Finally here!!

Wow!! We made it...

Here we are in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and what an amazing adventure this has been so far!

Oh, the traveling...

The trip began as we all met at the church at noon on Tuesday, December 29. We left for the airport at 1, made it by 2 to check in and make it smoothly and easily through baggage check and security. With a group of 14 and over 30 bags (including carry-ons) this is a miracle in and of itself! We had a short 2 hour flight to Miami which was enjoyable and everyone's spirits were high, then we had a 2 hour and 45 minute wait until our next flight to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. This wait was no big deal considering we still had to eat dinner, make it through security again and then customs. The people with the tiny airline "AeroSur" were very kind to us and helped us with everything. I think we gave them the most business they've had in a while :)
So, we had this crazy over night flight to Bolivia (10:00pm to 5:15am) and there were two crying/fussy/loud babies (one sitting directly behind me) and the turbulence was so bad that even if you did doze off for a minute, the shaking could easily wake you up. So, for the majority of our team members, the over night plane ride and sleep did not mix well. The most frustrating part was knowing that whatever sleep you got on that plane ride was what was supposed to hold you over for the entire day of work in Bolivia on Wednesday.



Well, we had a small delay on our last flight from Santa Cruz to Cochabamba (which- I was wondering how they could so quickly call a delay because of weather and then literally 10 minutes later it is safe to board?) But we were all so tired and delusional that I'm pretty sure we would have gone along with whatever it took to get to our destination.
We finally made it to Cochabamba and our plane had stairs coming down from it that let you out outside. It looked like we were in a movie coming down the stairs and Bolivian people going crazy for their loved ones coming towards them! It's so incredible how well these people love.
Our team was blessed enough to have what felt like family greet us, too. We met Dr. K (Richard Kowalske) and his wife who are head of the Helping Hands Foreign Missions that is in collaboration with Palabra de Vida (Word of Life) camp for kids. They own this incredible piece of land which they purchased after selling everything they owned in the U.S and chased a vision that God had for them in Bolivia. So here we are the missionary team that is getting to enjoy the facilities that they have built down here. We are staying in dormitory style rooms with bunk beds. We have one bathroom for 6 girls- and we can not flush TP here. They don't use it downhere, so we have a lovely trashcan in our bathroom and are wishing we had brought air freshner :)

First Day!


Our first day here consisted of a brief orientation on the bus ride to the camp site, brief unpack/change/wash your face time. We went straight to lunch in the gym (which was really good- homeade soup with veggies and a shepherd's pie) and then we loaded up to head to an all girl's orphanage in town.




We were in for a blessing when we got to visit these chicas. The second we opened the doors of the van, they all ran into our arms and hugged each and every one of us! I have never met children with so much love!! We got to spend a good amount of our afternoon with these precious girls. We taught them some songs, we played games, read them a story, passed out coloring sheets, and then gave them candy and gifts and toys.



We all came away so touched and some of us even crying. For me it was just so hard to believe that these precious little girls have no family, no mom, dad, or siblings...I came away grateful and humbled by the grace that God has shown me with my big amazing family. Their sweet smiles and loving spirits made we want to sweep them up (one in particular that I fell in love with) and take her to my family...

We came back that evening for another great meal- homeade empanadas and a ham and cheese and mustard panini type thing. They were both delicious!
After dinner we had one more thing before bed: "Bless and Stretch."
We had a big group meeting and we all had to go around and share what our bless was from the day and what our biggest stretch was. We prayed after that and departed. It was a great time of fellowship and it ended the first day well. When we finaly got to turn off the lights and go to sleep last night, needless to say- I don't even remember how or when I fell asleep. It was also the hardest I've slept in a long time!

TODAY

That 5:45am alarm this morning was probably the last thing we wanted to experience. Luckily, last night was the only "early" night we would be getting and we did probably get a full night's sleep. And the excitement and adrenaline of the newness probably got us out of bed quicker than any regular day.
We enjoyed a breakfast that "Team 1" prepared (We are split up into two teams for serving purposes.) I'm on team 2 and we were in charge of clean up and cooking the next breakfast.
We left at 8am sharp to head to another orphanage up i nthe mountains. The bus ride was really fun. Our team seemed to be, for the first time, all there mentally (because of a good night's sleep) and we were really able to feel out the dynamic- which everyone is fun and outgoing and silly. We have a lot of fun together and God really blessed us with great members!
We made it to the orphanage (Which- here's the back story:
This orphanage allowed the kids who have some relatives in the area/country to go home with them for the Christmas season and the ones who don't have ANYONE are the ones who we visited today.)
Some of the ones who were there today came from the jungle and have brothers and sisters that they haven't seen since they were taken to the orphanage. The group was mixed- boys and girls of all ages.





I made friends with two older girls (15 and 16)


and we got to have conversations in Spanish and I taught them some English words. These two were attached to my hip and when we departed one of them hugged me so tight and asked me if I would be coming back
"Espero" I said. (English-I hope)
and she looked sad, as if she's heard that a million times before and said "Muy mal" (English-very bad.)
It was really hard to leave on that note, but we were able to shower them in gifts before we left and just pray that God would pave the way for them and their futures.



We came back after visiting with them for the entire morning playing games, singing songs, doing a cool craft, and just loving on them. We have been back at the camp site for a few hours and we have been helping to prepare for the New Year's Eve celebration tonight!! We are having a really big meal with the missionaries on base and our entire team tonight & they also do a white elephant gift exchange that we get to be a part of. (Some of us, including myself, forgot to bring a gift, so we are make-shift borrowing dollar tree items from our supplies we brought down here!)

We will be helping out with the camp that Palbra de Vida hosts a couple of times a year that 700+ kids travel from all parts of the country to attend. The camp starts on Monday, so we get to help out for three full days, and we have been told that our job is to help the missionaries with behind the scenes things and little details so that they are freed up to do their job with the kids! Whish I love the concept of that. We are truly here to serve, and it will be so rewarding to see the kid's faces next week. Please be praying for their hearts and their willingness to accept the gospel of JesuCristo! We brought 50 Spanish Bibles with us down here and they told us that these will be the perfect gift for the children that recieve Christ this week! Thank you Books 4 Less for donating!! yay! (All I did was ask if they would be willing to donate Spanish Bibles for our mission trip and a week later 50 Bibles were ready to go with us! How amazing is that??) What a blessing!




So, we are off to go get ready for dinner & the party! I am writing to you via the Kowalske's laptop and everyone kept saying "Dial-up will be really slow and the blog will take you forever" but guess what? This has been as quick and easy as if I were at home :) Either dial up isn't as slow as they think or Jesus is just like hey I think I'm gonna sprinkle some favor and blessing all over you today, Kristin.
I like to think it's the latter of the two :]


Thank you all for your prayers! We're keeping our eyes peeled for all things that Christ has for us down here. This is a rare opportunity and I know we want to soak it all up!! There is so much to take away from this trip and we ask that you pray for God's continued blessing on our safety and health, spiriutal growth, and group unity.

I look forward to writing each day that I can down here!

It's time to Celebrate!

It's time to CELEBRATE!!!!!

So, I think we can all see that SOMEBODY has been praying :) And God has listened to you, to me, to all of us! God has absolutely blessed the Mission Trip Teams this past week (and for the entire process)

There is just something to be said about a college ministry raising $105,000 for mission trips for 52 students!!

¡Qué increíble!



The entire amount of our trip ($2,500) was due on Sunday, December 6 at our 7pm meeting. Well, the week leading up to this deadline our team was a total of $10,000 away from what was due. Miraculously, less than one week before the deadline, our team found out that our trip cost was decreased by $530 per person!!!
We could not believe the news!!! For so many of us, that meant that our trip cost came to an affordable and less intimidating amount left. Well, for others, their amount due was still a huge number, but God allowed it to happen in this way so that His name would receive all the glory!! Check out the following stories of God's provision from two of our team members Alys Davis and Kat Richards....



Here are two incredible ways that God really showed His power through provision for Alys Davis:

"Sunday November 30^th, I found out that I was still $1200.00 short on making the final payment for the Bolivia trip, and I’m not sure what happened but on Tuesday we found out that our trip had dropped $500.00 cheaper- this alone was a blessing I now only had to raise $700.00 between last Tuesday and Sunday at 7:00pm (which was the original deadline for the final payment)

**Before the mission meeting Sunday night , I gathered and counted all the money that had been given to me I had received $400.00 of the $700.00 that I needed in order to make the final cut for the trip- raising that much in just a few days alone was amazing to me, but I found out that no more donations had been sent directly to the church for my trip so I was left $300.00 short.

I’m not going to lie, I was very disheartened when I realized this, and decided to stop a couple miles from where we were meeting in an Ingles parking lot and just pray for the Lord to reveal His will to me in all of this.

Ten minutes before the meeting, I received a phone call from one of my roommates telling me that someone that had borrowed $300.00 from me a few months ago had gotten in touch with her, and was able to pay me back. (this person that owed me the money is unemployed right now. I’m not sure how he got the money, but I know for certain this was a God-thing)

I was able to make the final payment after-all!

God was revealing to me that He is a true provider for His children and that His timing is so perfect!!!

**I also had other expenses related to the trip that I was going to have to pay out of pocket, and I wasn’t sure where that was going to come from because to be honest I was already falling behind on some bills because I had to fork out the money for some of the first payment, and passport, etc. (as I’m sure many are facing the same problem). A friend and of mine thst I worked with at the dealership in Athens, named John Ayers walked up to me yesterday (December 8^th), and put a check in my hand and said, “It’s not much, but I know there are things that you need above and beyond paying for the actual trip and I felt a burden to give you this to help with those.”

He also explained that Him and his wife, Anna wanted to give the donation to me personally in memory of his son who was killed earlier this year. John’s son was a young pastor of a church in Taccoa- He was an incredible man of God with such a kind and loving heart! John said that his son had such a heart for missions,and that he knew that he would want to be a part of making this trip possible for me. (He also told me that his daughter-in-law found out she was pregnant with their first child shortly after her husband was killed. This time of year is especially hard for her-he asked that we please be keeping her and the entire family in our prayers.)

I thanked him tearfully for the donation, and put the check in my purse- when I opened I up later, it was a check written for $400.00! That’s such an incredible answer to prayer because that money will cover the rest of what I needed for the trip: my immunizations, supplies, getting a second bag into the country, etc. (I figured I could pay to take a larger second bag smack full of things from the supply list and just leave the bag and all there with the people so I’m only paying to take it one way) Either way that money will make it possible for me to get everything ready and in order. (while paying my bills on time which is such a huge weight off my shoulders)

Praise the Lord! He has truely blessed me in such an incredible way, as he has strengthened mine, and the rest of the mission teams faith during the entire fund raising process! We haven't even gotten on the plane yet, and we're already experiencing such blessings! I can't wait to see what's in store for us in Bolivia!"

And Kat Richards shares her story:

This last leg of fund raising has been the hardest. After the initial benchmark of $1200 was paid, this last $1300 was just not showing up. Nothing was coming in.. maybe $50 here and there but that was it! It was discouraging but I was adamant in believing that God WILL provide & I will trust in Him. He has chosen me for this trip and so He gives His kingdom power for His kingdom purposes. It was 7 days before our final payment was due and I still had $1000 to go! So here's the breakdown on the week:

Monday- $1000 to go

Tuesday- our trip cost has dropped by $530. Somehow, $100 extra has shown up in my account

Wednesday- need $351

Thursday- need $351

Friday- need $351

Saturday- need $351

Sunday 5pm right before our meeting- given a check for $500!!!!

With the extra money plus some of my own, I was able to give anonymously to a team member from another trip, making it possible for that person to go as well. God is so good!!!!!

Thank you prayer supporters for your faithfulness to our team! God is really blessing us! We also had a really great meeting on Sunday where our group unity was effortless. We prayed together and played games together. Our team leader Jose even prayed in Spanish for us to get a cultural experience similar to what we will encounter :)

Our team is now 18 days away from departure and we are SO excited about the coming adventure! We expect God to use us to minister to the lost, hurting, and needy. We look forward to the miracles He has in store and what we will get to share with everyone upon our return!

Please continue to PRAISE God with a grateful heart for all of His provision over our team and the others!! We are soooo blessed to have EVERYONE going on their trips!


We would ask that God please continue to provide our team with unity and relationships. We need to be comfortable with relying on one another because this trip is going to stretch us.

We also are still in need of supplies for our trip. The supply list is as follows:

Craft Supplies
Loose Construction Paper
Crayons/Colored Pencils
Scissors
Glue
Sequins/Glitter/Jewls

Gifts
Shoes and Clothes for the Baby/Child Washing Ministry
Spanish Bibles, Children's Books and Bible Studies
Spanish School Supplies: Math Flashcards, Maps

Kids Toys
Knit Hats for Kids
Simple Games: Jump rope, Yo-yos, Puzzles
Hair Bows and Kids Costume Jewerly
Trucks/Cars/Airplanes
Soccer Balls Deflated with Pump
Beads/Strings
Solar Calculators
Candy


We would really like to have these supplies in by December 20^th so we have time to evaluate what we have.

¡Gracias!

Colossians 4:2-6

^"2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."