Getting to know this every day life.

 

Due to popular requests, this week I will be sharing lots of pictures and introducing you to my home life here in Bolivia!
 

The Family
I am with a great family! When I first came here it was really a struggle to get close to them with the language barrier. I couldn't joke around and be myself, I spent a lot of time silent while the family interacted. For anyone who knows me, that was a difficult task. Not being able to connect made me miss my family even more but through prayer and a lot of hard work with the language I am slowly starting to form relationships with each and every one in a different way and
I love it!

 

David & Toty (María Antonieta)

These are my "parents" for the year. They are so sweet and caring. They are always coming into my room wanting to clean things for me, making sure I've had enough to eat, and giving me safety tips in the big city. The best thing about meeting this couple is their incredible faith and willingness to serve Christ. They are always ready to pray with people and show support in any way possible. Toty works at The Center, teaching her own class. David is the assistant pastor of our church, the work force behind building our New Center, and a volunteer for just about anything someone would need help with.





Joana & Shari

My "Sisters"! Shari is the oldest and is very busy working long days, every day as a lawyer in the city. I don't spend much time with her but when I do she is always making everyone smile and laugh. Joana is the Center director and the most hard working person I've met. She cooks meals for the family every day, cleans, arranges everything for The Center, teaches in The Center, prepares meal plans for the children, sings on the worship team in our church, and is always there to lend an ear or try to learn more about me. I started talking to her through email months before I came as she prayed with me through every step of me getting here. Now that I am here I feel very blessed to know her.

 

 Jorge & Isaac
Jorge is a couple years older than me, studying English at a university in Cochabamba. Isaac is a couple years younger, just beginning high school like my little sister in The States. The boys are always blaring music, playing their guitars, kicking the fútbol (soccer ball) around the house, or watching movies. These two were the hardest to connect with because they have a lot of missionaries in and out of there house. The boys are so hospitable and nice but somewhere lost in translation was me trying to tell them I actually wanted to be their friend. Over the past month through playing soccer and watching movies we've slowly started to develop friendships and maybe somewhere down the road I'll be able to call them my second set of "Brothers".

And now for the house!

I am living in a beautiful home on the North side on Cochabamba. Set up on the hill towards the mountains you can see the entire city from our house. It's just a short walk from a main road but in a nice, safe neighborhood. There are frequently guests, Bible studies, and the hustle bustle of every one's lives making this house feel very much like my own home.

The dining room table. Where we spend quite a lot of our
time together over tea and bread.

Living room/dining room.



Kitchen!



My lovely bedroom. So thankful! It's all more than I could ask for!



Hope ((Esperanza))

I do not have much to update everyone from this past week. There was no school because it is Holiday week, in celebration of Cochabamba. No school meant no Center. Crazy how disappointing it was not not see the kids for a week! (Christmas break is going to kill me!)

Instead I spent the week running errands for my Visa process, attempting to further my Spanish, and for a while in there, laying in bed very sick. For anyone who is worried; I am fine! I may have just eaten some bad food or maybe my body was just not adjusting to the culture change. Either way it was extremely miserable and painful. I'm feeling much better though, with only a little pain left. Thank you for your prayers!

While removed from the joy of the kids and faced with the challenge of many things I am finding it very easy to be frustrated. In fact yesterday, downtown, I felt frustration towards random people I brushed shoulders with at the market, or the person next to me in the Trufi for sitting too close. People I'd never met I was almost angry with.
What?! Ridiculous, Shelby.
As I was reading The Bible this week I read a verse that really made me put things in perspective;

"And not only this but we exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Romans 5:3-5
Tribulation -- Perseverance-- Character-- Hope!

It's a test.
The easy choice is to get down, to get frustrated, and to take that frustration into a negative attitude towards everything. But where does that get us?
The tough choice is exulting. To thank God for the hardship we've been given. To allow Him to create perseverance and proven character in us through those tribulations. That, that is our hope.

Exult: To show or feel a lively or triumphant joy; rejoice exceedingly; be highly elated or jubilant.

As I work through exulting in The Lord in hard times and frustration, I hope this helps anyone else who is dealing with the same. Have a great week everyone!

Meet the kids!

 

As promised this week I am going to share with everyone a bit about my actual work here, my daily routine, and the smiling faces I am blessed with every day.
The Center & The Work      The kids are at school in the mornings and the family I am staying with spends the morning doing all sorts of things (cleaning, cooking, shopping, running errands). With that my duties usually involve helping prepare food for the children in the afternoon. We eat, everyone together as a family, and after lunch my host mom, my host sister, my host father, and I all pack up for The Center!
   We take two Trufies (best described as a Bolivian Taxi) to The Center and when we arrive we are immediately surrounded by little children hugging and smiling at us saying "Hola Profe". There are six different classrooms ranging from 1st-5th grade. I am in one of the two 2nd grade classrooms with another American missionary, Katie. While Katie teaches and works through the class' homework as a group I am sent a different child that needs individual attention, one at a time. As they take turns coming to me I work with everyone on something they need help on specifically. Most of them slowly sound out the pages of the now very familiar books and go through flashcards of multiplication. If they get their homework done and are behaving well they are often rewarded with recess time outside to run around and play. Always so happy and joyful!
   But my favorite time of the day with the children is "snack time" when they all quiet down in their seats, eat their treat, and listen as Katie reads them Bible stories. So encouraging to see their little hands shoot up when questions are asked and their eyes become so attentive as they learn of "Jesus Cristo" and His life on earth. They really get it! It surprised me to see how much they soak in those stories and those words!


((A big shot of the center, classrooms on either side and a big playing area in the middle!))



     I love getting to know the different kids and slowly their different stories. The language is hard to completely connect with them but little by little we're becoming closer. The Center and the families and people who put time into it are so hard working! There is little reward for them but there is a huge gain for the children! Some of the kids are repeating grades for their 2nd or 3rd time. Many do not have help at home because not even their parents can read to give them assistants.
   As I talked to some of the little girls in my class they told me, as they joined arms around each other and hugged, that they all live together. I asked if they were sisters, makes sense right? No, I soon learned that they live together during the school sessions because most of them live too far in the mountains to attend school and must "bunk" with others in order to go to school. We are talking 7 year old kids living away from home just for an education that they are struggling to maintain! And with that information I realized how important the work here really is.

The kids

As the weeks go on I will probably spend a whole blog focusing on a different child but today here's little introduction!




Little Norma This little gal is as smiley and mischievous as they get. She is usually trying to tell jokes or pull jokes on me but they don't quite make sense in translation to me so I try to laugh and act as if she really got me. When she gets started laughing there's really no stopping her. She will giggle in her seat without anyone knowing for the longest tine until we notice her paper is still blank and she is far behind the others on the current activity.. She has a hard time staying focused on her work because she is usually pulling pranks and laughing with other kids in the class.

JhoselineThis young lady is a firecracker! Whether it's retaliating for the boys pulling on her long ponytail or just plain rough housing she is always running around with the boys chasing them from here to there. She has the warmest little hug behind her "tough girl" attitude. When she smiles you can see that there is so much love behind her eyes of hurt. Watching her intently count her fingers to find the answer to a multiplication or stutter through a tough word in a book she always tries her hardest when working with me!

Nicole, Jovana, y NatalieThese girls are inseparable! All three are very hardworking on their studies. When they open their books they show a true desire to learn and become better. When we open The Bible they pay perfect attention! They rarely get called out and if they do it's usually because they are reading ahead to a different story in The Bible they share or trying to help each other out on a question they don't know. Other than their over-achievement the girls are quiet and hard working. Though they struggle through their homework every day they do it joyfully, no complaints, day after day.

HernanHe is as quiet and sweet as it gets. In the two weeks I've been here he has never made a scene but usually minds his own business, hangs out in his own world, and flashes a smile & eyes ready to work when asked. Quietly standing beside me as we play, sneaking a hug in, or trying to help the other kids with their work he is a breath of fresh air to all he is present with.

 

 

 

This is Cristian!

He is always goofing around, screaming and making a loud commotion in class. I usually catch him dancing and singing happily as he moves his way around the classroom, snooping on every one's work. When he sees me walk into class he usually yells out "PROFE SHELVY" (They call all the teachers 'Profe' for professor and they all have a hard time pronouncing Shelby). He is wild and active, not wanting to focus much on his homework but the minute we sit down he straightens up and does his work very diligently. I missed a day at the center because of an appointment in the city and when I returned the next day I got quite a lot of Spanish words thrown at me in a loud voice. Too fast for me to understand what he was saying, another teacher told me he was saying, WHERE WERE YOU YESTERDAY? DID YOU FORGET ABOUT ME? And every time I left the room that day he would yell DON'T FORGET ME AGAIN!

And this is Jose Felix!!!This little boy has already won me over. I look forward to our time together every day yet dread it all at the same time. He is a bundle of all kinds of emotions and surprises. When I walk into class he hardly looks up but still yells "SHELVY". From across the classroom he glares at me with an evil little look but within seconds is fighting a grin which just causes his infectious giggle to burst through as he quickly turns away. He reminds me a lot of myself; not sure how to show his emotions so it just comes out as mix of all kinds of vibes! And for that, I can't help but love him!
He has a hard time separating his words when he writes. A sentence of 9 words quickly is written as 2 words of mumble jumble. When we work together we both get frustrated but the minute it's play time he is back to being the biggest sweetheart, leaning his head on my shoulder or tickling me and running away. Often times playing with my hair or staring at my strange, blue eyes he refers to me as Gringa. The challenge and joy of being around Jose Felix has been a huge blessing to me!

  All of these faces are what I wake up thinking about. I lay in bed wondering how their night was, how school is treating them today, and what kind of experiences I'm going to have with them in the coming afternoon! They are a true example of joy and love! No matter their situation, each and every one shows extreme love to me. It encourages me to show that love to everyone I am meeting. 
PLEASE PRAY.... for them! Pray for their lives, their home lives, their education, and most importantly their tender hearts. Pray that the stories we are sharing with them would stay in their hearts and minds throughout their lives. That true salvation would be brought to them and their families.

"Confidencia en Dios"

Culture shock: Sudden exposure to a different culture.

Confusion: Lack of clearness and distinction in everything.

   Many warned me before I came of "culture shock" and I was completely aware that I would struggle with that but what I am experiencing here is quite a surprise. I'm not "freaked out" or shocked by this culture, I am merely confused. I am grateful for my Spanish because I am able to communicate fairly well but I am in a constant state of unsureness. I am unsure of the question I was just asked, unsure if my verb tense is correct when I speak, and usually unsure as to what the plans are for the next 5 minutes. Honestly, I really enjoy knowing the game plan, making a set schedule, being exactly on time, and knowing what is going down! Well, I definitely don't have any of that control now.

 

I have found myself stressed, disappointed, and overwhelmed with things like this: 

• Being unable to charge my laptop (therefore unable to skype with my family for a year).
• Overwhelmed by the process of applying for a Bolivian Visa. So much paperwork to do, copies to make, and errands to run in a strange, large city.
   
• Itching with the desire to speak English to an American who can relate to me. There are a few who can speak English here but not many can relate to what exactly is going on in my head at the moment.
• The inability to be my myself because of the language. I don't know how to be funny or how to joke around when using Spanish.
  
  And many more little things.

 

One afternoon as we walked outside to catch a Trufi (Bolivian Taxi) my host father said to me
"No se triste, confidencia en Dios." ((Don't be sad, Confidence in God.))

  

   At that point my whole out look changed on this adventure! Of course I have known God is in control and I trust Him but I haven't completely put all my worries on Him. Ever. In all my life I have always put confidence in myself. But for some reason those words in Spanish hit me and changed everything.
Since then I have put all my confidence in God. In the littlest things I pray and trust. God has been taking care of me perfectly and will continue to do so if I trust in Him.

"For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught."
Proverbs 3:26

   So instead of filling myself with worry and putting all the stress on my own shoulders I've been choosing to be joyful and to loosen the grasp of control I was trying to have on my every little thing and let God have total control. Ever since, I have found so much happiness in the new experiences and new culture I am submerged in.  Here are some photos of the new culture!

 

The view outside my bedroom window.
A constant reminder of how beauitfully made every little thing is.

A normal street corner in the heart of Cochabamba.
Don't ask me the names of these streets, I'm doing terrible at remembering!

A few venders at 'La Cancha' the market where we find everything we could possibly need to buy! My favorite part of this culture so far.

A tradtional, Bolivian scene. So cool.

A concert on the street on Sunday. It was a pedestrain day where no automobiles were allowed anywhere and everyone walked/biked into the city together.

My host mom, host sister, and I on pedestrian day in the city.

Our home. (Poor shot but so beautiful!)


   With a constant focus of Confidencia en Dios, God has answered every prayer.
I found a way to plug my laptop in and charge it (therefore skyping with my family!!!).
I met Bolivian missionaries from Michigan who just went through all the same culture changes just a few months ago and loved to talk.
I met some of my new church family and was suprisingly very good at my Spanish communication that night; had a great time.
And today I started the proccess of applying for my Visa and with God's control it will be a simple task.

Please pray that God would help me loosen my grip of the steering wheel of my life and that I would give it all over to Him with confidence.

Next I will post pictures and update on The Center and the children!
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