JOY. Joyjoyjoy.

Oh, my dear, dear friends. HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD! Before I get into update details, rejoice with me for a moment! Jesus RESTORES! He heals, and forgives, and overwhelms us in extravagant love! Sometimes I think I might explode with the sheer realization that this is real!! He is real! And we will be with Him. What have we done to deserve a reality in which such impossible joy is ours?? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. My heart might explode. 

Look to Him, "as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19) The morning star will rise in our hearts!! How gloriously, wonderfully, incredibly sure is this promise of hope that we have.

I just finished listening to the sermon that Pastor Begg preached last Sunday - Peter Denies Jesus. I finished reading 1 and 2 Peter the other day, and for some reason I always forget Peter's story when I read his letters. And then when I'm reminded, I am blown away once again by the incredible testimony of God's faithfulness in his life, and in ours. He is so good to us!!

Ok. I suppose I should provide some details of my life, as well as how awesome Jesus is. =) It's been a week and a day since I arrived here in Potosi! The Lord's protection and strength has been the theme of this week, even when I've felt weak and lonely. It is definitely hard to live alone. Double that when living in a foreign culture with new people. But like I said in my last post, this is also a time of sweet communion with Jesus and being content in His presence - something that is definitely a learning process, since I have spent so much time training my heart to depend on things other than Him, who is all I need. But there are times, like today, when He guides me to a place where I can focus on Him, and He floods my heart with joy unspeakable. It is a mystery to me why I ever choose other things, but He is so patient with my fickle heart.

To simplify things, here's a breakdown of my week into two categories:

Wonderful Things

Eysel, the woman who I'm renting my room from, is so incredibly sweet and welcoming and helpful. Twice this week she's held the ladder for me to climb into my kitchen when I locked myself out. She cooks lunch for me every day at the clinic, and is constantly giving. And her beautiful, smiley, precious baby girl Genesis is a plus too =)

Lots and lots of conversation time with Esther, the physical therapist at the clinic, when there are no patients. She is so sweet and patient with my Spanish (although I mostly listen), and has basically adopted me into her family's routine. I went swimming today with her and Ramina, her 1 year-old (what did I do to get to be around all these adorable children?); tomorrow I'm going to her church and lunch afterwards with her family, and next week we're going to Sucre together for a PT conference thingy. 

Divine protection of my stomach as I've eaten everything on the Do-Not-Eat-In-Foreign-Countries list in the past week. Fresh unwashed fruits and veggies, tap water, icecream, etc, all for the sake of this wonderful culture and its people. When the people feeding you are barely scraping by, you eat the veggies. "Jesus, protect my stomach," has been a common prayer, and one that He has answered again and again.

Kind people who give me directions on the street and don't laugh at my pronunciation of street names...

Mountains at sunrise. And sunset. And always.

Hard Things

Not being able to express myself fully or understand subtle conversations about how someone is feeling or doing. I get the basic stuff, but I so badly want to be able to understand the hearts of the people I'm around.

Being afraid of talking about Jesus in Spanish because I feel like I can't say much. Of course, this is an excellent exercise in trusting the gospel in all its simplicity, but I keep chickening out.

Confusion regarding cultural norms in how to get to know people...I just finished an excellent book called Foreign To Familiar about hot and cold cultures, and the author tells a story about living in South America and expecting to be invited into people's homes, when in fact they were waiting for her to come to them. This is very helpful information, but very difficult to put into practice when the American culture is one centered around privacy in many ways. It sounds really rude to me to just walk into one of the other homes in the complex I'm staying in without being invited, so courage to step outside my cultural comfort zone is much needed!

Still feeling extremely tired by the time the afternoon roles around. It's hard to stay engaged with patients and with Esther when I feel like just laying down on the floor.

Lack of routine Christian community - the kind where people are always asking about you and Jesus (like Wheaton).

Prayer Requests

• Continued deepening of relationships with those at the clinic; unity in Jesus despite cultural differences
• Opportunities to get to know the rest of the family living here (none of whom are Christians)
• The Church here in Potosi. Health and Wealth gospel is very common in the churches, and in the city in general, outright idol worship is routine. On the way to the hot springs today we passed a door in the mountain labeled "La Puerta del Diablo" or, the Door of the Devil. Pray for the power of the gospel to overcome the fear of the Enemy!
• Continued health and strength 
• Courage to have Jesus at the center of everything I say

Once again, I love you all with the love of the Lord. Que Dios te bendiga.

 The kitchen at the clinic =) Some of the best food I've ever had has come from that little stove!

 View from the roof of the clinic at sunset. 

Potosi <3

Independencia

Hello from Potosí! It blows my mind when I think of the last 48 hours that I even got here! On Thursday, I bought a plane ticket and then it turned out the plane was full. Thursday afternoon I bought another plane ticket, got to the airport at 7 am for the 8am flight, and left the ground at 12:30 pm after the flight was delayed approximately 6 times. I then got in a taxi and drove 2.5 hours to Potosí, only to find that the taxi driver knew nothing about the streets and was from Sucre. After getting Mary on the phone, talking through directions, and going around many a block, I finally made it! God is good.

Within the first 3 hours of my arrival, I had hauled my 50 lb suitcase up three flights of stairs to the Hawthorne’s house, sat in on an informal English class that Mary is conducting with some Bolivian girls, went to visit the clinic, met Esther (the physical therapist), sat in on an appointment with one of her patients, walked back to the Hawthorne’s, got my suitcase back down the stairs to a taxi, dropped Mary’s friend off at the bus station, and arrived at my home for the next month. In the next couple hours before I went to bed, I unpacked and set up my room, locked myself out of the kitchen, used a ladder to climb in the window, and attempted to figure out how to do dishes without a sink or a faucet. LIFE IS GOOD. And I’m amazed I don’t have altitude sickness.

Here’s a run-down of my living situation and what I’ll be doing for the next four weeks!

The home of Eysel (the nurse at the clinic) is a very common set-up in Potosí. There is a door in the wall coming off the street, which opens into a sort of 2-story courtyard with various doors in the adobe walls. Eysel lives on the lower level, and my room is directly above her. There are two other ‘homes’ within the larger complex, as far as I can tell, and other members of Eysel’s family live there. There is a sister, some in-laws, and Eysel’s adorable 8 month-year-old, and they all have separate living spaces opening out onto the courtyard, which is chock full of clothslines, cleaning supplies, and wash buckets. The bathroom is on the lower level, and consists of a toilet, a sink, a free standing bathtub, and a shower head that sticks out over the open tub. It wasn’t made for tall gringas like me, so showering is a great quad workout. I also have…drum roll please….my own kitchen!! It’s adorable, and is quite well stocked with all the necessary non-food items, but I must admit I’ve never thought about a kitchen without a faucet. There’s water next to the bathroom downstairs, but it really is a conundrum as to how you rinse dishes without getting everything dirty again.

 Everyone talks about how cold Potosí is, and when I looked at the forecast before I came I laughed because the coldest it ever gets at this time of year is like, 45 degrees. Hah, I’m from Cleveland, it’s all good……. Never, EVER underestimate the value of doors that close all the way and this one thing called heat. It’s amazing how cold 50 degrees is when there’s no insulation…But my bed is wonderfully warm, and if there’s one thing us Clevelanders can do, it’s layer =)

Ok, now for the schedule part. This is about to get all kinds of crazy.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Go to the clinic in the morning with Eysel and work with Esther all morning. Eat lunch either at the clinic, the Hawthorne’s, or at a street vendor. Bus over to another part of town and meet with a Spanish tutor for 3 hours in the afternoon. Figure out how to cook dinner without burning the world.

Tuesday: Study the cultural history of Potosí with Mary in the morning; work with Esther in the afternoon. Repeat food attempts.

Thursday: Sight-see in the morning, clinic in the afternoon. Decide that food is too much work and forget about it.

Weekends: Sleep? Hahah

So yeah! It’s going to be a whirlwind of a month. Today I went shopping in the market with Mary and tried to get various useful things. I got some fruits and veggies, but I haven’t found the purifying stuff that you soak them in yet, so for now I’m just staring longingly at my avocados. Afterwards, I went back with Eysel to the house and couldn't figure out what the eating plan was, so I ate cereal alone in my kitchen and suddenly felt very lonely. This is the first place I've ever been in my life where I literally know no one. And although my Spanish is getting better, I definitely don’t understand everything, and I’m in sort of a constant state of wondering whether I missed something (like whether I was supposed to eat with Eysel’s family…). At the same time however, I felt very strongly last night that this is going to be a rare and precious time of communion with Jesus in a solitude that I’m not going to encounter many more times in my life. I reallyyy want to make the most of this, and pursue the things that I feel like God is beginning to teach me, so prayers for that would be greatly appreciated, as always. In terms of the trust thing, that’s already uncomfortably necessary, even down to eating and getting where I need to go. Cheers to independence! And praise to the Sustainer.

I love you all more than words can describe, and I appreciate your community so, so much, especially now that God has taken me out of that community for a time.

In His peace,

Cat

Room!

More room.

Market =)

Yummmm

First successful grocery run! Chicken, Bananas, Avocados, Green beans, Potatoes, Eggs, Cereal, Yogurt.

My kitchen =))

Reaching for the Rock

My faith is not practical. It is theoretical.

My faith is a bit like my Spanish. Studied in cushioned pews, explored in classrooms, repeated in small portions in controlled environments.

Francis Chan has said that we should live our lives in such a way that if God did not intervene with miracles, everything would collapse about us (my paraphrase). I have lived my life in such a way that if God would like to, he is welcome to come add a brick to the top of my secure little wall.

And now, like my Spanish, I have entered an environment where I am suddenly confronted with people whose faith is immensely, intensely practical. Like my lungs, I am suddenly confronted with the need for much, much more hemoglobin. It's terrifying, overwhelming, and exhilarating, as Truth usually is.

I think that God is calling me to trust Him. That word tastes sweeter and richer and deeper in my mouth than it ever has before. I wrote in my journal before I left for Bolivia that I felt like for the past couple years of my life, I've gotten to a certain place in my walk with the Lord, fallen back a ways, come back, fallen away again, etc, but never gone beyond that point. He's calling me to put a foot out across that line and keep walking. At this point, I feel like I'm pointing my toe in the dark, knowing the ground will be there, but irrationally afraid that it won't be. And maybe it'll be a little, or a lot, further down than I think it is. But it's there. The Rock is there.

Tomorrow at 8 am I get on a little military plane and head for Potosi, Bolivia where I'll spend the next month in a clinic. I know that I'm going to see pain that I've never encountered, and hurt that seems impossible to fix, but as my dad said earlier today, I'm "following in the footsteps of the Great Physician." May we never forget to hope for that day when "the moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted."

One major prayer item, besides general peace and trust in the One who has it all under control: One woman approached me at the church camp this past week and told me that she wanted to forewarn me that she experienced more spiritual oppression in Potosi than anywhere she's ever been. There is a huge mining culture there that believes that when they are below ground, they are with Satan, and appeasement sacrifices are routine. The Evil One holds sway over many of the people there. I am so thankful to know ahead of time that when I feel that darkness I'm not alone, but I would appreciate much prayer for a tangible knowledge of the power of Jesus over darkness and a continuous reminder that He conquered the grave. I don't think it's at all a coincidence that I'll be in Potosi for the majority of the Lent season, as I re-read Reliving the Passion by Walter Wangerin and meditate on the wonder of the cross.

I love you all so so much, and I can't tell you how thankful I am for your prayers. I had a lot on my mind, so I apologize for the lack of stories, but I'll be back to give you a glimpse of the wonderful church community that I experienced at Camp El Puente and what's going on in Potosi in a couple days!

I leave you with this prayer from Wangerin in my devotional this morning:

"Merciful Lord,
Hold me to the fire long enough to know my whole self truly, long enough to be cleansed be your burning forgiveness. Let me feel your passion again, studiously and well, to my good and to your glory, forever.
Amen."

The Beginning

Hello beautiful people! I cannot believe it's only been 2 days since I arrived here in La Paz. It feels like forever. First things first: ANSWERED PRAYER. God has been so good in caring for all my needs, most immediately physical ones. The altitude has affected me so little it's ridiculous. I keep expecting to keel over and faint, but the extent of my symptoms has been a minor headache now and then, and nothing that some good ole' ibuprofen doesn't fix. It's been such a blessing to have these few days at the James' house without a schedule, before I jump into the craziness of the rest of the trip. I've been able to sleep lots but also see the city in small, manageable portions. Praise God for his constant provision!

Here's a taste of what the past two days have held:

Tuesday:

Arrived at the James' house at around 7 am after getting through the airport with no hassle whatsoever (seriously, God is so good to me). After a delicious breakfast of Bolivian cereal and Debbie's phenomenal coffee cake, I took a 3 hour nap =) Yep, you know me. For lunch, the James' had a family over from their church who is leaving shortly for Peru as the church's first missionaries! It was a beautiful time of encouragement and prayer for them, and my first prolonged exposure to purely Spanish conversation. It sure was a mental workout, but I understood enough to be impacted by the loving support that the James family was providing to these new missionaries. 

After lunch, there were probably 20 people who circulated through the house for the rest of the afternoon. Some came to help with things in the house that were broken, others just to chat, and a group from the church came by to do some planning for the women's ministry at the church this year. 

• Side note: The James' just got here a week ago; 4 days before I did. They have more things to do than you can count and are still opening their home daily to those in their community - feeding them, ministering to them, praying for them. Biblical hospitality at its best.

At about 5 pm, Debbie took me on a drive to the best vantage points to see the entire valley. It was absolutely stunning. Pictures below.

Wednesday:

Went with the James' to the weekly meeting of the whole La Paz SIM missionary team at 9:30 am and got to meet everyone! They are all so, so sweet and it was wonderful to see another glimpse of the community of believers here in La Paz. We ate (there is always, always food at Bolivian gatherings of any kind), sang, prayed, and were led in a Bible study of Luke 12:22-34. 

Later on in the afternoon I went to a birthday party for Debbie that the ladies from the church were putting on for her. They sure know how to party! They played games, laughed a ton, ate a ton of AMAZING food, and my favorite part: went around and shared some of the ways that Debbie had impacted their lives. This should be a part of every birthday party! The party overall was a little difficult at times because it's hard for me to communicate in Spanish in short, fast bursts, but I got to have a couple conversations that went rather well! The Bolivians are so nice about helping with the language and being patient with me.

After the party Debbie, another woman from the church and I went to visit the family of a young man (25) who has lung cancer. I can't explain what was going on in that living room, but the Holy Spirit was there. Debbie read scripture to the parents and they shared about how through the prayers of the whole church, their son is doing better than the doctors think should be possible. The power of prayer is incredible, and it's so tangible here. Along with prayer, the other thing that has struck me in these past few days has been the frequency with which the believers here preach the gospel to each other. There are no barriers against "stating the obvious;" there is a constant vocal presence of the truth that we are sinners and Jesus died for us.


Sorry, that was pretty long. The details may decrease as life gets crazier =) Here's a quick run-down of my schedule for the rest of my time here and when I'll be where:

February 9th-12th: Drive to Camp El Puente for the annual church retreat, where our team from Parkside hauled bricks for 3 days during summer '11!

February 14th: Take an overnight bus from La Paz to Potosi (10-12 hrs...)

February 15th-March 15th: Work at the clinic in Potosi with Esther, the physical therapist there

March 15th: Bus back to La Paz

March 16th-May 6th: Work at the hospital in La Paz with Erica, another physical therapist who goes to the James' church plant

May 7th: Fly home!


Praises:

• Good health!
• Time to rest 
• A thriving church here in Bolivia

Prayer:

• Patience with myself as I work on Spanish
• A servant's heart during these last few days in La Paz and while at camp
• Discipline in being a student of the Word and seeking God in personal devotional times

Love to you all, and grace and peace in Jesus.

Catherine

La Paz: The view from Valle de la Luna

The road to get to El Puente =) Don't worry, it's not dangerous 

unless there's two buses trying to get by each other...

GO!!

Well, here I am, sitting in the Miami National Airport! I cannot believe the day is finally here…the past week has been such a whirlwind. From Carolyn’s stunning senior solo to broken suitcase zippers 6 hours before departure, it’s been quite the eventful couple of days. And now, after months of preparation, I’m off! I think my emotions have been on overload for so long that they've now decided to go on strike, because I don’t feel much of anything at the moment. However, the Lord is blessing me with a deep sense of peace that stills each fear that tries to rear its head.

I finished Till We Have Faces by Lewis a couple days ago, and it’s hard to describe the chords that it struck in my heart. I wrote in my journal a couple excerpts from the last few pages that I want to share with you all.

“Suddenly, I knew that all this had been only a preparation. Some far greater matter was upon us.

“He is coming.”

The air was growing brighter and brighter about us. I was pierced through and through with the arrows of it. I was being unmade. I was no one. The earth and stars and sun, all that was or will be, existed for His sake. And He was coming. The most dreadful, the most beautiful, the only dread and beauty there is, was coming. The pillars on the far side of the pool flushed at His approach. I cast down my eyes.”

“I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the Answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?”

I must admit, since I finished that book, 2 Corinthians 5:8 has become very real to me. “We are confident, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” And that’s where verse 9 comes in: “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” I am so excited for this adventure, and I have a feeling that God is going to be showing me some of the freedom in “pleasing Him” that comes when we long to be home. In a few minutes I'll get on a plane and wake up in La Paz! Supposedly. We'll see how well Tylenol PM lives up to its reputation. 

Praises:

• Suitcases with zippers that close!
• A wonderful prayer support system at home
• Peace that passes understanding

Prayer:

• A quick mind to hear and understand the Spanish around me
• Flexibility when schedules change
• A gracious attitude while I feel really gross for the next week or so =)