Thought you might like to have an idea of what my life here at Vinto looks like.
6:00 Alarm goes off. I go and turn the lights on in the two dorm rooms and tap Irlanda, Marianela, and Melvi (the three girls who go to another school and have to leave by 7:30) on the shoulder, telling them it's time to wake up.
6:10 I go back and make sure the three girls are getting up. Then I go for a quick jog.
6:45 I go and wake the rest of the girls up.
7:00 One of the girls goes and picks up our breakfast. (Every morning we get some sort of hot drink--e.g. hot milk with either rice, oatmeal, or some other grain floating in it--and a bun spread with a sort of thick caramel sauce) and all ten of us sit at the big table in our common area and eat breakfast.
7:30 Irlanda, Marianela, and Melvi hug me goodbye and head to school.
8:10 The rest of the girls head to school.
Then I have the rest of the mornings to myself to shower, spend some time with God, clean my room, wash clothes (I am actually learning to wash clothes by hand!), go to the office and use the internet, go into Quillacollo (the larger town between here and the city of Cochabamba) and do some shopping, etc.
12:30 I go to the dining hall where the girls all arrive from school, and we eat lunch.
13:00-19:00 (1 pm - 7 pm) We walk over to the dorms, work on homework, play out in the park, play games inside, and/or watch tv.
19:00 I choose two girls to walk over to the kitchen and pick up our dinner (which consists in the leftovers from lunch) We bring the food back to the dorms and eat together in the common area. After dinner I make sure the girls do all their chores (e.g. wash dishes, clean bathrooms, bedrooms, and the common area). After that they sometimes still have homework to do.
21:00 I am usually tired, I say goodnight to the girls and head to bed (All of a sudden I've acquired a taste for going to bed very early!)
THANKSGIVING (PRAISE):
-A safe trip to and from La Paz last week.
-Two special days spent with my family in La Paz.
-Experiencing God in new ways and finding comfort in His Word.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-Wisdom to know how to deal with problems that come up in the dorms (e.g. disobedience and interpersonal problems between the girls)
-That God would remove the spirit of heaviness I have been struggling with and replace it with joy in Him.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
I've Fallen In Love...
You know the feeling--when your heart beats with new life and all of a sudden the world seems wonderful and rose-coloured? The feeling you get when that special someone enters your life and your heart? Well, in my case, nine special someones have entered my heart--in these short two weeks I have fallen in love with my girls.
I would have to say the girls have wun me over with their love and their hugs! Early in the mornings, as they head out the door on their way to school, they always make sure to give me a big hug. Then, as they return from school at noon, they always make sure to give me another big hug! Finally, at night as we say goodnight, they are sure to give me one last hug--that makes for an average of 18 hugs a day! Aren't I blessed?
Last Wednesday was my 25th birthday. The actual day of my birthday was a fairly regular day with a few birthday calls and text messages. I was a little down and missing my family. That night, after I had gone to bed, I had a knock on my door. I went out to find three girls standing outside my door with these beautiful birthday cards they had made for me. They each gave me big hugs and presented me with their cards. As I read the cards, I was touched by all the love put into them!
On Thursday morning I came in to the office and checked my e-mail to find 63 messages in my inbox!!! I felt VERY blessed and loved. Thank you to all of you who remembered my special day! The following evening, following the meeting they have every Thursday night here at the centre, I was greatly touched by a birthday cake and lots of birthday hugs from all the boys and girls who live here! It ended up being a very special birthday!
THANKSGIVING (BLESSINGS):
-Hugs!
-A special birthday!
-People's prayers!
-God is helping me to live one day at a time.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-That I would love each of the girls with a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love (that I wouldn't just have a fuzzy feeling for them), and that God would especially help me to love those girls I find a little more difficult to love.
-For the girls' and my health (many of the girls have been a little sick, and I have been fighting a sore throat)
-For safety as I travel to La Paz tomorrow night to register to vote (I must say I'm excited to have this excuse to go and see my family for a couple of days!)
I would have to say the girls have wun me over with their love and their hugs! Early in the mornings, as they head out the door on their way to school, they always make sure to give me a big hug. Then, as they return from school at noon, they always make sure to give me another big hug! Finally, at night as we say goodnight, they are sure to give me one last hug--that makes for an average of 18 hugs a day! Aren't I blessed?
Last Wednesday was my 25th birthday. The actual day of my birthday was a fairly regular day with a few birthday calls and text messages. I was a little down and missing my family. That night, after I had gone to bed, I had a knock on my door. I went out to find three girls standing outside my door with these beautiful birthday cards they had made for me. They each gave me big hugs and presented me with their cards. As I read the cards, I was touched by all the love put into them!
On Thursday morning I came in to the office and checked my e-mail to find 63 messages in my inbox!!! I felt VERY blessed and loved. Thank you to all of you who remembered my special day! The following evening, following the meeting they have every Thursday night here at the centre, I was greatly touched by a birthday cake and lots of birthday hugs from all the boys and girls who live here! It ended up being a very special birthday!
THANKSGIVING (BLESSINGS):
-Hugs!
-A special birthday!
-People's prayers!
-God is helping me to live one day at a time.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-That I would love each of the girls with a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love (that I wouldn't just have a fuzzy feeling for them), and that God would especially help me to love those girls I find a little more difficult to love.
-For the girls' and my health (many of the girls have been a little sick, and I have been fighting a sore throat)
-For safety as I travel to La Paz tomorrow night to register to vote (I must say I'm excited to have this excuse to go and see my family for a couple of days!)
Monday, August 10, 2009
From None to Nine
From one day to the next, I went from being a single independent woman with no children, to being a "mom" responsible for nine girls!
A week ago Tuesday, my parents dropped me off here at the Christian Centre for the deaf. I was introduced to the girls, and at first I thought it would take me a while to remember not only their names but also their sign names! Thankfully, within a day I pretty much had figured out both!
It hasn't been a week yet, and I feel like I've already started to bond with the girls. They are all so sweet and loving. Of the nine girls, one of them is actually a 44 year old woman, but mentally she is still a child. The rest of the girls range from ages 10 to 19.
It is interesting being surrounded by sign language all the time! I feel bad, because I often have trouble understanding the girls and have to get them to repeat things or explain to me what it is they are trying to tell me. My sign language definitely should improve by staying here!!!
To be honest, this last week has been VERY rough!!! I never imagined it would be this hard. I have felt VERY homesick--really missing being somewhere familiar and being with my family and friends. I'm afraid lots of tears have been shed! At this point, the four months till the end of the school year seems like an eternity! I'm just trying to live one day/one moment at a time!
At the same time, I know God wants to use this difficult time in my life to draw me closer to Him and to shape me and mold me into the image of His Son. My struggles definitely are making me run to Him! The other day, God brought these verses to mind:
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:24-26
Right now, I feel like I would like to be anywhere but here! And yet this verse reminds me that it's not about me and what I want--Jesus calls me to lay down my life and desires and to serve and follow Him. I believe He has led me here and wants me to serve Him here.
The day after God brought these verses to mind, I looked them up, and my eyes fell on the verses that follow:
"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" John 12:27-28
As I read these verses, I began to weep. Jesus Himself gave me an example to follow! He left His home, came and lived among us in the least desirable of circumstances, and He laid down His life!!! He also knows what it is like to be tempted to want "out". What a wonderful God we serve! He not only tells us what He wants from us, He lives it out for us, giving us an example, and because of that, He is able to sympathize with us in our struggles.
THANKSGIVING:
-I have my own room and bathroom, which is a real blessing!
-My knowledge of sign language is definitely coming in handy!
-The love and hugs the girls give me!
-I get mornings off, while the girls are in school, which allows me to have some time to myself.
-My cell phone is another blessing. It allows me to talk to my family and get text messages from my friends, which are an encouragement!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-Spiritual, emotional, and physical strength!
-Physical health! (The other day, the cook didn't come in, so I helped a few of the girls make the meal. That kitchen would be any North American food safety inspector's worst nightmare!)
-Joy and contentment.
-The physical safety and health of the girls in my care.
-Creativity (I'm afraid I'm not the most creative person, and I am really struggling to come up with ideas for ways to keep the girls busy during their free time. We just had a long weekend, so there was plenty of free time, and I really found it hard to think of things to keep the girls from getting bored. Any suggestions/ideas would be appreciated!)
NOTE: I tried uploading pictures with this post, but the internet connection was too slow. I may have to wait till my next trip to La Paz and post pictures from my parents' computers.
A week ago Tuesday, my parents dropped me off here at the Christian Centre for the deaf. I was introduced to the girls, and at first I thought it would take me a while to remember not only their names but also their sign names! Thankfully, within a day I pretty much had figured out both!
It hasn't been a week yet, and I feel like I've already started to bond with the girls. They are all so sweet and loving. Of the nine girls, one of them is actually a 44 year old woman, but mentally she is still a child. The rest of the girls range from ages 10 to 19.
It is interesting being surrounded by sign language all the time! I feel bad, because I often have trouble understanding the girls and have to get them to repeat things or explain to me what it is they are trying to tell me. My sign language definitely should improve by staying here!!!
To be honest, this last week has been VERY rough!!! I never imagined it would be this hard. I have felt VERY homesick--really missing being somewhere familiar and being with my family and friends. I'm afraid lots of tears have been shed! At this point, the four months till the end of the school year seems like an eternity! I'm just trying to live one day/one moment at a time!
At the same time, I know God wants to use this difficult time in my life to draw me closer to Him and to shape me and mold me into the image of His Son. My struggles definitely are making me run to Him! The other day, God brought these verses to mind:
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:24-26
Right now, I feel like I would like to be anywhere but here! And yet this verse reminds me that it's not about me and what I want--Jesus calls me to lay down my life and desires and to serve and follow Him. I believe He has led me here and wants me to serve Him here.
The day after God brought these verses to mind, I looked them up, and my eyes fell on the verses that follow:
"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" John 12:27-28
As I read these verses, I began to weep. Jesus Himself gave me an example to follow! He left His home, came and lived among us in the least desirable of circumstances, and He laid down His life!!! He also knows what it is like to be tempted to want "out". What a wonderful God we serve! He not only tells us what He wants from us, He lives it out for us, giving us an example, and because of that, He is able to sympathize with us in our struggles.
THANKSGIVING:
-I have my own room and bathroom, which is a real blessing!
-My knowledge of sign language is definitely coming in handy!
-The love and hugs the girls give me!
-I get mornings off, while the girls are in school, which allows me to have some time to myself.
-My cell phone is another blessing. It allows me to talk to my family and get text messages from my friends, which are an encouragement!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-Spiritual, emotional, and physical strength!
-Physical health! (The other day, the cook didn't come in, so I helped a few of the girls make the meal. That kitchen would be any North American food safety inspector's worst nightmare!)
-Joy and contentment.
-The physical safety and health of the girls in my care.
-Creativity (I'm afraid I'm not the most creative person, and I am really struggling to come up with ideas for ways to keep the girls busy during their free time. We just had a long weekend, so there was plenty of free time, and I really found it hard to think of things to keep the girls from getting bored. Any suggestions/ideas would be appreciated!)
NOTE: I tried uploading pictures with this post, but the internet connection was too slow. I may have to wait till my next trip to La Paz and post pictures from my parents' computers.
Friday, July 31, 2009
God Makes Dreams Come True
WARNING: This entry is very long...you have my permission to skim read :-)
Four years ago, I got on a plane flying north, leaving behind the country where I was born and raised--Bolivia, a country with a very special place in my heart. I knew I wanted to return one day, but I had no idea how long it would take for me to return or what experiences I would live in between.
The last four years have been filled with joys and challenges. I spent three very special years going to Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, Iowa. There I learnt, grew, and made friendships I hope will last a lifetime. The fourth year was spent living and working in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. There I was challenged, grew some more, and enjoyed being close to my relatives.
A big part of the last several years has been learning to be content with where God had me--North America. Now, all of a sudden, and maybe a little sooner than I expected, God has opened up the doors, and I am back in the country I love so much.
Over the years God has used my own hearing loss, among other things, to place a burden on my heart for those who cannot hear at all--the deaf. During my late teens, I volunteered at a small deaf school in Potosi (my hometown), and I became increasingly aware of the needs of the deaf in Bolivia, South America. At one point, I visited a Christian school for the deaf just outside of Cochabamba (the third largest city in Bolivia). All those years ago, I began to dream about one day living and volunteering at that school--it seemed like the perfect place to go and immerse myself in sign language and deaf culture. All these years later, God is making that dream come true!
This last Wednesday, July 29th, I arrived in the La Paz airport after spending several weeks in the States with friends on the way down. My parents and sister Elisa were at the airport waiting for me. Going from the 37 C. (100 F.) summer heat of Dallas, Texas, to the 2 C. (35 F.) winter cold of La Paz was quite a drastic change!
It has been said you can never go back...places change and people move on. I am not returning to the Bolivia of my childhood and teens. Circumstances are so different now! My parents no longer live in Potosi (where I grew up). None of my three brothers live here now. I am no longer here as an MK, dependent on my parents, but as an independent adult.
I confess I feel a little stressed out by all the changes and having to adapt to living in a developing country. Yes...I'm adapting! Who would have thought that four years would change me so much? There are so many little details that add up. I have to remember to put the TP in the garbage vs. the toilet. Shopping is so much more complicated, and I have the mental strain of trying to divide the price by six to get an approximate idea of the cost in Canadian dollars. I can't relax when I'm out on the streets, worrying about thieves. I find I am bothered by the filth and the poverty...
I don't want to get so focused on the annoying/difficult details of life that I get weighed down. I have been trying to remind myself that it doesn't matter where I live--life will have its challenges. Just today a poem came to mind--"Bloom where you are planted." I believe this is where God wants me right now, and I want to accept the challenges and bloom where God has planted me!
On Tuesday my parents are planning to driving me to the "Centro Cristiano para Sordos Vinto"
(the Christian deaf school). It is about five or six hours from here. It is exciting, and yet I feel apprehension at the same time. As my dream is about to become a reality, I realize that there are going to be challenges, and it is not going to be all rosy-colored and glamorous...
PRAISE:
-PRAISE God for a safe and uneventful trip down to Bolivia.
-PRIASE God for His overabundant provision.
-PRAISE God for the advantage of being a Bolivian citizen--it makes things so much easier entering and remaining in the country!!!
-PRAISE God for the support I have from my family and friends here in Bolivia (I have a growing appreciation for people who go to a mission field where they know no one!)
-PRAISE God for a knowledge of the language and culture (If I'm finding adjusting a little hard, I really have to admire those who go to a country where the language and culture is completely unfamiliar!)
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-That I would get all the things done I need to get done before moving to the deaf school (e.g. shopping, opening a bank account, etc.)
-That I would keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and not get weighed down by circumstances and the annoying/difficult details of life in Bolivia.
-That His joy would be my strength.
-That His love would be my motivator.
-That I would not lose sight of my vision and forget why I am here.
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