Thanksgiving, Moving and Birthday!

Wow it has been 2 months since I had a chance to sit and write about what has been going on. The month of November is kind of a blur. I was really busy between the three sites and had many projects going. The staff and kids were used to having me around and we planted some seeds for them to grow. We had quite a few new babies come in and striving at there new home. A missionary couple that worked her back in 97 visited the hogar and made a donation for clean water and parasite treatment for all the kids at the hogar. They are also paying the salary for an RN to take over medical at the hogar. It is a wonderful blessing for them. Even if they don’t always have the supplies at least now we have someone that knows what is going on and hopefully prevent us from loosing anymore little ones. We celebrated thanksgiving with all the SLMs in the country and it was a great weekend for all of us to catch up and have a lovely meal. Everyone brought there best dish to the table (with some interesting but delicious variations). It was also a mini vacation for me because without the director of the house there the house was pretty intense that month.

December came with many surprises. The biggest was my move to Cochabamba. For various reasons our director and I decided that the best was that I move to a different site. The major reason was the lack of community in Santa Cruz that I had. With no other missionaries there and not living with a religious community it made it difficult for me to stay there. The things I started at the hogar are still going on though and I get ‘reports’ in from the nurse on how things are going back there. I will always be visiting when there is time. Hogar San Lorenzo is a mission very close to my heart and in great need that it is my very dear hope that I will be able to do everything I can for them even if that is not with me being there everyday.

So in a matter of 3 days time I was moving out of the tropics up into the beautiful mountains and valleys of Cochabamba, Bolivia. On Dec 4, I went to all three sites said my good byes. It was a long day. I enjoyed my time with the sisters who knew exactly what I was going through and they were awesome. I took pictures with the kids and had time to just sit with all the babies in the nursery before I headed out. The boys the same but it was a quick stop because they were all in trouble again. At the house I had a chance to talk to the girls and late that night they put together a song and gift from the house. They also surprised me with a birthday cake and another round of singing. It was really touching and we had a chance to just sit and chat and say bye to my home of three months.

On Dec 5 I got on a bus and had the chance to see the countryside and changing scenery for the 8 hour bus ride. It also gave me time to settle my thoughts, pray and prepare for what was to come. As the green mountains turned to a dry terrain the sun was beginning to set I caught sight of the beautiful Cristo monument (bigger then the one in Rio). It is visible from almost anywhere in the city sitting atop its own mountain with beautiful colored lights as night settled over the town. It brought me peace and I just started to take in everything about my new home. When I reached the terminal my two new site partners where there waiting for me. It felt great to see them again and know that I had them to help with the transition and to spend the next 9 months serving the girls here at the hogar with.

The beginning here is kind of a blur now but I got to meet the girls and integrate into there routines and lives. The sisters here are great and where incredibly welcoming. They are a constant support we have at this site. My birthday was two days after I got here. I was so surprised when I got to breakfast and the sisters pulled out a guitar and serenaded me before we ate. Taking a look around the bulletin board had been transformed to congratulate me and ‘torta’ was put in front of me with candles. They had also cut roses from the garden and set them at my place at the table. At lunch they surprised me with a gift from the community and I was just overwhelmed with there kindness. The girls also sang for me and my site partners and I topped off the event with cake and sundaes. I never imagined reaching the 25 milestone in this way but I wouldn’t have it any other way then the memories I now hold of it.