LOS QUE CAMINAN POR LA VIDA, SEÑOR, SEMBRANDO TU PAZ Y AMOR…..
Saturday morning started off the same as any day, except I had woken up an hour early. Still sleepy at around 5 am and heading to the bathroom, I saw 2 of my housemates on the floor messing with the door handle but I didn’t pay much attention. As I finished getting ready, I then found out that our door handle had broke and we were locked in our apartment. My first reaction was to laugh, I mean what else do you do. The girls continue to try and break it open. I called our coordinator because we had to be at the bus stop by 630 to leave to Copacabana and it was now 615. It was suggested by someone that we tie up sheets (they have no ladders at the orphanage) and go out through the window. We live on the 3rd floor & its pretty high, so I suggested that might not be the best solution, considering if someone falls and breaks something, where would we take them? It was chaotic for about 20 more minutes and then finally someone was able to break through the door and we were FREE!! We all ran out to meet our teams and be able to make it before the buses departed to Copacabana. I sure hope our door gets fixed soon.
Finally on the bus and on our way to Copacabana, I was with 3rd, 6th, 7th, 10th & 11th graders, 3 teachers and 2 other volunteers. It was a fun trip. We got to see so many different little towns. At some point there was a road block for a funeral for a young girl. I’m not exactly sure what had happened, someone said she had been ran over by a minibus and so they were protesting them, and so they threw rocks when they passed by, but luckily they let us just pass through. It took us a little more than 2 hours to get to Tiquina.
I’m going to pause for a minute and tell you my thoughts while on the bus. I was looking at some of the girls and the beautiful mountains we would pass by, some even covered in snow and started to feel so grateful to even be here. I started to just think of my life in general from when I was a kid to this point and I realized I wasn’t so different than these kids.
I grew up in the valley(Brownsville) , just north of Mexico (about 10 minutes). My dad worked hard in Mexico to support us when we were very young, but he was away for long periods. But we had everything, nannies, houses, food, etc. Then things got complicated and my dad lost his job. I remember growing up and his drinking becoming worse at times. I remember not having stability. Not sure if he would come home drunk again and yell at me. Which im sure so many of these kids have experienced. My mom, was a hard worker. She got us through the tough times. But what if she didn’t have an education. What if my mom had given up, where would we have been? I remember my aunts and uncles helping us in many ways. What if we hadn’t had their support? Would we have had to sleep in a car or a shelter? What if my mom had decided it was too much for her and had just left us? There was a time we had food stamps and the only reason I was able to go see the doctor was because we had help from the government. I thought, what if we didn’t? What if we had been born in Bolivia, where would I be? I share this not to bring down my childhood, but because I am proud of my parents and everything they did so that we would persevere in life. My dad despite his addictions, eventually overcame them. He showed me to have hope and taught me alot. My mom, is one of the strongest women I know. She has been through so much and never gave up. She worked so hard so that my siblings and I never knew what it was like to be in “poverty”. And as I sat on the bus, I couldn’t help but tear up as I thought about these kids. I can’t compare my situation but I knew that had I not had the support I had from the government, my family, friends etc, I would not be the person I am today. But to some of these kids, who was going to help them? Who was going to give them aide when they needed it so that they did not have to end up living on the streets or doing things for money that you would not want your own daughter or son doing?
One of the reason’s I love the project I am at, is because I see it as an opportunity to do all these things. To motivate the kids and to show them that it can be possible to change and to overcome so many situations. The project also helps the kids with basic foods during the month, medical visits, school supplies, etc. Its not enough to just tell a kid, it will get better, but you have to walk with them.
Okay, back to the trip, at Tiquina, we all got off, because we had to cross over on a boat so that we could drive to Copacabana. There were so many people from the foundation. All the kids from the orphanages, families that are supported by the foundation, the teen moms, the workers who the foundation helps by teaching them to save etc, the kids who have already left the orphanage and have families, the kids from the streets, the kids from the after school programs, etc. It took us about 2 hours or so for all of us to cross over. It allowed for some good time to talk to the kids. It was also cool to see how many people were there. Once we crossed over we got back on our bus and drove to Copacabana. It was another hour from there. The view was beautiful. We were able to see Lake Titicaca and beautiful mountains just beyond it. I read through Philippians at that time, thinking again, about gratitude. Once we got to Copacabana, we all got off and started our “pilgrimage” to the “Virgin of Copacabana”.
So the reason why we were in Copacabana was to go and say thanks to the virgin and ask her to take care of the kids. Growing up Catholic, I understood what they were doing and why but currently my beliefs are different. I don’t believe that we have to go through someone else to ask God for something nor that we need to worship anyone else besides God. But I was respectful of what we were doing, just not participating in certain activities. I also realized that this trip for me wasn’t so much about what we were doing but about the HOPE it gave the kids. About the love it showed the kids. The kids were grateful to get away for the weekend. They were able to just be kids. Even the adults were able to be distract themselves and enjoy each others company.
Copacabana had beautiful sights. There were a good amount of tourists around. Saturday we mainly sang songs and spent time together. We did go to a mass that Padre Jose gave. Saturday night was fun.
We all light up different colored lights and walked around singing again. I really enjoyed some of the songs. Then we all went to the colesium to have our dance competition. My team had been making costumes out of flour and sugar sacks.
We were dancing the Saya. It was lots of fun. It was the first time I really learned a dance & I just had a blast out there with the kids. It was really cool seeing all the projects working together to do this.
The whole weekend was a neat experience and it was difficult for myself too. When it came to sleeping arrangements, I struggled. Not because of sleeping on the floor but the disorganization, I saw. But again, I was putting my “US standards” on it. I kept thinking in the US, it wouldn’t be like this. Then I remember I wasn’t in the US anymore. I eventually ended up sleeping in the 3rd graders room, on the floor. There were two twin beds which were pushed together and there were about 8 kids & their teacher that slept on them. The 2 other volunteers and I slept on the floor that night. I don’t share that, so you can feel bad for me, oh she slept on the floor, but what I want you to understand is that, this is how many of the kids and families live here. Often its 3-6 kids per twin bed. Sure does make you grateful when you have a bed to yourself, doesn’t it?
Sunday was incredible because I got to just spend time with the kids. I was in charge of 5 teenagers. We went out on duck boats to the lake and had tons of fun being silly and competing with one another. We got to shop around and just enjoy the sights. It did start to rain and what felt like hail for like 20 minutes but it stopped. That’s how it usually is in Bolivia. We basically had a free day until lunch time. I think what I appreciated about that day was just getting to bond with the kids. The lake was so peaceful and beautiful, it just made you think of God’s love, how vast it is and how much peace it brings you.
The drive back was kind of crazy for lots of reasons, the blockage was still going on, it was a little faster to get through Tiquina this time, but we didn’t get back till 7pm but I enjoyed the time because I was able to read through a book Jordan lent me. It’s called, Mountains beyond Mountains- The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer a man who would cure the World. It’s pretty fantastic, highly recommend you to read it but only if you are ready to be challenged with the way you think about the poor.
In the end, going to Copacabana was challenging, amazing, fun & most importantly made me grateful for so many things.
Stepping out in FAITH 