Presenting...January 2011 Trip Video

Two Trips to Chi-Town

Trip 2: Last weekend in February. Bizzy and her friend Erien drove up to Michigan and we all went together to Chicago. No specific reason, we just like Chicago! We spent Saturday with Nathan and a friend of Erien's who I also knew from Open Door. We got Giordano's pizza which I maintain is the BEST! Then we walked to the zoo on the blustery wet day. I think we drank lots of hot chocolate/tea that day! Met up with my friends from Bolivia that night for Chicago style hot dogs--which weren't quite as impressive as I expected...but I guess if you don't like hot dogs, even Chicago style aren't that exciting. I went for the company though, not the food, and they are some of the coolest people EVER! ;) Sunday morning we went to church with Katie and then had Thai food for lunch with the cousins and a friend from my church in Ohio who attends seminary there.

So thankful for good friends. :)
I think these were the bolivian monkeys...! Bizzy, Me and Nathan.
Frisky tiger...not sure if he wanted to play with or eat Nathan...!
No witty caption necesary--I'm sure you've already thought of one!
Mmmmm, the best pizza ever!

It was a soggy day.


Our gracious hostess who let us take over her house (Thanks Jen)!

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Trip 1: Feb 6 weekend. Four of my former co-workers from Bolivia live in Chicago--reason enough to go visit, right? Well, then our other friends the Spies were passing through on their way to Australia for furlough and I knew there was not a good enough excuse to make the trip out to visit everyone. My cousins also attend Moody and Nathan sings in the Chorale. And another surprise? It also was Founder's Week! So I got to see Nathan sing, hear Erwin Lutzer and get pizza with Nathan, Stephen & friends! Such a good time. :)
Katie was a super sweet hostess!
Sweet Reunion! L-R: Jen, Me, Katie, Elsa, Matt, Nate & Kate.
We had a tea party. Lily has the cutest Bolivian accent--she also apparently liked my hair! That's Daisy on Katie's lap.
Made it just after the "snowpocalypse". It was so crazy, I felt like I was in a movie or something. So surreal, I got a good workout helping Katie shovel out her car though!
I also got to have breakfast with Rachel's best friend Anna who lives in Chicago!
Moody Chorale. :)

I highly advise that you go see Chicago if you ever get the chance--even though my friends are way cooler and that makes the trip better...I'm sure you can still find fun things to do. I can make some suggestions if you want!

Potosi January 2011

Team minus little Edwin.

breathtaking scenery

Some of thegirls and an hermano from the town of Vacuyo

Just a sampling of two of the beautiful women of Kharimayu Frias

Jed and Edwin--note Edwin's leg which still needs some medical attention.

Town of Belen Urmiri where we stopped en route to Vacuyo

Hermano Jorge--our fearless leader!

happy recipients!

Choclito (aka Dr. Waldo)

A few of the houses in Kharimayu Frias

Team minus Dr. Jorge

me and Edwin at the Terminal

yummm...boiled sheep head in one hand and anti-parisite medication in the other!

Stay tuned for more...

Shop South America--NEW ITEMS!

Updated 3/2/2011

Hermano Jorge asked me to bring these handmade products back from Potosi to sell. The women from the villages up in the mountains make all of these things by hand. All the money will go back to the Bolivian people. Everything is made from llama wool (*unless otherwise noted), and colored with natural colorants from the Andes. There may be slight size/color variations. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks for looking!

Bracelets $3

Table coverings/placemats $18/each (There are matches for each color that you see here).

Large table covering $$58
Table runner $22
Alpaca Scarf $25
Table covering $15

Bag without top --$15 (Only WHITE left)

Bolsa con Tapa (bag with top)--$18

Chus'pas (small purse with tassels)--$9

Hats--$12

The best overnight layover ever!!!

Up on the Mountain

Jorge and Nidia's family.
That's how we traveled
That's where we slept
That's what we took
That's why we went!


The school was donated from the Japanese Ambassador.
Recycled tire sandals. And it was soooo cold!
Toothbrushing lessons

Bible lesson

Cat and Mouse game.
This is so hard!!
The kids all got parasite treatments
I got conned into being in a skit--as the main character!! I guess it's because I had just said that God uses the things that make us most uncomfortable to get us out of our comfort zones so He can work...
"Hoof Jello".
Girls got teddy bears
Boys got t-shirts
Potatoes, anyone?
making lunch

This is where the children play!
Caterpillar crawl

Even the adults play



Adobe bricks
This is the first time we got stuck
It was pretty cold and they didn't want us to help

This nice lady loaned us some llama skins to sleep on. She also let us eat in her house the next day.
We had to carry rocks down to put under the tires. These little angels showed up and helped us.


This is the second time we got stuck. They didn't let me pick for very long...!










This is a Bolivian version of Alfalfa.


Gusy p






Had to give a testimony
Jorge preached, and his translator fell asleep!!
My little patient and his mother
Everyone came out to say goodbye.

Edwin and Margarita. These kids were ADORABLE!! We took them back to the city so they could get more thorough medical attention.
I played them a kids song.