hospitals, oraphanages, and vomit

As you can see today was a bit of an interesting day. Actually lets start with yesterday. After church we went out to pizza, it was actually really good. Sadly about 45 minutes later I began to feel sick. I wish I could say it ended there. For dinner we had some really tasty chicken legs. We had a cookout and ate under the stars! It was so awesome.

Today we started work at the hospital at 8:00 am. Sarah and I shadowed an internal medicine doctor. It was really interesting. We saw two ladies with chagas (its a type of paracite that causes heart and stomach inflammation. We also saw a lady who had been in an accident as a child. She didn't receive good medical care which resulted in terrible scars, a severely short leg, and a literally immovable foot. It made me appreciate how great I have in the USA. There would rarely be such a case there.

After we got done at the hospital I began feeling terribly sick. However I knew we were going to the orphanage so I decided to ignore it. Sadly that did not go over well. My entire time (4 hours) at the orphanage were miserable. The 1 hour bumpy truphie (taxi) ride back didn't help matters at all. We finally got back and I went to lay down which also made it a lot more painful. So I went to the kitchen where some friends were and hung out there till dinner. I decided being sick and eating was a terrible idea so I skipped...and MAN AM I GLAD. Sarah gave me some meds shortly after dinner...which didnt work.

We decided to come here (internet room in the hospital) to update blog. I decided to come cause I figured it couldn't hurt. I will spare you the gruesome details and just tell you that I puked 4 times. I was so thankful because I felt better instantly. However as I write now, I dont feel better at all. I am begging God to allow it to end there so I can be good enough to go to the older girls orphanage on Wednesday. Please PLEASE PLEASE pray that I do not have food poisoning, that would be awful.

O in case you were wondering the kids at the orphanage were so so cute. My heart breaks for them. They have some very sad stories. Once I get to where I am able to get to know the kids around here I am sure it will be awesome! Thank you all for reading, sorry this blog wasn't super awesome. I will try to give a more exciting and powerful update next time :)

Anna

Life changing experiences

Today was unlike any day I have ever lived before. It started by hiking 2000 feet up the Andies Mountains. I wish I could say I made it to the top, to the Inca ruins…I missed it but ¼ of a mile. Kevin and I were so exhausted and out of breath because of the quick climb that we didn’t make it in time. By the time we reached the top our group was on the way back. On the way down the mountain we both got pretty sick. Nevertheless it was SO BEAUTIFUL. I will put the pictures up on facebook later.

This is not the real reason I am writing. I want to tell you about my AMAZING experience. This afternoon we went into the city to work with the street children. We got to literally wash these tiny children, bush their hair, and give them clothes. This was my first chance at giving out some of the dresses and shirts that were donated. These children have never had anything new, or that is theirs. The looks on those tiny faces when I pulled out a brand new dress and put it on their wet, cold little bodies was priceless.

The girl who was working with me told me that every week girls ask for dresses, but they never had any. I literally had women coming up to me and asking for new pants or dresses for their children. It was such a beautiful thing. I can truly see Christ’s work here. The missionaries show so much love to these forgotten people. I cannot wait until next week when I get to take more dresses to this event.

These kids literally live on the streets and in the cold. The mom’s would put on their older pants and long sleeves to shield them from the harsh cold of the night. Nothing has ever felt so amazing to me. I got to be a part of something much bigger than myself, and for that I am SO grateful. Thank you al so much for donating money and clothes to help these children. The impact you have made is so much larger than you know!!

-sorry for the lack in details, I am really dehydrated and exhausted. But hey, a picture says a thousand words

Anna

go to my facebook in a few days for more pictures!

Part of the way up the mountain

She loved her dress

!Si Senor, mi amiga mama!

Feliz dia mama!
Today it is mother's day in Bolivia! It has been super fun. Some kids from the local school came to the hospital and sang some songs to honor all the mothers who work in the hospital. The pastor also came and spoke about how you must be grounded in the word of God to be a good parent. The whole thing was entirely in Spanish but the Lord has really broken down walls and I am understanding about half of what is said (depending on the person speaking).

Let me tell you a bit about my day. Last night I prayed and asked the Lord to allow me to be more than just another body in the hospital, but to be someone who helps change lives. Well I got my first small start today. I worked in the ER with Wes. Today was a bit of a slow day in the hospital with mothers day, and because its Friday. However we did get to see 1 patient. She was about 45 maybe 50 and had had surgery on her belly..not sure why. Well when we walked in she was getting stitches removed. In America we are so blessed to have special stitches that disolve after a certain amount of time. This however is not the case in Bolivia. The doctor was literally pulling the stitches out from inside of her belly. She was in a great deal of pain, moaning at every pull. I wanted so badly to comfort her, but the 2nd doctor was in the way. I moved to a place where she could see me, to try to be some sort of support. It seemed to work. She maintained eye contact with me throughout the majority of the procedure. I wanted to let her hold my hand but there just was not enough room. Although it was something so small, the eye contact and smiles seemed to mean so much to her.

I feel like this is just the beginning. I am hoping to become better at Spanish in order to spend some time with the ladies who are staying here. Their room is very small and there is no T.V or source of entertainment. I am hoping in about a week or 2, to be able to carry on a conversation and spend time with them. I know how much even just eye contact can mean to someone in pain. I want to be there to provide comfort, not just to shadow. I cannot wait to see what I get to do in these next few weeks here!

Tomorrow morning at 8:30 (we get to sleep in!!) we are going to hike the Inca ruins!! Then we get to go into town and help bathe the street kids! I am so excited about this opportunity. Hopefully I will be able to distribute some of my dresses, bows, pants, shirts and bracelets to these kids!!

Please keep Sarah in your prayers. She is really struggling with altitude sickness. She has had a terrible headache the past few days. Also pray for our Spanish to progress so we can be a comfort to those in need. Finally pray that we will continue to get enough sleep and rest throughout the days! Thank you for all of your support!

Anna

¿habla ingles?

I am going to keep this entry short and simple. After a long long time of travel we arrived in Cochabamba last night around 10:30. I was so excited to see about 10 happy faces with a Hospitals of Hope sign waiting for us outside the airport. We quickly met our new team mates. The majority of them are around our age and from all over the US. I was happy to find that everyone is really laid back and you just kinda go with the flow. That is nice because I will enjoy my time here much more.

I woke up this morning at 7:20, put on my butterfly scrubs and went with our group into the hospital. Kevin decided to sleep in this morning (like I said, its really laid back.) We went on rounds at the hospital, which were very difficult. The doctors spoke only in spanish in a quick and quiet tone. After rounds Sarah and I went to work in pediatrics. Oh did I mention that the Dr. only spoke Spanish? It was quite a challenge for me. Sarah knows very little spanish but is catching on really quick! I really enjoyed communicating with the doctor. It was so great for me to put my knowledge into action. I was surprised by how quickly I became comfortable speaking the language.

Our doctor only saw 4 patients today, it was a slow day. One of my favorite parts was the morning devotion. One of our doctors went into the waiting room and preached for about 20 (in spanish) to some of the patience waiting for care. It was really neat to see. After devotions each doctor went back into their room or office and waited for patience. It was interesting trying to hear what each patient was treated for. I am sure I will catch on here soon!

In short, things are a lot different than I expected which is sort of a good thing. I have already learned so much and seen the Lord's work here in Bolivia. I am LOVING it so far! I cannot wait until I get to go out into the orphanages or work with the street kids. Keep us in your prayers, they are much appreciated!

Anna

La Paz, Bolivia surprise!

Hello everybody! I figured I would let you know about the unexpected first day in Bolivia. We arrived at 5:30 this morning in La Paz, which is actually the country's capital. As most of you know this was not the final destination of our trip. We are actually headed to Cochabamba to work in the hospital. Basically, the way it was supposed to work was that we purchased a flight from La Paz to Cochabamba when we arrived. However, ALL of the flights were full until 8:30 tonight!! But do not worry!! I am not stuck in the airport for over 12 hours!!Let me tell you a bit about how the Lord provided for myself, Kevin, and Sarah.

Our fourth team member, Rachel, has many connections to Bolivia and actually had already purchased her ticket. Rachel's family knows a missionary family here and they decided they wanted to come help us out at the airport. They were unable to make it, but they sent their missionary friend Kathy in their place. So basically what happened is Kathy first off helped us figure out where to go, what to do, and btw is fluent in Spanish. Long story short we found out there were no available flights until late tonight. Kathy was kind enough to take us on a tour of La Paz, one of the cities I REALLY wanted to see. Well as it turned out she had something she needed to do so she left us with her Bolivian friend at he and his wife's home. I cannot even explain how GREAT it was. I have never had an experience anything like this. He was so kind and friendly. We were able to communicate with him in Spanish as well as bits of English. It was such a great opportunity to experience Bolivia culture. He was even kind enough to make us a special tea that helps with altitude sickness and it TOTALLY worked! We felt so so much better. Then Kathy came back a few hours later and showed us around the market and told us a bit about the culture here.

Right now I can truly say that I am experiencing true hospitality and love as I am sitting on the couch at Kathy's house writing this. The Lord has truly blessed us with this incredible opportunity. We met so many new people and saw one of the coolest cities in the world. He had plans for us the whole time and I am so excited that this trip began in such an amazing adventure! There are pictures up on facebook and I will put a few on here. God is going to do such great things here this summer and I cannot wait to be a part of them! Please pray for us because we are EXHAUSTED from going on 2 days of travel with very little sleep. There is a lot to get used to here. But I will say that I love everything about it and am so excited to be here. God is great and is always watching out for us! Anna
-sorry for terrible punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc...i have slept 3 hours total since yesterday at 6:45am

Little Dresses Galore

A few months back I heard about a missions group called "Little Dresses for Africa." Basically this group came up with a simple pattern to make dresses from pillow cases to send to the third world. They told me then they would send me dresses, but it turns out they didn't need to. At least 4 wonderful ladies including my aunt and grandma set out making these little dresses. On Sunday I received about 40 or 50 precious little dresses. Then Kevin's mom contacted a friend from Arkansas about getting a pattern to make some as well. That friend has a store and makes tons of them. Long story short she sent a box in which I was told there are probably 40 or 50 more!!!Not only did she donate a large amount of adorable dresses but she was also kind enough to donate bracelets and hair accessories! Needless to say the Lord has provided nearly 100 or more dresses and accessories for the little girls of Bolivia.

My grandma was great and she made about 6 pairs of shorts for little boys. The problem is with around 100 dresses and head bands and bracelets and only 6 or 7 things for boys, it will quickly become unfair when we are distributing "gifts". (Now I will also say my mom was awesome and went and bought a bunch of little long sleeve shirts and coats that can be used for boys if needed.) As you can see we are really in need of some clothes for little boys. They have so little and we want to be able to provide for them as well.We don't want to be forced to turn them away because we only have 5 or 6 things to give.

This is the part where you come in! If you have a little boy, or a nephew, a cousin, a grandson, or a neighbor who is growing up rapidly, chances are he has outgrown many of his clothes. I ask you rather than taking those clothes to goodwill pray about sending them with me to Bolivia to clothe the orphans and children of the street. The Lord has provided for those little girls so much, and I have no doubt that He will provide for the boys as well!!! If you are interested or have questions PLEASE email me at aereel@cn.edu and I will be glad to help.
Anna

- O good news we now have 4 total people traveling on our team to Bolivia! We will be leaving in less than a month now on May 24. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you SO SO SO much for your support and prayers over the last few months.

Why Bolivia?

A lot of people often want to know why Bolivia. What is there? Why do you want to serve there. Please allow me to tell you my story. Early in 2010 a friend came to me and told me about an opportunity she had to go and serve in Bolivia at a Christian Hospital. She wanted to know if I was interested. I thought the opportunity sounded interesting but my heart was not quite there. Over the next few weeks she continued to bring up Bolivia, which prompted me to do a bit of research. I read online about an organization by the name of Hospitals of Hope. I started praying in March of 2010 and asking the Lord if He wanted m

e to consider it. Throughout the following months my heart began to be transformed. Bolivia became more then than a country; it became a passion.

Then summer came and I returned home and continued to pray about it. At this point there were four of us who wanted to go. We kept in close contact and continued to pray that the Lord would give us "green lights" and make it clear to us if it was his will. That summer I was working part time and taking a microbio

logy class (I wanted to be a nurse). One weekend, the Lord spoke to me in a very clear voice and told me that He wanted me to go to Bolivia. Ironically enough it was when my brother was speaking at church about his missionary experience. I went down to the front teary eyed to tell my brother that I was GOING to Bolivia and working in the hospital. As it turns out, a fellow team member got a similar message shortly thereafter. But the Lord seemed to have a different idea.
A few weeks later my heart began to be transformed yet again, but this time it was regarding my future. After much prayer I decid

ed that nursing was no longer for me but Elementary Education and loving on children was where my heart was. But how does this fit with Bolivia?! My heart began to ache at the idea of not being able to go but I could still hear the Lord saying "go to Bolivia." As it turns out, Hospitals of Hope has MANY opportunities, one of which is orphan care. My heart melted as I read the stories and saw the pictures of the children whose lives I may influence. I came back to college knowing that my next summer was going to be spent loving on the forgotten children in Bolivia.

As the time got closer, the team dwindled down to three people. We began praying about a fourth team member and shortly afterward a lady I serve with here at college heard me talking and told me that she had been looking for a trip to serve this summer. She was very excited about the prospect of serving w

ith us. Long story short, Sarah joined our team. Over Christmas Break we hit a surprising bump in the road where our team was cut again to three people, possibly even two. My heart broke. It was so invested in Bolivia the very idea of not being able to go brought me to tears. "What is your plan Lord? Why would you do this to me? I thought you said to go to Bolivia...it's all I think about. If this is your will Lord make it happen." This was a daily prayer for the next two days.

THIS IS WHERE THE STORY GETS INTENSE.

One night I turned on the news and saw a story ab

out a lady who was making dresses to send to orphan girls overseas. I took a step of faith (believing God would pull through and I would go) and dialed the phone number. To my surprise, the founder of the organization answered the phone and told me she would LOVE to send me dresses to take to Bolivia. I smiled and thought to myself...that's got to be a God thing. So I posted the link to my Facebook page. Then, I got an unexpected comment from a friend from high school who said she was also going to Bolivia this summer. I got excited and sent her a message telling all about Hospitals of Hope and the dates we would be there. This is one of those moments where I knew God must have been smiling. Sure enough, Rachel was going TO THE SAME PLACE!!! We will be living in the same house for about two weeks this summer!! I was overcome with joy. Not only did the dresses come through, but a friend was going to the same place at the same time. God had gone before me in a major way. While I know th

is is a bit confusing, the very fact that Rachel is going was not only further proof that this was the Lord's will, but it provided my family with a bit more peace. As if that's not enough, the next morning at church our pastor had a message that spoke STRAIGHT to me. He literally preached about missions and how there were some of us in the crowd that had nations BURNING on their hearts. That was me!! Bolivia was so burned into my heart I couldn't sit still for more than one minute without thinking about it. As if that was not enough, the verse that I had found for my trip was put on the big screen!! The was all the conformation I needed. The Lord was working especially when I heard our third team member was in!

So we have decided on a six-week service trip in Bolivia. I will be primarily working in the orphanages and hopefully some with the street kid

s along with some work in the hospital. We will be living at the guest house behind the hospital and serving in many different ways. I will be working with, clothing, and providing medical care for the lost, the hurting, and the forgotten people and children of Bolivia. This has been a long journey but with each day that passes my heart breaks and burns more for the often forgotten country of Bolivia - a country of homelessness, poverty, low medical care and social unrest. I can only imagine what the Lord has in store for me this summer while serving his kingdom in South America this summer.

If you have any questions about Bolivia

a, I would be glad to answer.

Here are some quick facts
-64% of people in Bolivia live below the poverty line
-52 of 1000 babies will die in the first year of life (compared to 7 out of 1000 in the US)
-There is 1 hospital bed per 1000 Bolivians
-Bolivians are more prone to seek healing from a witch doctor before going to a hospital
-there are 10,000 homeless children in the capital alone
-23% of the population live on less than a dollar a day
-95% of Bolivians are

Catholic

I will keep you posted on my trip as it continues to work out...the cost is right at $3,200 dollars and I would love your prayers and support as I continue to raise money.

~Anna~