Totora

Totora, the campo village we visited

A few weekends ago, Charito (my pastor) invited me to go with her psychology class to the campo, where they were going to do a study of the indigenous Quechua culture there. She thought it would be a good chance for me to practice my Quechua, but for both of us, it was just a good chance to spend the day together, and to grow in our friendship.

more of Totora

Charito is in her mid-30's, and was widowed about 5 years ago. Además, she is Bolivian, through and through, but that doesn't seem to keep us from connecting on a deep level. Charito is becoming my closest friend in Bolivia, and it has made an incredible difference to have someone here who gets me, who wants to spend time with me, who will listen to what's going on in my heart, and who will encourage me/hold me accountable in my faith. If I do indeed stay after this next year, we've even talked about living together. God's grace and provision in my life is overwhelming and fulfilling.

Our time in the campo was good, too. I am advancing a lot in my Quechua, although it is still hard to talk. When we were in Totora, I understood about 70% of the conversations Charito and Julieta had in Quechua with the campesinos. I practice several times a week with my Bolivian friends from church who speak Quechua, and am able to have basic conversations. Qheshwata yankashani!

Julieta (Charito's friend), Charito and me

The year is coming to a close, with less than 2 weeks left. I love my kids, and I have enjoyed being a teacher this semester, but I am really ready for a break. I'm told that I will be teaching second grade next year, alongside my housemate Ann. I'm trying to hold it lightly, as everything here seems to change on a whim, but I'm looking forward to teaching my favorite grade, if it does indeed work out.

my kiddos right before a concert at school

Speaking of things changing quickly, it's not looking so good for my visa. I was supposed to go with my lawyer almost two weeks ago to submit my paperwork to immigration. When I talked to her a week ago, she said there were still 4 more steps I was unaware of, but she assured me I would have my passport in to immigration by Monday. It's Thursday, and still no word. I have 3 weeks left until I had hoped to fly home, and my paperwork will take a minimum of 10 days in immigration once submitted. Mathematically, it could still work, but it'd hard to know when things don't seem to be moving forward.

I'm ok. I feel at peace with whatever doors open or close for my summer, and would be content to stay in Bolivia this summer. Even though I'm ok with either option, I think I'm supposed to come home this summer. There are several compelling relationships and reasons to come home, but I have to trust that if it doesn't work out, God will give me other opportunities to work on those relationships. Just pray that God's will will be done.

I'd also appreciate prayers for my friend Rosalia. She is the mature 13-year-old that I've been friends with for 3 years. Rosalia is going through a rough patch in her life, and has chosen to confide in me and no one else. I feel overwhelmed with the responsibility of guiding her through some difficult choices, but would run the risk of losing her trust if I looked for outside help. Pray that God would speak through me, and would give her wisdom.

me and Rosalia at church

I am grateful for your presence in my life. My community at home is what frees me to be who I am here, and gives me the foundation to build on in my new community. Praise God for creating us as relational beings!

Kati

Up to the Mountain...

Franz, me and María at Frutillar

The latest on the visa situation is that I will supposedly have my visa in 2 weeks. I met with my lawyer, and apparently all that is left is to submit my paperwork to immigration, which then means a 10 day review process. My plan, if I am indeed able to come home, is to fly home the first week in June, and to return sometime before the 9th of August, which is when I have to be back in Cochabamba for school in the fall. Thanks for your prayers, and I'll be sure to tell you when I have visa in hand!

me, Miguel, Humberto, Reynaldo, Mauricio,

Andreina, Ariel, Javier & Gabriel
some of the gang in my living room

Peace. It's something that has become a theme in my life here. I am thinking pretty seriously about staying here long term. I suppose it has always been in the back of my mind to stay, but the pieces are beginning to fall into place. In the last month, God has really confirmed several aspects of my life here, showing me how He is calling me to these people, how purposeful my life is here, and how much I truly feel at home here.

Rosalia and me

A week ago, I was walking in the cancha with my pastor, and she gave me the best compliment ever. She told me that she doesn't see me as an American, or even a foreigner. She told me that I just seem like another Bolivian friend, that I'm easy to talk to, and she often forgets that she's with a gringa. Last Monday, I was walking home with my guy friends from church, and they told me I was turning into a Bolivian, in the way I talk, the things I enjoy, and the way I act. They were thrilled that I was so much like them, even teasing me that all I was missing was a Bolivian man to stay forever. I'm not exactly sure why it thrilled me so much to have these friends affirm my assimilation into their culture, but I think it's because I long so much to be a part of them as people, to experience their lives on a deeper level, even though I know I will never really be able to live in true solidarity with them.

we made a wathiya

Friday was Labor Day in Bolivia, so we all had the day off. My church decided to spend the day in the mountains, fasting, praying, and focusing on community. 15 of us went up the mountain behind my house and spent most of the day in the forest. We worshiped together, both in Spanish and Quechua, broke into small groups to pray, especially for our neighborhood and country, did dramas on the importance of prayer, and then broke fast together with a traditional meal.

our traditional Quechua meal

Two of the Quechua ladies with us dug a hole in the ground and cooked our potatoes in an oven called a wathiya, basically hot rocks and earth, heated by coals. They dumped the cooked potatoes in the middle of the circle where we were sitting, and we each grabbed a potato with our hands, peeled it, and dipped it in a traditional spicy peanut sauce. It felt almost like a communal breaking of bread. We laughed, ate lots, and acted like a big family.

some of my closest friends from church

The most compelling part of my life here in Bolivia is my church family. I have never experienced the body of Christ on such a deep and holistic level. What a gift, what a treasure, what a JOY.

I leave you with some beautiful Quechua worship...

Kati

worshiping in Quechua

A Visit and several Adventures

starting our hike...

My good friend Ryan from college came down to visit the week before my spring break, which was a fun break from the normal routine. We got to go on lots of adventures, but the best one was a hike through the Andes above my house. The mountains above my house are filled with adobe or rock huts, subsistence farmers, and lots of traditional Quechua living that has been preserved for years. It was fascinating and intriguing for me to enter into their world and get a glimpse of what was, hundreds of years ago.

view from the hike of area near Cochabamba

The actual hike itself was beautiful and filled my soul up with the goodness of nature. We hiked through rolling green hills of grass and wildflower meadows, while looking back on the entire Cochabamba valley spread out below us. I kept getting glimpses of Colorado, from the lupine growing in hidden divets to the pines we stumbled upon, to the barren beauty of alpine tundra. Ryan and I spent most of the day on the mountain, but I was left wanting, yearning to explore more and discover what was "just over the next hill...." Little did I know that a week later, that yearning would be fulfilled!

in La Paz

Jen and I took and overnight bus with Ryan to La Paz the beginning of my spring break, and said goodbye to him at the La Paz airport. We spent the rest of the weekend exploring the city of La Paz, enjoying the unique architecture, striking geography, and fun quirks of discovering a new city. One of the highlights was watching the infamous "Cholita wrestling", which, in short, is indigenous women dressed in traditional garb, wrestling WWF style. It was a surreal experience, especially since this particular event has been highlighted in National Geographic and on the BBC news...

eating at one of the diverse restaurants
La Paz had to offer

the view of Coch from the mountain

Yesterday and today, I went on my first ever Bolivian backpack. It was probably one of the most rich and fun experiences I've had yet. As the youth group sports/activities coordinator, I had suggested we go on a youth group hike on Friday since it's a holiday here. The youth ran with it, and next thing I knew, we were going on a night backpack through the same terrain Ryan and I had covered the week before, but with a destination a good 1,000 ft. and several miles futher up and further in. The plan was to head up at night, leaving around 9pm and arriving at a lake called Wara Wara way back in the mountains.

wet, cold, and still loving it

Eight of us ended up going: me and Andreina, my good friends Humberto and Reynaldo, as well as Mauricio, Javier, Miguel, and Hernan. When we started out, it had been raining all day, soaking the tall grass and turning the clay dirt into a slip-n-slide. It wasn't long until we reached the fog and clouds hanging down low, and quickly soaked our clothing. Bolivians are a lot more laid-back about backpacking, carring only a few blankets and a Pepsi for the whole trip. Even though I was more weighed down, I was grateful for extra dry layers, a rain jacket, and my headlamp when we finally arrived at the lake at 1:30am.

we stayed nice and warm w/ lots of blankets!

Our plan was to sleep out, and none of us had a tent, so we were pretty miserable when we reached the lake completely soaked, in the drizzling rain at 13,000+ft with no viable shelter. Humberto sweet talked a man who lived on the side of the lake to let us stay in an extra building he had, and we were delighted to find out that the building actually had BEDS! We pushed all the beds with their straw mattresses together in one room, piled all our blankets on, and squeezed 8 people onto 3 mattresses (I had to share ONE mattress with 3 other people!!). Even though it was a bit squished, it was a really neat time of getting to know the youth better, building stronger relationships, and learning how to really encourage each other.

After a communal prayer, lots of shoving and laughing, we settled in to a quiet night under a tin roof in the Andes. As the rain drummed on the roof overhead, I felt overwhelmed by God's provision and His goodness. If He hadn't provided that room, I don't know what we would have done. He put each piece of our trip into place, showing me over and over that His sovereignty is more than I could ever dream or imagine.

Mauricio, Reynaldo, Javier, Hernan
Humberto & me
(the lake in the background)

This morning, we reluctantly left our warm nest of blankets and braved the rain again, choosing to go down a much longer but much safer route, returning to our homes mid-afternoon. I still can't believe that the group of people I'm closest to here are youth who enjoy backpacking and hiking!!! God really knows what's deepest and closest to my heart.
Humberto, me, Mauricio, Javier, Miguel
in our humble abode

Here's a collage of pictures from some of my trips the last week or so. Click and enjoy!

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Answered Prayers!!

typical Bolivian baby

God brought me to the breaking point last weekend, only to turn around the next day and answer prayers left and right.

Monday morning, I walked into work and found out that my contract was back from La Paz. By Wednesday, I had signed my contract, and yesterday found out that I will start my visa process on Monday! There's still no word on my passport, and whether that's still a problem, but the other two obstacles, God seems to be breaking down quickly!

The director is all of a sudden on my side and doing everything he can to get me home for the summer. He's letting me miss all morning on Monday to get my paperwork started, and he seems willing to do whatever it takes to get my papers through. They did warn me that the immigration process may take "at least 3 months", but I choose to be hopeful.

God also continues to use those in my life to encourage me and remind me of His truth and His faithfulness. On Sunday, as we prepared for the church service, I was feeling especially frustrated, discouraged, and even homesick. My 13-year-old friend Rosalia tuned into that, pulled me aside to gently "lecture" me about God's plans for my life and His faithfulness, and then made me go on a walk with her to get my mind off my troubles. Rosalia is only 13, but she acted like she had the widom and maturity of an adult in her care and response to me.

Keep praying, the battle isn't over yet. I'll keep you posted as things unfold.

Yay!

Katie

walking down to school with the housemates

Jen and Jeff
2 friends from ITeams ministry

PRAY

me and Franz
(one of the Villa Israel boys,
recently moved to the Frutillar orphanage)

Ambiguity. That's the theme of my life in Bolivia. I wrestled for 6 months with my visa when I was here as a volunteer, and now, 4 months later, I'm in the same place.

When I left 2 and a half months ago, I thought I was saying goodbye for just 5 months. Even though I hadn't bought plane tickets, I had plans to return to Colorado for the summer during school vacation. My heart was full of plans: the people I would see, the time in the alpine tundra I'd soak up, and the mountain berries I'd pick. It was more than just returning to evade homesickness... it was going to be a time to really deepen and invest in relationships that are important to me.

This week, I learned that a series of complications, both with my contract and with my visa, may very likely keep me from coming home this summer. My contract is stuck in La Paz, with the Ministry of Labor, where it has quite possibly been for the last two and a half months. in order to get a work visa, I need my contract. The government has to approve this new contract, but seems to be waiting for new immigration laws to settle. Once I have my contract and can start the visa process, I may be looking at months before I have the piece of paper allowing me to leave the country.

So, as it stands now, it looks like I will be unable to leave the country. God must have some plan through all this ambiguity and frustrated plans; I just have to fight to see it. Pray. Pray that a miracle will be done with my visa and contract. Pray that God will continue to refine me through this process, and that I won't give up seeking His face in this.

one of my favorite running routes

In the midst of all the craziness, I've found that going on early morning runs before school saves my sanity. This last week, I had several gifts of quiet solitude, slipping through the dirt streets of the adobe pueblito above my house. These misty mornings have a calming effect on me, reminding me that God is ultimately in control of my future, my past, and my now. In the cloudy sunrises over the Andes, He whispers in my ear, "Katie, just breathe. Breathe in my goodness, and rest in my faithfulness." And looking over the glow of the city lights below, I believe, even if for a minute, that our God is a God who fights for us. A God who knows our heart's deepest cries and inmost groans.

Then I turn down the path and head back home, towards my anxieties, my frustrations, the mundane of daily life, but carrying with me just a little piece of the truth I find on my morning runs.

May each of you find your own "morning run". A time where you can rest each day in the knowledge that God's sovereignty is bigger than anything we could ever encounter.

Kati

"Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10

a picnic at the Botanical Gardens

Bautismo

My life here is full to overflowing. God has blessed me abundantly with a rich community, outlets to use my gifts, and lots of encouragement. I am so grateful for His daily affirmations that THIS is where I'm supposed to be.

me with my favorite neighbor boy, Willy
Carnaval continued... in our house!

It's an incredible blessing to me that my post-college life is almost as full of community as it was when I was living on campus and surrounded by peers! Even though I am developing great friendships with those around me, I still really feel a hole in the area of deep, close friendships. Because of the cultural barriers, I have to be very careful in my friendships with guys. There are no girls my age who I'm around, and I struggle not having a close girlfriend here to keep me accountable.

Nelson, Pastora Charito & Miguel
(don't worry, the boys are standing on rocks. or at least one of them is...)

Miguel getting baptized

Several weeks ago, my church went to Los Molinos, a beautiful retreat along a river. We had a neat ceremony before the baptism, where the four youth who were going to be baptized shared a little bit about why they wanted to be baptized and about their faith journey. The day was cloudy and the water freezing, so the youth really had to be committed to their decision to be baptized! After each person was baptized, we sang "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus". It was truly a time of celebration for the new life of those four jovenes.

me and my friend Humberto behind
one of the waterfalls

Afterwards, we played soccer, sang, and explored along the gorgeous river, including the various waterfalls in the valley. I had fun going behind the waterfalls and playing in the water with my friends. We all drove there together in a big trufi (the local transportation), and as we drove back, someone pulled out the guitar and we worshipped the whole way back. What a joy filled day! It was pretty special to realize I've been a part of this church family long enough to witness two baptism ceremonies, and to have so many memories with the wonderful people in our congregation.

Laura, Valkeria, and me at the baptism

Despite all these blessings, I am struggling with some of the same visa problems that I had the last time I was here. Even though I am on a completely different visa, and I supposedly put all those visa problems behind me, my boss approached me today informing me that I may have hit a snag with my visa process. Someone really doesn't want me to be in Bolivia! It seems like every step of the way, there is always at least one hang up.

Anyway, here's the scoop. I'm still waiting for my contract, and I need my contract from the school in order to start my visa process. It may sound crazy to be teaching without a written contract, but I've been paid each month and given every reason to believe that I will be provided what I've been promised. The problem is that supposedly my new contract is stuck in the lawyer's office because the Bolivian government has an "observation" on my passport. Aaahhh! Sounds scary, but my boss made it sound like it's not a huge thing to worry about yet.

That all said, please just pray that God will provide a clear path to move forward, and that it will just be a mix-up. Hopefully, all I'll have to do is pay for the days I was over my visa last fall, and I can move forward. I am currently almost a month and a half over my current visa while I wait for the residency visa process to begin. Ugh.

Thanks for listening, for your continued prayers, and for all your encouragement. I am grateful for all the support I have at home.

Kati

P.S. Here's the link to my Carnaval dance with the other teachers:
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-4319825846314456703

I'm also including a video from the baptism:
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=-8400814169223687980

COPY THE LINK INTO YOUR BROWSER:)