¡Buen día a todos!
These past few days in Bolivia have been incredible. Despite the challenges I have been faced with-- communication, medicine, sickness, etc.--I know that I am extremely blessed to have the opportunity to be immersed into this culture.
Friday Anna, Lydia, and I (along with a few other volunteers) were feeling adventurous and spent the day hiking through the Andes Mountains. I already knew that I would be okay living in the woods forever but this just confirmed that desire. It also confirmed the fact that I am more out of shape than I had expected. Let's just say that my heart was more adventurous than my actual body...
These past few days in Bolivia have been incredible. Despite the challenges I have been faced with-- communication, medicine, sickness, etc.--I know that I am extremely blessed to have the opportunity to be immersed into this culture.
Friday Anna, Lydia, and I (along with a few other volunteers) were feeling adventurous and spent the day hiking through the Andes Mountains. I already knew that I would be okay living in the woods forever but this just confirmed that desire. It also confirmed the fact that I am more out of shape than I had expected. Let's just say that my heart was more adventurous than my actual body...
Even though my heart was probably beating faster than that of a hummingbird, it was so happy. Every single step up the mountain presented a different view. All of which was breathtaking (literally) and honestly, the pictures don't do it justice. But, they were still worth taking and can be seen in my next post! But here is a preview:
The vegetation was interesting (eucalyptus trees, coniferous trees, etc.) and there was a lot of wildlife. Ok, not that much wildlife. More like farm life. There were mostly cows and a random sheep anddddd lots of stray dogs--SO CUTE. The cows made me feel like I was back home in Wisconsin. At one point there was a woman walking up the mountain looking for her three black cows. Unfortunately they were at the bottom of the mountain--about 12 or 13 kilometers from where she was. There were also playgrounds and abandoned buildings that added to the uniqueness of our excursion. On our way down, there were little kids playing Chinese jump rope and running after the wild dogs.
To add to the trip, Anna, Lydia, and I had so many fun random adventures on our way up. We separated from the other volunteers because they were a little bit more intense than we were. We spent some time sitting in the grass and playing harmonica--which I made sure to pack for the trip. We also had story time for about an hour where Lydia read The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe out loud to us. I could go on and on and on about it but it might get boring to read about each and every step...
The other group made it to about 14 km. while we dilly dallied and made it to about 11 km. The entire hike itself was supposed to take three hours... but that was if you took a car to the end of the road on the mountain. Which we did not realize. Sadly, we didn't make it to the top. If we tried, it would have taken more than three hours. We might have passed out. We probably would have seen llamas--and not just cows. Which would have been fantastic. Another day perhaps.
Saturday we spent the day in town at the market--apparently it's one of the largest street markets in South America. It was an opportunity to see more of the Bolivian culture and practice our Spanish. Necco and Rosemary bought all of us lunch as well as ice cream. I wish that y’all could meet the two of them because they both have such beautiful hearts and they care so much about their volunteers and the mission of Hospitals of Hope.
Today we were all early risers—our day technically began at 6:45 AM but we woke up earlier to ensure we got breakfast. The day was spent at an outdoor clinic about an hour away from where we’re staying. Each volunteer had a different task to do in order to help the Bolivians. Some handed out medication, others took blood pressure, a few did eye exams, etc. I ended up working with the Bolivian kids through evangelism. When they would talk about their relationship with the Lord, their faces lit up with smiles. It’s amazing how happy they can be when their living or health conditions may not be the best. Words can’t even describe the joy they brought to my day. The lesson learned today: I’m terrible at making necklaces.
The vegetation was interesting (eucalyptus trees, coniferous trees, etc.) and there was a lot of wildlife. Ok, not that much wildlife. More like farm life. There were mostly cows and a random sheep anddddd lots of stray dogs--SO CUTE. The cows made me feel like I was back home in Wisconsin. At one point there was a woman walking up the mountain looking for her three black cows. Unfortunately they were at the bottom of the mountain--about 12 or 13 kilometers from where she was. There were also playgrounds and abandoned buildings that added to the uniqueness of our excursion. On our way down, there were little kids playing Chinese jump rope and running after the wild dogs.
To add to the trip, Anna, Lydia, and I had so many fun random adventures on our way up. We separated from the other volunteers because they were a little bit more intense than we were. We spent some time sitting in the grass and playing harmonica--which I made sure to pack for the trip. We also had story time for about an hour where Lydia read The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe out loud to us. I could go on and on and on about it but it might get boring to read about each and every step...
The other group made it to about 14 km. while we dilly dallied and made it to about 11 km. The entire hike itself was supposed to take three hours... but that was if you took a car to the end of the road on the mountain. Which we did not realize. Sadly, we didn't make it to the top. If we tried, it would have taken more than three hours. We might have passed out. We probably would have seen llamas--and not just cows. Which would have been fantastic. Another day perhaps.
Saturday we spent the day in town at the market--apparently it's one of the largest street markets in South America. It was an opportunity to see more of the Bolivian culture and practice our Spanish. Necco and Rosemary bought all of us lunch as well as ice cream. I wish that y’all could meet the two of them because they both have such beautiful hearts and they care so much about their volunteers and the mission of Hospitals of Hope.
Today we were all early risers—our day technically began at 6:45 AM but we woke up earlier to ensure we got breakfast. The day was spent at an outdoor clinic about an hour away from where we’re staying. Each volunteer had a different task to do in order to help the Bolivians. Some handed out medication, others took blood pressure, a few did eye exams, etc. I ended up working with the Bolivian kids through evangelism. When they would talk about their relationship with the Lord, their faces lit up with smiles. It’s amazing how happy they can be when their living or health conditions may not be the best. Words can’t even describe the joy they brought to my day. The lesson learned today: I’m terrible at making necklaces.
I especially loved today because I was able to practice my Spanish more with both children and adults. Some were more difficult to understand because they were speaking Quechua—an indigenous language in Bolivia. The Bolivians were so grateful for the services we provided to them.
I really look forward to what the next few weeks will bring. I know it will present challenges but that's what I'll learn the most from. Even having had only been here for about a week, I know that I have grown immensely in various aspects of my life. I really wish that each and every one of you could be here sharing this adventure with me!
¡Abrazos y besos!
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