Don't Get Too Comfortable

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ~Romans 12:2

Two weeks of teaching and living in La Paz accomplished by His grace!  As much as I love living and working here, I am often reminded of how much I have to learn.  Living day to day in a foreign country is quite different than a visit or a short-term mission trip.  These new experiences - calling for a taxi, grocery shopping at the ketal, exchanging money, cooking all my meals, meeting new friends and colleagues, conversing in Spanish - cannot be isolated.  They are all part of a daily routine that will grow in familiarity and certainty.  Sometimes I am tempted to wish away the unfamiliarity of it all.  I long to be comfortable and settle into my new routine as though it were second-nature.  But the reality is, God never calls us to "comfortable."  In fact, His Gospel sends a very different message.  Being "transformed" requires change, driving us out of our comfort zones and into challenges.  It forces us to yield things that have no eternal value, and grasp hold of the things that really matter.  I think John Henry Jowett, an English pastor of the early twentieth century, said it best:  "God comforts us not to make us comfortable but to make us comforters."  During my time in Bolivia, my prayer is that this heart of mine would desire to comfort rather than to be comfortable.  

Here are a couple of new Bolivian experiences that will NOT be a part of my daily routine:

1. Bolivian birthday parties
   

If you think birthday parties for kids are a big deal in the States, then you've never attended one in Bolivia.  As a teacher, specifically of elementary age children, I am not only invited but also expected to attend my students' birthday parties.  Don't get me wrong - I love birthdays and I love my students.  But after spending 6 hours of the day with them, I enjoy getting some time to myself.  Nevertheless, I dedicated my Friday afternoon/evening to celebrate with twenty eleven-year-olds...and their friends...and their siblings...and their parents...and friends of their parents.  Oh, and a rock band.  I'm not sure if rock bands are customary, but if they are, I have a lot of dance parties to look forward to.  One thing that is customary here is the traditional cutting of the birthday cake.  This is significant for two reasons:  1. You discover new and exciting flavors of frosting and try to discern exactly what kind of fruit this cake is layered with.  2. It's the cue to leave.  Bolivian parties (and get-togethers in general) usually take quite a while, so it's good to know when it's polite to scoot out and go home.

The rock band - Although my kids were more interested in trying the instruments out for themselves than listening, the band was very talented!  

The sweet birthday girl and I

        
2.  Livestock on campus

Every now and then, Highlands will host a special visitor from one of the local pastures.  Usually the visitor is uninvited and doesn't want to leave the school campus.  With that in mind, I guess you could call it an intruder rather than a visitor. This past Friday, I witnessed my first intrusion of the semester.  During afternoon recess, I noticed one of the elementary school teachers ushering the children away from our soccer field.  That's odd, I thought as I moved forward to get a closer look.  It wasn't until then that I spotted one of the school administrators running through the field with a branch wielded above his head like a club.  He was chasing something I couldn't quite see, but I could certainly hear.  The bleating of a sheep is an unmistakable sound, but this one was more frantic.  When it finally came into view, I realized why.  The bleating belonged to a lamb who had wandered in the front gates, now desperately searching for its mother.  The scene would be comical if it wasn't so pathetic.  After about ten minutes of tag-teaming, the lamb managed to scramble its way off the premises and back home.  Certainly not something you see everyday on the playground, but it makes for a good story :)