One day I woke up and it was my last day in Bolivia...
It's already been 4 weeks since I left California and my time in Cochabamba seemed like only moments. Right now I'm in Miraflores, Peru, sitting in a room slightly wider than arms length, trying to figure out how I could ever sum up my 30 days in Bolivia.
Well for the first 2 weeks Hyerim and I taught an English camp for 7-12 graders, 2 classes each, 6hrs a day. After class the students and their families would take us out site seeing and on weekends the missionary family (Pastor Lee and his wife) would take us on special trips or to the different churches he had planted.
The next 2 weeks definitely were the fastest. The missions team from the Gardena church arrived on Saturday, 18th and after a quick intro and Sunday church service, Monday rolled around, which officially began the VBS program. Sayariy School is a private christian school from pre-k to 12th. Each day we had 3 different age groups from 8:30am-4:00pm. Tr
y to picture screaming kids, glitter, and 8 "teachers" (half of us barely graduated HS) and that was pretty much our mornings. The afternoons proved to be a different challenge. Teaching 60+ unenthusiastic, bored, too cool to care teenagers English songs was not a pic nic either. I would take screaming kids and glitter any day.
y to picture screaming kids, glitter, and 8 "teachers" (half of us barely graduated HS) and that was pretty much our mornings. The afternoons proved to be a different challenge. Teaching 60+ unenthusiastic, bored, too cool to care teenagers English songs was not a pic nic either. I would take screaming kids and glitter any day.It probably sounds like I'm describing a horrible experience right now, and at certain times it was. There were points during this trip that each of us grew teary eyed out of frustration. Yet with every obstacle and difficulties come the rewards and blessings. My blessings was meeting the students, getting to know them outside the classroom and loving them with Christ's love. We grew so close to them and with the entire school that on the last day during our final presentation we all balled like babies while saying our goodbyes.
I've never had a mission's experience where I had the opportunity and time to build friendships and on that final day I guess I just realized how GREAT of a blessing it truly wasBolivia, at that school and with those students. I explained to the them afterwards (while Elder Chung translated it to spanish for me) that I was crying out of happiness, out of gratitude to the Lord beacause I had an amazing experience with them.
I could go on more and I will. THANK THE LORD for WiFi! hahaha
These last few days in Peru will be our touristy, debriefing time. We'll be hostel hopping, so finally some WiFi opportunities. Tomorrow were taking a 22hrs bus ride (yes nearly an entire day) to Cuzco to go visit MACHUPICCHU :)
God is good. THANK YOU for loving me enough to be a part of this trip. More updates to come!
1 comments:
Sam said...
Yay Nachelle! Hope to see you soon.