General Update

What to write… what to write…!

Well, it may be a good idea to update on how I am doing and what I am doing since a few folks have been asking.

I am happy to report that overall I am doing well (except for this very moment where I am suffering from allergies). I feel a lot more settled here and actually starting to like my life in Santa Cruz. I honestly think that Josh´s and my family´s visit helped a lot. They are the ones I talk with the most on a regular basis and they can understand better my context which helps them support me!

Coming as a SALTer has had its challenges. SALTers in Bolivia kind of get lost within the MCC team and we don’t receive too much support/affirmation (except for a great coordinators) from MCC Bolivia. That was really hard in the beginning but I think a lot of us have adjusted appropriately. I came in with the notion that the SALT program (Serving and Living Together) would be more intentional on processing with SALTers and even though that has not been the case, I have had the opportunities to do that with my boss, coworkers, family, and friends. Naturally, they most often don’t understand where I am coming from but I love learning their points of view and the context in where those views developed.

We are anxiously waiting for the new daycare to be finished. It is still under construction and has been delayed due to the rainy season! I am honestly nervous that it is not going to be completed by the date we told the families we would be open- March 1st. And we are short a few thousand dollars to pay it off. Those two things have definitely added tension to the work environment but we have still kept positive attitudes which a lot of that can be attributed to rejuvenated spirits.

I have grown closer to my host family over the last couple of months which has been really fun. They are so different than any other host family, mainly because of family structure, history, and theological beliefs. I really enjoy going to mass every Saturday night. Such a different but beautiful style of worship. I am not permitted to take communion because I hasvent taken my First Communion within the Catholic church BUT I do get to go up at the end of every service and get blessed by the father by sprinkling water on me using a white rose. That is usually the highlight of the service for me because I actually get to participate.

Soon I will start visiting families and I am pumped but also nervous. There are many cultural offenses that I am just learning that I wasn’t aware of like…do not toss anything to people, do not sit with your back facing a person (even if they are not part of the conversation/meeting/group), do not mentioned that you are going shopping to buy used clothing, and always always look good! Ahh! The last cultural value listed has forced me to go to markets to buy new clothing because I really don’t have any clothes that are nice.
In all it has been fun finally adjusting to the city, culture, and life. I still have my homesickness moments but they are fading away more and more as I start to realize what little time I have left and all the many things I have yet to discover and people to meet.

Que Dios les bendiga!