Happenings

Its been a few days since we have posted. We have been busy from morning to night every day this week. Thank goodness no one has been sick this week. I had been sick for a while, but realized I had a parasite. Since the first day I have taken the medicine, I have been just fine!

I am putting some pictures on the slide show of the hike we took a few weeks ago straight up the mountain above us and Drew's Peru trip, so you can check those out too.

This week was the beginning of many things. Drew began a Bible study in our house that will be on Tuesday nights. We are starting out small, but thankful for those that are coming. It will be mostly women and their children. We are studying the book of Mark. On Wednesday nights, I am beginning reading classes in Spanish for the adults here who can't read. I need to do some more publicizing, but I am excited to get to know some different people here.

I have enjoyed the past few weeks as I have been able to visit and get to know some neighbors here a little bit better. Like I said in an earlier post, it is much different getting to know fellow teachers and parents from my school as compared to getting to know the people we live around. As far as getting to know the neighbors, its been bitter-sweet. I really enjoy going into peoples homes and realizing the true meaning of "humble abode." I enjoy playing with the kids and hearing the stories of these families. But this is also the hard part.

The stories of these families are hard and sometimes painful to hear. Families here are very broken and sometimes there is little trust in anything except for money. Sometimes I even wonder if the only reason they accept us is because we are a sign of money. There are too many single moms who have 3-6 children they are caring for. Their husbands are in Argentina, Spain, or Chile working where they have another family. The men here just travel to their different families year round working different jobs here and there. So, the kids grow up knowing Dad is traveling around to his different families, and the mom has the stress of providing for the family by herself. Just the way the kids embrace John and Drew shows how much they miss having fathers.

But the love of money has a hold of many of the mothers as well. We know a single mom of 6 children here who lives in a two room house with 3 beds. Each time we see the children, they have such a sense of joy. They are very poor, and their father comes to visit for a month every year. We just found out that the mom is looking for someone to take care of her children as she goes to Chile for a few years to work. She wants to leave her children so she can make more money. The problem is, she makes enough now to live off of. She is by no means wealthy, but she can feed her children and clothe them.

Another family, the father was on his death bed while he had a son in Argentina working. The rest of the son's family, his wife and children, were here, of course. When asked if the father wanted to call his son for the last time, he replied, "No, he is working, that is more important for him to make money." Money is more important than even family here.

Its been hard for us because that is a major barrier in our relationships with people here. They will not stop asking how much money we make, how much we pay for our house, or how much we paid for this or that. It isn't as easy for us to tell them not to worry about money either because we are rich Americans who have never had to deal with being that poor.

I want so much to tell them that Calvert is an example of what money can bring. My kids here have everything they could ever want that money can buy, and yet they don't have a family. It hurts me so much to see both sides of this greed and pursuit of riches. It really has nothing to offer. Even in the States, we lived and worked with families who had come to the States for the pursuit of money and riches. They lived in much worse conditions than poor people here, and they had no family. This hurts me so much, and I feel helpless. I don't feel like my stories of other friends will do much coming from my white-skinned, blonde hair, blue-eyed, American mouth.


So, thats how it is getting to know people here, sometimes. Thats not to say that we have not felt genuinely accepted. We have good friendships with people here now and still enjoy being here. We went last night to a friends house for a wonderful dinner. We also found the restuarant that we want to take all our friends and family to when they visit. It gives a real taste of Bolivia with outdoor eating under huge fig trees, great traditional Bolivian food that comes in a HUGE plate you share with everyone. The place is packed all the time with people hanging out and playing games. Its just a wonderful place.

At my school, we just finished up our first quarter this week. We turned in our grades, and now we are preparing for the big Halloween party at the end of the month. Each class has to prepare a song and dance to present their costumes. Then we huge party with game booths and lots of food. It should be fun. Drew is just sad he has to miss it due to classes.

Also, right now it is avacado season, 4 avacados for 5bs (less than $1). Figs are also coming out. I saw them for the first time in the market, big black figs.