Changes Ahead

In my last post I alluded to big changes that will be happening for me in the next couple of months. Well, here's the news...

The last 2 ½ years, I have been living in La Paz. La Paz sits in a bowl and boasts a population of about 1.5 million people. It’s sister city, El Alto, sits on the rim of the bowl and has a similar population of 1.5 million people.

During my first year at HIS, I met a family (The Bakers) who worked in El Alto; their son was in my 5^th grade class. They began to share a little bit with me about their lives and the work they are involved in. The Bakers moved to Bolivia 12 years ago with a ministry called “Word Made Flesh” (WMF). Word Made was founded in 1991, as a non-profit organization existing to serve among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. WMF has since established communities in 12 nations. When the Bakers initially moved to Bolivia, they began to scout the area, to pray and to ask, “What is the need here?” What they found was an active Red Light District in El Alto. Despite the fact that prostitution is illegal in Bolivia, the practice continues to flourish, with government support and even encouragement. The Bakers saw women enslaved in prostitution and they caught God’s heart for these women, despised and rejected by so many, yet loved deeply by their Father.

I believe that we, in Western society often have a skewed view of those in the sex trade. We think, “Why would someone get involved in that? Can’t they get a job anywhere else? Why don’t they just leave?” Here is an expert from the WFM Bolivia website that may broaden our perspective a bit.

“We understand that when a woman feels there is no other option, she may turn to the streets. Maybe hungry tummies await her at home or debts crowd heavy around her. Maybe he beats her viciously and she’s inconceivably trapped. Most likely someone wounded her long ago, and under desperate circumstances, she considers the unthinkable. Over time she withers away, hating what she does, yet unable to see any other way out.”

The WMF community in El Alto accompanies such women during their journey, sharing the hope we have in Christ along the way. And, when the opportunity presents itself, WFM accompanies the woman in leaving a life enslaved in the sex trade and supports her in finding a different life, a different job, and a different hope.

Since 2012, WMF Bolivia has grown from two individuals to 12 staff members and numerous volunteers. Since I learned of WMF in 2013, I found their ministry to be very powerful and wondered if it might be something I would like to be a part of in the future. However, as I thought and prayed about it, God made it very clear I was to stay at HIS. The door to WMF seemed sealed shut, which surprised me. Last fall, I was in the midst of praying about what was next: Should I commit to another year at HIS? Should I return to the States? Through times of prayer I felt impressed to email Andrea Baker and inquire a bit more about Word Made Flesh. Within a week, Andrea and I met up for coffee. As we shared our hearts and I learned more about the ministry, I felt a tremendous sense of peace. This peace has remained and I as I have pursued the Lord’s leading, I have decided to do an internship with WMF beginning in August of 2016. God’s leading has been so clear and this makes me very excited!

HIS will dismiss in early June. Language school (required to join WMF) will start June 20th in Cochabamba, a large city 550 kilometers east of La Paz.  I will have a couple of weeks in La Paz to pack up my apartment and debrief a little before transitioning to language school; this will be the first summer I not be returning to the States for summer break. The school is a full immersion school and will last for 7 weeks; during this time I will live with a Bolivian family. I am beyond excited at an opportunity to study Spanish for 7 weeks and for this to be my main responsibility! I have long wanted such an opportunity and though my Spanish has grown little by little, I have found it difficult to truly immerse myself while working at an English speaking school and trying to balance other responsibilities and opportunities.  After language school, I will begin the internship; it will last approximately 4 months. At this time I will move to an apartment in El Alto with either a host family or fellow staff member (please pray for guidance in this decision). At the end of the internship, I’m not certain what the Lord will have next for me. It is a possibility to join WMF staff or to return to the States or maybe He has something completely different planned!

During my time with HIS, I received a small stipend from the school that covers room and board. With WMF, I will be completely on support. As the time nears, I may need to do a bit more support raising. As I discover more in the next few weeks, I will be able to share more details.

If you would like to learn more about WMF, please check out their website, http://wordmadeflesh.org/bolivia/ and please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. I will keep you updated as things unfold and I would like to ask for your prayers. This is a very exciting time, but it is also a time of transition, saying goodbye to precious people and places in La Paz, and learning to trust God in ways I never have before.

Prayer Points:

• Finishing the next 6 weeks strong at HIS
• Grace to say goodbye to dear friends who will be leaving Bolivia
• Grace to transition to a "new life" here in Bolivia
• Wisdom about where to live during my internship
• To find great community in this new season
• Emotional stability within all the changes

God's constant reminder to me:

" 'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord who has compassion on you." 

Isaiah 54:10

A TRUE Update

Many of my recent blog posts (can you say "recent" when they are few and far in between?); okay, let’s rephrase that, most of my blog posts over the past year have been less updates and more of a devotional nature. That type of writing comes more naturally to my reflective personality. However, a lot has happened this year and I want to keep you updated!

As the end of the school year approaches, I find myself thinking about the beginning of the school. This year was different than any other; I switched grades, my best friend and roommate moved away, I changed churches and took on some new roles at the school. If I could summarize the beginning of the year with one word it might be: “hard”. In the hardness I grew. Without a “best friend” here I learned more of how to rely on God and get close to people I might not have otherwise. I learned that God is my biggest fan, my best confidante, my provider and that He has good things stored up for me, even if they look different than what I thought.

I started this year with fifteen students and still I have fifteen students, however some of the faces have changed. Two of my students moved to a different school and shortly after they left, I gained two new students who had just moved to Bolivia. Our class now represents five different nations: Korea, Spain, Italy, Bolivia and the US-pretty cool! It has been a complete joy to teach these students; they are hungry to learn and are highly motivated and capable. They very much feel like my “babies” and it will be hard to let them go in just seven short weeks. I am trying to soak up the moments with them.

Aren't they precious?!

In the same way, I am trying to soak up moments with my co-workers. This year has been very special in the way that our upper elementary team has formed a very unique and beautiful bond. I have never experienced such a community with a teaching team before and it has been incredible and in some ways, life changing, as I see how a community of imperfect people can work together to encourage, challenge and support one another while striving to walk out life to the glory of God. In some ways I have been more real and vulnerable with these people than I have ever been before.  Learning that they still love me, even after they know of my weaknesses and failures, has been transforming and has taught me more about the heart of our Father. 

We like each other so much we even hang out outside of school!

Spirit Day-can't remember what the theme was!

Our school has undergone many changes this year. Our facility has grown and improved; we have new offices and meeting rooms, an actual soccer field and a new outdoor basketball court.  We will soon be experiencing staff changes; twelve of our staff members have decided not to return next year. In an international school where the commitment is a minimum of two years, turnover is extremely common, however even in this climate, twelve teacher positions to fill is a lot! God is faithful and we trust Him to fill these places with the right people. Currently we have six of the twelve positions filled. Our school has also been experiencing financial difficulty; we are in a lot of debt and through different fines and fees the government makes it increasingly difficult for us to function here. We have also been dealing with some issues that have surfaced among staff members and are praying for wisdom to handle these things in a Christ like way. We desperately need prayer to continue walking out the vision we believe God has called us to as a school and to continue to minister to families and students in La Paz.

Over our recent spring break, I had some visitors. My dad, mom and sister were able to visit Bolivia! It was huge for them to be able to come and meant so much to me that they were able to see my life here. Our time together was bathed in prayer and I truly felt those prayers; I believe my family left with a greater understanding of why I am here and with a greater peace about entrusting me to God while I’m here. They also fell in love with the chaotic beauty and intricacy that is Bolivia. We were able to spend time at my school  (my mom and sister helped in my class and my dad taught the highschoolers), at the Word Made Flesh Ministry Center-a ministry to women and children affected by prostitution (we spent time at the ministry center and spent an afternoon in the home of the directors) and made a short trip to Lake Titicaca (the World’s highest navigable lake). We spent many evenings sharing a meal with dear friends here and my Dad even got to golf the World’s highest golf course. I was so proud of my family’s willingness to go anywhere, eat anything, do everything! To say they were tired after ten days is probably an understatement, but I would say they didn’t regret any bit of it, and returned home with a little bit of Bolivia in their hearts (and in their bellies-Bolivia bacteria bites!).

With a fun mural depicting La Paz

Beautiful day to golf!

With Andy and Andrea, the directors of Word Made Flesh

Getting to know my kiddos

Worlds collide! My family with my class.

Some fun playground pics!

Geltato with some great friends!

So, there you have it. No funny anecdotes or clever stories, but life as it is. I will leave you with one teaser, however. Within a short two months there are BIG changes coming up for me! Can’t wait to fill you in, but I think this post is already long enough. J So, stay tuned, I will post something within the week. (And yes, I REALLY will, because it’s actually already written). J

Be blessed, my friends, and thank you for reading and staying abreast of my life!

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the Earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."

Psalm 46:1-3