A Puking Good Time

Last night we hosted our April outreach night. The theme of the night was "challenges" - which pretty much consisted of people puking their guts out all over the house! Ewww. The main event was about an hour of disgusting food challenges. The first was of course the famous gallon challenge. If you're not familiar with this common American pastime, allow me to enlighten you. The challenger is required to drink a gallon of milk (or in Bolivian terms, 4 1-liter bags of milk) in less than an hour and then keep it down for 15 minutes. If you couldn't already guess, this task is nearly impossible! Milk is just too dang hard for your body to digest. Anyways, on with the story. Four guys competed in this challenge - 3 shoe shiners and 1 Bolivian YFC volunteer. The voluneer, Kavil, was absolutely convinced that he could dominate this challenge, and had already made a bet with some gringos. Well, he and Loro quit the challenge before they even reached the halfway point! The other 2 guys, David and Jhonny, made a valiant effort! David started his 4th bag with about 30 minutes remaining. He decided to take a little break before continuing. He sat back in his chair, still and silent, with a queasy look on his face. Without warning... out came the milky, white chunks - the absolutely horrifying sight of failure! He didn't even move... he just sat silent, covered in his own milky bile! As you might imagine, the room quickly filled with a less than pleasant aroma. Haha... what a sight! The night was filled with this type of cheap entertainment. Hilarious yet quite revolting at the same time. Also, I assisted chef Wilbert with some authentic Bolivian dishes - Sopa de Mani (peanut soup) and Chuño (a strange black, de-re-hydrated potato w/ peanut sauce). All the guys loved the native food selection. We ended the night by watching 'Hoosiers', a classic Indiana basketball movie. I really didn't know if the guys would be able to relate to this gringo, Indianan, country-style, 1950's movie, but man, the guys were so into it! So fun! Welp, just another crazy day in the life of Bolivian youth ministry.

Lucky are the Unlucky

On Wednesday night, I faced one of my biggest fears. About a month ago, we started a bible study within the shoe shiner community. It has been an incredible success. The guys are excited to come and learn and always ask great questions. So, a couple weeks ago, my friend and mentor, Janetta, challenged me to face my fear of leading and of speaking in front of a group. A couple days later, I accepted Randy's offer to lead a shoe shiner bible study. Man... what was I thinking? Not only do I hate speaking in front of people, but I would be speaking about the bible, and in SPANISH! Insane. Welp, my assignment was to lead a study on the beatitudes, the beginning of Jesus' famous sermon on the mount.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persucuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:1-12)

So, upon first reading this passage, it seemed pretty ridiculous.... blessed are the poor, the meek, the persecuted??? But after meditating and studying and reading, I discovered that it really is a beautiful concept and I was so excited to share what I had learned with the guys. I shared a couple stories from the gospels about some people that really impressed Jesus (The widow's offering - Luke 21:1-4, The healing of a leper - Mark 1:40-45, and The sinful woman - Luke 7:36-50). Even though these people may seem like they are in very difficult situations, feeling pathetic, desperate, or lost, these people are actually quite fortunate. When we find ourselves in very desperate times, the kingdom of heaven draws near. In our desperation, we are in a perfect position to accept the free gift that Jesus offers us - the gift of salvation, eternal life! Although we may not have much to hope for in this life, when we accept Jesus into our lives, a whole new world of hope is revealed. We can now place our hope in Jesus and the life to come. So, we should stop placing our hope in worldy, temporary pleasures, and instead live a life focused on the eternal rewards that are promised to us through Jesus.

Anyways, the study went pretty well. I was super crazy nervious, but I had to just hand over my fears and trust that God would use me for his glory. I really wanted to share this message with the guys because it seems so real and applicable to pretty much everyone. There were about 15-20 guys and they seemed to react pretty well. I was so thankful to have Randy sitting right next to me, jumping in whenever he could to answer questions and enhance conversation. What a blessing it was to share with the guys! All I can do now is hope that their hearts were open and ready to receive the message. The seed has been planted.

Come to Jesus Meeting

On Tuesday morning, our usual gringo meeting got up close and personal. Randy had sensed some issues within the group, and decided that they needed to be brought to the table. We had some privacy and communication matters within the group to discuss. But also... we had to discuss the issue of Freddy. Over the last month or so, he has developed some major feelings for me. He is super "enormorado". I guess there have been some real misunderstandings between us regarding our relationship. The situation is pretty messed up. It sucks because this all happened because I was trying to be a good friend, an available ear, and a shoulder to cry on. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the general rule that girls should minister to girls and boys should minister to boys. Anyways, the team has come to the conclusion that I can no longer have any contact or communication with Freddy. This seems to be the only way that this issue can be nipped in the butt. I'm super bummed about the decision, but I am convinced that this is the best thing for me and for Freddy. Again, keep him in your prayers. He is very lost right now, and the only thing that can bring him true healing and happiness is a relationship with Christ. Also, pray for me as I attempt to find a new ministry focus. I need to be working with girls.... which is definately not the most natural thing for me. It's really hard for me to not get discouraged when I look back at the last 3 months of ministry. But I have to choose to see this as a part of God's grand, perfect plan. I will probably walk away with some incredible life lessons. It's also a great time to completely trust and enjoy intimacy with my mighty God. Later.

VaCa in Chile

Hey y'all. Sorry it's taken me forever to finally get around to posting an update. We arrived back from Chile on Sunday evening. It was a nice trip. We mostly spent our time laying on the beach and playing frisbee. It was pretty uneventful, except when Pedro almost got washed away by a huge wave. David, Pedro, and I were walking around on some rocks near some gnarly waves. David was messing around and challenging the waves, when Pedro decided that he wanted to play too. As soon as he got out on the rocks, a monster wave completely overtook him. It knocked him off his feet and nearly washed him into the ocean. He played it off like it was nothing, but he got majorly scratched up from the jagged rocks... and now can bearly walk. He's tough though. Welp, that's about all. We stayed at a small little hostel, which Randy and Ross had scouted out a couple weeks earlier. It was run by a family of four with two daughters. It was a well known fact that the younger daughter was quite a hottie, and it was David's mission to get a date. It was a great time messing with David the whole time, but of course he was too chicken to even talk to the girl. Oh well, better luck next time. It's fun to get away, but it's always so good to be home.

Chillin´ in Chile

Hey everybody! I hope you all are having a great day! My Bolivian visa was scheduled to expire on April 21 so me and the rest of the gang hopped on a bus to Chile! Pedro, David, Hannah, and I arrived in Arica, Chile around 2pm today. It´s pretty crazy! We got hooked up in a pretty sweet hostel and then hit the town. We ate an afternoon snack at McDonald´s (such a treat for us La Paz residents) and then walked along the beach. Arica is a beach town, kinda touristy, and crazy dry. I don´t know how long it´s been since this place has seen a rainstorm. Chile is definately very different than Bolivia, some good, some bad. The worst thing is that everything´s all expensive again. It´s like US prices again... but the currency is all crazy. It costs $2600 pesos to buy a big mac combo (about $5 US). I´m such a tight wad now because I´ve been spoiled by the crazy cheap prices of Bolivia. Welp, just wanted to fill you in! I´ll tell you all about the trip when I get back into La Paz. Chao, chao.

Lent Outreach - EXTREME

For the last 7 weeks, we have been taking part in an extreme ministry opportunity. In La Paz, it is tradition to make an all night pilgrimage to a catholic church on Thursday nights during Lent. People gather in the streets and plazas near the church and mass is held every hour throughout the night. Thousands of young people participate in this religious tradition every week, but for only a few does it actually serve as a spiritual journey. Tons of kids are just out there to have fun, get some exercise, or party with their friends. So, we see this as an awesome opportunity to meet and chat with the young people of La Paz. A couple months ago, Omar and I were put in charge of organizing the events of this ministry. We came up with some sweet ideas and we were totally excited to carry out our plan. We organized a meeting with all of the YFC volunteers and staff as well as representatives from several churches in the city. We relayed our ideas and asked for their support. We got a decent response from everyone, but unfortunately, in Bolivian culture, it's much better to accept a request and never follow through with it than it is to refuse to help. So, due to a lack of volunteers and some opposition from the authorities, hardly any of our ideas came to pass. This was somewhat disappointing for me... but some good things definately happened. It was planned that we would have fun social events every week and then host one big event the last night with an Easter talk from Pedro. So, to spark interest and curiosity in the kids, we all wore homemade lime green t-shirts that say, "Estoy de Acuerdo con Pedro" - "I Agree with Pedro". Pretty sweet. Although most of what we planned never happened, we had a great time meeting kids. Thursday night was the last night of Lent and therefore the last night of our outreach. Instead of Pedro making a formal sermon... we opted for a more laid back approach. Randy and Jon brought their guitars and lead us in some sweet worship. We just played and sang in the plaza and in the street and let the kids come to us. It seemed like everyone really enjoyed the music! Also, between every few songs one of us or someone in the crowd would share what Easter means to us. It was pretty sweet. And a bunch of people came up to us and started some great conversations. Man, God is good. It's really good for me to get a lesson in letting God take control. He really can do greater things than I can even imagine.

Some Light

So, my mom seems to think I need to write a follow up to my last blog. So, here we go. The problems and worries that I expressed last week are... somewhat resolved, taken care of, or still lurking. I met with Pedro yesterday to talk about all of the crap going on. It was great to talk with him. He really is an awesome father figure to me... and definately understood a lot of what I am going through. After talking with Randy, I don't think Kavil will be leaving the ministry anymore. And I am going to try to be more respectful towards him and his protective tendencies. The biggest problem right now is with Freddy. Man... I really screwed this one up. Everything's out in the open about the impossibility of anything ever happening between us, but the whole situation really seems to have messed with his head. I never should have of hurt him as I did while his is in such a vulnerable state. Also, he has been receiving a lot of crap from the other guys about spending so much time with me. So, he says that we really need to have a serious talk - I think about whether or not we can even be friends anymore - but when I went to find him today, he was no where to be found. One of the guys, Charlie, informed me that he was pretty drunk again this morning. He keeps getting stuck in this destructive behavior... and I can't help but think that I have a lot to do with it. He keeps saying that he has no motive to live and all he wants to do right now is forget everything that has happened. All I want to do is give him some hope, show him some love, show him some grace, and show him the light at the end of the tunnel. All I know how to do right now is pray. Please, please pray with me for my dear friend Freddy.

O Crap...

The last couple of days have been a nightmare. Randy and Ross happen to be stuck in Chile right now on a visa renewal trip. Unfortunately, while they're out enjoying the beach... all seems to be going to hell around here. Most of my problems seem to be stemming from either cultural confusion of being a girl. Dang... it sucks being a girl! (If anyone can come up with some legitamite reasons that it rocks to be a girl... please let me know). So, most of the ministry I do around here is with shoe shiner guys. These guys range in age from 11 to 28 years old. The guys are a little rough around the edges, but they're a ton of fun and I truly enjoy their company. Unfortunately, the fact that I am a girl has recently placed a huge hinderance on my relationship with the guys. Tuesday at basketball practice, Kavil, one of the Bolivian volunteers, pulled me aside to discuss some 'serious' issues. He proceded to tell me that I need to be very careful about hanging out with the guys. That he's heard about some of the guys taking advantage of girls in the past. He told me that I am prohibited from going anywhere with the guys by myself, I am to have him, Randy, or David with me at all times. When I heard this news... I was shocked, annoyed, and probably didn't show Kavil very much respect. Kavil and I have had a good/really difficult friendship. We've been close... but have also had a lot of conflict. All of the guys have asked me if Kavil is my chico (boyfriend) because he acts super jealous and protective whenever I hang out with other guys. So, upon hearing Kavil's warning, a large part of me felt like he was just speaking out of jealousy and being incredibly over protective. I later learned that my disrespectful reaction may have played a large part in Kavil's decision to leave the ministry soon. Later that day, at lunch with the guys, Pedro (the big boss) came by to take one of the guys to the doctor. He decided, however, to first address all of the guys about an issue. He then proceded to very harshly reprimand all of the guys for bothering Hannah and I. He said that we're like daughters to him and that if he hears about anyone ever bothering us, he would personally handle the problem, physically. This came as a complete suprise to both Hannah and I. We feel like we have received nothing but respect from the guys. I have no idea where Pedro got this idea. After Pedro's intense warning to the guys... everything seemed to change. All of the guys were incredibly offended by the accusation and have been acting completely different and weird around Hannah and I now. Upon talking to one of the older guys, I learned how all the guys feel... and he feels like an explanation or an apology would be appropriate on Pedro's part. Then, yesterday, I went to the post office to take care of an issue. Freddy shines at the post office. He and I have been becoming pretty good friends. I have been able to be there for him whenever he needs to talk and vent about all of the crap in his life. Unfortunately, because I am a girl, he has interpreted my friendship as something a little more serious. He has been very friendly with me, and has been introducing me as his chica. So, I went to talk to him yesterday about this misunderstanding. I told him everything that I needed to say... but it didn't seem to be getting through to him. Instead of reacting to the news, he told me more of the details about the crap in his life. I don't know if it's due to a lack of language skills of what, but my way of comforting him has been physical touch. I would hold his hand or put my arm around him while he was spilling his heart to me. I was later advised, that as a guy, when you entrust someone with these kind of personal stories, a level of intimacy develops and it didn't help that I offered my hand to him as comfort. During our intense, long conversation at the post office, I looked up to see Pedro. He never came over, but I have no idea what his reaction was to seeing Freddy and I deep in conversation, hand in hand. In my mind, this was all completely innocent and plutonic, but I failed to think about how my behavior might affect a guy. I eventually realized the seriousness of the problem and was very frank with Freddy about the boundaries of our friendship. He has definately begun to act differently around me. Hopefully out of respect for me, and not out of heart ache. The biggest fear I have is to hurt Freddy, a great guy that has already experienced so much heart ache in his life. All I want to be is a friend that he can trust with all of his junk. Unfortunately, as a girl, this may or may not be possible for us. Last night, all of this crap came crashing down, and I had quite a breakdown. It seems like the crap is really hitting the fan and all of my relationships are falling apart. All I can do right now is trust that this is all in God's plan and that he will use all of this for good and for his glory. Prayers in all of this would be greatly appreciated.

The First Church

On Wednesday night, we had our first shoe shiner church. In a word.... it was incredible! Randy has been growing real friendships with a group of shoe shiner guys for over a year now. Finally, at this point, we have decided to take our relationship to a new level. We had the meeting at the project building where the shoe shiners store their boxes, wash up and eat. This is a great location because of the convenience for the guys, and to meet and invite new people. Eleven of the guys showed up... honestly, much more than we expected. Randy taught out of Acts chapter 2, about the first church. For some of the guys, this is their first glimpse into the bible. For others, religion has been forced into their life, or has simply been a superficial tradition. At the start of the meeting, we asked all to leave whatever preconceptions they have about church at the door. Many have some very negative feelings toward the church. Religion around here has been made into a book of rules and a life of condemnation. From here we began to rebuild the name and the purpose of the church. According to the book of Acts, the church should consist of baptism, devotion to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer, miraculous signs, a common interest, provision for all who have need, praise of God, and enjoyment of all the people. We hope to take the next several weeks to explain many of these characteristics. Some seem quite foreign to our little community.... but others seem remarkably familiar. The guys are already, in many ways, a family and a real communtiy. We break bread regularly together, we share common interests, and provide for the needs of the others in our community. We support each other by going to funerals together, by visiting family members in the hospital, and by caring for each other in times of heart ache. We do life together. Our new goal should be to turn this great love outward... to people outside of our community and to God. We also took some time to study a great command of Jesus - "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:12-13) We discussed a real love, a crazy love, a love that is willing to value others as greater than ourselves. This really hit home with a bunch of the guys. Within the small group present, there was some real brokenness. Among the guys were Freddy and Ismael. Freddy has already been introduced to you. He is suffering extreme loss and heart ache. He was incredibly betrayed by his family... the ones closest to him. Now he suffers everyday to find hope in ever being happy again. Another one of our buddies, Ismael, works hard to support himself. His parents died when he was very young. About two weeks ago, his nephew had a tragic fall that caused incredible internal injuries. He spent over a week in the intensive care unit of the hospital. Ismael's sister had absolutely no way of paying the ridiculously expensive hospital bills. We've been able to step in and help them out as much as we can financially. Almost all of the guys have also contributed what they can to cover the bills. The guys truly act like a family when any member of the community is in need. It was truly incredible to see how the guys reacted to the living message of Christ. I can't hardly wait to see how the guys grow and change as they learn more about their creator that loves them so intimately. Wow.