'Tis the season to be in Bolivia

It's been quite a while and there's a quite a good amount of things to catch up on. I'm gonna pull a "lazy Brianne" and make a list instead of being the professional little blogger I should be (although professionals never post about their diarrhea, I'm sure).

 

Me, super excited even though my sister fell asleep
on my lap while I was talking to her...



-First things first, my sister arrived! At an ungodly hour in the morning of December 10th, we met a groggy-eyed Candice coming out of Customs, extra suitcases and a sleepless brain in tow. The reunion was a tearful, exhausted one, and although us excited united family members talked excitedly the whole taxi ride home, all eyes shut the minute we sat down in the apartment. My whole family has been visibly happier with my sister in town, especially since all you can normally manage to do around her is laugh. Since her arrival Candice has gotten her fill of parties at the orphanage, salteñas, stomachaches, realizing the relationship between salteñas and stomachaches, rainy Lord of the Rings-on-the-couch days, preaching with her boyfriend at church, understanding the impossibility of wearing heels in La Paz, coffee at Vainilla's, coffee at Alexander's, coffee at Blueberrie's, walking through Montenegro, walking through El Prado, walking through San Miguel, walking through Ballivian... coffee and walking at all times, basically. She's also got to experience Copacabana with us, which brings me to my next point!

-This past weekend the Beatys (with their newly arrived Morgan) and the Broyles took the breathtaking three-hour bus ride to Copacabana, a beautiful and popular little town on the shore of Lake Titikaka. This lake is the world's highest navigateable lake, and it happened to be ridiculously huge (you'd think it was an ocean if you didn't know any better). We stayed in a cozy hotel in Copacabana with an incredible view of the lake. On Friday, we took a two-hour boat ride to Isla del Sol, a small island in the middle of the lake that was sacred to the Incas. While the moms and Jordyn took another boat to the opposite end of the island, Dad, Candice, Morgan and I hiked the length on an old Incan trail. Throughout the four-hour trek, we passed many Incan ruins, we stopped (a lot), we took pictures, we talked with other travellers, we prayed, and we witnessed the hand of God in the stunningly beautiful landscapes. At the end of the hike, reuinted with the others on the boat ride back to Copacabana, we came to the terrible realization of just how insufficient our use of sunscreen was. By the time we ate dinner that night, we looked nothing short of lobsters, and by the time we returned to La Paz, our faces were beginning to peel off. Eventually what had become handsome tanned faces turned flamingo pink once again. But despite the painful diseased-looking faces, our time together as the "Breaty" bunch or the "Beatles" at the lake was fun-filled and special.

 

Copacabana





Morgan sacrificing Candice's head on the Incan rock.
Healthy dating relationship.

-On that happy note, I'll bring you all down by notifying you that the Beatys have left Bolivia. Terrible, right? Nevertheless, the HOPE team (particularly my desperate English-speaking father) owes Lin and Jordyn our deepest gratitude and, literally, our lives and mental health for helping us survive the first few months here in La Paz. They were servants from the first day to the last, never letting an opportunity to reach out to a new friend pass them by, constantly encouraging the HOPE team and the church, investing heart and soul in their FAI work, and undoubtedly full of love at all times. For me, I can't explain how painful it was to see my best friend leave, but I'm confident of God's plan and I'm so thankful He gave me Jordyn to walk with me through our first steps in Bolivia. I've also been comforted by the fact that I'll live with her the minute I get back to the States, prayerfully! And so, after an encouraging family Christmas on Monday night, we bid our other halves goodbye amongst tears and "squeeze" hugs at 2:30am.

-And yet another set of awesome visitors arrived to La Paz the next day: Renee and Luke Walker! Matt's mom and younger brother couldn't have come at a more appropriate time--between the goodbyes and welcomes of so many casi family members, and right around Christmas time, neither Matt nor my family could've been more encouraged! Matt, like the Broyles with Candice, is visibly happier and so enthusiastic that one-half of his dearly missed family made the trek to Bolivia to visit him. And my soul has been uplifted to see another momma figure and one of my best friends visiting my new home of La Paz, as well! At this moment the Walkers are in Copacabana, but since being in La Paz I've gotten to spend great time with them, and when they return we've got Christmas Eve night and Christmas dinner planned with them!



In honor of how much I'll miss the kids... Jay took this
picture of me, amused yet frustrated, trying desperately
to get stubborn little Aaron to go to sleep.



-My work in the guarderías has finished, as now begins Bolivia's summer, so after yet another teary farewell (this time to those precious kids of mine graduating up to Kindergarten) I left Betaña and CEIKU. As of now, my profession has made the drastic change from wiping children's boogers in daycares to translating for my father in medical administrative meetings at the Hospital. In fact, it's from my little office desk that I'm writing this blog right now, sitting where Lin used to sit. (Yes, I do feel important!) Anyway, I'm just filling in as the bilingual executive assistant until John Basilio gets here, much to the relief of my dad, I'm sure. As much as I love speaking Spanish and translating, I'm sure the Dominican adult man will understand medical terminology in both languages better than my teenage self does! Come January, I'm planning on helping Gwen with her Nursing Assistant training program, but I'll explain all about my new job when (and if) I actually start it.



A girl recieves her family's
bag of gifts.



-Although it doesn't feel a bit like Christmas here in this warm and rainy Bolivian summer, we're all excited to be together and especially encourage the orphans. We've had tons of craft nights and movie nights at the girls' home, we've given food baskets and wrapped gifts to the impoverished families served by FAI, we've joined the whole church for a Christmas dinner and hilarious talent show (where Dad dressed up as the only white Santa Clause in the congregation and wished the kids a "Happy Navels" instead of a Happy Christmas), and we've got a big Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) party planned for the girls in the home. We also have our nice little fake tree at the corner of the apartment, which makes my heart skip a beat everytime I see it lit. Now I've just got to stand by it and find someone to slow dance with to Nat King Cole. I'm sure it'll end up being my mother.

Well, that's all for today, folks! (See what I did there?) Have yourself a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! (I did it there, too.) Please keep the HOPE team, the La Paz church, and the children of Bolivia in your prayers! (Sorry, that one's not a song.)