New Opportunities

     Missionary life offers many different opportunities.  Last night I was able to help and experience a different organization here in Bolivia.  I want to take the time here to share my experience, as well and share this WONDERFUL organization with everyone.
     Salesian Missions has been sending lay missioners to Okinawa, Bolivia for nearly 20 years now.  One missioners experience completely changed her life and instilled a passion for continuing the education at the university level for kids from the campo, like Okinawa.  I can say from experience that it is easy to fall in love with the beauty of Bolivia and its people.  However, you easily become aware of the poverty in Bolivia.  To give you an idea:

• Bolivia is the poorest country in South America.
• Over 4,000 youth of Bolivia live on the street.
• Over 10,000 children live in orphanages.
• In rural areas, like Okinawa, only 14% of Bolivians finish high school and 3% attend university.

     Why am I sharing these statistics with you?  Well, not only does it give everyone a look into my life living in one of these rural areas, but they also gave Kathleen Curran an idea.  She is the founder of "Keep the Faith in Bolivia," an organization whose mission is to lift the youth out of poverty and to empower them through higher education to go out and empower the world.  They assist the youth in 2 ways: (1) by supplying kids from K-12 with school supplies and assisting with tuition and (2) by providing full scholarships, (including housing, food and tuition) to kids at the university or technical school level.  Currently they are supporting 200 students grades K-12, and 5 kids at the university level.  To date, they have helped 40 youth through university to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, biochemists, and more!  The students also regularly engage in service projects, including making basic hygiene kits for children on the street.  Sounds awesome right!?

Adam and I with the kids after our presentation.

    So how did I get involved?  Kathleen, being a former SLM from Okinawa, enlisted our help to present a few of our favorite technologies to the kids, which can help enhance their projects.  We put together a presentation over Google Docs, Pinterest, and When2Meet.  We were warmly welcomed by the girls and it was easy to talk over pizza for dinner.  One of the best parts was seeing was the smiles on their faces as they shared what they were studying and their dreams, knowing that Kathleen and her organization are helping make those dreams come true.

     One of my highlights, other than getting to know the kids, was talking with them at dinner about other things.  I had heard about the SLM program through a friend at MSU who was a missioner in Okinawa. and one of the girls at dinner talked about how she was from Okinawa.  She then went on to share that she went to the school that we teach at, and that she remembers her English teacher, who was my friend!  For me, in this moment, our mission here was brought to full circle seeing how we all can and do make an impact on these kids lives.

If you would like to learn more about this organization, visit http://keepthefaithinbolivia.org.

Celebrate!

     I would like to take a moment to share some of the culture of Bolivia with everyone: Celebrate!  The people in Bolivia love to celebrate and they go big, and why not?  Every single person is celebrated throughout the year.  They celebrate the worker, children, students, teachers, families, mothers, fathers, firefighters, etc.  What a way to make everyone feel special, loved, and important!  These festivities usually involve a big celebration at the schools, in the streets, or in the plaza.

     More importantly, something to be taken away from the "celebrate" mentality, is to celebrate life!  How beautiful is that?!  Every day you wake up is another day to celebrate being alive!  The students at our school spend days making decorations, preparing dances and skits for these festivities.  So much time is spent preparing for these events and so much joy is taken from them.

     Most of my students and their families do not own a TV, a car, they don't have many toys.  A lot of them don't have a concrete floor or walls made of bricks, and yet they are rich in joy and love.  It's always amazing to see how freely they give their love to us, and how much love they put into their celebrations.  Below I have pictures from a few of the celebrations I have witnessed in the last few months.  Enjoy and remember to CELEBRATE!  

It doesn't matter how old or young you are, birthday's are
always a big celebration with family and friends.

We celebrated the founding of our school, San Francisco
Xavier, 50 years ago with the Provincial of the FMA's.

The Elementary students enjoyed a day off of
classes to celebrate "Día del Niño" (Day
of the Child) with field games.

The Feast of Mary Help of Christians.

This is the senior class.  Every class prepared a song for Mary
Help of Christians on her feast day.

Our secondary students prepared dances
to celebrate Mother's Day.

The senior class performed a dance to music
from Grease for Mother's Day.

The elementary students prepared dances for
their mothers as well.  This Kinder class
dressed as clowns!

The mothers also had games to play throughout the celebration.

Easter in Communities

     Part of our mission here in Okinawa is traveling to surrounding communities.  Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings are saved to travel to 12 different communities each month.  We arrive at the school in each community in the morning and divide the kids up into 2-3 groups (depending on the size) based on age.  In these groups we teach the kids catechism based on a theme.  Afterwards, since we are Salesian Missioners, we play games with the kids.  I thought I would share what we are teaching the kids right now.

     This month, since we are celebrating Easter, we have a fun activity for the kids.  First we pray followed by singing a song about how we all have a friend who loves us, and His name is Jesus.  Then I read a kids version of Jesus' death, starting with Palm Sunday.  Lastly, I show the kids that I have 5 different colored plastic eggs and I tell them that there is something inside.  The kids get really excited, especially when I ask who wants to open the egg and show what's inside to the rest of the class.  One by one we open the eggs and talk about why that object is inside.

The first egg contains a palm branch, which represents when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the people celebrated His arrival by waving palm branches.

The second egg contains bread, which represents the Last Supper Jesus had with his 12 disciples.  Jesus gave us Himself in the bread and the wine at the Last Supper, and we participate every Sunday when we go to mass.

The third egg contains nails, which represents when Jesus was nailed to the cross.  He died for us because he wanted to save us from our sins and He wants to be with us in Heaven.

The fourth egg contains rocks, which represents the rock they used to close the tomb after Jesus died.

The fifth egg is empty, which represents the vacant tomb.  I ask the kids why the tomb is vacant, and explain that it's because Jesus lives!  He rose from the dead and he lives not only in Heaven, but in every one of our hearts.

After the catechism is done, we tell the kids that for Easter in the United States kids look for plastic Easter eggs that have a treat in them and that the Easter Bunny made a visit to their school and dropped eggs outside that they have to look for.  It was so much fun being able to share one of our traditions with the kids and watching them having so much fun looking for the eggs!  Happy Easter everyone!

The kids looking for the eggs.

These kids were excited to show off their eggs!

Good Friday

"Good Friday is good because God has spoken and told us that He has paid and will pay any price to be close to us forever.

Hate, sin and evil threw everything they had at him and it wasn’t enough. Love won.  Love always wins."

-Fr. Joe Krupp

I would like to wish everyone a very blessed Good Friday.  I would like to share how we spent our Good Friday.

My Good Friday started with attending Adoration from 2-3am with my site partner.  As I sat at Adoration, sleepy, not knowing if I would be able to stay awake, I heard those famous words, “can you not stay awake with me one hour and pray?”  Immediately I was given the strength to stay awake and my soul felt absolutely wonderful at 3am because I had spent that time with Jesus as we commemorate his passion.

            At 7 we reported to the church to prepare our Confirmation groups for the Stations of the Cross.  Each group was in charge of preparing and acting out 2 stations.  It’s a tradition here in Okinawa to process through the street to each station.  Hundreds of people gathered on our one paved road to walk with Jesus.  It was an incredible sight.  Different people from the community prepared a table on the street with flowers, candles, a picture of the station, statues, whatever they could to give honor to Jesus.  At 3pm we celebrated mass with the community of Okinawa.  I look forward to celebrating His rising from the dead with this wonderful, loving community in 3 days!  But until then, let us remember His passion and death, the price he paid for all of us, and try to live our lives FOR Him and to bring Him GLORY!

Preparing our costumes the night before.

Some of our Confirmation group.

The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death

The Second Station: Jesus Carries His Cross

The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time

The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother

The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus
Carry the Cross

The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time

The Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time

 Unfortunately I was not able to take pictures of the last few stations, but we are so proud of our Confirmation students!

Sharing Faith

     Sometimes short and sweet is best, so here is a short reflection of an experience we had just last night:

     Being that part of our mission is to be a presence in the community of Okinawa, not just in the school, we have come to know many people in the community who are like family to us.  Last night Stephanie and I were told that the father of the secretary at our school had an accident and was not doing well and many people were going to stop by her house.  We thought that since she is like family we should stop by too.  Once we arrived we were told that he was moving and breathing but was not responding to anyone and could not speak.  We stayed for a little bit and decided to say our goodbyes.  We told her we will keep him in our prayers, to which she shouted to her mother "Mom!  The teachers want to say a rosary with us!"  Stephanie and I were not prepared to lead a rosary (we still don't know the mysteries in Spanish) so we awkwardly walked over to the bed and started the rosary (minus the mysteries).  In an instant, what had felt awkward felt absolutely beautiful as we prayed the rosary for this man with his family.
     On our walk home, Stephanie and I reflected on the moment.  Over and over again I am surprised how easily faith unites different people.  When we went to the house, my limited vocabulary prevented me from saying many consoling and comforting words to the family, but I was able to comfort and console them through prayer.  We came here not only to be a presence of faith, but also to share our faith, and that's what we did that night.  I am blessed beyond words to be a part of the family here in Okinawa!  I know that I will remember that night, along with many of my experiences here forever.  I ask that everyone please keep this man and his family in their prayers over the next few weeks.  Thank you!

Lessons Learned

Well it's hard to believe but I've hit the half way point of my mission here in Okinawa.  So far in my 7 months here I've learned a lot of lessons and thought I'd share them with everyone, so here it goes!

Steph picking nits.  Our kitten was
trying to help...

Lesson #1:  True Site Partner Love.  It wasn't long after school started when I discovered my students that I love so much gave me a gift, lice…lots and lots of lice.  After shampooing my hair 4 times with lice shampoo, my wonderful site partner Stephanie proceeds to pick out my nits.  We are well into the hundreds and unfortunately lice-removal is still a work in progress...

Lesson #2:  You Are a Celebrity.  The closest you will ever feel to being a celebrity is walking down the streets of Okinawa and having your students shout "Teacher" and come running from their houses to give you a hug.

Lesson #3: Check Your Socks!  I always check my shoes and boots before putting them on in case of scorpions, but it never occurred to me to check my socks for critters.  One morning I took my socks from the drawer and put them on as normal.  I felt something crunchy at the bottom.  I took the sock off and turned it inside out to find a dead, dried-up frog at the bottom!  My sock my have been a comfy place to sleep while it was drying on the line.

The Tarantula was under my chair playing with the cat.

Lesson #4: Tarantulas Aren't Cute.  One night right before bed we noticed our kitten playing with something in the corner by the door to Manny's bedroom.  It only took a few seconds for us to realize it was a Tarantula.  Standing on top of chairs, we used teamwork to kill the Tarantula.

Lesson #5:  Giving Time Speaks More Than Words.  I've always been a believer that your time (especially in our culture) is one of the most important things you can give someone.  Every week we visit people in the community who aren't able to leave their homes often.  At one house, we are learning how to crochet.  Many times we don't have much to say while there, but we share in working on our projects and the people love the company.  We don't come bringing anything but the desire to share our time.

Lesson #6:  If It Looks Like Rain, It WILL Rain.  I cannot count the number of times my laundry, which I hand-wash and hang outside on the line, has had a second shower because of the rain.  Sometimes it takes a couple of days for clothes to dry, and when finally think that by the end of the day I can bring them in and put them away I look at the sky.  Usually I see the clouds and think it might rain, but decide to take the chance.  As soon as I get to school, it pours.  Every. Time.

Some of the kids we visit in Communities surrounding
Okinawa.  We teach Catechism and play games with the kids.

Lesson #7:  Joy.  What always surprises me is the amount of love and joy I see on the faces of the kids in the community.  Many of our students have problems, yet they always are excited to be alive and greet me with a smile.  I've come to realize the beauty of this.  No matter how frustrated, sad, or lonely you are, a smile can change everything.  Every morning God gives you a chance to start fresh, to love being alive, to brighten someone's day, and to give Him glory.  Take every chance!

Lesson #8: We Don't Like Ants.  I've never had a problem with ants before moving to Bolivia however my opinion has quickly changed.  We have ants the bite your toes hard enough to draw blood sometimes and they like to dig through the cement floor in our house and b
uild an ant hill.  Last week we woke up in the morning to having our feet attacked by hundreds of ants before we could turn the light on!  I also have unwillingly sacrificed some clothes to the ants.  Thankfully our wonderful friends here told us how to get rid of them.

After playing the basketball game "Around the World".
I got second place...

Lesson #9:  Commonalities.  Before I arrived to Bolivia, I was worried about not having much in common with the kids here, especially since I couldn't speak much Spanish.  Thankfully my Spanish improves everyday, and everyday I am shown more things that I have in common with the kids here.  One morning while we were at a community, I played "Around the World" with a few of the girls.  That was a game I used to play at recess too!  I also have heard songs that my mom would sing to me as a child sung here (in Spanish of course), as well as many other things.  It's amazing to learn how much you have in common with people from another culture!

Lesson #10:  Dependence on God.  I've always been a faith-filled person and I grew up learning that God will provide, but sometimes I have a hard time letting Him be in charge of my life.  Life on mission has it's ups and downs.  You have your high points and low points, and it's in the low points when you sometimes want to pack your bags and go home.  Being away from friends and family means they can't always be there for you.  So who do you turn to?  The answer is simple, God.  You start to pray to God to get you through your slump and eventually, together, you enter another high point.  I know part of why God called me to Bolivia was so that I could learn how to completely and fully depend on Him.

Just a Little Love

Playing a game with the girls.  I honestly still have no
idea what this game is or how to play it. 

     God gave each and every one of us a special gift to share with the world, and that is the gift to love.  A little while ago, God gave me a special place and opportunity in which to share my love.  With the activities surrounding Christmas over and with a few weeks until school starts, we had an opportunity to explore Bolivia and see some more of God's creation.  I set out with two other SLMs whose sites are near mine.  Of course, since I had the time, that also meant traveling to Cochabamba to see my Bolivian family that I had stayed with while studying at the institute.  That also meant that I would be able to see my friend and fellow SLM Charlene at the Hogar (orphanage) near Cochabamba.

Playing ZOMBIES!

     The day began with a bumpy trufi ride to the Hogar followed by a stampede of girls once inside the door.  We had lunch with the girls and as soon as I received my food every girl was shouting for me to come and eat at their table.  We decided to divide us up so each table had an SLM.  After lunch we played a game of Zombies (zombies for some reason is pretty big with the kids in Bolivia) and enjoyed running around the Hogar with the girls playing other games as well.  There was so much joy and love it was overwhelming!

She always has a smile on her face!

   


I definitely think that this year so far has been a lesson in love, and God is teaching me this lesson through the kids.  I've begun to reflect on how many opportunities we have every day to show others love, and how many times we don't take advantage of every single one of those opportunities.  Here in Okinawa I'm given a chance to love those in my community every day through teaching the children, asking them how their day is when they yell "TICHER!" at the top of their lungs from their houses as you walk by, visiting friends in the community, and going to soccer games my kids are playing in.  You don't have to go to another country to love, you can do that anywhere.  It's simply taking time out of the busy schedule of everyday to give others time, even if for the briefest moment.  The giving of time shows someone you care, shows someone you love them.  My challenge to everyone is to take a little time out of their day for someone.  You never know how much 5 minutes will impact someone.

SLM reunion at the Hogar with some of the girls!