Just squashed a mosquito. Pesky little buggers. Did you know that there are actually different kinds of mosquitos? I never knew this until I saw one down here a few weeks back that had white stripes on its legs. I'm sure there are many different kinds as well, but this is the one that currently has my attention. Why? Well because it's the one that carries the virus dengue, and one of them has given this beauty of a virus to me.
Last Monday I woke up feeling just a little bit off. I finished up my shift at 8 and then was watching the Hoffman boys over at their place till about 9 and doing a few other random things before I was able to head up to bed to catch up on some sleep. I had slept fine the night before, but I could feel a headache and fever coming on so I thought I hurry up and try to sleep it off. That simply did not happen. I woke up shortly after and was just freezing cold. I covered up with as many layers as I could find, but still couldn't seem to stop the chills. I also tried to drink a little water, but couldn't get much down without thinking it was all going to come back up, so I just tried to back to sleep. Long story short, I had a massive headache most of the day and can only imagine what my fever must have been. I tried not to get out of bed if I could help it, but when I had to I went pretty quick because I got dizzy pretty easily if I was upright. I'm embarrassed that I didn't try to contact Kristin sooner, but in my defense I am usually able to just sleep things off. I had an idea in my head that when Evelin came up to the room to get her things (she works at the home, aslo the 24hr shift, and just leaves some stuff in my room) I would ask if Kristin was back (she was gone earlier because Paul was in the hospital- he's doing pretty good now) and then give her a call. It was Kristin, however, that ended up knocking on my door at around 8pm, and I told her that I wasn't feeling well, and she decided I needed to be taken in to the ER because I was dehydrated. Well, it was an interesting trip from my room upstairs out back to the front of the house outside to the car, but with the help of Kristin and a friend Raquel, and honey water and a cotton swab wetted with alcohol, we were able to make it. It took a while, but we got there.
So we went to the ER and they took my temperature and it was 104! Holy smokes. So they got me hydrated and killed the fever and ran some tests to try and figure out what was up. Nothing came back real helpful, but I was surprised to find out that I appear to have a heart murmur. After about two hours they sent me home and said to come back if I had more problems. So I went home and went to bed, feeling much better than I had all day. I took the next few days off and was feeling a lot better, although my mind was still just a bit cloudy, if you know what I mean. I felt better, but just not quite myself. But, after another test we were able to find out that I have a bacterial infection (which is common in the states but stronger down here apparently) and also amoebas. So I am taking some medication for the infection and after that's done I'll be getting rid of the amoebas- right now they're just in a very early stage I guess. So, then on Friday I went to a cardiologist and he listened to my heart and used some machine to look at its pulse or something and he thought it would be good for me to get an echocardiogram and then come back. But he didn't seem real worried either. At the most it will probably just be something that I will have to get looked at once a year to make sure it's not getting any worse.
Saturday I finally went back in and spent the day with my kids (I had visited for a few hours but that's not the same!). It was so good to be back with them. I missed them quite a lot. Then, Sunday, I woke up with a headache again. But it wasn't horrible, so I thought I'd get some sleep and try to get rid of it. Hahaha. Yeah, it didn't work, again. So, I texted Paul to see if Kristin could come check my temp when they came home from church, and for whatever reason the nastiness decided to leave right before she did. Interesting.
Anyways, so I've been doing better since then. We contacted a doctor friend that we know and she's the one that told us it is probably dengue. So I took another few days to rest and recover and seem to be doing fine at the moment, but who knows when the headache/fever tag team will decide to strike again. I guess it usually takes a total of around 20 days to run its course, so hopefully I only have two weeks left. I've never been one to get real sick, so this has been a new experience for me, and not much fun, but that's life I guess sometimes. It's just especially funny to me that I came here to take care of sick little kids and now I'm the sick kid that's getting taken care of. But it's been good and humbling and just good for me to see the body of Christ at work. It's been very encouraging in that aspect. So yeah, hopefully I'll keep getting better. And hopefully we'll find out everything's alright with my heart. But I'm not too worried... God's in control.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Luke
I recently finished reading through the book of Luke, my favorite of the gospels, I think, and there were a few verses/passages that really stuck out to me that I had obviously read before but never really caught my attention:
9:62
"Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'"
14:25-33
"Now great crowds accompanied him, and He turned and said to them, 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me canot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundaition and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish." Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So, therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.'"
18:29-30
"And he said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.'"
These verses are fairly intense (Jesus did speak them) but/and have been both a challenge and a comfort to me. God has called me to Bolivia right now, and He wants me to give it all I've got, and give up everything else that doesn't have to do with following Him. But, even though it's hard for me to be so far from home, and I miss my family and friends soo much sometimes, it's a small cost! As John 17:3 says- "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." So when the verse above talks about receiving many more times eternal life, that is so encouraging to me! I've had my ups and downs here in this last month and a half, but one thing I've never doubted is God's presence. He's always been close by, just waiting for me to lean on Him as I ought to. I know I've got a long ways to go and much to learn, and I have no doubt that these verses will continue to bring me comfort and a sense of "Ok, you can do this..." when I need it!
9:62
"Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'"
14:25-33
"Now great crowds accompanied him, and He turned and said to them, 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me canot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundaition and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish." Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So, therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.'"
18:29-30
"And he said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.'"
These verses are fairly intense (Jesus did speak them) but/and have been both a challenge and a comfort to me. God has called me to Bolivia right now, and He wants me to give it all I've got, and give up everything else that doesn't have to do with following Him. But, even though it's hard for me to be so far from home, and I miss my family and friends soo much sometimes, it's a small cost! As John 17:3 says- "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." So when the verse above talks about receiving many more times eternal life, that is so encouraging to me! I've had my ups and downs here in this last month and a half, but one thing I've never doubted is God's presence. He's always been close by, just waiting for me to lean on Him as I ought to. I know I've got a long ways to go and much to learn, and I have no doubt that these verses will continue to bring me comfort and a sense of "Ok, you can do this..." when I need it!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Playing the Mom Role
I feel like I'm in a somewhat strange position. In some sense I feel like a mom to these little ones, but at the same time I don't feel a lot like they're "my" kids. Maybe it's because I share the "mother" title with three or four others, all who are 6 to 15 years older than I, most of whom have more baby experience (3 are moms themselves). Also I think it's probably because I'm only with them 24 hours and then have that same amount of time off. One of the biggest things though is that I think if they were actually my kids I would probably treat them a little differently. I still love them the same of course, and play with them and such, but as far as teaching them and disciplining them I'm still learning how I should go about that. For starters I suppose it would help too if they spoke English. But as far as discipline goes, I'm not quite sure how to do things. Time outs? These seem to be popular among people but sometimes not as affective as say, a quick swat of the hands. Don't pinch him! No, don't touch that... you can't be in the kitchen, you're gonna burn yourself! And I wonder is it more important that he learns he can't throw his cup of milk on the floor? Or that he gets another glass so he drinks enough? If you can be thirsty 30 seconds later, why not just drink what I put in front of you in the first place?
Even though they don't necessarily feel like "my" kids, I definitely feel like I'm learning what it feels like to be a mother. I can definitely relate to the things that must go through moms' heads- "More laundry?" "Mmm, thanks for spitting your medicine ALL over me- I was really hoping you'd do that." "Whoa- was that a smile?! Oh! There it is again! She just smiled at me!!" "Hmmm, can you all smell the milk spit up on me? Hope not..." "Alright, if I go really slowly and quietly, maybe they won't notice that I le- oh, well, it was worth a shot...." Haha, just a few of my thoughts that I can only imagine all moms have thought at one point or another. It's frustrating at times (like when you get sprayed with medicine!), but it's all soo worth it when you walk over to the crib at night and the little girl looks up at you and and smiles, just because she sees you. Definitely makes your heart melt a little. And it's so fun to imagine who they might be a few to several years down the road- I don't know if I'll be here or not, but I look forward to seeing or hearing about how they've grown :)
Even though they don't necessarily feel like "my" kids, I definitely feel like I'm learning what it feels like to be a mother. I can definitely relate to the things that must go through moms' heads- "More laundry?" "Mmm, thanks for spitting your medicine ALL over me- I was really hoping you'd do that." "Whoa- was that a smile?! Oh! There it is again! She just smiled at me!!" "Hmmm, can you all smell the milk spit up on me? Hope not..." "Alright, if I go really slowly and quietly, maybe they won't notice that I le- oh, well, it was worth a shot...." Haha, just a few of my thoughts that I can only imagine all moms have thought at one point or another. It's frustrating at times (like when you get sprayed with medicine!), but it's all soo worth it when you walk over to the crib at night and the little girl looks up at you and and smiles, just because she sees you. Definitely makes your heart melt a little. And it's so fun to imagine who they might be a few to several years down the road- I don't know if I'll be here or not, but I look forward to seeing or hearing about how they've grown :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Improvements
I know it hasn’t been too long since my last update but I just wanted to write and tell you some of my ups and downs of the last week.
Over all it has been super exciting to see the two boys here adjust to life at the home, but this last week seems to have just been great for them. Diego especially. When he showed up he was in tears at least 50 percent of the time, and frowning almost all the rest of the time. We would maybe get a smile out of him two or three times a day. Now, he has no need for an excuse to be happy, he’s just a smiley little toddler like you would expect any kid to be. You give him a funny look while he’s eating and he just cracks up! It’s so cute. Also, he’s so much more chit-chatty! He still doesn’t say any words, but the fact that he’s making different sounds and such, as though trying to speak, is definitely a good sign. Then there’s little Lucas. Other than being a little shy when showing up he was already pretty much himself. He is a happy little fellow and very curious! But something exciting with him these last few days is that he is also almost talking!! I was trying to teach him the word “mama”, which he was kind of picking up on, but there are a few others he already almost knows. The dogs name (who he LOVES!), is Puma, so he is often saying “Ooma”, which makes us all laugh a bit- he just can’t quite get the “P” sound on there. And he’s also almost got the word “agua” down. When he gestures that he wants more we question “Agua?”, and he actually repeats it pretty good! I don’t know where these kids came from exactly, but it’s exciting to me that us talking to them is getting such a reaction. Neither of them would say anything that resembled a word at all when they showed up nearly three weeks ago.
Then there’s little Esperanza, who is doing well but gave me quite the scare the other night!! She stopped breathing on me and her face started turning blue. Needless to say, I’m not so sure I’ve ever been so scared in my life! I started patting her back and saying her name, trying to get her to come out of whatever had caused this! (Kristin had experienced her doing this once before and said that’s what we should do if it were ever to happen again.) After probably about a minute she came out of it, and after another five she was pretty much back to normal. Her poor little heart needs surgery so bad. So I can’t tell you how excited we were the next morning to find out that doctors decided she’s stable enough to undergo the procedure! We have operation scheduled for the 28th! Praise the Lord. And other than a few scares here and there her health is greatly improving as well! When she came she had severe diaper rash that was always open, and now there’s just a trace of that left. She was also very stiff in general with very little movement in any parts of her body, really, but after taking some time to work with her and stretch out and massage some of her unused muscles she is reaching and kicking and flopping all over the place. She still is unable to crawl- I think that will take some time yet, but we’re taking time to put her on her tummy every now and then to get her practiced at lifting her head and working those muscles as well. Another thing that’s been encouraging is the way she looks at people. When she first came her eyes were a little glazed over and couldn’t focus on much of anything. Now, she will lay there in your arms and just stare up at you with those beautiful brown little eyes. She’s such a pretty little thing it nearly makes your heart melt.
I know I say this often but I’m thinking of you all a lot and am very encouraged to know that I am in your thoughts and prayers! I miss you all and hope your enjoying the slightly warmer weather! Take a moment to enjoy winter for me- I miss it!
Over all it has been super exciting to see the two boys here adjust to life at the home, but this last week seems to have just been great for them. Diego especially. When he showed up he was in tears at least 50 percent of the time, and frowning almost all the rest of the time. We would maybe get a smile out of him two or three times a day. Now, he has no need for an excuse to be happy, he’s just a smiley little toddler like you would expect any kid to be. You give him a funny look while he’s eating and he just cracks up! It’s so cute. Also, he’s so much more chit-chatty! He still doesn’t say any words, but the fact that he’s making different sounds and such, as though trying to speak, is definitely a good sign. Then there’s little Lucas. Other than being a little shy when showing up he was already pretty much himself. He is a happy little fellow and very curious! But something exciting with him these last few days is that he is also almost talking!! I was trying to teach him the word “mama”, which he was kind of picking up on, but there are a few others he already almost knows. The dogs name (who he LOVES!), is Puma, so he is often saying “Ooma”, which makes us all laugh a bit- he just can’t quite get the “P” sound on there. And he’s also almost got the word “agua” down. When he gestures that he wants more we question “Agua?”, and he actually repeats it pretty good! I don’t know where these kids came from exactly, but it’s exciting to me that us talking to them is getting such a reaction. Neither of them would say anything that resembled a word at all when they showed up nearly three weeks ago.
Then there’s little Esperanza, who is doing well but gave me quite the scare the other night!! She stopped breathing on me and her face started turning blue. Needless to say, I’m not so sure I’ve ever been so scared in my life! I started patting her back and saying her name, trying to get her to come out of whatever had caused this! (Kristin had experienced her doing this once before and said that’s what we should do if it were ever to happen again.) After probably about a minute she came out of it, and after another five she was pretty much back to normal. Her poor little heart needs surgery so bad. So I can’t tell you how excited we were the next morning to find out that doctors decided she’s stable enough to undergo the procedure! We have operation scheduled for the 28th! Praise the Lord. And other than a few scares here and there her health is greatly improving as well! When she came she had severe diaper rash that was always open, and now there’s just a trace of that left. She was also very stiff in general with very little movement in any parts of her body, really, but after taking some time to work with her and stretch out and massage some of her unused muscles she is reaching and kicking and flopping all over the place. She still is unable to crawl- I think that will take some time yet, but we’re taking time to put her on her tummy every now and then to get her practiced at lifting her head and working those muscles as well. Another thing that’s been encouraging is the way she looks at people. When she first came her eyes were a little glazed over and couldn’t focus on much of anything. Now, she will lay there in your arms and just stare up at you with those beautiful brown little eyes. She’s such a pretty little thing it nearly makes your heart melt.
I know I say this often but I’m thinking of you all a lot and am very encouraged to know that I am in your thoughts and prayers! I miss you all and hope your enjoying the slightly warmer weather! Take a moment to enjoy winter for me- I miss it!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
My First Major Scary Mom Moment
I love being a mom to these little guys, and I love seeing how the kids have improved since they've gotten here, whether it's improvements in health or weight or just their happiness, it's so encouraging to me! They're all so adorable and I’ve been enjoying getting to know who each of them is as an individual :) But it's a hard place to work at too- take this story from last night for example.
I was giving Esperanza a bath after she got back from her doctor appointment before putting her in bed. Earlier that day I had made a bath and I guess it was too warm, so this time I started a little cooler (certainly not cold, but lukewarm I guess), and she didn't like that at all! So I took her out and was holding her while putting in warmer water, and I glance down and her face was turning blue- she had stopped breathing! Oh my gosh, I've never been so scared in my life! I started patting her back and talking to her, trying to get her to come out of it. I wrapped her up in a towel and started carrying her towards the Hoffman’s, still patting and talking, and finally she came out of it. I almost started crying, I was so scared! I seriously thought she might die. She had done this once before once about a week earlier with Kristen, but it happened so unexpectedly! I got her to the house and just told them what happened, and she still seemed a little off but got normal after a few minutes. So I took her back and gave her a bath again and she was just fine. I was a little nervous that night but she didn’t have any more problems. She seriously woke up at least every two hours to eat, but I was ok with that because it meant she was waking up! Wow, so scary. But God is good. I'm very comforted by the fact that our lives are in God's hands!! And we were so excited to find out today that she is in fact stable enough to undergo surgery!! We have an appointment for her on the 28th :) Her poor little heart needs it sooo bad!! So Praise the Lord!!
Thanks all who have been praying! Please continue to pray for me, that I would be a good “substitute mom” for these kids and pray for the kids as well, that they would continue to get better/stay healthy and just receive the love they so need. And especially for sweet little Esperanza, that she would stay well till and through surgery, and that she would come out of it better than ever before, ready to grow and finally be healthy! I praise God that he has kept her safe thus far and look forward to seeing his continued faithfulness through all this!
I was giving Esperanza a bath after she got back from her doctor appointment before putting her in bed. Earlier that day I had made a bath and I guess it was too warm, so this time I started a little cooler (certainly not cold, but lukewarm I guess), and she didn't like that at all! So I took her out and was holding her while putting in warmer water, and I glance down and her face was turning blue- she had stopped breathing! Oh my gosh, I've never been so scared in my life! I started patting her back and talking to her, trying to get her to come out of it. I wrapped her up in a towel and started carrying her towards the Hoffman’s, still patting and talking, and finally she came out of it. I almost started crying, I was so scared! I seriously thought she might die. She had done this once before once about a week earlier with Kristen, but it happened so unexpectedly! I got her to the house and just told them what happened, and she still seemed a little off but got normal after a few minutes. So I took her back and gave her a bath again and she was just fine. I was a little nervous that night but she didn’t have any more problems. She seriously woke up at least every two hours to eat, but I was ok with that because it meant she was waking up! Wow, so scary. But God is good. I'm very comforted by the fact that our lives are in God's hands!! And we were so excited to find out today that she is in fact stable enough to undergo surgery!! We have an appointment for her on the 28th :) Her poor little heart needs it sooo bad!! So Praise the Lord!!
Thanks all who have been praying! Please continue to pray for me, that I would be a good “substitute mom” for these kids and pray for the kids as well, that they would continue to get better/stay healthy and just receive the love they so need. And especially for sweet little Esperanza, that she would stay well till and through surgery, and that she would come out of it better than ever before, ready to grow and finally be healthy! I praise God that he has kept her safe thus far and look forward to seeing his continued faithfulness through all this!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Different Perspective
I had a revelation of sorts the other night. Being a parent really reveals to you a lot about God’s relationship with His children I think. It was just made really real to me how we don’t necessarily understand things, but God does. Our situations may seem unfair or painful or something we don’t need and therefore seemingly unnecessary, but that doesn’t mean God just doesn’t know what He’s doing, and it doesn’t mean He’s uncaring or cruel.
I was using a nebulizer on Esperanza to help clean out her airways to try and get her to sleep better, and she just hated it. She was fussing and crying and shaking her head in avoidance of breathing in the air. Did I like to watch as she fought like this? Of course not! But she simply couldn’t see that I was doing this to help get rid of all that snot so she could get a decent night’s sleep. I can see from the start to finish why this stuff is going on, that it’s for her good, but she can’t see that and so she cries.
I was just struck by how we are sooo much like this soo often! We fuss because we don’t get our way, or we go through a few trials that are hard or painful and we don’t think we should have to deal with them. But God has a plan for it! He can see from start to finish that this pain we’re dealing with is preparing us for our future, that this struggle we’re going through is making us stronger, teaching us to be more like Christ, the person He intended us to be.
I just wish I could realize this more often in my daily happenings. Just because I don’t understand what’s going on, God’s still got it under control, and He sees it all from start to finish. Maybe one of these days that’ll sink in.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Long Night!
Last night I fed my little girl here at about 1:30 and put her back down to sleep. I was rinsing out her bottle and washing my hands when I heard her cough/sneeze/spit up something, so I went to wipe her face and touched her back and realized she was absolutely soaked! She had just thrown up everything I had fed her. So, I got the bath water running and got her out of her clothes and got her all washed and nice and clean. I wrapped her up in her little towell and was playing with her a bit, and then took her to get some clean clothes on. I layed her back down and unwrapped her from the towell just to discover that she had peed, hahaha! I couldn't help but laugh. I felt so bad for her for having thrown up, but by this point I was wide awake and it was just funny to me that it would be prolonging my return to bed. So I had to rinse her off again, get her diaper and clothes on, feed her again (cuz after throwing everything up she obviously was hungry again) and then got her back to bed. I finally got to bed and fell back asleep then at about 3:00, just to be woken up by a loud scream of one of the little boys at 3:10. hahaha. Then at 3:45 Esperanza was awake again, either crying or wanting food, I can't remember which. But, around 4 I must have fallen back asleep and got a solid hour and a half in, and then woke up to feed the little girl again. She also had a dirty diaper, so I got that changed and everything and laid back down for a bit. I got up a little before 7 to get the boys' meds ready, gave them that at 7, put them back in bed, and then fed my little girl, again. She had spit up some and had the dirty diaper, so I thought I'd give her a bath then since she was going to the dr this morning, even though she had had one earlier in the am. So I got her all cleaned up and was laying out her towell and she erupted with milk again. Poor thing!! I felt so bad! So I emptied the bath water, refilled it, and washed her up again. By then it was close to 8, when the other girl comes in to relieve me, so I just took some time holding her and talking to her a bit and getting her bag ready for her trip to the dr. All in all I must have gotten about 3, maybe 4 hours of sleep in that whole 24 hour time period from when I started yesterday at 8am till this morning. It was a little crazy, but I'll tell ya, I'm sure learning patience at a whole new level! If I ever get to be a mom someday, I'm gonna feel much more prepared than i would imagine most first-time moms feel!
Four Weeks In
Hey Guys!
It’s hard to believe but four weeks ago this morning I arrived in Bolivia! So many different things have happened since I arrived, and I finally feel like I’m about settled in and can tell you about my life/routine here.
But first I’d like to tell you about the kids I’m taking care of. There are three of them at the moment- Esperanza, a little girl who is 11 months old, and Lucas and Diego, both who are about a year and a half. Esperanza has cleft lip and pallet and also a whole in her heart, which makes it impossible for her to grow. She is only the size of a new born. The condition she’s in is truly heart breaking, but she’s already made serious improvements in health since arriving here a week and a half ago, and we should find out Monday if she’s able to undergo surgery and from there we will go ahead and see when we can get her in for that! The two little boys each have HIV, but are both pretty healthy. The government agency, or prefectura, was supposed to come get them to take them for a doctor appointment to make sure they’re doing alright, but that hasn’t happened yet, so once things are in order for the little girl we will probably take them in and see how they’re doing.
So, that’s a little bit about the kids I’m working with, and here’s what a typical day looks like for me: I come downstairs at a little before 8:00 am to start a 24 hour shift. At this time the kids are usually eating breakfast and taking meds, so I give a hand in doing this and take a few minutes to find out how the kids did the night before or find out if there’s anything else I ought to be aware of at that time. After breakfast we usually give the kids baths and then get them dressed and covered in bug spray to go play – the mosquitos are awful here! Sometimes we’ll spend time playing outside with their tricycles, or else go inside and play with blocks or Elmo or puzzles or whatever else we can find out of the giant tub of toys. At 10:00 or so we give them a snack and at noon we have lunch. After lunch the kids take a nap for about an hour, and during this time we do a little cleaning- sweep, mop, fold laundry, etc. Once finished we get the kids up and do some more playing. At around 4:30 they have a snack, and then at 6 or 7 they have supper. Then, their favorite time of day is here- bed time! They boys are usually asleep by around 8, and then Gabby, the lady working the day shift, leaves me to stay the night. The boys don’t give me much trouble, but I do have to wake up every hour and a half to four hours (wide range of time, I know) to feed Esperanza or change a diaper or whatever else. No day looks quite the same of course, but I’d say this is pretty typical. I have also gone a few times to things like doctor appointments and to the prefectura as we work with them to get this little girl the surgery she needs. So, the following morning I get done at 8am or a little after and go back and get some sleep. Since the other gal on the 24 hour shift is going to school I also work on my day off from 6:30 to 10:30, which doesn’t leave me a lot of free time, but next week we’ll have another girl- Evelyn- coming to do a 24 hour shift, and then Maria Elena, who’s on that shift now, will be on the day shift with Gabby. And then I’ll be able to have a slightly less stressful schedule.
How am I doing so far- I’d say overall I’m doing pretty well! I’m tired a lot, since I’m not used to being up so much at night, and the job is pretty draining emotionally as well, but the Lord is giving me strength, which I’m incredibly grateful for! It hurts my heart to know that there’s a need for places like this, and that these kids get abandoned, but I’m also so glad then that there are places like this for kids to go to and receive the love and attention they need! Praise God. Yes, I’ve had a fair number of ups and downs, but I’m quite content with where I’m at and I feel like I’m learning a lot. Thanks so much to each and every one of you who has been supporting me financially and prayerfully. You each mean so much to me, for real.
But first I’d like to tell you about the kids I’m taking care of. There are three of them at the moment- Esperanza, a little girl who is 11 months old, and Lucas and Diego, both who are about a year and a half. Esperanza has cleft lip and pallet and also a whole in her heart, which makes it impossible for her to grow. She is only the size of a new born. The condition she’s in is truly heart breaking, but she’s already made serious improvements in health since arriving here a week and a half ago, and we should find out Monday if she’s able to undergo surgery and from there we will go ahead and see when we can get her in for that! The two little boys each have HIV, but are both pretty healthy. The government agency, or prefectura, was supposed to come get them to take them for a doctor appointment to make sure they’re doing alright, but that hasn’t happened yet, so once things are in order for the little girl we will probably take them in and see how they’re doing.
So, that’s a little bit about the kids I’m working with, and here’s what a typical day looks like for me: I come downstairs at a little before 8:00 am to start a 24 hour shift. At this time the kids are usually eating breakfast and taking meds, so I give a hand in doing this and take a few minutes to find out how the kids did the night before or find out if there’s anything else I ought to be aware of at that time. After breakfast we usually give the kids baths and then get them dressed and covered in bug spray to go play – the mosquitos are awful here! Sometimes we’ll spend time playing outside with their tricycles, or else go inside and play with blocks or Elmo or puzzles or whatever else we can find out of the giant tub of toys. At 10:00 or so we give them a snack and at noon we have lunch. After lunch the kids take a nap for about an hour, and during this time we do a little cleaning- sweep, mop, fold laundry, etc. Once finished we get the kids up and do some more playing. At around 4:30 they have a snack, and then at 6 or 7 they have supper. Then, their favorite time of day is here- bed time! They boys are usually asleep by around 8, and then Gabby, the lady working the day shift, leaves me to stay the night. The boys don’t give me much trouble, but I do have to wake up every hour and a half to four hours (wide range of time, I know) to feed Esperanza or change a diaper or whatever else. No day looks quite the same of course, but I’d say this is pretty typical. I have also gone a few times to things like doctor appointments and to the prefectura as we work with them to get this little girl the surgery she needs. So, the following morning I get done at 8am or a little after and go back and get some sleep. Since the other gal on the 24 hour shift is going to school I also work on my day off from 6:30 to 10:30, which doesn’t leave me a lot of free time, but next week we’ll have another girl- Evelyn- coming to do a 24 hour shift, and then Maria Elena, who’s on that shift now, will be on the day shift with Gabby. And then I’ll be able to have a slightly less stressful schedule.
How am I doing so far- I’d say overall I’m doing pretty well! I’m tired a lot, since I’m not used to being up so much at night, and the job is pretty draining emotionally as well, but the Lord is giving me strength, which I’m incredibly grateful for! It hurts my heart to know that there’s a need for places like this, and that these kids get abandoned, but I’m also so glad then that there are places like this for kids to go to and receive the love and attention they need! Praise God. Yes, I’ve had a fair number of ups and downs, but I’m quite content with where I’m at and I feel like I’m learning a lot. Thanks so much to each and every one of you who has been supporting me financially and prayerfully. You each mean so much to me, for real.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
"My" Kids
Here are some pictures of them finally :)
Lucas- 1 year and 7 months
Diego- 1 year and 6 months
Esperanza- 11 months
I left the home yesterday for two hours and we got a new arrival in my absence! Cute little Diego. But he's having a rough time, since his mom dropped him off at the government office and they then brought him straight here, as they didn't really have anywhere else to put him. I can't begin to imagine how the little guys must feel!
As for right now I kind of feel like the boys see me as "the mean lady that gives them medicine", but I'm looking forward to getting to know them better and having them get comfortable here! Day one at a new place would be hard for anyone I think. Thanks for praying for me and them!
Feb 6, 2011
They're Finally Here!
Boy, has it been a long week!! We were supposed to have a number of babies arrive last week, by Friday, but none actually came when they were supposed to. This was fairly frustrating, but then again not too surprising, since things are just run differently down here. And it was nice to have just a little bit more time to spend getting everything ready at the home- buying a few last minute supplies and making some baby food. However, we did get our first little girl Monday!! She's really quite adorable. Her name is Esperanza, and she is 11 months old. And now today, we have a new arrival- Lucas! Who is probably one of the cutest little boys I've ever seen in my life. He is a year and seven months, and absolutely adorable! I'll have to upload pictures soon of the two of them.
So, why are these little ones here. Well, let's start with Esperanza. This little girl, as I said, is 11 months old and weighs just 7 pounds. Basically she's the size of a newborn, which is absolutely heartbreaking. She was born with a cleft pallate and also has a hole in her heart. Her heart has to work way more than it should and is therefore consuming nearly all the calories she takes in to keep it pumping. Then she isn't putting any weight on because of that, and therefore isn't growing. We've been to a number of doctors, and we're hoping to get her in for surgery soon to fix her heart defect, but it may take a while. To do the surgery here in Santa Cruz it will cost roughly 10 thousand dollars. There is a clinic in town called Mission of Hope which gives free health care, and this April will probably be having a team come that could perform the surgery for free, but it's really not a surgery we want to put off with her being in the condition she's in. However, at the clinic they told us that there's a place in Cochabamba, a city that's an hour flight or day's drive from here, that would possibly do it at a smaller price, or another place in La Paz that does surgeries for free but we don't know if they would perform this one specifically. So, a number of options, but right now we're just taking it day by day, praying that she will continue to get better little by little and that God would be watching over her and helping her to grow, despite her condition. And it's great to see how she's improved even in the four days she's been here! She was very quiet and her eyes seemed a bit glazed over and already she is livening up a bit, which is encouraging to all of us! But please do pray for her... she's in rough shape!
Lucas isn't doing quite so bad. He has HIV, but isn't sick at all. There has been Hep A going around where he was last, so they wanted to transfer him here to protect him from getting sick from that. He just arrived a few hours ago and is pretty shy, but he's slowly warming up to us. It's a lot of changes for the little tike I'm sure, so he's a bit quiet, but I look forward to seeing him break out of his shell a little. Again, I just have to say it, he is sooo cute! I'll do my best to put on some pics tomorrow.
We were also told that there's another girl they'd like to bring, who is a year and six months. She also has HIV but we don't know whether she's sick or not, so whether we take her or not is going to depend on that a lot I think. It would be hard to take her in if she is because of all the attention we are already having to give Esperanza. However, if she's not sick, it could be nice to have a little playmate for Lucas. So, time will tell I suppose.
Thanks so much for praying! It's exciting to see things finally coming together like we've been waiting for! For right now I'm working 24 hour shifts every other day with a 2 hour break at 2:30, and then I'm covering for another worker on my days off as she has classes from about 6:30 to 10:30. It's been quite exciting to see God bring things together. I'm so thankful to be here and get to be a part of this during such an exciting time of getting everything up and going. Please pray for us that we would have wisdom as we try to decide how to provide care for these little ones, and also that we would depend on His strength to get us through the tougher days. God is good. I'm thankful to be a part of what He is doing here and am excited to see where this road will go for these little ones.
Feb 4 2011
So, why are these little ones here. Well, let's start with Esperanza. This little girl, as I said, is 11 months old and weighs just 7 pounds. Basically she's the size of a newborn, which is absolutely heartbreaking. She was born with a cleft pallate and also has a hole in her heart. Her heart has to work way more than it should and is therefore consuming nearly all the calories she takes in to keep it pumping. Then she isn't putting any weight on because of that, and therefore isn't growing. We've been to a number of doctors, and we're hoping to get her in for surgery soon to fix her heart defect, but it may take a while. To do the surgery here in Santa Cruz it will cost roughly 10 thousand dollars. There is a clinic in town called Mission of Hope which gives free health care, and this April will probably be having a team come that could perform the surgery for free, but it's really not a surgery we want to put off with her being in the condition she's in. However, at the clinic they told us that there's a place in Cochabamba, a city that's an hour flight or day's drive from here, that would possibly do it at a smaller price, or another place in La Paz that does surgeries for free but we don't know if they would perform this one specifically. So, a number of options, but right now we're just taking it day by day, praying that she will continue to get better little by little and that God would be watching over her and helping her to grow, despite her condition. And it's great to see how she's improved even in the four days she's been here! She was very quiet and her eyes seemed a bit glazed over and already she is livening up a bit, which is encouraging to all of us! But please do pray for her... she's in rough shape!
Lucas isn't doing quite so bad. He has HIV, but isn't sick at all. There has been Hep A going around where he was last, so they wanted to transfer him here to protect him from getting sick from that. He just arrived a few hours ago and is pretty shy, but he's slowly warming up to us. It's a lot of changes for the little tike I'm sure, so he's a bit quiet, but I look forward to seeing him break out of his shell a little. Again, I just have to say it, he is sooo cute! I'll do my best to put on some pics tomorrow.
We were also told that there's another girl they'd like to bring, who is a year and six months. She also has HIV but we don't know whether she's sick or not, so whether we take her or not is going to depend on that a lot I think. It would be hard to take her in if she is because of all the attention we are already having to give Esperanza. However, if she's not sick, it could be nice to have a little playmate for Lucas. So, time will tell I suppose.
Thanks so much for praying! It's exciting to see things finally coming together like we've been waiting for! For right now I'm working 24 hour shifts every other day with a 2 hour break at 2:30, and then I'm covering for another worker on my days off as she has classes from about 6:30 to 10:30. It's been quite exciting to see God bring things together. I'm so thankful to be here and get to be a part of this during such an exciting time of getting everything up and going. Please pray for us that we would have wisdom as we try to decide how to provide care for these little ones, and also that we would depend on His strength to get us through the tougher days. God is good. I'm thankful to be a part of what He is doing here and am excited to see where this road will go for these little ones.
Feb 4 2011
The Babies are Coming! The Babies are Coming!
EEEEeeeeeeeek!!! Two babies are arriving Friday!!!! And then another should be coming in a week or two as well. Thanks all who have been praying and I hope you will continue! This is sure to take some transitioning! Praise the Lord!
Jan 26 2011
Jan 26 2011
My New World
While living in Santa Cruz Bolivia is not like living out in the jungle without running water or electricity or cars or internet, it is definitely a bit different from the States. I've been here before, but there are still a number of things that suprise me, and I can remember a number of differences that at first were quite different, and would like to share them with you so you might get a better glimpse into my new world here.
First off, they have an increasingly impressive amount of candy here generally found in the States, but peanut butter mm's isn't among them, which makes me sad as I'm nearing the end of my bag. But seriously... The city here is set up in a ring system that branches off of the center plaza, and then the roads are radials shooting out from the center (and also the main rings of course). Something that caught my attention shortly after arriving was that people don't tend to stay within the lines as they do in the states. Most main roads that are one-way will have three lanes, but it's not at all uncommon to see four cars lined up side by side waiting at the stop light. That is, if they even wait... it seems that red lights are mostly optional here, especially if the intersection is not a busy one. People may stop for a moment, but it's not surprising if when they see no one around they simply continue on there way.
Another thing I noticed after a few days was the feeling for being trapped, in a sense. All the houses here are surrounded by high walls, often covered with barbs or broken glass, and the way of entrance is through a gate usually covered with points as well. On the other hand, I've rarely experienced a more inviting culture. I met a girl last Friday night at a small group and saw her again on Sunday and she invited me over to have lunch with her family that she could get to know me better. I enjoyed a home cooked meal of chicken and rice (a staple in the Bolivian diet) and sat and talked religion and politics- in my less-than-wonderful Spanish and their poor anunciation haha. But I can't tell you how touched I was to receive this invite from someone I hardly knew, that certainly didn't know me; and to be shown so much love just because.
Something else that one from the states might find quite different is the level of sanitation (this isn't so much Bolivia in general so much as the city of Santa Cruz). Words can't begin to tell the amount of trash in the streets here. There are baskets in front of the gates of people's homes in which they put there trash, which is clearly not a very effective system, because there is literally trash everywhere. Plastic bags, used diapers, rotting food scraps- all causing mountains of flies! Not to mention the scavengers, mostly dogs, who tear open the bags looking for food only to cause more of a mess. On the other side, again, however, you can speak of the Bolivian greeting here, which is a kiss on the cheek. Clearly less "hygenic" than in the states, but it also speaks of their love for others. I can't imagine going in to my church at home and seeing everyone greeting this way- we have hand sanitizer in the back so we don't spread to many germs by shaking hands! (Not trying to rip on my church, just pointing out the cultural difference :) it's ok, I'm a bit of a germophobe myself!)
I think, perhaps, that one of the greatest thing for an american to adjust to, is how they do time here. Nothing starts on time, ever. And the bigger the event the later it starts. For whatever reason; I'm still trying to figure this one out, but that's how it is. I've been used to church starting 20 minutes late, but I was in for a shock when I went to a church's conference that was held two weekends ago- we were told that it started at 7:30, and my friend/coworker Gabby, and her son and I showed up pretty much right at 7:30. There were two musicians there, other than that we were the first to arrive. So we waited, and we waited, and we waited some more. It finally started at 8:30. I was relatively stunned. And there were still people coming long after it started. (Yes, there were people from a ways away, but still, I was surprised even!) But part of this slowness, I think, branches out from that fact that it is more important to just "be" with people than to be doing something or going somewhere. It's more important to stay and finish that conversation with a friend than it is to be on time to church. I appreciate the way they enjoy and live there life. They'd rather spend time with people, living life with one another, than be working that second job trying to get a newer bigger tv and car and house that they may finally obtain the happiness that is always just out of reach. (Again, not trying to offend anyone or point fingers at anyone in general, just pointing out a difference in the cultures I see here and at home.)
Not all the differences are good or bad, just, well, different. I'm guessing there's much more I could say, and your picture of this place isn't nearly as clear as I would like it to be, but it's hard to picture it completely without actually being here for yourself. It's taken a while to adjust, but I'm exited to set aside some of these differences and continue to learn about this world myself and see the beauty amidst the mess. Although, in light of this now empty bag, I do hope they start selling peanut butter mm's soon...
Jan 24, 2011
First off, they have an increasingly impressive amount of candy here generally found in the States, but peanut butter mm's isn't among them, which makes me sad as I'm nearing the end of my bag. But seriously... The city here is set up in a ring system that branches off of the center plaza, and then the roads are radials shooting out from the center (and also the main rings of course). Something that caught my attention shortly after arriving was that people don't tend to stay within the lines as they do in the states. Most main roads that are one-way will have three lanes, but it's not at all uncommon to see four cars lined up side by side waiting at the stop light. That is, if they even wait... it seems that red lights are mostly optional here, especially if the intersection is not a busy one. People may stop for a moment, but it's not surprising if when they see no one around they simply continue on there way.
Another thing I noticed after a few days was the feeling for being trapped, in a sense. All the houses here are surrounded by high walls, often covered with barbs or broken glass, and the way of entrance is through a gate usually covered with points as well. On the other hand, I've rarely experienced a more inviting culture. I met a girl last Friday night at a small group and saw her again on Sunday and she invited me over to have lunch with her family that she could get to know me better. I enjoyed a home cooked meal of chicken and rice (a staple in the Bolivian diet) and sat and talked religion and politics- in my less-than-wonderful Spanish and their poor anunciation haha. But I can't tell you how touched I was to receive this invite from someone I hardly knew, that certainly didn't know me; and to be shown so much love just because.
Something else that one from the states might find quite different is the level of sanitation (this isn't so much Bolivia in general so much as the city of Santa Cruz). Words can't begin to tell the amount of trash in the streets here. There are baskets in front of the gates of people's homes in which they put there trash, which is clearly not a very effective system, because there is literally trash everywhere. Plastic bags, used diapers, rotting food scraps- all causing mountains of flies! Not to mention the scavengers, mostly dogs, who tear open the bags looking for food only to cause more of a mess. On the other side, again, however, you can speak of the Bolivian greeting here, which is a kiss on the cheek. Clearly less "hygenic" than in the states, but it also speaks of their love for others. I can't imagine going in to my church at home and seeing everyone greeting this way- we have hand sanitizer in the back so we don't spread to many germs by shaking hands! (Not trying to rip on my church, just pointing out the cultural difference :) it's ok, I'm a bit of a germophobe myself!)
I think, perhaps, that one of the greatest thing for an american to adjust to, is how they do time here. Nothing starts on time, ever. And the bigger the event the later it starts. For whatever reason; I'm still trying to figure this one out, but that's how it is. I've been used to church starting 20 minutes late, but I was in for a shock when I went to a church's conference that was held two weekends ago- we were told that it started at 7:30, and my friend/coworker Gabby, and her son and I showed up pretty much right at 7:30. There were two musicians there, other than that we were the first to arrive. So we waited, and we waited, and we waited some more. It finally started at 8:30. I was relatively stunned. And there were still people coming long after it started. (Yes, there were people from a ways away, but still, I was surprised even!) But part of this slowness, I think, branches out from that fact that it is more important to just "be" with people than to be doing something or going somewhere. It's more important to stay and finish that conversation with a friend than it is to be on time to church. I appreciate the way they enjoy and live there life. They'd rather spend time with people, living life with one another, than be working that second job trying to get a newer bigger tv and car and house that they may finally obtain the happiness that is always just out of reach. (Again, not trying to offend anyone or point fingers at anyone in general, just pointing out a difference in the cultures I see here and at home.)
Not all the differences are good or bad, just, well, different. I'm guessing there's much more I could say, and your picture of this place isn't nearly as clear as I would like it to be, but it's hard to picture it completely without actually being here for yourself. It's taken a while to adjust, but I'm exited to set aside some of these differences and continue to learn about this world myself and see the beauty amidst the mess. Although, in light of this now empty bag, I do hope they start selling peanut butter mm's soon...
Jan 24, 2011
Something I've been Pondering
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:1-5.
Take a moment to chew on that. "More than that, we rejoice in sufferings..." I've read through Romans many times but that verse had never caught my attention before. It reminded me of another verse that I find fascinating- Philippians 1:29, which says, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake..." The use of the word "granted" makes it sound as though this is a desirable, coveted thing, to suffer for Christ.
In light of this, is it strange that my desire this year is to suffer for Christ? I have been pondering it a lot, and while I have no idea what this means or looks like specifically, it is my hope and prayer that in some way I may suffer on His behalf, that I may better understand who He is and become more like Him. And I am confident that I need not worry about seeking/hoping for this, as it says in the verse above, suffering will ultimately produce hope, which "does not put us to shame." And what more do we need to know than that?
Jan 15 2011
Take a moment to chew on that. "More than that, we rejoice in sufferings..." I've read through Romans many times but that verse had never caught my attention before. It reminded me of another verse that I find fascinating- Philippians 1:29, which says, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake..." The use of the word "granted" makes it sound as though this is a desirable, coveted thing, to suffer for Christ.
In light of this, is it strange that my desire this year is to suffer for Christ? I have been pondering it a lot, and while I have no idea what this means or looks like specifically, it is my hope and prayer that in some way I may suffer on His behalf, that I may better understand who He is and become more like Him. And I am confident that I need not worry about seeking/hoping for this, as it says in the verse above, suffering will ultimately produce hope, which "does not put us to shame." And what more do we need to know than that?
Jan 15 2011
I Made It!
Hey Guys!
Sorry I didn't give an update sooner- I was hoping to last night but my computer plug in is three prongs and the plug in only has two, so my computer died and I didn't get a chance to find an adapter till tonight. Anyways... I just wanted to give a little update on how my trip went and how my first couple days have gone!
Well, I made it! Praise God I had three great flights with almost no problems. The only time I was a little nervous was when I checked in for my flight out of Miami. They said I was supposed to have return tickets booked, but I showed them an intro letter from Pastor Eldon and an invitation letter from the Hoffmans and they were content with that. I was nervous also that I may have trouble gettinjg throu customs but they stamped my passport without hesitation and didn't even bother to look through my bags but sent me right through the doors. I was also a bit surprised but quite thankful to see both my bags there! What a blessing for everything to have gone so well!
My first two days here have been tiring, but also quite fun. My flight arrived on time at 3am, so by the time I got home and somewhat settled and into bed it was just after 5. I slept in till about noon and got ready and joined the Hoffmans for lunch- celebrating the birthday of the daughter of one of the staff memebers. It was slightly intimidating b ut also exciting to meet a number of the people I will be living and working with this year. I was aple to grasp just how rusty my Spanish is as I tried to converse with Gabby, who lives in the room next door to mine above the orphanage. That evening I was able to have dinner with Heather and Kayleen Mickelson, and also their cousin who is visiting from the states. What joy this brought me! And after supper we went to Cristo Viene Girls home, where I spent much time last time I was here. It was exciting to see the new location of the home, as I knew they had been hoping to move for sometime, but it was also a little sad as I only recognized a few girls and they didn't remember me, since they were so young last time I saw them.
Today was another fun but tiring day. I slept in a little again and then spent the majority of the afternoon playing with three of the Hoffman children- Ella, Manny, and Willi. They are adorable, and it was so fun to get to know them a bit. Later this evening we went to the seminary where they were holding a conference for the vineyard church. I got to sing a few songs and listen to the speaker (who was from the states) all in Spanish, which was good practice for me. I've always found gringos (people from the states) are much easier to understand, even in spanish, than native speakers. Probably because we share the same accent. Afterwards, while waiting for the kids to get out, I was able to have a good chat with Gabby (the girl that lives next to me) about a variety of different things. She is so great and I very much look forward to getting to know her better as I work here!
I really miss being home but it's also so exciting to finally be back! I've forgotten how much I love this city and the people here. Thanks so much for your support and prayers! If you get a chance, here are a few requests I have- that my Spanish would improve quickly that I would be able to understand and speak it well. - for the Judah Quy home, we are hoping the first baby will arrive by the end of January sometime, and we are hoping to eventually get up to 6 babies at the home. -and one last thing, just that I would be able to develop meaningful, lasting relationships with people, both Bolivians and other missionaries that are here. It's been a blessing to meet many people I hadn't before, and I'm excited to get to know some of them better.
Sending Blessings and Warm Weather Your Way!
Jan 14 2011
Sorry I didn't give an update sooner- I was hoping to last night but my computer plug in is three prongs and the plug in only has two, so my computer died and I didn't get a chance to find an adapter till tonight. Anyways... I just wanted to give a little update on how my trip went and how my first couple days have gone!
Well, I made it! Praise God I had three great flights with almost no problems. The only time I was a little nervous was when I checked in for my flight out of Miami. They said I was supposed to have return tickets booked, but I showed them an intro letter from Pastor Eldon and an invitation letter from the Hoffmans and they were content with that. I was nervous also that I may have trouble gettinjg throu customs but they stamped my passport without hesitation and didn't even bother to look through my bags but sent me right through the doors. I was also a bit surprised but quite thankful to see both my bags there! What a blessing for everything to have gone so well!
My first two days here have been tiring, but also quite fun. My flight arrived on time at 3am, so by the time I got home and somewhat settled and into bed it was just after 5. I slept in till about noon and got ready and joined the Hoffmans for lunch- celebrating the birthday of the daughter of one of the staff memebers. It was slightly intimidating b ut also exciting to meet a number of the people I will be living and working with this year. I was aple to grasp just how rusty my Spanish is as I tried to converse with Gabby, who lives in the room next door to mine above the orphanage. That evening I was able to have dinner with Heather and Kayleen Mickelson, and also their cousin who is visiting from the states. What joy this brought me! And after supper we went to Cristo Viene Girls home, where I spent much time last time I was here. It was exciting to see the new location of the home, as I knew they had been hoping to move for sometime, but it was also a little sad as I only recognized a few girls and they didn't remember me, since they were so young last time I saw them.
Today was another fun but tiring day. I slept in a little again and then spent the majority of the afternoon playing with three of the Hoffman children- Ella, Manny, and Willi. They are adorable, and it was so fun to get to know them a bit. Later this evening we went to the seminary where they were holding a conference for the vineyard church. I got to sing a few songs and listen to the speaker (who was from the states) all in Spanish, which was good practice for me. I've always found gringos (people from the states) are much easier to understand, even in spanish, than native speakers. Probably because we share the same accent. Afterwards, while waiting for the kids to get out, I was able to have a good chat with Gabby (the girl that lives next to me) about a variety of different things. She is so great and I very much look forward to getting to know her better as I work here!
I really miss being home but it's also so exciting to finally be back! I've forgotten how much I love this city and the people here. Thanks so much for your support and prayers! If you get a chance, here are a few requests I have- that my Spanish would improve quickly that I would be able to understand and speak it well. - for the Judah Quy home, we are hoping the first baby will arrive by the end of January sometime, and we are hoping to eventually get up to 6 babies at the home. -and one last thing, just that I would be able to develop meaningful, lasting relationships with people, both Bolivians and other missionaries that are here. It's been a blessing to meet many people I hadn't before, and I'm excited to get to know some of them better.
Sending Blessings and Warm Weather Your Way!
Jan 14 2011
25 days till Departure
"I know those dreams you're trying to chase, you want'em now but they won't wait. Last thing you're thinking about is slowing it down and the ones you left behind. I'm always thinking of you 'cause when somebody loves you that's what they do, all of the time. So keep in mind..."
These are the lyrics to a newer song out on the radio, and I can imagine they come from a dad like mine.
I can't tell you how excited I am to return to Bolivia and how thrilled I am that it's finally almost time for me to head south. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I'm going to be quite sad to leave! It's crazy to think about being so far away for so long. Apart from the time I spent 10 weeks in Bolivia, I've always lived within 45 minutes or so of home. While I'm excited to go see what God has for me, I also know that this will likely be one of the most difficult years of my life. If my departure is just under a month away, and I'm already sad about saying goodbye, I can only imagine what it will be like at the airport when my family drops me off. Foget tissues, I'm gonna need a beach towell to dry those tears! haha
Mom, Dad, Ben, Trevor, Cassie, Christopher and Michelle, and all my other dear friends and relatives- I love you a ton and am going to miss each of you sooo much!
Dec 18 2010
These are the lyrics to a newer song out on the radio, and I can imagine they come from a dad like mine.
I can't tell you how excited I am to return to Bolivia and how thrilled I am that it's finally almost time for me to head south. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I'm going to be quite sad to leave! It's crazy to think about being so far away for so long. Apart from the time I spent 10 weeks in Bolivia, I've always lived within 45 minutes or so of home. While I'm excited to go see what God has for me, I also know that this will likely be one of the most difficult years of my life. If my departure is just under a month away, and I'm already sad about saying goodbye, I can only imagine what it will be like at the airport when my family drops me off. Foget tissues, I'm gonna need a beach towell to dry those tears! haha
Mom, Dad, Ben, Trevor, Cassie, Christopher and Michelle, and all my other dear friends and relatives- I love you a ton and am going to miss each of you sooo much!
Dec 18 2010
The New Journey Begins
Hello Friends!!
I can hardly believe how quickly my trip to Bolivia is approaching! In just a little over a month from now my new journey will begin.
As many of you know this January I plan to return to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to work in a baby orphanage called Judah Quy. I’ll be working with kids under the age of two who have certain handicaps such as cleft pallet and need more attention than they would receive at the typical orphanages of the city. I will also be working with the Hoffman’s, the family opening the home, providing care for their children as needed when they leave the home to do meetings concerning Judah Quy. It is my current goal to leave around the 10th of January and return shortly before Christmas in 2011. During this time I hope to grow, learn, and serve much as I seek to bring God glory by making His name known.
While I'm waiting for my time to leave I have been working and raising funds to go. This fall I have been working at Arrowhead Bible Camp doing cooking and cleaning and other random projects and am trying to save up a little money to put towards this trip. I am hoping to raise approximately 2700 dollars before I leave to buy a plane ticket down and have enough for a plane ticket back, as well as buy a year long visa and health insurance for the trip. I am also working on finding more people who are interested in supporting me on a monthly basis. I have roughly 450 coming in each month currently and am hoping to reach 600 a month. Three hundred of this amount will be put towards food, housing, transportation, etc; another hundred I will use for ministry purposes, such as buying food to share with people living on the streets or for things at the orphanage; and the final two hundred I will put into savings in case of emergency.
If you would like to join me as I start out on this new journey I could definitely use your help! First and foremost, I am in the need of prayer warriors who will commit to taking the time to pray for me. There are few things more encouraging to a missionary than knowing they are in the thoughts and prayers of loved ones back home. Another way you could become involved is by becoming one of my financial donors. No gift is too big or small! In the past I’ve received one-time gifts anywhere from 10 to 1,000 dollars. The majority of my monthly supporters give 20-50 dollars. Every penny helps! If you do decide to give, all checks should be sent to Bloomer Baptist Church with “Putney support” in the memo. Thank you to all who have supported me in the past and those who support me currently. It would not be possible for me to go without each and everyone of you!
If you have any other questions about my trip please talk to me!! I love sharing from my heart with those who are interested in hearing more!
"He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.'" Luke 10:2
December 8, 2010
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