A Break to Break the Routine

The last four weeks have been filled with adventure and action. Spearheaded by our spring break, we have gotten many opportunities to travel and explore more of this country and share it with others. School continues to be online, and there is talk of a possible May return to in-person classes, but so much of that is up in the air and reliant on the new government and the Covid situation that remains persistent. Getting a chance to recharge and get out of La Paz has been super refreshing for us. We began Spring Break with a 25 mile hike on the Takesi Trail, a hike we normally do with the freshman and sophomores in the first semester, but instead did with about 13 other teachers.

The two-day, twenty-five mile hike through the Yungas mountains was quite the challenge. Sharing it with the other teachers made it special though, and something that has brought us closer together in a season when Covid has tried to keep us apart. While the trail was quite taxing, the views were refreshing and rejuvenating compared to the computer screens that we normally are faced with for too often of the day. Getting out in God's creation has a way of reminding us of things that can't always be felt in the day-to-day routines of the city life. Hiking the trail also provides so many allegories about life and overcoming its challenges. All in all, it was a great way to start the break.

After conquering the Takesi Trail, we celebrated Easter in La Paz where our muscles could heal while our hearts were filled with thankfulness. We have so much to be thankful for as we reflect on our lives here in Bolivia, but nothing greater than the gift of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection for us. Truly something we desire to always remember as we serve Him here.

After Easter we were set for a trip to the city of Sucre, the historical capital of La Paz. After an elongated time in the airport we finally made it to Sucre, and spent the next couple days enjoying the calmer, more historical, and beautiful city that is Sucre. Much of our time was spent admiring the beautiful city from the many different vantage points, as well as enjoying the main plaza where we read and relaxed. We enjoyed some great food and tried much of the local cuisine. (Pictured is Mark's favorite, Pique Macho) After many tests, we can also confirm the reputation of Sucre as being the chocolate capital of Bolivia. It really was the perfect getaway to rest and relax, especially after hiking the Takesi Trail. We will definitely be returning to Sucre as soon as we can and thoroughly enjoyed our time to relax and reflect in this beautiful city. An added bonus was also getting a chance to meet up with one of our Spanish tutors and spend some time getting to know her more. The company that we take our Spanish classes from is centered in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba, but our tutor Daniela moved out to Sucre two years ago.

She is Christian and we very much enjoyed getting to spend time with her and discussing God's purpose for us in Bolivia. The company that we take classes from has many Christian tutors and they give discounts to Highlands teachers because they know they are furthering God's mission in Bolivia. It was great not only to have her show us around the city, but further connect and encourage one another. We very much appreciated her hospitality and it gives us another reason to return to Sucre. While in Sucre we also got to visit the national history museum, taking a tour completely in Spanish, and putting our Spanish to the test! Safe to say we still have a long way to go, but we both feel like we are progressing nicely. We are very thankful for the chance to take classes five days a week and we are always pointing out instances when we can apply things we are learning. Today we went to a Spanish-speaking church, our first time going to in-person church since last semester. Since Easter many of the churches are starting to open up in person again, and today we were blessed with the opportunity to worship alongside others in Spanish.

The school continues to be online, but efforts to go back in-person are still being pursued. We are really just waiting on the government to give us approval, but that is proving to be tricky and complicated for several reasons. The 4th quarter just began, and we both are hoping to have students back on campus if only for a little bit. Our focus continues to be making the most of this season by pouring into our ministry at Highlands, learning the language, building community, and our street ministry.

We have continued to meet with David, the shoe shiner, whom we met while handing out Bibles and food on the street. Pictured here is one of the periodicals that David helps create and sell to promote his shoe shiner community. He seems like a leader within that community and we are hoping that our encouragement and ministry to him will then lead to more within their community. We are hoping to see him again this weekend, so please be in prayer for that opportunity, as well as continued opportunities to hand out Bibles and help those in need on the street.

This last weekend we went downtown with a couple of other teachers and ended up making little friends in the plaza using our "gringo magnet" aka a frisbee. It was fun, but also enlightening as it showed us how many kids wander the plaza daily while their parents sell things on the streets. These kids are left to wander alone and don't have much to do while their parents work to make a living. There seems to be a lot of needs and ministry opportunities, and it very much excites us. We are anxious to do more here, but know that learning the language will help unlock more of those opportunities. Please continue to pray that as we await a time when we can be used more effectively, when the language barrier is all but extinct and the pandemic has subsided. We eagerly hope for that time, but also seek to do all we can in this season as well. We know and trust in God's sovereign plan, and talk about it often. Much like hiking the Takesi Trail, we know that life is full of challenges and obstacles, but God will see us through it all, and reveals Himself throughout the journey.