…3 ..months…later…(spongebob voice)…
So I realized I never posted a blog from Bolivia and the hike to Mojos on my blog. My intentions were to make a video of our hike, but I am technically challenged and am having difficulties with the video. So I wanted to give a brief overview of our month in Bolivia and what God did and showed me while we were there.
We started off the month in La Paz, took a 4-hour bus ride to Apolo, Bolivia, where we stayed for part of the month. We stayed at a church in Apolo and helped with the church while we were there. The pastor of the church we worked with was so kind. He introduced us to Juan, an English speaker who lived in the states for 20+ years and married an American woman and then they moved back to Bolivia as missionaries. Juan and his family were a huge blessing for us. They took us in as family and invited us over for game night and took us to a local coffee shop multiple times.
Juan took us to a local village, called Huatatumo. In Huatatumo we encouraged the church, was used to preach and share our testimonies and play with the kids. It was a very short time, but very impactful. After leaving Huatatumo we head back to Apolo, where we stayed helping the local church there more. After a few days in Apolo, we started preparing for our hike to the Mojos.
The hike to Mojos… there is just soooo much! Long story short we hiked about 30 miles to the mojos through the amazon jungle and then hiked 30 miles back. The Mojos is a small village up on a mountain and the only way to get there is by hiking. There is no road to get there so any visitors or locals who want to go, have to hike. We hiked for three days, camping each night. We swam through the Tuiche river, scaled cliffs, and endured many bug bites. We saw pumas and huge snakes and ate lots of wild fruits. Getting to the Mojos was a great relief. The hike was probably the hardest thing I have ever done. Even better than reaching the Mojos was being greeted by their community. We stayed in the Mojos a few days. While we were there, we encouraged the church, preached, shared testimonies, sang songs, played volleyball, shared scripture and resources with the pastor and congregation, and played a lot with the kids. We were blessed on the way back by the locals, who were heading into town with mules and offered to carry our packs for us, which made our hike back a lot easier.
In the Mojos and really in most of Bolivia we were the church helping the church. The body coming together to encourage each other and spur each other on. I thought of Paul and his journey to different churches. I felt that through our hike I got a better understanding of his journey, since he probably had to do a lot of walking as well.
Throughout our hike to and from the Mojos and in the Mojos, God spoke to me in many different ways. He showed me new and different things about His character and for the first time I felt like I truly had to rely on the strength of the Lord to get me through. Below are some things that God taught me in Bolivia, mostly in the Mojos.
God will uphold me! I wrote a blog on this so you can read that, but basically God is so faithful. There was part of the hike that was on a dangerous part of the side of a mountain where there had been a landslide. The trail was very narrow and the mountain was very steep so it scared me to climb across. The day before the hike back, fear started to creep in as I thought about walking back across the cliff. But the morning of the hike back God reminded me of His promise in Isaiah 41:10. He reminded me that he will give me strength and He will uphold my feet on the cliff by the power of His hand. This promise gave me peace and confidence for the hike and the ride on the bus home.
I had also posted some on Facebook different ways the Mojo’s impacted me and what God showed me. Below are some of those Facebook posts!!
“…On the way to the Mojos as we were sitting in the bus and I was thinking about the month ahead, the hike, the dangers that we were told of and the overall feeling of “I wouldn’t have chose this..” But at the same time was completely overwhelmed by Gods presence, I thought to myself if this is losing myself, if I have been this far and am closer to God now in this moment of uncomfortability and “letting go” then I have ever been ..then I can NEVER go back… I remember thinking I can’t ever go back after this point… I can’t go back to living a life ever the same as it was before. I can not go back to living a life that doesn’t risk my own life and own comforts for the sake of Christ. I can not do it because I have experienced the joy that comes from living this side of abandonment and it’s too good!”
“THIS. This picture right here says so much. So much JOY! A beautiful representation of Gods creation. Gods creation is all around but what I love so much about this picture besides the joy radiating from this boys face is the way he portrayed Gods creation in His painting. He sees it!!! He’s sees the beauty ALL around him. He sees there’s something deeper and wider and more powerful shining through the mountains that surround him in his everyday life that made him and all the kids want to paint what they see! They see Gods glory all around them and there not oblivious to it, they LOVE it. And I find that to be such a beautiful thing.
While in The Mojos, we hung out with the kids a lot. We taught them bible verses, taught them how to write those bible verses, and gave them water colors to paint with! Many of the kids started to paint the mountains and rivers and animals that surround them! The Mojos is one of the most remote villages in Latin America. There is not a road to get there, only a hiking trail through the Amazon jungle up to the mountain where they live. The people live a very simple life off of the land, but the purest, rawest, most authentic joy is found. Not in the things they own, or the clothes they wear, but in the portrayal of Gods creation.”
“This picture sums up probably one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done! My team hiked 50 plus miles this past month to visit the village of Mojos in Bolivia. We swam across the Tuiche river, machetied our way through the Amazon jungle, and scaled cliffs to reach the people of Mojos. There is not a road to reach the Mojos, only a hiking trail. The community could use a lot and are in need of prayer for different things, but there was such a beauty in people connecting with people. The body coming together to encourage the church. To encourage the local church of Mojos.
The journey was challenging because there were many things outside of my comfort zone that i’ve never had to experience before. We endured countless bug bites, drank stream water, and saw wild animals, but as we were hiking, my view never changed. Around every hill and valley there were beautiful green mountains surrounding us with rivers rushing through. We encountered a beach full of butterflies and colorful wild flowers grew all around us. The goodness was constant, it never left. And i was reminded that just like Gods glory in creation is never ending, His presence is constant. Constant. It never leaves, he’s always there! He has been and will always be. His presence is constant and never changing, even in some of the most challenging situations life throws at us!
The hike was worth every minute of it once we reached the Mojos. To be greeted by the local church there. To be swarmed by kids at every moment! To use our resources to encourage and strengthen their church made it all worth it. But also to be overwhelmed with gratitude as the people there wanted to serve us. They wanted to help us hike back so they gave of their time and energy to help carry our packs back! Whhhhat! The church helping the church. I’m getting a better understanding of what Paul was doing and how it is so necessary.
When we left the Mojos, the preacher was telling us specific prayer requests he had for the community. Work opportunities, a road to the town, and for people to come. For missionaries and people to come visit them. That’s His prayer. For connection with people. And my heart yearns for people to go! Go visit the Mojos. Go encourage the church. Go be the hands and feet. Money can be useful, but the face to face connection with people is far more valuable.”
I know this was so long! But if you finished reading it all thank you!! God showed me so much in Bolivia and through our hike to the Mojo’s. I will never be the same because of this month!!
Bonus Pic: Christmas in the Mojo’s!!!
