El Centro y Mas Aventuras

SO much has happened since my last post.  I wish I had had time to post again earlier, but I guess it's a good thing that I've been busy!  There has been so much going on and with me only being in Bolivia for 15 days, I have been wanting to use EVERY minute to explore, spend time with the ones I love down here, and soak it all in.  I will try to pack everything I've done in the past week into one (probaby long) post.

On Tuesday, it was the first day I was able to visit El Centro.  I showed up and was told "you're subbing for 3rd grade today!"  Ooook!  Here we go!  Because David was in La Paz with Mama Toti to get their stuff figured out to be able to visit Joana in England, I was going to teach his class.  He had told me I might be helping in that class, but I wasn't exactly aware that I was in charge. ;)  I don't know what they do in 3rd grade, who the kids are, there is a language barrier, and it is only my first day but let's do this!  Luckily there is a 6th grade helper in the 3rd grade (Paola) and she helped me figure out a little bit of what they do. However, the 3rd grade class at the center is quite a bit naughtier than any of the other classes.    I winged it a little bit, and we made do. :) Besides the kids being quite naughty, we read a Bible story which is how I was told they start, and then I was told to do homework with them.  When all the kids got there, they told me they didn't have homework as they had a test tomorrow.  OH BOY.  So NOW what do we do?!  I put together a quick review game to review multiplication for their test and we made it work!  They seemed to have a lot of fun, and I hope at least they got some good reviewing in for their test the next day. :)



The next day, I was told again that I would be helping sub as the 2nd grade teacher would be arriving a little bit late.  These students however were MUCH more behaved, and they were a fun crew.  The teacher arrived after about 20 minutes, but I was able to read a couple of stories to them and spend the rest of the day in their class as well.  It was a lot of fun because it was 2 of the boys' birthdays that week, and so the teacher had brought a cake to celebrate their birthdays together.  I was able to stay for the celebration.  We went around the tables and shared one thing each about what we appreciated or liked about the boys and then wished them happy birthday before all sharing the birthday cake.

The last day at the center this past week, I helped in 3rd grade again.  It was much easier with David there as well.  The students acted out a Bible story they had been learning about and then we worked on multiplication again.  I sat with a couple of boys and helped them complete their multiplication problems.  It has been a long time since I've done multiplication like this!  The center is such a blast, even though I don't know many of the kids because the majority of the students I had 3 years ago already have graduated from the program.  The center is grades Kinder-5th.  (Last time when I was here, they served grades 1st-6th).  I am getting to know them, and I worked really hard at learning all the names of the 2nd and 3rd graders.  After a few (actually many) mistakes, by Friday I could say I learned them all.  Some of the names are very different from any names in the US, so it's a lot harder to remember them.  There are a couple students there that I do remember from my time here three years ago.  I was able to see Veronica, who is the sister to Arminda, who I will share about later!  I was also able to see the siblings Gabriel and Mariana.  I remember those 3 students, and even though they didn't remember me as they were quite young when I was here three years ago, I was able to show them photos of us 3 years ago as proof that I truly was here and remember them!  They were pretty surprised!

One day this past week was a holiday.  (There seems to be lots of holidays in Bolivia, as there is one this week, too!)  That means there is no school and no Center.  Instead, David accompanied Kate and I to Parque Tunari!! I went to Parque Tunari last time as well, and it is BEAUTIFUL.  We were only going to climb to kilometer 5, but decided to keep going..and keep going... and it ended up being quite a long hike.  Most of the time we stuck to the road that winds back and forth up the mountain.  But after some time, we decided to take the "stairs" that are carved into the mountain to sort of make it go faster.  However, at this elevation (we started at about 10,000 ft elevation) it is VERY difficult to climb stairs when you're up that high.  It's a lot harder to breathe and I am not exactly in great shape!  It is safe to say my legs were KILLING me (and still are!) after that long hike.  After getting to about kilometer 8 or 9, we decided to turn back home.  We didn't bring any food with us and we wanted to get back somewhat at a decent time to eat lunch.  We got home around 2:30, so we hiked for a total of about 4 hours.  It was a wonderful time spent with David, though.  We were able to talk, hear more about him and his life, and just have some good quality time together.  He is a great dad, and I love spending time here with him!  

One night last week, we sat at the kitchen table after supper and talked with Mama Toti for about 3 hours!  She shared her life story, more about her family and the Quiroga family, and just lots of different things about her life.  It was a special time to be able to sit and have time with just her and Kate.  It is also great practice for my Spanish!  The next night, we did the same but with Papa David.  He shared more of his story, more about his family, etc.  I really appreciate that time to sit and share and hear more about their stories, their lives, their work at the Center, and more about Bolivia.  I am glad I am getting that time with them while I am here.

On Saturday morning, Isaac took us to El Cristo de la Concorida!! This is the largest Christ statue in the western hemisphere.  (Yes, it is larger than the famous one in Brazil!)  We went on the "teleferico" to the top and then decided to walk down.  Yes, this was a bad choice, after our legs were still KILLING after walking so far up and down Tunari just a couple days prior.  But, going down we figured was better than going up.  No joke, my legs felt like jello after and wouldn't stop shaking!  There are so many steps down!  But when you're up there, the views are incredible!  The statue opened to be able to climb up inside while we were up there as well, so climbed up until the point of the statue's arms.  It is really dark inside, but so fun to look out through the small holes over all the city.  It is a special experience, and something I am glad I was able to experience again!  

Sunday we went to church again.  Church is quite long on Sundays.  We go by taxi and arrive at about 9, but don't get out of there til close to 12:00 probably.  The church is held at El Centro.  In the middle of the service, after singing, prayer time, and communion, everyone goes to different rooms for "Bible Study".  I went with the young people's group that is basically middle and high schoolers.  We went through a chapter of a Bible Study book they have been using.  After that, everyone gets back together in the main room for more singing and THEN a message.  They asked me to come to the front so that they could pray for me as it was my last Sunday with them.  I will be leaving next Sunday, but SUPER early in the morning.  It is a long morning, but it goes quite quickly with all the moving around and everything.  It is a different church experience, and I really enjoy it.

Today, Monday, I have been not feeling super great.  My stomach has been a little off since Sunday night, so please be praying that I don't get MORE sick and that I get over this little bug quickly.  Despite me not feeling well, I was able to go to la cancha (the market) with Mama Toti and Kate to buy some souvenirs and do a little shopping.  I wanted to buy a little treat for all the kids to give them my last day at the center.  After that, I took a nap and felt a little better.  We had lunch and then Kate and I ventured off to a park.  We took the trufi and David and Toti went along but just dropped us off and explained how to get back.  It was a beautiful park.  We walked around a little bit then took the trufi back home.  We decided we didn't want to sit home all night, so then we took the microbus G down to Avenida America, found a place to sit down and decided to order some pizza.  It was delicious.  After that, we walked to the supermarket and looked around some and bought a couple things.  Then we successfully found the microbus G to return home.  Everything was going great, right?!  Until the bus broke down in the middle of the road.... oh great.   It sounded AWFUL but then we saw another one coming down the road so we quick ran off the bus to catch the other one.  That one was almost full and as people were trying to pile on, the driver started driving away!!  So we had to wait another 10 minutes or so for another bus G to show up to bring us home.  What an adventure!  We made it, though. :)

Be praying that my stomach would start feeling better and that I could enjoy my last couple of days here!  I will be flying back to the states super early in the morning on Sunday.  I am ready to go home, but also ready to soak in these last Bolivian moments.  

Adios y vaya con Dios,
Breanna

Bolivia: la misma y diferente

I have been back in Bolivia now for 3 days.  When thinking about what I wanted to title this post, I was thinking about all that seems so familiar and the same as the previous time I was here and what all has changed since my time here three years ago.  Hence, the title -- Bolivia: la misma (the same) y diferente (and different).  

When I stepped off the plane into the Santa Cruz airport, I could already tell that it was the same old Bolivia.  The smell was the same, the people appeared the same, and all the sights were so similar.  It felt a little bit like coming "home" in that way.  I missed so many things about this place so much!! I definitely missed the laid back culture, but also the busyness of the city.  I missed the sights and sounds (and only some of the smells😉).  I missed this culture and all that it has to offer.  There are always people out and about during the day walking around in the streets and going about their work and chores.  It is so hard to describe unless you have experienced and seen all of the craziness around me each day here in Cochabamba!  It truly is different than anything I have ever seen.  The cars and buses are always going SO fast, there seem to be no rules of the road other than "I'm bigger so get out of my way".  Everyone walks places or takes "trufis" (public transportation like a taxi or bus) or public "microbuses".  The hustle and bustle of the city is something I definitely missed, but I also missed the quiet up at the Quiroga house where we are further away from the busy city and more up in the mountains.  The view from the rooftop is AMAZING, and you can just hear the sounds of dogs barking in the distance, construction workers working, and the cars and buses that occasionally go past.  It is nice going "home" to a place that is a little away from all the craziness and busyness of the city, too.

Another thing that was more familiar for me was the Spanish.  I really was surprised how quickly I could pick up on the Spanish here.  It is SO much easier than when I was in Spain, and I remember it taking a bit while I was here to be able to understand David and Mama Toti and the boys but I am doing really well!  Only occasionally if one of them mumbles or says something that I don't understand will I have to ask them to repeat, but most of the time I can pick up on at least 90% of the conversation.  I also could pick up on everything that was said at church!! I remember it being so hard to stay focused and actually pick up on everything they were saying in the church services when I was here three years ago, but that just shows me how much my Spanish has gotten better and improved over the last years!  I was worried I was going to need a major refresher after not speaking it largely for 2+ years.  

The one thing that has changed so much is El Centro.  They have done SO much work to the center since I was here last.  There is play equipment for the kids, a new kitchen is under construction, they have "finished" a lot more of the yard and that is so cool to see all the progress that has been made!! During church and in the middle of the church service when there is a moment for "refreshments" of pastries and coffee, the kids were even enjoying the large ramp that serves as a sort of slide and all the play equipment.  It was so fun to see all the children.  I even recognized two kiddos that I helped at the center three years ago: Gabriel and Mariana!  They clearly didn't remember me, as they were quite little when I was here, but I showed them pictures to prove that I remembered them from years back.  😊 It looks like they have changed the "programming" of what they do there a lot as well.  They added a class of kindergarten and now they only go up until 6th grade.  It will be fun to go to the center and actually work tomorrow to see all the changes and improvements to the classrooms.  I am only sad that a lot of the students that I met during my time at the center are now old enough that they don't come. 😢  I really hope that there is an opportunity for me to see a few of them that I was closer with.  I am excited to see the rest of the kiddos tomorrow at the center, though!

Now for a quick recap of what we've done so far since being here...

As I said earlier, we went to church on Sunday morning at the Center.  It is always great enjoying a church service there.  Multiple times they welcomed us and David spoke about me returning to them after a few years and how special that is to them.  I am so very blessed that they invited me to return, and I am thankful that they are so happy to have me here with them again.  They truly seem very excited that I returned to see all the changes and to visit with everyone and help at the Center.  When I arrived at the airport and they came and picked me up, Papa David and Mama Toti also hugged and kissed me multiple times saying how good it was to see me and how they were so happy I came to see them again.  The are the kindest, most wonderful people, and I am so excited to get to spend a couple weeks with them.  

After church, we relaxed.  I definitely hit a wall yesterday and could feel the fatigue kicking in after so much traveling.  I took a three hour nap and then we all watched a movie together.  This morning (Monday) we went with Mama Toti to the Cancha.  When I say we I mean Kate and I.  Kate is another volunteer staying here for four weeks.  It is nice to have a roommate here and someone to accompany me and do things with.  The cancha is the super huge market here.  It is fun, but super crazy.  You just have to watch out for cars and people, hope not to get run over, and definitely not to get lost from Toti.  After that, I was exhausted once again and fell asleep in the trufi even, which is absolutely crazy for how rough the roads are and how wild the drivers are.  There are people constantly getting on and off the buses and trufis, too.  Many times people are standing because there isn't enough room for everyone to sit.  We got home, I took a power nap, we ate lunch, and then David and Toti were off to La Paz.  Which means, the rest of the day we have been on our own and we will be tonight and tomorrow as well.  We convinced/begged Isaac to take us to get ice cream so that we could get out of the house today and not sit at home all afternoon and night.  We went to "Globos" which has super good ice cream and then walked and did a little shopping around the downtown area and saw Plaza Colon and Plaza Principal.  We walked a TON.  I was exhausted when we returned home.  It will be nice to have David and Toti home again tomorrow night.  We hope everything goes well with their visit to La Paz to (hopefully!) get a VISA to visit Joana in England.  We are praying that works out PERFECTO for them. 

That is all for now!  We have done a lot in three days, but I can't wait for the time at the Centro to begin this week!  I only have 2 weeks with the kiddos which will go so fast!! Tomorrow because David is gone, I will be helping out in his 3rd grade classroom!

Adios y vaya con Dios,

Breanna

brother Isaac and Howard playing guitar and singing at church

the NEW play equipment at El Centro

selfie by Isaac on the microbus :)

a parade going on while we were walking downtown to go to the market

the cancha (the market)

ice cream at Globos with my roommate Kate

during our Monday afternoon walk

Plaza Principal

nighttime from the top of the Quiroga house where I am staying

Returning home to Bolivia.

I'm sitting in the Chicago O'Hare airport currently waiting for my flight to Miami.  I am already this far on my journey, and I still can't believe I am returning to the country that I fell in love with three summers ago.  Three summers ago I was already a couple weeks into my stay in Cochabamba with the Quiroga family and working with International Teams at the children's center there.  

When I left Cochabamba three years ago, I just KNEW that I would be back.  I fell in love with it there and the relationships I formed with the Quiroga family and others down in Bolivia would not be something I would forget about.  I at some point in my life wanted to return and experience that place again and all of the things that made me fall in love with the country.  There are SO many things I am looking forward to... watching the sunset on the roof of the Quiroga house, sitting up on the roof and drinking my morning coffee while enjoying the sites and sounds around me, the incredible mountain views, the culture that is so different from ours but so wonderful, etc. but the thing I am most excited for is hugging those that I have missed since leaving that place.  

I CAN'T wait to see the kiddos' smiling faces and to see how much they've grown!! I know I won't possibly be able to remember all of their names, but I know I will recognize their faces and smiles.  It will be incredible to see how much they've grown and changed.  I can't wait to see how El Centro has changed as well.  I've seen some pictures of things they've added to El Centro de Amistad and can't wait to see all of it and how the ministry has grown and changed in the past three years.  It will be such an exciting time of reunions and fun and adventures I'm sure.  

However, I will MISS those I left in Iowa.  I CRIED the past two nights when saying goodbye to Luke, and it was hard to say goodbye to the rest of my family as well.  It makes it a LITTLE easier that I know I'm gone for only 2 and a half weeks rather than close to 7 like last time.  It will go SO fast, but I'm so excited for all this adventure will have to offer me.  Plus, I was just getting bored staying in Iowa so long. :)  It was time for something fun and exciting!

Pray for me and the rest of my trip!! I have a full 24 hours yet of traveling, and I know I will be EXHAUSTED upon arrival.  It is different traveling by myself.  I arranged all of my flights by myself, so I am just praying everything goes smoothly.  

Adios,

Breanna