November: A Month of Highs & Lows

November was full of highs and lows. A rollercoaster of a month brings us to December quite exhausted. However, as we look back at all that has transpired we remain thankful for how God works and continues to bless us far beyond what we deserve. November was highlighted by some fun events like Team Day, Thanksgiving Break, our school community festival, and the Turkey Bowl. However it has also been an exhausting month with multiple hospital visits, amoebas, and the ever present busy feeling that comes with helping put on big events.

Team Day takes place once a semester, and features our entire school competing against each other in fun-filled games. Everyone upon first entry of the school is assigned a team color, and points are accumulated throughout the year through various dress up days, and donation drives. The culmination of this competition is Team Day. Audrey is on yellow team, while Mark is on Blue team, and although a house divided usually cannot stand, we make it work ;) The joy of Team Day is the competitive fun that can be had as the campus comes alive and the students get really excited (more excited than for a normal school day you can imagine). Mark and another teacher ran the shot put game, which brought an old school Olympic vibe to the day, while Audrey and her partner ran a bowling style game that featured empty water bottles. In the end it was the Red team that prevailed this year, but the day was a success none the less. The competition will continue through next semester, so stay tuned!

While Team day brings a lot of highs in seeing the kids smile and have fun coming together in their teams, it's still an event that involves organization and effort. By the end of the day we were both whooped. (Audrey was a bowling alley and set up a bunch of empty water bottles over and over again, only to watch them get destroyed group by group) Thankfully other events from November have been a little less stressful to put on.

Every year we hold a Community Festival where people throughout the school community come on campus and set up tents that sell all sorts of goodies. There is also a futsal tournament, which Mark's team won last year. This year a low was not being able to participate because of a back injury he had at the time. Despite that, a high was getting to relax and eat anticucho, which are slices of cow heart cooked and skewered with potatoes, brushed with a peanut sauce. It is quite delicious and added to the restful day as we had little to no responsibilities besides being in community. The community festival is always a reminder of how important community is, and how we are called to be in community. This is also an event we can connect with the parent community, which many are non-believing, and hopefully model Christ to them.

One of Mark's more recent and favorite November traditions has been the Turkey Bowl that he and the Bible teacher Nate started last year. They have gotten many of the high school students interested in American football and started an annual two-hand touch football game on Thanksgiving morning. Nate, being from Pittsburgh, is captain of the Black team, while Mark, being a cheesehead, captains the Green team. It was another epic shootout this year as Mark's green team won 75-54. Much like the Green Bay Packers, Mark's green team has now won the first two Turkey Bowls. However the real win was the fun that was had and the relationships that were deepened through sports. It's another way we see God working, and one we are thankful for as sports is something we both enjoy.

After the Turkey Bowl we had a chance to go up to Lake Titicaca, the world's highest elevated late and largest freshwater lake in South America. We spent most of Thanksgiving break there and tried to use it to relax and refresh. Even with a nosey neighbor (pictured below), we had a good time. We always feel blessed when we are able to get out of La Paz.

While those things are high moments for us, the truth about November is that it brought some really tough lows. Most notably with our health. Audrey contracted a case of stomach amoebas. This is the second time in Bolivia that she has had amoebas and they can really take you out of commission. They can be in the water or unwashed vegetables, and it is hard to know exactly how she got them this time. Thank you to all who sent encouragement and prayers. She eventually recovered in between some of those above mentioned events. While she was able to heal right before Thanksgiving break, her recovery was short lived as she ended November back in the hospital with some more complications and an infection. She is currently still recovering so any prayer support is much appreciated. It has been frustrating as you can imagine. Mark has had some back problems sprinkled into the month, and while at the lake contracted some stomach pain that took four to five days to recover from. Being sick, dealing with pain, and not feeling like yourself is never easy. Sometimes it can be a true test of our will. It is a humbling experience and one that points us to a sovereign God who must be our strength. It points us back to prayer and dependency on Him. Yes, November has brought some lows, but God has also brought us through those moments, and He has also brought us some highs. His goodness to us can never be understated, as we do not deserve any of it. It is a challenge to remember that, especially during those low times. As the stress and burnout reach high levels towards the end of the semester, we must remember the truth of our God and the hope we can have in trusting Him with it all. We will fly back to the states the night after our last day of the semester, December 15th. We look forward to seeing many of you, and lament that we cannot see all. Please reach out at any time and let us know if you would like to connect. Our Christmas break is from December 16th-January 6th, and we will be in various places throughout the States, such as Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona. Thank you for reading and keeping up with all of our highs and lows. God Bless.