Hey Guys, I am back!

The last month was eventful, so that is not the reason I have not posted. The Bolivian government has to renew MCC’s status as a NGO every four years, so workers of MCC were unable to post anything on Facebook or our blogs about being in Bolivia. We were also unable to travel between departments in Bolivia, as a precaution, which is still the situation, but our visas will be renewed just as I leave for Totorani. The situation put a damper on my 3 day weekend, but that only lasted for a little, after all it is Easter weekend!

I am going to start including pictures in my posts, hopefully that will provide better description of the places I have been. I am going to start with my trip to Oruro. Oruro is located southwest of Cochabamba; it is about a four hour bus ride, sometimes on the edge of cliffs, but it was dark, so who cares. I arrived at 11:30 in the evening, and went directly to a hostel for the night. Oruro is located on the edge of the Altiplano, so the climate is that of the Altiplano. The climate is significantly different than Cochabamba, cold in the nights and mornings, but I found it to be a refreshing break from the monotonous weather of Cochabamba. 

I spent the next two days walking around with two other members of Seed Bolivia. The market in Oruro is laid out similar to Cochabamba’s market, but a little smaller and with a few uphill walks involved. Below is a picture of the hills that surround the city, along with some detail of city life in Oruro. 

 I left Oruro around 6, so I was able to see a little bit of the drive. Quinoa fields spotted the land on both sides of the highway until the elevation increased and the bus was back into the Andes. 

The red patch next to the utility structure is Quinoa, so of the fields have lots of stocks and others are sparse. There has been a lot of development and research the past few years, because of its popularity in the United States. Few crops grow on the Altiplano, so the increased production of quinoa is welcomed by the farmers. More people are growing it now, but the price is still quite expensive compared to other grains that are sold in Bolivia. I enjoyed eating quinoa in The States because it has a substantial amount of protein compared to other grains, and for a vegan, protein is very important. Quinoa is about the same price per pound as it is in The States, which presents several problems for the people that live here. 

The view on quinoa has changed over time in Bolivia. One of my language professors informed of the evolution of quinoa. About 20 years ago, if I can remember correctly, quinoa was a little known grain that was only ate in regions it was grown. People living in the city thought it was a crop that was only eaten by poor people and people from rural areas. Overtime, the discovery of quinoa by the West increased its popularity and drove up the price. Now, the same people who thought only quinoa was food for poor people are now eating it, and the poor people now longer eat it because of the price, or they eat rarely. I haven't bought it here yet, but I probably will before I leave for Totorani. 

I had quinoa with my host family once, and one of the younger sons that still lives in the house was refusing to eat it, he wanted rice instead. The grandpa began to get a little upset because Quinoa costs more than rice and is packed with way more nutrients. The kid is a picky eater, which reminds me of myself when I was younger, but he ended up eating after a stern talk by his grandpa and mom. 

I finished language school a week after my trip to Oruro, but that doesn't mean I won't be studying Castellano for every free moment that I have. I have been in the office ever since then, which is boring, but necessary. Reading about sustainable agriculture in Spanish is difficult and exhausting, so regular breaks for coffee and casual conversation are a normal part of my routine. 

I haven't spent all of my time in the office; we have made two trips to the village I will be staying in the for the next 2 years or so. 

This is a picture of the area I will be living, my village is not pictured, but it is really close to this location. In the left of the picture is Choro, which is the village I was originally going to live, but a room isn't available. The elevation is about 12,500 ft above sea level, and the only mode of transportation the people use is motorcycles. I might be getting a motorcycle, which would make my job a little easier. This picture also shows the future location of a irrigation system that I will help install this coming month. The area is very beautiful, and can get a little windy. Below is a picture of me with my hair blowing in the wind..ha!

 This weekend started off early in the morning on Holy Friday with a handful of people reciting the 14 Stations of the Cross. The event was a little odd to me, but I really enjoyed it, and I found it to be a religious event that truly captured the essence of Jesus' last few days on Earth. The event was held in the center of the city, and every city block a series of prayers were repeated along with the announcement of each station. In between each block hymns were sung praising Jesus' grace and love. The statue of Jesus on the cross was carried into a cathedral named after Saint Francis. Franciscan monks were hosting the event, and the event concluded when the abbot gave a short sermon about the importance of fasting. The picture below is not very good, but it is all that I could manage at the time. The event was truly beautiful, and was definitely worth waking up at 4:30. 

I have made several trips to the market the past few weeks, and I finally took some pictures! The last trip I made to the market someone cut my bag, thankfully I none of my stuff fell out. Robbery in the market is a normal event, so I wasn't that surprised, but I still felt violated and angry. Thinking of vengeance and having angry thoughts quickly led to prayer, and made me think about the desperate situation that person must be in to want to steal. The reality of the situation can't fully be realized from my perspective, but I think it is worth trying. Below is picture of the banana section, located deep within La Cancha.

 I have one more week until I leave for Totorani; I will be busy buying supplies for my stay and saying goodbyes...again. Right now, I am going to focus on the coming Resurrection and the joy that it brings me every year. "Happy are we", are three words that I have been going through my mind the past couple weeks, these words were the title to a series about Catholicism written by Father Robert Barron. "Happy are we" or happy we should be that we are given the opportunity to live truly sacrificial lives with the promise that we might someday enter into the Kingdom of God. We have been given the opportunity to denounce hate and violence that hung Jesus on the cross, and invite love and joy into our hearts. "Love your enemies", "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink....", these are all words that Jesus said while he had a human body, and are some of the words we should immediately look at as Christians. Following Jesus is not an easy task, so hopefully this Easter we can renew our way of life and try to fit it into the mold that Jesus gave us. "Happy are we" to know that He has risen, He has conquered death, and that He continues to conquer it every day. Gracias Dios!