Futbol in Cochabamba!

This weekend was fantastic! Me and the other 5 SALTers managed to plan a trip to the famous Ruins about 3 hours away from Cochabamba. It was so beautiful! There was so much to see and so much history to hear. We were in the sun all day, so I felt a bit sick when I got home. Apparently we are only supposed to be in the sun for 30 minutes out here.. but we were outside for about 6 hours! My host mom lent me her sombrero for the day. Those are really in style here! Yesterday (Sunday) we went to the market to have breakfast with Noami (one of the spanish teachers from our language school). Noami actually did IVEP years ago and was in Rosthern, SK so we made the connection that she knows Evan (my cousin).. crazy! Anyways, we then went to her church. We got there and were introduced to the entire church. My spanish is coming along, I managed to understand the songs but was no where close to understanding the sermon. I pick up words here and there but I´m sure that will improve. After church we climbed up to El Cristo... the famous statue of Jesus on a hill overlooking Cochabamba. It was beautiful! We got to then climb up the Statue which had a great view! I will post pictures once I get back into Santa Cruz. In the afternoon we then we to the futbol game against the two Cochabamba teams (Aurora vs. Whilsteern). It was the greatest thing. My host family told me to cheer for the blue team, but pretty much everyone was cheering for the red team. In the end the blue team pulled through for a 2-1 win! It was pretty sweet. I think the futbol players here are much more dramatic than other soccer games I have seen- although that isn´t that many. I almost started to count how many times a player would fall to the ground after they kicked the ball and rolled around in ¨pain¨when really all they wanted was a foul. There were six times when the medics ran out with stretchers for the hurt players and every time once the stretcher came to them they would suddenly get up and start playing again. Very interesting. People were throwing fireworks and garbage bags full of wripped up paper that they would throw during the game. I found it very interesting that there were police men with shields to protect the players from getting hit by water bottles. I hope to get to see some more games while I am here. We are in Cochabamba for the next 2 weeks for spanish lessons. During the afternoons we usually go out and explore the city! Things are going well and I continue to ask for your ongoing thoughts and prayers!
Much love!

Bonita Cochobamba!!

Hola!
I´m writting from a city called Cochobamba, about a 10 hour bus ride from Santa Cruz! Me and the 5 other SALTers hoped onto a bus about 3 days ago and drove through the night to get here. We are staying here for about 2 more weeks for spanish lessons. We have had three of those so far.. and it´s going well. The first day was pretty overwhelming because we just arrived and then was dropped off at our host families not knowing much spanish at all. I am with a host family who lives about a 2 minute walk away from the spanish language school. My host family is wonderful. They are so kind, patient and funny! I have had some good laughs with them! I have also made a fool out of myself when trying to explain what I am doing! They have a talking parrot (larro) who speaks spanish. So with my broken spanish I have some conversations with him! Cochobamba is beautiful! We are surrounded by mountains and is very hot! Last night me and the other girls went to a famous cafe downtown and had some freeshly squeezed orange juice! Probably the best thing ever! This weeekend we are planning on travelling to the famous ruins, which are about 2 hours away. I am looking forward to exploring more of Cochobamba. So we´re here for the next 2 weeks for spanish lessons. I can already see myself improving in the language. I had a lesson this morning and made a fool out of myself because I said that ¨I love to eat children´instead of saying that I love to eat food! My profesora got a good laugh out of that one! Anyways, things are going well! I would ask that you continue to keep me in your prayers and hope that everything back at home finds you well! I will update more as time goes on! As for now, Chao Chao!

Off to Bolivia!

It's been exactly a week since I have arrived in Akron, PA along with 60 other SALTers, IVEPers and YAMEN members (a total of 130 people altogether). We just concluded our week long orientation here and are about to leave on a jet plane tomorrow around 5:00 pm. It has been quite the week packed with different sessions on culture shock, goal setting, taking care of yourself while you're away, learning about host families and much more! Today was our last day and we began to say goodbye to everyone who we have all had a chance to meet. There are some pretty amazing people that have signed up to go on SALT and I feel so fortunate to get to know them. I met the other 5 SALTers going to Bolivia... all girls.. and they all seem great! The 5 out of the 6 of us will be in the city of Santa Cruz for the year! This week has been one filled with excitement, sadness, nervousness and hope. I set some goals for myself today, and I know that even through the hardest of times things will work out! Today me and a girl named Erin spoke at the commencing at Akron Mennonite Church for all of us and I read a quote that really expresses some things that mean a lot to me. 

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions". 

- Rainer Maria Rilke

So here I am, living these questions I have.. only to hope that I will be challenged and enriched in so many levels. Tomorrow's a big day! 

Here we go...

3 days left...

Well, I finally got this blog set up! I can't believe that this time has come so soon! I am both filled with excitement and fear of what lies ahead. I just finished reading about the history and culture of Bolivia, and it makes me very excited to be there in a couple weeks. This Saturday, August 8th, I'll flying to Akron, PA for the SALT orientation. I will be there, along with the rest of the SALTers and IVEPers until August 14th when we all go our separate ways around the world. I will then fly to Miami, for a little layover, and then to Santa Cruz Bolivia. From my understanding, me and the five other SALTers (who are placed in Bolivia), are then going on a 10 hour bus ride to Cochabamba, located inbetween La Paz and Santa Cruz. There we will stay for 2 1/2 weeks, dedicated to Spanish language study. Each of us will have one on one language study for about four hours each day and will be touring around for the remaining parts of the day. We were told that Cochabamba is significantly higher in the Andes mountains than Santa Cruz so we are supposed to dress is layers. After our time in Cochabamba we are heading back to Santa Cruz to be introduced to our host families and our job placements.

My job position is titled, "After School Program Worker" where I will be working at "Guarderia Moises Daycare Centre" with children. This centre provides childcare for working parents during daytime hours and then runs an after-school program from "alumni" of the daycare, assisting children with homework and serving as a general support to the families of the children through home visits.

As I continue to prepare for my departure on Saturday, I ask for your ongoing thoughts and prayers during this time! I can also be reached at this address... if you want to write me (which would be so fantastic):

Comite Central Menonita
Atiende: Adrienne Schellenberg
Casilla 213
Santa Cruz
BOLIVIA

Keep reading this blog, as I will post my thoughts and stories as they come! Wish me luck on this adventure!