School's out!

Saturday was the last day of school for me. It feels good to be done with that part of the program, especially since the really fun part is yet to come. Class ended in a pretty appropriate way I guess-- unorganized like everything about this program. First we were locked out of the classroom, the professor arrived an hour late, and after class the director showed up to give us an improvised program evaluation, and there was no real formal ending or anything because no one took the time to think of that, and we still have no grades from any classes, all the way back from last year. Don't worry, we told the director all about the bad planning during the evaluation. After class ended we all gave each other hugs and kisses and said how much we had enjoyed one another and the program, and then once more after the eval everyone had to give a speech about how great our time has been and how much they have appreciated all they have learned. Afterwards we went outside and the Mexicans built a small paper hot-air balloon which we all signed and put little messages on. We were about to light it and let it float off into the sky before we realized there was no fuel to light it with, so that also ended the way everything else here has. Saturday night we all went out to celebrate, singing karaoke at a bar with black-light flourescent woodland landscape paintings on the walls and we sang until late.

I must say though, that the program really has been awesome. It has been a great time of learning and reflection that I hope I get to apply now out in the field. It was also a time to make new friends and become close to a very diverse and interesting group of people. The other foreign students leave soon to go do their thesis work in their home countries. The Bolivians will all go back to their jobs and life and probably never finish their theses, and we probably won't see much of each other. Though we are all planning a big get-together for this time next year when the foreigners come back to defend their thesis.

I am really excited about the next part of the process. This is where I get to go out into the mountains and live in a village and farm and learn all kinds of stuff. I have my thesis proposal written and supposedly this week they will schedule me an interview to get it approved and I can be off on my fieldwork. Nothing is in stone yet as I haven't officially been accepted, but it looks like I will be going back to the community our class visited in February, but more on that when I find out for sure. Everyone can pray as well for this time as I will be apart from Ann, possibly for weeks at a time. You can pray for our relationship, but also that the fieldwork will go smoothly and quickly so I will not have to spend more time there than necesary. Lord willing, Ann will have some time to visit on the weekends and get to be a part of the community some too. Right now I'm resting, cooking dinner for the rest who are at work, and just waiting for this dang interview. It's nice to have a small break though. I got to go for a run today for the first time in over a month and it felt good, although I could hardly breath at the end.

I will miss my new friends, but it is time for a change and I'm ready for this next phase of life. I'm sure once I get working there will be plenty to talk about too.