My teammates and I set a challenge before we began the World Race. We wanted to conquer a fear a month. When we got to Bolivia, we set our minds to it, trying to come up with a way in which we would conquer this fear.
It turned out that we were doing mission work at 13,300 feet, and all of us happened to be afraid of heights. It wasn’t going to be hard to face our fears.
Some of my teammates and me during a photo op while walking down the stairs from El Alto to La Paz.
The other members of Bold Radiance and I decided on an adventure near the Death Road. If you don’t know what it is, you may want to google it.
Here’s my team, minus Danielle who was on the bus and Little Courtney who had to be moved to a lower elevation for medical reasons.
Our adventure was and obstacle course type adventure full of high places in the jungles of Jungas, Bolivia. We rapelled, zip-lined, walked a tibetan tight rope, scaled and traversed the side of a cliff, and jumped out over the abyss with a cable attached to rock climbing type body suit. It was the most terrifying day of my life, but my teammates and I encouraged each other along the way and all of us were able to complete each challenge with only a slight hesitation.
I’m hanging out in the Andes here. Literally.
Fears were definitely overcome that day. Challenge #1 was met.
My team and me (minus little Courtney) in a celebratory photo at the end of the day.
SO a fear was conquered, which is great, but is that all Bolivia was to me? Not even close. I was cold the entire month (they don’t heat their homes, even in the winter) so I learned that layers, no matter how ridiculous, are completely acceptable. I have proof.
Me at a coffee shop on my day off. Yes, I did indeed choose to wear that outfit.
I also learned that potatoes for days may not be too bad, but never has guacamole tasted so good. My host family surprised Essie and me with some when we got home from ministry.
Simple guac of avocado and tomato. YUM.
The thing I took most from Bolivia by far is how important relationships are. I embraced living with a host family, and grew to love all of them. 
Essie and me in front of our home.
They all had such unique personalities, and despite the language barrier, we managed to get by fine. Plus, it caused creativity on all ends.
Essie and me on our last days with the Dalenz family.
Acting goofy, as usual.
Alicia, my host mom, laughing at me because of the creamsicle stuck to my tongue.
Essie and me bonding with our host sister, Vania, in La Paz.
Essie and I absolutely LOVED our host mom, Alicia.
I also developed a strong connection with our ministry host, Ali, and would love to go back to work with them again.
Ali joined us in our Jungas death road adventure.
My favorite part of Bolivia was at our ministry site, working with women who have stepped away from prostitution. They now sew handbags for a living. I did anything from cutting fabric to putting tags on bags they have made. I don’t have a picture of the women for privacy reasons, but building relationships with them was amazing. They are they main reason I would like to someday for back to Word Made Flesh Bolivia.
Inside the workshop that the women work in.
Here’s on of the bags they make. Visit sutisana.com if you’d like to look at or buy their merchandise.
All in all Bolivia was a great month. Definitely a change of pace from anywhere I’ve been in the States, but God allowed me to experience a completely different culture and see the world from a different perspective. Praise God for his faithfulness in making Bolivia a success for me.
Odds and Ends:
Courtney, Bella, and I at the bus stop on our way to ministry. When in doubt, running shorts with leggings always works in the cold.
Essie and the members of my host family didn’t hesitate to take a picture of me doing a breathing treatment to clear up the congestion I had from a cold.
Danielle and I hanging out in the snow. It was a first time for the California girl.
My entire team on one of the few days we were together in Bolivia.
Another team pic. Little Courtney didn’t do well with the high altitude so she needed to use oxygen occasionally. She eventually joined another F Squad team at a lower altitude.
Teams Bold Radiance and Open Arms when we first got to Bolivia.
Bold Radiance crammed into Trufi(taxi type transport) in El Alto.
I’m in the black, scaling the cliff. Bella is on the Tibetan rope bridge. Courtney K is getting ready to rappel.
I have been in Peru for two weeks now and I will be updating you all on what F Squad is up to very shortly!
