Bolivia: TWO DAYS

So, I’m not so into blogging or journaling, but for the sake of my summer plans I want to document and cherish the moments as well as share them with family and friends back home! Speaking of those summer plans, I will be traveling to Cochabamba, Bolivia from June 4-July 28. Northwestern offers this program called “Summer of Service,” or I may often refer to it as “SOS.” We are a team of 18 students giving our summers to partner with ministries all over the world, literally. I have friends going to Greece, India, Haiti, and Ghana, just to name a few. We met to train and pray together many nights this past semester.Each candle represents a country  a student(s) are traveling to. 

How’s your geography? Remember where Bolivia is? 

You may be wondering, why Bolivia? That’s a very good question. I had no intention of going there. I really didn’t know where I wanted to go. All I knew was that I wanted to do children’s ministry, or teach, or just anything in which I could spend time with kids. I was looking into an organization called “International Teams” because I had heard of students doing their SOS there before. Two different people from ITeams suggested this site for me thinking it would be a “good fit.” They speak Spanish there, so that was also a pull factor because I have some background in Spanish. (Gracias, Seῆora Schroeder y Profe Svoboda Ojeda (: ) It sounded great and seemed right, so I took time to think about it and it was soon decided. I’ll be working with “El centro de Amistad y Apoyo, which means "The center of Friendship and Support. http://hopeforbolivianchildren.org/ The Center is an after-school program for kids tutoring, doing activities, games, crafts, etc. They are building a church there, so I will also be working construction and working for that church. Hopefully we’ll get to travel some as well! I was even blessed to get a partner from Northwestern, Betsy Wallin. We’re both education majors and considering we just met in December, I’d say we’re buds now and ready to travel the world together.

Time at home in between finishing at Northwestern and leaving for Bolivia has been really wonderful. I’ve spent time with friends and family (mainly at Applebees or Lulu Beans), worked at Stay N’ Play (the day care I worked at in high school), played church league softball for Svea Lutheran Church on Thursday nights, packed, shopped, attended a Barn Dance hosted by a good family friend from church, babysat, visited elementary classrooms (spent a day in 3^rd grade in Willmar and a day in 4^th grade in Lake Crystal), was a committed sister attending her many events tied in with her graduating, went to church, talked on the phone with friends mostly from NW and that about covers it. I stayed up way too late and got up early… Nothing too new there :)

I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me financially and with your prayers, love, and support. I've been overwhelmed with your generosity. There is no way I could be going without your financial and prayerful support. I have been so blessed by your giving and I pray that you, as the giver, may be blessed as well! 

I take off for Minneapolis on Monday early afternoon and I’ll stay at Betsy’s house that night because we fly out to Miami at 6:25am on Tuesday. We’ll arrive in Miami at 11am on Tuesday and won’t leave for Santa Cruz, Bolivia until 10:50pm. We’ll arrive in Santa Cruz Wednesday morning and will take a short flight to arrive in Cochabamba in the afternoon! I’m excited to finally go after many months of planning and talking about it! However, I am also nervous because I don’t really know what I’m getting myself into. Ready or not, I’m about to find out!

Please pray for…
                - safe and smooth travels these next couple days
                - that God will equip me each day 

                - flexibility
                - my focus to be on Christ