It´s already November!

WOW! Today is already November. Last night was Halloween for those of you in the states. I can´t lie....I actually missed dressing up and going trick or treating! But, they do not celebrate Halloween here in Bolivia. Unfortunately, they do sell masks and some costumes in la Concha (the HUGE market place where they sell everything you can imagine, quite the thing to see) on some street corners. I am pretty sure it is frowned upon for many. The day of the dead (Día de los Muertos) is taken very seriously here. And I am pretty sure they start celebrating it tomorrow and it continues for a some days! We have to stock up on our bread today because there will be a shortage after the holiday.

Usually I find myself having a difficult time waking up in the mornings. I am trying to figure out how and why I keep waking up before my alarm clock goes off. The factors I am currently contemplating include: the multiple dogs that bark every morning, the sun peeking through much earlier than I am use to, going to bed between 9 and 10 most nights, or I am just excited to wake up and have my time with the Lord out on the hammock! Come to think of it I believe that all of those things play a part! By no means am I complaining. I just sit in that hammock and smile because I can feel God smiling at me and getting me in a place where I feel so in tune with Him. I am aware that one day this could change, but I am not even worrying about that. I am indulging in the here and now!

I feel like I am adjusting pretty well. I also have to remember that the adjustment period could last quite awhile. But, for some crazy reason I seem to be adjusting a lot better compared to the stories I have heard about other people adjusting here. I am learning about being on a team again, and I of course love the dynamics of a team. Some small conflicts have arose. God quickly gave us boldness to confront and communicate those conflicts, and I am assured that He will use that in some way as we continue to work as a team.

As I continue to pray for God to show me how to love these kids, I came across some very evident Scripture the other day. In 1 John 16, John writes to us saying... So we know and rely on the love God has for us. GOD IS LOVE! Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in Him. Verse 17 continues...In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement because in this world we are like Him! Ok, pretty sweet deal! Why is God love? Because He only displayed the deepest meaning of love to us by sending His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him! God created love, He showed the absolute deepest love there is and so in turn... GOD IS LOVE! There are no objections! That is the way it is. This is what God did for us so we might follow Him and be free from the ugliness of this world! This isn´t some tall tale or just something that was put down in history-- it happened and is revealed by God through His beautiful Word and is totally living among us today! It doesn´t get much better than this! AMEN! I thought I would pass on what God revealed to me!

I am continuing to learn what life is like here and the life of an intern/short-term missionary! You come to find out that some things you are asked to do are not what you always get super excited about or have any desire to do. But, when things are put in perspective of why and who you are doing this for, I quickly ask God to change the attitude of my heart. And that continues to be my prayer when I wake up. Lord, give me the necessary attitude of the heart to carry out the work you have planned for us today! This week we have been on our hands and knees at one of the orphanages scrubbing the paint off the ceramic tile. It is every where. When the high school kids painted last week there was no plastic or tape used to protect the floor, doors, or panels on the wall. You probably ask why? Well, there just aren´t those sorts of tools needed to work on a project like this one. Plus, there was so much area to cover in painting so we couldn´t possibly find and pay for all the necessary tools. It is going to take us while to finish scrubbing all of the tiny dots of paint off the floor. May God continue to renew our attitudes as we do this necessary work. All I can say is...Let Him have His way! Hasta luego...