MY LIFE IN BOLIVIA

AT THE CONVENTION

Many might wonder what it is really like in Bolivia.  It’s a third world country..Do you have electricity or a bathroom?  I will try to share with you a little about my life in Bolivia.  Maybe you might want to come visit me.

We go in service 4 days a week. We chose days where the group meets close to our apartment. We don’t have a car so we have to walk there.   Our neighbors had a motor cycle attached to trailer and a few times we got a ride.  That was quite interesting since it wasn’t enclosed or covered. My first few thoughts were, is this legal? This seems very dangerous, does anyone agree? Where are the seats?  But after a moment,  I went with it and enjoyed the ride.  Funny,  I nagged Chris for a Toyota Camry when we lived in the States and here I hitch rides when I can in a trailer. It’s very liberating...I must admit.

  Our service group meets at 8 am and we work till 12.  We usually start out with around 7 or 8 people in the group and within an hour another 10 join us. It’s amazing how they can find us in the territory.  I’ve had a chance to work with several of the sisters here.  They are very encouraging and supportive. A few speak louder and very slow so I can understand them.  It’s quite amusing. I want to kindly tell them “I can hear just fine, I just told always remember all my grammar.” I wonder how many times I did that in the States to the Spanish speaking friends….

We don’t have an oven yet. One of the friends loaned us a double gas burner. It’s kind of like camping but in my house.  That has taken a bit to get used to. Our neighbor, who is also a need greater,  has let me use her oven a few times.  I’m very appreciative of that.  We don’t have a washing machine yet either. That’s been very interesting. We go a whole week without washing clothes and when we run out of under clothes we use our neighbors’ machine or if she’s not home, I wash them by hand.  Yes, I wash them by hand. It’s an experience. It truly takes talent because anyone who’s done that before knows you must rinse all the soap out of your clothes or they will be incredible hard. The true key also is to make sure you take them off the line before they change color or fade.  You only have a small window of opportunity because they could dry in 1 hour or 4.  

We have a small fridge, we bought it second hand.  It has a freezer inside the fridge.  You have to defrost it every week or it’s a solid block of ice. That also takes much skill. See, if you defrost the fridge you must patiently wait so you can collect the water that drains out of the freezer or you will have water all through the fridge and on the floor. 

NICKOLAS IN SERVICE

I have learned being here in Bolivia just a few weeks that Jehovah gives me what I need not always what I want. I also realized that I can live without so much less.  I’m truly content with the simple things because it makes me realize how fortune I am to have them: the tiny fridge, camping like stove, sink, water and soap to wash my clothes.  I've learned to laugh and smile and not fret over the little things. I can't change it anyways. Most importantly, I have more time for the ministry and to spend with my 2 precious boys that do give me much joy.  A minor glitch is that I’m without my Precious Beautiful Chloe and that at times I do suffer thinking about that, but Jehovah has given me some dear precious spiritual daughters to keep an eye on here and to love and they love me back...I can truly say I am lacking nothing.

OUR APARTMENT

CHRIS WAITING FOR A BUS

with my BOYS in BOLIVIA

I've been here 2 days and it is so surreal.  I remember the street, stores and most importantly all the friends here in the Congregation  but its as if I'm dreaming.  The city has not changed one bit, the mountains are still so beautiful.  Maybe I've changed in 2 years. I have spent two years hoping , wishing, praying to come back but I didn't realize how much I'd miss my dear friends in the States.
So to all my dear  girl friends that have made the past 2 years memorable and amazing..THANK YOU!

When we arrived here Tuesday morning, walking across the tarmac I heard screaming and shouting" Hulings we love you.  There in the waiting area was several of our dear friends waiting on us.  My tears flowed.  Then when we arrived to our apartment, all our used   furniture  we had purchased from need greater here in Bolivia was neatly arranged in our apartment. Originally when we had left in 2012 I had gave several of the dear  sisters my favorite kitchen items, when I opened the kitchen cabinets all my things were neatly arranged. I cried my eyes out. I told them they were gifts but they insisted that  now they were gifts from them.  They thanked me for keeping my word and returning. I've been reminded once again how  truly beautiful Jehovah's Organization is.

Hope you like my first photo out with my boys.

Why Momma Bolivia?

Why Momma Bolivia?

My family and I after many years wanting to  go to South America finally had the chance  to go 2010-2012.  It was the most amazing experience ever!  We had chose Cochabamba, Bolivia.
It was a little over whelming at first. We didn't speak Spanish and its a 3rd world country.
Lots  of poor people, dogs and trash.  That's  all we saw at first. But pretty quick we realized Cochabamba had so much more.  The people of Bolivia are beautiful, kind and very simple.
They had so little yet gave so much.  They weren't critical of our Spanish or our selfish American ways.  For example, we, like most Americans when we are thirsty buy a drink, drink it and think nothing else about it. They buy a 2 liter and several cups and share it. Amazing concept!

Cochabamba, Bolivia

We learned so much from them and we are so appreciative of our time there.  I learned to make my own yogurt,  cut a chicken properly without screaming. The chickens there aren't sold frozen or in packages, rather whole with their heads and feet still attached.  I learned to bake amazing wonderful bread at an  altitude of over 9,00 feet.  That was a challenge.  I learned that being a minority can be overwhelming.  I learned to love the simple things like not owing a car and walking to where I needed to go. So much  to recount.

We are back to the US. We have been for a year now.  Its been a challenge but with our friends love and support we are fully functional.  My son is finishing High School, my daughter is engaged and my husband is working hard.  Me, I haven't really started back to work. I've been living in the past and hoping each day we might return to SA.   It hasn't been a great year, so now with the new year approaching I thought I might try something different. Make some new and exciting experiences and see what I might learn about myself  and others around me. Find the true beauty in simple things.  I want to share them with you and hopefully you can share your interesting  experiences with me.
So why Momma Bolivia, because Bolivia is now part of me, forever. Like one of my children it will remain dear to my heart. For now while I am here in the states I will just keep clicking my heels until one day I get to go back to what became my home.