more political updates

Queridos amigos,

YAY!! Good news! I´m back safely from Chile with at least 30 more days of legality, and a possible hope of 60 more if I talk to immigration. Chile was incredible, and I learned a lot more about South America thru my trip cross-country. Hopefully soon I can post pictures of the glacial peaks, alpine lakes, and flamingos. Yep! Flamingos at the border at a whopping 12,000+ feet! So much to tell.

For now, I wanted to let you know a few things to be praying about for the next few weeks. Tomorrow, I leave again to go on a short mission trip (27th of Sept thru 5th of Oct) to Potosí, a southern department in Bolivia. It´s up in the mountains, very remote, and has a large concentration of Quechua indigenous people. We´ll work with kiddos, and won´t take a shower for the whole 9 days:) Sounds like my kind of trip! Pray for safety on the roads, and that we will be able to express the beauty of relationship with Christ with the people in the villages we go to.

Here´s another update from our team leader about the current political situation:

"I'll share some of the highlights. The opposition governors continue to meet here in Cochabamba. Evo was supposed to meet with them yesterday but didn’t; he said today he would. He was in New York Wednesday to speak at the UN and also with the the South American Association of Leaders. The meeting yesterday should have ended with separate documents that he had drafted to encourage the governors to sign his constitutional amendments and a document the governors were drafting in hopes of Evo supporting more autonomy for the provinces. Some notable events:

Evo has asked that the Constitutional Vote be moved up from Dec 7 to Oct 15 (14?) side note: this vote is a big deal, and things could turn sour...

Governor Fernandez of the Pando province was released / moved to Sucre pending more investigation of his involvement in the violence last week.

Camposinos (Evo supporters) marched into Santa Cruz (Autonomy supporters)Wednesday as a show of support for Evo. Although it was peaceful the estimated 300,000 people were intimidating and could still turn violent should the wrong things be said at today's meeting with Evo and opposition governors here in Coch.

Life here continues to be very normal. There are no road blocks, no shortages."

Our God is faithful!
Katie

I´m still safe!

Friends,

Things in Cochabamba continue to be fairly calm, although there is still a lot of instability in the rest of the country. I found out Tuesday that I will be unable to get the kind of visa I was hoping for, but we´re working on plans now for me to travel out of the country soon in hopes that I can piece together another 60 days of visa. I´ll keep you posted, but keep praying!

Below is a summary of the current political situation, written by my team leader here in Bolivia. Hope it helps to ease hearts, as well as inform:)


"I’d like to share a political update with you on our situation here in Bolivia. As
many of you know President Evo is a member of the MAS party (Movement Towards Socialism) and over the past 2 ½ years he has definitely made his party proud. He is attempting to re-write the constitution; however, five of the nine governors oppose Evo’s anti-western policies and his movement away from democracy. The proposed constitution will be voted on Dec 7; however, four of the nine provinces have voted for more autonomy from the central government while five are in support of more power in the hands of the president. The climate is especially hostile because the law requires all constitutional changes to be approved with a 2/3 vote and Evo decided the changes can be made with a simple majority and only the final vote needs to have 2/3.

This past week things escalated when the province of Pando had opposing demonstrators clash and thirty people were killed as Evo declared martial law and the military was called in. The same day the US ambassador was meeting with the Santa Cruz governor; Evo’s biggest opponent, and Evo accused them of inciting un-rest and expelled the US ambassador. The US replied by expelling the Bolivian ambassador, President Chaves of Venezuala then expelled his US ambassador to demonstrate support for Evo and the US expelled the Venezuala ambassador. The following day Evo announced he could no longer guarantee the safety of US Drug Enforcement Agents in his country and the US moved Bolivia to the black list of countries who are no longer helping in the war on drugs. Yesterday, the US pulled out all non-emergency government personal including all Peace Corp members."

Thanks for your continued prayers. I am daily blessed by the support and encouragement from the body of Christ.

Dios llawankichej,
Kati

New Mailing Info

Hermanos y Hermanas,

Just a quick note to let you know that my mailing info has changed. The Spies (the Australian couple that we work with) are going back to Australia on furlough in a month. They will no longer be able to pick up my mail, and any mail addressed to them would be stuck at the post office until after I leave. Here is my new address, starting today:

Matt and Elsa Johnson
for Katie Stewart
Casilla 376
Cochabamba, Bolivia

Thank you so much for all the packages, letters, and notes that you´ve sent over the past few months. I feel overwhelmed by the amount of love that God has poured out on me through all of you. Just a quick reminder, if you plan to send a package (which I would love!), just make sure it´s under 2 kilos (I think that translates into roughly 4 and a half pounds), otherwise I have to pay significant taxes and wait in Bolivian lines. Ugh.

Below is a link to an album of pictures I´ve put together from August. Towards the end, there are lots of pictures of the kiddos at both orphanages... Enjoy!

Hermana Cati


BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

Elian

Friends,

Each time I sit down to write, I find I don´t have the right words to describe all the rich fullness that my heart holds. Life in Bolivia is always such a bittersweet mix of beauty and pain. This picture below of me and Elian captures just a bit of how I usually feel when I´m with the kiddos. The niños have been by far the biggest blessing of my time in Coch. I feel full to overflowing with love for these precious, lindo niños, and it is such a joy each day to share a smile with them, to hold them close, and to tell them of Christ´s incredible love for them.


Elian has weaseled his way deep into my heart. Maybe it's just the shared joy of Quechua, but I suspect it´s this smile you see in the picture... or maybe the shy way he slips his hand in mine, or calls "Cati" to show me something he´s proud of, or the way he comes running, cuaderno in hand, whenever I arrive, to beg for "astawa tarea"(more homework). He´s such an eager learner, and often steals away from the rest of the group to pull out a pencil and practice his letters in his cuaderno.

We took the Villa Israel kids to the movies this week and bought them all popcorn and a drink. When Elian saw I didn´t have any, he leaned over with a fistful of popcorn to plop it into my hand. Every time I finished my handful, he´d tug on my sleeve, saying,"Cati, ¡más!" His heart is in tune with the needs of those around him, and his sweet little Quechua voice is enough to melt anyone!


The flip side of Elian´s beauty is the continued brokenness of his story. I learned a few days ago that they now think that Elian´s dad murdered his mother. I have no idea whether Elian was present for that or not, but I can´t help but ache at the holes that it tore in his life. His father is an alcoholic and is unable to care for any of his children, which means that Elian and Franz are only two of many children in the family and have been separated from the rest of their siblings.

Another torn part of Elian´s story is his identity as a Quechua. In Bolivia, to be from the campo (the countryside) is a deeply shameful thing, and it´s even more shameful to be a Quechua and to speak the language. Elian´s new brothers and sisters are struggling to accept him with this identity. I´ve had several conversations with other kids at Villa Israel about their "new brother" Elian, and several times, I´ve gotten the disdainful response, "He´s not my brother, he´s a campesino". They make fun of his rotting teeth (often a sign of poverty or neglect here in Bolivia) and tell him to stop speaking in Quechua. Whenever I try to talk to him in Quechua, they tell me that he no longer speaks Quechua (he obviously does, as he still struggles to get a few phrases out in español), and tell me he needs to forget his Quechua and his heritage. It breaks my heart that a little boy with such a beautiful language and indigenous identity is being forced to forget all that defines him and his past.


Please continue to keep all the kids at Villa Israel in your prayers, and the interns as well as we struggle to have wisdom for all the situations we face as we try to grow with them. Pray that the impartial love of Christ would be growing in each of their little hearts, and that God would show us how to be an example of this love for them.


Thanks for reading,
Cati


P.S. For those of you who are wondering, August 10th passed without much fanfare... Evo was re-elected and the prefect (governor)of Cochabamba was voted out, but refuses to leave. We may continue to see some interesting political dynamics, but it seems as though things are returning to normal in Coch.


P.P.S. Here´s a video of Villa Israel that my friend Adrian put together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNMHmmSaYdM

Evo & Bolivia

Here´s a brief look at what´s going on politically in Bolivia...

The political climate here is fascinating to me, and heart-wrenching at the same time. Evo Morales, the first indigenous Bolivian president in the country's history, has reached a place in the eyes of the upper class that may very well lead to his assassination in the next few months. Some middle and lower class Bolivians also share this low opinion of him, and the country will vote in August whether to keep him as president or not. I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of Evo's history in Bolivia, but my impression of him is that he is still a symbol of hope for the indigenous and poor people.

I had a conversation with my friends Alejandro and Reina, and they talked about how the current problems in Bolivia are not Evo's fault. He has been implementing programs that are intended to close the gap between the rich and the poor, which in turn has upset the factory owners and the rich. A few of Evo's programs:

-$ incentive given to each Bolivian student who completes 8th grade
-monthly government stipend for Bolivians over 70

Despite all these positive facts, I'm wary of Evo's strong connection to Hugo Chavez, and Evo's growing distrust and dislike of America/Americans. In fact, my visa situation in Bolivia is more complicated because of the new laws that Evo has implemented against Americans. Some speculate that he has made it more difficult for Americans to enter Bolivia because it is so hard for Bolivians to enter the USA. It easy for me to understand his frustration, but it also causes some of my own frustration! In a few months, I may need to leave for Chile for a few days to get a different kind of visa and re-enter Bolivia.

Graffiti on a wall near my house
Translation: "Assasinate Evo the Terrorist!"

On August 10th, the whole country will vote on whether to keep Evo president or not. There are several other issues that will be voted on as well, including the replacement of corrupt governors for each province. Keep the country (and us!) in your prayers on this day, as many are anticipating unrest and potential upheaval surrounding this vote.

As you keep the country and its leaders in your prayers, also keep my heart in your prayers as I struggle to make deep relationships here that will feed me spiritually and emotionally, and as I learn the balance of relying fully on the Lord to meet my every need. I know He is faithful!

un abrazo,

Katie/Kansas/Quechua/Cati/Kata/Hermana Cati

(all my names and nicknames here!)

the BEAUTY and the MESS

My heart is a bit heavier as I write this next blog... A lot has happened in the last week and a half, both good and bad. Villa Israel got two new Quechua orphans: Franz (2) and Elian (6). They only speak Quechua, and theirfirst few days here, I was honored with the chance to speak to them in their native language. It was such a gift to reassure them, and to be able to ask them questions when everything else around them was so foreign and upsetting. It ripped my heart, though, when at the end of our time there, Elian came up to me and said "Jaku wasi", which means let´s go to my home. I told him that this was his home now, and he began wailing with such deep pain that it was all I could do to keep from wailing alongside him. The last week has been a bit better for both of them as they have begun to adjust to their new reality, but every time we leave, Franz whimpers or cries all over again, reminding me that they will always have a piece of their hearts that will be broken.

Early last week, I had the priviledge of taking Franz by trufi (local transportation) to the clinic for treatment (he was sick). As I carried him and held him as he slept on my lap, I was overwhelmed by the incredible sense of responsibility I felt for him, but also the beauty that comes with caring for God´s children. We chattered away to each other, both in our broken speech: my broken Quechua and his broken baby language... a mixture of Spanish and Quechua.

People on the street and in the trufis kept asking me how old my son was, or what his name was, and I was struck by what a funny pair we must look like; a gringa in braids and sandals with a beautiful Bolivian boy on her hip. Taking Franz to the doctor also gave me a sense of fulfillment and gave me an anchor of purpose in the midst of a sea of helplesness.

These boys both need your prayers as they continue to learn Spanish, adjust to their new siblings, and try to make sense of what has happened in their lives in the last two weeks. Their mom died suddenly 2 weeks ago of an epeleptic seizure, and I imagine that the shock of that is also a part of what they are processing and dealing with.




After describing all that pain, here´s a little more beauty for you... This is beautiful Ana from Villa Israel, the only girl there. She has a beautiful heart, and has also taken upon herself to translate and care for the two new boys, as she is fluent in Quechua as well.




Thank you for your continued prayers, friends. There´s so much more to share, especially about the sovereignty of God, so I´ll keep saving up the rich stories.

con cariño,
Katie