Monday, July 28, 2008

My new casita =)

My new living space!

A little bit of the kitchenette =)


A small stove for my little kitchen!

Don Pedro! The ever-handy MCC handyman fixing my shower! (The first night I used it I about got electricuted! Showers like this one are called "widow-makers" - I now know why)


My new backyard - an oasis of green.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

"I was hungry and you...built me a huge Jesus??"


This is believed to be the largest statue of Christ in the world - it's located in Cochabamba, Bolivia - the poorest country in South America... The statue looks out over the city of Cochabamba and serves as an excellent land mark - all you have to do is "keep you eyes on Jesus" and you won't lose your way in this city of more than a million people...But I wonder if eyes were on Jesus when this statue of him was constructed...Even the rocks cry out right? I wonder what this monstrosity would say if it could speak? What would Jesus say of this creation made in his "honor"? Personally, I think he would say "Feed my sheep" "Care for the widows and orphans" "Love your neighbor and your enemy" - But I don't think he would say to invest your resources in a larger than life statue...

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Goodbyes and New Beginnings


























The past couple of weeks I've had the chance to do some serious traveling! My friends Tasha and Jess have been here to visit and we were able to go to see the Garden City - Cochabamba! - where we saw gorgeous parks, flowers, museums and went for a nice hike outside of the city.
It's been great having friends visiting, but now it is also time for me to say goodbye to a lot of wonderful people. This weekend my SALTers leave for life in the States again...so lots of depedidas. It has been a joy getting to know them. We've shared a lot together in the last 5 months.
I will be making the transition from endings to be beginings, as I prepare for the incoming group of SALTers who will be arriving in August. Life has taken on a rather hectic pace, but busy is good.
I will also be moving to a barrio in the next week or so, which will hopefully be a positive change from living across the street from the office. Pictures coming soon :)


Saturday, July 5, 2008

An Un-ordinary Oasis

Aubrey, Ramona and I set out for a hiketo Los Posos!
What a lovely oasis in the middle of the rocky plateaus of Santiago de Chiquitos!
Ramona enjoying the transparent water from the falls.

The beautiful earthtones of water on leaves.





Monday, June 30, 2008

Busride Reflection

I like riding in buses. Time like scenery passes by, familiar light and color fusing past memories with ones not yet made. I see new things, I see familiar things in new ways.

White mist hovers over deep mountains green, forming the background of a sensational tapestry woven with the vibrant color of huipil, the aroma of freshly baked bread and tortillas mingled with the fragrance of pine smoke and newly fallen mist on earthen paths.

The gentle pat, pat, pat of corn dough between small moist hands, joy-filled greetings of water and wind incarnated in human voice – Ixil – greets my ears, accompanied by the warmth and acceptance of familial embrace.

Three years have past, not a moment has passed. “Progress” has paved smooth the road, and the bus continues ahead, oblivious to the hunger suffered by those who blur past the window…food security sacrificed to the gods of free trade.
Pat, pat, pat, their hunger calls out, four of ten children cry out of their malnutrition…pat, pat, pat. Can you hear them? Apathy and ignorance drown out their cries. Where will the bus take them? Down the familiar road toward past revolution, violent repression? Toward the empty promises of CAFTA’s affluence?
Shiny American chains blur past the window…a tapestry of cultural invasion and dominance…or progress?

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Trip to Guatemala

Hello folks! I'll be traveling to Guatemala for the MCC Connecting Peoples Conference on Monday the 23rd (Happy Birthday Mom!!!!!!!!) and will not be back in Santa Cruz until June 30. I have to be in the airport by 5 am (yuck) tomorrow morning - my flight leaves at 7 am - and then I have a layover in Peru and another in El Salvador before finally getting to Guat City around 8 pm. It's going to be a long day. Please pray for traveling mercies and that I'm able to figure out where I need to be when :)

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The english version of ecological bags...

If you would like instructions in English to make your own bag from "repurposed" materials see the following link:

http://candywrapperpurse.blogspot.com/

Good luck!!