Foundations

Dear Friends,

With summer winding down I find myself in a reflective mood, and I am reminded of the path that God has me on…to become more like Christ…to pursue (and bring) His Kingdom…to follow His voice. With this reflection comes a realization, again, of the blessing of people (you!) who have journeyed with me thus far: through friendship, encouragement, over lunch, in prayer, through financial support, by hospitality, a challenge, in a letter, a trip, through forgiveness offered, or grace extended.

I have not written in a very long time, mostly because I don’t have “amazing” stories of God working “dramatically” in my sphere of life. However, there has been a slow and powerful work of God in my own heart and mind—and that, I know without a shadow of a doubt, has been far more life-altering than anything I could imagine.

**

A year ago I began looking for a house in the inner-city to move into. This came about from a number of different influences, but mostly the working of the Holy Spirit in my heart, calling disciples of Christ to bring the Kingdom of God to the poor, abandoned and broken places of Milwaukee. It is an overwhelming task; one that is impossible without the collective and intentional workings of Jesus-lovers and the Holy Spirit.

I have learned so much in these past months of praying, studying, talking, walking, praying, listening, reading, asking, experimenting, and praying. Largely, two areas have emerged in my heart. One of hope, and another of heartache.

Hope because we have seen the Kingdom. We know the God who is working to restore all of creation back to Himself. We have seen glimpses of God stirring below the surface of the Church in Milwaukee, and are confident in our good Savior.

And heartache. Lots of heartache; because we see even more the brokenness in ourselves, in the Church, and in our neighborhood. Heartache because what we hope for doesn’t often happen, and because it’s a lonely road.

May this only bring us closer to the Father’s heart.

**

I am impressed with the knowledge that God is explicitly working to form and prepare my foundation for what He has next. He has reawakened some dreams in me, and I am excited to see where He will bring me in the next few years; but also humbled that He is committed to me, now, in this season.

May I be faithful.

In recognition, in gratitude, and in debt to all of you who have in so many ways brought me thus far, I just wanted to say: thank you.

All Creation Waits...

"For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from it's bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

It has been almost seven months since my return from Bolivia.

And as I write this, I hardly know how the time went so fast. Truly, it seems such a short time ago that I was tearfully saying farewell to the people and places that I came to know and love.

These months have indeed held their own share of joys and heartache, and the time and perspective to reflect on my time in South America.

Let me first say that it has forever changed me. The ways in which God and the Church were awakened in my heart has made an imprint on my soul in such a way that even now I am living a life shaped by those experiences and relationships.

It is easy, however, to remember Bolivia in a way similar to nostalgia, and let the memories create in me only a bittersweet yearning for what was. My prayer is that—as I remember the glimpses of Truth and Beauty and Simplicity and Community—I let it become a lived reality that gives contour and context for now, and into the future.

And mirrored in this remembrance I have discovered a deeper and Truer remembrance. As a citizen in the Kingdom of God, with the Spirit testifying to my own spirit, and my heart thirsting for things that cannot be satisfied, I am realizing in life-altering ways the reality that I am not made to live a natural life. And here again I am torn. “Life will never be what it should be!” I could cry in despair; or, hopefully, I can let the echoes of the Kingdom shape my life lived now—knowing that God brings “glory and freedom” from “bondage and decay”.

What more can I say? When words really cannot express what I mean to convey?

So it is here that I find myself in life (I promise that all this somewhat ethereal thought DOES have a root in practical living!)

Now for the physical details: I am working as a full-time teachers aid at a charter school on the north side of Milwaukee—and loving it!! Then, after months of praying and searching; talking, asking, and visiting different parts of the city, God provided a roommate and opened up a beautiful little unit in the inner-city of Milwaukee.

If you are the praying type, please pray that I would be discerning of the opportunities to minister as they arise, and that I can boldly serve humbly, always learning what it truly means to love my neighbor. Just last night, I had the beautiful opportunity of offering hospitality and a Word from the Lord to a man, out-of work, living in a shelter. He shoveled my sidewalk, I paid him a bit and offered him some soup (ah! so simple), I listened to his story and answered his question: what is so different about you? and he looked into my own soul and encouraged me in such a profound way.

To my young friends I say this: be purposeful about where you choose to live. Our cities are hurting and needy, and too many Christians, who can offer the hope and healing and hospitality that is desperately needed, have defaulted into the comfortable and private lifestyles that we see around us, instead of putting themselves into the places where we can actually BE the hands and feet of Jesus, that He calls us to.

A few photos of recent months:

:: moving sister to college: we are READY! (for something...)









:: sara (roommate) and i visiting Chicago.











:: my Student Council kids :)












:: me visiting the Great Wall of China! (just kidding-photoshop)













:: winter in Milwaukee (mom, me, Andrea)

amigos, la paz, y el fin

10 June - Flight 721 from Cochabamba, Bolivia (depart 4:20pm) to LaPaz, Bolivia (arrive 4:55pm)

The capital city of Bolivia, La Paz, seems to fall off the edge of the Altiplano (high plains) into a ragged gorge. Houses cascade down too-steep cliffs and streets ascend and descend at crazy angles. And here I am.

It’s been three days since I said goodbye to Cochabamba and its beautiful weather, delicious food, and incredible friends.

Meanwhile I have had some adventures here in LaPaz:

Eating – I know I shouldn’t count the chicks before they hatch, but with less than 24 hours left in Bolivia I hope I can say that I haven’t been sick at all this year! I did eat at the most unsafe place I have yet…and then yesterday, to cut the onions, the boys sharpened our knife on a shovel laying in the yard. But… what can I say?

Shoeshining – My main purpose for visiting LaPaz was to visit a ministry to shoeshiners. The city of LaPaz has over a thousand young shoeshiners working on the streets for about 15 cents a shine. So I dressed up as a shoeshiner, had a lesson, and went out on the streets to try my skills and take a peek into the lives of shoeshiners in LaPaz. It was an incredible experience, and I came away with a respect and gratitude for those working among these boys to bring hope and true life into their midst. Check out this site: www.kayuparu.org

Working – I had a tour of LaPaz from the back of a cargo truck full of cement blocks that we took up to repair the wall of a young man’s house. This young man, a former shoeshiner, had been beaten by a gang and left partly paralyzed. Without their older brother’s work and leadership, his younger brothers began to fall into drinking and bad behavior. Several members of the church have generously loaned time, money, and materials to help this young man and his brothers.

This picture is me giving my testimony to the guys

Thinking – Having some down time in LaPaz has given me time to think about this past year, and all that it has held. Uppermost in my mind has been the relationships formed between myself and my students, missionaries, co-workers, neighbors, and church-members.

I read this recently: “Even [our] most original thoughts or imaginative creations are indelibly shaped by a lifetime of encounters with artists, theologians, family, and community. We do not interpret the world alone nor do we live without influencing one another profoundly.”

How true. And again, how thankful I am for the people that God placed in my life this year to encourage, challenge, and teach me about Himself or myself or the world around me. From my 7-year-old students who taught me compassion and patience and to love more deeply; to Bolivian young people committed to reach their world for Christ; to deep friendships that caused me to laugh and pray and think, and challenged me to serve and not to be so stubborn J, and gave encouragement and insight and perseverance.

What a privilege and what a duty we have as people in relationship.

14 June – Flight 922 from LaPaz, Bolivia (depart 6:30am) to Charlotte, NC (via Miami, arrive 9:20pm)

Debrief – I spend two nights in Charlotte, NC at the SIM offices for debrief and a short reunion with two friends from Bolivia; and then…

16 June – Flight 3730 from Charlotte, NC (depart 12:55pm) to Milwaukee, WI (arrive 1:57pm)

Home.

And yet not completely. Part of my heart will always be with the friends and country of Bolivia.

Packing It In

Friends,

I am so over-flowingly (I know, not a real word) thankful for so many "back home" who have been constant in prayer and encouragement and generosity. I cannot, and know that I could never, realize how much you have blessed me.
It is unbelievable that an entire year has passed since I first began this journey to (and through) Bolivia. So much has changed, so many lives touched, and so much done that our meeting of paths again in a few weeks as I return will be a difficult task.
Please pray with me for this transition.
On other fronts, however, besides this huge horizon of LEAVING, many things to tell....

I have pierced my ears.












I managed to teach the 5 senses in only 9 days (bad planning on my part).

It's getting cold again here; smells like fall.



Flat Stanley came to visit our class.

I'll be visiting a ministry to young shoe-shiners in LaPaz before I return home.

Still looking for a place to live upon my arrival in Milwaukee.

I am just finishing Watership Down; classic read.

















Alice in Wonderland drama at school.

Favorite quote of the week, after a particularly trying student had to be removed from class by the principal, Camila says: "Miss, you have a great smile!"

Almost missed two days of school last week to possible road blockades.


Bottlecaps! I'm using these for an art project with grade 2.

President of Bolivia, Evo, says that drinking Coca-Cola will make you bald. Be careful!













We decided to go the fair instead of Prom. This was our sign if someone got lost.

My refrigerator is broken.

It will be a strange shock to speak to the cashier in English; I may make a few mistakes at first.

Some neighbor is burning a llama fetus; smells nasty.

Australian word I learned: dink (noun, I'd say) meaning a couple with a double-income-no-kids.

The sermon on Sunday was on Psalm 19:7-11. Wonderful!
















Social Studies presentations!

I played soccer last night.

This is the last week of school.

I am currently listening to Brooke Fraser; this morning, Alister Begg.














We biked down the Death Road in March.

We always pack tons of people into one taxi.
Who wants to share the front seat with me? Who gets the trunk? Four...or five in the middle seat?

Bolivian Mother's Day this Thursday.

I have 63 books checked out from the school library.

"You will be secure, because there is hope; you
will look about you and take your rest in safety."

Amidst it all God is faithful and offers us the Word of Life.


Blessings, Kelly

See you all very soon...

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.
  

New Things

It has begun. The dodging.
The peering around corners. The avoidance of certain streets.
The carrying of ammunition.
The paranoia.

With Carnaval only weeks away the water balloons have begun to fly....
The Target: any female walking the streets.
Needless to say, this has made the typically easy walk to the store quite the feat if you want to get there dry!

But that's not the end of the excitement around here.

New Weather: rain, rain, rain, rain.....after months and months of hot sunny weather we have entered the rainy season! Chilly mornings and umbrellas.

New People: Six! Yes, six new teachers arrived the beginning if January to help out at the school. I get one of them each morning to help out with reading groups; Yay! Mr. Donald has been a great addition to our class - giving me ideas, being a much-needed male role-model to some of the kids, and an indispensable extra set of eyes and ears and hands. What a blessing!
( the picture is of some of the teachers)



New Semester: Speaking of school, I can't believe that we are already over three weeks into the second semester!
After a marvelous trip to Peru / Machu Picchu / La Paz (which is an entire story in itself) we are back into the swing of school.
In science, we've been studying different animal groups. We've been busy doing experiments with ants and worms (they haven't all worked, but that's how science goes sometimes!), and amidst the little shrieks while holding insects, and gasps of discovery (who would have thought that worms move in a straight line and not a wiggly line?!?) I trust that their hearts and lives are being changed into kids who live to love and forgive - that has been one of my biggest prayers for them this year.
Amidst the struggles of teaching this class, those little glimpses of change that I see in each life is the most encouraging to me, and keeps me hopeful.











<-- A little hiking trip up the mountain


New Thoughts: Well, maybe not new, but refined.
Hope, Joy, Compassion. These are not characteristics that I implant in my own heart. And yet, there they are, often when I least expect my reaction to be joyful, or compassionate.
How can I not marvel at the goodness and faithfulness of God through it all.
He is the master orchestrator, the changer of hearts, the giver of joy....and what am I but a broken tool in his hand?
I remember I feared failure at first--failure in the eyes of man, of God--and still do at times. Quite the pressure to live under! I don't recommend it. But what a grace-filled God to remind me: I am not served by human hands, as if I needed anything, because I myself give all men life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25).

We life for One who we may, with unspeakable joy, receive from.

Prayer and Praise - January 19

Praise for...

• wonderful friendships, both here and at home. I have been so blessed by amazing people in my life to encourage me, challenge me, and inspire me. What a gift!
• a very special Christmas season and a fabulous vacation to Peru :)
• extra (and much needed) help at school for this semester.
• continued good health!

Prayer for...

• wisdom as I make decisions for next year.
• good teamwork and communication as I have an extra teacher to help out in the mornings.
• creative ideas, time management, patience, and all of the things a teacher needs every day

Thank you all for your continued support in so many ways!

"O LORD, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and children, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger."

Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas from Bolivia!!

School is out, Christmas cooking has begun, and it's started to rain...
Strange..this Christmas season away from cold, snow, family, and Christmas carols in English. But I know it will hold some special memories of it's own.

I've received three Christmas packages, and through them, I'll tell you about my month..and Christmas plans.

Package #1: I call this one "Michael's Store in a Box"
This package (mailed November 19) arrived December 8th loaded with nice paper, stamps, some Christmas decorations, COOKIE CUTTERS, and a large foam cone (guess what that became?!?).

My second graders LOVED using the stamps to make cards for the orphanage that our class bought gifts for.

Our first memory verse of the year was Joshua 1:9 "DO not be terrified, do not be discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go!" At least I can be encouraged that some of them are remembering the verse....one boy, Diego, wrote in his Christmas card the words, "Do not be terrified about your mother and father, have a Merry Christmas!" Hmmmm, second grade application. I love it!

Besides the school's orphanage project, the elementary worked hard on their Christmas Program "A King is Coming to Town"; it was a blast to watch them sing their hearts out about the True King of Christmas to a packed audience.


Lets see, what else is in this package?

Christmas cookie cutters: We used these to bake Christmas cookies for the SIM Christmas party. Baking was a small way to get in the mood for Christmas, but STILL, with this hot weather it's just not the same...
And then, to top off the Christmas party, my Bible study and I choreographed a dance to The Twelve Days of Christmas. It may have been a bit if a shocker to some of the missionaries, but then we got them all up to make music videos for their own Christmas songs! Quite the fun night.

Decorations: Remember that foam cone? With a little sprucing up that became our Christmas tree (see the picture farther down). Gold star garland for the tree at my roommates hospital ministry, some decorations to help with the church festivities, all to compliment the Bolivian Christmas specialty: Singing Christmas Lights.


Package #2: "The Box of All Trades"
My church back home, Woodridge, teamed up to send TWO boxes full of things for different ministries here. These boxes were greatly anticipated, especially by the Single Mom's Ministry.


Very Awesome Personalized aprons for the moms (the staff loved to see these). Toys for the kids Christmas gifts. Poppers of candy that the ministry was able to give to the kids in a tribe in Northern Bolivia.
Things for the orphanage, and cool prizes and books for the school.
And myself getting the chance to see a little bit of all the blessings. What a privilege!

It's so cool to see all the ways God is using people all
across the globe to advance His Kingdom...this is just a taste.

Package #3: "Package in Future Tense"


Well....this one I haven't opened yet. I can't until Christmas morning, so says the family. They were so wonderful to send gifts all the way to Bolivia! On top of that, they even gave extra $ for a trip to Machu Picchu. Thank you family!!!


I know this will be a wonderful get-away to see even more of God's amazing world with good friends. What gifts he has given us through His creativity!

This Christmas, may the King and Gift-Giver be THAT for you.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
Lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth by the word of Truth, that we might be his very best and prized possessions."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Prayer and Praise - Decemberr 4

Praise for...

• Health!! Thanks for those who prayed, I made a quick recovery this week and am feeling MUCH better.
• The much needed rest in two weeks. Yay! Christmas vacation!
• Deepening relationships here with others and with my Savior.

Prayer for...

• The Bolivian elections this Sunday, Dec 6th. Pray that--whatever the results of the elections, and the new policies that may result--the Church here in Bolivia will step out in new boldness and sincerity in their faith. Pray for peace here Bolivia in any result.
• Me; as I know I'll be missing my family much more over Christmas. Pray that I can find joyous moments with friends here celebrating Christ!
  
• That I have some special opportunities to share the Greatest Gift of All in a meaningful way with my students this season.