keep walking, though there's no place to go

"Keep walking, though there’s no place to get to.
Don’t try to see through the distances." -Rumi

In the past couple weeks, it has been tempting to look at the rest of my time here and be filled with questions and doubts about the purpose of it all. However, it has proved to be a lesson in trust--trust that God knows what He's doing, and that all I have to do is keep walking. All these moments of doubt and fear I think have been God's way of revealing to me His faithfulness. Not one of my weak prayers has been left unanswered and His strength fills me with hope. 

At Casa Albergue

At Casa Albergue, I am finally settling into a routine and learning the rhythm of the place. My "role" in many ways is just being a friend to the 16 girls who live there. It is challenging and awkward and joyful all at once. There is a lot of room for creativity there, and a lot of time in each day which gives me the opportunity to head up any number of workshops and activities--photography being one of them, of course, but that only takes so much time out of the week (and I still haven't started). I am coming to believe more and more strongly in the important role that the arts can play in bringing about healing, and I feel so privileged to be a part of that here at Albergue.

First big snowfall up in the mountains last week!

Pray for a deepening of friendships here, particularly with the girls at Albergue, and for inspiration and creativity to abound over the next several months.

Blessings.

a slow start

A week has passed and I am still alive & well here in Coch. I am constantly in surprise at the Lord's timing and the way that He is supporting me even when I am not seeking Him out.

The past week has in many ways been slow, which I think overall is a good thing.  It has allowed me time to breath as I adjust to my new home, but has also left me a little impatient. The pace is different here, and I knew it would be--however, this unfortunately does not just mean that lunch often comes at 3 in the afternoon instead of 12:30, but also means that it is taking a little longer than I expected for things to "get started" with my internship at Mosoj Yan.

the view from the back of the house

In the past week, I spent two days working on Mosoj Yan's website, which is currently under construction; one day with the other volunteers (who are from France and Germany) selling food on the streets in Quillacollo to raise funds for MY; two days taking "cultural orientation" classes at a language school nearby; and three days with my host family eating lots of food in each others' homes. All good things, to be sure, though not what I expected (but fear not, HNGR office! I am learning to hold my expectations loosely).

I am excited to finally be going to Casa Albergue tomorrow, and el Centro de Motivacion on Wednesday. And I am learning to be grateful for the time I had to move slower, as I am beginning to see the fruit of it. I am sure I will be wishing for it as soon as things get busier.

Pray that I would learn patience, that I would become more aware of the ways that God is at work in this time, and that it would become clear how I should go forward in the visa process (options are to "overstay" my current visa for three months and pay a fine, or apply for temporary residency). Praise that God has brought me safe thus far and that I am well!

dusk at the house

I'll leave you all here with the last bit from Hild's prayer (614-680):

"If I am weak, I ask that you send only what I can bear.
If I am strong, may I shrink from no testing
that shall yield increase of strength or win security for my spirit.

I trust in Thee, O Lord. I say, 'Though art my God.
My times are in Thy hand, my times are in Thy hand.'"

some first impressions

The Andes Mountains are always visible when you look to the north; good thing when you have a poor sense of direction.

It will be some time yet before I can say I have successfully taken public transportation on my own here.

The ground is cold and I am wishing I had brought some slippers (I think slippers is my new favorite word in Spanish - pantuflas).

The sun is hotter than any I have ever felt before.

Even with car horns honking and trucks rumbling by, the city feels peaceful.

I feel surprisingly normal here, whatever that means. It hasn't been a shock to my system, it has not been jarring, and while I make many mistakes, even speaking in Spanish does not feel all that strange.

Gracias a Dios, I arrived safely and am now with a warm and welcoming family. This week will be full of visiting, meeting, adjusting, and familiarizing. Prayers for a smooth visa application process (part II) and for an open mind to all the newness of this week are appreciated. I'll share more later, when more has happened.

looking ahead

“We have to be braver than we think we can be, because God is constantly calling us to be more than we are.” 

-Madeleine L'Engle

things I am excited for:
-being outside of this American middle class suburban bubble.
-bringing together art & activism, two parts of myself which are not yet acquainted.
-learning from the staff at Mosoj Yan about caring for at-risk young women.
-applying this abundance of classroom knowledge about development, culture, and healing/counseling ministry to some real life experience.
-befriending and journeying with the young women at Mosoj Yan, as well as the staff and the host family I will be living with.
-walking alongside the 25 other HNGR interns in our separate journeys over the next six months (and coming back and getting to hear each others' stories at the end!).

things to pray for:
-For safe travels and an open mind to new and challenging experiences as I transition to life in Bolivia.
-For this photography idea, that it would be a source of healing & expression for the young women at Mosoj Yan (and that I would somehow manage to articulately teach in Spanish. Yikes!).
-For God to continue teaching me about grace and how to give it.

I have already experienced such immense support from the communities I am part of here in the States, and for that I am grateful. Truly, it is such an encouragement.

p.s. you can find the other HNGR interns' blogs at www.hngr2013.com