Andahuaylillas...am I really living here?!

One month in and again I am surprised by the pace of time, just as when I left Bolivia.
How quickly does the sun and moon change positions and, yet, despite the velocity of the change in days, I have found that many of these days are filled with lasting moments where I can pause and truly relish in the the fact that I am living in a beautiful valley in the Andes. Even more so, to reflect on the loving community here, that within these few weeks I have already been shown a humbling amount of generosity and care.
The gift of community has reminded that relationships are what truly enrich any person´s journey--service related or not.

I saw the impact of true, authentic relationships when Sarah and I attended the despedida (goodbye party) of the outgoing volunteers. We are sad to see them go, but hearing their words of thanks and reflection over their experience (both the good and hard times) created a looking-glass for me to see how a service journey has the ability to truly impact a volunteer. These three outgoing volunteers have fallen head-over-heels, deeply in love. A love that is not rooted in selfishness or vainity, but springs from the essence of who they are as an expression of peace, as an action of presence, and as a recognition of the dignity of the people in Andahuaylillas and of the people in Perú.

Moments like these, the glimpses into how this time has molded and affected other volunteers, makes my heart swell with gratitude that I am on this journey. It´s humbling, really.

 In this act of love, we have been welcomed into this small, Andean community. Though we are here to love and serve, these actions are reciprocal. The tearful goodbyes from the outgoing JVs show the deeply profound, mutual service relationship between our community of volunteers and the larger Anda community. As volunteers, we do not just serve others, we are also, and often, served by others. Which is such a simple and obvious thing to state, but is equally important to recognize. It is very impactful to be the receiver of such generosity…again, a humbling experience.

 Here are some photos to give an idea of the love and care I have been shown and given both in Bolivia and Perú.

Dancing the Cueca with Andresito (my host-nephew) in Bolivia

Dancing more Cueca with Ely (my host mom) and Rolando (host dad) and Rocio (friend) play the music!

Rolando and Rocio!

My Bolivian birthday party...one month early :)

Ely, Andresito y yo

Some scenic photos of Perú:

Cusco 

Llamas! (and Alpaca)

Mallory (outgoing volunteer), Susan (my community-mate) and me overlooking the valley we live in!

More of the Andes

We spent Christmas Eve attending (and participating in) Mass at an upper community of Andahuaylillas.  The valley towns, like Andahuaylillas, have communities situated in the upper hills above the town. These communities, though separate, feed into the parish and schools in the valley. Fr. Oscar, the priest in Andahuaylillas, visits these upper communities (and other nearby communities) to give Mass. Since it was Christmas, we also brought hot chocolate and bread to hand out. 

When we arrived, one of the children shouted out, ¨Theresa!" He was a young boy, named Jefferson, who eats at the comedor (the cafeteria) in the parish. I can tell you, and I will use something Sarah has said, that there is nothing more affirming than having a child shout out your name. That, in it of itself, was a great Christmas gift!

After returning from the community (where we, also, tasted cuy aka guinea pig) we ate Christmas dinner with the sisters and quickly dressed up for the live nativity scene. We sat outside church before Mass and then were asked to step to the front of the congregation during the Gospel reading. It was a great way to spend Christmas.

Here are some photos from that night!: 

Brian and Susan as Joseph and Mary

We were the live nativity scene! (with Fr. Oscar)

This is my JV community (Susan, Brian, and Sarah) and this is how we spent Christmas!

More photos to come from the adventures of this month!

Un abrazo fuerte,

Theresa

Ever´day I´m Shufflin´ (or, at least lately, there has been a lot of moving around)

Cochabamba recap

Cochabamba

Cochabamba from Zona Sur

One of my last nights in Cochabamba was spent dancing the Cueca with Andres, the 6 year old grandson of my host family. My family wanted to celebrate my birthday with my and a few of my friends before I left for Peru. (Just to note, my actual birthday is five day before Christmas). It was a beautiful month-early birthday night filled with friends, food, music, dancing, and, of course, Cacho (a dice game of chances).

The Cueca is a traditional dance in Bolivia that represents the beginning and growth of a new relationship. Though this dance is specific to dating relationships, it encompassed the beginning and growth of my relationship with Bolivia. In all, the whole night was a good recap of many aspects of the Bolivian culture and reminders of why Sarah and I traveled there in the first place.  

Sarah and I learned to dance the Cueca while attending a dance class at the institute. We learned its basic steps (and the basic steps of another traditional dance—the Tinku). The beginning of my relationship with Cochabamba began through opportunities like this, both through the means of the institute and elsewhere.

Like the time when Sarah and I climbed to the summit of Tunari which stands at ~16,000 ft. This climb to and above the clouds in the high peaks of the Andes reminded me that we are small. It’s humbling to remember that these mountains have been standing tall since before and will continue after my life; that these mountains connect cultures (Quechua and Aymara, to be specific), but also countries (with a range of histories and struggles). They also rejuvenated me, being from the mountains, I find mountains to be a life-source which remind me of the incredible beauty Earth holds. This climb, though, was also a short Andean cultural lesson—it was when I chewed coca leaves for the first time. Who would have thought that chewing a small leaf would give so much energy and relieve most, if not all, negative effects of high altitude? (Well, the Andean cultures thought of it, so that was a silly question). This stuff is great! 

The view from Tunari

Emilio, our awesome guide

Sharing coca leaves

We made it!

Or the time when we climbed to the statue of Christ which is the same but bigger figure of the Rio Christ statue in Brazil. At the top, we saw the whole city and extending communities. 

Cristo looking down on Cochabamba

The view from Cristo

Bill and Kathy Collins (two wonderful, life-giving individuals)

Or, how about the time when I saw expressed popular religiosity in the form of a K’oa. A K’oa is a burnt offering to Pachamama aka Mother Earth asking for health, safety, abundance (in terms of crops), and success. The offering includes herbs, sweets, and pieces of confetti. (Supposedly, Pachamama has a sweet tooth!). Other more elaborate K’oas take place for a variety of reasons: before building a house, asking for blessing and health for a child when he/she is young, etc. Andean cultures, historically, worshiped many gods. The Pachamama was one of the most important due to their agricultural lifestyle and dependence of the success of the harvest. Despite the Catholicism which the Spanish brought when they pillaged, conquered and oppressed thousands of native cultures in South America, the ancient tradition of the Pachamama is still practiced, even in the most devout Catholic families. It is fascinating and, frankly, so much can be written on the popular religiosity of the Andean culture, of which I am still learning, so for now I am content being a sponge and taking in all these experiences.

The herbs and sweets for the K´oa

As I spent more time in Cochabamba, I continued to fall in love. I feel this is due to the people who we met (or in Sarah’s case, remet). I mean, how could you not love a host family who just “has” to throw your birthday party before you leave?  

 We were introduced to an amazing network and support we were given by our teachers, staff, administration and the fathers, brothers and sisters of Maryknoll. The families we visited for holidays (Halloween and Thanksgiving at Dan and Rocío’s) or just on random weekends (visiting lay missioners Jim and Karen in Zona Sur, the more impoverished area of Cochabamba, showing us another reality of the Bolivian/Cochabamban people). 

I am very grateful that Sarah and I had the chance to spend these 5 weeks in Bolivia. We entered into this time as an opportunity to prepare ourselves further for our experience in Peru by means of immersion. It was also a great way to practice some language! I feel more confident in my Spanish, plus, you should have heard Sarah’s goodbye speech in Quechua! 

Overall, our time in Cochabamba was formational. We were inspired by the people and their enthusiasm and heart for service, mission, and life was contagious. I left feeling more prepared for Andahuaylillas. 

Life after Cochabamba 

Sarah and I took our time traveling to Andahualillas, knowing that we may not have a chance to return to Bolivia. We took a flight to La Paz and landing in one of the highest commercial airports in the world (about 13,320 ft). We prepared ourselves by taking Soroji pills (anti-altitude sickness pills) and drinking lots of water! We were both impressed by the topography of the city. It is surrounded by beautiful, tall mountains. (Duh! These are the Andes). 

La Paz

We loved this city. 

La Paz (those are houses covering the side of the valley behind the city)

Looking down the other side of the valley

Next, we bused our way to Copacabana (named after Our Lady of Copacabana which inspired the name of the famous beach in Brazil and THEN the Barry Manelow song). We took this opportunity to rest, relax, and rejuvenate physically. Despite one short hike to the pilgrimage site on a hill overlooking the lake, we slept, read, journaled, ate whatever we wished (mostly canned peaches and yogurt) and paced ourselves. We also ate some of the best trout I have tasted. YUM! Though we enjoyed the couple days of relaxation, we both shared that we were ready to get to our placements in Andahuaylillas. After months of transition from one stage to the next in life, we were ready for a sense of permanency.

Copacabana

Copacabana

Proof that I was actually there!

Andahuaylillas

After five days of travel, we made it to Andahuaylillas! Let the JVC adventure begin!

Halloween/Simon and Garfunkel in Bolivia

October 31st:

We did celebrate Halloween in Bolivia. We celebrated with Dan and Rocio Moriarty at there home. Every year, they invite US families (both missionary and non-missionary) with children who are living in the Cochabamba area. It's a cool way to celebrate Halloween in a way that respects that Halloween is not a tradition in Bolivia (and is actually a privileged holiday here, clearly dividing social classes). Instead of visiting houses in the neighborhood, we celebrated inside the house. The kids trick-or-treated from front door to back door and room to room. Sarah says that when she lived in Venezuela, she too trick-or-treated in this fashion.
 Here are some photos from the fun night:

I was Ginny Weasley dressed as a muggle, Sarah as Katniss Evergreen, and Kathy as Profa. McGonagall

A great photo of the kids and Kathy and Bill Collins...many Harry Potter themed

Sarah giving candy from a bedroom to the little trick-or-treaters

November 1st and 2nd:

“Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence…” – S&G

These were the words ringing through my head as my host family guided me around the HUGE cemetery in Cochabamba. The notes of the famous Simon and Garfunkel played by local trumpeter filled the empty spaces in conversation and accompanied grievers during the Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead) celebration. In reality, I may have been one of the only people thinking of Simon and Garfunkel. In Bolivia, the same tune of the “Sound of Silence” is used in order to sing the Padre Nuestro (the Our Father prayer).

The end of October passed without the overwhelming commercialization of costumes and candy, ghosts and ghouls. Instead, families spent time preparing tables, buying breads, making food and lighting candles to pay tribute to family members who have passed away.  

The mast’ku, a Quechua word, refers to the table set with favorite foods and drinks of the deceased family member(s). If the death was more recent (within the last year or, even two) the table is much more elaborate. However, no matter how much time has passed, a table is always set, even with just bread, a piece of fruit and a glass of water.  

Breads and treats at the market

T'anta Wawas (bread babies)

Here is table set up outside of the local cemetary

What is beautiful about this holiday is its focus on the celebration of life and the idea of community. Within a 24 hour period, the spirits of the deceased visit earth (between noon on November 1^st until noon on November 2^nd), spend time with the family, eat the food (taking the essence of the food) and then return to the spiritual word. This celebration is important to remember the balance of life. .

The food, then, is not wasted. People, mostly children, pray for their deceased loved ones. Then, they receive some of the food from the table. 

So, during this celebration, Sarah and I had the opportunity to stay with Jim and Karen Weaver at their home in the Zona Sur (known as the more impoverished area of town). Jim and Karen are Maryknoll lay missioners who were in the same class as Mary Jo and Phil 18 years ago (Sarah’s parents). They have lived in Cochabamba for the last two years working with the parish, outreach programs, and one of the Fe y Alegria schools in the Zona Sur. They have three children, all bilingual, and many, many animals (mostly rabbits, which they raise to eat). 

Sarah, two other volunteers, and myself were invited to their home to celebrate Dia de los Santos and experience the tradition of going from house to house, praying with families who have lost family members. We only visited one house, put it was so incredible to see their mesa (table) with all of the urku (bread), t’anta wawas (bread shaped like humans to represent the deceased), and other foods that the deceased enjoyed to eat!

Going to their house was such a wake-up call. I have been so privileged thus far in Bolivia. Visiting Jim and Karen presented another reality of other families here in Bolivia. This family lives simply, intentionally, in solidarity with their neighbors. I felt soo filled with the rich spirit visiting their home and community. How profound it was to be so satisfied without the excess of material possession. As an American citizen, a girl raised in a tourist destination, who has seen and experienced a privileged lifestyle, I find that these reality checks are so cleansing and rejuvenating for my spirit. 

Simple living is more than just a sacrifice of material wealth; there is large spiritual/relational component. I am still growing in my journey of understanding this balance; therefore, this conversation has just begun. I look forward to continue this conversation on what it means to live simply.

El corazón de Bolivia (The Heart of Bolivia)

I love to begin with quotes. Kinda cheesy, I know, but a good way to enter into reading blogs that may go into conversations a little deeper than topics like leather shorts (are they REALLY in fashion?!) or Macklemore and Ryan Lewis new cd, The Heist (which is awesome in so many ways, but not the topic of this blog!). [BTW, I still cannot find the apostrophe key on the keyboard, so please excuse this typo that will be repeated until I can figure it out!]

However, this entry will begin a simple question. Why Bolivia?

Thanks for asking! Let me explain. 

So back in May, I was pleasently surprised that my future community-mate, Sarah, was also attending the Krista Foundation retreat/conference. What a blessing to get to know this person who I will be living (intentionally) with, even, before our JVC orientation, which was in July...remember the last entry ;) 

Anyways, Sarah and her family spent 9 years (and maybe a little bit more) in South America, mostly Venezuela. Her parents, Mary Jo and Phil (shout out!) were serving as lay missioners with the Maryknolls. So, at the Krista Foundation retreat, Mary Jo introduced the idea of attending classes at the Maryknoll Mission Center in Cochabamba, Bolivia--they knew the center personally having spent time there during their time in South America. After thought, prayer, and further discussions with Sarah, we decided to attend a 6 week mission-immersion program at the Maryknoll Mission Center. We thought it would be a great way to not only practice the language (or, in Sarahs case, learn a new one--Quechua), but to also enter into the spirit and mindset of intentional living. 

From the entrance of the Center...more photos to come!

So, here we are. I hope that explains it enough. 

Finally, here is the quote which I would have used from the beginning:

“Whatever happens to you, fall in love with it. Love what it does to you—even the frustration, feel it all, even desire it—since it has shown up in your life. Welcome it as you would an out of town visitor, then watch God’s freedom kick in.” –Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ

My friend Ana, a volunteer in Guayaquil, Ecuador, wrote this quote to me from Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ (who did a lot of ministry with gangs in the LA area. He, also, started Homeboy Industries). I feel that it is an appropriate quote to begin this new adventure in life. I said a teary “goodbye” to my family just days ago, though it feels like more time has passed. After hours and hours of travel, (from DIA to Chicago to Panama to Santa Cruz, Bolivia to Cochabamba) I am in Bolivia! I am grateful for all the thoughts, prayers, and good vibes sent our way (to me and my compañera, Sarah) while traveling. The entire trip went very smooth—no flights were missed, I found Sarah in a random corner in the Panama airport (thank you, St. Anthony!), and we got our Bolivian visas without a problem! The only thing we missed was sleep. Good thing my host family has been gracious enough to let me rest a lot. It has been needed!

Speaking of my host family, I feel the need to tell you how AWESOME they are! They have hosted for about 10 years. Needless to say, they know the drill. Most of the students that have stayed with them have been male/seminarians. So the mom, Ellie, was telling me how grateful she was to be blessed with a female student. Rolando, the father, is basically hilarious. He jokes about 75% of the time. My favorite part--I understand them, at least most of them.  

They have been so gracious with their home and treat me as one of their own. Ellie intoduces me has her new "hija" (child). All of their children (all three) are grown and have families of their own. Their oldest daughter lives in Italy with her husband, their son lives in Spain with his wife and their youngest lives here in Cochabamba with her son. After speaking with some families, I have learned that it is not uncommon for family members to move to Europe--I am guessing due to the economy and jobs, but I need to investigate this a bit further before I act like I know what I am talking about. 

I feel that I have written a lot for now. More entries will be added about Bolivia, let me tell you, it is easy to fall in love with this place. I am here until just after Thanksgiving. Until the next entry, I will leave you with a couple of photos of Cochabamba. 

Antes de salir (Before I go)...kinda

I feel the need to post two blog entries. 

The first will detail the amazing opportunities I have had these last couple months to help me prepare for this next adventure in my life. The second will be more about Bolivia—because, yes, I have made it!

This preparation began before I even was invited to serve in Andahuaylillas, Peru. Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) emphasizes the process of discernment in such a way that before applicants even know if they are placed, they are preparing their hearts and truly digging within themselves to discern if serving for two years abroad is what they feel called to do/want to do. I really appreciated this preparation because then, upon receiving the invitation to serve in Peru, I had already sat with, mulled over, meditated on the idea of leaving home for two years to live in solidarity with a community that I did not know.

I assume you already know how I felt, but you know what they say about assume…so let me tell you. I welcomed this completely terrifying, exciting, challenging, and life-ruining opportunity. (Just a note: it will be life-ruining, as JVC loves to say; because it will change the way I look at consumerism, community, social justice and much more, as I know it). My family has reminded me in recent weeks--as the anxiety of leaving heightened--that an international, volunteer experience, such as serving with JVC, has been on my heart for years.

However, I did not just jump onto a plane with a ready heart to serve and learn and grow. There have been two, BIG, formidable experiences, one in May and the other in July, that helped remind me of what I am entering into and why I chose to do it in the first place.

Let’s go back to May. I attended a retreat/conference in Spokane, Washington with the Krista Foundation for Global Citizenship [check out the link on the side of my blog!]. At this retreat, we talked about roots. We applied this concept to volunteer work and listened to previous volunteers tell their stories of finding their roots in new places, but, also, ways in which they were uprooted.

I find myself thinking about roots, where I find them, how I feel when I am not rooted. A lot of my thoughts revolved around my family, friends, and home. So, naturally, since none of those three are with me during my time of service, I will continue to sit with this idea of "roots" in a foreign place.  

The weekend also included prayer, singing, workshops, and community building which were all impactful, but as I sit as a computer in Bolivia writing this, I can think of something very specific which I still carry with me to today. It is the message in an article called, "Staying for Tea" by Aaron Ausland comes to mind. which basically talks about the importance of staying present in the community I serve--to listen, to chat, to learn. 

I left that weekend feeling supported and grounded. I felt a part of a bigger whole, kind of like a new family; a group of people who know from experience what I am about to enter into with JVC.

After my positive experience with the Krista Foundation, I was even more excited for my JVC orientation in July. I traveled to Boston College in Massachusetts and stayed two weeks for an orientation with all of the other JVC international volunteers, as well as, the volunteers with Rostro de Cristo. What an inspiring group of people! The two weeks were packed with making friends and learning so much information. I could write a book about what we learned (or fill a 3 in. 3 ring binder ;) )  but there are a couple key points that made an impression on my heart and that I will mention. Just to note, many of the themes are similar to that which we discussed at the Krista Foundation, which helped further etch them into my mind and onto my heart. 

The first is the concept of what kind of volunteer I am. I am not a entering into these communities as a “savior” or as a “helper.” For these constructs can hinder more than help communities. I am entering this experience as a servant, in a position of learning or apprenticeship. I know that I have much more to learn than to teach, but even so I am hoping to not be passive in this experience. For the strength I carry is accompaniment. I may not be able to “fix” or even help—which seems to be ingrained in American youth when entering other countries. Instead, I hope to accompany others, to be present with others, during moments of pain and, even, celebrations of joy.

Henri Nouwen writes, “Those who offer us comfort and consolation by being and staying with us in moments of illness, mental anguish, or spiritual darkness often grow as close to us as those with whom we have biological ties. They show their solidarity with us by willingly entering the dark, uncharted spaces of our lives.” I do not think myself already able to do this, rather I hope to grow and learn what it means to truly sit with someone, accompany someone in their pain. In essence, I hope to learn to be truly compassionate, which Nouwen describes as a “full immersion in the condition of being human.” 

Obviously, there is so much more, but I have two years to go deeper into what have already mentioned and into what I have failed to include in this entry. 

Basically, I had a summer full of new friends, lots of fun, and conversations that will keep me thinking throughout my time here in Bolivia and my two years in Peru. 

So it begins...

This photo is of Andahuaylillas, Peru. It is located in the Andes near Cusco. 

I will be spending two years there teaching English in the Fe y Alegria no. 44 school, living simply in intentional community, and growing in relationship with the locals.

This post is a just a (very) brief overview of what is to come. 

Soon, I will be updating what all has been happening that's been helping me prepare for this adventure. 

Until then, vaya con dios.