Dead animals hanging from the ceiling

Goodmorning,

Last night we did the homeless ministry in the plaza.  Afterwards we spend time with the people.  I spent time with an elderly woman named Mercedes.  Mercedes carries around her belongings everyday – about 4 bags full.  One of the large bags has her sleeping gear and a big long stick.  I asked what the stick was for and she said it is used to scare away the big stray dogs at night that try and bother her.  She goes to bed every night at 1 a.m. and wakes up at about 10 a.m.  After the ministry I walked her to a spot near garbage cans with all of her stuff and she said it was time for her to collect newspapers, it was 9 o clock at night.  Mercedes asked for prayer regarding her health, her head hurts all the time and her bones ache.  She said her eyes are also very blurry and it is hard to see.  So I’m sharing her prayers here in case any of you could take time and pray for Mercedes.  Thank you.

These past few days I have had to make a couple trips to “la concha” for various things.  The concha is the biggest open air market in South America.  It is like a walmart or target but way bigger and with hundreds of workers.  At the Concha you can find – literally – and I mean literally – anything you need.  Toiletries, all types of meat - including intestines, any food, clothes, people that will fix your clothes with a sewing machine or iron your clothes, furniture, pets, witchcraft, car parts, house parts, anything you can think of –it is there.  Each part is separated by sections, and each section has its own distinct smell. 

Last week we had a goodbye party for a friend and had to buy a bunch of food – so when we got meat, for example –the woman took a slab of cow, fat and bones attached and all and began cutting away at it.  Quite disgusting and really makes the connection between where your food comes from easier to understand.  I remember distinctly watching her cut the slab while a guy with a wheel barrel full of slimy, slippery, wobbly, animal intestines rush by as blood would splash to the ground.  “hm, this is different,” is all I could think.  That and, “my mom would be so proud of me.”

Yesterday when I was in the Concha I walked through the witchcraft section.  It was DISGUSTING.  There were people doing fortunes and there was also a part with money set up on tiny offering type things.  But the most nasty, most deplorable thing was that when you looked up – you could see dead baby animals hanging from their neck.  I mean, literally dead and dried up, sheep, dog, and cat, and other animals but I chose not to look.  After observing, quite quickly, I walked SO FAST past it all, ew.  When I first saw the animals hanging, I literally stopped in my tracks with my jaw dropped.  I know, I know, culturally insensitive – but seriously, WOW, I was not expecting that by any means.  The best part is – I was on my way to eat lunch.

Other than the concha experiences, life has been interesting.  I locked myself out my room the other day so I went to buy a new door handle (there was no key to the door) which we successfully installed.  We had a going away party for a friend from Switzerland which I will add some photos and attempt at a video.  We have visited the kids and I want to pause real fast to ask for your prayers in this area.  The kids’ future is uncertain and please pray that God will protect them and be with them as some large decisions are made surrounding their current circumstances and future.

This past weekend I attended a woman’s retreat.  It was for married woman but we were invited anyways.  We had 3 sessions a day on various topics.  I learned a lot.  Mainly that life is hard, and troubles will come our way, but that God is faithful through it all.  I also learned more about the struggles and joys of marriage – which is all confidential.  ;)  Seriously though, single or married, life will be hard, and I was advised not to fret, that God has a purpose and a will for our lives whether single or married or widowed.  There is a time for everything.

This afternoon I will be going over to a friends house for a girls day – or whatever you call it.  Devon invited over some Bolivian friends from church to make some food and celebrate a birthday.  I hope that you all have a wonderful day.

Alison Garza

cochabamba

We made food, I learned how to cut onions like a Bolivian!

look mah, i'm learning to cook and serve

dancing to gansta christian music

Made my first fire with Tee!!

I remembered Dave Benedeck waving papers over the fire for oxygen, so I did it, and it worked!

Tee and Gabby, Gabby spilled juice all over her shirt

One of her brothers dressed her, cute

The going away party for Murielle from Switzerland

Every Saturday we place soccer or footsol here

Tee working on the fire

Tee sleeping at womans retreat

Womans Retreat

Moms and Pops photo-op

I was going through old photos and look what I found - this is from maybe two or three years ago.  That is my mom and dad with the whole world in their hands - and look what continent is showing - -  How great.

It made me laugh so I had to share this.  Have a wonderful day!

Dance with your heart

I can’t sleep.  This seems to be a theme in my blog entries.  Today was a good day.  Why?

1. completed my laundry and cleaned my room – it is SO clean and organized. 
2. Played soccer with some friends
3. visited the orphanage
4. went to young adult group at church
5. attended a small concert with really good music

friends from back home, courtesy of Will (io)

Before I left for Bolivia I posted something about how loved I felt by friends and family and how I would share this love with others here.  I want to tell you that today I shared that love.  It’s a weird feeling in my chest that just builds up and overwhelms me for the kids that we hang out with every Friday and Saturday.

Tonight at the young adult gathering they spoke on Hebrews 11.  The first verse of Hebrews 11 says “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Faith has been a recurring theme of my time in Bolivia.  It is absolutely essential to have faith and to wake up every morning with the full assurance that God is at work.  The chapter continues to give concrete examples of people who lived by faith.  Honestly, I can’t even give it justice in describing this chapter – you simply have to read it. (click the link if you don't have a bible near you)

The person that stuck out the most to me was Abraham.

 “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God”.

Can you imagine that?  I worry about how my future will be.  But can you imagine wandering around and staying in a foreign land – with so much uncertainty from the world’s point of view.  How many questions could be posed in this situation – “How is God going to give us this land?”  “How will we know if the land is the land he promised?”  “What if I miss my hometown, can I go back?” 

God has given us promises in the Bible.  Just as he made a promise with Abraham – we have promises through Jesus.  What we are told to do is obey God’s word and live it out, even though we don’t know what we’re doing.  By faith we are to live our lives with full assurance in each step that God has a clue what he is building.  Our culture is so focused on having concrete answers and knowing the next steps.  The question is always “What are you going to do?”  “What is next?”  “What does your future look like?”  “What are you going to be?”  “Who are you going to marry?”  “Where are you going to live?”  So many questions that make our heads spin and leave us bewildered, stressed, worried, and without peace.  But God gives us a peace that passes understanding when we completely trust in him (Philippians 4:7). That is the difference.

I have no idea what my future holds.  No idea.  I’ll say it again – I have NO idea what the future holds, no one does.  All I know is that God is in my life.  He is present.  I have the Bible and I have friends and family to help along the way.  And even with friends and family far away, and if they were ever to disappear (hopefully never) – I still have the Bible.  Tonight the speaker made a point that the people of faith referenced in Hebrews chapter 11 didn’t have the full Bible as a point of reference, they only had their faith in God and the hope of what they couldn’t see.  We have the Bible in its full form as a guide for life.  A verse just popped into my head and I have no idea its reference but it is “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

So that is the story of today.  Tomorrow is a new day, with new lessons, and good times, and probably tons of yawns.

I’m going to try and sleep – It is almost 3 a.m. now.  Thank you for your love and support.  Can’t say it enough. 

CON AMOR (CITO), Alison

kids like taking my camera to take pics

I tried to make cookies for some Bolivians - I used pancake mix on accident instead of flour. woops.  good thing they haven't tried many chocolate chip cookies here  (sad truth)

Franx and Maria

playing games

Maria and I

makeshift volleyball

we used an iron rod as the net supported by a kid holding the rod on each end

I can't quite see videos online right now - slow internet, but i think this is the song I'm thinking of

From the inside out - Hillsong United

Recap on Buenos Aires

Back in my room!

It is currently 5 a.m.  I arrived back “home” last evening and was welcomed by the smell of Cochabamba (dry smelly excretion).  My body is re-adjusting to the change in weather and altitude, as I woke up 4 times last night and once again with puffy eyes and a stuffy nose – I had almost forgotten where I was.  J

Buenos Aires Cemetary

In Buenos Aires we went to a zoo and a cemetery and coffee shops and restaurants and walked a ton.  The national cemetery has a ton of above ground graves.  I am strange in the fact that I think cemeteries are fascinating.  The way people honor and revere their dead says so much about the culture and when I was younger I enjoyed wondering what the lives of those past were like.  I used to stand bewildered at graves from the 1800s and try and comprehend what that person’s life must have been like.  Halfway through our trip we decided to switch hostels. GREAT DECISION.

checking into the Art Factory with my pasaporte

We relocated to the “Art Factory” on another side of town.  Our room had 6 beds – and we mostly hung out with friends from Columbia, Venezuela, Argentina, Belgium, France, and Netherlands.  It is amazing how quickly you can make friends and connect with other people.  The day would go like this.  Morning – wake up – go have breakfast –conversation

Traveler #1 - “hello, what are you doing today?”

Traveler #2 - “I don’t know, what are you doing today?”

Traveler #1- “I’m doing this, this, and this, want to join?”

Traveler #2-“Ok, lets invite person a, person b, person c”

Traveler #random- “ok, and for dinner lets all make food together and eat.”

Traveler everyone-“ok”

And than we would proceed to go sight see or hang out at a food place.  The environment was so laid back and great for rejuvenating.  One of our friends from Columbia met an Italian and by the next day they had both bought tickets to Iguazu Falls and will be traveling throughout South America together for the next few weeks (including a stop in Cochabamba!).  If you ever want to travel alone – don’t fret about the alone part – because you will make friends (provided you are nice, which, if you are reading this, you probably are because you are probably my friend).

Aside from that awesomeness, there was the, how should I call it, not so awesomeness.  We call this part of the trip – food poisoning.  I went to bed dizzy and woke up to more dizziness and stomach pain – and just about the point where it felt like I was going to die – that is the point when my night of food poisoning began.  That night was spent on the community bathroom floor, vomiting every 20-30 minutes from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m.  Never again – nunca jamas.  Although – I know it is inevitable to return.

The bed I paid $55 for

What goes through ones mind when vomiting out everything even when there is nothing left?  A lot.  It’s like God was giving me extra time to reflect on life – in a unique way.  I was sitting on the bathroom floor with my hand to my head, shivering profusely, and about to complain, when the verse about being thankful in all circumstances came to mind.  OK FINE.  “Thank you God for this illness, for my immune system that lets me know something is wrong, for the ability to feel when I am about to purge, and for this lovely bathroom floor that is not nasty.  Thank you for…and the list continues.”  This was a first time experience of being thankful while vomiting – and I highly recommend it – because it turns out – there is a lot to be thankful for.  Early that morning I gave in and rented a hostel room to myself.  I wasn’t quite sure what illness I had or how long I would be sick for so deductive reasoning led me to give up 55 dollars on a room with a private bathroom.  I spent the next day in bed, going in and out of sleepy consciousness.  I thought a lot about the time here and how to use it wisely and I thought a lot about a lot of you.  (Tons of “a lots” in that sentence, but too tired to think of an alternative, much?)

After the day of pain – that’s what I’ll call it – I regained!  We visited the president’s house, beautiful, long, boring, interesting, tour.  We spent more time getting to know people at the hostel and the final night – Tango!!  Don’t be deceived, I didn’t tango, but we watched and listened to Tango.  It was the beginning of the national tango festival.  I have a high appreciation for tango music and dancers now and perhaps someday, I will learn.  There was an open dance floor with people dancing oh so elegantly to the tango, it was impressive, and beautiful.  The tango definitely brings out the hopeless romantic feeling that sometimes you love and sometimes you hate.

Oh! I dropped my Droid phone in the toilet.  I went to the store to buy rice to put the droid phone in, I opened the bag of rice in the store (don’t ask me why), and spilled the rice on the store floor.  The remainder of rice was used to let the droid phone dry.  The next day I also borrowed a French girls hair dryer and blow dried the phone.  I am proud to announce that currently the driod phone is next to me with music playing and everything seems to be in order.  To those of you with smart phones – store this portion of the blog in your memory for a slippery day when you drop your phone in a toilet.

Also, if you travel, buy a lock.  Devon and I had money stolen from us the first night at the first hostel and another night, even with the lock!)  Thank goodness it wasn’t too much – that is part of the traveling experience I guess.

This is excruciatingly long and I still have to add photos.  More of tango to come another day.  Enjoy!

At the Art Factory Hostel

There were some ammmmazing trees

the peacocks just roamed the zoo, and ate your food.  Check out the peanut in this ones beak!

Estoy Aqui!

 

Graveyard - creepy - not lying you could see the caskets and some had holes in them

Chillin at the Hostel

Hippotabatomus

Venezuela, Holland, and US - great people

At the hostel

one of the many restaurants we ate at

My favorite animal at the zoo

muuufasssaaa

The wall says something about nature - and  I love trees, so naturally...cheese!

Toms Shoes Inspiration (Jon took this for you)

Tourists - La Boca

 

Breakfast at the hostel

This dog followed us around for a while

Touristy part of town - La Boca

Devon - My traveling buddy, and I