Merry Christmas!

I almost skipped writing this post due to the fact that I enjoy hiding how I'm really feeling and pretending like I'm the toughest gal you'll ever meet. Well I'm not. I haven't done much of that homesickness stuff since being here. But the truth is, right now I'm missing home...

I miss
The beautiful snow covered Iowa winter.
Making cookies with my sisters.
Singing to & listening to Christmas music
(Kenny G, Nicole C. Mullen, Sujan Stevens, & Relient K).
Snow days with my friends.
My brothers crashing at home for the holidays.
My dog.
Cutting down the tree with my whole family & decorating.
English Christmas Carols.
Playing in the snow.
Christmas Eve sleepovers with the siblings.
Buying/Giving/Opening presents with my friends and family.
Sledding and skiing.
Road tripping in the snow to family Christmas.
This and so much more...

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
Luke 2:14

This Christmas I am missing home and longing to be somewhere comfortable, somewhere I've spent every Christmas before. But God did not call His followers to comfort. He calls us all in different ways but He continually promises peace. I have a peace this year that I am exactly where God wants me to be.
That peace was given to us all, no matter where we are, through the events of Christmas. Jesus was born to die, to make a sacrifice that would bring peace between us and our God. That peace comes after trusting in Him. I know He has my life in His hands, He has great plans for me. No matter where I am or where I will be in the Christmas' to come I will be filled with peace because God sent His son as a baby to live a life that leads to death so I may have that peace. You better believe I'm going to enjoy it. Thank You, Jesus!

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Do not let your heart be troubled nor let it be fearful."
John 14:27

Merry Christmas, everyone!
Hope you are filled with His peace as you remember what a gift we have been given!

Little Firecracker!

 Jhoseline finished second grade at the end of November, after two weeks of reinforcement (summer school). She is not an unusually special student in the classroom. She fights through reading children's books and memorizing her times tables. She is easily frustrated by her school work. She often times finds chasing after the boys with a grin on her face and a determination in her eyes as the easiest excuse to leave her school desk. She finds it simple to get an attitude and raise her voice. Whether she is arguing about something or trying to be first to answer a question she holds the answer to, this young lady is beaming with energy.

But behind her eyes you can see the struggle, the hurt, and the hardness...

A familiar & common question here is to ask when one's birthday is. In the many birth dates I've heard spouted off in Spanish, I specifically remembered Jhoseline's. When the day came and I reached The Center around 2:30 p.m. I was greeted by a warm hug from Jhoseline and she was greeted by a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! That afternoon, trying to make her feel as special as possible, I asked her if she had gotten any gifts for her birthday. She responded, no. Shooting myself for asking such a spoiled, American mind-setted question I quickly asked instead if she had done anything special that day. She responded, no. Racking my brain for something that would get her talking and not add salt to a wound, I asked what she had eaten, anything special. She responded...no, I haven't eaten today.
A mixture of embarrassment, humility, and shame came over me.
How many birthdays had I celebrated without gifts? Without a special activity?...Without food? None.
The little things like this not only make me put into perspective these kids' lives but also give me so much more of a love and passion for them. They make me realize the worth in material possesions. That life goes on without them and that to truly make a change in one's life we must be talking about a spiritual hope and refuge.

A teacher, who's room I work in, once asked her a question dealing with the word Mom. Jhoseline responded by telling her that she doesn't have a mom. She told her that her mom said she didn't love her anymore and had walked out on her & her father. Upon hearing that story I realized how crucial the approximate 4 hours these kids spend with people who truly care about them each day, really is. I saw that even when she is distracted, even when she is mouthing off, even when she is arguing that the love I show her in the little time we have together might be some of the only love she recieves that day. The only love she recieves..

Regardless of the pain and stories behind the eyes of this little girl she continues to bring entertainment and sunshine into our class daily.
Jhoseline is a firecracker. She is full of sassy attitude, mischief, laughter, joking, tenderness, and love.

Please PrayPray that Jhoseline would find the love of Christ surpassing any other kind of love she will or will not experience in her life. Pray that as she grows into a young woman she would draw close to God & nothing else of this world. Pray for her education, her daily living, and her heart!

Pictures Don't Do Justice.

Now on summer break, we spend most of our time at the new center's construction site. We are working really hard and trying to work really fast because this site needs to be up & ready by the first week of February when the kids return to school. AHHHH.

Today I want to share some photos and give a little insight to the work we are doing!

We collect rocks for the floor (as I blogged about before). I'd say this pile is close to 2 hours work of collecting in the field beside the center, throwing them over top the wall, and wheel barreling them up the hill, closer to the building. This pile would cover maybe 1/8 of a room's floor.

This is how we go about mixing cement. The days we have to mix cement (usually for little benches beside the front wall) are the toughest. Stirring, mixing, adding water, and shoveling into the mold is quite the task without a machine!

Another one of our rock piles!

A field on one side of the center walls. While singing my heart out to "Walking In A Winter Wonderland" & looking for rocks, we have come across a black widow, many random cows, new Bolivian friends, animal skulls, and the biggest ants I have ever seen whom really seem to enjoy crawling up my legs and biting me. Makes things entertaining!

 One of the 6 rooms on the bottom level & one of the two rock floors waiting to be cemented!

 One of the 3 floors that has been cemented in the last week! (We hired help for this job, woohoo!)

 

 The largest room (our future library)! This week we are working on filling the floor with wheel barrels of dirt we've dug up to raise the floor before we collect the rocks to cover it. This morning we brought in 30-40 wheel barrels. Progress, no? :)

 Last week I had the pleasure of helping with a little bit of the electricity. I didn't do much, just some work with PVC pipes before the cement floor got laid but it reminded me of all the work with my Dad as a kid and for that I couldn't help but smile the whole time. (Not to mention it was a break from...You guessed it...ROCKS!)

Spent an afternoon cleaning all that out of a room. I vote we have a bonfire!

Some of the bumps and blisters from the time at construction! I am starting to have my father's hands...

We are now working around 3 or 4 full days a week and 2 half days. Nine a.m. to three-thirty p.m. with a packed lunch. Though the days have gotten longer and the work has remained tedious I am finding a lot of enjoyment in being up there with the team. I don't know if it's the hot sun or what but we seem to be getting a tad more goofy and having more fun as we work together to get the tasks done. Today we talked about praying that we have good attitudes about the work amongst many of our conversations to pass the time.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
*That we would keep focusing on why we are doing what we are doing.
*That the project would keep advancing in time for use in February.
*That our attitudes would stay positive!

Something on my mind..

With all the love and support I am getting from back home it is easy to find fulfillment in myself by thinking of “You are so amazing”, “You are a great person”, “You’re helping so many people”, You, You, You. It makes me happy. Momentarily.

That happiness is not joy, it is not truly fulfilling, and it does not last long. Before I know it I am reminded of who I really am. I am a young women full of mistakes, full of sin, unworthy of the life I have been given.
Romans 3:10 "There is none righteous, no not even one."
So why am I trying to bring myself happiness through these feel good thoughts about myself?

Where I have found the most happiness and true joy in my life is when I realize how unlovable I am. Sounds depressing right? Why would Shelby find so much joy in coming to terms with what a dirt bag she is?
Well that’s where the word joy comes in...

Hebrews 12:1&2
"...lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for THE JOY set before Him endured the cross, despising shame..."

I am a human, I am sinner but Jesus chose to die for me. When I didn’t deserve anything but death He considered me the honor and joy to die for. Wow. We've all heard about how God sent His son to die in our place but I challenge you to take a moment; be humble, and realize how much you didn't deserve that. He didn't just do a life saving favor because He had to, but through His grace He considered You, Me, Everyone...
Joy.

Now I can live a life (Romans 6) through Jesus! Not a life where I find appreciation and worth in myself but a life where I depend on the one who saved me from my deserved life. I am dead to sin if I accept Jesus. And I do, I accept His joyful sacrifice for me and I choose to let Him work in me!

 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

That is my joy! Not in anything I have done, am doing, or will ever do but only in what Christ has done for me. That is the only way to truly fulfill the earning for joy in my life.
I am nothing, Christ is everything!!! Let anyone who boasts, boast in the Lord.

Maybe I just ranted or maybe this was relate able to you. If this made sense, please, do something about it. A gift doesn't do you any good unless it's received. Email me or message me if you have any questions or want to talk more about this.

Give thanks with a grateful heart.

In the United States there is a very special Thursday in November. Americans set aside a day to give thanks for their blessings. They spend the day relaxing, eating, remembering their heritage, and most importantly; cherishing the special people in their lives. All of those things they give thanks for.

Well this year on Thanksgiving Day things were a little different. I've celebrated 17 of these holidays without really giving a true thought of what it's all about. Of course I know the story of the pilgrims and of course I give thanks to God every year for all the blessings in my life, but until I celebrated a year without those blessings did I really realize my gratitude.

This year I gave thanks to God for my past, present, and future!

My Past.
I remembered all the past holidays running around the house with my cousins and brothers and watching football after lunch. I remembered the days leading up to Thanksgiving, baking and cooking with my mom and sisters. I remembered hearing laughter from my Uncles, Grandpa, and Dad, as my Mom, Grandma, and my Aunts took warm, delicious food out of the oven for dinner. I remembered all the things I've done over the years during Thanksgiving break with my dear, dear friends.
All these memories made it hard to be away from Iowa this year but also filled me with joy at what a blessed background and past I have.

My Present.
Thanksgiving Day 2012 I spent sharing some of our traditions with my "Bolivian sister" as we spent the day preparing an American Thanksgiving Dinner. All afternoon we spent time in the kitchen together trying to get the recipes just right for Sweet Potatoes, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, & a big ole Chicken (We worked with what we had!).
When all was cooked and ready we slowly heard the doorbell ring as visitor after visitor came in. My "Bolivian cousins" brought Creamed Corn Casserole and Cranberries, a Bolivian friend brought juices, a Bolivian family brought a dessert, and another American stationed here brought homemade Pumpkin Pie! Everyone brought something and everyone loved the opportunity to share and experience a new, foreign holiday. It truly was a Thanksgiving to remember! As we sat in a circle eating, we all shared things that we are thankful for. We didn't just say we were thankful but truly said "Doy gracias a Dios por..." ("I give thanks to God for..."). They said they like that there is day not to ask God for things, not to make your request and issues known to Him but to just simply thank Him. Maybe in the future this tradition will keep going here :)

My Future.
I don't know my next step in life yet. I have a few options and completely different paths I can go down. At times that thought overwhelms and frustrates me...but it shouldn't. Instead I should be so happy with the opportunities that lie ahead of me. So as I laid in bed after a long day of up & down emotions I just thanked God that He knows the plans He has for me.
He held me then. He holds me now. And He will continue to hold me in my future.




Sweet Potatoes!


Posing? Nooooo.


Dinner time!


Enjoying the food?


A great cooking partner :) So much fun!

Give thanks to the Lord, He is good;
His love endures forever! Psalm 118:1

Navidad with the Center.

NAVIDAD!
Keeping in mind that the season are opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, the schools here are almost ready for summer break. With only a week left with the kids until they return in February, we celebrated Christmas with the kids on Friday! (Yes, same day as The Feria…a little crazy!)

As much as it warmed my heart to see these kids blessed by these presents and love from The Center I only hope to be able to share some of that happiness with you all. Many of you who supported me on this trip can be given many thanks! The presents we gave to the kids came from the team’s donations. I was able to give because of all the out pour of support I was given. I can’t thank you enough and stress enough how much that is doing in the lives of the children and families here!

Each girl and boy received a gift that suited their gender as well as a huge inflatable ball. I’m still not sure how they managed to get home with all their goodies from the day but they sure did, with huge smiles spread across their faces!

So thank you to everyone for your support! Here's a few pictures to share!

Feria!

This last week was a busy one. In telling you all about the activities I don’t want to forget anything and will split this into two blogs. I will start with explaining what “Feria” means to my team and I here at The Center.

Feria is an afternoon full of enegery, fun, and blessings for the children of The Center. All year they are given points based on their attendance and behavior at The Center. When a feria comes around they use those points to “buy” (with fake money: premios) food, toys, clothes, and play games. The children are given cards which are marked off by our team once they have passed each station. We want them to use their premios evenly between the four stations of food, clothes, toys, and games instead of piling up on just one.

Our Week
Now that you know that I’ll describe our week! A morning gluing and cutting the cards for every kid, an afternoon making all the premios (fake money), an evening of organizing 20+ garbage bags of clothes, an evening wrapping Christmas presents, and filling envelopes and making gift tags for every kid from The Center. All of that with afternoon center, morning construction, and Spanish lessons. Yes, it’s safe to say we were all busy and overwhelmed all week.

Friday we took the loads of things up to The Center. The kids were waiting outside the gate over an hour early. When we later opened the gates the kids watched a short drama of Jesus and the little children. We then celebrated the birthdays in October, November, December of the kids. They were given presents as the whole bunch of us sang to them (something we do for the kids every three months).  We then lined them up for The Feria. Within minutes there were anxious, smiling faces running from station to station. If you think Black Friday in The States is crazy, you'd have some major competition with these little folks.

At the end of The Feria we asked them to hold up their goodie bags. Black bags full of toys, clothes, and food were held above every one's heads. This picture doesn't do justice of portraying what a success and blessing Friday was for the kids!

Saturday We once again hauled things up the hill but instead of going to the school we went to the construction site of our new center. We invited the families of all the kids to come there on Saturday for a couple reason. 1) The parents participated in their own feria of food and adult sized/baby sized clothing. 2) We wanted to introduce them to the new center and share with them our plans. What we didn't realize was how seeing all the families there at the center would help our vision click in our minds.

Our Vision:  Taquiña is the name of the region we are reaching. It is actually a beer factory set up on the north side of the city, pretty far up a hill into the mountains but they use that name as the reference point. There is a community of people who live there and the children's school is located within walking distance.
In the coming year our team is doing some major changes to help reach out to Taquiña's teenagers, adults, and families. Starting a women's ministry, Bible studies, and other outreaches we are hoping not only to help these people with their physical needs but also their spiritual needs too!
Please Pray
That we would have far more than just a humanitarian effect on these people's lives!

Something about this city.

Last weekend I put on my tourist pants for the first time. I went right ahead and shot for a real touristy day!
The most famous thing about this city is The Cristo de la Concordia, without a doubt. This is the largest statue of Christ (Yes, larger than the one in Rio) in the world. Towering over this city you can see The Cristo from any location in Cochabamba. It is nice and symbolic to think that Jesus Christ is watching over this city or that it is especially blessed because of the statue but that's all rubbish.
    For the first time in my months of being here I saw it up close and personal last Saturday! We rode a cable car/ski lift sort of thing to the top of the hill and there it was. Wow. I've seen many pictures of this statue but standing at the feet is something pictures can't do justice of. We even got a chance to walk inside the statue (10 stories of the 12) and look out at the city of Cochabamba. And that is where my story for today starts....

This is Cochabamba, Bolivia everybody! Beautiful, no? When I stood there looking out on this city my heart was so stirred. I didn't feel like a tourist at all, like I had planned for the day. Immediately this verse came to my mind;

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed." Luke 4:18
  Before coming here I studied this verse with International Teams. Many times you will find in the Bible the emphasis on poor, slave, blind, oppressed (Isaiah 61:1, 35:3-6, 42:7, Luke 7:22). The Bible repeats a calling to bring them the gospel, the hope of forgiveness, food, and freedom, both spiritually and physically. The Lord has put such a strong desire on my heart to serve Him here. This city is full of people who are spiritually oppressed, physically poor, and mentally captive to false preaching and idolatry.

    So as I stood up there under the feet of one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world I was not phased at all. What I was moved by was the site of this breath taking city I was looking out on. A city that I have been brought to for a purpose. I could have gone anywhere but Christ brought me here. I know more and more each day that there is a purpose for me and my life here.

Please Pray that God would continue to show me His plan for me here.
That he would open even more doors for evangelizing and relationship building.
Most importantly, pray that God would do great things in this city and that He would soften their hearts to receive Him!