I Have My Visa!!!

Friends,

GOOD NEWS!! I´m safely back from Salta, Argentina with my final 30 days of visa. I had no problems at the border either way, and didn´t even need to pay the fines I had accumulated for the days I was illegal. So, as far as I can tell, I am done with messy visa problems, as I will have a work visa when I come back in January, and the school will be in charge of all the paperwork. Thank you so much for all your prayers! It feels incredible to know that I´m finally out of the woods, and that God was so faithful to keep me here.

The view of Salta from the top of a hill

I want to give a shameless plug for Compassion International. A week and a half ago, I had the incredible opportunity to visit the two kids that my parents sponsor here in Cochabamba. It was a beautiful, powerful experience to meet face to face the kiddos that my parents have been writing to and supporting financially.

The first child I visited, Eugenio, was a project more out in the campo. Eugenio´s family came to Cochabamba 6 years ago from the campo of Potosí, in order that Eugenio would have the chance to go to school, like his parents were never able to. The whole family is fluent in Quechua, and Eugenio´s mom didn´t speak much Spanish at all. We were able to share a little bit in their native language, and they warmed up to me quickly for normally shy campesinos, partly because I shared a love and knowledge of their homeland in the campo. They taught me words in Quechua, made me a delicious snack, and proudly showed me the new house that they were building, complete with sheep for Eugenio´s mom to use their wool to weave.

Me with Eugenio (and their sheep!)

Eugenio´s project gave me so much hope for what Compassion has to offer the kids they serve. All the staff was incredible, balanced in their faiths and passionate about the spiritual, physical and emotional growth of the kids. Its obvious that this project ís making an incredible difference in the lives of the kiddos who attend.

If you want more information about Compassion, or have more questions, please feel free to contact me (I was a volunteer with them for years) or go to www.compassion.com.

I leave Cochabamba 2 weeks from tomorrow!

Katie