When the Jews Partied

We were reading the book of Esther together at Albergue. When the Jews finally get vengeance on their enemies at the end of the book, they celebrated God’s faithfulness. They feasted, and there is one line where it says “and they took care of the poor.”

There are a lot of aspects of the culture here that stretch me.  But one of the most important aspects of life in Bolivia is the collectivism. In this very communal culture, you don’t eat or drink alone. You always invite, especially those in your family. 

So we were out with all the girls, about to leave and there was two little kids hanging by the van who looked pretty raggedy. We had 2 packs of cookies. Tino, who has worked with these girls for about 15 years, asked the girls if we could give them cookies. They cut open the pack, I thought to give them each a few. And then they gave one open pack (open because it was easier to eat) to the girl, and the other pack to the boy.

When the Jews, the underdogs, experienced victory they celebrated with thanksgiving. Which means they celebrated by inviting in those on the outside. It was way cool to watch the girls figure out how to do the same. And even though Bolivia is extremely hospitable, I knew the reason they gave those cookies had nothing to do with cultural trends and it had everything to do with partying with purpose.

Prayer pleas-

For wisdom and creativity to appropriately spur on community in the house (I have pent up RA in me screaming to get out…)

For my heart, and yours. I am going to start translating my girls stories. Looking sexual abuse in the face while hugging the victim is not something I pretend to be capable of.

Praise- My stomach is getting much better!

Praise- My host family is amazing.

Praise- I get to see 2 beautiful faces of friends from Wheaton this week!

Chapari continued...

delia and friend

Paola and Tomasa

Jhoselin

Maribel

Jhoselin, Tomi, yo, y Paola

 Tomasa y amigo

Delia y Jhoselin

In di Jungle

Thank you all for your prayers! The trip to Chapari with the girls was great-

           Chapari is a land of coconut, plantain, and orange trees, tropical birds, and rivers that flow down from the mountains. Normally it is also super humid, hot, and full of mosquitoes. BUT thanks to the cold winds that blow up from the South Pole every so often, it was colder and mostly bug free.

            We stayed in a hostel in a little village called Tunari. I stayed in a room with 2 of the girls, Tomasa and Paola, and although no one from home would find the accommodations so great, they were thrilled. When they each wanted their picture taken of them on their beds with the beautiful bedspreads, I was quietly humbled. They will never see riches like I have, but they will forever see beauty. The room was simple, we even slept in our coats to stay warm overnight, but it was paradise.

            The second day was sunny and unexpectedly warmer. (A huge gift from God) We hiked through the jungle and the girls were not shy about climbing on rocks and through vines on paths not often trod. Happy to say this climb was worth it. We made it to the waterfalls and to the lookout where the monkeys hang out.

            Monkeys, as it turns out, can sense character. They walked right up to Tomasa, who is definitely the most timid girl in the house, and wanted to hold her hand. One monkey climbed up Tomi, the woman who is the main caretaker for the girls, and cuddled with her. Then one papa monkey, with his baby tied on him, climbed up and latched on to Delia, who gladly carried them all the way down the mountain. He looked so sad when she finally put him down and left him.

            Throughout the adventure I was able to joke around with the girls, and start relationships. It was good to laugh with them, to start to understand some of their complex personalities. And my time with the staff who loves them tirelessly gave me such a better glimpse of what it takes to love these girls well.

            AND I was also able to find food that wasn’t too harsh on my stomach! (I went to the Dr here by the way and got great care, I have gastritis. No coffee or mandrines for me for a while.)

            Here are some visuals (the girls LOVE getting their pictures taken)

Going to the jungle...

Tomorrow I am heading to Chapare, to a beautiful "jungle" camping ground. (ok... so Iĺl give you more details when I come back because I really have no idea...)
I am going with the staff and girls from Albergue because its the girls' winter vacation. And this trip is really special for the girls.
The staff has made a program so that these 3 days are more like a spiritual retreat that are going to be based off the book of Esther.
Please please pray for spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental protection for all of us.

This is a really important time for me to get to go deeper with the girls, gain some trust, and also share more of myself with them.
Please pray for my stomach through this time, that I can find safe food (I have been having problems and I actually went to the doctor on Sat.) And that I can communicate. This is the first time I will be completely without any English speaker, and my spirit is wearing down with the little I feel I can communicate.

Thanks for all your love and support! Iĺl take some good pictures.