Hello everyone! My team and I made it to Bolivia! After driving on some skinny mountain roads and crossing multiple rivers on a wooden boat (with our double-decker bus), we are planted and settled on Samaritan Purse’s medical boat. Now, it is not every day that you get to live on a boat in the middle of wild Bolivia. I am going to share 10 aspects to living on a medical boat in the middle of the jungle (pictures included).
1) The Nature. We are stationed on a river. Both riverbanks are lined with all sorts of vegetation and wildlife. There are tall and short trees, flowers, and water-plants. The wildlife is absolutely, well, wild. There are yellow birds, blue and green parrots, diving ducks (who constantly have a fish in their mouths), birds that glide over the top of the calm, meandering river, and that just names a few. There are chickens and some horses wondering about. We see pink dolphins bobbing up and down the river at dawn and dusk. We see families of capybaras (the world’s largest rodent) trotting around, doing their thing. We also, if we are lucky, get to see some of the most beautifully colored butterflies. And there is still so much more. We are truly filled with wonder at the beauty of our Bolivian home.
2) The Bugs. Holy Smokes. If you are not getting bit by one type of bug you are getting bit by another. As the smell of tea tree oil fills the air, there is a constant borage of mosquitos trying to “welcome” the newcomers (us). Biting ants are in every corner of the boat. The flies bite, the ants bite, the bats may bite, and did I mention the 50-cent-coin sized wasps? I think you get the point, everything bites down here. Also, while cleaning out the muck in the hull, Han and I saw a giant spider (like the size of my face). Ooo, it makes me squirmy thinking about it. At night, hordes of dragonflies protect us from the oncoming army of mosquitos, while we sit on the roof. Insects amirite man.
3) The Heat. My team voted me the “diva” of the month because I talk about the heat so much! But let me tell you, this Coloradan girl thinks that it is hot. You have a choice; mosquitos or the heat of the “safe room”. I usually choose the safe room. We sleep without covers under our bug nets or in our tents, lying as still as possible in attempts to stop producing body heat. We go to sleep sweaty, but usually wake up at the perfect temperature. The fan is constantly on, trying its best to help keep us cool. A cold front also passed through a couple of days ago; it was only 80, humid degrees!
4) The Water. Sometimes the heat gets to be a little too much and splash! We jump into the river off of the top of the second story of the boat. It is super fun! I must confess though that the first jump, more like sit and lower, was terrifying. We are in the middle of wild Bolivia, what do you think is in their dark, can’t see your toes, rivers? Alligators? Parana? Large, man-eating fish? Well, we haven’t had any encounters yet. We are still thriving and enjoying our backyard (murky and warm) pool. Plus, the neighbor kids swim all the time too.
Water, part 2. Yeah, sometimes we run out. You see, we have to pump and clean the river water for showers, toilets, sinks, dishes, and laundry. Gotta remember to keep making our water! We also have to wash our own clothes and hang dry them. But, let me remind you, it is rainy season here and nothing ever really dries!
5) The Electricity. Wow, is this stuff nice. It runs fans, the refrigerator, the lights, and the freezer. We did not have it for the first couple of days, and the solar batteries failed us. We had to store our goods in the neighbor’s fridge and hope for a nice cool breeze. But, alas, we have a wire running across the dirt road now, which means we have fans and lights! The fridge is still up in the air, but praise God for those fans.
6) The Location. I mean where even are we? We have yet to find a close-by store, but there are some really cool fruit trees. It takes about 30 minutes by car to get into the cute little town of Trinidad that offers us air-conditioning and ice cream. We have a couple of nice neighbors, who love to wave to us on their small skiffs. But, for the most part, we are in the middle of nowhere. Also, we cook some pretty creative meals because of the lack of stores around.
7) The Activities. Are few and far between. The Lord told me that this month is going to be a month of “being”. It is a month of learning how to sit still and rest, which I have to confess is HARD for me. Between the heat, the location, and the overall laid-back culture, nothing much happens. I think everyone is “in” on God’s plan for me just to be. The whole neighborhood turned up when we put on the children’s event. It was the highlight of the week!
8) The Roof. The safe haven from bugs and heat. This is our favorite spot to be. There is a nice breeze, fewer bugs, and a great view. Needless to say, we love to “go up top” and chill out while watching for pink dolphins. Great conversations usually commence from up here also. I am always nudging my crew to do a picnic style dinner up there.
9) The Ministry. Cleaning out the hull. Cleaning off the mold. And children’s ministry! I did not even know what a hull was until this month. Well, it is the belly of the boat, and ours is filled with mud, spiders, and bats. Lord give me grace. Cleaning it out is back-breaking work. You are crouched in dim, moist conditions, repeatedly pushing the muck through the small drainage holes. But, knowing how this is going to help keep the boat running and able to reach people who need it most is plenty to keep your joy up and hands moving.
Cleaning off the mold usually turns into a river water fight and occasional bleach in the eyeball. The screams and giggles from these activities turn the work into service.
We run the show for children’s ministry; we invite them and we entertain them. Suze and I trekked through backwoods Bolivia to find children to invite. We invited about 20 when we returned muddy, rained on, and bitten with tree fruit in hand. Everyone came out (on Bolivian time, about an hour late) and we did a couple dramas and games. We also handed out coloring books. I pray that the Lord used this time to show the kids who He is. It’s so sweet to get to work with the loving and sweet community here.
10) The Community. This is Fiercely Loved’s last month in action. And believe me, we are going to go out with a bang! Team changes are approaching rapidly, and the Lord blessed us with copious amounts of uninterrupted time together on this boat. From game nights to morning talks on the roof, it is a beautiful month to close out team’s chapter.
Okay, okay it might seem like I painted a bleak picture. That life on the boot is just hard, reward-less work. I just wanted to share what it is actually like here on this boat-home of ours. We are loving our time here. And my troop is always down for a little adventure. It is such a unique and beautiful experience that is truly once-in-a-lifetime. From waking up to unique bird calls and the stillness of the water to seeing billions of bright starts at night, we are willing to scratch, sweat, and smell a little while longer. From getting greeted by a toothless woman to seeing excited children to embarking on random boat cruises, the community has blessed us so much and shown us kingdom in the remote. Although we might miss our comforts sometimes, I wouldn’t choose anything else but life on the boot.
