The Parable of the Lost... Kitty?

 Shalom

A couple weeks ago, I was hanging out with a good friend of mine, playing chinese checkers, when I realized Shalom had disappeared.  My apartment is small enough that I quickly determined that she wasn't in my apartment.  I felt cold all over when I realized the only way out of my apartment was my bedroom window that was left slightly open, and that the only way off the narrow windowsill right outside was straight down three floors to the cement stairs below.  With a sinking heart, I got up the courage to look down, fully expecting to see her crumpled body below.  I was both relieved and worried when I saw nothing.  It was after 10pm, so I got my headlamp and searched for her until midnight, calling her name and straining my eyes to see into the shadows of the vacant lot next door.

where Shalom fell

my 3rd floor window barely visible at top

I gave up when I realized it was too dark for me to see anything well.  The next morning I woke at 5am and searched again in the early morning light.  I looked in the most absurd places, lifting lids to empty containers and searching in tiny crevices.  I was just about to give up when I saw a tiny patch of grey behind a flowerpot.  Shalom had spent the whole night huddled behind the flowerpot, completely hidden from sight.  As I scooped her up in my arms, I was overcome with emotion and wept for joy at finding my dear kitty who I thought was lost.

Shalom after the vet

As I carried Shalom back upstairs, I thought about the passage in Luke 15 I had just read the night before.  I was desperate to find my cat, looking everywhere and doing whatever it took to find her.  When I finally found her, I felt incredible joy.  It gave me a deeper understanding of how persistent Jesus is in looking for His lost sheep, and what inexplicable joy He feels and shares with all of Heaven when He finds just one.  It gave me a lot of hope for my friend, who was still sleeping upstairs, who is definitely a lost sheep.  She's been wandering around in the dark, choosing paths that are only taking her father away from her Shepherd, but how much more is our Father beating the bushes, looking for her and calling her name!  What a powerful illustration of how our Father loves us and what He's willing to do to find us.

 

 P.S. I took Shalom straight to the vet and she just had a small fracture in one of her front paws.  Miraculous!

Luke 15

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Watermelon Pumpkins and T'antawawas

We're headed into our last week of raising $ through Navidad En Bolivia to buy a Christmas gift for each kid at The Center.  Because we have to move by the 6th, the 4th is our Christmas party with the kids.  If you are interested in sponsoring a Christmas gift for a child at The Center, please visit:

http://www.navidadenbolivia.info/  A gift is $18/per child and you can go on the website to see the faces of each of the kids at The Center.  We only have 12 of the 60 kids sponsored so far.  Help us reach our goal of giving each kid a special gift for Christmas!

Laura & Reyna

two girls who need sponsors for Christmas

Fall and the holidays, traditions and customs that normally go with it in the States usually go by the wayside in Bolivia.  As a way of coping with the homesickness, I've looked for ways to celebrate some of the traditions as normal.  I've made homemade apple cider and applesauce, and figured out how to get the ingredients for the recipe of pumpkin bread that my mom always makes.  Plus, I've enjoyed the gifts of dried fall leaves that I received in a care package from my Gramma:)

my watermelon jack-o-lantern

Halloween, though, happens to coincide with its equally pagan equivalent, Todos Santos, in Bolivia.  Todos Santos is celebrated on the 2nd of November, and is a national holiday.  Halloween was never a big deal in my family, but some of my favorite memories growing up come from carving the family pumpkin out on our porch.  So, this year I decided to carve a watermelon as a way to remember all the special family times together.  Pumpkins in Bolivia are about the size of a stove top and are green, so that was hardly a practical choice for me to carve:)  I will say that carving a watermelon was quite the undertaking...  I ended up making watermelon juice, watermelon cubes and putting watermelon in everything I made that week.  Even my tiny little watermelon had a LOT of watermelon fruit!!

me w/ my watermelon jack-o-lantern 

Todos Santos ended up being another treat.  Completely on their own, my friends initiated a get-together with all our old group of friends.  The last time we all hung out was when my parents were here in January!  I've seen them all individually, but some are in college and others have tricky work schedules, so it wasn't until last Tuesday that we all finally were together again.  The boys prepared the meal (pollo al horno, a traditional Bolivian dish of oven-roasted chicken, plantains, potatoes, sweet potatoes and salad) and the girls helped with the details:)

 cooking pollo al horno

After eating a wonderful meal on the roof of my apartment building, we sat around the table telling stories, catching up, and talking about all that we missed.  Then we went back to the kitchen to make t'antawawas (bread babies, in quechua).  T'antawawas are a traditional sweet treat during Todos Santos.  Normally they're made as a crispy, flat cookie in the shape of a person, but we got creative and made just about every shape there is!  I was so grateful for the chance to spend time with all my friends all together, grateful for God's provision through their initiation and intentionality, not mine, and for the fullness I felt seeing my house full of people.

some of my favorite people
Alejandro, Daniel (little brothers of Briseyda and Reynaldo)
Briseyda, Andreina, Reynaldo, Humberto & Rosalia

Thank you for your continued prayers for The Center.  We still don't have a place lined up, but are waiting on the Lord and trying to put Philippians 4:6 into practice.  I'll keep you posted!

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

Philippians 4:6

Big changes at The Center

Center kiddos

A few weeks ago, The Center staff found out that on December 6th, we need to move out of the building the Center is currently in.  Our prayer is to find a building or property in the same neighborhood so that we can continue working with the same kids, but after weeks of looking, we haven't found anything yet.  After 7 years of working in the same neighborhood with the same kids, we are just now beginning to gain the kids' trust and see transformations in the lives of the kids.  I'm convinced that Satan is capitalizing on the situation and he'll do everything he can to keep The Center from staying in the same neighborhood.  We have until November 12th to find a place in the same neighborhood before we'll have to look elsewhere.

Please pray that God will provide the right spot so we can continue His work with the same kids and build on the foundation we already have.  Also pray that He will provide the financial means to purchase a building if we find one.  If you are interested in giving to The Center, go to www.iteams.org/give and give to Katie Stewart with a note that the money is for The Center.  If you have any more questions, please contact me.

Here's a little snapshot of what the current Center looks like.  Our hope is to find something with enough space to continue to provide for the kids in the same way.

grassy play area

downstairs classrooms
(the same amount upstairs as well)

Thanks for your prayers!

Katie

P.S. If you're interested in making Christmas special at The Center, check out Navidad En Bolivia at: www.navidadenbolivia.info

An Answered Prayer

 

                              my new kitty, Shalom

I have a roommate!! Ok, so it's not exactly the roommate I was picturing.  She's gray with black stripes, curls up in my lap when I read, and loves to purr.  On Sunday, I got a kitty, and she has been perfect company ever since.  I named her Shalom because she has brought me so much peace.  It's amazing the difference it's made already to have something to care for and something waiting for me when I come home.  Shalom certainly isn't an adequate replacement for a human companion, but she'll certainly help the wait!

me and the jóvenes who came over

Earlier this week, I was really blessed to have about 15 youth over to my house to grill hamburgers and play games.  It was a holiday, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Cochabamba, so we had the whole day to enjoy each other's company.  We spent the early afternoon grilling and eating hamburgers, and then played a game called 60 Segundos (which is a mix of charades and pictionary) until evening.  It was the first time I was able to use my house to facilitate community, and it was really great to finally use my house for something other than myself.  The youth group hasn't been very cohesive lately, so it was really encouraging to see so many people come, and to see them really enjoy each other.  Plus, it definitely helped me feel like I'm not alone here:)

Laguna Alaláy (translation: Lake Brrr!)

Bolivia's got it figured out.  Every year, on the first Sunday of September, the streets shut down and the citizens celebrate Pedestrian Day.  It's just what it sounds like!  No cars are allowed, and for the whole day, Bolivians take to the streets on bicycles, skateboards, tricycles...  I went with the pastor and another friend from church.  We left early in the morning and rode to the lake, then rode through the normally bustling streets, stopping for a traditional hot corn drink and deep-fried pastry.  It was such a peaceful day, and neat to see families out together, enjoying the freedom of empty streets.

me, Pastora Charito & Gary

the normally traffic-congested market

You Know You're In Bolivia When...

1. Scorpions lurk in the most unexpected corners (official scorpion count: 6)

2. Taking out the trash requires listening every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning for the trash truck bell, then dashing down 3 flights of stairs and halfway down the block to hand the trash truck my trash

3. Buying groceries requires a couple mile trek around the largest open air market in the Western Hemisphere, haggling for prices and lugging produce in colorful bags

4. Public transportation suddenly makes a pit stop for the driver to buy a water, check remaining 3 tires after one pops to see if the bus is still driveable, or to fill up on gas

5. Your milk comes in a bag

6. Complete strangers jump to your rescue when drunk, homeless men harass you (this happened just the other day, and even though I felt confident in handling the situation, I was so grateful when two other women standing next to me on the street told him to get lost and pulled me next to them so I wasn't alone anymore.  THAT is the true heart of the Bolivian people)

Mi llajta en Bolivia

A Tour around my house...

my bedroom

a second view of my room

my kitchen

 

my dining room

 

 my living room

 

my bathroom & shower

As you can see, although my apartment is still a little bare, it hardly looks like I live in a third world country.  I have the basic necessities like hot, running water (at least most of the time), a fridge, and even an oven.  I still struggle with the tension of having so much, when most of the people in my church don't have any of those.  But God has been generous with me, and has given me in abundance.  I can only hope that I can be a good steward of His resources and share what He has given me with others.

my apartment building

(I live on the top floor)

Many of you have been asking what kinds of things you can send to me in Coch.  I'm certainly not homesick yet, but I know that there will definitely come a time when I feel the tension of being away from my birth home more strongly.  Especially once fall is in full swing the mountains in Colorado!!  So, if you'd like to send a package, here are some ideas.  The first few are things I can use in my ministry at The Center

Package Ideas: need to be under 4.4lbs!!!
-old magazines (especially National Geographic, Times, Newsweek, etc.)
-easy English picture books
-Spanish picture books (easy and hard)
-pictures
-novels
-movies(DVDs)... the only way to watch movies here is to go to the theater or buy pirated copies:(
-granola bars
-gum
-tea (decaf anything, especially Celestial seasonings!)
-trail mix

celebrating Rosalia's 15th birthday

with some of the church 

Earthquakes and Fireworks

 My soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.  Psalm 130:6

this is what I left behind...

A few days after arriving, I sat at the kitchen table of the Quirogas, my teammates and leaders of The Center. We talked over tea and fresh bread (the typical Bolivian dinner) about my expectations and hopes working at The Center. The Quirogas shared more of their heart and vision for The Center, reaffirming in my heart that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. They see past all the rough edges of the kids, the fights, the lies, the harsh words, and see what Christ sees in all of us: the image of our Creator.

 this is what I came home to!

(the view from my balcony, looking east)

After talking some about my role, which may be shifting and changing, at least in the next few months, to meet needs as they arise, Joana and Toty shared a powerful story of a 11 or 12 year old boy at the Center named Jose Armando. During the fair at the Center a few weeks ago, where the kids get to buy things with points earned thru good behavior the previous quarter, Jose Armando had taken points from 3 other younger kids and had spent them as his own. When Toty confronted him, he admitted what he’d done, and was told there would be serious consequences for his behavior. The next day, in Toty’s language class, she told the kids to write a story about whatever they wanted. Jose Armando wrote about how he was a bad boy, often made bad choices, and hurt others. But he finished his story by saying, “But I want to change. Now that I have God in my heart, I want to change, and I know that I can.”

 The Center

It’s stories like these that remind me how what I’m doing at the Center, what we’re doing at the Center, is simply sharing the truth of Jesus Christ with the kiddos, and trusting the Holy Spirit to do the rest.

Then there's the typically Bolivian snippets of my life that delight me and keep my life interesting.  I walked out my gate the other day and two donkeys were just hanging out right next to my door.  I handwash my clothes on the roof of my four-story apartment building, looking out over the whole city and drying my clothes on a clothesline.  Friday night, fireworks went off every few minutes a few houses down, for no apparent purpose that I could figure out.  Saturday afternoon was interrupted by loud noisemakers, a mariachi band, and a formal procession carrying an altar with some sort of religious symbol inside.  The procession stopped right across the street from me, and the people (mainly indigenous men and women) threw confetti and poured out a little of their beer on the ground, honoring Pachamama, the indigenous earth goddess.

the video I took of the procession

while trying to hide on my balcony

Last Friday, I was on a trufi headed to the market, and everyone was talking about the earthquake that morning in Cochabamba, a 7.5 quake with an epicenter just a mile from my house.  I was so confused!  I couldn't figure out where I had been or what I had been doing that I'd missed an earthquake that HUGE!  It wasn't until I read the paper, looking for more information and I read the word "simulacro", which means "simulation" or "drill".  Good grief.  It was just an earthquake drill, but with real people pretending to be hurt in the "earthquake zone" and real emergency personnel responding.  I'm not sure whether I should feel reassured that Bolivia is prepared for the real deal, or nervous that there's enough of a possibility to be prepared for.  My understanding is that there are small earthquakes, or tremors, almost daily in the city, but they're so small, most go undetected.  I've been told there's nothing to worry about; the fault lines apparently are not major enough or close enough to affect the city.

reuniting with Andreina

one of the girls from my church who I disciple

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.  Keep it up.  I'm still struggling with the isolation of living alone, but I also know that there are invaluable lessons to be learned in the stillness and quiet my living situation has forced me into.  Sounds good when I put it that way, but it really has been a battle, and I know it will continue to be.

I hope to send a newletter update in the next couple weeks with more detailed stories about what The Center is doing and what my part of the ministry looks like.  If you don't think you're on my list to receive my e-newsletter, be sure to let me know!  But until then, suffice it to say that I am overflowing (seems to be a lot of that in my life lately!) with how much I love my job at The Center and how perfect it is for me.