Challenges

Challenges. They come in all shapes and sizes, yet they seem to be the theme of my last few weeks. (including the challenge of finding time to write this blog)

About three weeks ago, on the 21st, we had a big festival for Amanecer, a Kermesse, on Sunday where all of the houses came and were serving a dish (for about 20bs) to promote and raise money for the organization. It was an absolutely gorgous day for an outside event - blue skies and hot - not hot enough to be uncomfortable, but hot enough for this gringa to get a good sunburn and have every other Bolivian tell me "Ahh!! Has quemado en el sol!! Estás roja!!" and be very concerned...they didn´t believe me when I told them that in two days it wouldn´t be a problem because they NEVER get red red from the sun so to them my burn was like the end of the world. It was an amazing day - kind of like a church festival but with DELICIOUS food, live music (really good live music), and beer. Spending the day with the boys from Jersualen outside of the house really improved alot of our relationships and jumping back and forth to help with the Solomon Klein tent and spend time with the mama´s and nurses that I usually only see during work was also very rewarding.
However, let´s not forget that the theme of this blog is challenges.
Towards the end of the event my, then very recent, boyfriend stopped by for a few minutes on his way home from lunch with his parents. Upon seeing him a few of the boys from my house gave me a hard time saying "No nos has dicho que tienes un chico!!" (You didn´t tell us you had a boyfriend!!) and pretended to be heartbroken, which was actually quite entertaining. However, one of them took it a little harder than the others and proceeded to tell me that I had broken his heart when he saw me with Diego because he liked me etc etc. Challenge number one. Attempting to explain Fernando that I was profusely sorry for having hurt him, but that I didn´t view him as more than a friend and boy from Jersualen and that we could never have the potential to be more than that. Seeing how much I had hurt him and how he had confused my friendship for mor than that really hit me hard. It made me question my relationship with all the boys we had spent the day with - if Fernando is one of the ones I talk to the least, what do the others thing?? Is it possible for me to really be friends with these boys and help them without somehow misleading them? I love that Hanne and I are really forming relationships with the boys, having inside jokes with them, playing baseball with them on Saturday afternoons, eating meals with them and I truely enjoy passing times with them, but how much is too much?? Where do we have to draw the line between friends and educators? I´m still working on that answer, but I´m definitely much more conscious of all of my interactions with the boys.

Challenge 2
Being away from home for the holiday weekend of Thanksgiving and my birthday. We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with over 40 people - for which I made some very creative hand-turkey centerpieces if I do say so myself - but eating Thanksgiving food without family and in 70+ degree heat really isn´t the same.
And everyone here was really great about celebrating my birthday- we had a little party on Saturday night and then went out to dinner on Tuesday after dance class (yes, I am taking a traditional Bolivian dance class every Tues and Thurs night) - but I couldn´t help wishing I was bouncing around with Katie Smith and my parents and Tim like last year or singing my heart out at 23 with the McG girls (although this year would have been much better because we would have been at Corby´s and not 23).
Tuesday day itself was a little difficult at first because I was working with Albertina and she was doing everything she possibly could to annoy me that day (although I don´t think it was on purpose...just my luck) and no one said Happy Birthday or anything...and then the mama´s from the other days (Sabina and Mariam) came in at lunch and surprised me with some homemade cake and Coca Cola and gifts - telling me how thankful they are for everything I do and how even though I can´t be with my family they are my family...a really really moving and powerful experience.
But THANK YOU to everyone who sent bday cards and contacted me on my birthday - it made it a little easier to know that even though I couldn´t be with everyone, I knew you were thinking about me. I also apologize if you sent a card and it hasn´t made it...give it some time, it might take until Christmas. Also a challenge - the Bolivian mail system.

Challenge Three
This weekend we traveled to Santa Cruz and Samaipata for a long weekend of relaxation. It was a fabulous weekend, we only spent a few hours in Santa Cruz (where I almost died of humidity and heat) but I fell in love with Samaipata. Samaipata is about 2.5 hours in taxi (5 hours in bus -we found out the hard way after taking the bus TO Samaipata and 5 hours and two flat tires later we finally made it - and promptly decided we would pay the extra 10b´s to take a taxi back instead of the bus) from Santa Cruz. It is in the middle of the jungle and there are a million different day hikes and excursions to do every day. We hiked 13km on Saturday to see Inca ruins and a gorgeousssss view of the entire valley and on Sunday we hiked down a secret trail to a hidden waterfall where we were the only 6 people around - swimming in a lagoon and sunbathing on a giant rock. Absolutely amazing.
However, upon our attempt to return to Cochabamba last night there was a landslide about 100km from Cochabamba that closed the road between Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. There are no alternate routes in Bolivia, no detours, no other path to take. As a result, we spent the night in a local church center (that our friend Johnny was connected to) and they have been more than hospitable giving us free shelter and food while we wait for the passage to open up again so we can get home. We are going to try to head to the bus station at 4 and trying to leave again tonight - keep your fingers crossed for us - although the extra vacation isn´t all that bad :)

So there have been quite a few things keeping me busy and occupied and sometimes stressed - but moments like when André sees me across the cafeteria and comes runnnning towards me and crashing into my lap make it all worth it. For all the challenges there are rewards and I wouldn´t trade it in for an easier experience any day.