Dearest friends and family,
I woke up this morning to my teammates commenting on the snow outside. (Actually I was first awoken by the feeling of a small feline waltzing on my bed. A teammate had opened our door to head out to the bathroom, and the little kitten hopped in from outside, and decided my bed was the place to be. Curious Georgiana has somehow snuck her way into the teams heart, and our room somehow as her owners, the neighbors, have neglected her care).
It’s currently still snowing here in Uyuni. It’s July 8th, and we are celebrating winter in July. I never would have thought that I would be living the reality of winter in July, but it is here. And after you get over the dry skin, the brisk air, and the cold desert atmosphere, Uyuni really is a warm environment.
This month my team and I are staying with a Swedish/Bolivian couple. Barbro is from Sweden and is married to Geronimo, a Bolivian and they along with their two children live in Uyuni. They are in the process of converting their home into a hostel, as well as currently using part of the building as their church building, and another area as their classrooms for teaching children and youth English.
We are currently running an intensive two week English program during the winter holiday for children and youth of the community. We have a two hour class in the morning and another two hour class in the afternoon. There are about 20-25 kids attending each time slot.
In addition to coordinating and teaching these classes, we have helped out with some of the church programs. We have shared with the youth, attending prayer, women’s study, and on Sunday I was able to share an encouraging message with the congregation.
As we worshiped together on Sunday (3 weeks from me arriving home) tears came to my eyes as I soaked in the reminder that around the world believers gather to worship one God. There was such comfort in my heart that morning as we sang songs I grew up singing in latin churches, other songs I’ve come to know through North America, even as my team sang in Spanish the one song that we have grown to know over the past four months in South America – our God is omnipresent and was with my team and I here in Uyuni and he is at home too. He’s everywhere, and wrapping my mind around that last Sunday, brought such comfort and home-yness to being in a new church for the 11th time this year.
Home is in less than a month. 16 days to be exact.
My team will be here in Uyuni for the next week and a half before heading back north to La Paz where we will gather as a squad for our final debrief.
I am excited for what’s to come – and what the Lord has in store for the next couple weeks before home.
The race is not yet over, and joy is still to come on the journey. I have been encouraged by Hebrews 12: 1b and 2. “Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
My faith in no way has been fully perfected in my time on the World Race, and when the formal “World Race” is over, my faith race is still in progress (:
I look forward to being home and continuing my race, learning from what you, my friends and family, have been learning on your own races this year.
Much love,
And see you soon! (:
Christina
