My first day on the job

Today I went to work at a Deaf school. I was surprised to find out that the teachers are only paid for three days a week. Therefore, they do not show up sometimes the other two days of the week. Of course, this might be because they need to earn a living by having another job. I also was shocked to find that there are only two Deaf schools in the entire country of Bolivia. There appears to be a negative sentiment among the Bolivian people towards the President. I do not really know enough about the matter, but he may be causing more problems than he is helping. For instance, today I saw many disabled people on strike stopping traffic on the main avenue of the city. They would literally sit down in the middle of the road so that cars could not utilize the road. From my perspective, I did not necessarily see this as the most productive way of protesting, but then again there may not be other productive ways to get the President’s attention if he does nothing.

I helped assist in teaching the Deaf students today only to find out I would be teaching them by myself tomorrow. If you feel like jumping in, I guess you could say that is exactly what I am doing. I am very pleased to find that American Sign Language is very similar to Bolivian sign language. Therefore the transition to speak with the students has been much less difficult than I anticipated. In addition to working in the Deaf school, I shadowed and/or attended a yoga session for people with disabilities this morning. I am going to join the yoga session once more on Wednesday. I have never really done yoga before, but I think it would be useful in improving one’s relationship with God. Perhaps that is something to think about if you are seeking some new physical activity to practice breathing and relax a little bit.

Listen in to find out more specifics about my journey thus far in Bolivia.

Click here to hear the beginning of my tour in Bolivia!

Wondering about relationships…

I constantly wonder about relationships here in South America as I meet incredible people, including girls on an almost daily basis. It seems so easy to find fun people when you are abroad in terms of taking a girl to dinner, but it becomes a little more challenging when I return to the seriousness of the Bible Belt in Auburn, Alabama. Although there is an annoyance about such seriousness, there is also something very respectable and beautiful about this seriousness, meaning that a girl who loves Jesus takes things a little more seriously because relationships are not so much of a game. It is not just a good time. It is something special that at some point requires specific and meticulous consideration. Perhaps it is annoying for those who are looking for one night stands, but for those of us who might want something a little more down-to-Earth, realistic, lasting, and maybe even in the long term permanent, this may not be such a bad thing. Girls are serious because perhaps they seek to protect what has in the past been broken by a jerk of a boyfriend. So things are not easily given away. You have to earn what you get. While it can be frustrating and difficult in the process, perhaps the reward is worth the cost. One person constantly comes to mind when perfecting this process. While this person can frustrate me more than any other person on this planet at times, she also asks the questions that matter most and that probe my consciousness for answers that are honorable. As my good friend Doug Brunson once said, “It is the person you cannot sometimes stand to be around, but it also the person you cannot stand to be without.” I do not say this in reference to the previously mentioned person. I long gave up on trying to even get a real date with this girl, but that does not mean anything in terms of her incredible probing qualities. I want a girl who will ask those relevant questions that make me wonder, that make me think, and perhaps that make me dream in ways I did not before think possible. You may think this entry is a bunch of crap, or perhaps it makes you think a bit. If you are a girl reading this, perhaps there is a brother in the house that needs a break. Give the brother a break, and you might be surprised what arises from the break given to an opportunity that once seemed uninteresting.

New podcast for your listening pleasure…

Frankly, I have not been able to post my podcasts because I have not had access to fast technology that would sufficiently download the sound files without taking three hours for one five megabyte file. South America, or Peru and Bolvia in general, are nice if you are looking to slow down, but sometimes there is not much convenience when trying to utilize technology here or perhaps when you are trying to find Ziplock bags. As I told a new amigo here recently, I miss my Wal-Mart, the center of convenience in modern day America.

The following podcast is a brief description of the Bolivian family I am staying with. Every member of the family has their special place in each unique role of the household. For instance, the mother just made me feel welcome by offering me some manta tea and informing me that I am welcome to come back anytime I would like with future trips. I must admit that while inconvenience in South America is very annoying I have met some very good people here. The families I have stayed with have almost made my stay worthwhile by itself. As you listen, you will hear that there are seven people within this household (both parents, three children-two sons and one daughter, and a niece and nephew). The kids just had a month of vacation time. As they start back to school this week, they procrastinated until the last minute to finish vacation break’s projects for various classes. Because they have done so, the night is becoming a very late one as I add to my BLOG entries. Some stress is added to the situation as family members grow tired with pressing deadlines similar to my thirty page papers in graduate school that I stay up all night writing.

I have discovered that there is so much to do in La Paz that one may even say it is ridiculous. I am having a hard time deciding what exactly to do because there is so much to see and do. In terms of climbing, this is an adventurers place and dream come true. I would guess this is a good problem to have. On Thursday, I am headed down the “World’s Most Dangerous Road.” In all seriousness, an Englishman died about two months ago on the trek, but I am not sure he was using the most cautionary maneuvers….in other words using brakes the entire way down the mountain. I am hoping my mother does not read this entry until I am finished because as every mother should she will be freaking out because she just loves me so much.

Click here to hear about my new wonderful family!

You must meet this Marco…

Last year when I traveled through Europe I met a unique individual by the name of Marco. Marco seems to be a very common name among Spanish-speaking countries. It reminds me of the game I use to play when I was a small child in the swimming pool, which I am still very fond of, Marco Polo. Marco took us out for a night on the La Rambla (main street) in Barcelona, Spain to have a few drinks. At about 2:00 am, I went back to the hostel to get some much needed sleep. My more adventurous friend, Elle, stayed out longer with Marco and of course to possibly indulge in more pleasures of a well-founded drinking consciousness. Marco gave her a distinguished invite into his apartment at about 5:00 am. Even though perhaps extremely happy from a buzz, Elle logically decided to go back to the hostel to catch a train at 7:00 am. She was happily awoken by the Southern accent of a Southern gentleman eager for an update on the early morning’s festivities.

Contrary to the character of this first Marco character I met, I met another Marco I was working with at the orphanage. He is approximately thirty years old and seems to command an authoritative respect with the kids at the orphanage, similar to a “Papa” in the Christian sense. I very much enjoyed my time with Marco. There was something about his character and his personality that just made him a joy to be around. While I would practice my Spanish, which still needs much more practice, he would practice his English. He also made this incredible drink called Abbas, which I believe was stirred and brewed from butterbeans. The kids drank it as if it were coffee in an American style. It had brown sugar and milk to add a more homogenous taste to the mixture. I left Marco a Spanish Bible, a pocket knife very similar to a Leatherman, and a small note of appreciation for my two weeks’ experience at the orphanage with him. I do not say this to brag of a kind gesture but rather than when God moves you to give something away, even if small or big, you will not regret acting on God’s call to do so.

An update on now and the next

So I have just wrapped up my second project at the orphanage in the Sacred Valley, which is just outside of Cusco. I have been had an incredible experience thus far, and God continually teaches me new lessons day in and day out, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse in terms of where I need to self-reflect and self-improve in terms of relationship.

I am turning the big twenty-seven this year, and this may be the first time I have never had a home spectacular celebration in acknowledgement of. I am not specifically sure why, but I really don’t care either. This summer has been so amazing I feel like I have celebrated five or six birthdays with the blessings, thoughts, and memories God has blessed me with in my time here in South America.

I made some new friends at the orphanage, and they are hanging out with me in Cusco before I fly to La Paz, Bolivia tomorrow. I was supposed to work one on one with the founder of Creative Corners, Monique Julian. She has practically organized every part of my trip except for my side trips to Argentina. Her father somehow contracted what I would believe to be the equivalent of a staph infection in the leg. Apparently, it was and continues to be a very serious medical condition, but the doctors were able to resolve the situation before anything worse may have happened. I have been praying for her, and if you read this message, perhaps throw one up for her. I will be in Bolivia for about ten days but without the blessing of Monique’s presence. So the project I will be working on will probably be a little bit different than what I originally planned and expected. Nevertheless, I expect God to continue doing great things in my life and the work I am gifted to do here.

If you are interested in knowing more about the orphanage I worked at, you can click on the following link to find volunteer opportunities or just how these incredible people work with this incredible organization.

Chandler Sky Organization and Casa de Milagros Orphanage

A quick thought through a quick poem

Unconnected yet still confused with new beginnings that have not yet begun.
I am who I am but yet I still fall short of where I would like to be.
I meet people daily and still remain confused on my or their part in my life.
Regardless of confusion, frustration, or other feelings that may arise,
One thing is true, and one thing remains.
That is a God who loves, who gives, and who becomes any role unconditionally.
So no matter what you do or where you are, that one fact remains true…
That God is always here for you.

In a valley so sacred, a miracle has been born.

For those who have missed my wonderful blog entries, I apologize for my long delay, but I am in the Sacred Valley working at Casa de Milagros (House of Miracles), which is an orphanage owned and operated by an American couple. My time has been nothing short of incredible. Sometimes God just calls his followers to be still. I have been able to do just that here. It is so beautiful and so calm here that it is almost hard not to sit still, take in the moment, and glorify God for His amazing creation and this amazing place. I would not doubt that miracles are indeed made here. Thirty lives have been touched by the adoption efforts of these wonderful people and the family that lives here. Marie and Allen Nelson as a family unit have four children of their own, whom all would probably claim to be 100% genuine, purebred Peruvian.

Surprisingly to me, the orphanage is very large. I feel like it is almost like a small college campus. Casa de Milagros use to be an old estate for some ritzy Peruvian that probably had two homes, one in the city of Cusco and perhaps one out in the country with a plantation sort of feel. When the family bought this place, it was apparently unlivable and in a state of shackled ruins. Today the place has been turned into a magical wonderland with a river that runs about two hundred yards in front of the main housing complex and then a mountain that follows along the background to provide the perfect backdrop to such a magical place. If you were here, you might think you were in Disneyland and that you could just see the magic in the place and the faces of the children as they live happily in extended love and freedom in the arms of those who take care. For instance, the other night I literally watched the moon rise over the mountain across the river. I did not intend to see such a beautiful sight, but it was miraculous to say the least. To think of it, I am not sure if I have ever seen the moon rise over the mountain like that. I always thought the sun was the only one that could do that.

Speaking of suns, there is a little girl here by the name of “Sol,” which means sun in Spanish. She is absolutely adorable. If you are in need of a good laugh, she is certain to provide it. My Spanish is constantly improving, but she repeatedly calls me, “Amigo,” which is a common thing here, especially when someone wants you to buy something. Her little accent is what makes it so precious. She typically has pigtails with a huge grin across her face. In my week here, I have only seen here cry once over something very silly, but then again what kids do not cry about something typically very silly? She is one of my favorites to sit at the dinner table with.

While enjoying my stay here at the orphanage, the staff is very keen on the idea of creative expression. When I arrived, Marie asked me, “What would you like to do?” I kind of just looked at her and shrugged. Usually, on mission trips, I am given a list of things to do before my time ends wherever I am. Here, they encourage volunteers to design and carry out their own projects, which can be just as simple as spending time with the kids. It does not have to be anything grandiose. I have never ever drawn and painted a mural on a wall, but that is exactly what I am doing here. I have painted a Colorado type landscape with a barn and shack of a cabin. There is a moonlit night sky with mountains in the background. I will be sure to post pictures some time later on the blog with my finished project. It has been awesome to do something I have always wanted to do in a dreamlike sort of sensation! This is certainly one of the best mission projects I have ever done.

I have just completed a book called The Shack. If you have not read it, you must put it first on your reading list to check out. It is a wonderful book with an intriguing conversation between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The book has given me a new image of what I would like my relationship with God to be. If you read it, you will understand the dimensions of the indescribable events that take place in the book. You may even have a new understanding for God’s love, beauty, and acts of forgiveness in this limited lifetime. Check it out!

Well, my access Internet time is limited here in the middle of nowhere in Peru. I promise to have more updates and blogs soon when I have access to Internet fast enough to upload it  But then again, that can be a joy in of itself. I have never before been able to say, “I am in the middle of nowhere, and I have no access to my email right now.”

An interesting metaphor I think…

I do not know why relationships are constantly on my mind…maybe because I am realizing how fortunate I am to have the relations that I currently have back in the States. While ten weeks does not seem like a long time to some, it has been somewhat daunting at times because I am not home, and I am constantly being awoken by the reality of third world existence in the lives of these amazing people. I am participating in environments very different in nature to my own. So while it has been a unique and interesting pleasure, it has been challenging being away at the same time from familiar places and people that I love. I see constant reminders of relationships, and while some of you might find it interesting in the metaphor that I describe in the following clip, some of you might wonder, “What planet is he living on?” Nevertheless, I think in some ways this is how a friendship and/or relationship should work.

A metaphor you will want to listen to!

Farewells from the first project

On Friday, I finished my first service project of the three that I will be assisting with this summer. I have been in Cusco for three weeks, and I am now going to Urubamba (little town) to work in an orphanage, located in the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley is possibly one of the most beautiful places in the country of Peru. If you haven’t already, it is a place you must visit.

It was kind of sad leaving Inti (a center for street kids who may literally have no one). One girl practically cried when I told her it was my last day. I do not say such to brag but rather to show that even in a short time as short as three weeks you can form an attachment to the kids of the center or project that you are working on. Before I left in the afternoon, they had this sort of farewell gathering to wish me “Goodbye” with light applauds and recognition from the children. They gave me a small leather pouch as a parting gift. I signed a volunteer book, saying my last thoughts and farewells perhaps for others to read at a later time. I was also able to talk with Luz Marina more in depth about her vision for why she started Inti, Inti is short for the full name of the center, which is in the indigenous language of Catchewa, Inti Runakunaq Wasin, meaning literally House of the People of the Sun in English. She informed me of the future direction she hopes to take with the organization.

I am somewhat sad to leave my family and this project in Cusco, but I am also looking forward to a change of scenery and building/making new relationships. I think there are advantages to working with different organizations, but I also think that it is good to stay in one location so that relationships are built and perhaps maintained. For me, I like to see different places, and working on different projects gives me an opportunity to do so.

Below I have a sound clip of interviewing Luz Marina Figueroa. She shares personally some relevant information about Inti and the mission they serve in what might be considered the inner city of Cusco. If you seek further information or would like to get involved in any way, please look up their website at the following address: http://www.streetkidscusco.org/home.html

Click here for the interview with an amazing woman of great vision!