I have one week until I am home. This has by far been the longest time I have been away from my home and my family. This has also been one of the hardest semesters of my life in so many ways! Yet, I think I will come away in the end grateful to have had the experience.
I've been starting to experience some of the first of the lasts. It's a bittersweet feeling because I hate change and I hate saying good-bye, especially to a place that I really love and appreciate. But the past few weeks, I have more and more SO ready to be home. I think about my sweet nephews who are growing so much without me there often. I want to just be HOME. I'm ready for Christmas as well! I've been getting so excited for Christmas, and it makes me so anxious to be home and spend the holidays with my family.
Thanksgiving didn't even really feel like Thanksgiving this year. We had a rainy Thanksgiving weekend, but it was enjoyable. We had a large Thanksgiving meal with the rest of the program students and teachers and faculty in a restaurant. They prepared us a "traditional" American Thanksgiving meal, and it was delicious! (Especially because we haven't really had American food in so long!) It was delicious and a lot of fun to celebrate the holiday together. We played some games and even did a Secret Santa gift exchange. I did better than I thought being away from my family for the holiday. It probably helped that it wasn't my first Thanksgiving holiday away from my immediate family. (I have spent it with Derrick & Sandy in Chicago before.) And it really didn't feel like Thanksgiving at all since they don't celebrate the holiday.
I will miss a few things from Spain, though, so I just wanted to share a few of the things that I feel like I'm going to miss shortly after leaving this place.
-Speaking Spanish. It truly is one of my passions, and I've learned so much! Yet I know I have so much more to learn, and I keep desiring to speak better and keep learning! That is a lot harder not being in Spain, so I will miss the opportunity to speak and practice my Spanish all of the time!
-The professors. I love my professors here and everyone at Acento. I will miss them all so much and miss the experiences and fun class times! It also is beginning to hit me that I am DONE with classes for my undergraduate career! Woo-hoo! (But also scary! I feel so old!) On to student teaching next semester! (which I am also getting anxious and excited about!)
-Seville. This city is beautiful and old. I will miss walking around and seeing beautiful, old buildings and exploring the city!
-Rosa. My sweet Rosa who I've stayed with all semester is so great, and I will miss her so much! It has been a blessing to be able to stay in her home and for her to open her home up to us in the way she has! She is a blessing for sure.
-The lifestyle here. There is always things to do in the city, but yet it still feels like a smaller city in so many ways. I will miss being able to go out late at night and see so many people in the streets and walking around, etc. It is a great part of the culture here, and it has made living here a lot of fun.
For now, though, I am ultimately looking towards being home. And when I think about it, I don't think I will miss being in Seville more than I will appreciate being home with those I love! Pray for my transition, as this week will be hard. We have lots of good-byes, packing, and tests before I head out on Saturday morning at 4 AM from my home here! I have an anxious heart about a lot of things, so I'm hoping that I continue to enjoy my last days and really feel like I just use my time well & don't get too antsy to be home! I will be home sooo soon! I can't wait to see everyone. :)
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Mi viaje a Amsterdam
It's been almost a month since I traveled to Amsterdam with one of my dearest friends--and I'm dying to go back some day! Sara and I have been dreaming about going to The Netherlands for as long as I can remember. Ever since we knew we were going to be studying abroad in Spain, we have talked about making a trip to Holland. We would talk about it and dream about visiting the MOTHERLAND often! So when we got here, we quickly got to planning our trip of a lifetime--which it truly was! I absolutely adored Holland, and so hope to return some day!
We decided to go a long weekend when we had a day off from class here in Spain. We ended up missing one day of classes, but which is something totally do-able here. Sara and I ended up finding some pretty cheap tickets--especially for flying to The Netherlands from Spain--and snatched them up. We booked a hostel for the four nights. We ended up staying at the Christian Youth Hostel that Northwestern's Spring Service Project students visit each spring. It was fun to see where so many of our friends and fellow Northwestern students have been! It was also a wonderful hostel where people were so welcoming and friendly! We ended up attending one of the Bible studies they have each night because a worker invited us. It was enjoyable and fun to converse with people from all over the world. It even fell on Sara and I to translate parts of it to a Spanish-speaking fellow there!! Crazy the opportunities that are placed in front of you daily when you know a second language...
We flew to Eindhoven, because the airplane tickets were much cheaper, which is only about an hour and a half by bus to Amsterdam. We arrived at the airport--which was filled with souvenirs of wooden shoes & all things Dutch and even had a tulip stand! I loved Holland already! As soon as we arrived and saw everything, I just felt like I had arrived at home! It was a crazy weird feeling. When we rode on the bus to Amsterdam, we rode past farm fields and terrain that seemed more "Iowa" than I have seen in a long time! It was a welcoming sight!
As soon as we got to Amsterdam, I was in awe of all of the Dutch fronts on the houses and the things that just so reminded me of my home in little Orange City, IA. It is truly crazy how similar Orange City is to Dutch-land when you are actually there seeing it all! I constantly would see things and be like "Ooh! That's why they have that in Orange City! Or.. that's why that looks like that in Orange City!" etc. I felt almost so torn--because things felt so familiar--but yet I had to keep telling myself I was still in Europe!
As soon as we arrived at the train/bus station, we decided to buy train tickets and go immediately to Haarlem to see the Corrie Ten Boom house. We were very glad we decided to do that! The Corrie Ten Boom House/Museum was an amazing experience. We waited outside the door of the house (that is still standing in its original position) and were able to take a free tour throughout the house. We were able to see the place where Corrie and her family hid men during the Second World War and hear about Corrie's life and her experiences. It was a very cool experience & educational! Definitely a must-see if you go to Holland.
Haarlem was beautiful & small and felt like a small town like Orange City (granted it was still a lot bigger I believe). We also visited a windmill right along the water and were able to take a tour through it and see how it works & go up to the top and look over Haarlem. We ended up being the only ones in the English tour, so we sort of had a private tour to ourselves with a very sweet, old Dutch man. We had fun walking around a little bit and just enjoying being in Holland! Then we took the train back to Amsterdam and found our way to our Hostel.
Over the next few days, we did so much in Amsterdam and had a beautiful, fun time together! Some of the things we did in summary:
We decided to go a long weekend when we had a day off from class here in Spain. We ended up missing one day of classes, but which is something totally do-able here. Sara and I ended up finding some pretty cheap tickets--especially for flying to The Netherlands from Spain--and snatched them up. We booked a hostel for the four nights. We ended up staying at the Christian Youth Hostel that Northwestern's Spring Service Project students visit each spring. It was fun to see where so many of our friends and fellow Northwestern students have been! It was also a wonderful hostel where people were so welcoming and friendly! We ended up attending one of the Bible studies they have each night because a worker invited us. It was enjoyable and fun to converse with people from all over the world. It even fell on Sara and I to translate parts of it to a Spanish-speaking fellow there!! Crazy the opportunities that are placed in front of you daily when you know a second language...
We flew to Eindhoven, because the airplane tickets were much cheaper, which is only about an hour and a half by bus to Amsterdam. We arrived at the airport--which was filled with souvenirs of wooden shoes & all things Dutch and even had a tulip stand! I loved Holland already! As soon as we arrived and saw everything, I just felt like I had arrived at home! It was a crazy weird feeling. When we rode on the bus to Amsterdam, we rode past farm fields and terrain that seemed more "Iowa" than I have seen in a long time! It was a welcoming sight!
As soon as we got to Amsterdam, I was in awe of all of the Dutch fronts on the houses and the things that just so reminded me of my home in little Orange City, IA. It is truly crazy how similar Orange City is to Dutch-land when you are actually there seeing it all! I constantly would see things and be like "Ooh! That's why they have that in Orange City! Or.. that's why that looks like that in Orange City!" etc. I felt almost so torn--because things felt so familiar--but yet I had to keep telling myself I was still in Europe!
As soon as we arrived at the train/bus station, we decided to buy train tickets and go immediately to Haarlem to see the Corrie Ten Boom house. We were very glad we decided to do that! The Corrie Ten Boom House/Museum was an amazing experience. We waited outside the door of the house (that is still standing in its original position) and were able to take a free tour throughout the house. We were able to see the place where Corrie and her family hid men during the Second World War and hear about Corrie's life and her experiences. It was a very cool experience & educational! Definitely a must-see if you go to Holland.
Haarlem was beautiful & small and felt like a small town like Orange City (granted it was still a lot bigger I believe). We also visited a windmill right along the water and were able to take a tour through it and see how it works & go up to the top and look over Haarlem. We ended up being the only ones in the English tour, so we sort of had a private tour to ourselves with a very sweet, old Dutch man. We had fun walking around a little bit and just enjoying being in Holland! Then we took the train back to Amsterdam and found our way to our Hostel.
Over the next few days, we did so much in Amsterdam and had a beautiful, fun time together! Some of the things we did in summary:
- ate poffertjes at a small "fair" that was set up right in front of the Royal Palace (seriously RIGHT in front!) with rides and everything!
- visited the famous Rijksmuseum where we were able to see lots of famous art from Dutch history & from around the world. I have been to a few art museums since being in Europe, but I think this was definitely my favorite!
- ate traditional Dutch pancakes at Sara's Pancake House-- they tasted and looked more like crepes! We also figured out quickly that Dutch syrup is definitely not the same as American syrup.
- went on a boat tour through the canals of Amsterdam. A fun, relaxing way to take in the city during our last day in Amsterdam! The canals were one of my favorite parts of Amsterdam--they added a lot of character to the city, and I of course love being in the city, but also right on the water! They showed us lots of famous houses & sites along the tour.
- walked through the Bloemenmarkt (flower market) where there are lots of souvenirs..and of course TULIPS! (Unfortunately we didn't get to visit Holland during Tulip season) :( I loved all the little gift shops & tulips, wooden shoes, etc. (all things DUTCH!) throughout the city!
- toured the Royal Palace. This was a lot of fun. They shared lots of Dutch history through the audio guides & there was lots of cool art, VERY decorated rooms, etc.
- walked by the Heineken factory & museum. We decided not to take a tour inside, but it was fun to see.
- ate at the Hard Rock Cafe Amsterdam!
- walked through the small Amsterdam Cheese Museum & tried out free samples of cheese!
- took a small tour through the Amsterdam Tulip Museum and learned a lot about the history of tulips!
- visited the Anne Frank House...WOW. This was a cool experience. It made learning about the event in school and reading her book that much more real. It was a cool experience and well worth the wait in line. Very different experience from the Corrie Ten Boom House, but equally interested & very neat & special to see.
- visited Westerkerk (church)
- found the "smallest house in Amsterdam"-- it literally is only as wide as my armspan! And it wasn't nearly as tall as the other houses/buildings on the block! Crazy!
We had so much fun!! It was a packed four days, and like I said before, a trip of a lifetime!! I still can't believe that I have been to Holland! I have to pinch myself sometimes!! I felt like I was living a dream the entire time! However, it did me quite homesick for my little Dutch town on the other side of the world! I seriously felt heartbroken when I had to leave such a quaint, cute place that reminded my soul so much of my real home in Iowa!! It was crazy how much I fell in love with a place in just four days..but I guess that love for it had been growing for many, many years back in Orange City. :)
Soon soon SOON I will be blogging about my week-long break & trip to four more wonderful places: Barcelona, Rome, Paris, and London!
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
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| From on top of the windmill... our cute tour guide took our picture :) |
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| Poffertjes :) |
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| In front of one of the canals |
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| Bloemenmarkt |
Monday, November 3, 2014
ICYMI: Life is NOT a piece of cake
The last couple of weeks have been some of the craziest of my life. The memories I've made, the adventures I've taken, and the people I've spent my time with have really made these past weeks unforgettable. (More posts to come about those adventures!) I've gotten to see and experience so much. Yet, those weeks have also held some of the darkest, most uncomfortable, and hardest moments of my life as well.
Like I've probably mentioned before, this study abroad thing hasn't exactly been a piece of cake for me. Lots of it has been really hard. As of a few weeks ago, I was probably in the worst place I've been so far on this adventure. I was feeling very lonely, very lost, and very angry. A lot has changed since then (thank goodness!), and I've learned to appreciate a lot even though those hard feelings and emotions were very real to me.
What do you do when you feel very lonely & everything & everyone you know and love seems so far away? I have had to struggle and wrestle with those feelings. Many times I've had to cry out & say "God, why does this hurt so much? Why does this suck? Why do I feel as if I have no one to talk to/hang out with/be with, etc?" It has been hard to ask those questions, but I also am realizing that these questions (along with moments of praise and thankfulness!) have really formed part of my experience in Spain and can be just as rewarding as those more lovely thoughts!
Not everything is easy in life. Not everything is a piece of cake. Not everything gives you instant gratification. We live in a world that very much looks for those things. Yes, I want to LOVE my experience in Spain. Yes, I want to be so glad I came & praise God for all the wonderful experiences and friends He gave me while here. But if that isn't the case, that's okay, too. I can still praise God for THE experiences He gave me, good or bad. No matter what, He is good.
No, I'm not saying that this experience just stinks. No, I'm not saying I absolutely hate it here and I just want to go home. That's not the case! {Don't get me wrong, there have been moments I've said those things to myself & to people such as my mom!} There is SO much to truly be thankful for here! I am in a wonderful place with wonderful people, and I'm so glad I have gotten this experience!
Times have somewhat gotten better as well. I have learned to cope with my homesickness little by little & get used to the fact that "my people" aren't here with me and I miss them because of it. But I know that I can make the most of my time here and learn a lot! My Spanish has been greatly improving & I love the professors & the school I'm at here. The city is beautiful and the people are wonderful & kind. Rather than days of feeling especially lonely, I just have moments where I feel so.
And I'm learning daily to look to God for friendship. Jesus is the best friend I will ever have, so why not take advantage of this time to grow closer to Him & learn and grow as a person! Because when it comes down to it, people let you down. People hurt you. Experiences hurt you. But God is my forever & always. Of course, this thought makes me think of one of my favorite country songs. :)
"I could stand to lose my faith in
friends that come and go;
yeah they'll be there when you need them,
they say that when you don't.
I could give up on my heroes,
could let myself down too,
but what would I do
if I lost my faith in You?"
Like I've probably mentioned before, this study abroad thing hasn't exactly been a piece of cake for me. Lots of it has been really hard. As of a few weeks ago, I was probably in the worst place I've been so far on this adventure. I was feeling very lonely, very lost, and very angry. A lot has changed since then (thank goodness!), and I've learned to appreciate a lot even though those hard feelings and emotions were very real to me.
What do you do when you feel very lonely & everything & everyone you know and love seems so far away? I have had to struggle and wrestle with those feelings. Many times I've had to cry out & say "God, why does this hurt so much? Why does this suck? Why do I feel as if I have no one to talk to/hang out with/be with, etc?" It has been hard to ask those questions, but I also am realizing that these questions (along with moments of praise and thankfulness!) have really formed part of my experience in Spain and can be just as rewarding as those more lovely thoughts!
Not everything is easy in life. Not everything is a piece of cake. Not everything gives you instant gratification. We live in a world that very much looks for those things. Yes, I want to LOVE my experience in Spain. Yes, I want to be so glad I came & praise God for all the wonderful experiences and friends He gave me while here. But if that isn't the case, that's okay, too. I can still praise God for THE experiences He gave me, good or bad. No matter what, He is good.
No, I'm not saying that this experience just stinks. No, I'm not saying I absolutely hate it here and I just want to go home. That's not the case! {Don't get me wrong, there have been moments I've said those things to myself & to people such as my mom!} There is SO much to truly be thankful for here! I am in a wonderful place with wonderful people, and I'm so glad I have gotten this experience!
Times have somewhat gotten better as well. I have learned to cope with my homesickness little by little & get used to the fact that "my people" aren't here with me and I miss them because of it. But I know that I can make the most of my time here and learn a lot! My Spanish has been greatly improving & I love the professors & the school I'm at here. The city is beautiful and the people are wonderful & kind. Rather than days of feeling especially lonely, I just have moments where I feel so.
And I'm learning daily to look to God for friendship. Jesus is the best friend I will ever have, so why not take advantage of this time to grow closer to Him & learn and grow as a person! Because when it comes down to it, people let you down. People hurt you. Experiences hurt you. But God is my forever & always. Of course, this thought makes me think of one of my favorite country songs. :)
"I could stand to lose my faith in
friends that come and go;
yeah they'll be there when you need them,
they say that when you don't.
I could give up on my heroes,
could let myself down too,
but what would I do
if I lost my faith in You?"
That song has been one of my favorites for a long while now. I remember the lyrics striking me at one point when I was hurt and upset over the way I was feeling beaten down by relationships with others. And I've thought of the lyrics from this song often when I've felt as if everything around me is falling apart. Just like it says at a different point in the song (the link is above if you want to check out all the lyrics), God's got our back. We don't know why and we don't deserve it. We WILL find ourselves up against walls in this life, but we have NOTHING to worry about. God has it ALL in His hands. Isn't that oh so wonderful?
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Un Mes en Europa
Yikes. It has been a month in this place. Some days it feels like it's been forever. Others it seems like I just got here and I'm still adjusting. Yet my time here is almost a third of the way over!! Even worse is that this is my first blog post since being in Spain..oops! Sorry to all of those I promised that I would be blogging often..so far I have not kept to my promise! (Now I will definitely be trying harder to stick to my promise!) Once a couple weeks go by, so much happens that it's just so hard to know what to say!
Well today I decided it is time to share some of my story since being Europe..what I've been up to, what I've been feeling, some of the things I've seeing and experiencing here in Spain! I will try to recap the last month as best and efficiently as possible!
I have been living in Seville now for over a month. It is my new home (and yes, it still feels new even though I've been here now for about 5-6 weeks. This is crazy to me because I was in Bolivia for 7 weeks about and my time here feels like 1/10 of the time I had in Bolivia, yet Bolivia felt like it went so fast as well! Time just really flies and it is hard to keep track of it. I have been living with a lovely older lady who we call our "senora" here in Spain with my roommate Michelle. I absolutely adore Rosa. She is sweet, funny, and she is constantly doting on us and wanting us to feel completely at home in her tiny apartment. And when I say tiny, I mean tiny. I have never lived so "on top of" other people in my life. It has taken some getting used to--living with a completely new roommate, in a tiny room with a bunk bed, and sharing one tiny bathroom among the three of us. I will definitely be happy to have my own space again when I'm back in the States! It has really been going well though, and I'm thankful for that. Rosa is also an amazing cook, which is great!
The second weekend we were here, a large group of us went to the beach in Cadiz. It was a couple hour bus ride, and it was well worth the trip! I laid on the beach for 8 hours, got fried (& didn't even care!), and had a relaxing time. It was great after our first full week of classes. Classes have been going great. I have class from 9:55 until 1:30 with one break in the middle. I only have three classes daily, which is nice. I made it through my first round of tests, which went well also! School feels a little bit like I'm back in high school-- going to the same classes every day, etc. But I generally enjoy my classes and my professors especially.
We have taken two school excursions as well since I've been here! One of the first weeks we went to Cordoba! We had a day trip where we were able to visit the Mezquita which we had been learning about in my art class. We also were able to have free time and walk around the city and across a bridge that was built in the 1st century! The history here is amazing, and I love it!
This past weekend we had our only school excursion that was overnight. We took a bus to Toledo, which was about 6 hours away. We stopped on the way and saw the windmills from the famous Spanish literature piece "Don Quijote". Some people were quite thrilled with the windmills!- me: "I've seen a few windmills in my day.." ha We stayed overnight in a hotel, which was amazing! We were all thrilled to be sleeping in comfy hotel beds and to be able to take an actual shower with a showerhead attached to the wall! (Yep, our showerhead at our house is not attached to the wall) Oh the little things. In Toledo we walked around the tiny, winding streets and explored the many shops. Toledo is known for all of the swords and weapons they make (Toledo was actually where all of the swords and things were made for Lord of the Rings!). As a class we visited the large cathedral there and spent a lot of time admiring the architecture we have learned about in art class. We also took in an amazing view of the city from a spot outside of the city.
From Toledo, a group of me and 7 other friends traveled by train to Madrid. We spent the weekend in Madrid at a hostel. It was my first train and first hostel experience, and it was a blast! We took in tons of amazing art at the Reina Sofia and El Prado art museums. Paintings by Picasso, Dali, and El Greco we really enjoyed. It was cool to see some famous works of art that for many years I've only heard about in school or in books actually in person! We also visited the Palacio Real (a royal palace) where kings and queens of Spain have lived. It was very ornately decorated, and I really enjoyed it! We had a great time exploring the city. When the rest of the group went to the soccer game, I was able to wander around the large Buen Retiro Park and some of the city near our hostel some more.
This past month has been crazy. I have gone through a large range of emotions. I have had really good weeks, and I have had some not so good weeks. Overall, I'm having a great time, enjoying this city, and the experience. But also overall things have been hard (harder than expected). Some things haven't been so easy for me--finding my place, making new friends, etc. and that can make the experience difficult, confusing, and overwhelming. I have had some definite days of homesickness in the past here. That was very hard as I have never dealt with that before-- I was never homesick in Bolivia! It made me miss Iowa (and even Bolivia a lot), and it has made the experience a difficult and overwhelming one in many ways. But I'm trying to trust in my God who knows why I'm here and that I'm meant to be here, and I'm learning to take it day by day and find the good in each day. I have been working to make the absolute best out of my experience. Pray that I can continue to do just that each and every day! More updates to come.. I promise. :)
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
Monday, September 1, 2014
Los primeros dias en ESPANA!!!
Am I really in Spain?? Is Seville my home for the next 4 months?! Is this for real???
Those are just a few of the questions I have been asking myself in the last few days. I simply cannot believe I am here. I don't know if that is a good thing or not yet! I am just waiting for the day when I am like--oh crap!! what did I get myself into?! I can't go home! I can't see my family!...-- but for now I am really enjoying & trying to take in all of the new sights, smells, and tastes of this beautiful city that I now am able to call home! Seville is GORGEOUS. That makes the transition all the more easier! I really didn't want to leave home. The night before leaving, I was a straight-up mess. The last few weeks at home I wasn't excited AT ALL to come to this place. I would've packed up in 2 hours and got on a plane and been fine going to Bolivia, that's for sure!! But another new place? A place so far away from home where I know next to no one again and have to stay for 4 months? No way. Not excited at all. But I did really quite well the day I had to leave! I was very impressed with myself if you ask me. ;) Barely any tears were shed the day of my departure! (which wasn't the case the night before! ha)
But I am here! It is always quite the transition when you are in such a new place. It's a completely different thing trying to get accustomed to a place where you know you are staying for quite a while & it needs to start feeling like home. It takes time. And I'm totally aware of that. I've been telling myself to just continue to be patient & rest in the fact that this is where I need to be right now..
All of our flights and everything went so smoothly, which was seriously so nice. I was absolutely exhausted upon our arrival, though. We lost hours and I was completely lost as to what day it was when we arrived. The jet lag really wasn't as bad as I expected, though! I guess the daily, short siestas help with that. :) As soon as we got here, Leslie, the program director, and Jenna, the Student Ministries Coordinator, met us at the airport. From there we got on a bus and drove through the city to our individual homes where our Senoras met us.
Me and my roommate (Michelle) live with a sweet older lady named Rosa. She is just the greatest. I have so enjoyed living with her so far! She is an amazing cook, which has been such a blessing! She is retired, so she spends her day pretty much taking care of us! Anything we need, she helps us with & she is always so willing and wanting to make us comfortable in her home. We live in a tiny apartment (I mean TINY). Me and my roomie share a small room, and then all three of us share a bathroom. There is a small living area where there is a couch, tv, and our dining room table & then there is a seriously tiny kitchen that can really only fit like one person at a time! It is definitely hard to get used to being in such confined space! We live on the second floor of an apartment building. Unfortunately, our home is the farthest from the school, so it is a good half hour walk to school. It has been in the 100 degree range all week-- it is HOT HOT HOT here. I was not expecting that all! There's no air conditioning, so we have fans on just to try to keep us cool! I don't think I have ever sweated so much. Hopefully it will cool down soon, so it's more comfortable & we are WANTING to be out and about doing things!
The first few days we had a lot of orientation stuff--getting to know other students, the program, etc. It has been good to get to know other students in the program and get to know the city. We have spent quite a bit of time already just walking around, exploring, and getting to know the city. I feel so lost here and can't wait til I know my way around and how to use public transportation--especially since live so far away from the school & the center of the action. I thought Cochabamban transportation was tricky!--that seems like a breeze now! It'll get easier I'm sure. I'm already learning so much. I have a bike pass, so I have spent some time getting to know the different bike stations where I can rent out a bike and ride around town a little easier. There are just so many people out and about all the time, which I love, but it can make biking tricky sometimes too! I will definitely be sharing more about this city and all the great things about it that I am learning to love! It is a completely new culture, and I love it! This was kind of a random post, but I wanted everyone to know that I've made it safe and sound & am really doing well! :)
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
Those are just a few of the questions I have been asking myself in the last few days. I simply cannot believe I am here. I don't know if that is a good thing or not yet! I am just waiting for the day when I am like--oh crap!! what did I get myself into?! I can't go home! I can't see my family!...-- but for now I am really enjoying & trying to take in all of the new sights, smells, and tastes of this beautiful city that I now am able to call home! Seville is GORGEOUS. That makes the transition all the more easier! I really didn't want to leave home. The night before leaving, I was a straight-up mess. The last few weeks at home I wasn't excited AT ALL to come to this place. I would've packed up in 2 hours and got on a plane and been fine going to Bolivia, that's for sure!! But another new place? A place so far away from home where I know next to no one again and have to stay for 4 months? No way. Not excited at all. But I did really quite well the day I had to leave! I was very impressed with myself if you ask me. ;) Barely any tears were shed the day of my departure! (which wasn't the case the night before! ha)
But I am here! It is always quite the transition when you are in such a new place. It's a completely different thing trying to get accustomed to a place where you know you are staying for quite a while & it needs to start feeling like home. It takes time. And I'm totally aware of that. I've been telling myself to just continue to be patient & rest in the fact that this is where I need to be right now..
All of our flights and everything went so smoothly, which was seriously so nice. I was absolutely exhausted upon our arrival, though. We lost hours and I was completely lost as to what day it was when we arrived. The jet lag really wasn't as bad as I expected, though! I guess the daily, short siestas help with that. :) As soon as we got here, Leslie, the program director, and Jenna, the Student Ministries Coordinator, met us at the airport. From there we got on a bus and drove through the city to our individual homes where our Senoras met us.
Me and my roommate (Michelle) live with a sweet older lady named Rosa. She is just the greatest. I have so enjoyed living with her so far! She is an amazing cook, which has been such a blessing! She is retired, so she spends her day pretty much taking care of us! Anything we need, she helps us with & she is always so willing and wanting to make us comfortable in her home. We live in a tiny apartment (I mean TINY). Me and my roomie share a small room, and then all three of us share a bathroom. There is a small living area where there is a couch, tv, and our dining room table & then there is a seriously tiny kitchen that can really only fit like one person at a time! It is definitely hard to get used to being in such confined space! We live on the second floor of an apartment building. Unfortunately, our home is the farthest from the school, so it is a good half hour walk to school. It has been in the 100 degree range all week-- it is HOT HOT HOT here. I was not expecting that all! There's no air conditioning, so we have fans on just to try to keep us cool! I don't think I have ever sweated so much. Hopefully it will cool down soon, so it's more comfortable & we are WANTING to be out and about doing things!
The first few days we had a lot of orientation stuff--getting to know other students, the program, etc. It has been good to get to know other students in the program and get to know the city. We have spent quite a bit of time already just walking around, exploring, and getting to know the city. I feel so lost here and can't wait til I know my way around and how to use public transportation--especially since live so far away from the school & the center of the action. I thought Cochabamban transportation was tricky!--that seems like a breeze now! It'll get easier I'm sure. I'm already learning so much. I have a bike pass, so I have spent some time getting to know the different bike stations where I can rent out a bike and ride around town a little easier. There are just so many people out and about all the time, which I love, but it can make biking tricky sometimes too! I will definitely be sharing more about this city and all the great things about it that I am learning to love! It is a completely new culture, and I love it! This was kind of a random post, but I wanted everyone to know that I've made it safe and sound & am really doing well! :)
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
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| The Plaza de Espana-- one of the places we visited on our tour and photo scavenger hunt throughout the city! |
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| A beautiful mural of a sleeping child in the Plaza de Armas-- another site we visited during the scavenger hunt. |
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Despues de una semana..
I have been home from Bolivia now for a little over a week. It seems crazy and it has gone so fast, yet at the same time it seems like weeks since I've seen my beautiful Bolivian family. I miss them. A lot. I miss Bolivia. I miss Cochabamba. I miss the kids at El Centro. I miss my simple, beautiful South American life.
I'm just now blogging since my departure and last week in Cochabamba. Mostly because I'm finding this really hard. Nothing has been easy about coming home-- saying good-bye, not knowing when or if I will return, & re-adjusting to American life. I think for the most part, I've just tried not to think about it. That really stinks. But I've found it to be easiest when I just enjoy my time here and don't actually think about how much I miss Bolivia and the Quiroga family especially.
I know that not thinking about it is not the way to deal with my re-entry and culture shock of being back in the States. I know that I need to face my time there and the after-effects and thoughts about it head on. I really wish in some ways I had right away. But I think I needed time too; a lot of things have been really hard since being back and I've wanted to ease myself in.
I've never experienced anything quite like this. I have experienced going to other countries--especially Haiti-- and coming back and missing it and everything. But nothing can compare to the large range of emotions--strong emotions-- I've felt since being back from Bolivia. A large part of it is my lack of understanding of them-- I feel like I don't even know or understand my own feelings & emotions-- so how am I supposed to explain them to somebody else? That's another large part of my pushing all of my feelings to the side...
I feel like a large part of me is just broken. Or missing. I loved what I felt in Bolivia. I loved where my heart was. I loved my experience. But right now I find myself confused. Asking questions. And unsure why I'm here-- in Iowa. If people ask me about my time, I usually just share that it was an incredible experience, I wouldn't trade it for anything, and I made some amazing friends. But I don't even know how to go deeper-- how to share my heart-- how to explain what I'm feeling and what I felt in that place. I really haven't shared with anyone how much my experience has impacted me. Part of me feels bad about that. I feel like I should be able to use this experience and share it with people, etc.. I know that I just need time, though. It will take time to process my emotions, thoughts, feelings..and I need to do that. I need to face those things and deal with them rather than push them aside. Because that is where I will really be blessed and learn so much from my experience.
I would love to talk about Bolivia. Really. With anyone. I would love to share my stories, what I've learned, the things I saw, and the many ways I was blessed and am continuing to be blessed by my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve, learn, and grow in Cochabamba. If you would like to talk about my time there, I would love to talk with you! It may be hard to form the words to truly describe my experience, but I would love to try. And with that being said, I will continue to process and learn from my time there. My prayer is that I would continue to be able to do that and that it wouldn't be painful, hard, etc. I miss Bolivia so much, but I know that only means that I had such an amazing, blessed experience there and can't wait to return!
My last days in Bolivia were so bittersweet. I got the flu in the night and was sick for an entire day on my second to last day there. I was upset that I couldn't enjoy one of my last days there. My sweet mother took such great care of me and I was feeling very humbled! We spent a lot of precious family time together in our last days. My heart was just sick thinking about having to leave. My last morning I was all packed up and anxious to leave. Joana and Leah prepared Joana's famous chocolate cake. We ate it before my departure together. I was able to give everyone the gifts I had for them, and many of the family members were able to say a few words to me. I will never forget those words Mama Toty shared with me and the tears we both cried around the kitchen table. After that was the hard good-byes. I had to hug Joana, Jorge, and Isaac and the other girls good-bye. Many tears were shed! After that David took me and Mama Toty to a taxi. We took a long, mostly silent taxi ride to the airport. Mama sat with me in the airport for a long time because we were there quite early. She never wastes a moment to teach a lesson, tell a story, and we talked quite a bit before my departure. Saying good-bye to her was just so hard. Saying good-bye to everyone was so very hard. I can't say I've felt a heartbreak quite like that before.
I flew that day to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Me and another girl who was serving in Cochabamba stayed in a hotel that night. It was a lot of fun to be able to explore a bigger city and see a different Bolivian city! We got some supper and found their Plaza Principal. We woke up early the next morning and were in a taxi to the airport by 6:30. We were able to see a beautiful sunrise on the way.
Seeing my family was so bittersweet as well, though. I was so thankful to be back in my mother's arms after a very long day of travel. Seeing my nephews the next day and the rest of my family was just so great! But I was exhausted--mentally, emotionally. Like I said, none of it has been easy. It was most definitely much harder to be back than to originally go! That was probably the most surprising part of my entire experience! But looking back, I can just think about how thankful and blessed I am. Thankful that I was given the opportunity. Thankful for the many people who blessed me by giving towards my trip and making it possible. Thankful to have met a wonderful family in Bolivia who quickly became true second family. Thankful for my friendships at El Centro. Thankful for the many ways in which God touched my heart.
So, thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you for giving, praying, and blessing me on this journey!
I am one very blessed child of God.
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
I'm just now blogging since my departure and last week in Cochabamba. Mostly because I'm finding this really hard. Nothing has been easy about coming home-- saying good-bye, not knowing when or if I will return, & re-adjusting to American life. I think for the most part, I've just tried not to think about it. That really stinks. But I've found it to be easiest when I just enjoy my time here and don't actually think about how much I miss Bolivia and the Quiroga family especially.
I know that not thinking about it is not the way to deal with my re-entry and culture shock of being back in the States. I know that I need to face my time there and the after-effects and thoughts about it head on. I really wish in some ways I had right away. But I think I needed time too; a lot of things have been really hard since being back and I've wanted to ease myself in.
I've never experienced anything quite like this. I have experienced going to other countries--especially Haiti-- and coming back and missing it and everything. But nothing can compare to the large range of emotions--strong emotions-- I've felt since being back from Bolivia. A large part of it is my lack of understanding of them-- I feel like I don't even know or understand my own feelings & emotions-- so how am I supposed to explain them to somebody else? That's another large part of my pushing all of my feelings to the side...
I feel like a large part of me is just broken. Or missing. I loved what I felt in Bolivia. I loved where my heart was. I loved my experience. But right now I find myself confused. Asking questions. And unsure why I'm here-- in Iowa. If people ask me about my time, I usually just share that it was an incredible experience, I wouldn't trade it for anything, and I made some amazing friends. But I don't even know how to go deeper-- how to share my heart-- how to explain what I'm feeling and what I felt in that place. I really haven't shared with anyone how much my experience has impacted me. Part of me feels bad about that. I feel like I should be able to use this experience and share it with people, etc.. I know that I just need time, though. It will take time to process my emotions, thoughts, feelings..and I need to do that. I need to face those things and deal with them rather than push them aside. Because that is where I will really be blessed and learn so much from my experience.
I would love to talk about Bolivia. Really. With anyone. I would love to share my stories, what I've learned, the things I saw, and the many ways I was blessed and am continuing to be blessed by my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve, learn, and grow in Cochabamba. If you would like to talk about my time there, I would love to talk with you! It may be hard to form the words to truly describe my experience, but I would love to try. And with that being said, I will continue to process and learn from my time there. My prayer is that I would continue to be able to do that and that it wouldn't be painful, hard, etc. I miss Bolivia so much, but I know that only means that I had such an amazing, blessed experience there and can't wait to return!
My last days in Bolivia were so bittersweet. I got the flu in the night and was sick for an entire day on my second to last day there. I was upset that I couldn't enjoy one of my last days there. My sweet mother took such great care of me and I was feeling very humbled! We spent a lot of precious family time together in our last days. My heart was just sick thinking about having to leave. My last morning I was all packed up and anxious to leave. Joana and Leah prepared Joana's famous chocolate cake. We ate it before my departure together. I was able to give everyone the gifts I had for them, and many of the family members were able to say a few words to me. I will never forget those words Mama Toty shared with me and the tears we both cried around the kitchen table. After that was the hard good-byes. I had to hug Joana, Jorge, and Isaac and the other girls good-bye. Many tears were shed! After that David took me and Mama Toty to a taxi. We took a long, mostly silent taxi ride to the airport. Mama sat with me in the airport for a long time because we were there quite early. She never wastes a moment to teach a lesson, tell a story, and we talked quite a bit before my departure. Saying good-bye to her was just so hard. Saying good-bye to everyone was so very hard. I can't say I've felt a heartbreak quite like that before.
I flew that day to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Me and another girl who was serving in Cochabamba stayed in a hotel that night. It was a lot of fun to be able to explore a bigger city and see a different Bolivian city! We got some supper and found their Plaza Principal. We woke up early the next morning and were in a taxi to the airport by 6:30. We were able to see a beautiful sunrise on the way.
Seeing my family was so bittersweet as well, though. I was so thankful to be back in my mother's arms after a very long day of travel. Seeing my nephews the next day and the rest of my family was just so great! But I was exhausted--mentally, emotionally. Like I said, none of it has been easy. It was most definitely much harder to be back than to originally go! That was probably the most surprising part of my entire experience! But looking back, I can just think about how thankful and blessed I am. Thankful that I was given the opportunity. Thankful for the many people who blessed me by giving towards my trip and making it possible. Thankful to have met a wonderful family in Bolivia who quickly became true second family. Thankful for my friendships at El Centro. Thankful for the many ways in which God touched my heart.
So, thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you for giving, praying, and blessing me on this journey!
I am one very blessed child of God.
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
La escuela Biblica de vacaciones y el comienzo del fin...
My final week here in Cochabamba has begun, and it is very
bittersweet. I am ready to see my family, but I will miss the people who
have become my 2nd family here so very much.
Last week we had VBS. We ended up not being able to have it
on Thursday because of the protests and everything. However, we didn't
have to drop anything because we made it all fit into Friday's schedule
miraculously! Friday was another really great day at VBS. I was
able to share the gospel with Leah's help using the Gospel Soccer Ball.
It is basically another version of the wordless book, where colors
represent the different parts of the Gospel story. We thought with the
World Cup going on and all the kiddos that really love soccer, it would really
help them remember the important Gospel story! I think it went really
well, and the kids really showed that they knew God's story.
At the end of our time that day at VBS, Joana led a time where the
kids could say good-bye for us. It was a really bittersweet but special
time. The kids got in a big circle around us volunteers. They got
in close so some of them could lay their hands on us. And then Joana led
them in an echo prayer where they prayed over us, thanked us for coming, and
wished us well. Then after the prayer some of the kids took the
microphone and said a few words for us if they wished. Some of them said
they would miss, others that they wished we would be safe in our travels, and
that God would care for us. It was so very sweet of all them. It
was such a special time to say good-bye to those kiddos that have stolen my
heart.
Saturday we had our last morning of experiments. We did
experiments with water with the 4th-6th graders. It went well once again,
and it has been such a blessing to be able to teach them and interact with the
older students at the center. Saturday afternoon we went to the Cancha
and did some shopping with Toty and Joana. We then went down to El Prado
and ended up getting ice cream at our favorite place and watching the very
ending of the World Cup game.
Sunday I had my last day of church. I have been so very
blessed to be a part of this church family while here. Everyone has been
so welcoming. I will really miss the intimate worship setting and seeing
everyone each week. Before preaching, David spoke some words to me and
then prayed for me as it was my last week with them. At the end of the
service, everyone got in a circle around me and laid hands on me while Mama
Toty prayed for me. As my sweet Bolivian mother was praying and choking
up, I couldn't help but really tear up. It will be so hard to leave these
people that I love and that love me so well! Her prayer will always be
very special to me, as she prayed for my time with them and for my future.
One of the hardest parts of Sunday is that I was expecting my dear friend
Arminda to come to church. She always asks me if I'll be there and this
week was no exception. I kept waiting and waiting, but she never showed
up. I was expecting to say good-bye to her that day.. I feel very sad
that I never really got the chance to say good-bye, as that was my last chance.
It is really hard not feeling that finality.... I will miss her so.
She is a sweet, sweet girl who has loved on me so much this trip.
Sunday was a day for fiestas!! We were invited to two parties that
day, so we had quite the busy day. First, we had one of the teachers at
the center, Laura's, baby shower. It was so fun that she invited us.
We went with Toty and Joana. There was lots of good food and games.
We had picked out a gift for her from all of us volunteers the day before
at the Cancha. We could only stay for a short time, but it was so fun to
be a part of a celebration like that here in Bolivia.
Then we headed straight over to the Porter's house for Natasha's
QUINCEANERA!! I have always wanted to experience a quinceanera so I
finally got to! It wasn't quite the extravagant event that they sometimes
can be, but it was such a special time and we were so glad we could help
Natasha celebrate! She is truly a special girl, with such a beautiful
smile and her joy for the Lord radiates! The quinceanera is really a time
to celebrate a girl becoming a woman. We ate some really good food (my
first amazing burger in a long time! yum!) and laughed a lot playing games with
everyone. Everyone was asked to bring a few words to say to Natasha.
We spent time all sharing what she means to us and got to hear letters
read to her that were sent from family all around the world. It was so
special, and I am so glad I could be a part of that special celebration.
Yesterday, Monday, we ended up going to Parque Tunari. It is
a national park where you can hike. We were expecting to find a lake or
something, but we ended up not being able to make it far enough. We had
to turn around in order to make it down in time before sunset. We started
from the house walking at 10:15. We didn't make it home til after 5:30.
Man, we were exhausted!! We walked pretty much the entire way. Just
up the mountain it was about 13 kilometers! We figured we walked about 17
miles in total that day. My legs are feeling it today! The views
were beautiful, though, and I was thankful I was smart and brought my nice
camera this time!
My days are coming to an end here. I'm beginning to recognize
that so many things are my "lasts". I'm treasuring my last
moments with the Quiroga family and the new friends I have made here. I
will miss this place so much, and will always treasure it. I hope to be
back!!
Prayer requests:
- That
I would be able to really cherish and take in these last days.
- For
safety and good travels as I travel to Santa Cruz on Saturday and then
have to spend the night in a hotel before flying out to the USA on Sunday
morning.
- That
I would feel peace as I have to leave this place and am able to say
good-byes and feel some sort of finality..
- That
God would not stop working in me, but that I would continue to learn and
grow in these last moments and days, and also as I return home and have to
adjust to home once again.
- Pray for our work at the center this week. The kids are still on vacation, so we are deep cleaning this week!
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
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| Mama Toty dominating one of the games at the baby shower! You can tell she's had some experience ;) |
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| The kiddos singing one day at VBS! |
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| Me and Natasha at her quince! |
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| At one of the highest points we made it to on our hike....overlooking the beautiful city of Cochabamba. |
Thursday, July 3, 2014
"Porque para Dios no hay nada imposible"...Lucas 1:37
Trust in God... Nothing is impossible for God.
That is the theme we have been focusing this week's VBS for the kiddos at the center on. Luke 1:37 is the verse they have been memorizing. It has been a great first two days of VBS. Tuesday and Wednesday we shared the stories of God calling Abraham and Daniel and the Lion's Den. The kids have really seemed to enjoy it so far! The kids have learned a lot about what it means to truly trust God, follow Him even when you don't know where He may be leading you, and that His plan is the best plan for our lives.
But I have also had to take that verse and those words to heart. Yesterday we heard news that there was going to be protests and blockades today. Those happen occasionally here. Basically, the trufi drivers or bus drivers are protesting for something. It often has to do with the transportation. Well, that means there is no transportation today. They usually last just 24 hours, unless they come to an agreement before then. None of the trufis or buses are running on these days because they are on strike and/or because of the large amount of blockades set up around the city. Taxis and personal cars are the only means of transportation, but that is if they can get around.
Unfortunately, we knew what that meant for us. We would not be able to get up to the center. That means no construction in the morning. And possibly no VBS in the afternoon. Bummer. That was hard news to hear. After all our hard work to prepare a 4-day VBS, we would have to cut out one day if the protests continued through the afternoon... And that also means for me 1 less day with the kiddos. As of now, we haven't heard any news of them coming to an agreement and it's close to noon here. We usually leave around 1:30 for the center.
Last night I had to come to terms with the fact that all I can do about it is pray. And trust. Just like the kids have been learning.. Anything is possible with God. If I'm standing in front of them every day preaching that, I need to believe it myself, right? I knew that all I could do is pray, wait, and pray some more. And trust that God will work it out for the best. If it isn't possible to have VBS this afternoon, we will just adjust. We will rearrange the schedule for tomorrow and just make it work. And it will all come together. Because I trust that God will work it out for the best. Not that this was an easy realization to come to at all. It does really stink that we probably will be having one less day of VBS. And I will probably only have one more day with all the kiddos at the center...and then a morning of experiments with the older students.
VBS has been so fun so far, though. It has definitely been stressful. And it hasn't all been easy. Arranging everything, preparing everything, and making it all come together was difficult and trying at times. Before we began Tuesday, I didn't know how it was going to all go down. And again, all I could do about it was pray and hope for the best! God definitely blessed our plans, and it went really well! We adjusted and learned from our first day (like all great teachers do!) and the second day went well, also! We have a time of singing at the beginning. After that we split the kids into age-level groups. They go through centers of games, a drama story, and a craft. They also get a snack in one of the centers. I have been in the drama center, so I have been part of preparing and being a part of the story we share with them about the Bible each day. It has been a lot of fun to see them learning and participating! I can't wait to see how the next day(s) go! I am confident that they will walk away learning a lot about trusting God.
Some prayer requests:
That is the theme we have been focusing this week's VBS for the kiddos at the center on. Luke 1:37 is the verse they have been memorizing. It has been a great first two days of VBS. Tuesday and Wednesday we shared the stories of God calling Abraham and Daniel and the Lion's Den. The kids have really seemed to enjoy it so far! The kids have learned a lot about what it means to truly trust God, follow Him even when you don't know where He may be leading you, and that His plan is the best plan for our lives.
But I have also had to take that verse and those words to heart. Yesterday we heard news that there was going to be protests and blockades today. Those happen occasionally here. Basically, the trufi drivers or bus drivers are protesting for something. It often has to do with the transportation. Well, that means there is no transportation today. They usually last just 24 hours, unless they come to an agreement before then. None of the trufis or buses are running on these days because they are on strike and/or because of the large amount of blockades set up around the city. Taxis and personal cars are the only means of transportation, but that is if they can get around.
Unfortunately, we knew what that meant for us. We would not be able to get up to the center. That means no construction in the morning. And possibly no VBS in the afternoon. Bummer. That was hard news to hear. After all our hard work to prepare a 4-day VBS, we would have to cut out one day if the protests continued through the afternoon... And that also means for me 1 less day with the kiddos. As of now, we haven't heard any news of them coming to an agreement and it's close to noon here. We usually leave around 1:30 for the center.
Last night I had to come to terms with the fact that all I can do about it is pray. And trust. Just like the kids have been learning.. Anything is possible with God. If I'm standing in front of them every day preaching that, I need to believe it myself, right? I knew that all I could do is pray, wait, and pray some more. And trust that God will work it out for the best. If it isn't possible to have VBS this afternoon, we will just adjust. We will rearrange the schedule for tomorrow and just make it work. And it will all come together. Because I trust that God will work it out for the best. Not that this was an easy realization to come to at all. It does really stink that we probably will be having one less day of VBS. And I will probably only have one more day with all the kiddos at the center...and then a morning of experiments with the older students.
VBS has been so fun so far, though. It has definitely been stressful. And it hasn't all been easy. Arranging everything, preparing everything, and making it all come together was difficult and trying at times. Before we began Tuesday, I didn't know how it was going to all go down. And again, all I could do about it was pray and hope for the best! God definitely blessed our plans, and it went really well! We adjusted and learned from our first day (like all great teachers do!) and the second day went well, also! We have a time of singing at the beginning. After that we split the kids into age-level groups. They go through centers of games, a drama story, and a craft. They also get a snack in one of the centers. I have been in the drama center, so I have been part of preparing and being a part of the story we share with them about the Bible each day. It has been a lot of fun to see them learning and participating! I can't wait to see how the next day(s) go! I am confident that they will walk away learning a lot about trusting God.
Some prayer requests:
- I have definitely had some of my hardest days while here in this past week. I think the mix of starting to miss people at home more, the stress of preparing VBS, and the anxiety of looking forward to having to leave the people here have really taken a toll on me.. Prayers for strength, perseverance, and that I would really finish out my last week and a half strong!
- It looks like I picked up pink eye somehow... I woke up this morning with a nasty, pink eye. Not fun, so pray that it would go away soon!
- Pray for the protests and blockades going on. Pray that they would be peaceful. Pray that they would be able to find an agreement...and God-willing before VBS so that we are able to have it this afternoon!
- Pray that God would continue to work on my heart and teach me things and open my eyes. I have really been trying to dig into His word and use these last two weeks fully, so that I am able to come away with a deeper relationship with Him and a better understanding of this world. He has been doing some great things in me so far!
Trust in Him! Anything is possible with God on your side!
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Mi horario, Experimentos y Pairumani...
What a week it has been! I think every week just goes by faster and faster. I can't believe that I only have 1 more Sunday left in this place! First off, I wanted to share a little bit about our daily life here and my schedule.
Mondays we don't have classes at the center. So, it's considered our day off. 2 of the other interns go to The Cancha with Joana. That means that I really have all morning to relax, do devotions, catch up on anything that needs to be done or prepared for the center that week, do laundry, etc. In the afternoons, all of us are around so generally we go do something or explore some part of the city if we have a chance.
Tuesdays me and Leah take turns going with Kathryn generally to the Cancha to help her carry all of the things she needs to buy for her women's cooking classes. It really can depend, though, on if she is feeling well. We have gone with Gustavo instead or cancelled before as well. Then we either eat with Kathryn at her house or head back to our house for lunch. Classes start at the center at 2:30. We take turns heading there early, so we either leave the house at 1:30 or 2:00. If we go early, we have to get glasses of water ready for the kids for those that want it when they come and clean the tables from the day before. On Tuesdays, I'm in charge of preparing el refrigerio (the snack). It usually consists of preparing a grain drink (api..purple corn drink! is one of the regulars and one of the kids' favorites) and opening up packages of some type of crackers/cookies/etc. for the kids. One day this week I had to peel 80 oranges and 80 bananas for the kiddos! Wow, my fingers hurt after that one for a few days!! There are about 80 kids that attend the center each day from 1st-6th grade. After preparing snack, we all help serve snack shortly after 4:00. After snack, I help out in Creatividad (crafts) class. When the kids are finished with their homework in their regular classrooms, they can get a pass to go to Creatividad. I generally help prepare the different projects, or at least a couple of them a week. The center time is finished at 5:30. At that point, we clean up and head home and generally get home by 6:30. Then we eat supper, get anything prepared for the coming days, hang out, watch movies, etc.!
Wednesdays we have construction in the morning. So right after breakfast, we head to the center by trufi. Sometimes Howard and/or Gustavo are there to help us, but other days it's just us girls getting dirty and getting down to work! We work for a good 2 1/2 hours or so and then head home for lunch around 11:30. We clean up, eat, and then have to head back to the center already. Construction in the mornings & El Centro in the afternoon. Wednesdays I don't prepare snack, but I help out in the 4th grade classroom. The 4th graders are so full of energy and quite a fun bunch! The room is generally crazy, but I do my best to help the kids out with their homework (which usually consists of a lot of math). It took me a bit to figure out how to help them with their long division, because it is completely backwards from the way we do it! Sometimes I just have to tell them, sorry I have no clue how to help you with this...and they just look at me like "what?! You don't know this?!" It can be quite humbling. :) After refrigerio, I help out with the washing of the dishes from the snack and then any time left over help out in Creatividad.
Thursdays are very similar to Wednesdays. We do construction at the center in the morning. Then we go to the center for classes in the afternoon. On Thursdays I again prepare refrigerio and then help out in Creatividad.
Fridays we have the morning for Spanish lessons. My lesson is at 11 AM with Toni. I sometimes head down to Av. America early to get coffee or walk around or visit the supermarket, though. I just have to take the bus down to Toni's house, and it's super easy to get there by myself. Toni has a gorgeous backyard and beautiful house. Her lessons have been so wonderful for me. I have learned SO much, and it has been a huge blessing for my time here! She is a wonderful Christian woman, so nice to just have conversations with every week, and I can't begin to explain how much I have learned over those 1-hour private lessons!! I can bring any questions I have to her, and she right away could pick up on my ability level and has tailored the sessions to what I really need to improve my Spanish. I will miss having access to such amazing lessons! She is a GREAT teacher. After my lesson, I head back for lunch and then we head to the center for the afternoon!
Saturdays have been a little different the last couple of weeks because we have started experiments at the center. We invited the 5th-6th graders to El Centro on Saturday mornings for a couple of hours to do fun science experiments and another learning opportunity for them. I think the kids have really been enjoying it! They say that they haven't really done anything like it before. It has been fun to find experiments they will enjoy and have an opportunity to actually teach and interact more with the older students. We did experiments all with eggs this past week. We did the classic egg drop experiment and had them create something to protect an egg. They thought it was so cool that they could drop them from the 2nd story of El Centro! In the afternoons, we have time off to do whatever and explore again!
Sunday mornings we head to church. After church, we all go out to lunch together. We usually go to some type of food court where everyone can order what they want or a more authentic Bolivian restaurant. Sunday afternoons we either rest or sometimes do some exploring as well.
As you can see, our days are pretty packed! It has been so fun, though! This week on Saturday afternoon, we went straight from experiments on a little adventure! We packed some bread, fruit, and snacks and left straight from the center. We took a trufi to Plaza Norte and ended up just buying some food there and taking it to-go. We got on a different trufi which took us to a Quillacollo, which is pretty much a suburb of Cochabamba. We basically had to do a lot of asking around to figure out exactly what trufis to take and everything. From there, we found a different trufi to take us to Pairumani, a national park with hiking trails. We went hiking up the mountain. We had no idea how long it would take us or what it was going to be like! It wasn't as long as we thought it would be, but it was a good hike! Especially doing something more strenuous like that, you can sure feel the altitude difference! We came to this lookout area and some amazing views of a huge canyon! It was breathtaking! Then we finally kept going, had to go through a gate, and then got to a narrow path that took us right alongside the side of a mountain. We walked a way and came to the waterfall! The waterfall wasn't much because it's so dry right now. There was barely even a river in the canyon even. Then we could walk up some steps right next to the waterfall and see the river flowing over all of the rocks! It was amazing to hear the flowing water and dip our feet in the water! It was cold, but so refreshing after our hike! We relaxed for a while, ate some of our snacks, and then headed back down! We made it up and down in just a couple hours really! It was such an amazing experience, and really reminded me how GREAT, how MARVELOUS, and how WONDERFUL our Maker is! His creation takes my breath away all the time here.
Prayer requests:
Mondays we don't have classes at the center. So, it's considered our day off. 2 of the other interns go to The Cancha with Joana. That means that I really have all morning to relax, do devotions, catch up on anything that needs to be done or prepared for the center that week, do laundry, etc. In the afternoons, all of us are around so generally we go do something or explore some part of the city if we have a chance.
Tuesdays me and Leah take turns going with Kathryn generally to the Cancha to help her carry all of the things she needs to buy for her women's cooking classes. It really can depend, though, on if she is feeling well. We have gone with Gustavo instead or cancelled before as well. Then we either eat with Kathryn at her house or head back to our house for lunch. Classes start at the center at 2:30. We take turns heading there early, so we either leave the house at 1:30 or 2:00. If we go early, we have to get glasses of water ready for the kids for those that want it when they come and clean the tables from the day before. On Tuesdays, I'm in charge of preparing el refrigerio (the snack). It usually consists of preparing a grain drink (api..purple corn drink! is one of the regulars and one of the kids' favorites) and opening up packages of some type of crackers/cookies/etc. for the kids. One day this week I had to peel 80 oranges and 80 bananas for the kiddos! Wow, my fingers hurt after that one for a few days!! There are about 80 kids that attend the center each day from 1st-6th grade. After preparing snack, we all help serve snack shortly after 4:00. After snack, I help out in Creatividad (crafts) class. When the kids are finished with their homework in their regular classrooms, they can get a pass to go to Creatividad. I generally help prepare the different projects, or at least a couple of them a week. The center time is finished at 5:30. At that point, we clean up and head home and generally get home by 6:30. Then we eat supper, get anything prepared for the coming days, hang out, watch movies, etc.!
Wednesdays we have construction in the morning. So right after breakfast, we head to the center by trufi. Sometimes Howard and/or Gustavo are there to help us, but other days it's just us girls getting dirty and getting down to work! We work for a good 2 1/2 hours or so and then head home for lunch around 11:30. We clean up, eat, and then have to head back to the center already. Construction in the mornings & El Centro in the afternoon. Wednesdays I don't prepare snack, but I help out in the 4th grade classroom. The 4th graders are so full of energy and quite a fun bunch! The room is generally crazy, but I do my best to help the kids out with their homework (which usually consists of a lot of math). It took me a bit to figure out how to help them with their long division, because it is completely backwards from the way we do it! Sometimes I just have to tell them, sorry I have no clue how to help you with this...and they just look at me like "what?! You don't know this?!" It can be quite humbling. :) After refrigerio, I help out with the washing of the dishes from the snack and then any time left over help out in Creatividad.
Thursdays are very similar to Wednesdays. We do construction at the center in the morning. Then we go to the center for classes in the afternoon. On Thursdays I again prepare refrigerio and then help out in Creatividad.
Fridays we have the morning for Spanish lessons. My lesson is at 11 AM with Toni. I sometimes head down to Av. America early to get coffee or walk around or visit the supermarket, though. I just have to take the bus down to Toni's house, and it's super easy to get there by myself. Toni has a gorgeous backyard and beautiful house. Her lessons have been so wonderful for me. I have learned SO much, and it has been a huge blessing for my time here! She is a wonderful Christian woman, so nice to just have conversations with every week, and I can't begin to explain how much I have learned over those 1-hour private lessons!! I can bring any questions I have to her, and she right away could pick up on my ability level and has tailored the sessions to what I really need to improve my Spanish. I will miss having access to such amazing lessons! She is a GREAT teacher. After my lesson, I head back for lunch and then we head to the center for the afternoon!
Saturdays have been a little different the last couple of weeks because we have started experiments at the center. We invited the 5th-6th graders to El Centro on Saturday mornings for a couple of hours to do fun science experiments and another learning opportunity for them. I think the kids have really been enjoying it! They say that they haven't really done anything like it before. It has been fun to find experiments they will enjoy and have an opportunity to actually teach and interact more with the older students. We did experiments all with eggs this past week. We did the classic egg drop experiment and had them create something to protect an egg. They thought it was so cool that they could drop them from the 2nd story of El Centro! In the afternoons, we have time off to do whatever and explore again!
Sunday mornings we head to church. After church, we all go out to lunch together. We usually go to some type of food court where everyone can order what they want or a more authentic Bolivian restaurant. Sunday afternoons we either rest or sometimes do some exploring as well.
As you can see, our days are pretty packed! It has been so fun, though! This week on Saturday afternoon, we went straight from experiments on a little adventure! We packed some bread, fruit, and snacks and left straight from the center. We took a trufi to Plaza Norte and ended up just buying some food there and taking it to-go. We got on a different trufi which took us to a Quillacollo, which is pretty much a suburb of Cochabamba. We basically had to do a lot of asking around to figure out exactly what trufis to take and everything. From there, we found a different trufi to take us to Pairumani, a national park with hiking trails. We went hiking up the mountain. We had no idea how long it would take us or what it was going to be like! It wasn't as long as we thought it would be, but it was a good hike! Especially doing something more strenuous like that, you can sure feel the altitude difference! We came to this lookout area and some amazing views of a huge canyon! It was breathtaking! Then we finally kept going, had to go through a gate, and then got to a narrow path that took us right alongside the side of a mountain. We walked a way and came to the waterfall! The waterfall wasn't much because it's so dry right now. There was barely even a river in the canyon even. Then we could walk up some steps right next to the waterfall and see the river flowing over all of the rocks! It was amazing to hear the flowing water and dip our feet in the water! It was cold, but so refreshing after our hike! We relaxed for a while, ate some of our snacks, and then headed back down! We made it up and down in just a couple hours really! It was such an amazing experience, and really reminded me how GREAT, how MARVELOUS, and how WONDERFUL our Maker is! His creation takes my breath away all the time here.
Prayer requests:
- That I would take advantage of my last weeks here.
- That our VBS would go great this week! We have definitely been feeling the stress with all the things to get done before then! Pray that we might teach just a few kids even who have never heard about Jesus and that we would make an impact on their lives.
- Health: I have been dealing with bad allergies this week (I think largely due to the pollution...Cochabamba was under a red alert for pollution/smog this week) and Joana has been very down with a bad cold this week! Pray that we all continue to stay as healthy as possible and get over anything we have soon.
- Pray that God would really use me this week and that I would be open to Him and what He has to teach me and show me these last few weeks. I want to keep the focus on Him and really soak in this opportunity while I can!
- Continued safety!
Blessings from Cochabamba! I am LOVING my South American life, though at times it can be difficult and trying.
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
Breanna
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| This girl is the sweetest... Arminda, I will miss sitting next to you at church, you braiding my hair whenever you can, and seeing your joy-filled smile in the 4th-grade classroom! |
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| Teaching experiments on Saturday morning |
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| Sitting on the rocks in the river above the waterfall! |
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| Me and my sweet, funny, & crazy buddy Gabriel |
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| Loving the mountains at Pairumani! |
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
La Feria...y mucho mas!
I can now say that I've hit the halfway point. My trip is halfway over. My time with the kiddos is halfway spent. My Cochabamba adventure is over halfway done...
WOAH.
Am I ready to be done? Absolutely not. Does the idea of leaving this place that I've fallen in love with in 2 and a half weeks scare me? Absolutely. I'm not ready. Not in the least. I feel like I'm finally getting to know the kiddos at El Centro really well and know where I belong and what my job is here...
And now I have to think about leaving. I'm just not ready to think about that yet.
The last week here has definitely been my favorite I think, or at least held a lot of the highlights of this trip. But it was also the week where certain things popped up and I started to miss my family more, my friends, and my home. It was hard to see all that was going on in NW Iowa and not be there to be help or at least to be a support... This week it really started to sink in how much I love this place, adore the children, and am going to miss being a part of this culture and community.
This week we were able to celebrate Emily's birthday!! It was such a fun day being able to do that with the Quiroga family. Any time spent with them is really cherished, and I have absolutely LOVED getting to know them and be a part of their family! This family is WONDERFUL. We went out for supper for Emily's birthday (where we were all able to try anticucho... cow heart!!). It was a fun time at an outdoor food court-type area. After that, we returned home to the most delicious chocolate cake I think I have EVER eaten, prepared by the wonderful Joana! We even celebrated with Barbie birthday hats to make the occasion extra-special, and all the boys even joined in on the fun! ;)
Thursday was Corpus Christi here in Bolivia, a Catholic holiday that is celebrated. On most holidays most people don't work, therefore schools were closed and we didn't have to work at El Centro. We instead went and worked construction at the Center in the morning and then spent the afternoon relaxing and preparing for La Feria. On Friday we had La Feria (the fair) for the kiddos at El Centro. This was by far my favorite day at the center so far. The fair is something they hold twice a year for the kiddos. The kids receive fake money/tickets for a certain amount. They earn their money throughout the year by attendance, good behavior, and hard work in their classes at the center. It is such a neat idea, and I love that the kids have to earn what they want to spend at the fair. The kids each received their money and a card around their neck that showed all the stations. They had to go in order to each station and could proceed through the stations as many times as they wanted until all of their money was gone. There were four stations--food, games, clothing, and toys. The kids could spend their money on whatever they wanted in each station! The kids were SO excited, and I absolutely loved seeing the joy on their faces as they could pick out what they wanted and just have a fun day off from homework! I helped out in the toy station, so I was able to help a lot of kids find fun toys to take home with them. We also helped out by going to the Cancha and buying a lot of the toys that week, so it was fun to see who all of the toys went home with. One thing that really stuck with me was how selfless some of the kids were. Many of the kids would come in the toy room the second time and instead of picking out a toy for themselves would pick out a toy for their younger sister or brother at home---so precious!! La feria was a success, thanks to so many people who donated and helped out at it! The kids clearly had a blast, and I loved being a part of it! Before even beginning, Joana led the kids in a prayer to thank the One who made the entire thing possible--I love that they kept the entire thing in perspective and really put the focus on what God has done, what He is doing, and what He has provided. They said at one point throughout the year, they also hold a smaller Feria for the parents. It really is a great idea to give the kids the opportunity to earn through positive behavior--and therefore be able to buy things with dignity and pride!
Friday was just such an awesome, packed day because at night we were able to join Kathryn, one of the missionaries here, and go downtown to see a local music festival. There were bands playing in various locations, so we decided to check it out! We went out and ate some pizza, ordered coffee at a coffee shop and listened to a band there, and then headed to Plaza Principal where some local indigenous bands were playing. It was so cool! We kind of described it as a "battle of the bands" because one band would be playing and then another band would just start forming and march on up to the "stage" and start playing over top of the sound of the first band! It was really interesting to see the dress of the people and see their different instruments and hear the music. Saturday we were able to go La Cancha with Mama Toty, Joana, & Isaac (we dragged the poor boy along..he's such a good sport!). We were able to do some shopping and finally get a few souvenirs! We also did some good shopping Monday afternoon. The things you can buy here are so cool, and I love just looking even in all the stores!
Sunday we went to church, which I absolutely love here. Every week I am so blessed to be a part of this church community located at the center. Gustavo preached this week. I was reminded through his lesson how all we need is the Bread of Life. We got to be little kids and play with balloons in the sermon, which signified how we are nothing without the life God can only breathe into us--then we are like a fully blown-up balloon that doesn't just fall to the ground. God really is the Life that we need--ALL that we need. I have recognized that over & over again during this experience. Daily I ask him for what I need to get me through the day, to help me overcome a struggle--& He provides. Every time.
Sunday afternoon we were invited to Shari & Juan Carlos's home to watch a movie. We headed there after lunch. After that, Jorge, Isaac, & Natasha went with us girls to the Plaza where they have the "Futbol Fest" set up. It is a huge screen where they are always showing the World Cup games. We were able to watch the USA vs. Portugal game out in the middle of the city under the stars with hundreds of other people! It was one of the coolest things I have ever done! It was packed so we had to stand the entire game, but it was worth it! The atmosphere was crazy awesome! The fact that USA was ahead and in the last thirty seconds lost the lead to end the game in a tie was disappointing, but we couldn't have asked for a better night.
Yesterday, since it was Monday we again had the day off. I enjoyed the day by drinking my morning coffee and reading on the roof, cooking lunch (goulash & jello!) for the family, and then we all went downtown to shop (& of course eat ice cream!). At night we watched a movie with the entire family-- which is becoming an almost daily occurrence for us! We love to all sit down and watch a World Cup game or a movie and eat popcorn. It has been some great bonding time/relaxation time for us!
A few prayer requests for the week:
-I had a few misshaps/"injuries" this week-- Funny story, but I ripped my pants getting out of a trufi on a very sharp object sticking out of the seat. However, I got a deep scratch on my backside at the same time. I was thankful I am up to date on my tetanus shot, and it seems to be healing up nicely! ha.. I also got bit by something at the Cancha--we are thinking at least-- My foot just strangely started to swell up by my toe and throb and I was like missing some skin... It was so strange! But that seems to slowly be healing up as well! So I am thankful for some non-serious injuries, but pray we will continue to be healthy and injury-free. :)
-That I wouldn't think too much about the upcoming good-byes, but would live in the moment and use all of the time we have here to the fullest! (We really only have this week left of a "normal" week at El Centro.)
-For VBS.. We are working on planning and preparing for VBS, which is already next week! The kids are starting to get excited! Pray that we would be able to share the Gospel with them and hopefully teach some of them who don't even go to church more about the God who loves them more than any of us do!
-Continued safety
Thanks so much for all of your support, prayers, and love from all over to where I am in Cochabamba. It means the world to me.
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
WOAH.
Am I ready to be done? Absolutely not. Does the idea of leaving this place that I've fallen in love with in 2 and a half weeks scare me? Absolutely. I'm not ready. Not in the least. I feel like I'm finally getting to know the kiddos at El Centro really well and know where I belong and what my job is here...
And now I have to think about leaving. I'm just not ready to think about that yet.
The last week here has definitely been my favorite I think, or at least held a lot of the highlights of this trip. But it was also the week where certain things popped up and I started to miss my family more, my friends, and my home. It was hard to see all that was going on in NW Iowa and not be there to be help or at least to be a support... This week it really started to sink in how much I love this place, adore the children, and am going to miss being a part of this culture and community.
This week we were able to celebrate Emily's birthday!! It was such a fun day being able to do that with the Quiroga family. Any time spent with them is really cherished, and I have absolutely LOVED getting to know them and be a part of their family! This family is WONDERFUL. We went out for supper for Emily's birthday (where we were all able to try anticucho... cow heart!!). It was a fun time at an outdoor food court-type area. After that, we returned home to the most delicious chocolate cake I think I have EVER eaten, prepared by the wonderful Joana! We even celebrated with Barbie birthday hats to make the occasion extra-special, and all the boys even joined in on the fun! ;)
Thursday was Corpus Christi here in Bolivia, a Catholic holiday that is celebrated. On most holidays most people don't work, therefore schools were closed and we didn't have to work at El Centro. We instead went and worked construction at the Center in the morning and then spent the afternoon relaxing and preparing for La Feria. On Friday we had La Feria (the fair) for the kiddos at El Centro. This was by far my favorite day at the center so far. The fair is something they hold twice a year for the kiddos. The kids receive fake money/tickets for a certain amount. They earn their money throughout the year by attendance, good behavior, and hard work in their classes at the center. It is such a neat idea, and I love that the kids have to earn what they want to spend at the fair. The kids each received their money and a card around their neck that showed all the stations. They had to go in order to each station and could proceed through the stations as many times as they wanted until all of their money was gone. There were four stations--food, games, clothing, and toys. The kids could spend their money on whatever they wanted in each station! The kids were SO excited, and I absolutely loved seeing the joy on their faces as they could pick out what they wanted and just have a fun day off from homework! I helped out in the toy station, so I was able to help a lot of kids find fun toys to take home with them. We also helped out by going to the Cancha and buying a lot of the toys that week, so it was fun to see who all of the toys went home with. One thing that really stuck with me was how selfless some of the kids were. Many of the kids would come in the toy room the second time and instead of picking out a toy for themselves would pick out a toy for their younger sister or brother at home---so precious!! La feria was a success, thanks to so many people who donated and helped out at it! The kids clearly had a blast, and I loved being a part of it! Before even beginning, Joana led the kids in a prayer to thank the One who made the entire thing possible--I love that they kept the entire thing in perspective and really put the focus on what God has done, what He is doing, and what He has provided. They said at one point throughout the year, they also hold a smaller Feria for the parents. It really is a great idea to give the kids the opportunity to earn through positive behavior--and therefore be able to buy things with dignity and pride!
Friday was just such an awesome, packed day because at night we were able to join Kathryn, one of the missionaries here, and go downtown to see a local music festival. There were bands playing in various locations, so we decided to check it out! We went out and ate some pizza, ordered coffee at a coffee shop and listened to a band there, and then headed to Plaza Principal where some local indigenous bands were playing. It was so cool! We kind of described it as a "battle of the bands" because one band would be playing and then another band would just start forming and march on up to the "stage" and start playing over top of the sound of the first band! It was really interesting to see the dress of the people and see their different instruments and hear the music. Saturday we were able to go La Cancha with Mama Toty, Joana, & Isaac (we dragged the poor boy along..he's such a good sport!). We were able to do some shopping and finally get a few souvenirs! We also did some good shopping Monday afternoon. The things you can buy here are so cool, and I love just looking even in all the stores!
Sunday we went to church, which I absolutely love here. Every week I am so blessed to be a part of this church community located at the center. Gustavo preached this week. I was reminded through his lesson how all we need is the Bread of Life. We got to be little kids and play with balloons in the sermon, which signified how we are nothing without the life God can only breathe into us--then we are like a fully blown-up balloon that doesn't just fall to the ground. God really is the Life that we need--ALL that we need. I have recognized that over & over again during this experience. Daily I ask him for what I need to get me through the day, to help me overcome a struggle--& He provides. Every time.
Sunday afternoon we were invited to Shari & Juan Carlos's home to watch a movie. We headed there after lunch. After that, Jorge, Isaac, & Natasha went with us girls to the Plaza where they have the "Futbol Fest" set up. It is a huge screen where they are always showing the World Cup games. We were able to watch the USA vs. Portugal game out in the middle of the city under the stars with hundreds of other people! It was one of the coolest things I have ever done! It was packed so we had to stand the entire game, but it was worth it! The atmosphere was crazy awesome! The fact that USA was ahead and in the last thirty seconds lost the lead to end the game in a tie was disappointing, but we couldn't have asked for a better night.
Yesterday, since it was Monday we again had the day off. I enjoyed the day by drinking my morning coffee and reading on the roof, cooking lunch (goulash & jello!) for the family, and then we all went downtown to shop (& of course eat ice cream!). At night we watched a movie with the entire family-- which is becoming an almost daily occurrence for us! We love to all sit down and watch a World Cup game or a movie and eat popcorn. It has been some great bonding time/relaxation time for us!
A few prayer requests for the week:
-I had a few misshaps/"injuries" this week-- Funny story, but I ripped my pants getting out of a trufi on a very sharp object sticking out of the seat. However, I got a deep scratch on my backside at the same time. I was thankful I am up to date on my tetanus shot, and it seems to be healing up nicely! ha.. I also got bit by something at the Cancha--we are thinking at least-- My foot just strangely started to swell up by my toe and throb and I was like missing some skin... It was so strange! But that seems to slowly be healing up as well! So I am thankful for some non-serious injuries, but pray we will continue to be healthy and injury-free. :)
-That I wouldn't think too much about the upcoming good-byes, but would live in the moment and use all of the time we have here to the fullest! (We really only have this week left of a "normal" week at El Centro.)
-For VBS.. We are working on planning and preparing for VBS, which is already next week! The kids are starting to get excited! Pray that we would be able to share the Gospel with them and hopefully teach some of them who don't even go to church more about the God who loves them more than any of us do!
-Continued safety
Thanks so much for all of your support, prayers, and love from all over to where I am in Cochabamba. It means the world to me.
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
Monday, June 16, 2014
El Cristo de la Concordia
What a GREAT weekend! I had a lot of fun this past weekend. It was a relaxing, rejuvenating time after our first long, busy week!
On Sunday, I was asked to share my testimony in church, as each of us interns will have a chance to share one Sunday while we are here. They asked me to go first, as I am the first intern to leave! Sharing my testimony in front of our church in Spanish seemed a little daunting to me! But, this was when I really was very thankful for the many times my Spanish professors have had us share our testimonies in class during my time at NWC. :) I thought it went well, and it was a neat experience. After sharing, people laid hands on me and Gustavo prayed for me. I am so thankful to be a part of this church community while I am here. It's a neat experience being able to worship each week with such a small, intimate group of people.
After church, we went out to eat like we do each Sunday with the Quiroga's, Porter's, and Gustavo. The World Cup was even being projected on a big screen at the restaurant! At the restaurant we discussed going up to El Cristo shortly after going home. Isaac, my 15-year-old brother, and Natasha, their cousin and the Porter's daughter, said that they would come with us!
El Cristo de la Concordia is the largest statue of Jesus Christ in the world! It sits on San Pedro Hill and is in the center of the city, so from up by the statue, you get to see all four parts of the city to each side of the statue! So cool! I definitely was excited I took my good camera all the way up because the views were amazing!! The statue is over 860 feet above the city of Cochabamba and is over 9,000 ft above sea level! I can still definitely feel the altitude difference here no matter where I am, and it was really crazy that high up!
We took the cable car up to El Cristo, which was so much fun, yet so scary!! Swinging back and forth on a cable car way up above the city was absolutely breathtaking! I, being not such a fan of heights, was a little freaked out but I made it! Once we got to the top, we walked up some steps to El Cristo. Then we were able to pay a couple Bolivianos to go up inside of El Cristo. The first staircase was so narrow one person could barely make their way up it! After that it wasn't as narrow, but we took about 8 or so more spiral staircases up. On each level there were small holes cut out of the cement so you could look out of the statue at the city on each side. The only light inside of the statue was the light shining in from those holes to the outside! As we kept going up, the view just kept getting better and better. We could walk all the way to the point of Jesus's arms and then you could walk a little ways in the arms. Such a neat experience and probably one of the coolest things I have ever done/seen! After coming back down on the staircases, we made our way outside where we walked around the statue some more and took lots of pictures and admired the view. I can now say I've been to El Cristo! They really are proud of it here, as you can see the statue from pretty much anywhere in the city! Anywhere you go at night, you can see it lit up all pretty and we can even see it from the roof of the Quiroga's house. So I'm glad I could finally go and see it up close for myself!
After spending some time up there, we decided we should probably climb down before it gets dark, as we hear the trail can be dangerous at dark. We got some ice cream and ate it as we walked down. We decided to take the stairs down. So crazy! It's apparently 3,333 steps to come down, and by the end of it our legs were definitely shaking. We do a lot of walking here so on a normal day our legs can be quite tired, but that was quite the trek! We made it before it got dark, though. It was really such a fun day with Isaac and Natasha and the other 3 interns! We are already making plans to go back and walk UP all the way on the steps! I don't know if we are making a death wish, but we so wanna say we accomplished such a task! :)
Yesterday I was able to Skype and FaceTime my family for the first time since coming, which was such a blessing! It was just so great to be able to hear their voices and speak with them for a little bit and see a few different people who were around for Father's Day! This morning I was able to sit on the roof and relax a little bit while reading and doing my devotions. Spending my free mornings on the roof is probably one of my favorite things to do here. I love breathing in the fresh air, looking at the amazing view of the city, and taking in God's creation. It is just so peaceful up there, in the morning especially. I am looking forward to another amazing week here!
Prayer requests:
1. Continued good health and safety for us here
2. Our time at El Centro this week (only Tuesday and Wednesday this week as Thursday is a holiday)
3. The "fair" we will be having at El Centro for the kids on Friday! Not quite sure what this is all about, but pray that preparations would go well and it would be a great day for the kids!
4. We are looking forward to VBS the first week of July, so prayers that our preparations and planning would go well and that we can really bless the children that week.
5. That I would continue to feel God's love and peace in my life here, and that I would continue to learn so much and see what He wants me to see in my time here.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and support! I really feel them. God is GOOD!
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
On Sunday, I was asked to share my testimony in church, as each of us interns will have a chance to share one Sunday while we are here. They asked me to go first, as I am the first intern to leave! Sharing my testimony in front of our church in Spanish seemed a little daunting to me! But, this was when I really was very thankful for the many times my Spanish professors have had us share our testimonies in class during my time at NWC. :) I thought it went well, and it was a neat experience. After sharing, people laid hands on me and Gustavo prayed for me. I am so thankful to be a part of this church community while I am here. It's a neat experience being able to worship each week with such a small, intimate group of people.
After church, we went out to eat like we do each Sunday with the Quiroga's, Porter's, and Gustavo. The World Cup was even being projected on a big screen at the restaurant! At the restaurant we discussed going up to El Cristo shortly after going home. Isaac, my 15-year-old brother, and Natasha, their cousin and the Porter's daughter, said that they would come with us!
El Cristo de la Concordia is the largest statue of Jesus Christ in the world! It sits on San Pedro Hill and is in the center of the city, so from up by the statue, you get to see all four parts of the city to each side of the statue! So cool! I definitely was excited I took my good camera all the way up because the views were amazing!! The statue is over 860 feet above the city of Cochabamba and is over 9,000 ft above sea level! I can still definitely feel the altitude difference here no matter where I am, and it was really crazy that high up!
We took the cable car up to El Cristo, which was so much fun, yet so scary!! Swinging back and forth on a cable car way up above the city was absolutely breathtaking! I, being not such a fan of heights, was a little freaked out but I made it! Once we got to the top, we walked up some steps to El Cristo. Then we were able to pay a couple Bolivianos to go up inside of El Cristo. The first staircase was so narrow one person could barely make their way up it! After that it wasn't as narrow, but we took about 8 or so more spiral staircases up. On each level there were small holes cut out of the cement so you could look out of the statue at the city on each side. The only light inside of the statue was the light shining in from those holes to the outside! As we kept going up, the view just kept getting better and better. We could walk all the way to the point of Jesus's arms and then you could walk a little ways in the arms. Such a neat experience and probably one of the coolest things I have ever done/seen! After coming back down on the staircases, we made our way outside where we walked around the statue some more and took lots of pictures and admired the view. I can now say I've been to El Cristo! They really are proud of it here, as you can see the statue from pretty much anywhere in the city! Anywhere you go at night, you can see it lit up all pretty and we can even see it from the roof of the Quiroga's house. So I'm glad I could finally go and see it up close for myself!
After spending some time up there, we decided we should probably climb down before it gets dark, as we hear the trail can be dangerous at dark. We got some ice cream and ate it as we walked down. We decided to take the stairs down. So crazy! It's apparently 3,333 steps to come down, and by the end of it our legs were definitely shaking. We do a lot of walking here so on a normal day our legs can be quite tired, but that was quite the trek! We made it before it got dark, though. It was really such a fun day with Isaac and Natasha and the other 3 interns! We are already making plans to go back and walk UP all the way on the steps! I don't know if we are making a death wish, but we so wanna say we accomplished such a task! :)
Yesterday I was able to Skype and FaceTime my family for the first time since coming, which was such a blessing! It was just so great to be able to hear their voices and speak with them for a little bit and see a few different people who were around for Father's Day! This morning I was able to sit on the roof and relax a little bit while reading and doing my devotions. Spending my free mornings on the roof is probably one of my favorite things to do here. I love breathing in the fresh air, looking at the amazing view of the city, and taking in God's creation. It is just so peaceful up there, in the morning especially. I am looking forward to another amazing week here!
Prayer requests:
1. Continued good health and safety for us here
2. Our time at El Centro this week (only Tuesday and Wednesday this week as Thursday is a holiday)
3. The "fair" we will be having at El Centro for the kids on Friday! Not quite sure what this is all about, but pray that preparations would go well and it would be a great day for the kids!
4. We are looking forward to VBS the first week of July, so prayers that our preparations and planning would go well and that we can really bless the children that week.
5. That I would continue to feel God's love and peace in my life here, and that I would continue to learn so much and see what He wants me to see in my time here.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and support! I really feel them. God is GOOD!
Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna
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| Me, Emily, & Bekah in the cable car |
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| The 4 Center Interns :) |
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| Leah, Bekah, Emily, Me, & Natasha in the statue |
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