el alto
Here it is folks… this is the last of my ministry summary blogs. I am in my last country of the World Race program and I am in BOLIVIA! If you all do not know, this is a special country for me because my father is from here! I love getting to learn more about my own heritage!
Who am I with?
To shake things up, I have a new team! For our last month, we were given three different options and got to choose our ministry. So I chose Misión Adulam… and so did these eight other people! We have decided to call ourselves Team End Game! We are a fun and energetic team of 3 guys and 6 girls. I love that we changed things up for the end because it brings a new energy to everyone at the end!
Where am I?
More specifically, I am in the city of El Alto. If you do not know, this city is located adjacent to the more famous city of La Paz in northern Bolivia. However, El Alto technically has a larger population than La Paz! It is a much more low income area than La Paz, but unique in itself with large markets, beautiful scenery, and it is located at the very high elevation of 13,000 ft!!
What do I do?
This month, we are working with a drug and alcohol addiction center called Misión Adulam (adulam meaning refuge in Hebrew). I requested this center because it is interesting work for me as I hope to pursue work in counseling/therapy! So far, I love this organization. The organization has three different houses that are all in the same neighborhood. One is a teenage girls house, one a teenage boys house, and one a center for children with learning disabilities. The center is very well established with psychologists working at each house. Their mission is to restore the vulnerable and assist them in entering back into society. So far, we have done practical work in the mornings (painting, cleaning, etc), and in the afternoon, we spend time with the boys, girls or children. So far, I have spent the most time at the children’s house assisting with therapy, cooking, teaching dance, etc.
Who is hosting us?
Our host this month is Fineke Janssen from the Netherlands. She is very organized, good at communicating and invested in our team. She started this organization about 30 years ago and is so driven! Fineke is the main director of the center and Felina, from Bolivia, is the co-director. They are both very loving.
Where do I live?
Conveniently, we live in a house that is in the same neighborhood as the center! It is just a 2 minute walk to any of the houses. Our home is cozy this month. We have 4 rooms for the 9 of us, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room. We hang out in the living room all the time and love to watch movies :). It is also the best room because it has heating… yes this is the first month in 10 months of actual winter. It is cold here. But have all we need here… and wifi!
What do I eat?
With our own kitchen here, we cook breakfast and dinner. Lunch is provided for us in the centers and we get to eat with the girls and guys. The food at the center is great! I love to try more local food. So far, we have tried some new foods like liver, cauliflower patties, and an assortment of teas as they enjoy a “tea time” each day around 5! I have also discovered a really great fruit here called Chirimoya.
Currency?
The money here is the Bolivian Boliviano. 1 Boliviano= 0.15 USD! AND fun fact, if you look close at the picture, the 20 Boliviano actually has my great great great great grandfather on it, Pantaleon Dalence. HOW cool!
Transportation?
Our house is located so close to the center, so we mostly walk everywhere. However, to get into the city of La Paz, we can take the teleferico! Because the geography of this city is much like a bowl, and El Alto is on the top of the bowl, we take the cable car down into the city of La Paz! It is an amazing way to see the city.
Exercise?
So… because I am located at 13,000 ft, doing small things like walking, is my exercise. I have decided to take it easy this month 🙂 But our house does have a cycle bike which is nice to use sometimes.
Tourism?
This month, we have made big plans to see the Salt Flats in central Bolivia! We will embark on this adventure next week. In addition, last week I was able to venture down to La Paz to see my family for Bolivian mothers day! We had a beautiful lunch with the family. It was really special to be able to be with family while being so far away from home. They are a gift and so so welcoming! Today, we explored La Paz a bit more and walked the Valle de la Luna.
