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| Our hostel |
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| Mount Illampu and the town of Sorata |
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| Alicia and Me walking to the cave! |
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| So dark and hot in this cave! |
Thursday, August 16, 2012
A weekend in Sorata
I´m here! ...been here for 4 weeks actually!
Yes, in case you were wondering, I did arrive safely to La Paz. I´ve been here now for nearly 4 weeks. Thankfully I have been safe and healthy and enjoying my time here. But my days have been really full, with little internet time, so I´m sorry for the delay!
I am living with a really nice family in El Alto. They have three grown kids and 4 grandkids. We live near one of the airport property fences and have amazing views of the mountains, especially Huayna Potosi (see photo). It has been cold here, especially at night, but it seems to be warming up a bit. I have 7 thick blankets on my bed and always sleep in wool socks, hat, and gloves. But the days are usually sunny and the mountains are beautiful.
I have been quite busy with the ministry here. I really like the WMF team - they are super nice and fun. Last week the other intern, Ariel, and I gave a presentation about family violence to about 100 family members at a Compassion site. It was pretty intimidating to speak in front of so many people, especially in Spanish, about a topic that I only know about through books. But, praise God, it went really well. The families seemed attentive (except for one or two sleeping moms, haha) and participated in our activities. I hope the talk was informative and helpful for them. The hardest thing was that it was obvious that several of the women were experiencing domestic violence, but have either accepted it as normal or feel helpless. Family violence is a big issue in Bolivia, but I am hopeful because women finally seem to be claiming their voice and realizing their rights for freedom and equality.
We have also begun learning more about the women in our demographic of ministry. While I have known the realities of prostitution and human trafficking for a while, it has been super intense to be learning so much so quickly, especially being right next to the red light district in El Alto. It has been really hard for me emotionally and spiritually, but I am learning to hold tight to the hope we have in Christ and his promise to redeem our broken world. The hardest thing has been realizing that even if dozens of women choose to leave the sex industry, more women will continue to fill their places if we do not address the root issue, which is the tremendous demand for the industry. Mashismo is not dead and it has almost become accepted here for men to buy prostitutes. It has become acceptable to buy and sell people. Pray with me for the redemption of the lives of the women involved in prostitution and for the men that patronize the brothels.
I have also really enjoyed reconnecting with old friends. I am on my way now to play soccer with my old shoeshiner friends! Hopefully I can update you more often! Thanks for your prayers and support!
I am living with a really nice family in El Alto. They have three grown kids and 4 grandkids. We live near one of the airport property fences and have amazing views of the mountains, especially Huayna Potosi (see photo). It has been cold here, especially at night, but it seems to be warming up a bit. I have 7 thick blankets on my bed and always sleep in wool socks, hat, and gloves. But the days are usually sunny and the mountains are beautiful.
I have been quite busy with the ministry here. I really like the WMF team - they are super nice and fun. Last week the other intern, Ariel, and I gave a presentation about family violence to about 100 family members at a Compassion site. It was pretty intimidating to speak in front of so many people, especially in Spanish, about a topic that I only know about through books. But, praise God, it went really well. The families seemed attentive (except for one or two sleeping moms, haha) and participated in our activities. I hope the talk was informative and helpful for them. The hardest thing was that it was obvious that several of the women were experiencing domestic violence, but have either accepted it as normal or feel helpless. Family violence is a big issue in Bolivia, but I am hopeful because women finally seem to be claiming their voice and realizing their rights for freedom and equality.
We have also begun learning more about the women in our demographic of ministry. While I have known the realities of prostitution and human trafficking for a while, it has been super intense to be learning so much so quickly, especially being right next to the red light district in El Alto. It has been really hard for me emotionally and spiritually, but I am learning to hold tight to the hope we have in Christ and his promise to redeem our broken world. The hardest thing has been realizing that even if dozens of women choose to leave the sex industry, more women will continue to fill their places if we do not address the root issue, which is the tremendous demand for the industry. Mashismo is not dead and it has almost become accepted here for men to buy prostitutes. It has become acceptable to buy and sell people. Pray with me for the redemption of the lives of the women involved in prostitution and for the men that patronize the brothels.
I have also really enjoyed reconnecting with old friends. I am on my way now to play soccer with my old shoeshiner friends! Hopefully I can update you more often! Thanks for your prayers and support!
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