Sonrisas y Sol

 “We are such housewives.” How many times can Emilianne and I say this to each other in one day? At least ten. Cleaning ladies? Check! Chore coordinators? Also check! Cooks? Triple check! Chief disciplinarians, worship leaders, craft suppliers, hug givers, and school tutors? Also got it covered! Call us Mom. Live, Laugh, Love* Emilianne and I looked at each other and hmmm -ed. We were just informed that we wouldn’t  be teaching school again this semester because they need more long-term teachers for the school year starting in February and we’re leaving in May. Now we’re living with our world literally revolving around Las Lilas, 24/7. At first I was so disappointed, but we quickly came up with a plan to have tutoring and extracurricular activities everyday after school, as we’re bursting with ideas and supplies.  To live as a house parent means doing some not-so-fun things, like actually having to be the parent and not the fun aunt like I feel I transitioned from. I’d li...

1) “Siempre Digan ‘Por Favor’ y ‘Gracias’”  (“Always Say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’”) 2) “Obedezcan Rápidamente”  (“Obey Quickly”) 3) “Dejen de Quejarse y de Estar Reclamando”  (“Don’t Whine and Complain”) 4) “Amarse Unos a Otros Como lo Hizo Jesús”  (“Love Each Other Like Jesus Did”) Welcome Home On January 18 our plane landed in Rurrenabaque early in the morning of a stereotypically muggy day. While I had food poisoning and almost passed out in the one-room airport, I thought, “Welcome home!” Arrival at Familia Feliz commenced the blur of kids clambering all over, answering a million questions, unpacking, cleaning, and getting barely debriefed.  In one month, campus has changed! Not only are new kids starting to pour in, but 30 volunteers from Canada and our sister school here have flooded campus for a month-long mission trip. They have replaced our sagging church roof, dug a new septic tank, repainted buildings inside and out, put in new windows, and redone ele...

“Momma, I’m living my dream,” I texted her as we SMs left for vacaciones  on December 21 (South American summer break is December-January). I’ve always envied backpackers, those super cool, college-aged people who have figured out that life is an adventure. I’ve always wanted to be them. “Now here I am!” Disclaimer: in living said dream, I’ve had zero time to write about every glorious experience a second time (as I have my journal), so consider the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Santa Cruz, Bolivia After twenty hours in a bus, record-setting the worst bathroom experiences ever, and two hours of sleep, six of us arrived in Santa Cruz to spend a few days catching our breath. We visited T. Abi’s home and her beautiful church, enjoying her friendship in another context. Standing outside our bus on a raft across a mosquito-infested river Never have I ever felt more spoiled  than laying on these beds in a room with air conditioning and hot showers  T. Abi picke...