Bolivia Reflections: Final post

It has been a month since I left for Bolivia. I have had moments where I simply was stunned. They may seem like odd moments to you.

• The ability to drink water from the tap. After not drinking tap water for a week, it seemed so humbling to realize that I took that for granted. I started to cry because of so many people that I met were unable to have a basic necessity of life: water. 

• How about the ability to eat raw vegetables? If you know me, this seems odd, but I really missed eating foods without the threat of an illness. 

• Speaking of illness, I did catch some sort of virus. I went to the doctor (kicking and screaming by the way) and then headed off to the pharmacy. I had a) money to pay for my medication and b) access to medical care. I started to cry in the pharmacy. Believe me, I am well aware of some of the choices people have to make as a result of healthcare in this country. And when I think of some of the cases I had back in Washington, DC it still breaks my heart. 

I really can't figure out the world we live in. A lot of terrible things happen on a daily basis. None of it makes sense. I don't know...I just have a sense that this really isn't the way things are supposed to be. Yet as humanity tries to rectify it, we seem to do somethings better and then some other things get warped in the process. We have tried a variety of economic systems and nothing seems to "fix" the societal inequality that is deeply ingrained within the human condition. I'm not sure if I'm capable of arguing about it. I have a feeling that the economic inequality would be fixed if the spiritual poverty/inequality would be addressed first. And it doesn't mean distancing myself from the problems of today by simply saying "it's a spiritual problem" and washing my hands from it. Rather, it does, in fact mean, that I'm called to act drawn by grace, through faith, to be part of His body until, as my sage friend Swati says, "my time has expired." 

Bolivia Reflections (post 5): The watchman of the city

 Overlooking the city of Cochabamba is a statute of Jesus Christ. It wasn't built until the 1990s. I don't remember the factoids about the statute. Yes it's huge and yes, you can go inside of it. However, if you are claustrophobic or afraid of heights, I don't recommend it. I suppose if there was a statue of Jesus on a hill looking down over any city it would cause me to say/reflect over the same things.

Here is a city filled with the very wealthy and the very poor. There is no middle class - if there is one it's very very small by comparison to the general population. There's corruption driven by greed. There's exploitation of the people and the land. Often it is not safe to go out after dusk as gangs roam the streets. And there's a statute of Jesus looking over all of it with open arms - facing it, not turning His back from it. As I sit here and reflect upon these photos, it forces me to look at the fundamental premise of the cross which is redemption. One of my friends that I met at Monterey Church said to me once that she thought "in order to be Christian, I had to clean myself up. I thought I was the only one with a past and I wasn't good enough because you all seem so...perfect." Isn't interesting? And yet that's never been a requirement. As a matter of fact, God loves all of us in and through our messiness. And sometimes our hearts and our mess end up changing without even realizing it. We end up putting God in a box. I do it. I'll admit it. I forget that God parted the Red Sea, walked on water, defeated enemies of Israel without its help, healed the blind & lame, raised the dead. And I think that this trip forced me to see how much I put Him in a box. Miracles still happen every single damn day. Miracles take place in all shapes and sizes. The challenge is to ask and expect an answer - even if it's one that we don't necessarily think is the right one...there's always an answer. Perhaps that's the challenge: expect a miracle. The more that I expect a miracle, the more I'll see them?? Doesn't He challenge us to do that though? Doesn't He challenge us to ask?

Bolivia Reflections (post 4): Bolivian Women are Superwomen!

In Bolivia, you will see women selling fruit, juice, vegetables, meat and pizza on the street corners. These women are (typically) single mothers. Women in Bolivia bear the role of mother & father all too often. It is more than anyone should have to handle. These women walk long distances with their babies swaddled on their backs often until the age of 2. We did several home visits while in Bolivia. All of them were emotionally intense. I think it's hard to briefly enter someone's reality and witness their pain and suffering. 

Mike D., Susana (front, purple), Juana, cousin

My group met Susana and her daughter Juana. Susana has about 11 children. Yes, you read that right. 11. Juana is the youngest and her father died shortly after her birth about 8 years ago. Inside their home, there are three beds on top of dirt. There is no running water (i.e., no toilet, no sink, no washer, no dishwasher).  Approximately 7 - 9 people sleep in that tiny one-room home. Sadly, this is the world's "normal." On our home visits, we are allowed to ask our hosts questions about their daily lives. 

Susana's mother shared a little bit about what her life (and the lives of so many other women) are typically like in Bolivia. Susana usually wakes up about 5 - 5:30am. She walks down the mountain (perhaps it's more like a huge hill but it seemed like a mountain to me) to the city square. This is a 45 minute - 1 hour walk. She does not have money to spend on a bus or a taxi. Susana keeps her cart in storage. The storage owner charges her a fee for storing her cart there. She then has to go and buy some supplies from the store (if she's able to) and then begins working until 9:30 - 10:30 at night. Exhausted she gets up and does it all over again. Sometimes an older sibling will watch her and her cousin. Often children are home alone. I did not see any first responders in Bolivia. As a matter of fact, I did not see or hear a police car or ambulance. (Although there were plenty of police at the airport!) The homes in the poor areas cannot be left unattended. If they are temporarily vacated someone will either rob the family of what they have or literally throw them out and take over the property. In the poor areas of Bolivia, you will see effigies with signs attached to them that literally say: "Thieves stay away! You will be killed!" This is their equivalent of a neighborhood watch. 

Susana, like so many others, is in a constant struggle to keep it all together. Many single Moms and Dads face the same thing globally. Rent in Bolivia is collected in 6 months in advance. Susana has recently caught up on the rent; however she has to figure out how to pay for water. In Bolivia there are 2 water companies: Coca-cola and Pil. The latter is the one that delivers water to the residents in Cochabamba. The government does have a "set water price" however, since it is not enforced, companies often exploit families by charging them 2-3 times what they are legally allowed. The water isn't potable and must be sanitized in order to contain the cholera outbreak that is on-going in Bolivia. Things that I have taken for granted suddenly become quite complicated....

Bolivia Reflections (post 3): Plans to Prosper

For those of you that have been following this blog, do you remember when I mentioned the Pastor who prayed so intently and deeply for the wife of one of our team members? He told us "we can never repay you monetarily for what you've done but we can pray to our Father who hears and answers all our prayers." Well, the pastor at this site and the one that we met at the other site, both have given their lives to serve the poor. Talk about a calling. Talk about obedience when it would be much easier to pursue other opportunities that would be economically viable for their families. I am sure that there were and are many points that they come to the end of their rope and somehow God gives them a little bit more. 

While we were at #804, the pastor showed us his plans for expanding the church structure. In the midst of poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse, physical & sexual abuse, and abandonment there lies a vision of hope for God's people in the poorest zones of Cochabamba. They drew their plans and cast them before their Heavenly Father. In spite of their reality, they believe that God will help them build the rest of the church so that they can reach more of His children. And you know, I have no doubt that God will show up for them. The question is for me - and perhaps for you - is that do we have faith that God will show up for us? 

Bolivia Reflections (post 2): Animal Crackers

There were a lot of things that "struck me" on this trip. First and foremost is that the people I met were incredibly generous. The women at one of the sites made bags for all of us. These bags were hand-stitched and would probably retail at 40-50 dollars back home. That same site prepared a feast, literally, with a special dish and 4 cakes! It was to celebrate the anniversary of their church. A feast for us! On sponsor day, one family took the wool from their sheep and made a vest for their sponsor. And there were little moments too.

Johnny (2 yrs) 

We stopped at three sites: 2 Child Development Centers (CDC) and 1 Child Survival Project (CSP). At our first site,  CDC #804, I met and played with a lot of children. These kids are starved for attention because their parents are simply trying to survive. We spend 2 days at # 804 and I ended up meeting Johnny. He's 2. He doesn't say too much but simply runs around the center. His mother works in the kitchen at the site. Johnny, like most children, loves crackers. Yes, in Bolivia much to my delight, they have animal crackers. Johnny was sitting in the corner and spilled his on the floor. Another person from our team and I noticed this and we got him more crackers. Unlike an American child who would (most likely) have enjoyed getting an extra bag of crackers, Johnny could not understand why he would get another bag. Do you know what he did? He gave the new bag of crackers away to a friend. He did not see a reason to keep them for himself. And that, for whatever reason, has stuck with me. Maybe because my 2 year old self, let alone my current 31 year old self, would not have reacted in that way at all.

What is it about these people that enables them to give even though they have no idea where their next meal is coming from? The only way that I can explain it is through faith in God. Just as Jesus told us that He really does take care of us like He does all living things...these people have nothing but God to hold onto each and everyday. In many ways, that is a challenge to admit. We encourage self-reliance. Some utter the statement: "God helps those who help themselves" and I cringe at that. No, He doesn't. Go back and read the Bible. Time and time again God helps those who couldn't help themselves to show His Power and Love. Sure, God gave us a brain but at the end of the day - at least for me - everything does flow from Him. And truth be told, I forget that a lot.  It's quite easy to do so in our society. We can fix things - often quickly. In doing so, it's easy to forget or deny God or even make idols out of other things.

Bolivia Reflections (post 1) : Worthiness

I am sorry that it has taken me a long time to simply sit my butt in the chair and write. In many ways, although nearly a month has gone by, I am still grappling with everything that I had experienced. I truly don't know how to process all of it. For those of you that know me (all too well), I am the type of person who appears organized but isn't. I tend to let things get cluttered beyond my control and then the cycle of frustration begins, followed by an attempt at cleaning and organizing. While others would see the clutter starting and act...I tend to wait. It's insanity. And the mental clutter in my mind about Bolivia is piling up which is why I am writing now.

Meeting my sponsored children: 

I met both girls in one of the parks in Bolivia. It's like a mini-theme park/public park. We exchanged gifts - which is very humbling. And both girls looked at me with wide eyes and said: How far was it to come here? How did you get here? I told them that we took airplanes to get here. They asked me how many planes did it take to get here? I told them 4. And you know what, it was worth it to spend one day with them. It took a lot of money and time but it was absolutely worth it. Thank you all so much for making it possible.

Camila: 

Camila (age 6), her mother and brother, Bruno (8 mos.)

When I left for Bolivia, I had one sponsored child. Her name is Camila. On sponsor day, she was fortunate enough to have her mother and brother with her for the day. Camila's mother is the youngest of 11 children. Due to the size of her family and the lack of emphasis on educating females, she is illiterate. Her father is ill and was unable to attend that day. I'm not sure if he is truly ill or if it's a euphemism for alcoholism which is rampant in Bolivia.

The children in Bolivia shoulder a lot of responsibility in their households. Sometimes death, illness or absence, of a parent causes them to do more than I would have ever been able to do. Her mother told me that when Camila was 4 years old she became quite ill. If you've ever been to Latin America, you know that the stoves do not have a pilot light; instead, the gas comes through and you have to light a match to light the stove. I freaked out when I had to do this living in Argentina. I was 27 at the time. And hear I am listening to her tell me that a 4 year old learned how to a) light the stove, b) cut up the ingredients to make an omelette, and c) cook the whole damn thing. Camila learned to cook for her family because she had to and that even as a 4 year old, she was perceptive enough to see that she needed to help her mother.

Camila's mother runs a home-based business where she sells hand-crafts, eggs and other goods to her neighbors. She, like all parents, wants more for her children. However, she feels powerless and worthless due to her lack of education. What would you say if you had a mother sobbing in your arms knowing that your lives are so different? In the back of my mind, I started to ask the eternal question of why: Why was I born in the U.S.? Why did I have a family that is (relatively) functional? Why do I have access to clean water, food, and sanitation when so many in our human family don't? And then a little nugget of wisdom pops in my mind before I wrap myself up in all the un-ending whys: Why is not a spiritual question.  I learned that from a beautiful soul in Argentina and have carried it with me ever since. I looked at Camila's mother and started crying with her. And then I reminded her - like so many on my path have reminded me - that she is worthy.  I acknowledged the reality of her situation and told her that in my country there are children who have everything they could ever want but they don't have the one thing that they need: parents to guide them, to challenge them, and to help them reach their potential. "Yes, you are struggling but please, please see that you are the source of change for your children. It is by your faith, your love, and your willingness to encourage your children to pursue an education." She would respond: "I am nothing." And I would respond: "You are somebody , you are something, you are her Mother. And who she is and who she will be is because of you and God."

Day 1: We all matter

First of all, before I begin this post I will be adding pictures either to a different album or back to the posts themselves. I cannot connect my phone to the hotel computer. I know that pictures can make a big difference in helping others experience the realities that I am experiencing in Bolivia.

Date: Tuesday 23 June

Upon arriving in Cochabomba, Bolivia we were greeted by some of the children from the project. Boys and girls ages 5-13 greeted us with flags and a live Mariachi band. I can certainly say that I have never been greeted by a Mariachi band upon arrival! Shortly after exiting the airport a dance party ensued in the parking lot. We danced with one another and with the children. We danced as if no one was watching though some were with quisical looks on their faces.

Later, after lunch, we went to one of the sites. There we were greeted by at least 80 kids. The kids spent months practicing their songs and dances. They did it for us. Some were very nervous. And it was quite a humbling experience to have such love lavished upon us. Love that transcends the traditional ties -  unabashed lavish love on total strangers. When have I had the capacity to do that? We do. <i know I do but perhaps there is the fear of getting hurt or betrayed. Could I love "just because" and not long for anything in return? God does and God did when roaming the Earth over 2,000 years ago. Awhile ago, a friend of mine sent me a link to a talk by Graham Cooke: The Language of Heaven. While there is much to say about that talk, Cooke brings up an interesting point about Zaccheus when he came down from the tree. Somewhere among the branches down to the ground Zaccheus, the despised tax collector, had a change of heart. He decided to reimburse everyone he ever cheated. Every single person! Something must have happened...something powerful. Jesus never scolded him. In fact, he bestowed honor on him by dining at his home. In being here in Bolivia, the answer finally came: unabashed, radical, pure, unadulterated love. The kind of love that draws us to the light and declares boldly "You are mine!" And there is nothing that will break that bond. Perhaps Zaccheus saw it in Jesus´ eyes that he loved "just because" and in and of itself was raw and transformative. Jesus is among these kids. They love because He loves. They love in spite of their conditions.

I learned from one of our interpreters that there are 7 highly polluted cities in Latin America. Cochabomba happens to be one of them. The combination of a high altitud, dust, and smog (which is so thick that you cannot through it) is quite toxic. I don´t even want to think about the health problems here. While we are here in Bolivia we will tour 3 sites: 2 Child Development Programs & 1 Child Survivor Program. Today´s site was #704. All of our sites are in the "rough side of town." At this particular site there are approximately 350 children that attend/receive care through Compassion. Each site has a church connected to it. The Pastor of this site explained that through Monterey Church´s partnership with Compassion they were able to build their kitchen and expand. At one point, he said that they were about to despair becausethey lacked funding for the expansion. It was at that moment that God connected this church with mine. I can´t help but think about the versus that speak of God´s intimacy in knowing us - the number of hairs on our heads...All of our needs matter. And the church(es) here boldly walk out on faith by praying over blueprints to continue the expansion - 2 floors above the kitchen. It´s as if God said to the Pastor "see I didn´t forget you. Watch what I can do." 

Then after seeing both of the rooms that we helpled fund, we received news that the wife of one of our group members was hospitalized back home. Her condition was fairly serious. The pastor remembered her from last year´s visit - but even if he didn´t I think his prayer would have been the same. He told us that when we pray for others, we ought to pray as if their suffering were happening in our own body because we, after all, are in one body, the body of Christ. I never heard it that way. Never have I experienced such a powerful prayer either. I never thought about interceding for someone in this manner. By the way, she was supposed to stay in the hospital overnight. She ended up leaving the hospital 3 hours later. Her husband said that her demeanor was completely restored. The pastor at this particular sight said "even though we can never re-pay you monetarily for what you have done, we have prayer. And our Father hears our prayers and answers them."