Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Posted in Bolivia
On Monday we started our work at la Guarderia Samuelito (Samuelito Daycare). The daycare is currently at Iglesia Evangelica Menonita Esmirna (Esmirna Mennonite Church). This building is very cramped with only 3 small rooms and a kitchen. The daycare currently has 52 children but there are many more families in the neighborhood that would like to send their children there. In a response to this need, the Bolivian Mennonite Church bought a plot of land just a few blocks (about a 5 minute walk) from the current daycare location. It is on this property that a new daycare will be built that can serve twice the number of children that currently attend.
Our job that day was to begin clearing the area so digging can begin in order to build walls. We started by burning the grass, which made it easier to clear. The girls were getting a little nervous as the fire burned farther out, getting closer and closer to the fence and road. Several of them began getting anxious and worried about putting the fire out. It appeared as if the fire might get out of control. The man who was in charge of the work didn´t seem a bit worried. He was calm and collected, just waiting for the fire to burn the entire area. It all turned out fine. The fire stopped when it reached the dirt road, and the girls put it out at the edges where it might have spread to more grass.
After the fire finished burning, we began digging up and cutting down anything that was left. We went back to the daycare for lunch and had a delicious meal of noodles with chicken and salad (carrots, tomatoes and peppers). Soon after lunch the sky opened up and the rain poured down. After about an hour of waiting, the rain seemed to be gone so we headed back to work. About 30 minutes after returning to our work site, the sky opened up once again and and dumped rain on us for about 15 minutes. We survuved it okayand made it back to the daycare for a snack of bread and tea before the next round of rain hit.
I´ve taken lots of pictures but haven´t had time to look at them much yet. I hope to look at them soon and get a few ready to post here so you can see a little bit of our experience. Seeing pictures always seems to make it more real.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Posted in Bolivia
On Sunday morning we went to worship at Iglesia Evangelica Menonita Principe de Paz (Prince of Peace Mennonite Church). This is the church that I worked with and worshiped at during my past three trips to Santa Cruz. Over the years I have made some great friends there. As we arrived at the church and went inside, it felt like I was coming home to see family. It was great reuniting with all my friends whom I haven´t seen since 2004.
It was also great to see the completed church building. When I made my first trip to Bolivia in 2002, we broke through the cement and dug holes to build walls underneath the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a 2nd floor room that had an open area– open to the outside– and a few small rooms underneath (at ground level). We built those first walls of brick 6 years ago, and now it is a beautifully finished building with doors, windows, and tile floors. The sanctuary now has a beautiful tile floor instead of cement, as it used to have. I wasn´t able to take pictures on Sunday, but I plan to get back to the church to take some before we leave.
On Sunday afternoon we wend home with our host families. Most of the girls are with 1 or 2 others from our group. Only 1 girl is by herself, and she seems to be handling that just fine. All the girls seem to enjoy their host families. These families are treating us well. So those of you who have daughters with us, they are being well cared for.
Saturday, July 5, 2008 Posted in Bolivia
After a log day of being on planes and being in airports, we finally arrived in Santa Cruz, Bolivia at 11:00pm on Thursday night. It took a while to get through customs, as a few of us still needed to get our visas, but we finally made it through. We were greeted by several people from one of the Mennonite churches here and taken to our first host family. We were welcoed into the home of Tito and Yolanda, a wonderful couple who loves to give to others and share what they have. They have actually built a “dorm” area attached to their home, where they can host individuals or small groups. It has worked out perfectly for us. We are able to stay together and do some orientation for a few days before dividing into our individual host families. This is great for helping us bond as a group, since we didn´t know eah other before coming together on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
Yesterday we met together to talk a bit and learn more about what our schedule will be during our time here, we walked to a nearby market, and went “downtown” to La Plaza– a plaza/park area in the center of the city. When we returned “home” we had a meal prepared for us of hamburgers and chips in honor of the 4th of July. They even decorated with baloons and a home made American flag. After dinner our new Bolivian friends put on some music and taught us some Latino dancing. Christian (our 3-year-old) tore up the dance floor. He was pretty entertaining.
We have only begun our trip, but will have much more to write about as we get started in our work.
by Gina
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