The other volunteers and I were able to spend two days visiting some of the projects the Norwegian Mission Alliance is working on in Bolivia. We headed from the high arid altiplano of La Paz to the hot and humid Amazon rainforest of Caranavi. After four hours of dusty bumpy roads we arrived at our destination.
The first day we visited a village outside Caranavi which specialized in the cultivation of avocados. This village of families had moved from the altiplano to the jungle and were still learning the best methods for growing and selling avocados. Experts from Peru had come to get them started and teach them how to grow a specific type of avocado that would stay fresh longer. They recently burned a small section of the jungle to plant more avocado trees. A new road between La Paz and Caranavi would give them the chance to sell avocados to La Paz and larger cities at a higher price. We were given dozens of just picked avocados to take with us.
We traveled to another small village where we ate lunch consisting of fresh bread, rice, potatoes, cheese, and of course avocados. We ate in a community center that the mission and the village had partnered to build. This building would be used to teach classes on healthy living, finance, and different trades. After lunch we played a quick game of soccer with some of the local kids. It was hot and sweaty, but so much fun! Before we left we were presented with an assortment of fresh fruit to take with us. Bananas, mangos, coconuts, avocados, and mandarins to name a few. If we hadn't insisted that we had to leave I think they would have filled our car to the roof.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a local swimming hole on the Caranavi River. The clear, cool water felt heavenly in such a hot and humid climate. My friend Eivind and I even did some bridge jumping.
We left at 8 am the next day for a remote village called Villa Florida. The only way to access this village was to take a long skinny boat with an old 55 hp Evinrude motor across. We tried not to make any sudden movements on the boat and made it to the opposite side of the river without tipping over. As we walked up the banks of the river we were greeted by two boys and their baby monkey. They had huge smiles and loved taking pictures. As we sat down we were brought pitcher after pitcher of juice and bowl after bowl of fresh fruits and vegetables. This village was also focusing on new and better ways to grow and sell fruits and vegetables. We left Villa Florida with full stomachs and full hearts.
The generosity we were shown was humbling. It reminded me of how we are called to live in community with one other and treat our neighbors as ourselves. It was a blessing.
Mark
