home for this next season of life. I will be very sad to leave Bolivia, and the people and country I have come to love in so many ways, but I am also excited to see how and where and what God has planned next.

As I look towards my return home I am praying that God will open up some opportunities where I can live in inner-city Milwaukee and engage in the neighborhood around me. Please pray with me that God will go before me to prepare a place to live and a community of people to work with.

Bolivian food!





This is what happens when I don't grade things for a long time...


Stay tuned for pictures from the Death Road!

Nine

Time has really been flying by here. Hard to imagine that I have already passed my 24th birthday, I have only three months left of teaching, and am already thinking about what next year holds for me. Yikes! But before I jump too far ahead.... here are 9 (in no particular order) memorable February events:

1. Valentines Treasure Hunt

For Valentines Day, Christine and I planned a treasure hunt for all the other short term missionaries. It was quite impressive (and even better to watch!) as it involved blindfolds, crazy props, and some unexpected water balloons.
Enjoy the pictures :)

The Planners (Christine and I)


























2. Comfy couch
Bolivian couches are thin cushions on a wooden frame. And although they are tollerable, there is much to be wanting. As a memorable February event: I sat on the most comfortable piece of furniture ALL YEAR when a missionary family invited me over for dinner. They had a REAL couch! Ahhhhhh--what luxury. Thank you Lindquist family!!

3. Carnaval
It is quite a relief now that Carnaval is over, I can walk without fear of getting hit by a water balloon!
However, it was also a sad time to see so many people swept along in the mass of incense burning, fleshly indulgences, and actions done with no thought for others. Pray with me that the Bolivian church would stand strong in face of the increasing return to ancient idolatry.





This would be a DEVASTATING corner to walk by during carnaval. All those boys are armed with water balloons!





The Sunday over Carnaval we had our own breakfast and church service at our apartments with the other teachers living there...

...and a little nap afterwards.


4. Piper & Keller
My favorite preachers to listen to on the half-hour transit to school each morning: John Piper and Timothy Keller (and sometimes James MacDonald, Alister Begg, or Mark Driscoll).
A great way to start each day.

5. Valerie leaves :(
My roommate left to go back to Canada this month. It was such a blessing to have her as a roommate for these past few months. I will miss her quite a lot.


6. Drinkable Coca
A new form a Coca-Cola will debut in Bolivia soon. Named Coca-Colla, it promises to be made with REAL coca leaves. Check out an article here

When I taught my plants unit, we were talking about certain plants that we eat. I asked: What sorts of leaves do we eat? (expecting lettuce) The reply: we can eat coca leaves!

Only in Bolivia...

7. Palooza
The Carachi Palooza--school talent show--was this past Friday. It was great fun to see the talents of the student body. I judged the elementary writing entries and the cooking competition (Yum!)
All around, it was a fun time to see the school come out to participate and cheer each other on.

Judging the cooking:


8. Shhh...no shoes
Come 3:10pm, I have taken to taking off my shoes while I prep for the next day. I admit, I do get some funny looks sometimes, but how can I resist after wearing nice (and hot) shoes all day? After all, it is summer here. 79 degrees at the moment.

9. Happy Birthday
I celebrated my 24th birthday here in Bolivia surrounded by some excellent friends.
Having a birthday really makes one reflect on her life in the past year, and the year that lies ahead.
Psalm 90:12 reminds us "..to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Numbering my days aright is a wake up call when I let God truly open my eyes to the people around me, and the need of the world.
I know that that awakening can either push me to seek my own comfort--to apathy--as I am confronted with both the responsibility and weight of the call, against my own smallness and incapability; or, amidst the realization of my insignificance, I can rest more completely in His sufficiency and rejoice more fully in the small things each moment.

"Action springs not from thought, but from a
readiness for responsibility" -D. Bonheoffer

To find in the small acts of service, moments of grace, and small glimpses of joy the knowledge that I don't have to live under the pressure of unfulfilled or imagined greatness, but can live each moment in the present (where it matters) being changed myself and changing things around me in meaningful and personal ways. Remember that Jesus says, "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones." Luke 16:10

The gospel is about the glorious redemption of human life, in small but powerful ways.
"Then Jesus asked, 'What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.'" Luke 13:18,19

Prayer and Praise - February 28

Praise for...

• Health!! (...it continues...)
  
• A wonderful birthday celebration here in Bolivia. I'm so blessed to have fabulous friends here. THAT is a continual praise from my heart.
  
• A great team-teaching partner each morning.
  
• God's faithfulness each day.
  

Prayer for...

• Timing and confirmation as I make my final decisions for next year.
• Two boys in my class that are having a VERY hard time being friends. This is impacting the entire class; pray for wisdom and grace on my part, and softening hearts to forgive on theirs.
• Chapel this Thursday: grade 2 is teaching the school (and parents who come) about God as our Good Shepherd. Please pray for prepared hearts.