Highs and Lows - Week One

I used to be part of a college group that would always begin with each member sharing the “high” (the best part) and the “low” (the worst part) of their week. I have compiled week one of language learning in Cochabamba into a conglomerate of highs and lows, for your reading pleasure. J

Highs

• The family I am living with is wonderful and the mom is an excellent cook. Most meals, we eat some type of meat (beef or chicken) with rice or potatoes and some type of veggie. The sauce and presentation always varies and I haven’t yet had something I didn’t like. Breakfast consists of a bread roll with butter and jam, a banana and instant coffee. Sad to say, I am actually beginning to like Nescafe (given it has enough milk and sugar). J
• The weather in Cochabamba! Though it is winter here, most days I can get away with wearing sandals and a light cardigan. They call Cocha, “La ciudad de la eternal primavera”, translated “The city of Eternal Spring”. Due in part to the tropical weather, in part to the smaller population (500,000 people) the city boasts a much more laid back feel than La Paz. Taxi drivers talk with you, people on the street say hello, palm trees and flowers line the streets and motorcycles and mopeds rule the roads.

One of the many plaza in Cochabamba

• The church I have been attending with my Bolivian family. We attend a Sunday school class before the main service. Today, the leader of the group gave me my own Bible study book and instructed me to write my name on it, IN PEN. It’s the small things that make you feel as you belong. During the main service, in addition to using a power point, the church also has a pamphlet with bullet points that allow you to follow along. This is SO great for my Spanish and allows me to better comprehend what I’m hearing. Many of the songs in the worship service are recognizable praise songs from the 90s that have been translated in Spanish. Must be the 90s youth group kid in me, but I sorta love the old school songs. J Think, “Lord, I lift your name on High” and “Celebrate, Jesus, Celebrate”.
• 3V. ‘Nuff said. “3V” is the number of the bus that will take me ANYWHERE. The World is my oyster when I get on 3V. Seriously though, this bus picks me up directly outside my front door and heads down the main avenue. It only cost 20 cents to ride. If you are picturing your typical US city bus, think again. A Grehyound ain’t got nothing on this bad boy. 3V is big, loud and old and boasts a variety of music-from Bolivian folklore to American old school rap. Typically it’s adorned in decorations or stuffed animals that appeal to the flavor of its driver. But be careful, 3V ain’t coming to no soft stop when you call out your destination. True to his appearance, he’s tough, and comes to an abrupt stop that will send you careening down the aisle if you’re not holding on to the nearest rail.
• Tea with Sandra. Occasionally, Sandra (the mom of my host family) and I will sit in the kitchen and drink tea after the family has finished their dinner. We talk about whatever and I catch about 50% of it, while she seems to think I catch about 100% of it. Sometimes this is a little problematic, like when I ask a question that she just answered.
• Google maps, Whatsapp and my iphone. Now, I know an iphone is a definite luxury, especially in certain parts of the World, but I am truly so grateful for my iphone. (THANK YOU Mom, for bringing it for me when you visited!) It allows me to stay in touch with friends and family all over the World (thank you whatsapp) and helps me navigate a new city (thank you google maps). I found many a coffee shop this past week with the assistance of good ol’ google. Technology truly can be a blessing.
• Nicknames. The dad of the family I am living with is named, “Juan Carlos”. His nickname is “Juan Qui”. Sounds like “Wonky”. I love hearing it yelled throughout the house.
• The universality of sports. A couple of days ago, Sandra and her girls were outside in their courtyard playing a causal game of volleyball. I joined them and instantly found a great way to bond with the family outside the barrier of language. Also I got to yell, “Eso!” and “Bien hecho!” a lot, which is always fun.
• Conexiones entre mundos. This means “Connections between worlds” and is the name of the language school I am attending. The school truly does provide a place for worlds to connect; it has a very peaceful, tranquil atmosphere that I felt the moment I walked in. It is located in a quaint, yellow house in a neighborhood of a main avenue. There is an inside common area and a kitchen, as well as an outside common area. There are several small offices, which function as classrooms. All the classes are conducted in a one on one setting. They are each 45 minutes long and are done entirely in Spanish. I have 4 classes a day, with breaks in between to do homework, rest or talk with other students and teachers. There are 12 teachers and currently around 15 students. The students are all different ages, from all different parts of the World, involved in all different types of ministries with one common purpose-to learn Spanish well so can better serve in the places God has called us.

Conexiones entre mundos

• Germans. I made two friends this week! On Thursday evening, I attended a Bible Study the school hosts and met two German girls, who invited me to dinner after the Bible study. After dinner we went to “Parque de la Familia” which presents a light fountain show each evening at 8:00. We made some memories getting soaked in one of the fountains. J

New friends at the fountains

• Thursday Night Bible Study. As I mentioned previously, the school hosts a weekly Bible study. It is currently lead by a retired Swiss couple who cashed in their pensions to serve in Bolivia. They are former pastors and are now learning Spanish to assist them in the 3-year commitment they have made to a people group in the jungle. I really enjoyed the teaching on Thursday and am excited to continue in this group. Did I mention it is in English? Yes, I’m allowing it to be my one English outlet. This week, after the study, we are going to learn how to make “ceviche”, a Peruvian dish of raw fish!
• Immersion. Though I have been in Bolivia for 3 years now, this experience is entirely different than any I have had. I have not spoken English with one single person today. I have observed and experienced so many cultural nuances just in the past 12 hours alone that I can’t even begin to process them all. It’s rich! It’s good.
• Discovering that Bolivia is home, too. I found out this week that Cochabamba has a Vainilla and a Factory (both local hot spots in La Paz)! When I realized that this was more exciting to me than the fact that they also have a Subway and a Burger King, I smiled. In many ways, this is home, too.
• Laundry. There is something so therapeutic about standing in the sunshine, hanging laundry on an outside line, enjoying the fresh aroma of soap in the air.
• Running in low(er) altitude. It’s still high here, around 8,000 feet, but compared to La Paz, it’s nothing. I enjoyed a GREAT run on Saturday, especially after a 6 week hiatus due a fractured (I think) toe.

Lows

• Breaking down in front of a perfect stranger for no apparent reason at all. Yeah, it happened, and it wasn’t pretty. It was day 3 of language school, I was in a class and I was feeling overwhelmed by many things. My teacher had a lot to say and was speaking quickly. She asked me to speak about a topic, practicing new vocab and grammar while doing so. I was tired from lack of sleep the night before, I didn’t completely understand what it was she wanted and suddenly I felt the tears welling. I mentally told myself to, “Get it together, Jill!” But Jill couldn’t get herself together and this became apparent with a loud snort followed by some snot and tears. Yeah, a snort. I don’t know how that happened-I think I was trying so hard to keep it in, it just came out in a crazy way. You can laugh. I am laughing too. A friend I told commented, “Sad now. Memories forever.” So true.
• Feeling alone. I’ve realized that I’ve never been overseas before without a team. This is an entirely new experience for me. I am pretty good at being alone-I can read, write, drink coffee along with the best of the introverts. But, I crave community. Especially having just left such a tight knit community. I know this is something that will come and that relationship takes time; I believe that God has great friendships for me here and will bring them in His timing. Tomorrow I’ve been invited to a 4^th of July Party at the home of a local missionary family. There will 23 adults and 24 kids in attendance. I am really grateful for a place and people to celebrate my home country with and am looking forward to making friends!
• Who let the dogs out? Jill did. Oops. The family I am living with has 3 dogs. Those of you who know me well know that I don’t exactly have a great affection for dogs, but these little perritos are actually pretty sweet. Last night, Sandra and one of the girls and I left the house to go to a birthday dinner at a pizzeria. There is a large gate that the house is enclosed behind; I was the last one out and therefore it was my job to close the gate. Well, the sneaky little dogs slipped out and TOOK OFF. I mean, they were GONE. I imagine them shouting in their heads, “Freedom!!!” or rather, “Libertad!!!” Sandra, Damiris and I took off running after them, shouting to each other in Spanish. There we were, running through a dirt field, Sandra in her 2 inch heels, Damiris, franticly asking passerbys if they had seen the dogs, and me, feeling helpless about 2 feet tall. Thank the Lord, we found them several minutes later outside the gate of the house. Oh my goodness, I was so worried we were going to lose them. Worst host daughter ever. J
•  Not understanding people. “Como?” “Perdon?” “Puede repetir por favor?” I have become well versed in these phrases. The slightest sound or distraction: a truck driving by or a kid laughing loudly, can totally throw off my comprehension as I strain intently to hear. But, it’s part of language learning and it’s okay. A smile or touch on the shoulder can transcend pretty far, too. J
•  Fear of failure. What if, after these 7 weeks, I complete language school and I still cannot speak Spanish well?

As I look through this list of highs and lows, I see that, though the depths of the lows may be greater, the number of highs far outweighs the number of lows. I am grateful for this, but I’m also grateful for the lows. We can’t have highs without lows. God is ALWAYS so present in the lows and He uses them to change and transform us in ways He couldn’t otherwise. The Lord gave me this verse this week, “…at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the ROCK into a POOL, the HARD ROCK into SPRINGS OF WATER.” Psalm 114:8 God turns hard things into things that bring life, refreshment and cleansing. Oh, the greatness of a God who does such.

What were your highs this week? What were your lows? How do you see God in the midst of them?                                                                         

Prayer Needs

•      Community
•       Friends (specifically 1 or 2 close friends)
•       Growth and confidence in Spanish comprehension and speech
•   To bond with my Bolivian family
•   To know how to be a blessing to my Bolivian family
•       A place to serve while I’m in Cochabamba

48 hours

The last 48 hours have been eventful.

After a long day of travel, I arrived to Cochabamba and was greeted by my “Bolivian Mom and Dad”. When they called during my bus ride to get my ETA I accidentally told them I was in a place that I was not. Oops! (I don’t the names of places this side of the country and the whole conversation was in Spanish). Thankfully, they were gracious about my mistake even though it meant they had to wait for me for awhile. After we left the bus station, we swung by a chicken place called “Buhos”, which means “Owls”. The logo was this big, cutesy owl. I think it was meant to be. J Despite my broken, broken Spanish I think I won Juan Carlos and Sandra over when I used a colloquialism in my speech. I commented on something and ended the sentence with “No ve?". Sort of equivalent to saying, “I know, right?” instead of , “I agree” or “That’s true”. They both said in unison, “No ve?!?” and turned around and smiled at me. At first I thought maybe it was offensive, well actually, I’m still not 100% sure that it wasn’t, but Juan Carlos relayed the story to his friends at church on Sunday, so I’m guessing it wasn’t. Thank you La Paz taxi drivers for teaching me slang. J

When we arrived home, I met Laura and Damiris, the young daughters of Juan Carlos and Sandra. We sat at the table and at fried chicken and french fries at 10:30 at night. So very Bolivian. Loved it.

On Sunday I went to church with Juan Carlos and the girls. In true Bolivian fashion, the service was relaxed and long. I admire the fervor in which this church studies the Word. I felt a little overwhelmed during the service, meeting so many new people, fighting off a headache, working to communicate and understand in Spanish. It was nice to come home and rest a bit. My family eats 3 square meals together a day and they pray before each meal. It’s a beautiful picture of family. The house consists of 2 levels; my bedroom is on the second level. Juan Carlos warned me that this is a “Bolivian house”, meaning to watch my head walking around or I might bump it on a short ceiling! Coming down to breakfast in the morning, I forgot to duck down and was rewarded with a hard smack of concrete. Probably won’t make that mistake again.

Sunday evening I went out by myself to see a friend who was visiting in Cochabamba. I felt proud that I was able to navigate meeting her and getting back home by myself. When I returned home Sandra was in the kitchen; she quickly scrambled up some eggs for me and then we sat and talked for awhile. We talked about many things, but the conversation ended with her sharing a story about how a few years back her husband was miraculously healed of kidney stones. #1-That’s awesome! #2-I understood (mostly) a conversation about kidney stones in Spanish-I consider that a WIN! J (This is not to toot my own horn, I will admittedly say here that my Spanish is terrible, that’s why this is such a win!)

As I said, the last 48 hours have been eventful and full of many emotions: excitement, fear, hope, anxiety, sadness, loneliness and joy, to name a few. Though they may seem insignificant, so many new experiences in a short time make this season feel kind of momentous to me. The verse God gave me before leaving on Saturday was this: “He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.” Isaiah 40:11.  This verse reminded me that Jesus has got me. He’s got me in His arms, close to His heart, right where I want to be, and any emotions I’m feeling can’t change that reality. I’m grateful for the encouragement of this verse and I’m grateful for experiences God brings into my life that allow me to rely more on Him. What kinds of things are you experiencing that are causing you to rely more fully on the Lord? 

Cochabamba-from the outskirts where my family lives. Those hills look kinda like Southern Idaho, no ve? :)

Unknown

As the days in the Northern hemisphere lengthen and jackets and scarfs are replaced by shorts and flip flops, those of us in the Southern hemisphere are enjoying the beginnings of winter. So, I snuggle deeper into my cozy sweater, drink a warm cup of coffee and watch the afternoon light fade to night. I’ve never been in Bolivia during the heart of the winter. And, I’ll admit, it hasn’t been easy. For the sake of my emotional stability, I think I need to stay off facebook, where pictures of camp trips, late summer nights and family barbeques, run rampant. I’m only joking. Well, sorta. J

So, yes, I miss my family, my friends, my beautiful Idaho. But. I am well. Because I know that God has called me to this season and His Presence is with me. What an awesome, yet difficult, reminder that He is truly all I need. The school year ended well with many fun events and great moments with students and families and then slowly trickled to a close as we packed up classrooms, apartments, said goodbyes and accompanied one another to the airport or to departing taxis. Since the HIS staff left, I’ve had plenty of time to spend with Bolivian friends and catch up with other ex-pats in the area. The break has also given me time to rest, reflect and pack up my apartment. Now here I sit on the cusp of something new and unknown. In just 2 days I will get on a bus headed for Cochabamba, a large city to the East of La Paz, to attend a full immersion language school. I will be in Cocha for 7 weeks and will live with a Spanish speaking family during this time. I feel so blessed by this opportunity and pray God will give me a great aptitude to learn the language well and will allow me to deeply connect with the family I will be living with. The family consists of Grandma, Dad, Mom, 2 young girls and 3 dogs. Should be an adventure. J From one adventure to the other: after my time in Cocha, I will be moving to El Alto and will begin my internship with Word Made Flesh, working among women and children who are affected by prostitution. But, one thing at a time. J

An author I like aptly describes the process of faith and stepping into the unknown: “The way of trust is a movement into obscurity, into the undefined, into ambiguity, not into some predetermined, clearly delineated plan for the future. The next step discloses itself only out of a discernment of God acting in the present moment. The reality of naked trust is the life of the pilgrim who leaves what is nailed down, obvious, and secure, and walks into the unknown…Why? Because God has signaled the movement and offered it His presence and His promise.” How comforting to know that NOTHING can separate us from His Presence, even the unknown.

 Psalm 139:7-12

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.^”

Whatever “unknown” you may be facing (and there are so many), I pray you will know God’s presence and promise in the midst of it. For the less we know, the more we know, as we are fully found in HIM.

May you have a blessed summer. I am deeply grateful for your love, support and prayers. 

Hope you enjoy the following pictures are some of my favorite end of the year moments!

Roomies!

I will miss this lovely view from our school courtyard.

My Upper El Team and an amazing group of people.

With some of my guys (former students)!

Ice cream Friday-keeping the tradition going!

End of the Year Park Day

Upper Elementary

With my sweet Alejandro

Last day of school. My babies.

Saying goodbye to my friend at the corner store. She's sold me many a Coke!

Brother and Sister. Ashely was in my class in 2013/2014 and Dennis in 2014/2015.

Last roomie night. "Family Photo" with our crazy cat. I wouldn't say that getting a cat was our best idea,
but it sure brought us together. :)