Bolivia So Far

Dang, I know... I haven't posted a single word or blurb since I've set foot in South America which has been almost three months. So anyway, a lot has happened. Too much in fact to fit here or perhaps too much for you to want to read. I'll begin therefore:

I arrived in the first part of August and was amazed by what I saw. Within the first week I went to a famous festival here in the Cochabamba area which was great! There is a celebration for just about everything. The language school started off well, I just couldn't speak Spanish to save me because I had no use for it and therefore had forgotten everything... no seriously, I had to think of what to say when someone said "Como estas?" So as the weeks passed at the language school I began to learn Spanish and saw a lot of students from other countries come and go... after awhile I was the "oldest" student.

One of my first weeks here I searched the internet intensely to find out where some of my friends were serving because two people from my group were sent here to Cochabamba. So eventually I found the name and location of the place and called. I went to visit and from then on me and Johanna and Amber (the other volunteers) met each Saturday in the city to talk and experience the town. Occasionally when I had the time as well I would go and visit the orphanage in the town of Itocta where they work. We've had some grand times together.

Bolivia is a great place, but there is a lot that you need to take care with here. The political situation is rather unstable at the moment and presidential elections will take place next month in December. I've seen people protest in the streets park in the streets and stop traffic. People here go and do what they want when they want to. One day I was at a Lawyer commisioning event for the son of my host family and got smashed against a glass wall and forced into a room simply by the movement of the crowd that wanted to get in and see the thing!

Staying healthy has been a bit easier so far... I've maintained my weight here and I enjoy the food. You just have to be careful... I was also in the hospital four day a few weeks after I got here because I had a run in with Selmonella and Amoebas. There is so much good food however. The glorious 40 cent slices of cake in the Cancha (market place) is extremely good (Cancha Cake!). Another great thing is all of the types of bread! So good and so cheap. I even had the chance to eat some cuyi which is a local dish of Guinea Pig.

The visa process has been crazy! So after almost three months of waiting, begging, getting poked by needles, and dealing with mountains of paperwork, I have a one year visa and a Bolivian ID card! Now I am simply going to take the next few days easy and then travel to Santa Cruz where I will meet the director of a technical school I will spend some time working at, and we'll go to Yapacani together. I have already visited Yapacani, which is a great place, but I'll leave that for another day. There is so much to say about all this but, I'll start posting again if I find it in me to do so once I am in Yapacani permanently and have more to say about that. Rest assured also, that I have a somewhat intermittent journal I've been keeping on my computer that you are welcome to read when I return. Have a great day and Peace from the heart South America!

MISO - Maryknoll International Service Orientation

Hello from New York! So far things have been fine... I've been here for almost a week and have met a lot of very nice people. All of them here to answer God's call to serve. Things went well the first few days but I think I caught a cold/flu on the plane over here so that wasn't fun. I'm feeling great today though. Really there hasn't been much so far notable enough to mention with the exception of an awesome concert put on by our director Adam and his friends. They played very beautiful Bolivian music and sang very nicely. I have video of it that I'll put up on YouTube for you to see.

Maryknoll Headquarters (About a half mile from where I'm staying)

Anyway, that's about all that's happening here on the Hudson River. I'll be sure to update as things move along!

Have a great day! God Bless.

Yapacani

Since last time there hasn't been a lot going on. However, I have found out which town in Bolivia I will be serving in... Yapacani! It is a town located about 60 miles from Santa Cruz, Boliva on highway 7 near the town of Villa German Busch. This seems to be a pretty cool place based on the research I've done. It is a sizable town in the bush with a population of about 20,000. I don't know yet what it is I will be doing there precisely, but it all depends on what they need and what I can do. That makes this site very lax in the respect that it is not hard set on a particular goal and allows the SLM to identify needs based on what the community wants and attempt to provide. The one thing that is interesting to me is that as far as I know, I will be the first SLM to ever serve in Yapacani. So I feel priveleged, but a bit on edge knowing that whatever I do there can have a big impact on SLMs in Yapacani in the future. It's a big responsibility that I intend to take very seriously.

Yapacani, Bolivia

As for language training I will be going to a language school called Escuela Runawasi in Cochabamba to learn a little Espanol. That starts from the moment I arrive in Bolivia on August 11th until November 13th when I will complete my time at Escuela Runawasi and go to Yapacani. Well, I should be finding out more details from the Salesian Lay Missions office in New York about the site in Yapacani soon so when I do I will be sure to put that information here.

Escuela Runawasi Mercado

Well that does it for now. Have a great day!

Peace and Blessings... Chris

39 days til' New York

This is just a random update on things...

I just made my flight reservations to Bolivia today, and I made my reservations for New York a while ago. I will be headed to New York on July 6th, for Orientation with the Salesian Lay Missioners and I will be there for a month. The first two weeks will be cultural training and evaluations with the Maryknoll Missioners. The third week will be a week of service. The fourth week will be a time to delve into what it really means to be a Salesian Lay Missioner. This should be a fun and exciting time. I had the privilege of meeting some other potential missioners in Chicago last month and I can't wait to see them again!

It looks like after orientation in New York wraps up on August 8th, I will be waiting around a couple of days until August 10th, and then the adventure begins. I will be heading out of New York first to Mexico City where I have a short layover. Then I will be going through Lima, Peru where I have a seven hour wait, and then to La Paz where I will get on another flight to Cochabamba, Bolivia. Cochabamba is where I will spend a few months learning Bolivian Spanish before heading down to the Santa Cruz region in eastern Bolivia to serve.

This should a great and fulfilling experience. Please pray for me, and I will keep all of you in mine. I will be sure to post more details once the time gets closer for me to leave.

Until Next Time, Adios Amigos!

Bolivia!

You read right, Bolivia!

I just got off the phone with Adam Rudin, the director of the Salesian Lay Missions and I was invited to Orientation in New York from July 6th to August 8th. During this first phone interview placement is also discussed, and there are three potential places in two Bolivian cities that are possible sites for me! I can't believe it, woohoo! So excited!

Anyway, I guess I better brush up on that dusty corner of my brain that has Spanish written on it. I will likely have to do some preliminary language training for a few months in Bolivia before going to my site. This will cost me some money, but I know God will provide.

More to come! Good Day and God Bless!

Milwaukee

Hello from Wisconsin! I hope all is well with everyone. This discernment trip has been enlightening. I spent two very good days in Chicago, Illinois and then made my way here to Milwaukee to see my Aunts Chello, Susan, and Jenny. We have had a rather enjoyable few days and have seen a great deal: Marquette University, Gesu Church, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Titanic Exhibit and IMAX film that is visiting, Lake Michigan, and of course eachother. Today we are headed to another university and maybe we'll see a few more sights before I return on Sunday.

My poor aunt Jenny hurt her leg while we were at the IMAX theater and so all I want is for her to feel better and rest. I will tell you all about it when I return.

Anyway, I hope that fair New Mexico is a happy place to be now, and I will return in a few days. God bless you all!

-Chris

Chicago!

Well, for those of you who periodically read my blog in the far reaching outskirts of the vast entity that is the Internet, here is an update of what is new since I returned from Zambia some 23 days ago:


KLM (Joburg to Amsterdam)

I have been looking for opportunities to volunteer and have been so far successful with one group the Salesian Lay Missioners. I have made a lot of progress in the application process over last weeks and things look positive. I will be headed to Chicago at the end of the month for an event they are holding to see if I am a good fit for their organization and to discern if God is calling me to this particular mission. The event is only two days long and because I will be close to Wisconsin where some of my family resides I will be visiting there for a few days before returning to New Mexico. Provided everything stays well with the Salesians I should have an idea of where I will be serving once I have submitted the last few documents and have had a phone interview. Of the places they serve and what they do in those places I think it is most likely that I will be going to India or China. Africa is still a possibility but I qualify less for their missions in South Africa and Sierra Leone. I would love to return to Africa, but I'll leave the decision up to God and go wherever I will be most helpful.


Chicago, Illinois

Once again please pray for me, I will need it to make wise decisions and try to fulfill God's will for my life. And please pray for all of my friends in Peace Corps Zambia that they all have safe and fulfilling terms of service. They are all wonderful people and I'm sure each of them will do great things.

I will keep you informed. Have a great day, and in the second most prominent language in Zambia, Nyanja:

Tsilani Bwino! (Stay well)

Heading Home

Well, since my last post things in Zambia have been great! I really love this country and the people. Unfortunately though, I've lost maybe 20 pounds since I arrived even though I have made an effort to eat a lot. And truly, I have eaten more here than I usaully do at home. However, I don't think it is wise for me to remain here if I am losing 10 pounds a week! I know the trend is likely not to continue at that rate, but it is not a good choice to take the risk when overall health is concerned. The day before yesterday I was able to pull my pants off without unzipping or un-buttoning them, and I can see my pelvis showing where it didn't before.

So, I am here in Lusaka at Peace Corps headquarters squaring things away... I should be on my way home in the next couple of days. I am really sad to be leaving Zambia and I'm not sure what my next move in life is going to be when I return. I think I might just go back to school and work on a Master's degree. I've already looked at a few Universities that sent me offers before I left and possible employment in the areas around those universities. We'll see... please pray for me, this will be a challenging and disorienting time.

See you soon.

From the Zambian Capital,

Chris

Hello From Lusaka!

Hey there! I'm in Zambia! This will be a short post because I don't have a lot of time on here... I had to pay for internet here at a cafe and it was Kw6000 for 30 minutes of time. Not too bad... that is like $1.20 for 30 minutes...

Things are great here in Zambia, it is hot and humid and the rains come occasionally. The whole area is very green and the birds are beautiful. I can't even begin to describe how interesting Zambia is... I will write to you all soon via mail, but this is the last internet I may have for 1 month or more. So be patient.

I will share more with you later and maybe post some photos.

Have a great day and God Bless you all from ZAMBIA!!!

Not Much Time Left

About six days to be exact... (no I'm not writing in complete sentences!) Anyway, there isn't much time left for me to enjoy the company of family and friends or to keep blogging for that matter. So this might be the last message I post here before I'm either in Washington D.C. or in Zambia. Once I am in Zambia, there won't be very frequent posts to this page, but rest assured that I will make the effort to write something here for you to scan over every once in a while. Similarly I will likely not have access to e-mail on a regular basis. So if you send me an e-mail be patient with me and I will be sure to send a reply your way!

Mail takes around 4-6 weeks to travel between Zambia and the United States, and an additional amount of time to be delivered on either end; so if you send me a letter now on 2/10/09, it will make it to Zambia maybe on 3/10/09 and into my hands by the end of March perhaps? Likewise when I reply to your letters it will take the same time to slide its way over into your hands from Africa so if you were to write to me today you might expect a letter back by some time in April or May...

If you visit this site looking for an update on my status you might be rewarded with some information. However if not, keeping in mind what is written above, send me a letter at the following address:

Christopher Rodriguez, PCV
U.S. Peace Corps/Zambia
P.O. Box 50707
Lusaka, Zambia, Africa

*Be advised I will have a different address once I am posted to a site in early May so keep a look out for that on here then. However, be aware too that the above address will be valid for the entire duration of time that I am in Zambia.

Well, I guess that does it for now... So as much as it pains me to say: this is Good Bye for now :(

God Bless you all and may the Peace of His Son Jesus abide with you always.

Unexpected Visit, Peace Corps News, and A Mix Up

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well! Here is what has happened since the last post some 37 days ago...

Unexpected Visit:


(Shawn & Chris at White Sands)

My friend Shawn, that I met in Alaska, had the chance to visit for a week! It was great to see him again after a year, and to share what's new before I head out to Africa. We went to a few places while he was here including Tent Rocks, Billy the Kid's grave, the Roswell UFO Museum, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, and the Alamogordo Space Museum and IMAX. It was a great week! He left for home on 1/28. Now I only have 18 days left until I leave myself...

Peace Corps News:


(Washington D.C.)

I will be leaving for Orientation in Washington D.C. on February 16th! I will be off to Africa at 5:40 PM Eastern Time on January 18th and arrive in Zambia about 21 hours later on the 19th! Please pray for me, this is going to be a great yet challenging experience.


(Zambia Map and Flag)

A Mix Up:


(U.S. Passports thanks to msnbc.com)

Well last night I received an e-mail from another Christopher James Rodriguez that I met on a Peace Corps Yahoo group. He forwarded an e-mail from Peace Corps' travel agency he received meant for me. It said WE NEED ZAMBIA VISA FORMS AND PHOTOS ASAP! I immediately thought that they must have lost the ones I sent them back in September, so since it was already 7:00 PM here I figured there was no time to waste. I went to town and took passport photos, printed the proper forms, and sent them overnight through FedEx. I called them this morning and the said they received the other Chris Rodriguez's passport, and since he is going to Suriname it did not have Zambia visas in it. They then thought it was mine and called/e-mailed him thinking it was me saying they needed the visa stuff right away. Before I called this morning to clarify things and tell them that new photos and forms were on their way they had figured out the mix up. They checked the Zambia folder and found MY (This Chris Rodriguez typing) No Fee Government Passport with the proper Zambia visas inside. They apologized for the mix up and told me to pack my bags!

Well, that about does it for now! I hope I get to see all of you in the next 18 days. If not please e-mail me your addresses so that I can put them in my new address book and send you some Zambian Snail Mail :) ...

God Bless, and Peace be with you all!

My E-mail: chrisruaf@msn.com