Fast forward to 2025.

 It's been a long time since I've posted here because-well we've been so busy. And also because sometimes in the in-between times it's hard to know what to say or how to say it.  

Back in 2021 through a series of events (both personal and in ministry) God slowly (or not so slowly at times) nudged us to evaluate what we were doing and what we needed to change. After much prayer and counsel, we stepped out of our roles at CdR. That had been my (and our) life for a while and it was hard to imagine anything else. It was a difficult season but change often is, but we have definitely grown through it. We saw evidence of God at work leading us on and giving us peace. 

And here we are now. After a few months of more prayer and counsel we joined ITM.  In retrospect it was good timing and a really good fit for Joel and for our family for the season we are in now. I can see how many of Joel's gifts and talents fit for the role that he has within the mission. And is able to help practically and encourage the missionaries who are stationed in rural areas working to plant churches and share the gospel there. So we do what we can here so they can do what they are called to do there.  Shortly after joining ITM we welcomed our third child and last year, our fourth child was born. We are thankful for a place to serve and thankful for little ones to raise and pray they will come to know love and serve the Lord and be a blessing to others. 

So that's it in a nutshell. Thanks for praying with us. We pray that our lives, ministry, and family will be used by God for His glory and that many more may come to know Him here in the city where we serve and beyond.  

Bendiciones. 

-Kristen

A lot has changed-and so have we.

 We are now parents of a ONE year old!

It's a joy to experience life with Sonny and definitely a challenge to depend on the Lord as we try to teach him to be a wise, responsible, respectful, obedient child. 

A vehicle!

Cars are very expensive here (compared to the USA) and although we had some money saved up, we definitely did not have enough for a vehicle that would be big enough to haul around a lot of volunteers and take us on rough roads. The Lord provided a grant to help us pay for an upgrade! (I like it because it has a lot of space for people, lots of cupholders and is a pretty color!) 

Covid-19

Like everywhere else in the world Covid hit us hard! Lots of families have been affected deeply and the Lord has provided for us to be able to help many families and individuals in these days. 

CdR Ministry

We have a really great leadership team, staff and volunteers and we are even more grateful for the opportunities to spend time with them and see how God is working in their lives. We aren't able to be open at normal capacity, but we are finding that this time is allowing us the opportunity to do things we can't normally do when we are open at normal capacity. :) 

Political Unrest

Last October following the presidential elections there were 3 weeks of blockades, conflicts, and lots of tension leading up to the presidents' resignation and flight from Bolivia. We spent Thanksgiving with a new perspective and a deeper gratitude for the peace that the Lord gave (both personally during that time and to the country as a whole following the resolution to the conflicts).  But one thing that hasn't changed is that we still love living here and we are so thankful to all of you who pray, encourage and support us so we can remain here. Thank you!!

2019-A year of (more) transitions

 We spent two months in the USA December 2018 to January 2019 and got one of the biggest surprises of our lives when we found out that we're expecting a little one this August! We trust and rejoice in the Lord's timing-and an extra sweet bonus was that my mom got to be with us for our first sonogram! :)

 We began renting the entire CdR building. Upstairs is now housing for our two single intern/staff girls, ESL classrooms, and a sleep shelter for women in need/transition. Here you can see that we have a LOT of ESL students this year! We are thankful for the bigger space for so many opportunities like these.

Our bosses the Guerrero's left last month, so when this team came from Montana two weeks before their departure they left it all in our charge. They were still here and helped with a lot of things, but we were stretched in our abilities to work as a team, coordinate activities, meals, and practical day-to-day things for them. But it was a great experience and a great team!

We had a going away party for the Guerreros the weekend before they left. We all cried. A lot. But we trust and rejoice in God's timing (again) and purpose in leading them back to the USA. Now Richard, Lesly, Joel and I remain in leadership. We have two other staff members who work in the Cafe, one intern who helps with ESL classes (one more intern coming for 6 months will arrive this Saturday), and lots of volunteers! Please pray with us for God's wisdom and guidance as we take on this big job of leading and serving these young people. May God receive all the glory-and may He give us the strength to represent Him well here.

The enemy of gratitude and contentment...

I've been enjoying listening to some sessions from The Gospel Coalition 2019 National Conference . One of my favourites so far has been by Trip Lee called Faith and Healing. (If you have 48.28 minutes, WATCH IT!) I can't get some of the things he said out of my head. So I'll put it here, in case it's as challenging for you in your growth as it has been for me this past week.
He was talking about the Centurion in Matthew 8, and how he humbly approached Jesus asking Him to heal his daughter. And he said this:

"We can be tempted to think that the opposite of gratitude is silence [not saying thank you], 

but the opposite of gratitude isn't silence; it's entitlement.  

And that entitlement is the enemy of contentment. 

We will struggle with gratitude and contentment [until] we understand that everything we have is a gift from Jesus". 

And that's a really big problem for me sometimes. I get jealous, or feel sorry for myself or think that I somehow deserve...whatever it is that I want. But really when I realise who I am and who God is it becomes abundantly clear that I don't deserve all the good things that I want...nor did I deserve all the good things I was given. It's a GIFT from a perfect God to a lowly sinner and that makes it all that much more wonderful.  So these days I really am making a conscious effort to see God's hand in everything and truly be grateful. And I find that I'm so much happier when I look at it that way. (As it should be).

A time to be single… 4 of the things I've learned.

I'm 32 years old and in 32 days I will be getting married. Some days I didn't know if this would ever happen, and honestly most of the time I was content with that…because I knew (because I had learned over and over) that no matter what humans were my "rock", they would fail me but that God was always faithful. Therefore, even if it was only ever me and Him, it was going to be okay. That said, I'm very thankful for my future husband. He is so good for me in many ways and I can see God's hand in our relationship over the past few years. Meeting Joel was fun, becoming friends was exciting and getting to know him as a boyfriend and fiancé has been an adventure...and I know that this is just the beginning.

The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3

After one of the particularly frustrating days of paperwork we were talking about the really happy days, and the sad days we'd experienced together and how through it all God has things to teach us. And I totally believe that is true in the season of singleness. Sure, there were moments or days of loneliness, adventure and spontaneity (sometimes intermingled), but God taught me many things. So I wanted to share some for those of you who are single, or those of you who know single people so we keep learning what it means to enjoy every season, and encourage others.

1. Make each other feel welcome.  It was/is fun to be apart of the lives of my friends and their families. I don't know if I can even count all of the couches and spare beds I've slept on, the cars I've borrowed, the meals, coffees, desserts I've been given, babies I've held, house keys I've been entrusted with, or parties I've attended. I feel blessed. I've loved seeing friends getting married, friends going into retirement and friends graduating high school (or preschool). Mostly I think I'm trying to say that I believe that it's good for all of us to have friends in various seasons, maturity and late phases.

2.  Make each other feel valued in whatever life stage you are. If they are married encourage them in their marriage; if they have new babies, encourage them that they will get sleep someday and maybe hold the baby so they can take a shower or make themselves a coffee; if they are parenting teenagers…wish them luck, haha!,  if they are single don't feel like it's your job to set them up. God has His timing for all of us, and we should enjoy it!

3. Remember that you are where you are for a reason.  God is very purposeful with us, we just can't always see it. I'm sure all of us can look to five years ago and never would have imagined a lot of the things we experienced during that time-and sometimes He gives us a window to see why things went a certain way. Remember those things, and be encouraged that you have a God that is incredibly personal and loving. He is a good, good father.

4. Remember that God is your only faithful traveling companion.  It's okay to feel emotional about the struggles of your particular season of life I think…but I think it's important to look beyond whatever emotion that evokes. I don't know that I've always done especially well with this. I remember some times of profound loneliness (sometimes because of not having a spouse, but sometimes just because I didn't have any local friends after yet another move) and feeling consumed by that. I remember making really big decisions and feeling like God was truly the only one who knew or could understand why. (Because sometimes He calls us to do crazy stuff). When you're single, sometimes you just feel very alone. I don't know exactly how it feels when you're married…but I think it's safe to say that your spouse will disappoint you sometimes (and you them) and you might still have times of loneliness, because none of us are perfect except God, and He will always, always accompany us on the journey of life.

So I know getting married isn't going to make my life perfect, in fact I think it's going to reveal a lot of ugly things about my heart, and sin that still lives in there- but I'm sure that God wants to use this season as well, to make me more like Him.  So there is a time to be single, and for some of us, a time to be married, but for all of us there is always time to be thankful.

Where I'm at in 2018

Well it's been a really long time since I've updated this, so I should let you know what life looks like for me now-a-days. Since I moved to Cochabamba a lot of things have changed so here I'll answer some questions you might have.

Where do you live:
Since July of last year I have lived in the city of Cochabamba. I house-sat for two months for a friend and decided that it was time to move to the city. So as I was looking for a place in the same neighborhood, one night while walking home I saw a sign on a gate for an apartment for rent, only 1/2 block from where I was staying. It all worked out beautifully and I moved in September. It's a small, modest apartment but just right for me. I also have a pet rabbit named Lolo.

Where do you work:
My primary responsibility these days is as the director of the ESL program at Ciudad de Refugio (CdR). CdR is cafe a few blocks from the local university. We hope to provide a safe place for college students where if need be they can also find help and guidance for their lives. We offer games, inexpensive food, English classes, activities (concerts),  opportunities to volunteer in the community and counseling.  I schedule, enroll, teach, and oversee classes. We currently have four interns for the summer.  I also spend some time co-leading a Bible study for young ladies and when I can, helping at a Saturday Kids Club.


What about community there? 
I attend the Cochabamba International Church and with a few couples who live in the neighborhood we have a weekly Bible Study.
I also am engaged to a young man from here named Joel. We will be married next month.  He loves the Lord and helps me grow in my relationship with Him as well.

Christmas is coming…

Hello friends! Christmas is right around the corner and so I just want to share a few opportunities for you to bless some kids here in Bolivia. (And by blessing them you'll also be a huge blessing to those who serve them here too!)

Kids Club. This is what I do with the Vargas' every Saturday! I've become quite fond of the little ones who play frisbee; duck, duck, goose; and relays every Saturday, listen to Bible stories and then ask me about the zombies, and can't stop hugging me when they find me in the multitude of children.  Every Christmas we pray and trust God to provide gifts and snacks for 1000 children, family gifts for 200 families with consistent attendance, and prizes for the children with the highest grades. Maybe you want to be a part of that?  (We estimate we will need around $8,000 USD)

Navidad en Bolivia. This is where my friend Katie works. When I lived here in 2008, I also served with this team. They hope to provide gifts for about 80 kids who regularly attend the center for help with homework.  For $16 you can sponsor a kid…and check out their self-portraits. They are some of my favorite little artists!

When we choose the wrong boss

Do you remember being a child and taking suggestions from a sibling…when you got in trouble for not obeying mom, you find yourself sheepishly trying to defend yourself by saying "but ____ told me to do it this way!", "Is she the mom?", my mom would inevitably ask. I remember my stomach sinking realizing how right she was.  What happens when you take instructions from the wrong authority? In life, work, school, family, etc. We get ourselves in trouble!  It's the same in our lives as christians.  If we take our cues from the world, we end up contradicting the very God we should be representing. 
In my Romans class in Bible school we talked about how even though sin is still present in our lives as believers, it no longer is our master! We've died to that life, and now live for Christ, meaning He is the only one we have to listen to!  
I think of how much time I spend doing things that make absolutely no difference in the big picture of living to please Christ, I think of how secular music, movies, conversations about superficial things, and other things take up way more time than actually studying God's Word. If my goal as a christian is to become like Christ-which it is-then shouldn't my focus be on what HE has to say? If as a church (a body of believers…a group of people who want to know, represent and share the God of the Bible with the world) our goal is indeed to be set apart from the world, ambassadors of Christ, and messengers of His good news of HOPE to the world we are going to have to know Him. Know His heart and His character, His love and His plan for the world.   

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, 

as though God were making an appeal through us; 

we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 

2 Corinthians 5:20 NASB

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, 

for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, 

equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

So WHY IN THE WORLD are we looking to the world to tell us what love actually is, how christians are supposed to act, what's appropriate and cool, what relationships are supposed to look like, etc, etc, etc?  Should we not rather be looking to God? 

Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. 

If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant. Gal. 1:10 NLT

It's my challenge for all of us to look to our Savior who indeed shows the greatest love, not by letting us remain as we were but saving us from ourselves and from our sin so we can enjoy LIFE abundantly in a relationship with Him.

Greater love has no one than this, 

that one lay down his life for his friends. 

John 15:13 NASB

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 

I am the good shepherd. 

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 

John 10:10-11 ESV 

When all we have is way more than all we need.

I've been thinking of some of the believers that I've met in some of my trips to really, andI mean REALLY, rural parts of Bolivia and previously to Mexico.  One of the things that has always hit me is how genuine and simple their faith and trust in the Lord is.  I see how little they really have, and believe that they hold on to the Lord because they know that's all the hope they really have.  They have no education, money, titles, or fame to cling to.  It makes me wonder if all the distractions that pull us were all stripped away we would realize that God is in fact all that we need?  

The weight of the world on His shoulders

I work with kids from some pretty tough life circumstances. Sometimes because of their own choices, and sometimes because of someone else's.  It's pretty tough and sometimes feels incredibly unfair that they suffer because of someone else's sin.  (Ultimately, no one is without sin and all sin is wrong, but some sin affects others much more deeply.) 

I spent a lot of time last week processing, talking, and crying about this, and ended up overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted.  And then, this Sunday we read Isaiah 53 in church: 

2b
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 
He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
   smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

9 And they made his grave with the wicked
    and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
...
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
    and makes intercession for the transgressors.

(ESV version found at biblegateway.com) Here is most of the chapter…but read the rest…it's all good.

And friends…I cried. And here's why: Everything we suffer through, all that breaks our hearts, and the injustices we see, He received, experienced and endured exponentially more than we do.  So when we go to him with a broken heart for the messed up world we live in, He totally understands…and I think He hurts too.  He loves us so much that He allowed His Son to suffer and die to rescue us from this life where we are affected by sin.  He will make all things right one day. And that, my friends, is the greatest hope I can even imagine. 

(picture from here)

When the real you comes out...

Under pressure, when you're shocked/surprised, when you're with those you know and love the most, when you're mistreated, etc.  There's not really any way to hide it, I don't think…
I just finished reading two really good books.  They both take place in WWII, both of the main characters are held in prison camps, put under pressure, beaten, psychologically manipulated, looked up to by their co-prisoners, and both lost people that were very close to them.  But they responded so differently.
Unboken by Laura Hillenbrand is the story of Louie Zamperini, and Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose is her autobiography.  There are lots of similarities in their situations but as I read I felt increasingly discouraged and hopeless as I followed Louies story…that is until the end when he reaches the end of himself and comes to know the Lord.  It's amazing the transformation to how he mends his marriage, and refocuses his energy into helping people and moving forward…and even forgiving the men who abused him.  Darlene's story was sad, and awful-in different ways, but I found that for some reason there was hope.  She knew it was likely she could die, but she found her strength in the Lord, she found consolation in the One who loved her so deeply, and she found hope that no matter what happened the Lord would use her pain and grief for some greater good.
I began to think…if something like that happened would what I have filled my life with give me hope? Would I know enough of God's promises and truths to sustain me and encourage others?  Or would I only be able to think of articles that I had read that offered no real wisdom?  Could i think of songs of praise of God's sovereignty and trust in His goodness? Or would I only have pointless songs of breakups and shallow love songs?  Could I have enough meaningful conversations stored away in the recesses of my mind, or would I only be able to think of small talk  had or feel-good movies that I had watched?  
I remain so convicted of my apathy.  I know that in the situations where I find my ugly side showing itself, instead, I want God's wisdom and goodness to pour out of me.
(*I totally recommend BOTH of these books!)

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45
"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Ps 119:11
"The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip." Ps. 37:31
"I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart." Ps. 40:8

Three more days...means it's practically over.

You can tell that I'm basically an optimist!  By the time I leave I will have been home for exactly 2 months (not counting 2 days of travel).  It's been a rich time, and a joy to celebrate graduation of Michelle, wedding of Bizzy & Nick (see the poem I wrote for N&B here…although I've NEVER claimed to be any kind of writer), adoption of Zac, and lots of other fun family & friend moments.

Nick & Bizzy got married on June 19. 

Zac officially joined our family through adoption on July 9 after 412 days in foster care. 

Michelle graduated June 6. 

AND, my support is officially now at 25%!!! If you're still wanting to send in money you can find more information here: www.ripeforharvest.org my account #20108. 

Missing things…big and small.

Besides the obvious listing of friends and family--which I most definitely have missed, I thought I would share a few other things that you might not expect that your friends who live overseas might extrañar (miss)… 

1. Christian radio! I love hearing a challenge and/or encouragement throughout the day as I've been in and out of the car a LOT!  
2. Maná, Enrique Iglesias, and the waiter at the Mexican restaurant. Because it just makes my heart really happy to hear (and converse in) Spanish!
3. Iced coffee, dark chocolate, and deli sandwiches.  My taste buds are awakened with the rich flavors! 
4. My church. As much as I love Spanish, it has been sweet and refreshing to sing praise songs in English and hear teaching in my most comfortable language. Plus being here in the summer means that I can be around for natural summer get togethers and celebrations.
5. The convenience of having a vehicle to use--and with a sunroof! A sweet couple from my church have lent me a vehicle while I'm in Ohio, and my Dad's been loaning me his extra truck while I've been in Texas. 
6. Nature! Lightning bugs, soft green grass, lots of rainy days and cool grey clouds…however, the mosquito welcoming committee has not actually been a favorite of mine. 

 Of course I miss other stuff too, but it's been fun to notice the little things that just make each day a little happier--in a superficial kind of way in many of the instances… I hope this somehow inspires you to enjoy the little things with a little different perspective!  

Symbol≠Substitute [A reminder of our good Father]

A few weeks ago a friend and I went out to see the boys from the orphanage that I used to work out. We showed up the same time as a father who was there to visit his boys. He was clean cut and dressed casually but nice. He comes once a week to visit and is working on paperwork to get his sons back after a few altercations, I later learned. One son was away at a party but the tías told the son that was present that his father was there to visit to go outside where his dad was waiting. He went out and came back in at which time the tías sent him back out. I went out a bit later to look for one of the other boys as I approached the back yard I hear laughing from a little boy and a man. I got there to find the son with two friends sitting at the edge of the field playing a game on a phone while another little boy (not the son) was playing with the father. The little boy was laughing hysterically and the dad was so good with him. Then they would take a little break and the father would come over and plead with his son to come play with him. The son would say "later, later…" and the father would remind him that he only can come once a week, and he's not going to bring his phone anymore because he only wants to play with that and not him. He then went back to play with the other little boy and I tried to reason with the son, asking him why he didn't want to play and how his dad might feel. He kept playing his game until the battery died and the dad took it back. Later the dad helped him fix his legos and with another game then they went on a walk to get ice cream.

 I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wanted to blame technology, or the kid's attitude until it was like the Lord said to me "you are just like that too!". Ohhhh, right. I thought as my stomach sank. How often does the Lord want to spend time with me, gives me sleepless nights, or beautiful scenery, or great experiences, or lonely moments, and how do I respond? Kinda like the little boy. O sure, He gives us lots of great things to enjoy, but enjoying the creation isn't the same as enjoying The Creator. And basking in the benefits of a love relationship isn't the same as knowing The Love-r. Even though He gives me good things to enjoy, it's not a substitute for time with Him. It's not technology or business that's to blame it's ME. It's my choices, my stubbornness and laziness. But boy am I ever thankful for a Father that continues to pursue me. Continues to love me. And continues to be good.

The servant that could but wouldn't...

I'm really enjoying the chance to teach the girls at the shelter from God's word. We've been a bit scattered about themes but I feel like I'm so challenged and encouraged from God's word as I prepare and teach them. If you're interested here is a brief summary of three of our last lessons... For Valentine's Day, I thought it very important to highlight the love of God-which really is the best. We talked about a few key verses and how God's great love was demonstrated in the fact that He loved us when we were most unlovely, had nothing to offer Him other than our broken selves and how He loved us enough to give us the greatest gift of LIFE. Then last week we talked about the woman who anointed Jesus' feet with her perfume, tears, and hair (Luke 7:36-50). Simon complains and Jesus reminds him that he had done nothing in the way of common courtesy to welcome him into his home, but that this woman couldn't get her own emotions or gratefulness under control and lavished her love on Him. He told the story of the king who forgave two people-one with a huge debt and one with a small one. "Who do you suppose loved the king more?", he asked Simon. I'm sure he was squirming in his seat as he realized what was happening as he said, "I suppose the one who was forgiven more". He who is forgiven much loves much. That blubbering lady on the floor had shown her love for Christ while Simon was standing self-righteously in the corner completely oblivious to Christ's love or the forgiveness that he himself had received. So this week I'm continuing that thought (Matt 19:21-35) about the servant who was forgiven a debt that he could probably never repay…20 years wages. The king ordered that he and his family be sold along with all their possessions. Only their lives could pay the debt…sound familiar? He pled with the king (who Jesus compared to the kingdom of heaven) who had compassion on him and forgave him the debt. The story goes on to say that he went out from the presence of the king and went looking for another servant who owed him one days wages. He began to strangle him and told him to pay it back right away. The servant begged for mercy, "give me time and I will pay it all back" (sound familiar?). The other servant, who was just forgiven exponentially more, refused and threw him into jail. When the king found out he called him in and reminded him of the great debt he had just forgiven him, "shouldn't you have likewise had mercy on your fellow slave"? He threw the unforgiving servant into prison to be tortured until he repaid the debt. I read this and think "Duh!, it's one day's wages--he just got out of 20+ years' wages!) The things I'm reminded of: 1. God forgives HUGE mistakes, errors, sins, whatever you want to call it. 2. If I make the mistake of not recognizing how much I'm forgiven I will a. Not appreciate or recognize the greatness of His love for me. b. Withhold from others the same grace and love that I've been shown. 3. I am loved. Not for what I've done or what I have to offer, but simply because God loves. He loves me, you and the rest of the world. Will I accept it and enjoy it? Will you?

This years video!

See our team blog for more info or the photo blog for pictures!

Navidad all over Bolivia

If you're looking for different ways to share this Christmas I want to share a few that I think are worthwhile:

1. Navidad en Bolivia. This is a program we started a few years back to help an after school support with at risk students. They majority come from indigenous backgrounds and have parents that hardly speak Spanish.  They struggle in school and a few friends of mine from the States, Canada and Bolivia dedicate themselves every afternoon to helping catch them up as well as teach them about the Lord. Here's a sample screenshot of the site-you have got to check out this artwork!  For $16 you can provide a Christmas gift for one of these talented children.

2.  Sponsor (part of) a team! We are taking a trip back out to Potosí!  Lord willing we will have a team comprised mostly of Bolivians, with potentially a few from the USA (including my sister(s) and a friend!).  We appreciate your prayers, and if you are interested in sponsoring one of these young people with a heart to serve in the mountains for a week of their Christmas break, you will be a part of blessing their lives as well as the kiddos and families we will get the opportunities to meet.  Here's the team site that includes some info about what we do and the teams we've had in the past (including some of their experiences).

3.  Donate items.  Resources for activities to do with the kiddos. (Last year we took a Parachute that was donated to the clown that went with us that year) and the kids LOVED it!  Other good practical gifts are: small toys, pencils, coloring books, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mittens, socks, lotion, etc. I also recently saw some Child Evangelism Fellowship picture books that make the stories more vivid for the kiddos.  A lot of these things we can buy here (Except the books and parachute, I think), so let me know if you prefer to send money and we can buy it here to save from the hassle of shipping etc.  I'll be happy to send pictures back to you! :)

9 favorites about Bolivia!

1.  Coffee/tea time.  Especially when I'm with the Vargas or Spies families!  We sit around and sip our hot beverages and talk about all sorts of interesting things.

2. Lots of walking.  We take lots of public transportation and it's a great way to figure out the city, observe the people I live around, and not worry about the traffic.
3. Licuados.  This is like a light milkshake.  Fresh fruit, a little bit of sugar and either water or milk (that's milk in the bag). My favorite is strawberry or banana.  Try it sometime!

4. Tiendas.  No matter where you are there is a tiny corner store less than 5 minute walk away.  They have all the necessities (toilet paper, bread, milk, butter, and tons of other things).  And the prices are similar to the bigger stores!
5. Fresh fruit and vegetables.  There are amazing produce stands and for pretty inexpensive.  The flavor is so much better and fresher!
6. My garden!  Talk about seeing the fruit (Or vegetables in this case) of your labor!  So many good analogies too--The importance of weeding, watering, cultivating, etc.  Someday it will be grown enough to be impressive enough for a photo-I hope!
7. Learning Quechua!  Miss Ely is teaching me and we started this morning. This will be challenging, but right now it's fun!
8.  Playing sports.  Fortunately so far, I've been living in environments where there were enough people for teams.  I hope my skills are improving, but either way it's a fun time and a good way to get to know people a little better.
9. Speaking Spanish.  I quickly realized how much more I have to learn, although I think I will always feel a little bit like that...for now I want to brush up.  The goal is to not immediately be identified as a foreigner.

Random thoughts from a sleepless night

1. Trust God no matter what.  Because after all, His goodness isn’t dependent on our circumstances.  I’ve been reminded over and over for the past few weeks that God calls us down paths we never would have chosen for ourselves.  No one would choose death, injury, sickness, conflict, loneliness, war, abuse, disaster, etc. But that’s part of living in a fallen world, and the presence of God doesn’t mean the absence of these things.  The presence of God means we don’t walk these roads alone.  He’s the one we cling to, because He’s the one who cares about our hurts, He wants us to come to Him, trust Him and find our strength in the One who gives us breath every morning. 
2. If He cares about the lesser, of course He cares about the greater.  I was provided some things from my hopeful list--you know not necessities, just desires.  A lamp, a rug, a mirror, etc.  Through some thoughtful friends I was loaned some things--the things from my list-they had no idea what I was praying for. My friend was provided a job, in a really cool way.  It was a cool reminder that God’s got this.  My life looks really different than I thought it would, but I can be confident that He knows what’s best and will get me right where He wants me.
3. Give thanks. Always. I’ve been reading in Psalms and David is always giving thanks and telling the people to give thanks.  He can be in the middle of a war, betrayal by a friend, mourning the death of a loved one and He still gives thanks. And I should to.  I have plenty to be thankful for. 
4. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.  Everything.  Sometimes I have to remind myself of the big picture, and remember that anything I “suffer” here, is a small thing compared to the glory of seeing my Savior face to face. “If Christ be God and died for me then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” -C.T. Studd.  These are my adorable grandparents.  They've been through some really crazy stuff too, this is where I found them one day this summer.  Singing from the hymnal, "It will be worth it all when we see JesusO".  Timely reminder from some who have experienced-and are experiencing-some significant changes that have caused them to lean hard on God.  
   
   
   
   
   
   Ok, I think that's it for me...I'm off to sleep. Buenas noches.

Lessons learned while hiking the treacherous mountains of Huay'ku Mayu at sunset

Last Thursday is the day I arrived in Cochabamba.  I cannot believe I LIVE in Bolivia now.  It's been a hectic two weeks filled with visa paperwork, a trip to Potosi, and a few work projects and visits.  It's been fantastic!

Potosi felt longer than usual because we visited fewer communities and spent more time in each, and we took more day hikes than usual.  Abby and I talked about all the analogies/lessons we learned from our afternoon-late evening hike to see a woman sick with bronchitis and her grandbaby sick with an infection.  This is what we came up with:
1. Sometimes you have the luxury of stopping to take a break---and sometimes you don't.
2. Sometimes you can't see the bigger picture and just must keep taking baby steps-one foot at a time.
3. There is great value and peace in having an experienced and trustworthy guide.
4. Sometimes you CAN see the bigger picture-and when you can, you should soak it in and then remember it when you can't see the end goal.
5. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".
We were thankful for hermano Vicente who led the way.  He is a single man who walks all around the community to visit people there because he believes it is so important that they hear the message of love and hope of God's word. (He also provided us with fresh mandarins from his Shakira shoulder bag).  Overall though, I loved the hikes! It's a great opportunity to take in the scenery, and seeing the homes of the people and meeting the older generations provides a more realistic look into normal every day life there.