Crazy, Wonderful, Unexpected Adventure

As mentioned in our previous post, we did in fact end up going on a trip with our friends, Yuneth and Ramiro.  It was going to be the weekend after Easter, but because some other plans changed, we decided to go over Easter weekend.  With less than a week to prepare, what were we thinking?!

Ramiro and Yuneth were making most of the arrangements, from getting our train tickets to finding a place to stay.  It ended up that since Santiago is a pretty small town, there weren't many options for places to stay.  What we were left with was staying at Ramiro's aunt and uncle's place, camping out in their spare front room with no furniture.  Yuneth asked Carl if I was going to be okay with this camping thing. I was kind of wondering how it all worked but I reasoned, if it's good enough for our friends, it's good enough for us.

We left on Wednesday afternoon on the train with all our sleeping bags, air mattresses, clothes, towels, snacks, water, toilet paper.  There were 6 adults and 6 kids since Silas and Isaac, two volunteers living with Yuneth and Ramiro were coming along as well.  (Then Yuneth's Mom joined us a day later).

It started off a bit rocky.

There was a problem with Isaac's visa and he almost got apprehended by the police and threatened with being shipped out of the country.  He was pretty shook up by the whole ordeal but Yuneth got in there and gave the police an earful to explain the situation.

We had a fun time relaxing on the slow moving train.  Except for the traumatizing zombie movie playing, the trip was pretty uneventful.  I don't get why here they show such awful movies on the buses and trains....The rocking lulled Elena to sleep which was really nice and the kids played in the aisle, ate snacks, read books.  A bunch of us adults caught up on sleep.

We arrived in Robore at about 2 a.m. on Thursday morning.  Our kids were pretty groggy.  We were hoping to all pile into a trufi that could take us the 30 minutes or so to Santiago, but he only had room for Ramiro and Lucas, me, Elena, and Asha.  So off we went and he was planning to turn around and pick up the rest on the next trip.

When we arrived, I was so pleased to find out that instead of us needing to set up a tent off the house, Ramiro's uncle had asked the people who had booked rooms in his guesthouse to kindly find other accommodations so that there would be room for us all.  When Ramiro showed me to our room (with a bathroom off it too!) I blurted out, "Ooooo...there are beds!"

The rest of the crew was eventually picked up by the trufi and didn't get in until almost 3:30.  We were all so beat.  The next morning we slept until about 10:30 before enjoying a nice relaxing breakfast with Tio Juan and Tia Florita.

For lunch, we headed to a local pension and enjoyed lots of food.  We had planned to leave all the kids, minus Elena, and head off for a hike up to the lookout point outside of town.  At 2 p.m. a neighbour girl came by to watch the 5 kids and we 6 adults plus the baby headed down the road, making our way to the lookout overseeing the Tucavaca Valley.

It took about 2 hours to make our way to the top, but it was worth it!  We first had the stroller until the road ended and the trail began, and then soon realized we'd have to ditch it in the bush and carry the baby up.  Of course, I forgot my cuddly wrap, so I just held her in arms.  Once we reached the top, we took pictures and rested.

Ramiro, Silas, and Isaac wanted to go up to one more lookout point at the top of the hill, but Carl, Yuneth, and I decided not to.  We parked ourselves in the shade and drank terere. 

About 15 minutes later, we heard Ramiro yelling what we thought was him getting our attention so we would take a picture of them at the top.  We yelled back that we couldn't see him.  He yelled again, this time he seemed a lot closer, when suddenly he burst through the bushes screaming, "I've been bitten by a snake!"

We tried not to panic as he ripped off his shoes and socks to expose the bite mark.  Thankfully, only one fang penetrated the runner into his foot, while the other got stuck in the rubber shoe bottom.  Carl quickly got out his pocket knife, threw it to Yuneth and she sliced into the bite to get out the venom.  I turned away with Elena because I have a hard time with blood.  Isaac ran down from the hill right behind Ramiro (although super traumatized that a snake would bite him too) and made his way rapidly to the road, praying that he'd encounter a truck or something to get Ramiro to medical attention.

Praise God, Isaac flagged down a truck on the first turn and they happened to have a serum in their backpacks that would buy Ramiro precious time.  This was an answer to our prayers since we had only met one motorcycle on the road on the whole hike up to the hills.  Silas, Carl, Elena and I went down the hill and made our way back to town as quickly as we could on foot.

By the time he got to the doctor, Ramiro couldn't really feel his legs or arms and was having trouble seeing.  He got two antivenin shots that were able to reduce the symptoms and by evening, he was feeling a bit better.  We figured out that the snake that bit him was from this family of snakes, most likely a Fer-de-Lance, but called by the locals Yopero Jobobo.  It's a snake that instead of just biting and fleeing, will actually come back to bite again.  It's ornery and aggressive.

The rest of our trip, Ramiro spent in bed with a hugely swollen foot and sore leg.  Oh, it was hard for Yuneth, but thankfully her mother was there to help her, Isaac and Silas were too, and we were just thankful that Ramiro was out of danger.  Praise God that the kids weren't there to witness it and that they weren't bitten.  Two fangs in a small child...I can't imagine how awful the outcome....God has his angels protecting us.

They insisted we carry on with the plans we had made, so on Friday, we headed to Aguas Calientes.  It's a shallow lake (like 6-24in) that has bubbling volcanic heat coming up from it.  It was so warm that it was too hot for Elena to dangle her feet in.  It doesn't smell like sulfur or anything, but has soft spots where you sink in up to your waist and can dangle your legs in this crevice of swirling sand and hot bubbles.  It's kind of creepy and amazing all at the same time.  We also went after lunch to a river where the water was warm, like bath water.  Carl wasn't that excited about that.  He said when it's a hot day he wants cool refreshing water.  But the rest of us had a good time!

On Saturday, Carl, Silas, and Isaac went hiking out to Los Pozas.  It's quite the hike to get up to rock formations where there are deep pools of water, carved out of the hills by a stream and waterfalls.  Now that cool water was more of Carl was hoping for.  The waterfalls were beautiful and the water heavenly to swim in.  Yuneth and I had decided that it would be utterly ridiculous to take a bunch of small children to cliffs, waterfalls, and deep pools of water.  So we stayed home and visited, walked around town, shopped for food for the evening meal.

That evening, we had the privilege of going to a concert put on by the Santiago Chorus and Orchestra.  We have a SALTer that is part of leading and directing the group, so it was really nice to see what she has been doing all year long in her term of service.  The concert was beautiful.  Our kids enjoyed it and it was amazing to hear Vivaldi in a 250 year old Catholic church in the middle of the Bolivian campo.

The next morning, Easter Sunday, was cool and rainy.  Our original plans had been that we would make our way to Robore to see more sights before heading out on the train that night.  But unfortunately, Ramiro had taken a turn for the worse on Saturday night and went to the hospital in Robore with Yuneth for more antivenin treatments.  We decided then to go to the morning service and then after head to Robore with all our things to stay with Ramiro's other relatives until our departure.

The morning service was very moving.  If you missed my Easter reflections, you can read more here. 

After the service, we went and packed up our stuff, said goodbye to Tio Juan and Tia Florita and piled into the van.  It was a bit squishy with all our stuff. "Gosh Yuneth has a lot of clothes!", exclaimed her mother.  I guess I'm not the only one who over packs!

We met up with Yuneth in Robore and she let us know that Ramiro was doing much better after having another antivenin shot.  He had already had used the only ones in Santiago, hence why they had to rush him to the nearest hospital in Robore.  Though she was relieved, you could tell Yuneth was tired.  Poor thing.  I did my best to encourage her, so we went to the market and bought some hair accessories to lift her spirits.  Shopping is always therapeutic.

We spent the day hanging out in the plaza, at their aunt and uncle's house, doing crosswords, visiting and sitting around.  Carl said with the cool rainy weather and being outside all day, it was like camping in the Whiteshell on May long weekend!

By 8 p.m. we were packing up and heading out.  Ramiro was released from the hospital and carefully eased into the taxi as we made our way to the train.  It left at 10 p.m. and lights out soon after that.  Oh, we were all so tired but thankfully there were no killer slasher movies playing so I think we slept the entire time.  Our arrival came so quickly, so it seemed, that we barely had time to get our stuff together, off the train, and quickly said goodbye to Ramiro, Yuneth and Co.  They were taking him directly to the hospital here in Santa Cruz to see a snakebite specialist.

We got home and slept.  We did a mountain of laundry and did some grocery shopping.  Oh, what an adventure with our friends.  It's a trip that I won't soon forget.

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As we have been home, we have been thinking of how we can help Ramiro and Yuneth out.  Thankfully, he is out of the hospital now and doing much better.  After all was said and done, he had a total of over 10 antivenin shots (he got 7 more once we got here to Santa Cruz), costing about $50 each.  Most people here only make about $15 per day in wages....That plus the hospital costs, plus the month long respite he has to take from work is going to add up to a lot for this family.

So if you would like to join us in helping them financially, leave me a comment or email me at kathyheppner(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll let you know how you can come alongside us and support them.  We'll keep you posted.

Easter Reflections

This Easter for me has been the most unique Easter weekends, one that I won't soon forget.  We weren't at home and had the chance to participate and see things we hadn't seen before.  Yes, we did go away with our friends, but I'll tell you all about that in a bit....

I can start with Lent.

This year was the first time in a while that I gave up something for Lent.  We both decided to give up refined sugar, which was super hard for me.  I hadn't realized how much I love sugar, snacking on sweet treats and how often times I do it without thinking.  I have a huge box of Eatmore bars in my freezer that I justified in going to every day because you can't take Eatmore bars in a suitcase.  I slipped up a few times where instead of just politely declining, I partook in the goodies being served.  But for the most part, I abstained, and every time my mouth watered, I prayed.  Those first few days, all I did was sentence prayers.

After a while, we became accustomed and the kids were great in reminding us that on Easter Sunday we could have sugar in our coffee and eat sweet treats.  By the way, Stevia is AWFUL in coffee....  It was a good time to talk with our kids about Lent and Easter.

We traveled on the Wednesday night before Easter and on Thursday, had the opportunity to see a Catholic procession pass the house where we were staying.  It was quite powerful as the people quietly carried large candles, the life sized saints, the wooden cross, the tray filled with elements from the Last Supper, as they recited prayers.  There were no bells during Holy Week, so a wooden canister filled with rocks was used to call the people to the service.  Probably 200 people walked passed the house.

On Good Friday, we didn't go to a service, but sat outside again to watch the processional in the evening.  This time, they had a decorated coffin with a Jesus inside.  Asha was very intrigued by that.  She kept asking over and over about why Jesus was dead inside the glass box.  We explained that it was a doll to represent Jesus, and the real Jesus is very much alive.  Kezia had lots of questions about the saints and Joel wanted to know about why the call to service couldn't include the bells at the church.

Asha continued to have questions about Jesus and his death and why he had wounds on his hands.  Kezia told her it was because the soldiers killed him and Asha then wanted to know why they killed him.  All day the questions kept coming.  In the evening we went to a concert put on by the Chorus and Orchestra of Santiago.  We enjoyed hearing Vivaldi, as well as some of the powerful Good Friday hymns.  We also had quite the interesting conversation with the Father of the church around the themes of Mennonites, Evangelicals and Catholics.

On Sunday morning, Asha woke up and the first words out of her mouth were, "The dead doll isn't real because today is Easter and Jesus is alive".  Yes He Is!

Because plans had changed (I'll explain ALL about that....) we ended up at the Catholic morning service, not in our Easter clothes, but long pants, sweaters and jackets.  Joel enjoyed being able to read the Liturgy of the service to know what was happening.  And Asha kept mumbling about the doll on the cross with his bleeding hands and gaping side wound.  By the end, she had wrapped her mind around the fact that the real Jesus is alive, until Kezia started talking about how Jesus can live in our hearts, be in heaven and all around us at the same time.

For me, one thing that I have missed in the last few Easters is the week long services that focus on remembering Jesus' last days, his death, the sorrow of his followers, and then his resurrection.  I miss the Maundy Thursday footwashing and communion.  I miss the somberness of Good Friday and the resurrection party on Sunday morning.  So this weekend, out far from our home, we were able to witness some of those deliberate acts of worship.  It was a time where I could really stop and ponder, to be called to service by the rattle of rocks in a wooden box.  Even if I didn't make my way across the plaza to church every day, the rocks clanging throughout the day definitely brought my thoughts back to Holy Week themes and the sacrifice of my Lord and Saviour.

Family Day

On Sunday, our school hosted a Family Day event.  It is an event that celebrates both mothers and fathers and all other family members as well.  It's an attempt to recognize that not all kids live with or have moms and dads.  We think it's a good thing, because so often schools here highlight Mother's Day in a classroom full of orphans.  Sigh....

Anyways, we enjoyed the day.  There were lots of activities for kids to do with their parents, displays put on by each class, and of course musical presentations from each class.  It was loud, of course, but Carl was saying something like this is very valuable.  Many times parents/guardians don't take time to play with their kids.

We played pass the water drop in Kezia's class and did a crazy obstacle course in Joel's class.  And then we ate some hotdogs and visited with other parents while we watched our kids do their presentations.  Kezia's class did a great choreographed number and Joel's class also danced and highlighted the importance of ridding the school of bullying.

It was a good time spent with our kids at a school event.  Kind of makes me sad to think this was mostly likely the last one for us.....

Conversion of the Swiss

For a while now we've been joking with our co-workers that we needed to teach them how to make Russian Mennonite food.  Since they are from the Swiss Mennonite background in Pennsylvania, they had never been exposed to such foods as Pluma Moos, Roll Kuchen, and of course Warenecki.

To brag a bit, Carl makes pretty awesome Warenecki.  Made with his homemade cottage cheese.....drool.

So this weekend, we invited Lynn and Laurie and their kids over for a Warenecki cooking exposure experience.  And what an experience it was.  They enjoyed helping Carl roll out the dough and boil them and lather them in butter.  I, of course, was the photographer, and so I couldn't take any credit for the food.

It was so good to share our ethnic heritage (well, mostly Carl's, but you know....), to prepare food together and to share a meal with good friends. 

So, wondering what food we'll do next!

 

Sorry that we didn't get any close-up pictures of the food.  There was no time for that!

Friends that Bless

I'm not sure if I have raved about the friends that we have here, but today my heart is so full, I can't help but gush over one particular couple.

Maybe I'm feeling especially blessed because we just had yet another wonderful evening with Ramiro and Yuneth.

Ramiro used to work with the same organization as us, but we didn't get to know him very well.  Yuneth is a director of a partner organization, and even though she comes for meetings often to our office, I don't think that was the place where we clicked.  We also go to church with them, I play on the music team with them.  Our lives had many places of intersection.

I can't say for sure, but I think we clicked because one day they invited us for lunch and as we sat on the patio visiting, we realized that we had very similar children and that we had very similar parenting experiences.  And from there we talked about our experiences as parents, our own childhood, our testimony....we stayed there for 4 hours talking about everything and anything.

I really had to work to keep up language wise because you know how rapidly I speak in English?  Well, Yuneth speaks like that in Spanish.  I love it! even if I can't catch every word.

Then a short while after that great lunch at their house, we decided that instead of always saying, "Hey, we should get together sometime," because sometime never happens, we planned that every other week we would get together.

We would go over to their place, they would come to our place, we'd go to a park or out for ice cream, sometimes it would be with the kids, sometimes not.

And that's how it's been for a while.

I tell you, they have been such a blessing.  Despite the language barrier (at times it's small and other times it's a bit medium size) there is something between us where we click.  We connect as couples and we gals and our guys click too.  Plus the kids play really well together, even if there is a ton of drama between them all.  Where do you find that type of great combination in friends?

They have been really open with us and we have been with them.  We talk about our fears and our joys, things that make us really angry, politics, theology, and cooking to name a few.  We laugh our heads off and we cry together.  And tonight we talked about doing a family trip together which makes me just too excited for words.

I'm praying that it can become a reality.  It would be the most hectic and fun and awesome thing we could do.  Four adults and 6 kids, 4 of whom are super high energy...the train ride might be the end of us all.  Well, at least we'd be happy.

So stayed tuned to see if we end up doing this crazy trip with our best friends.

Kezia Said.....

Boy Mom, this bathroom is really clean! (as we leave one particular restroom at a basketball game)

Me: Oh, it sure is.

And a little later as we were leaving....

K: We probably should use this clean bathroom one more time before we go. It's got both soap and toilet paper.

Me (smiling): Yes, that's a good idea

K: Because you never know what kind of bathrooms you might stuck with to go pee in.

So true child, so true.

Came in a Newsletter

I have been in two places this week. Overcome with a full sense of peace and then a feeling of frustration and hurt. Quite the swing for only 7 days, eh? Sigh....such is life and I take it in stride.

I'm convinced more and more that things don't happen by mere chance. I don't think things happen just because. There's always a purpose, even if it is a small one meant for one person. And so that's how I saw this weeks mail with this quote on the backside.

Have courage for the great sorrows, and
patience for the small ones, and when
you have accomplished your daily tasks,
go to sleep in peace.
GOD is awake.
-unknown

Elena weighs......

5.3 kg which is 11lb and 11 oz for all you imperial lovers. She's gained 3lb 3oz.

She is 61 cm tall (because she's not a bolt of fabric) which converts to 24 inches.

Elena's head is 39 cm in circumference, which is an increase of 2 cm.

And of course she cried when she got her vaccination in her leg. The nurse was quite skilled since I had never seen a needle in and out so fast. Plus, instead of a goofy plush toy to distract her, it was amazing how a box of staples being shaken in the face stops a crying child. I'm going to try that with the kids at home.

Processing Change

It's April and it's hard to believe that 3 years ago we were starting our journey to come to Bolivia. Time has flown....

They are right in saying the last part of your term goes by really fast. Why is that? Because life is less of a shock? You're having a better time? Your life is in more of a groove?

I'm having a hard time thinking about ending this chapter in my life and starting another one. I admit that I'm not that fond of change. At each stage where it is on the horizon, I feel like burying my head into the sand. I go through a time where I deny that it's coming, then as it looms closer I go through an angry stage because I have to deal with something different. All I know is that I feel like I'm being uprooted from all that is comfortable in exchange for who knows what. Does anyone ever look forward to that?

It's not that I'm resistant to things changing because everything about life here has been so perfect and I don't want the dream to be spoiled. No, life has definitely had it's challenges, especially with our job assignment here.

There are some amazing things here that I know we will have to let go of. Friends, church, the kids' school, the food, the smells, yes, even the gross ones. As we let go of things here, we have the opportunity to embrace new things there; like to be reunited with family and friends.

At the present, I'm okay with not knowing the future, but a few months ago it really bothered me. I was anxious about not having all the ducks lined up in a row. It's the organizer Type A control freak in me. I'm okay now because I'm making the decision to trust. God has never let us flounder, He has always kept His hand on us. For our own sanity, He also doesn't reveal everything in the future.

Even without all the answers, I'm assured of two things; God takes care of us and this life we are living now will morph into something very different. Somewhere I read this, "For a caterpillar, it's death. For God, it's a butterfly".

Joel asked me the other day why we couldn't just stay. Sigh....if it could only be that easy and simple. So many factors that an 8 year old isn't aware of that his mother can't make sense of either. He sobbed about how could he live anywhere else when this is all he remembers? Trying to speak to his heart, even though mine was heavy, I explained to him that God brought us here for a time and that time is coming to a close. God has another phase for our family where He will bring about blessings and joy. He will always take care of us because He's faithful. But in the meantime, it's okay to mourn the fact that things will change.

Hey Kathy, it's okay to mourn the fact that things will change.