- The boys--though my moments with them were much too few, I still consider each day with them a gift from God. In their presence I was constantly being grounded, remembering what things were important in life. My perspectives as a middle-class American easily paints a skewed reality which these children (whose outlook on life can teach us adults quite a few things about life) shatter in the way that they live their lives. They were always so present in what they did. Marble games, play-fighting with eachother, drawing pictures, doing homework... And so unafraid to let that activity be it for that moment. There was no agenda to do more, be more. They were simply content in being a child.
- Living with my host family--I learned so much about the Bolivian culture and way of life through my host family. They taught me about the traditional foods Bolivians ate, common Spanish phrases specific to Bolivia, the political climate, and a bit about their educational system. They brought me to all their family functions: several big lunches with the aunts and uncles and an engagement dinner between Angie and her fiance. I especially loved getting to drive to work and back with Giovanna who would tell me a lot about her role as the Special Education teacher with BSCP and the joys and challenges in working with the children.
- The natural beauty of La Paz--Being at the "bottom of the bowl", you're constantly surrounded by mountainous formations on either side of you. It's winter in La Paz, yet skies were clear blue almost every single day I was there. The night I got to go to El Alto with a group of other BSCPers we got to see amazing views of the city on our drive back down. A bowl of jewels. I don't think there's anywhere else in the world you could see such a sight.
- Working for an organization like BSCP--Of course every organization has its flaws. Working on developing the volunteer program was a lot of fun because it gave me exposure to all parts of the organization from interacting with the kids living in the homes, interviewing the staff in the academic and street outreach programs, picking the brain of the executive director and her vision for organization, and surveying past volunteers about their own experiences. I learned a lot of things that BSCP is doing well in, but also many, many areas to improve. Yet, what I enjoyed most about working with BSCP was that the organization is comprised of a group of individuals who are united by their desire to serve children in great need. And though there are many things to sort out, the heartbeat of the organization are the thirty or so children living in one of the three BSCP homes.
There were several challenges that I encountered while being away, two of which I already mentioned in a prior post.
- Being away from family and friends--this was especially difficult in the first week or two. Even though I stayed with such a sweet family, it reminded me at times of wanting to be with my own family. These thoughts would always remind me of the boys and how many of them did not even have a family, or if they did, one that that was not broken by abuse or neglect. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful family. Even though we've been through so much, as individuals and as a whole, there's still a sense of stability and commitment. Can you imagine your life without people to call family? That's what thousands of children here in Bolivia have, and over 150 million worldwide. And so this quickly humbled me and reminded me that four weeks would not be too long. I was thankful to have people to miss.
- The barrier of language--Language is a beautiful thing and quite fascinating to say the least. In Bolivia alone there are three dominant languages. There's Spanish, but there are also a large percentage of indigenous people who speak Aymara and Quechua. Although I'm thankful for the little Spanish I did know, which helped me manuever simple situations like getting from one part of the city to another in a taxi or ordering a menu item, I quickly found myself running into a wall when it came to personal connection with the people around me. This was painful. I really wanted to get to know my co-workers better and learn about their stories and what they did more specifically with BSCP. Or I went to a church every Sunday and was really yearning to learn, but could only capture thoughts here and there. Or just the general sense of independence that is taken away when you have to rely on another person to translate. However, through this, I understand better the challenges of being a foreigner. Even though Bolivians welcome foreigners, there are certain things you feel by simply being in a new country, but might not be comfortable expressing or might not have any easy way to address. I also think I came away with a better comprehension of Spanish, since I found myself prying to understand as much as I could at my family's dinner conversations or background office chatter.
- Suffering everywhere--Even though La Paz sees less street children than in years prior, poverty amongst the children and adults in La Paz is still very visible. One of the volunteers, Camila, speculated "What if it's just our American eyes that sees these things and feels bad, but for these people, perhaps it's just normal life?" True. I can see her point. There could be people living in poverty who are happier than many adults living in luxury in the developed world. So how do we measure poverty? Is it someone who has to sell fruits and vegetables everyday? Is it someone who works more than 14 hours a day? Or is it someone who makes a certain amount of money? BUT, at the same time I don't think it's safe either to over-relativize (is that a word?) the situation. People are living in poverty because they can't send their children to school because they need to help make money, parents don't have enough time to spend at home to be a parent because they are working all day, because they have to sell their bodies in order to make a meager amount of money, because they are so frustrated with life they release anger onto their spouses and children, those whom they love. These realities make the situation of poverty in Bolivia much more clear and real.
I learned so much these past few weeks. About children, about my passions, about working in a foreign country, about finding ways to relate to people outside of language, about trusting God, and about how caring for people involves so much more than understanding one aspect of a person's being. I see clearly now how when you care for an individual, you have to address the physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, environmental, financial , and other -ials to truly understand what is happening. And I think that's what BSCP does well--they provide food and medical care, but also a family to be loved by, a place to live and call home, therapy activities, opportunities to go on trips and outings, opportunities to pursue faith, and education. When you look at the younger ones who have only lived in the homes for a few weeks versus the older ones who have been there for a few years, you see a difference--it's so evident. Real children's lives are being changed.
I could go on and on, but I'll save the rest for personal conversations if you'd like to know more. Thank you everyone for your encouragement, excitement, financial gifts, friendship, and for journeying with me by reading this blog. It was truly a life-learning and life-changing experience and I'm so glad I got to share it with you all.
I'm going to officially end this blog with a few pictures I took from the airplane on my way back home. I love the window seat!
