Well, here I am! I've been back on American soil for about six weeks now, and I'm feeling more unpatriotic than ever. Don't get me wrong, I love my patria and especially Atlanta, but I'm longing for Bolivia! I miss the mountains, the hispano-hablantes, the terribly hilly city, the harsh weather, the indigenous cholitas with their bowler hats, the culture, the people, the church, and more than anything, the children. All the memories that God has blessed me with will stay with me forever. La Paz is cherished in my heart, the faces are imprinted in my mind, the experiences and interactions will replay in my head when I need them most. I'm so grateful for this past year!
Because the focus and purpose of this blog is my Paceño life, and due to the fact that I am no longer in La Paz, this post will be my last. As some of you lovely, faithful readers noticed, I took down this blog for a few months due to security purposes with pictures of the kids from FAI. But, I've taken many pictures down and the site has now been dubbed good to go. :)
So. With what words do I fill up this precious last post? Easy. Words of gratitude. I've been in complete awe thinking over what just happened... we actually did it. We literally got up, sold, gave or stored away everything we had, and moved to South America. To a country that the general first-world person knows nothing about. To a country that many friends thought was in Africa (just because of my family's affiliation with and passion for that awesome continent), or in Eastern Europe (you know, Bosnia, Latvia, Bolivia...) and, once they found out it's in South America, thought we'd be living under palm trees in some tropical latin countryside. Unfortunately, none of that is correct, but fortunately, Bolivia might be the coolest country I've ever been in, and moving there just might've been the greatest decision of my disciple life.
As my incredible mom always says, life is about relationships. What impacts you in your experiences is never where you go or what you do, rather who you're with. These words couldn't ring truer in regards to my Bolivian experience. I'm so grateful for the friendships I was able to build in Bolivia. Some with wonderful people I was already acquainted with, some with people I had never met, all with people who I will never forget, who have been engraved in my heart eternally.
I'm grateful for the lessons God so faithfully taught me throughout my year. He revealed my character through struggles, trials and even victories. He imprinted upon my mind and soul constantly, constantly, constantly His goodness and love. He taught me His passion for justice and righteousness, His heart for the poor and oppressed, His will for my life and my days on earth as His servant. I'm grateful that my Creator has made Himself known to me, and that I actually have the honor of making Him known to the world around me. I'm grateful to have shared God's love with the orphans, young mothers, and impoverished children I worked with all year. I've never invested my soul so intensely into people before this year; God allowed me to discover what it is to love.
I cannot thank all of you back in here in the States (and beyond!) who so faithfully pray for us, support us, and encourage us while we give our hearts in Bolivia. What can I say? I wouldn't have made it through the year without your skype calls, facebook messages, and even packages! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please never stop praying for the church in La Paz, the children in the Fundación, and the HOPEww Bolivia team.
