Real Life

The last time I was abroad, I was learning what tear gas felt like (one of our last days leaving the office, a group of protestors were shot at down the street) and seeing a country come together in the middle of the mountains to advocate for what they believed in. Now, I’m living on a beautiful coast in a city bigger than the entire country of Bolivia. The contrast is stark and none of it feels real. Just over two weeks ago, IJM booked me a flight to Bolivia to pack up my belongings. Only a few days after that I was on a flight to Peru and exchanging the mountains for the sea.

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In La Paz, the other evacuated interns and I were shocked to find adjusting back to life was easy. Easier, in fact, than returning to the states. We were only given three days to pack up our belongings and say our goodbyes after four months stateside, but it felt like no time had passed.

The Chaos

“Thank God you weren’t here. I’m going to cry just remembering it. I heard them knock at my door and I thought I was going to die.”

A coworker remembering the night Morales resigned

The night the police turned on the government, and previous president Evo Morales resigned, Morales’ supporters took to the streets. They burned houses, broke into businesses, smashed ATMs, and violently confronted anybody they came in contact with. Our friends shared stories of men grabbing whatever weapons they could find and taking shifts being on guard around bonfires in their neighborhoods. The city’s water had been turned off, they shut off the lights, and the women and children were hidden in safe houses and spaces. Nobody knew what would happen or where the chaos would take place. It felt like a horror movie.

Now, Bolivia is calm. Everybody says it’s basically back to normal as they await the new elections in May.

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It took a long time to pack up our lives and try and adjust for the next step. I brought one bag of summer clothes to account for the fact that I was moving to a much warmer climate, and we all balanced donating things with sharing suitcase space. Normally, we would be able to pass things along to the next set of interns. Unfortunately, for now, Bolivia won’t have any.

“You guys were stripped away from your hearts when they evacuated you. You were in the states, but your hearts were here. Now, we want to pray over you and send your hearts with you.”

A Bolivian friend helping us process our quick trip

We got to say goodbye to the expat friends that remained and other communities we were a part of. It was hard, but the closure made it so much easier than the last time we left.

The three of us boarded our planes and found ourselves in Lima. One intern had a fifteen hour layover and the other decided to stay with me an extra day to help me get settled. I don’t have a return ticket – my time here will depend on the funding this project gets. We explored the beach, ate ceviche, and took care of the essentials (getting me a new phone chip, finding cash, grocery stores, and clean water).

Now, it’s just me in Lima. I started work on Thursday and am stoked to see what’s next.

Prayer Requests:

• Against the coronavirus – we have had to cancel our upcoming events and IJM is postponing all international travel. Please pray for those impacted.
• For my adjustment – new layout, climate, culture, office etc. There’s a lot to take in!
• For community – I can be independent, but I’m hoping to find others here that I can do life with

Praise!

• That we made it safely to Bolivia – we left before the travel ban and without any issues from Morales’ supporters
• That we had time with all of our friends in Bolivia
• For a few shared moments in Lima before the new adventure began
• That my new boss is a badass

Logistics:

• Timeline – currently, the Lima project has funding through June 2020. We are hoping to secure more, but all that can be 100% confirmed is that I will be here through June.
• Lodging – I found an airbnb since it was such short notice and then will move in with my boss for about a month until we know how long I’ll be here and can find a long term solution.
• Relationships – I have found a few expat groups online, an international church, and a group of people who play pick-up frisbee. While I continue branching out and meeting new people, I’ve loved hearing from you all back home <3
• Finances – Lima is much more expensive than La Paz and my budget no longer complies with the work I am doing. That being said, I have no idea how long I will be here and therefore don’t know what kinds of funding I truly need. If you are interested in financially supporting this new leg of the journey, I would greatly appreciate it if you donated below.

Thank you all so much for your continued love and support on this crazy ride! I could not do this without you.

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