Day one of this adventure started yesterday at 2:00 and is still continuing on through this night. Our travels have been mostly uneventful with the exceptions of Ashley having her maiden name on the passport which caused some problems on our way there, getting some altitude sickness during our quick layover in La Paz, and further the trouble with customs here in Bolivia as we tried to bring down some medical computer equipment. For much of our flight I was either praying, sleeping, or cramming various spanish vocabulary as if studying for a final.

Our 45 minute drive to the hospital guest house was more than exciting; the sights, sounds, smells, and atmosphere of a new world brought into question my bodily senses. Today I smelt new aromas, tasted new delicacies, and witnessed beautiful and profound vistas. The emersion into a new culture leaves me nothing less than overwhelmed and excited.

After arriving at the house and receiving our orientation from the clear and hospitable host Iris in spanish of course, we ate a homemade authentic Bolivian lunch on the grass with the other volunteers and basked in the warm winter sun.

After lunch, we took a trip in to Cochabamba and visited El Cristo de Concordia which is a giant statue of Jesus rightfully placed at the head of the city on a large hill overseeing the people. Then we stopped for some ice cream at a shop in the downtown.

Although I saw many sites and various things to mourn over, one scene tonight stuck out to me: One of the countless street children in the downtown area stood in front of our car juggling limes until we gave him some money. Children were begging for money various ways throughout the whole city, however, when I looked into his eyes, I didn’t see a child seeking approval or trying to entertain strangers. I saw an empty person who has been numbed by this desperation to survive the next day.

Today has been a blessing.

Thomas

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