The Least of These: June 2009

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Yay for Colorado!

Andreina & me

I made it back to the States, safe and sound. For the first time, I felt like I was leaving home to come to Colorado, instead of the other way around. Right before I came home, I got to go on one last backpack trip with my closest friends (see pic w/ Andreina). It was a great way to say goodbye, with guitar and singing around the fire, sleeping under the stars and pine trees, and then making another wathiya (the earthen oven w/ potatoes) before breaking camp.

Reynaldo & Humberto
Andreina, Briseyda & me

Those same friends came over my last day in Bolivia to share a meal with me (see above pic), and then just blessed me with their friendship and presence. They gathered around me and prayed for my time home, said lots of "Kati, no te vayas..." (Katie, don't go), and just overwhelmed me with their love and care. A few hours later, I got on an overnight bus to La Paz, along with my friend and pastor, Charito, who decided to come the 7-8 hours with me just to keep me company. I was overflowing with gratitude for the ways God came alongside me to gently lead me to the plane home.

the smoggy view I miss...

I cried as I flew away, feeling the tension of leaving my home to go home. Now, writing from the mountains of Colorado, I feel homesick for the mountains of Cochabamba. I even miss the bumpy trufi rides and the smog that hangs low over the city in the mornings! Pray for my heart in these next 2 months, as I learn to let God teach me in the now, and as I seek to live in the present, leaving the past and the future where they belong.

For those of you who are still around in Spokane, I plan to come up 4th of July weekend, and will stay through the 10th or 11th of that week. I'd love to see as many people as I can, so let me know if you'll be around.

Women's Co-op Items:

handmade pillows ($7.50)

handmade pillows
w/o and w/ borders ($9 & $10)

handmade bracelets ($1.50)

handwoven headbands ($3.50)

These are all items I brought back from Bolivia from the women's co-op that have not yet been purchased. If you are interested in buying any of these items, please let me know and I can either send them to you, or bring them to you! The only items that I have more of than what is shown in the pictures are the headbands and the colored/black pillows.

See most of you soon!
Katie

P.S. If anyone would like to write me while I'm home, my address is:
Katie Stewart
745 Sebree Place
Carbondale, CO 81623

Monday, June 1, 2009

Home, I think!

After weeks of uncertainty, frustration, and endless waiting, it sounds like I finally got my answer about coming home this summer. Whether it's the Bolivian government or my school that has gotten in the way of my visa process, that much is unclear. What is clear is that I would have a very difficult time getting a visa with my current situation, and would probably not get my visa until August or September.

My bosses have decided to start all over. They are sending me home for the summer, paying my 4 months of illegal fines, and hoping that I can re-apply for another objecto determinado (my ticket to apply for a work visa) when I'm home. There is some concern that I won't be allowed back in the country, or that I'll still run into problems when I try to get my visa again in the fall, but I have to just put all those "what-ifs" in God's hands and trust that He will continue to provide a way for me to live in my home here in Bolivia.

I'M COMING HOME JUNE 11th!I fly out of La Paz at 7am and get into Denver at 8pm next Thursday. I'm excited, anxious, and a little sad to be leaving my other home for 2 months.

Since I'm coming home, I'd love to connect my loved ones at home with my loved ones here. The women's co-op I've helped start has since taken off, and the women have made some beautiful items. Below are pictures of what we currently have made with their prices. The money paid for each item is broken down into these percentages: 25% for co-op (used for communal materials, needs in the women's community, etc.) 15% for the church (my church, Elohim), and 60% for the women. The percentage the women receive is more than double what they would receive working for a local artisan shop here.

If you are interested in purchasing one of the items you see here, please let me know in the next week (before I leave) and I can bring it back with me. The only items we have more of than what you see are the headbands. The headbands come in those 6 colors, but some come in smaller sizes than others, so be sure to specify what size you want: kid, small or medium.