Reflections

So it's been a little over a week since I've been back in the States so the shock of being back in America has subsided. While it's good to be back home, there are many things I will miss about being in Bolivia--here are a few:

• 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!

Pictures Galore (Part Two)

This is a saltena, a type of Bolivian empenada. It is usually filled with meat, this one with chicken and potatoes with a yummy savory sauce. The crust, as you see here, is absolutely delicious. I'd say it's almost like a hot pocket or chicken pot pie. But way tastier.

Scenes from a popular marketplace called El Centro.

On my last day in the office, a few of my co-workers took me out for a special goodbye lunch. In the top picture, that's me with Noemi, the Office Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator. We became good friends because she spoke some English and really wanted to practice with me. In the next picture, Moises, the Finance and Administrative Director, and Pato, the Street Outreach Coordinator. Pato is also a youth pastor. He loves these kids so much, he has such a natural way with them. In the third picture, Pato is pictured with Nancy, our Social Worker.

The final picture is a Bolivian dish called Pique Macho. French fries covered with hot dogs, beef, red onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Mmmm....tasty.

This is a picture of Casa Renacer, the transition home for the boys. About 10 boys live here at any given time, those recently transitioning from the streets, but in the afternoons all the boys (including those in the permanent homes) come together for the academic program. In this picture ChiChi, the house dad at Casa Rencaer is throwing marbles for the boys to catch to play this game where they each have a marble and flick their opponents with their own...I actually never had a chance to figure out the rules of the game, but it looked a little like a mix golf and bocce ball. It was precious to see these boys find such joy playing with marbles on a small square of dirt. It seems like nowadays kids need videogames or the tv to be occupied.

This is Camila, a Bolivian-American volunteer working on an art project with the kids. A, the little boy in red, drew a monster from his favorite book, "Where the Monsters Live". The kids love to draw and take such pride in them when they are finished. Look at that smile on A's face!

This is Erick, one of the academic tutors who works with the youngest group of boys every Monday-Thursday. The kids love Erick. I had the opportunity to teach his class numbers in English from 1 to 100. It was sooooo much fun!!

These are the youngest group of boys with BSCP, most of them living in Casa Renacer. I love this picture--I think it could be named "Brotherhood."

This is W. He was the one I mentioned a while back who had asked my host mom if he could call her mom, a few weeks after he started at Casa Renacer. He is one of the smallest ones in the program. W also loves to draw.

These are the oldest boys in the program and their tutor, Javier. The staff at BSCP have been so encouraged because they're seeing that as the first cohort of kids at BSCP have grown older (this is still a relatively young organization) they have been taking the initiative to act as mentors to the younger, newer kids. BSCP is currently in the process of gathering support and program planning to launch a project that will help the older kids transition out of the home to dorm-style housing where they will learn to live more independently and have the opportunity to learn skills that will make them more competitive in the labor force.

This was a group picture I took with some of the boys on my last day in Bolivia. They completely

surprised me by pulling me out into the courtyard and praying for me before I left. It was in Spanish, so I didn't understand a lot of it, but it was still one of the most special and precious things I could have ever left with. Two of the little ones gave me their pictures they had drawn that day. I love homedrawn kid pictures! I was so shocked by the immense love these children showed me. I know for myself, I had grown to love these kids so much in simply watching them intently draw a picture of Spiderman or write the number sixty-six in English or play their marble game or say Hi to me in English pronounced like the word "how." So really, it felt backwards for these boys to leave me with such a special goodbye.

These are a few of my highlights from the past four weeks in La Paz. I hope you all enjoyed! I will be posting once more to share some final reflections on my trip. Stay tuned... =)

Pictures Galore (Part One)

Here we go everyone, the pictures I've been promising for four weeks now! I hope you enjoy!

Views of La Paz from above. La Paz is located in the bottom of the bowl of a mountainous valley at over 12,000 ft. elevation. It's amazing to drive down these roads and be surrounded by mountains on both sides. My favorite view of the city were actually at night when all the city lights came on, making it look like a bowl of jewels. Absolutely gorgeous.

Host Mom, Giovanna, and Little Diego (with Friend of Giovanna's newborn)

Giovanna and her family were such a welcoming family. There were six of them: Giovanna and Jorge, Angie (25), Sergio (22), Stephanie (16), and Diego (4). I will miss my many meals with them and riding to work with Giovanna everyday. One of my first days in country, they asked me what I liked to eat. I said pretty much anything, I just have to be careful with milk. They were so eager to buy me soymilk once they found out I was lactose intolerant. Bolivian soymilk is so good.

This is the infamous Diego, whom I love. He charmed me from the beginning, although it took some work for him to warm up to me. I think he was puzzled that I spoke this mysterious "English" language. =) Diego looooved to sing "Abre Mis Ojos, O Cristo" (Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord). I think he probably sang that song at least 50 times while I was there. I don't think I'll ever hear this song and not think of Diego. This middle picture is a picture he drew of me one Sunday in church. See the resemblance??

This is little Melissa, the 1 year old baby of my host family's housekeeper. It's not uncommon for the middle class families of Bolivia to have a housekeeper live in the home. Melissa was always so full of joy, smiling and laughing at every little thing. She loved to wander into my room and bring me random items from the other rooms. Melissa is still learning to walk, so she's a little wobbly--this is her holding the edge of my bed.

Like I mentioned a few posts back, I had the opportunity to go on a 3-day backpacking trip through the mountains and jungles of Bolivia, about a 4 hour bus ride from La Paz. This was one of the most physically challenging activities I have participated in my whole life. Steep uphills and downhills, uneven trails, altitude, freezing cold first night, 20lb backpack, little water...but it was all worth it. The views were amazing as you can see above. I did feel like I could have been in New Zealand.

part two is on its way...

I'm Back Home

I'm back home safely. Thank you everyone for your emails and phone calls, I'm sorry I haven't been better about getting back to you. Things have been a bit crazy since being back, but I do want to let you all know again that I appreciate you all so much and will get back to you soon. I'm grateful to have journeyed these past five weeks with you all. Thank you for listening, reading, caring, asking, praying.

A more formal update to come soon with pictures and more thoughts on my four-and-a-half weeks of life in La Paz.

Flashback to Age Six

So Saturday night I had the opportunity to go to a dinner/culture show as a special thank you from the organization for some of the BSCP staff. It was such a nice way to spend my last weekend in Bolivia--authentic Bolivian dishes, amazing music, and beautiful cultural dances from various parts of Bolivia.

During one of the dances, the two women and two men came off the stage and started to survey the audience. Oh NO. They´re picking people to dance on stage! I started talking to one of my co-workers and say how funny it´d be if they came to our table (but of course pick someone else other than me). Right as I said that, a guy comes from behind and pulls me on stage. Suddenly, I flash back to childhood. I think I must have been six years old, my family and I were at Marine World watching the whale show. It must have been the intermission when a clown came out and started to perform these tricks. Then, as part of one of his acts, he pulled out an unsuspecting little girl to be his guinea pig. Me. Course I´m still shy now, but at that age, I was horribly shy. Anyways, that experience traumatized me because 1. He was a clown 2. I was forced on stage in front of a huge crowd of people 3. Everyone was laughing at his tricks, but basically I was the butt of those tricks so, as a six year old you can´t help but feel like everyone was laughing at you.

Flashback to La Paz, Bolivia, July 2008. If any of you know me well, you know I can´t dance, as much as I would love to know how. Especially latin-style dance. Anyways, I´ll spare you all the details and let you know that it was one of the most embarrassing things I´ve done in a while, and yet, it was SO much fun. It was a neat reminder for me--to not take myself so seriously, to enjoy laughing with other people about my silliness, and to seize opportunities to experience new things. It is a very wonderful thing to learn to laugh at your ¨bad dancing moments.¨

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It has been such a wonderful past four and a half weeks. Tomorrow is my last full day here, and then I´m off to return to the states. I have so much more to share as I´ve been reflecting much on my time here. I plan post a few more times, so please stay tuned.

Btw, did you know there´s a website called sleepinginairports.net? Yeah! Supposedly they tell you what airports are good for sleeping in and where the good spots to sleep are...! Yup, gonna rough it in the Miami Airport on my trip home, but I´m actually kind of excited. They say on the fourth floor near the post office is the place to be. We´ll see. =)

Kung Fu and The Streets of El Alto

Every tuesday, BSCP partners with a local church located in El Alto, the poor urban area that sits at the top of the bowl of La Paz to participate in street outreach from around 10am-1am, serving the children who live and sleep on the streets. They usually bring bread and coffee, provide basic first aid, play soccer with the kids, and just spend time forming friendships. Last night I had the privilege to join this group.


On our drive up to El Alto, Chi Huang, the founder of BSCP explained to three of us from the organization that the presence and need of street children in El Alto has increased so much in recent years. The Bolivian police have taken part in an intense effort to "cleanse the streets," physically removing children from the streets in La Paz by putting them in police vehicles and dropping them off in the Jungle (a few hours drive away) or putting them in government warehouses. Police are notorious among the street children--physical, sexual, and emotional abuse are very common experiences for these children. As a result, where there used to be an estimated 3,000 street children on the streets of La Paz, remains only a spattering. Though the problem still remains as robust as ever--children just have been shuffled around the area to avoid the police. Many have migrated to other parts of the country: Sucre, Cochabamba, and many now to El Alto.


El Alto has a night life of its own--people everywhere, food stands and stores still open, lots of cheap hotels and single room occupancy buildings, buses and cars jam packed the main streets. Streets smelled like a mixture of urine, thinner, rotting food, and garbage. Those were the loud elements, the things easy to see, smell, hear. But then if you really paid attention, there were "quiet" elements on the streets that were loud in a different kind of way. Groups of children sleeping under a blanket and tarp under an overpass. Teens walking around with bloodshot eyes, a large grin, and a stagger, fresh off of inhaling thinner. A stab wound from a police man hidden under a sweater sleeve. An infected wound from a blow to the head from a fist-fight four days ago. A large scar outlining the side of a young man's face.


I think it's really tempting to sensationalize such experiences and hold it in our minds for a little while until it starts to lose its sting...and we move on with life. I'm tempted by that even today. Maybe that's a way that we protect ourselves, almost as if we just saw some movie, we absolve ourselves of responsibility, and make the world seem a little more rosy and comfortable to live in. And I think this process is subtle. Yet I don´t see the solution to this being people of misery, wallowing in what the world is that we forget what can be done. Then we risk being overwhelmed by the enormity of the issue and are crippled by the fact that no matter what we do nothing will make a difference.



So where is the balance, how do we properly hold in our mind and heart the injustice surrounding us in the world today? This is no easy question to answer (yet I would love to discuss if you have thoughts). Here are some thoughts though on how we can begin to live out of the difficult things we see and experience: I really believe that God has given us all unique passions and strengths from which to serve the world around us. For some people, this might involve working with government, law, or policy to change the structures from which societies are guided. For some people this might involve working in IT to bring technologies to areas that can be well served by accessing and storing information. For some people this might involve being the ones to physically touch the sick and provide the care that allows others to live a life outside of being sick. And for others this may involve creating photography, writing, and art that captures stories and experiences of those less fortunate to educate the world and bring injustices closer to home. The list goes on. What matters most though, is that whatever we do, we do in humility, courage, and love.


We must start small and hope big. And trust God.


On a lighter note, our group had an opportunity to talk with a group of younger men that evening. They were obviously high, slurred speech, blood-shot eyes, unsteady stance, and uninhibited speech. One of the guys, noticing I was asian, asked if I knew Kung-Fu. He kept insisting I do a demonstration for him and his friends, even though I kept telling him I didn´t know Kung-Fu. I couldn´t help but smile. Imagine me, on a street corner in Bolivia, doing Kung-Fu.


*Pictures: I have taken many since being here, but have not been able to get my hands on a card reader. When I arrive home, I promise a massive post filled with lots of pictures.

Hope everyone is well! I miss you all!

Tuesday Too

I had such a wonderful day today. After spending the morning in the office, I got to go to Casa Renacer again for the afternoon. The kids know by this point that I speak mainly english, so when they see me they say ¨hi!¨ and ¨bye!¨ all through out the day. One of the staff suggested that I spend some time with the kids teaching them some english words, and of course, I jumped at the opportunity.

The boys, ranging from ages 7-14, crowded around and asked away. How do you say... !!!

hola
ciao
amor
te amo
Patty =)
futbol (soccer)
casa
cuaderno (workbook)
madera (wood)
lapiz (pencil)
libro (book)
perro (dog)
cocina (kitchen)
naranja (orange)
computadora
...y mas!

Honestly, it´s after this moment that I became so grateful for the little Spanish I did know. Even if for this short hour I could spend time with the kids and help them learn words that maybe they´ll forget tomorrow, I still think it was worth every second. To smile and laugh with the kids. I had the best time today.

On the ride home, the BSCP special education teacher, also my host mom, told me how the boys who live at Casa Renacer ask her if they can call her mom. That was the most precious thing to hear. Mom. She´s only there three hours a day, four days a week. 12 hours. And yet this means the world to these boys. Someone who´s willing to invest 12 hours of her life teaching these boys how to read, to finish their homework, to behave...and to the boys, this ultimately translates into love.