I realize that a lot of time has passed since my last blog, and I feel like I finally have some down time to be able to write. Since my last blog, there have been Christmas, 23 volunteers from the US at my ministry sites, trips to Sucre, Uyuni, and La Paz, and many changes. I am happy to say that I am going strong through all of this, both in my work and travels, as well as my health that is continuing to improve! Christmas was an interesting time in Cochabamba. What I loved most about being here was that the celebration lasted well over a month, with the plazas brilliantly decorated from well before Christmas and through Epiphany. I also loved being at my host family's on Christmas Eve, and sharing in a tradition that included praying to the Christ child in thanksgiving for the past year and anticipation for the blessings in the year to come, and leaving a shoe under the Christmas tree to see what gifts you would receive surrounding your shoe on Christmas Day. Finally, I loved being with other FMS missioners Jeff and Anne Marie on Christmas Day, sharing dinner and watching traditional Christmas movies: A White Christmas and The Muppet Christmas Carol :). The 23 volunteers at my ministry site came before New Year's and stayed for 3 weeks in Bolivia! They celebrated New Year's Eve with traditional Bolivian dances and party favors that we made at CUBE. Most were medical/nursing students or already nurses, and they participated in health fairs in remote communities near Chilimarca and as far as Morochata, each volunteer serving up to 200 individual patients at every event. They finished their trip with a visit to La Paz and Lake Titicaca, and left with daily journals full of memories and hearts a little fuller of love. I also went to La Paz to see if I could help with their trip, but I did not make it to Lake Titicaca as I travelled by "flota," a.ka. bus instead of plane, and due to this our travel days were a little different. By the time I would have made it to Lake Titicaca, travel was too dangerous as the roads were covered with water from a lake storm. Just as well, I was able to spend quality time with friends in La Paz and learn a bit more about the beautiful city, which recently won an award as one of the top New Seven Wonders of the World Cities. We went to both museums on the "Road of the Witches" and to El Valle de las Animas, which was a really pretty and surreal trip in a vast valley through the mountains. Before this, though, I made the trip from Cochabamba to Oruro via flota, from Oruro to Uyuni via train, and from Uyuni to Sucre, from where I travelled finally back to Cochabamba via flota. I suppose I shouldn't say "finally," though, as this all happened in a period of 3 days! All in all, it's been a blessed couple of months. I keep reflecting on how fortunate I am to be in such a beautiful country, helping and learning as I am growing in faith, friendships, and love. Thank you so much for your support by way of words of wisdom, calls, emails, messages of all kinds, packages, and most especially your prayers!
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AuthorValerie Ellis, who is in alignment with the Black Lives Matter Movement and everyone whose life is impacted, now or before, by times of social injustice. Archives
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