At the beginning of the month, when I was unsure and uncertain about this ministry in Bolivia, I asked The Lord what I was even doing here? And He answered me immediately. Allow me to paint the scene for you.
The girls of Talita Cumi, my team, and I were on our way back to El Alto from a church service in La Paz to have lunch at the Talita house. We were sitting on a small, old, green bus jammed with Bolivians, the girls of Talita, and four crazy Americans. Yes, I am referring to myself. The girls of Talita had offered me a seat while they stood up in the middle aisle. As the bus huffed and puffed to make it up the mountain into El Alto, which is 1000 feet higher than La Paz, I admired the view from the window. The bus ride is spectacular, because when you rise up out of La Paz into El Alto, you can see everything. You see the skyscrapers of La Paz down in a valley surrounded by snow capped mountains that look like a backdrop from a distance. You see the tallest mountain in Bolivia, Mt. Illimani, making the skyscrapers appear to be legos next to it. You see the houses that speckle the valley and continue up the sides of the mountain overflowing into El Alto.
Breathtaking.
I lamely joked to the Talita girls that we were going to have to get out and push the bus. The poor bus was really struggling to get up the mountain, and I was a little uncertain that we would make it to the top. The girls stole my attention away from the view to ask me how to say some words in English. Things like you are beautiful, and I like your hair. It was a very casual and normal conversation, and then I turned my gaze back to the window. It was then that I asked The Lord why He had called me on the world race. He answered me immediately. The Holy Spirit whispered to me: to see these faces.
I turned my face right then to where the girls were standing, so I could get a good look at their sweet faces and etch them into my memory. One of the girls, Laura, immediately caught my eye, and when she did, she smiled so big, her cheeks pushing her eyes closed, and I couldn’t help but smile just as big back.
Never will I forget those beautiful girls, nor will I forget their faces. I believe The Lord won’t let me forget them either, and I hope He doesn’t, because I don’t want to forget. I am so thankful The Lord brought these girls into my life. It was a true honor getting to do His work in Talita, however short it may have been. It’s a memory that will last forever. One I will certainly treasure. Those faces are worth so much to me.
The princesses of Talita Cumi
This is why I continue to answer the Lord’s call to go and serve. This is why I surrender my life to the Lord to do His will. This is why I believe in a God who is good and who wants to rescue His children. If all the other months stink, then this entire race would have been worth it, my entire life would have been worth it, just because of this one month, because of those girls at Talita Cumi. And that is as real and genuine as it gets.
I went away from this month in Bolivia feeling so exhausted, but a good kind of exhausted. One where you know you gave it everything you got, even when it hurt, and you knew it was going to. When it came to saying goodbye, it did hurt…immensely. I sobbed as if my tears were flowing straight from my heart, because I can truly say I love those girls, and I didn’t want to leave them.
I want the rest of my months to be that same way. Bring on the love. Bring on the joy. And, yes, bring on the pain.
Until the next adventure,
Teej
