A Long Tale For Those Who Haven't Given Up Hope

7 months... a long time to wait. I wouldn't blame you if you have given up hope, because I probably would have also. I feel like almost every blog I write starts out this way: an apology and a promise to do better. I'm tired of being lousy at blogging, and I really would like to be better. I just need the discipline. Hopefully, the discipline to blog will set in this time around. I would like to have a blog appear at least once a month, but as the past has shown, it may be longer.

Once again though, I am sorry. Many of those who still read are supporters either in prayer, monetary giving, or both. I appreciate this support, and I want to share about how the Lord is working through your support both in me and in La Paz, Bolivia. So, let's get started...

Back in La Paz

The last post brought you up to speed with the trip Stacy and I took. The first thing I want to do is wrap the trip up.

We arrived in Arica, Chile late in the morning fully expecting to have to catch an overnight bus back to La Paz, but luckily we found a bus leaving at about 2:00 in the afternoon. Unfortunately, it didn't actually leave until about 3:30. It was a Bolivian bus company, so really it was only about a half hour to an hour late. ;) Our bus came into La Paz just before midnight and we brought our belongings over to the temporary housing for Sheldon and I. Sheldon had borrowed a few cots from his workplace (Samaritan's Purse), which accumulated for all the furniture we had in the place. Stacy went to bed right away, while I went with Sheldon to return the vehicle we had been using and check the Mallasilla apt. for anything we might have forgotten to pack. I took Stacy to one of my favorite restaurants, Charlie Papa's, for breakfast and then I showed her around the city area. When we came back to the apt. we played a few cribbage games with Sheldon, went to eat some silpanchos (meat, potatoes, rice, and eggs), and then went to see Avatar in 3D at the Megacenter in Irpavi. The next day, Sunday, we went to church, which meets at the school, and I got to introduce Stacy to my Bolivian family and church family. We even went to eat some chicarron (fried pork) with my Bolivian family. Stacy wasn't a fan of the chicharron. :) After lunch, we went and chilled at the apt. for awhile with Sheldon. Then, since Stacy was hungry (she didn't have much chicharron :) ), we went out to eat at Charlie Papa's again and then to go play some wallyball. I was able to again introduce her to some Bolivian friends from church and other places. After wally, we went to get some ice cream and then back to the apt. to get Stacy packed up.

We got up at about 3:30 the next morning and caught a taxi up to the airport. We had a small bite to eat and said our farewells. It had been a whirlwind of a trip, but it was good to spend time together, and especially to show Stacy a little of what my life is like living in La Paz.

2nd Semester

Before the next semester started, I spent long hours putting together the 5th grade social studies curriculum guides that I had, surprise surprise, procrastinated on. It felt really good to get them out of the way. Curriculum guides have been the bane of my existence these past three years. :) Second semester with my class was amazing. I'll point out a few special memories.

1. We had a tall tale writing celebration where the students wrote their stories on half sheets of paper staple underneath each other to make an exaggerated and literally tall tale. :) We also bought an Interminable, a pizza with slices that are about a foot long (no exaggeration!). I couldn't believe that students were asking for seconds!

2. I had a student that started displaying a lot of emotional and behavioral outbursts in the classroom. I don't feel comfortable sharing too many details, but suffice to say it was a definite challenge for me. My classroom management skills were put to the test time and time again. I was in constant prayer. On the last day of school, he leaned up next to my crying and begging me to stay at school. He definitely made a lasting impression on my heart, and I'll be looking forward to seeing him again in August.

3. The class also really got into our classroom elections. We had nominations in our classroom to determine the candidates. We then had the candidates give speeches during our lunch with the 3rd and 5th grade classes. It was then the 3rd and 5th grade classes that voted. Despite a landslide victory, all the candidates and participants had lots of fun. I even have 3rd graders begging me to do the same thing next year. :)

4. We had an accreditation review in March that went very well! The reviewer from SACS (Southern Area Colleges and Schools) that had accredited us last year returned to see how things were going that we had said we'd be working on. He was very impressed, which was a huge encouragement to the entire staff, especially for those who had been there when he had come the previous year.

5. Sheldon and I took a three day trip during Spring Break to see the Salt Flats of Uyuni (Salar de Uyuni). It was a great time of bonding and perspective shots. The Salt Flats work well for that. They provide the perfect white backdrop.

I guess that about wraps up my third year. We did have a couple teachers leave our staff, one who has been the second grade teacher for the past four years and has spearheaded many projects to promote academic excellence at Highlands. It will take a lot of pitching in and helping out to fill the holes she's been filling in. We will have some new staff coming in August. 1. 2nd grade teacher 2. middle school teacher 3. elementary principal/academic director and 4. high school social studies teacher. It won't be nearly as big of a group that came this past school year. It will be good getting to know each and every one of them.

Another good friend of mine that won't be returning is Sheldon. Over the past two years, our friendship has grown fast and strong. To celebrate that friendship we planned a little trip to go on after the school year was out. We began with climbing the tallest mountain in Bolivia, Mt. Sajama. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I never plan on trying to climb something higher. 21,500 ft is plenty high for me! Most people take three to four days to climb it, but Sheldon and I hoofed up and down it in two! I'll stop bragging though, because I looked pretty pathetic climbing up the last 1,000 ft, but as Sheldon kept reminding me, "The important thing is we made it!"

After our climb, we went on a week and a half long trip through northern Argentina. A few highlights:

1. Being told bussing through Paraguay that we could not buy a visa at the border and we had 24 hours to exit the country. Oops! It's the first time I've been an illegal in a country.

2. Spending two days visiting Iguazu Falls on the northeastern tip of Argentina. I've seen pictures of Niagara Falls. They have nothing on Iguazu! They were extremely beautiful and breathtaking! It was a snapshot of God's beauty and power!

3. Having a steak and wine dinner in Buenos Aires. It was very expensive, but Sheldon and I had promised each other that we'd splurge at least once. It was chilly and windy when we walked out of the restaurant, but neither of us noticed. :)

4. Stopping in Salta for the day, so we could watch in anticipation as the U.S. beat Algeria to advance on to the next round of the World Cup!

5. Playing many games of cribbage, spades, and hearts. We spent over 50 hours of our trip in either a bus or train, so games were a great way to pass the time, even though almost all of our bus trips were overnight trips. Yeah, we didn't get lots of sleep on this adventure! :)

Regarding the Future and Prayer Requests

I have decided to return to Highlands for a fourth year of teaching. I love the school, staff, and students and while I'm pretty sure this will be my final year, it's hard to say it with certainty. I am thinking that after this school that I would be going to another city in Bolivia to spend about three months immersed in Spanish. While I can hold basic conversations now, I'd like to improve to a higher level of fluency. I don't know what the Lord has planned after, but I'd like to be able to increase my skill set to be able to serve Him more effectively. The Lord has given me a passion for children, and I feel called to minister in Spanish speaking countries.

While these two things are helping to guide me as well, I still do not know what comes next. I might stay in Bolivia and join SIM missions and help out in La Paz with their Children's Ministry program, in which case, I better start learning Aymaran too. :) Maybe it means heading to another Latin American country. Maybe it means going back to school in the States or taking online classes to get a more advanced degree. I honestly don't know what He has planned next, but I'm trusting in Him.

After saying that, here are my requests:

1. That He would direct my paths and give me wisdom and understanding in the upcoming decisions I'll have to be making.

2. That He would continue to use me and Highlands to be a light to the students, parents, and the surrounding communities.

3. That He might open up opportunities for close friendships that help keep me accountable and disciplined in the Lord in Bolivia, since Sheldon will be living in the U.S.

4. That He might help me stay disciplined in my communication with supporters, and my daily communication with Him.

5. That even though I've learned to be content with being single, the fact that it's not a desire in my heart makes it hard for me to always be at peace with the notion. So, prayer that He might be my one, true desire of my heart and let my course run from that point. :)

Thank you all again for your patience and support. Hopefully, next time will be only a month away! :)

Last day in Pucon, Chile...on to Santiago!

Hey all so just in case anyone was left out of the loop Stacy (me) made it safely back to the good 'ol USA on Jan. 11th. Praise the Lord! I had a great time sharing this experience with Thomas and thank the Lord for the amazingly great travel we had as well as the time to connect.

Ok so Tom and I have split the responsibility of catching you all up on the final leg of our grand adventure. I will now cover January 5-7th and leave the 8th-10th for Tom. Enjoy!

January 5th,

Ahh our final day in Pucon, Chile :(. I think this was my favorite place on the trip. The overall living space, town, and attractions really appeal to my taste.

Ok so today Tom and I got up early packed up our stuff and headed into town. We went straight for one of the many tour agencies to book our spot on a trail ride with the Hurst Family. Thankfully there were still spots available. We took off for the trail ride at around 10:30 joined by Greg Hurst and two of his girls Kayla and Hannah. His wife Faith and youngest daughter were unable to join in due to an injury.

Our guide was a native indian to the area and was able to inform Greg of many customs of their people and ways of the land, which Greg thankfully translated for me :). Our ride was filled with various adventures. First, soon after we headed out Tom was experiencing problems with his horse. My best guess is that a shoe was bad cause he kept catching one of his back hooves before setting it down. We patiently waited while our guide rode back to get another horse. As we began up the mountainside trail we soon realized that all the rain from the night before combined with the steep incline of the mountainside would make for slow progress. It is safe to say we all were more than a bit nervous in some areas as our horses would sometimes stumble and have to catch themselves to stay on the trail.

We stuck with it and enjoyed a beautiful view of the lake bordering Pucon and nearby Villarrica, as well as the surrounding hills and mountains. We took some time for the horses to rest and to shake our legs out a bit. All of the girls agreed that we would not be comfortable going down the trail on the horses and decided to walk, as did Greg. After the guide proceeded to tell us that no one had ever made that decision before, Tom decided to ride down "Man from Snowy River style" as he would say. In the end we all made it down one way or another and enjoyed some time running our horses in a nearby pasture.

On the final leg of the trip back Tom's horse was getting a bit antsy to get home, as were all the horses. However, Tom wanted his horse to walk not trot anymore as the trot was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Sad thing for Tom is that his horse did not care what he wanted and continually broke out into a trot all the way home (hehe).

When we returned to town we stopped at a souvenier market and I was finally able to find some small gifts to bring back for a decent price! We headed back to the Hurst's beautiful cabin they had rented for their vacation and enjoyed some time of relaxation. On the property was a clay tennis court that Tom and I decided to make some use of. We discovered we are both equally untalented in the sport of tennis, but were still able to enjoy our time. After supper we joined in for another game with Hannah and Greg. Lots of fun!

Jan. 5th into the 6th

At 10pm on the 5th Greg dropped us off at the Villarrica bus station for our trip to Santiago. I was starting to have a bit of a sinus problem so I tried to stock up on toilet paper before we took off. The bus ride went through the night and we arrived in Santiago at about 7am? the next morning. If you take a similar trip I suggest getting the comfortable bus, rather than the typical coach bus seat...not so comfortable for sleeping.

In Santiago we arrived at the subway station during peak rush hour YAY! We endured a short yet tightly packed ride on the subway from our bus station to our hostel's district area. At the hostel we were told our room/beds were not ready until 1pm so for the next two hours we stored our luggage in a safe place and did our best to occupy our time.

When we were able to get in our room both of us were tired enough to sleep for about 5 hours so in order to accomplish two things at once we put on our suits and headed outside to the hostel's pool. (I specifically booked this hostel for that reason) I managed to fall asleep on my stomach and stayed that way a little too long effectively burning the backside of my legs. That night Tom and I enjoyed some delicious steak at a nearby restaurant and headed to bed early.

Jan. 7th BEACH DAY!!!

Today Tom and I headed back the the bus station to get a ride to Vine del Mar, which is about a 2 hour ride from Santiago. We found a bus easily enough and were soon on our way. Upon our arrival we decided to walk to the beach in order to save on some money. The walk took about a half-hour putting our arrival at around 2pm in the afternoon. Needless to say we were both quite hungry. I was excited to see a Pizza Hut nearby and glad when Tom happily agreed to eat there. I don't think Pizza Hut has ever tasted so good. After pigging out to our stomach's content we headed down to the water.

We spent three wonderful hours enjoying the Pacific Ocean. However, almost all that time was spent on the sand as the water was quite cold. I would compare it to stepping into an ice bath. We were entertained for awhile by a stray dog enjoying playing in the waves and racing up and down the beach. I again effectively burned myself, however this time it was my front side so I evened things out a bit.

We headed back to Santiago and again packed our things up to prepare for our early flight to Arrica in the morning.

More of Chile

January 4th continued:

Okay sorry for the long wait for an update, we got a bit sidetracked. As I mentioned in the previous post we were preparing for a white water adventure today. It was quite an adventure to say the least.

This was a first for both Thomas and I so we were excited and a bit nervous as well. Upon arrival at the company lodge up in the hills we were given wetsuits and booties to change into. Tom had to get another suit as the first one was too short. Turns out South Americans are not known for being tall, cause Tom's second suit didn't fit a whole lot better. Don't worry I have picture :) Anyways after a short tutorial we headed out on the river. We were in a raft with a father and his two daughters the one was young enough to just sit in the middle and enjoy the ride.

Our guide had trouble trying to even out the strength of the sides of the raft. At first Tom and I were on the same side, but together we were too much for the father and daughter to keep up so Tom and the Dad switched sides. I am a bit proud to say the my side was still stronger after the switch :) However, my pride was brought down shortly after when I fell out of the raft. Yep that's right I fell out and was extremely thankful for the year of experience in the water. I grabbed my paddle and was quickly pulled back into the raft with little fanfare. By the end we had covered 30km in an hour.

Needless to say it was a great experience, one that both Tom and I would be up for doing again someday. After the trip we cleaned up at our hostel and enjoyed a great dinner in town followed by an amazing dessert at another restaurant. We have made contact with the Hurst's who are staying in Villarrica about a 20min drive from Pucon. We will join them for horseback riding tomorrow. Chao!

Chile here we come!

January 2: Leaving Ushuaia

Today Tom and I got up around 7 to get ready to leave Ushuaia. We enjoyed a breakfast at our hostel and then checked out and went to Laguna Negra to cash in on a free hot chocolate. The treat was compliments of Tolkeynen Boat Tours, the shop was closed yesterday as were most shops.

While sipping our hot coco we realized that as the top layer cooled it started to solidify. Tom mentioned that he thinks this was straight up hot chocolate without the milk or water added in. Either way it was tasty and warmed us up for the day.

Before catching our bus we stopped into a few shops. Tom found a leather wallet and I finally found a reasonably prices keepsake to take home from Ushuaia.

At 11 am we left Ushuaia and traveled close to three hours on the most beautiful bus ride I have ever been on...and I have been on a few bus rides :) It´s not everyday you get to drive throughthe Andes Mountains. We switched busses in Rio Grande and headed out for Punta Arenas. Along the way we had two stops for immigration purposes. One at the Argentina Border Control and one at Chile´s. Each stop added about an hour to our trip.

Tom and I both enjoyed the ferry ride across the Magellan Straits. It was extremely windy here and you needed to lean into the wind in order to move from place to place. It was amazing to finally find a place that was windier than South Dakota. We both got a little wet from the sea spray that flew up as we crossed, as did many of the cars aboard. We both captured to shots and footage of the crossing that I am sure we be shared upon our return.

I enjoyed watching the landscape change as we traveled from Argentina to Chile. We saw everyting from mountains, coastline, to rolling plains. I was shocked in the plains how some places did not have fences outlining property lines. Here you could see sheep, cattle, and llama grazing right along the side of the road!

We arrived in Punta Arenas around 11pm and made our way Hostel Keoken, a mere 8 blocks away and settled in for the night.

January 3: Headed for Pucon, Chile

Today was another day of travel :). We started with a great breakfast at our hostel, complete with a bit of embarrassment on my part. The table was set with cereal, milk, bread and butter options, along with a plate and coffee cup set for each person. Problem was I wanted cereal and had no bowl. In order to fix the dilemma I decided to use my coffee cup as my bowl. Not a bad idea since I don´t drink coffee. Plus I was encouraged when Tom followed my lead. However, while I was enjoying my cereal in a cup the host came out and pointed the bowls out to me, and said ¨we have bowls for that¨. Oops!

After breakfast we took a taxi to the airport to catch our flight to Puerto Montt. From Puerto Montt we found a bus traveling to Pucon. We had not booked a hostel ahead of time for Pucon and were a little nervous about finding one quickly after our arrival. Thankfully, God went ahead and sen someone for us. Once we gathered our baggage I was approached by a woman asking me something in spanish. I smiled and called for Tom :) She offered us a place to stay in her home which she opens up as a hostel for travelers. Needless to say we are in a nice, quiet part of town enjoying free internet.

We enjoyed a nice dinner outside at a local restaraunt complete with good conversation and a couple extra friendly companions. There are several stray dogs here in S. America. Many are skittish of people, but some have the art of begging down pretty well. Two approached our table one immediatley licked my hand so naturally I took the opportunity to love on him and his friend a litte bit. One was a german shepard mix while the other seemed to have some collie in him. Made my night.

January4: Morning

Tom and I enjoyed sleeping in a little bit today and then had a nice bowl of cereal for breakfast. We went into town and booked two spots for white water rafting this afternoon and our bus ride for tomorrow evening from Pucon to Santiago. We´ll have more info on our adventures following. I am missing home but still enjoying the great experiences of being in all these new places.

Stacy and Tom in South America!

So, the first part of the trip has been quite draining, but Stacy and I are looking forward to an amazing day today.

What has happened so far...

1. We took of early Monday morning from Minneapolis and arrived in Miami and had plenty of time, 11 hours in fact, to sit there until we took the plane from Miami to La Paz, Bolivia. We then frantically went through a series of hoops to make sure we got on the next flight to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. My friend, Randy, was late to pick up the baggage, but I put it in storage so that all worked out, and Stacy and I were probably the last two to board the flight to Santa Cruz. Stacy had a chance to meet Sarah, third grade teacher at Highlands, and her friend Jen on the flight to Santa Cruz. I was pumped coming back to good ol´ familiar La Paz airport and seeing a familiar Highlands face and getting to introduce her to Stacy. I am already excited for when Stacy and I get to spend a couple days in La Paz at the end of the trip.

2. In Santa Cruz we had a discrepancy on the airline we should stand in line for to check in. Our tickets were issued through AeroSur, which is the airline we flew from La Paz to Santa Cruz, but our flight to Buenos Aires, through Asuncion, Paraguay, was to be through another airline, TAM Mercosur. Luckily, we had plenty of time to sort it out, since our flight didn´t leave until 3:00 or so. So, to make delays pass quicker, we finally made it to Buenos Aires, Argentina at around 8:45. We had planned to meet Sarah, her friend, and Isaac, highschool math teacher, for dinner at a real nice steak restraunt. Well, by the time our 32 US dollar taxi ride came to the restraunt, we had missed them. So, Stacy and I found a nearby, not quite as packed out restraunt to eat at and just not think about airports for awhile. We then proceeded to take another taxi, a little more pricy than the last, back to the Buenos Aires airport where we each got a little cat nap before checking in for our flight early on Wednesday morning to Ushuaia. After a brief stop in El Calafate, we arrived in Ushuaia at about 2:00 in the afternoon. We spent most of the rest of the afternoon finding a hostel, working on plans for the rest of our stay, and doing some exploring.

3. I will talk about what we will be doing in a little bit, but here´s a little about our stay so far in Ushuaia. Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world, from where you can take a boat down to Antartica if you so wish. Stacy and I don´t have time, so we won´t be doing that. The temperatures are not too bad, think a cool, Spring day in Minnesota. We are surrounded by snowcapped mountains, lakes that connect to the ocean, and lots of green forests. It´s breatakingly beautiful. Ushuaia is situated on the vast island of Tierra del Fuego.
Argentinos speak Spanish, but most of the time I can´t understand what they are saying, because it is spoken so fast and with more of an Italian lilt to it. But we have been able to get by alright. We spent the rest of Wednesday looking for a bus to Puntas Arenas in Chile. We finally found one at a reasonable price and will be boarding a bus tomorrow, the 2nd, (sorry, I have now begun updating you a couple days past from when I was originally updating), so that we will be there when our flight takes off the morning of the 3rd for Puerto Montt. Anyway, after contracting the bus we grabbed some burgers for dinner and went back to the hostel for a much needed night´s sleep.

4. Thursday- We got up around 10 and lazed around until 11 something. We then contracted a bus for 12 that would take us to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and bought some snacks. Of the four hikes they suggested, Stacy and I chose the hardest, naturally. :) We would have made it all the way, except for the nearly impassable mud that continuously blocked our way from climbing any higher. It was still a beautiful climb that made Stacy and I think of the Pacific Northwest woodlands. When we arrived back at the hostel, preparations were being made for the New Year´s Eve bash, which Stacy and I did not want to participate in. So we stayed in our room and slept for most of the time. We didn´t even get up the next day until 11. Sleeping in has been nice. It is sort of wierd though, since the sun doesn´t really set until 10 or later and rises just before 4.

5. Today- Happy New Year´s! Today was a pretty lax day. For a tourist town, Ushuaia was pretty dead today. Not much open at all. We did take a 3:30 boat tour and saw sea lions and many other different types of birds, but unfortunately no penguins. We are now back at the hostel. Stacy has our hostel reservations set for tomorrow night in Puntas Arenas, and we are looking forward to moving on to something new, as exciting as Ushuaia has been.

Thanks to anyone keeping up. I´ll probably have Stacy write the next post, but please respond with any questions you might have or comments. We would love to hear from you. Chau!!

La Paz Long Term?

Nearly three months later in my third year at Highlands, and yes, I do have some things to share. Thanks to those who kept reminding me to update, it's a skill I've always been poor at, but still want to improve on.

School- I've had a great time with my class this year! They just finished their reading unit on biographies/autobiographies and our celebration was a wax museum. They had picked a teacher/staff member at the school to interview. They then used the information they received to write an autobiography as if they were that teacher. They came dressed up two Fridays ago as that teacher and parents, teachers, and students came to walk around and learn more about the lives of the growing staff at HIS. :)

Mr. Cunningham and his mini-me!

In October, we had parent-teacher conferences which went well. I continue to enjoy getting feedback from the parents, whether it's how much their child is enjoying fourth grade or how they can help their child do better. I have some very competitive boys in my class this year again, and according to their parents, they think I'm just amazing. And all I really had to do was climb the flagpole to get the flag unstuck. I love how easy it is to impress fourth graders! :) My girls maybe aren't quite as easily impressed with physical feats, but they do enjoy joking around with me. :) With only four girls in my class last year, I didn't have to deal with their drama, but with nine this year, I do. I feel like while they are still connected in some way, shape, or form, they tend to have new better friends one day and others another day. Oh well, I still don't understand the opposite sex, maybe one of these days. :)

Team day is coming up this Wednesday. I have coordinated all the teams and am in charge of the dodgeball/snowball fight station. They'll be throwing styrofoam balls at each other, it'll be hilarious. Our theme this team day is the Winter Olympics, so even though it's summer here in Bolivia and no snow, we'll be improvising a lot to make it work.

Relationships - My roommate Sheldon is in the campo (country-Altiplano) most of the time. I wish I saw him more often, and he says that things should slow down after Christmas, so I'm excited to be seeing him more at that time. He is definitely my closest friend here in La Paz and it's been such a blessing to shoot the breeze with him and discuss our personal lives together without hesitation. I'll be missing him a lot next year.

There is another very special someone that I wish I could tell you all more about. But there are some students who read this blog if you get my drift. She is truly amazing though. Conversation is open and honest. I don't have to guess around too much with her, but that's not to say that there's no mystery to make it exciting. Her faith is truly evident in everything she does and she becomes more beautiful to my eyes each and every time we spend together. I'd love to tell you more, but you'll just have to e-mail me at bjorlie@gmail.com or skype me.

The new teachers are great! They have really stepped up to the plate and are building strong relationships with the students. The middle school just took a trip to the School for the Blind and had a powerful experience there with the students. The 8th grade backpacking class is right now doing the Taquesi Trail, which I did a few weeks back. My quads were killing me for two days afterwards, and I've been running! So, yeah, you can be praying for them. :) Some of my students' favorite specials are music and art, which have new hires in charge. God has really blessed Highlands with an amazing staff this year!

Excursions - My weekends have been pretty busy since I wrote you all last in September. I have been driving more and more and not just in La Paz. It took me a little while to be comfortable driving a Land Cruiser, but it has quickly become my vehicle of choice if I ever buy a vehicle down here. There have been two long trips I've had the opportunity to drive on.

1. Lake Titicaca- One of the new teachers had a connection with someone who owned a nice home on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It was a very relaxing time of playing games, hiking around, and driving to places that we never got to see. :) We tried to going to Copacabana, but after having crossed over on the ferry, which was awesome driving the Land Cruiser on to, we were stopped by the police and told we had to turn around and go back because none of us had our passports. Somewhat frustrating, but the ferry was the awesome part for me!

2. Sorata- We had our staff retreat about four weekends ago in Sorata. It was definitely a time of spiritual rejuvenation, but it was physically exhausting. I went on a nine mile or so run with a couple teachers in the morning. The scenery was beautiful, but my legs didn't really care about the scenery afterwards. :) Both of these drives were without incident except for almost running out of gas, but God provided an extra little bit in the bottom of the tank to get us to the next open gas station. There aren't many in the altiplano. Although, one of the other vehicles hit a cow, it's easier to do than you might think, and had to deal with how to pay the cost of that. Luckily the vehicle itself was still intact.

The weekend after Sorata was the Taquesi hike, which was amazing, not only because of the great weather and beautiful scenery, but because of all the "open and honest" conversation that occured. ;)

The weekend after that was spent with my roommate Sheldon in the campo, and also with Amber, one of the Samaritan Purse interns. It was my chance to see if Samaritan Purse was a ministry opportunity that I would like to pursue. It was also Sheldon's birthday over the weekend. So we packed a bunch of stuff for tacos and also the birthday cake. We took off early Satruday morning, installed about five pumps, ate a delicious taco dinner, played some awesome games of cribbage, where I dominated all but one game :) , went to bed, got up and installed five more wells, and then got back to La Paz late Sunday night. Needless to say, I was behind on grading, planning, and everything else after these three weekends in a row, and I had to turn out progress reports the very next week. Yeah, it's been busy! And yet, each of those weekends was very special and I wouldn't trade any of them for the perfect lesson.

Some Happy Customers!

The weekend after the Samaritan's Purse one, last weekend, was spent here in La Paz and I finally got a little caught up on work, but it was still busy. Saturday was spent paintballing in the morning with some high school teachers and students. I know now why I never hunted or signed up for the army. I had no strategy and couldn't hit a darn thing. After that, I went to help out the IBM (Iglesia Biblica de Mallasilla) with their Olympics themed outreach to the kids of Mallasilla. It was a joy to be able to help and to see the faces of the kids light up with all the activities they could participate in. I even had to really work my Spanish by giving all the instructions for my station in my non-native tongue. I then got up really early Sunday morning and participated in a 10 kilometer run at 13,000 ft above sea level. I ran it in just under 46:00, which is a personal best for me. For some reason I run better at high altitude than in flat ol' Des Moines, Iowa. :) I almost didn't do it, but I had that special someone convincing me that I should, and I just couldn't say no. :) I went to church after the run, and after having missed the past three weekends, it was just good to reconnect with everyone. I even made some delicious apple crisp for the potluck lunch after the service. Not bed, eh?

Fierce Competitors! Ha!

Finally, this weekend has been the most relaxing in awhile. I did a bunch of laundry, it was piling up, and cleaned up the house. The thing that motivated me to do all this was of course date night. We made spaghetti, had a couple glasses of wine, went for a walk up the hill to the cross that looks over Mallasilla, and finished it with a movie I haven't seen in forever "Independence Day". It truly was a wonderful night! After church today, the staff will be getting together for an early Thanksgiving dinner. I will be bringing my appetite!

Future - I will be staying on with Highlands for one more year after this one is finished. During the course of the rest of this year and the next, I will be focusing on different ministry opportunities here in La Paz. I feel the Lord's calling here in this place, but I'm still not sure where that calling is, but I do feel that it's not Highlands, as much as the school is very special to me. I will probably still be doing subbing there even. This is definitely something that I would appreciate all your prayers on as I search for where He wants me serving Him. The church I attend was started through SIM missions, and the man who helped start it, Greg Hurst, also helped to start Highlands. He has asked me on more than one occasion if I would be interested in helping lead the Children's Ministries Dept. This option is definitely at the top of my list, but there are others, such as working with my Bolivian sister and her husband, and very dear friend, with their Shoeshiner's ministry called Kayuparu. There's even Word Made Flesh and Samaritan's Purse. So please pray that the Lord would make clear the direction He's leading me and also to make the decision if it would be wise to attend seminary before doing so or not.

In the more near future, another thing you can be praying for is a place to stay for Sheldon and I during second semester. We have been living in a missionary family's apartment while they are on furlough in the States. They will be returning in early January, so pray that Sheldon and I would be able to find an apartment within this next month.

Also, I'm really excited about this Christmas break for two reasons. 1. I get to come home and spend it with my family. It will also be a white Christmas unlike last year's. 2. I'll be returning early to South America with Stacy, my sister, to travel the length of Chile and end it with her having the opportunity to see where I work and live each day. I'm really looking forward to spending this quality time with her too. :)

I think that about wraps up my update. My next one will be over Christmas break. My family will help make sure that happens. Stacy and I may use this blog too as we travel throughout South America. We'll just have to change the name to Bjorlies in Bolivia. :) Thanks all again for your continued patience and support whether in prayer, finances, or both. I thank the Lord for such amazing friends and family that can put up with my weaknesses in communication. I will work on improving in this area. Take care and God bless!

The Prodigal Returns

How to restart a blog after almost a year later? Well, I'm not sure it can actually be done successfully, but I'm going to give it a shot. Let me catch you up to where I am now. Ok,

1. After much hard work, including: writing curriculum guides, filling out a self study on our entire school, writing a six page paper on my philosophy of Christian Education; Highlands International School was accredited by SACS (Southern Area Colleges and Schools) and ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International). This is a milestone marker in the short life of our school and puts us at par with the other international schools in the area in terms of the quality of education we offer.

2. Many teachers left HIS (Highlands International School) which made my second year a tough one as I had to say goodbye to very close friends. Many of the teachers that left were in leadership positions:

Jason - director

Fishers: Tom - ESL, Music, fellow Games Club leader; Anne -Elementary Principal

Deborah: Middle School Lead

John: Interim High School Principal, Chaplain, Guidance Counselor, etc...

James: High School Science & Accreditation Committee Chair

Scarboroughs: Tim - Backpacking/Middle School SS Whitney - Middle School LA

As you can see, probably half of our experienced staff left for obligations elsewhere. So, not only were there many positions to fill, but it required the remaining staff, mainly elementary to step up and be leaders for the new arriving staff.

3. This summer was a time of relaxation, reading, painting the outside of the Bjorlie house, Sonshine Music Festival, and quality time spent with friends in the Twin Cities. At many points though, I saw it as an unhealthy escape from the community of HIS and La Paz. Their memories had become bittersweet, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be ready to go back with things changing so much. At the same time, after having spent 10 1/2 months straight in Bolivia, it was more home than the U.S. was. So, much of the summer had the feeling of being caught in limbo. Yet, when the time came July 28th to return to La Paz, I couldn't wait to get on the plane.

4. New Staff: It would take me quite awhile to list all the new staff and how amazing they all are, but I will give you the basic breakdown. The only foreign returning staff members were singles, yes that includes me. :) Except for the new director, Scott, his wife Tammy (Science), and their three children, all the new staff members are also 20 something singles (2 guys, 7 gals). Now those that know me well know that I am always keeping my eyes open for the woman He has for me, and you may think I might be excited about this prospect, but instead I ask for your prayers for two reasons.

a. I've tried dating in the HIS atmosphere. It's not easy, and the after effects can be very painful. I'm not exactly eager to re-attempt even if there was somebody.

b. I miss the family influence. My closest friends were the Fishers. I loved going over to their place to play games, eat dinner, play with their daughter Avery, or whatever. Suffice to say, I'm tired of most aspects of the single lifestyle and am ready to woo whomever the Lord may choose. You can also pray that I would be content no matter what my marital status may be. :)

5. New Class and Old Class: It really is the best of both. I am teaching all subjects to my new fourth grade students, except for science. The fifth grade teacher does that, while I teach Social Studies to my fourth grade students from last year. It's such a blessing to be able to be their teacher for a third year in a row. There're definitely strong ties with that class. My new class is amazing too! I would say they are more mature than my previous class, and so far, are easier to manage, or maybe that's just my two years of experience beginning to pay off. I love having a class that is getting to know me as I am getting to know them. I love the mysteries that leads to new discoveries about each other in a safe and caring environment.

6. Tomorrow marks the end of our third week of the new school year. Each day that passes brings me closer to another very difficult decision. At this time, I have no idea if I will decide to stay another year or if this is my last. It's easier to see myself staying, mainly because I'm not sure what I would do if I left. I have thought about Seminary as a possibility, maybe going into Children's Ministries, but then probably going right back out, maybe with a Missions Organization like SIM or some other, but probably to a Latin American country. So, I would love your prayers regarding this decision.

7. I am writing this update as I sit alone at the apartment that Sheldon (Samaritan's Purse, and great friend) and I are staying at until it's owners, missionaries on furlough, return in January. It's a great place and close to school, but that means that it's also pretty out of the way when it comes to hanging out with other teachers. Sheldon is usually out in the campo helping oversee different well projects during the week. Pray for me that I would not only stay connected while living out of the way, but that I would rest in the Lord's strength when idle time meets alone time and not succumb to the temptations the devil is sure to lay in my path.

I think this should catch you up for the most part as to what my life has been like and what it's like right now. I really appreciate your prayers for the things mentioned above. My plan is to write updates at the end of each month. So, if you don't see one by the time October starts, then please bug me until I write. :) Connecting is going to be extremely important for me this semester, so please respond in anyway you see fit. I hope this update finds each reader well and blessed. Thanks again!

Bjorlie