“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting
-Peter Pan
This is it: Month 1 of the World Race is coming to a close. Today is our last day at Word Made Flesh here in El Alto, Bolivia. On Monday, all 46 of us will shuffle into a bus for the 40 hour trek to Trujillo, Peru. It seems so surreal that Month 1 could be over already. Are we really leaving? Do we have to really leave ten more times this year? They say goodbye will be a hard part of this year, but it doesn’t sink in until it is time.
The hardest part honestly isn’t leaving our ministry. Our ministry this month has been great, and I’ve learned a lot through it. The people here are fantastic and have definitely left their mark. The hardest part of leaving, however, will be leaving behind my new Bolivian family. They have made this month spectacular. From welcoming Molly and I into their homes, to laughing at the dinner table, to dancing as punishment when you lose at a board game, they have made this month fun. I have learned so much more about the culture through interaction with them than I ever would have living in a tent or a hostel for the month. Their playful laughter and warm affection reminds me of when my whole family comes together around the dinner table. We all live far away, but when we come together it always seems as if no time has passed, and we have never moved away. I think that is honestly why I loved being a part of their family this month. So without further adieu…Meet the Lopez family!
(It is customary to look very serious in pictures…Diego, Molly, and I didn’t get the memo.)
From the top left: Me, Molly, Eveline (the little sister), Diego (the middle brother), Marlon (Eveline’s boyfriend), and Wilmer (the oldest brother).
From the bottom left: Abad (the Dad), Gualberta “Berta” (the mom), and Sonya (Wilmer’s girlfriend.)
Not pictured is Abad Jr.: He is the youngest brother, and the man behind the camera!
(Also, stay posted for a photo blog tomorrow of a special event today at the ministry site!)
