Welcome to Bolivia!

Hi folks. Thought I would drop you some lines and give you the picture I promised you on Friday. It’s the third internet café I’ve tried and I think I can risk uploading at least one photo here. Yeah, this funny house got my attention on Friday when I was about to leave campus. I looked at it and thought: Welcome to Bolivia!! Bolivians have strange ways of building houses. This is just one of them.

On Sabbath, we were in the cafeteria for lunch when it started to rain. Rain in Bolivia is something special, too. It normally doesn’t last very long but it’s more like somebody up there in the clouds emptying whole buckets of water than a nice and gentle summer rain. Well, sitting in the (new) cafeteria and looking up, I realized that the roof wasn’t done yet… The walls were painted, the kitchen was functioning, the windows were in, the sound system working; even a big flat screen had been already installed in one corner. Unfortunately, half of the roof had still big gaps… including right over the screen. Apparently no problem for Bolivians. They got some garbage bags out, climbed up there and wrapped the screen. They moved some tables, got some barrels to catch the water from the worst “waterfalls” and as the big puddle nevertheless started to become a lake, they saved the sound system, too. Welcome to Bolivia again =)

As you might have already guessed: I’m feeling better; that means I’m actually in a pretty cheerful mood. I thought I had beaten diarrhea with charcoal, but started again today… I didn’t drink any (self made) juice in the cafeteria since Friday night, just boiled water and herbal tea. Last night though, I thought I might try the juice again… Whatever. It isn’t that bad and I want to get used to the bacteria here anyways. I don’t want to have to take care of what I eat and drink for 6 months.

Concerning privacy and loud kids, it’s getting better. I discovered the prayer room and different places on campus where I can be actually alone. The Director of Student Affairs (a really nice person!), who was helping me getting started here the past days, talked to the deans and told them about my experience with teenagers and willingness to help out wherever possible. (I guess he told them my age, too… people over here think I’m 17 or something. When I tell them that I’m in university, they give me two more years…). So now I feel treated like 25 instead of 17… and I frankly spoken… I like thas a lot better… =)

There is more good news:
I’M A STUDENT! A really registered one with a long number =) I’ll study “Licenciatura Educación – Comunicación y Lenguaje”, that means I would be a language teacher if I would do all the semesters. Cool!!! Thank you Lord! And thank you Sergio Zableta (Director of Student Affairs). I spent half the day in all different kinds of offices, but it was worth it. I didn’t think they would let me study kind of officially with a tourist visa. I was hoping, I could just sit in some classes, help here and there, use the library and enjoy campus life. God gave me more than I asked for =)

I encourage you to tell God your wishes. The great thing is that if you are willing to take His answer, they don’t even have to be modest. I’m convinced that He wants to bless you in a greater way than you can imagine. Looking back and thinking about my struggles trusting God about the “Bolivia thing” in January, makes me humble and thankful at the same time.

I wish you similar experiences. Expect to be blessed!
maria