IPP'S STORY

Life is pretty simple...

Back in the states I’m a doer, a goer, a mover, and a shaker. I’m a little OCD and I’ve been known to overcomplicate or over think many things in my life, including my faith.

My perspective on Bolivian culture, people, and life is quite different. Here life seems pretty simple, and I’m so extremely thankful for this frame of reference.

Just to give a little insight, here are a couple examples of what I mean:

If you’re interested in opening a restaurant; first, find an open piece of sidewalk along the road, purchase a weber grill, a picnic cooler, and plastic lawn furniture for your patrons to sit and enjoy. Next, open your restaurant.

You can fix or build anything with wire: mend broken tools, fuse rebar into a concrete footing, and bend cotter pins for securing scaffolding. I’m pretty sure our worksite would pass an OSHA inspection.

This mindset is also present in their faith.

The other morning my stomach had finally got the best of my adventurous eating. I wandered the dirt streets, shoo-ing away wild dogs, petting an arrant pigmy deer, and trying to find a corner store that would sell a white guy Aqua Con Gas, I kept thinking about Luke 9 that Pastor Walter had shared with us:

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me bury my father.” 60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

I’m so good at complicating, and the Bolivians are so good at following. I’ve been extremely convicted by the example they display.

Sometimes it takes something drastic to get your attention, I’m so extremely grateful for mine.

 

ON DAY 10 WE...

Had twins show up to the worksite?!

Spackled

Sanded

Started painting upstairs!

Have an awesome painting team.

Made so much progress on the walls that scaffoldings had to be used.

Can't believe what a difference a day makes.

Are a champion brick laying team.

Taught Mia "Peace".

Last work day tomorrow. Here we go...