Bjorlie in Bolivia

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

2010-07-22T08:57:00.003-06:00

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!

2010-01-22T14:13:00.003-06:00

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

2010-01-10T17:06:00.002-06:00

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!

2010-01-04T09:04:00.004-06:00

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!

2009-12-31T07:21:00.004-06:00

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?

2009-11-22T06:16:00.006-06:00

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

2009-08-27T17:29:00.002-06:00

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

A Long Time Coming

2008-10-05T13:45:00.006-06:00

Usually my apology for my extremely late updates comes at the beginning, but I thought I'd save it for the end. So, you ready? Here goes,

First Months' Excursions:

Biking the Muela del Diablo: This is also known as the Devil's Tooth. Yes, I did buy a bike once I got to Bolivia and it's been fun having a hard workout a few days a week attempting to bike to and from school with some pretty steep climbs both ways. So, that being said, I went with Deborah, James, and Andy (new guy also from New Zealand here to help with getting our wi-fi network up and running) to do some extreme biking. I've never done it before. You are supposed to hang your rear end way out past your bike seat, so that you don't go over your handlebars all the time. WELL, either I wasn't leaning back far enough, or I would hesitantly break on the steep parts and send myself flying over the bars into rocks. Needless to say, I was battered and bruised for a week after that trip. Although, I do plan to go again once I get a new tube for my front tire. My bike got rocked almost as much as I did. :)

Tihuanaco: Located just south of Lake Titicaca and only an hour outside La Paz, it is the site of the ancient Tihuanaco civilization that I covered with my students as they learn about early South American civilizations. I wanted to go due to the fact that it's going to be where I take my students for their first field trip at the end of the quarter (October 16th). I went with Alison, her two Samaritan Purse roommates(Brenda, Susan), and another Samaritan purse intern (Sheldon). Not much else to say about Tihuanaco. We stayed for about three-four hours and then returned.

Copacabana: This one was done last weekend with Alison, John, Sheldon, and Brenda. The memorable moment from this one was hiking the entire length of La Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) and reaching it by nightfall and then having to hike all the way back in the dark. A nice six and a half hour hike at altitude on an empty stomach, but still not nearly as bad as Huyana Potosi (20,000 ft mountain climb last May) or Randy's Bachelor Party Death March. It was still a great trip that I enjoyed thoroughly all in all.

Next Weekend (Co-ed High School hiking trek at Copacabana): This coming weekend is our third three day weekend since school started. (I'm starting to get used to them) Much of the hike will be what I did on La Isla del Sol, so I already know what to expect. It will also be fun trying to make sure there are no make out sessions between the boys and girls. This is the first time we've had a co-ed hike.

School Life: We have four new teachers: Sarah (3rd grade), Heather (middle school bible), Jenny (1st grade), and Lily (pre-school). They are all wonderful additions to our staff. Of the four, I've got to know Sarah the best as our two classes share lunch and recess together. She graduated early from school and only just had her 21st B-day this September. Lily is a Bolivian, and one of my student's mothers, so she's always asking me how he's doing and keeping me on my toes.

Our staff has broke into five different committees to work on the self study for our school's accreditation visit in April. It's an exciting time in Highlands history, but it entails a lot of work in the meantime. :) I'm also struggling to finish up curriculum guides, so that those are ready as well when the accreditation team arrives.

Tim (high school health and advanced backpacking teacher, also husband of Whitney our fifth grade teacher) and I have partnered together as well as two other teacher pairs to lead three different Life Groups. Tim and I have five guys in our group that we meet together with weekly to talk about that week's high school chapel and also to be real with each other. It has been a great opportunity to work with another age level, but more importantly to pour our lives, experiences, and Christ's love into theirs.

Due to the political climate, the Fisher family (Anne- my mentor and elementary principal, and Tom-music and ESL teacher) decided to head to the states for a little while. That leaves me in charge of games club and teaching music to my kids, which has been fun.

My kids are great! Some highlights from our year so far: Science: Lard experiment with gloves, a bucket of ice cold water, and of course LARD. Boy did they have fun, not getting the lard off of their hands. :) Predator vs. Prey experiment where they got to see how much of a difference camouflage really makes. Dead fish experiment where we analyzed the different parts, not dissecting, of a fish. The labeled me as a fish murderer. :( Grammar: Doing charades to work on action/doing verbs. Math: Around the World with multiplication facts and learning to skip count to some cheesily effective Bible songs. They love to roll their eyes at me while I play these songs, but it's helping a few of my eleven students that need multiplication help most, so I don't mind at all. Reading: They get to write letters to me each week about what they've been reading either in their groups or during their individual time. Chapel: They all wanted to act for my first chapel on the parable of "The Persistent Widow". Axel got to play me, he loved it! Bible: They are learning many of the names of God. So far this year, we've looked at El Roi (the God who sees), Jehovah-Jireh (God the Provider), etc... Writing: We have been writing personal narratives and also working on fun little controversial prompts, such as "What is your opinion on uniforms?" Our students will be getting uniforms come second quarter. :) Social Studies: We are just finishing up on the decline of the Inca civilization and how Pizarro was able to defeat the largest empire in South America with only 180 men. Pretty interesting stuff!

My Bolivian Family: This year at the house has been Daniel (now in 1st grade), his mother Dora, her brother Fabrizio, and their father Alberto. Charo is in the states visiting her eldest daughter, as are the newlyweds Dani and Randy, who are also newly pregnant. :) I continue to feel like one of the family and will most likely be spending Christmas with them this year, which, while I will miss spending it with my family for the very first time, I couldn't ask for a better substitute one.

Prayer Requests:

1. For my student Axel Torrico. He has been feeling like the outcast in my group of boys for the past couple of weeks. I had an intervention with them and since then things have been going better, but he still mentions wanting to go to another school from time to time.

2. For my student Sarah Mamani. She is at the school on scholarship, her father is a pastor, and they live outside the city. Their home was attacked by two men last weekend. Her father was shot, and other members of her family beaten. Everyone survived and is in the process of healing physically and emotionally, so please pray for her and her family.

3. For the families, such as the Fishers who are eager to come back to Bolivia now that the political tensions between Bolivia and the U.S. are a little better. Pray that there will be no red tape standing in their way.

4. Pray that as our staff grows, we find ways to stay unified as we serve Christ together.

5. Pray for the country of Bolivia as tensions grow between the different departments here in Bolivia about Evo (president) and his new constitution proposal.

6. Pray that I would be more disciplined and diligent in a variety of things. a.)Rising early to bask in the light of God and His Word, that it may shine out to the kids and others I meet. b.)Working on curriculum guides and accreditation questions. c.) Updating my faithful friends and supporters.

I hate not filling you in on some things that I may have forgot about, because I leave these updates for so long. I will try to do better next time. I humbly ask your forgiveness and thank you for your patience. You are all a wonderful blessing to my life. Thanks for your steadfast prayers and support.

Year in Review

2008-06-25T08:25:00.004-06:00

I want to start off with an apology for my lack of communication to you on how things are going at Highlands International School in La Paz, Bolivia. Amazing things have happened this year in the lives of many of the students, their parents, and the staff (me included). I have been negligent in my duty as a sower to report back to you these tidings worthy of joyful thanksgiving, and so I am writing this update to inform you of these tales so that you may rejoice with me in them.

The Students:
- My 3rd/4th grade students improved overall on their math scores this year on the SAT’s, I look forward to the challenge of doing the same to their reading scores next year.
- Students as a whole spent more than 3,000 dollars on Scholastic books this year. An impressive amount to spend on books for the elementary!
- We had five high school students and a couple elementary students accept Jesus Christ as their risen Lord and Savior, and many more students eagerly searching!
- We had six graduating seniors, five of which will be attending universities in the U.S.
- All students are going to have a uniform dress code for next school year, which is going to remind me of teaching in England and going to private school during 7th/8th grade. J
- I love my students! I consider myself so blessed to be teaching 4th grade next year, because I will retain about two thirds of the class. I’m already excited to see them again!

The Parents:
- One of my concerns about teaching was parents and having conferences with them, but parents have now become something for me to look forward to working with more next year. They have been extremely encouraging and a great help to me in my first year of teaching. A few examples: invitations to their children’s b-day parties, chaperones on field trips (the zoo and Valle de la Luna), conferences that have made my eyes tear up from their gratitude, and throwing a big birthday party for me! I am really enjoying the embrace of the familial culture here in Bolivia.

The School and Staff:
- I’m not certain about the prospect of teaching in the U.S. mainly because of the supportive, encouraging, Christian unified staff that I get to work with everyday at a school where the sunrise over the mountains each morning reminds me of what an amazing Creator we have as our God. Some exciting things that have happened to both school and staff this year are as follows:
- Jason (school director) and Sara, James (high school science) and Julie each had their
first baby added to their family at the end of this school year. Margaret Grace to Jason
and Sara, and Maya to James and Julie. I can’t wait to see them begin to grow up this coming school year!
- Whitney (5th grade) was married to Tim (Youth for Christ/substitute science teacher) over Christmas. She had one student who thought she was somebody else because of the name change.
- Everyone except for our first grade teacher, Kristen, will return this upcoming year for their second or third year! It will be a great community to welcome in the new 1st and 3rd grade teachers.
- We finally have an organized library, internet capability, and PE equipment that will be great resources for next school year!
- Our 6th/7th grade teacher, Deborah, has taken us through a biblical integration course during our workshops this year, which has been a great help in all our lesson planning. It was even worth three continuing education credits!
- Tom and Ann Fisher (ESL and worship/elementary principal) have been holding a monthly community group for believers in La Paz, which has been an immense encouragement to everyone’s sense of unity and fellowship in La Paz, which has been coined the “graveyard of missionaries” due to the lack of people who stay to minister.
- The school is expanding and buying more land on the property where we are currently located. I have enclosed a note from our director with more information.

My Homestay Family:
- The Lord has really blessed me with an amazing, Christian family who has made me feel like one of their own. My best example would be their youngest daughter (or one of my big sisters), Dani, who was married this year to Randy, Youth for Christ worker. I wondered where my name was on the list of invites, because all the Highlands teachers were on Randy’s side. They showed me that I was looking in the wrong place and showed me my name underneath family on Dani’s side.
- Fabrizio, my older brother by five years, and I love to talk about all sorts of things, but mainly relationships, since both he and I have had our issues with those this school year. We each comforted each other through our break-ups reminding each other of God’s sovereignty and provision and perfect timing. We are now once again, more or less (mas o menos), content being single. :)
- The family that I get to see every day: Charro, my Bolivian mother, Alberto, my Bolivian father, Dora, my big sister, and Dora’s son, Daniel. These individuals are also very special to me. Through them, not only does my Spanish improve daily, but I’ve grown to see what the extension of the family of God is like on a more intimate level.
- I attend church with my family, a church plant that is partnering with our school in location and in ministry to both parents and students of Highlands. It truly is an amazing community of believers that God has blessed the heck out of me with.
- I also love the country if you couldn’t tell. I have been on plenty of hikes at high altitudes, which include a climb to the summit of Huyana Potosi (19,978 ft) and a trip to Machu Picchu. The rugged beauty of the land is truly breathtaking!

Prayer Requests:
- The political situation in the country of Bolivia is unstable with three of the nine departamentos (provinces) voting and declaring autonomy from the rest of the country. More departamentos will be voting in the upcoming months also. Pray for peace, especially for La Paz.
- Pray for the new teachers Jenny and Sarah as they begin their first year of teaching at an amazing school!
- Pray for the school and its expansion. There are a lot of things as we continue in our process to improve Highlands before we are visited for accreditation this next April.
- Pray for me this summer as I work on curriculum guides so that they’re ready for the start of this next year.
- Pray for me as I decide whether or not to stay for a third year at Highlands.

Final Thoughts:
I want to thank all of you for your prayers. Through your prayers the Lord has been continuously providing all my needs. Pray that I would do a much better job in sharing with you my prayer supporters the astounding things the Lord is doing at Highlands International School. I will also try to do the same on my blog at bjorvia.blogspot. com. Here’s a picture of me with my students at the zoo and a day in the classroom.

Blessings to you all,

Thomas Bjorlie

15 weeks later...

2008-03-15T13:36:00.001-06:00

Alright, so I'm terrible at this and you ask a good question Pete. I'm not sure how long I get to keep my blog without blogging, but I don't want to find out. I'm not even sure where to start. I'll be brief about my holiday break first. Time with family and friends was needed and I had a blast, but I was eager to get back to Bolivia and my students by the time break ended.

We have a week left in the quarter and so much has gone on I feel. Ashlyn and I broke up. It always seems like I have a tougher time with break-ups than the other person. But we both knew that it was for the best and now, at the end of the third quarter, things have become much more comfortable and easier as we teach together. I'll try to give some highlights from these past couple months now.

Highlights from School-
*I got another new student, 4th grade, whose name is Isaias. He is from Bolivia and is an amazing student, very eager to learn and please the teacher. :) What teacher doesn't appreciate a student like that? I now have a total of 18 students. 12 third graders, 6 fourth graders.
*We have a student teacher at our school teaching high-school math. It's great to have another young guy in the mix of teachers. His name is Nate and he is engaged. With math teachers being in such high demand, he has already found a job for next school year. Wow! It took me two years and moving to another country to do that!
*We are picking a new mascot for our school, because pumas just doesn't fit, due to the other rival American school being the cougars, which is the exact same animal. Thanks to my class it is now between White Tigers (their choice) and Condors (the one the principal really wants to stick). Well when the vote was between the two, White Tigers win, but we'll have to wait and see if Jason (prinicipal) really accepts the new mascot. Some of the other nominees (Fighting Manatees, Penguins, Bats, Stallions, Dragons, and the Ligers). Which would you have voted for?
*My students just finished their social studies projects which was to create their own business/company, accompanied by a poster advertising their product/service, a story on how it all started, a persuasive paper as to why anyone should buy, and a 10 step flow chart as to how their service is run/or their product is made. What a mean teacher right? To top it all off, yesterday they pitched their products to the fifth graders and were graded by the fifth graders on their presentations. Ah, they had a blast!! :)
*I've taught two chapels in the past two weeks. The first on Josiah, the next on Jeremiah. With Josiah the students performed a skit I had written called "The King Is Right" a spoof on "The Price is Right". We had about six kings come on to get interviewed by a panel audience (the rest of my kids). The first five being ones that did evil in the sight of the Lord and getting booed off, the last one (Josiah), getting cheered off. I talked about the cleansing of the temple, and how our hearts are a sanctuary also that need cleansing of any false idols and disrepair, so that we can be whole-heartedly serving the Lord. Yesterday was also Dr. Seuss day for my kids (I'll tell you why it was so late in a bit), so they introduced Jeremiah with a nice rhyme called "Would You, Could You", all about would you be able to give bad news to someone you loved, when you knew it would happen, and you knew they wouldn't listen. My talk wasn't as prepared as I would have liked, but I stressed how when God calls you, the task ahead will not necessarily be easy or fun, but how important it is to trust Him through each and every moment of it.
*So yeah, I celebrated Dr. Seuss Day two weeks late. There's a reason for it. I wasn't planning on celebrating it period. Kindergarten celbrated it on the day. First, second, and fifth grade celebrated it last week. I didn't think fifth grade was going to. My kids come to me all bummed, "Mr. Bjorlie, how come we aren't celebrating Dr. Seuss Day?" So I ask in return, "You want to?" "YEAH!!" And that's pretty much how it happened. Their activity was to write interview questions for the Grinch as if they were the Whos down in Whoville and then I allowed those comfortable with acting in front of the class a chance to improv as the Grinch. I found out I have much more willing actors/actresses than I thought. We have to continue the activity on Monday, because of it. Speaking of Monday, yes, I'll definitely be wearing me kilt, just not in the authentic fashion. ;)
*Our library is up and running and I was able to find books at each of my reading group's appropiate levels, so that I could do guiding reading with each of them, except the ones pulled out for reading help. My highest group's book is set in Norway, so the kids have enjoyed hearing more about my heritage. :) (Like lefse and Ole & Lena jokes)
*We also had a team day, and the theme was water. The weather was beautiful and the kids and teachers alike loved getting eachother extremely soaked in the huge water fight at the end of the day. You guys really can't do that in the states can you? Keep in mind this occurred the beginning of February. :)
*Our school is trying to decide between expanding the property that we are on or moving to another location nearby in Achucalla. Please be in prayer for this big decision.
*I was also observed while doing my dual grade math lesson. She thought it went very well and my scores came back as "at" or "above standard", which was very encouraging.

Highlights from Home
*My big brother Beto is going through a rough back and forth relationship. We've grown close through talking about truth and following the Lord in the midst of pain and heartache. It's been a time of bonding.
*My youngest oldest sister, Danielle, is getting married to Randy (youth for Christ guy). The bachelor party 3-day hike will be this next weekend. Yep, I know. That's Easter weekend. The wedding will be April 26th, so I'm excited to be in my first Bolivian wedding! Not only that, but my older sister's one.
*Charro is back (stay-home mom) from the states and it's been alot of fun learning more Spanish from her, and her learning English from me. She really treats me as part of the family, which is just one of the many reasons why I've decided to live with them again next school year. She went into the hospital a few weeks ago with a problem with her ankle. I don't know exactly what the problem was, my Spanish isn't great when it comes to medical terms, but she was in quite a bit of pain. She's doing much better now.

Highlights from Outside School
*I've started playing basketball on Tuesday nights. I'm terrible! But I am getting better slowly by slowly. I actually scored three baskets last Tuesday. Get ready Chris, I might be able to give you a bit more of a match when I get back this summer. It's also been getting me in pretty good shape for what I hear is going to be an extremely brutal bachelor party hike. The other reason why I can't wait to go on the hike is because I'll be prepared with good hiking shoes and a good backpacking pack. I'll finally be equipped.
*We had a four day weekend in which I actually got to go to another country, Chile. Arrica, Chile to be exact. Lots of desert, all the way up to the beach! I had a great time running along the beach in the morning and swimming up the waves in the afternoon. This happened a week after the break-up and Ashlyn also was on the trip, so it wasn't easy in that sense, but I still found other ways to enjoy myself. One of them was to get extremely sunburned. I know I'll get skin cancer one day, but the day out in the sun and surf was worth the pain. I compare it to Spring Break of junior year in college. Some of you know what I'm talking about! :)
*I'm becoming more active in our church here in La Paz. Today, (I actually have to get going right now), I am going to be participating in a little drama, I only have to act, not speak. Whew! Although, I have to act to a narraration in another language and yeah, I've gotta make sure I'm listening very well. :)
*The sunday school in the church wants to adopt the Children Desiring God curriculum as well and when they do, hopefully in Spanish, they want me to help with teaching the teachers how to teach the curriculum. I've never had to teach teachers before, should be an experience!
*My Spanish is getting better, but I still have a long ways to go before I'm fluent, but I'm getting better at holding on mini-conversations in topics that i know most the vocabulary for.
*We had a Texas Hold-em poker tournament last Saturday and I came out in the middle of a pack of 8, so I felt alright about my playing.
*I meet with Nate, Tom, and Scott on Saturday mornings for a time of accountability and fellowship which has been good. The only sad thing is that I do the same thing on Friday morning with the same guys minus Tom and adding John, just because of the group dynamics. Both times are good, although I wish we could just have one where we all get together.

Alright, I'm sure I'm missing stuff and if I remember anything I'll try to send it on out, but now I want to hear about you all back home and how things are going. Like, how cold is it there in Minnesota? Just kidding! I want to hear about you, so send me an e-mail if you want or just a quick response via the blog. I wish you all a Happy Saint Patrick's Day, which also means Happy B-day Tara! I love you all! Thanks especially to those of you who stayed on me to get this blog done. That especially belongs to Jason and my mother. Thanks Pete and Chris for the reminders also. I'll be seeing you all in about three months!

Month in Review: The Sequel

2007-11-06T15:55:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I suppose that promise to write soon after the last blog didn't turn out so well. Once again, I apologize and will attempt to be a better blogger.
It's so easy to get caught up in everything that's going on, not just school, but hanging out with the staff and my stay-home family as well. ( I put that in there for you mom.) I love you, dad, and Stacy alot, but they have become my extended Bolivian family since I have been here. Although the family has gotten much smaller since my last posting. Alberto and Charro, the parents, are both in Houston with their oldest daughter, Monica, who just had triplets! My big sister Daniela, who is the youngest child in the family and few years older than me, left for Houston on the first of this month. That leaves Dora, her son Daniel (currently in Kindergarten @ HIS), and Fabrizio (aka Alberto or Beto), the only son, about 5 years older than me. The house feels emptier, but Dora has been amazing, what with working, taking care of Daniel, and fixing me dinners. I try and help out when I can by letting her know what my plans are so she can better anticipate if I'll be around for dinner or not. I also helped out two weekends ago with Daniel's B-day party, my first Bolivian B-day party. They invite pretty much everyone, play games, eat cake (while parents have tea), open presents, and then at the end comes the pinata. Only, it's not like in Mexico where you bash the pinata. Instead you just pull out the bottom and all the goodies fall out. It might not seem as fun, and I do admit that I missed the pumelling the pinata usually gets, but you can reuse the pinata and it saves the little kids from laughed at by a bunch of grown-ups who enjoy watching children swing aimlessly at a structurally reinforced bag of candy while blindfolded. If that's not a run-on sentence, then I don't know what is. Anyway, I got a chance to blow up at least 70 balloons (pop at least 5 as I tried to tie them), help lead games such as Pato, Pato, Gonzo (Duck, Duck, Goose) (they never heard of Duck, Duck, Grey Duck, go figure), and do my best to help eat as much Spiderman cake as possible. Alright, there's a bit about the home life, now school...
Parent teacher conferences went well. I had 17 non-stop conferences from about 8:20 to 1:45. There were questions and concerns raised, and then plans and solutions were discussed and agreed upon. I can honestly say that, although being nervous during the day, I felt encouraged after all was said and done. I had many comments from parents with girls that their daughter was nervous about having a male teacher, but that now, they rather enjoyed having one. I do admit that I love each and everyone of my students, and I felt encouraged by those parents who came in and let me know that their students had experienced that love. Now that first quarter is done, I have dropped social studies and picked up science. After doing a brief unit on soil, we began our rocks and minerals unit. The boys are constantly at the other end of the field during recess like always, only now, I don't have to worry about finding rock and mineral samples, because it seems to be many of the boys passions, and I have way too many rocks in my classroom now. I'm just grateful for their enthusiasm and need to find a way to get the girls interested. Hopefully, when we talk about minerals and how they form crystals, such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, maybe then they'll become a little more interested. :)
We received our Desiring God curriculum two weeks ago also, which I have excitedly began to teach. I feel as if I got my first care package with familiar items from home, seeing as how I have taught this curriculum for a year and half at Bethlehem Baptist. The kids seem to enjoy it quite a bit also, as the whole theme is a mystery entitled "In the Beginning... Jesus". We will be solving the myster of Christ's death on the cross and the history of redemption. Yeah, that's right, redemptive history for third and fourth grade. Good stuff! Finally, keep me in your prayers regarding the reading curriculum. I'm still piecing stuff together and I'm afraid that I'm not meeting the criteria I should be, but 3-7 grades will be getting some resources soon to help. Pray that I can develop something concrete and cohesive for my students who vary so widely in their reading abilities. And now, the side stuff...
Games Club occurs Wednesdays after school and the coordinator, Tom Fisher, has pretty much made me the mascot. His slogan? "Beat Bjorlie!" Yeah, his newest poster misquotes me as challenging anyone who thinks they can stand a chance in a game of Settlers against me. Don't worry, I'm not getting a big head, but hey, I'm here to help, yeah? I still continue to hang out with Scott (english teacher) and the elementary teachers as we watch movies, play cards, or just simply chill together. After conferences, five of us took a trip to El Castillo, down in the south Yungas. El Castillo is an old Spanish castle that has been made into a hotel. We arrived at dusk and found out that the power was out and that apparently there were many ghost stories that surrounded the castle. So we had fun playing Phase 10 by candlelight in a spooky old castle until 2 in the morning. The next day consisted of a hike with Ashlyn and Scott to a waterfall, where I was compelled to stand under for the fun of it. The hike also consisted of many unstable bridges that were so much fun to cross. Then it was lunch and a couple games of Uno. Then I went swimming with Ashlyn and Alison at the beach. What a laugh, it was more like rocks alongside a rushing river! It was still fun wading out as far as you dared against the fast-flowing current. I like the fact that they don't have all those signs saying "Stay out of the Water, Dangerous Current". Yeah, duh! That's why I want to get in. Anyway, then it was back to play more games, watch "Pan's Labyrinth" and then trying to compose a ghost story, where each person took turns citing the next twist in the gruesome plot. We were all so tired though, that it was pretty pathetic. Sunday was another beautiful day that resulted in another hike to the other waterfall, where both Scott and I got drenched this time. It was a blast!
This last weekend was our Spiritual Retreat. All the teachers went to Chulumani, which is a beautiful town about another hour past El Castillo down further into the South Yungas. The Lord blessed us with amazing weather and a 25 meter long pool with two diving boards! Yeah, I was ecstatic! I must warn you though, these diving boards were thin wooden planks that didn't have much spring and the high board was cemented into a platform. The tip of the high board was two feet short from the edge of the pool, so you had to jump out aways to insure you landed in the water. Still, I was able to do 1 and 1/2s off both boards and impress my director a little. :) We also had lots of fun playing "Keep Away" in the pool. I love dunking people. Yeah, I know I was a lifeguard, so what? Jason, the director, had flown out dear friends of his from the states to lead our four sessions talking about the exchanged life. In summary, talking about the transformed life we have when we allow Christ to live in and through us, instead of trying to master our sinful desires on our own. It was a good time to reflect in areas of my life where I struggle with letting God reign. For me it's not so much an arrogant thought that I can do it on my own, but a self-pitying withdrawal when I don't. It was good to put that temptation at the front of my mind and claim the truth that I am an heir to the Kingdom of God and that I was known and loved by the source of life and love before I was even born. A good weekend!

Alright, I think I have caught you all up on most everything that's been happening. There is one other thing that I have left out, but I'm not at liberty to share about it yet. Most likely in my next blog, I will be able to fill you in. I lead my second chapel this week for the 3-7 grades, so pray for wisdom and guidance as I seek the Lord for the best way to teach about another one of God's names, "The Unknown Name". It comes from when Paul is talking to the Greeks about the many statues of gods that they have and he talks about their pedestal they built for the "unknown god". Yeah, I tend to choose the abstract names of God, but hey, I like the challenge. Thanks again to all of you for your prayers for me and patience with me. God has been doing amazing things in the school and in my life. Pray that I continue to lean on Him who knows the prosperous plans for my life as I seek to serve Him here in La Paz.

A Month in Review

2007-10-08T04:20:00.000-06:00

I once again find myself needing to apologize for my lack of blogging and keeping people updated. Yes, I am busy, but I still do have time to blog most weekends. Ok, so since I now only have a short amount of time to do this before I leave for school, I will do my best to give a quick overview.

The dodgeball tournament. My team got third, and the other teacher team from Highlands got first, but my team also beat the other teacher team once, which was a ton of fun.

The next weekend. I was gone all day Sunday with Jason (my director), James (science teacher), Scott (English teacher), and Randy (youth for christ leader and my Bolivian sister's boyfriend). We went for a 9 hour hike on the Zongo trail, which was amazingly, ruggedly breathtaking. I hiked up to 16,250 ft above sea level (the highest point I've ever been to.) It was a very difficult trail, but well worth it.

The following 3 day weekend. We didn't have school Friday, but I did not get any work done at all, because I went with the high school boy's trip on the Tequesi Trail. This trail may not have been as difficult as the Zongo trail, except for the fact that I had a huge heavy pack I had to carry for the whole trip. It was wonderful just getting to know many of the high school boys better. On the first day we made the hardest climb up to the highest point, only 15,500 ft this time. The highest point, a pass into the valley beyond, was amazing, because as you looked to the pass, you saw a cross. So, we set our eyes on the cross and made the climb. The first night was a little rough, as it poured rain as we were setting up camp in an amazing valley, where the moon seemed to shine extra bright. I did not sleep at all the first night and got up out of the tent dry heaving a few times. The first part of the hike the next day, I felt like I was walking in a trance, just putting one tennis-shoed foot in front of the other. The Inca trails were amazing, but it wasn't till I caught a quick nap at our stop around noon that I perked up a bit. We were going to set up camp at the place where we stopped, but the skies opened up again, and it was decided to continue on to an abandoned shelter another 2.5 hour hike further. Yeah, it downpoured almost the whole way there. It cleared up once we arrived and we got to set up our camps inside the shelter, so we had a nice dry place to sleep that night. By the way, we have climbed down from 15,500 ft above sea level and are now down to 7,500 ft. The next morning was a beautiful, warm flat walk to the town of Yanacachi, where we caught a bus back to La Paz.

Ok, I have to go, but a quick school update. I was observed by my director two weeks ago and talked with him about it at the beginning of last week. The ratings were above, at, below standard, and unsatisfactory. I was at standard for all the areas except for two, which he put me at above standard, so I guess I'm doing ok. I would appreciate your prayers for continued work on my lessons and on my diligence to blog. Also, the quarter ends this week and I will be having parent conferences next Friday. I still have to update you on what's been going on in school and the past two weekends. I will try and do that sometime this week. I promise.

I love you all and thanks for all of you who have been on my case to update. I really do appreciate it and will do my best to get better.

Labor Day, Ain't That the Truth

2007-09-04T15:48:00.000-06:00

Fried
My brain is a little fried, so I'm not quite too sure where to start. Today was our first half day. Now some of you might be thinking, "Lucky", but that only rings true for the students. (Besides, you all got Labor Day off, while we actually labored.) Sure, I don't have to plan things for the second half of the day, but the rest of the day is spent in meetings. I only had two meetings today, but back to back they lasted around four hours. The first one, the three hour long one, was spent discussing philosophy, scope and sequence, unit plans, etc... for Language Arts K-12. Yep, we're starting with the big one. For accreditation we are focusing on developing curriculum guides and aligning them K-12 in each subject area. This semester the focus is on Language Arts and Bible. The elementary teachers (yeah, that includes me) looked over two different Bible curriculums, Desiring God and Positive Action, and voted to adopt/buy the Desiring God curriculums, minus the workbooks. Both curriculums had pros and cons, but I'm excited to use a curriculum I have already worked with and start adapting the lessons so they can stretch over a three day period.
Anyways, I am definitely feeling overwhelmed and unfit for the task ahead, but I also know the devil and his lies. Please pray that I would seek help and dive head long into this project ahead and not find alternate escape methods. I also just graded my class' first social studies test last night and while there are about a third in the A and B range, there are many that struggled, especially the english language learners. I am still trying to develop strategies to help them understand the content that's being taught. Math tests are coming up for 4th grade tomorrow and 3rd grade on Friday, so pray that my students would retain the knowledge they have hopefully gained from my teaching. Alright, enough about school, I just had to vent a little I think.
Coroico
Yeah, this wasn't last weekend, but the one before. It was beautiful! The sun didn't come out as much as we all hoped, but it didn't matter. Stronger bonds among the teachers were definitely formed. Here are some highlights:
1. Playing scum or P&A (yeah, nobody had heard of this name for the card game, so I got labeled as the rebellious one) the first night until 1 in the morning. Hey, that's late for me now. I tend to go to bed somewhere between 8:30 and 10 every school night.
2. Beginning a hike, called the Flat Trail, and having everybody except Deborah bail on it, because a. it wasn't flat , b. we kept taking wrong turns and weren't sure of the trail, and c. the others wanted to get back for lunch and the pool at the Hotel Esmerelda (the name fits well into the Eagles song). Deborah, who loves to rock climb and mountain bike and has taught for the past five years in China, and I had a great time conquering the "Not So Flat Trail" together, enjoying the amazing views of the mountainous jungle valleys, and chatting about eachother's past and our views about things. For example, she asked me if I had my eye on any of the single female teacher's my age. My response? People who know me well enough should know my answer. "I'm content being single. I'm not opposed to a relationship, but I'm not seeking one. As of right now, my eye is on having a great first year of teaching." She appreciated the response and proceeded to open up to me how it was for her to stay single. I'll leave her pearls of wisdom with me.
3. The pool. I finally got to swim a little and show off. :) You know, like my handstand trick to get out of the pool, turn and fall back in. I also enjoyed convincing Ashlyn, Whitney, and Kristen that I would not play "Open Book" unless they jumped in the pool. You all know me, I would have played regardless, but they didn't know and therefore jumped.
4. Bonding with the other teachers over games of "Open Book" and the Spelling Game (as I will call it). "Open Book" was all about answering truthfully any hard-hitting questions someone had to ask you. Each person had their turn in the hot seat. We got to know eachother pretty well.
There's the highlights. It was very relaxing. I didn't do any school work, a much needed break. Of course, I just had a ton to do when I got back. :)

Last Weekend
Friday night was spent watching the Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum (great movies) at Kristen, Ashlyn, and Whitney's place with Scott and Alison. I got home at 2 and then got up at 9, so I could go for my run with Jason, our principal. He ran a marathon before coming to Bolivia last year, but he didn't run much last year, so after our run, he wasn't in that much better shape than I was. Our plan is to start off running twice a week (it's probably more like jogging for right now :) ) So our next day to run is tomorrow after school. It's a good stress reliever and fog clearer. The rest of the day was spent talking with the family and doing some planning, topping it off with a night of Bamboozle, spoons, golf, and euchre. Yeah, the last three are kinds of card games. Euchre was by far my favorite, mainly because Alison and I won. Sunday was spent like this: After church and lunch at a Beatles themed chicken wings place, many of the teachers went up to school to help Kristen and Ashlyn put their rooms back in order after getting their new flooring in their rooms. I was due to get my floor done next weekend. Lo and behold, we get to school and Ashlyn's room is done, but Kristen's concrete floor was apparently not set enough to lay down the new floor, so the workers had taken out all my desks and bookshelves and done my floor. They'll apparently do Kristen's next week. So I had lots of fun putting everything back not only into their rooms, but mine as well.
After our laboring we went part way back home to a good climbing rock that Jason and I had found during our run. Deborah had brought her climbing gear and many of us, including me, got a chance to rock climb. The route that was set was around a level 7 (European standard), or 10 (American standard). Deborah climbed up and she said it was one of the toughest climbs she had ever done, and guess who got to go up next? Yeah, my first time ever on a very, very difficulty level of climbing. I made it to the third clip which was about as high as eveyone else got that went after me. But I had lots of fun and can't wait to climb again. My forearms were killing me. I came down and couldn't open up my hands for awhile since they had locked in the grab position.

Yeah, I know. My update is long. I am trying to find adequate time to get work done, teach, do the fun things, and fill in everybody on how all that is going. A quick blurb about my family. Yeah, they're still awesome. Alberto, Charo is in the U.S. with her oldest daughter who just had triplets, still continues to get up when I do at 5 in the morning and get breakfast ready. I have even had the opportunity to babysit Daniel, Kindergarten at Highlands, and help him out with his homework. He learned that tijeras are called scissors, and vice versa for me. My Spanish recognition is improving, but my responses are coming along much slower. Spanish lessons are helping, but I'm still not close to being conversational, although I understand much more just due to daily routines.

Plans for next weekend
As far as I know, my stay home sister's boyfriend works for Youth for Christ and is organizing a Bolivian dodgeball tournament for this weekend. Many of the high schoolers and teachers from Highlands will be participating including myself. It should be a blast. Other than another run with Jason and a Skype conversation sometime on Saturday with anyone who is on, that's about all I know.

I hope y'all (Whitney and John are rubbing off on me a little) are doing well back home. I miss you all, but at the same time am not anxious to go back yet. Teaching may be tough, but I love my kids and Bolivia and am not ready to leave yet, not even close.

Dios le bendiga todos. Ciao.

Lo Siento, Mis Amigos

2007-08-23T16:38:00.001-06:00

Or I am sorry, my friends. This post has been long delayed, and I know many of you have been anxiously waiting for the next installment of Bjorlie in Bolivia. Thank you for your patience and for your posts. I don't know how I can sum up the first couple weeks of school well, but I will try.

Week 1
Lots of planning and preparation, continuing to set up the classroom, and getting students acquainted with a new teacher. My kids are wonderful, I'm sure every teacher says so, but all the same, they're great! It has been very interesting trying to juggle two grades, but so far, I don't have to do to much to differentiate between the two. Our writing workshop curriculum is for 3-5 grade, which allows me to teach it collectively to both. With social studies (now) and science (later), I will be doing units from both 3rd and 4th grade standards. With Reading Workshop I am able to assess children's levels through Reading A-Z curriculum and form them into reading groups. Bible is also collective. We are currently trying to decide between using one of two curriculums for the elementary Bible program. One of the choices is the Children Desiring God curriculum, which of course I'm pushing for, seeing as how I used it for a year and a half at Bethlehem and can be assured that it will be amazing. Pretty much all the other teachers are huge Piper fans, so the curriculum has a good chance. (And yes, I know, the pastor figurehead should not be a factor, and trust me it's not, but there are lots of Piper fans) Back to school for a sec, the only tough subject is math. I need to allot more time so as to fit two lessons into one chunk of time. It's not simple.
All in all, I survived my first week and while I continue to dread and dislike the planning and preparation, I love my students. I have one student, Ah Hye, who knows absolutely no English, but at the same time I have two others, Si Yeon and Eliezer, who know both languages well enough to relay instructions for the assignments and with the addition of our new EFL teacher, Tom Fisher, I am excited for her being able to receive more scrutinized instruction.

Weekend 1 after the First Week

I played Settlers twice with four other people and won each time. Pray for me, I'm trying to stay humble. :) All the teachers celebrated Scott's B-day at a great Bolivian restaraunt. Amazing food and authentic music, that I know my dad would have loved. I captured a little video just for you dad. Other than that I also went into the school to do some more planning and preparing. I honestly didn't get as much done as I wanted. Oh well, I'll learn.

Week 2
More the same of the first week. I actually have one day left, although there might be a blockade, apparently there were about 4 last year that they had to cancel school for, so the teachers all get excited every time there's a rumor of one. :) The roads are limited here, so it's easy to shut down and barricade the main ones from the city center, El Centro, to Zona Sur, where I live, to Mallasilla, where the school is at. There was talk in the paper of there being one last Friday, but it never happened. Oh, I have also been having Spanish lessons with two other teachers on Mondays and Thursdays. They have been helpful, but not as much as my conversations with my homestay family during dinner. All the new teachers, including me, also did alot of Visa prep this week. On Monday, we had to miss our school morning to go into the doctor and get our physicals, no turning the head and coughing, but we did have to get a chest x-ray, where they pushed you up against this board (muy frio, very cold) and then take the shot. Along with getting some blood and urine samples, it made for an interesting morning. The next day we had to leave a half hour early to get finger printed at Interpol. So many things in so little time, when do I plan, I'm not sure, that's a good question. Today, after school, was spent getting our Banco Bisa cards. The school deposits our salary into these accounts and we can withdraw in either dollars (to pay our families) or Bolivianos. Ok, I have to go soon, but a few things before I do. Thanks again for your posts, they are encouraging and lots of fun to read. This weekend I am usually on Skype on Saturday morning, but this weekend I will be in Coroico. It's a city about a two hour bus ride away and about 6,000 ft lower in elevation. Myself and about 6 other teachers will be pool side relaxing and enjoying the lush greenery of a lower climate. Sorry, I hope I'm not making you too envious. The life of a Bolivian teacher is just so hard. :)

Prayer Requests

Planning and preparation. Health. Yesterday I went to school, but felt like throwing up the whole entire day. I told my students during read aloud, that if I ran out of the room I expected one of them to continue where I left off. I feel much better today praise the Lord! Although I'm doing better than some of our other teachers and administrator who was out most of this week with stomach problems. Also, I got a new student at the beginning of this week who is just amazing from Las Vegas. She is definitely going to be the highest reader in the class. Okay, back to prayer requests. Honestly, I am comfortable in the country, but not as much at school only because I'm a first year teacher and am constantly wondering if I'm doing things right. So, prayer for guidance, wisdom, and perseverance during this first year.

I love you all and keep up those posts.

Week of Planning

2007-08-08T16:55:00.000-06:00

Thank you everyone for all the comments! Good catch on my misspell Kevin! I wouldn't have expected you to be my editor, but kudos to you! It has been longer than a week and this post will have to be shorter. For all you faithful prayer warriors, thank you for your prayers and your patience. I have most of the e-mail addresses I think, so all I need to do now is write my letter. Here are a few quick updates that you can comment on:

-Friday- The new staff, plus Jason, were all very busy getting settled in our places and accepting new students, so we did not go to Lake Titicaca, so John and I went to the school for awhile to work on some things. I put a picture on of the view of the mountains from the school. Imagine that all the way around. I will see if I can put a couple little videos on so you can get a view of my classroom, the school, and the mountainous panorama.

-Saturday- Josh, the other guest in the Castillones home, made a shish-kabob barbecue for the whole Castillones family and I. I was stuffed. We also had the whole staff together for the first time for dinner at Jason and Sara's. We played a few outrageous icebreaker games. One of them was psychologist.

-Sunday- Josh left to head back to Boston and I schooled John, campus pastor and high school Bible teacher, in the two player version of Settlers of Catan (I am undefeated in Bolivia)

-Monday-American Barbecue to celebrate Dia de Bolivia (I played ultimate frisbee, my lungs were on fire after the first score, and continued to stay that way the rest of the night)

-Tuesday-Teacher's Meetings and Setting up the classroom began (I got in my desks for my 16 students and have a mental picture of how my classroom will look)

-Today- More planning and setting up. I am beginning to feel very anxious for my class. I am not feeling as prepared as I want and Friday is Open House. I need the room ready by then. So, for all you prayer warriors waiting anxiously to hear about prayer requests that are reading this blog. Here's my number 1: Pray that I would fully believe and claim the promise in Philippians 4: 6,7. Some of you have that memorized and the rest of you, look it up. :) Thanks again for your prayers. I promise to type up my letter as soon as I have some breathing room, probably this coming weekend.

Blessings to you all back home!

Bright & Sunny La Paz

2007-07-29T13:35:00.000-06:00

The Flight
Not much to say. I had a good night rest the night before at Chris and Jessica's place and Chris dropped me off at around 6AM Saturday morning. The flight to Miami was uneventful, but once I arrived I only had about 15 min to walk from concourse E to concourse A. It was at least a mile long. I made it just as they were calling the first groups on the plane, so it all worked out well. On the flight to La Paz, a man asked me if I could switch seats with him, so that he could sit next to his wife. This put me in a middle seat about at the very back of the plane, since I didn't really mind moving. I am glad that I did also, because I sat next to a man named Eric who grew up in Bolivia, but went to Michigan Tech for school and is now living in Vancouver. So, yes, I had the privilege of hearing a TCK's (third-culture kid) story and his helpful advice to stay open-minded to the culture. I found it very interesting that he felt more at home in the U.S. and Canadian cultures then his own. He hung out with me all the way until we both found our luggage and until I was able to meet up with Jason and Sara (my director and his wife).
The Arrival
We packed everything into Jason's vehicle and made for the valley. El Alto (the section of the city where the airport is) was very poor. After driving through El Alto we began the descent into the valley were I got to see the city lights down below. An amazing sight! We saw stray dogs all over the place. They are just a part of the city. At the bottom of the city we arrived at my homestay's place. I had been informed that I was going to be at a different place then I had been shown. It is closer to the school and very close to where Jason and Sara live, so I would be able to hitch a ride with Jason when he goes to the school.
Meeting my Homestay
We were greeted customarily when we arrived. For my part a customary greeting with a woman is to lean to the left and make a kissing sound by their cheek as they do the same on the other side. It honestly wasn't awkward at all. We sat down in their beautiful home and just began talking. Well, I didn't as much. :) They said they would treat me like one of their own. I felt very blessed. After Jason and Sara left, I was able to have some limited conversation with both Alberto and (not sure how to spell this) Charro, as I sat down to have some coca tea to help my stomach and headache as well as some pan (bread) with queso (cheese) and mantequilla (butter). It was different, but delicious! Then it was time dormir (to sleep), after some water and Advil. The weather is about mid-40's here. I love it!
Domingo (Sunday)
After taking a shower, dressing for iglesia (church), and putting some more of my clothes away. I made my way down to the kitchen where I met Joshua. He is originally from California, but going to med school in Boston. He was down in Bolvia for a month working on international medicine. He is also living in the same house and knows more Spanish than me, but is still just below conversational. When breakfast was almost done, Silvia walked in. Silvia is from England, fluent in Spanish, lived with the family for 9 months last year and will be living with them again for a couple more weeks as she is visiting on holiday. It was fun to hear the British accent once again. She has been a great help with translating. I am still a little frusturated, because I so want to understand, but my Spanish is so limited. Anyway, we then walked to La Comunidad, the church, and all around us were mountains on every side. Boy, what a sight to behold! I don't think I will ever get used to it, and that's a good thing. I got to meet Scotty Miser at church. He is a missionary to Bolvia, sent out from Bethlehem Baptist, the church I attended, and he is planting a church close to where the school is. The church plant is affiliated with La Comunidad and my family is actually a part of the plant. Pretty amazing connections, eh?! We went out to lunch afterwards at a chicken (pollo) place called Copacabana. It was pretty much a KFC, Bolvian style. Along with the chicken and french fries, you get fried plantains (bananas). They were pretty good. Jason and Sara should be stopping by later today before they pick up some more of the teachers that are coming in tonight. I think tomorrow we begin the orientation itinerary. All I know so far is that we plan to go to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, on Friday. I hope you are all having as fantastic a Friday as I am! Thank you for all your prayers for safe travel and and an easy transition. They were answered!
A Beginning
I have already had a few comments on the last posting. Not bad! But I think we can do better. I will try to add pictures to spruce up the blog site soon. Until then, I am counting on your comments. I love you all! Thanks again for your prayers!

3...2...1...Blastoff!

2007-07-25T09:23:00.000-06:00

Some Accountability?
Ok, honestly now, who wants to volunteer to keep me accountable to updating my blog more than once a month? All that person would have to do would send me a quick e-mail or posting saying, " It's time to post again!" I want to send out some sort of post every week and I hope to develop a weekly routine to accomplish that goal. Okay, on with the update...

PFO 2007
Southaven, MS was an amazing week and a half. It was filled with scrumpcious southern cooking (no, I didn't have grits, but it was offered) that filled my belly to bursting everyday. Genuine Southern hospitatlity was experienced daily. The seminars ranged from topics regarding our own personalities (including how we communicate, how we approach conflict, etc...), learning more about the TCK (Third Culture Kid- international students in our schools), preparing to leave, and how to adapt to a new culture. My roommate while there, Zach, was an amazing guy. He offered to lead the worship during our time there, so I was more than eager to lend my voice to back him up during those days. They also split us up into small groups to discuss the day's seminars and how we were all doing with our preparation anxieties. I was in a group with three married couples and Zach. Just so people know, this was a training not just for new teachers going to Bolivia, but to all the NICS/OASIS schools around the world. So, I got to know people who were going to places such as: Caracas, Venezuela; Seoul, South Korea; Singapore; Brazil; Ghana; Ankara, Turkey; Kabul, Afghanistan; etc... These people came from all over the U.S., some were coming straight out of college while others had five years experience or more already. I also got to meet frequently with my Bolivia group, of which I am very excited to begin working with. One of the couples, Marcos and Valeria, came from Bolivia. They had been teaching at Highlands International School since it started 4 years ago. Our group was blessed to be able to hear firsthand from them about the culture and the school. I was even able to practice my limited Spanish with them a little. They said I had a pretty good vocabulary already and expected me to catch on quickly when I got there. We'll see. :) Jason and Sara, the school's director and his wife, also came for a couple days for some group bonding. I also got to meet John Swaney, the school's campus pastor and high school Bible teacher. He lives about 10 min away from Southaven, MS and Memphis, TN, so he took the Bolivia group out a couple times to get to know eachother and have some Memphis ribs. Mmmm. John and I also went out a couple times to just sit and talk about everything and anything. The rest of my group is comprised of Whitney (5th grade, engaged, and taught the 2nd half of the year at Highlands), Alison (Kindergarten and elementary specials), and Tom and Anne (EFL teacher and elementary principal, they have a four year old named Avery). Getting to know my group has helped immensely in soothing anxieties about La Paz.

Since I've Been Home
It's been hard. Don't get me wrong now, I love spending time with my parents. But there's been two big reasons why there is still a knot in my stomach.
1. Saying Goodbyes- I had to say goodbye to Stacy this past weekend and many other close friends in the cities. I say goodbye to my parents in 2 days. I can't express enough how much everyone has meant to me throughout my life. There are still so many people that I have not said goodbye to and if you are one of those people reading this right now, I want you to know that I am sorry. Please let me know who you are, so that I can write a proper e-mail letting you know how much you've blessed my life. I leave my comfort zone in two days, which is exciting, and at the same time extremely uncomfortable.
2. Escaping- My big to-do projects over these past couple weeks was to pack (of which I'm not worried about) and begin school planning. I have spent the past two weeks stalling and delaying because I don't know how to start getting organized. I just finished a 2000 piece puzzle and have watched more Cosby show then one person should. It's a frusturating weakness that I have only just recently begun taking to the right source for strength. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I hit the grindstone these last couple days to give myself an outline for this coming school year. Any advice or organization tips would be welcome also.

Final Comments
I have received a few e-mails from people who want to be included in my prayer update, which I plan to send out at the beginning of each month. If you want to be included send me your e-mail at bjorlie@gmail.com.
Also, don't be afraid to comment. I got a whopping one comment on my last posting and maybe that's because I haven't left yet. Either way, let me know that you're reading. Thank you all! I will try this clever wordplay again and see if it works. Let the comments commence!

Tomorrow Memphis, Next Month Bolivia

2007-06-24T18:03:00.000-06:00

I have to apologize for the three month period of blogging silence. I plan on writing much more frequently now that the ball is rolling. Let me catch you up to speed, and then I'll give you a glimpse into what the last month of preparation will look like (as well as I can tell :)).

These past few months have been a time of finishing up jobs, sending support letters, receiving support, communicating with my director and a couple other teachers about the upcoming school year, VISA, teaching Sunday School, moving out of my apartment, and enjoying the last few months with friends.

I finished up with FedEx at the end of May and am trying (unsuccessfully) to stay active without my weekday night exercise group. I taught a few more swim lessons and guarded a few more shifts towards the end of May to round out my time at the YMCA, and finally, the King Child Development Center. This past Wednesday was my last day at the King and they could not have done a better job of making me feel loved and appreciated. It was a great send-off (what says "We love and appreciate you" more, than a 10$ gift certificate to Chipotle?)! Having had said goodbye to the preschoolers and my amazing Kindergarten Sunday School class and team (what says "God be with you Mr. Bjorlie" more, than 30 some kindergartners laying their hands on you and praying for your ministry?), I am finally ready to move up a few grades to work with what I have heard is the best class a first year 3rd/4th grade teacher could ever ask for.

In my e-mails, skype conversations, and phone calls with some of the staff at Highlands International School (HIS), I have learned more about the home stay family I will be staying with and where they are located. I will be staying just outside the city (La Paz) with a Bolivian couple and their kids who all have jobs and are older than me. A couple of the kids know some English, but suffice to say, I will be immersed in the Spanish language daily. Praise the Lord! I can't wait for the lessons to start. Necisito practicar mucho! I also sent in my VISA application and got my passport back with the stamp of official approval last week. I have also purchased my airfare down to Bolivia, so there is not much left to stand in my way.

I have also been humbled and deeply moved with my first experience of sending out letters for support and watching them come in. After having totaled up how much support I have with both the one-time gifts and the monthly gifts, I am just over 4/5 of the way there. The Lord is good, and His faithfulness is amazing! I am working on the thank-you cards right now for any of you supporters wondering if I got your gift. If there are any of you who want a more personal update so as to know how to best support me with prayer and also to know how the Lord is working in and through my life and ministry, please send me your e-mail address at bjorlie@gmail.com. I am currently planning on sending out a monthly support e-mail at the end of each month, starting in July, so let me know if you are interested.

I moved everything out of my apartment with the help of my dad, roommate, and his fiancee on Thursday and spent the weekend in Austin. I am currently writing to you from my semi-barren apartment (my roommate hasn't moved out yet) packed and ready for an early rise-and-shine plane ride tomorrow morning. Now that you are all caught up to speed, I will give you a brief itinerary for how the next month will look.

June 25th: Arrive in Memphis for the PFO (Pre-Field Orientation) training
July 4th: I leave the training a few days early so as to make it back for my roommate's wedding, which takes place the very next day. I hope to see fireworks from above!
July 6th: Back down to Austin, where I will spend the remainder of the month making packing lists, preparing an in-depth outline of how the school year's going to look, and spending time with the family. I hope to make at least one trip back to the Twin Cities sometime during that month for final farewells also.
July 28th: My flight to La Paz leaves at 8 in the morning and arrives in the evening. Hola Bolivia!
July 28th-August 6th: Acclimate and culture shock time!
August 7th-10th: School orientation and setting up the classroom. My first one!!
August 13th: Bring on the kids! :) Wahooo!!!!!!!! I'm a little excited.

Well there you have it. You are all clued in. Now it's your turn. Questions, words of encouragement, advice, funny tasteful jokes, etc... Let the comments commence!

First Update

2007-03-25T15:29:00.000-06:00

The time is drawing closer and I am working on getting everything ready to go. Here is a list of things that I have done:

bought plane tickets to the PFO (Pre-Field Orientation) training in Southaven, MS
sent out support letters
received most of my immunizations (2nd Hep. A shot to come this summer)
started to brush up on my very limited espanol with the help of Rosetta Stone

...and yet to do:

make a packing list
develop long-term teaching goals by becoming more familiar with the school's curriculum and North Carolina's learning standards

I have also contacted the 2nd/3rd grade teacher at Highlands International School and she assures me that I have an amazing class to look forward to for this summer. I can't wait! I will have around 11 or so 3rd graders and around three 4th graders to teach.

This will be my first full year of teaching experience, so along with the excitement also comes a fair share of doubts that are hard to shake. Am I up for the challenge? What if I fail? When those questions come, I just remind myself of the peace and sense of God's calling I had when I interviewed and accepted this position. If the Lord is for it, than who can be against it? So what do I do when presented with these doubts? "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me." -John 14:1 "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." -Ephesians 6:11 The devil's darts of doubt miss their marks everytime when I am trusting the Lord's plan for my life and following it in His strength and might, not my own. "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." -John 15:5 Praise God and his Word for the encouragement and comfort they have been and will continue to be during this time of preparation!

I would love to hear feedback and answer any questions you may have regarding Bolvia, this blog, anything in general, etc... I have two e-mail addresses now as well and am in the process of converting one of them bjotho@bethel.edu to my new one bjorlie@gmail.com. Feel free to drop me a note. God bless!

P.S. One last thing regarding contact information while I am in Bolivia. I will not be using a cell phone while in Bolivia, but a free computer program called Skype. I would encourage you to download it at www.skype.com. It's a great way to stay in touch. My skype name is bjorlie. Pretty simple, eh?