It's a Jungle Out There

This post is dedicated to limon con leche, because frankly that's the only reason we went to Caranavi. This town 6 hrs north of La Paz (but 10,000 feet down) is apparently the only place in all of Bolivia where you can buy this beyond incredible key lime pie-in-a-drink dessert. And only at one little roadstand. Anyways, we went at least three times. Here's Gerhard and all the American interns! (don't worry I mostly hang out with Bolivians but this trip all of us gringas happened to go)

Caranavi finally felt like I was in a Third World country. Really awesome experience. Every house was a small run down one or two room shack. Trash everywhere. Dogs everywhere. Barefoot kids running through the freezing mud. There aren't even any police in Caranavi because a few months ago there were strikes and riots and the people burned down the police station.

The drive through the mountains was a thriller--a one lane road serving two-way bus traffic with very steep drops off the side. The mountains were covered with patches of coca farms. Caranavi is a very hard place to develop because the children would rather farm coca than go to school--

it's a profitable business!

I was struck by several things in this town: first, I'm more convinced than ever that the Lord has mission & development work in my future, because I never get carsick or afraid! Haha but really. I realized what a gift that is--the dangerous roads and freezing showers and mud and lack of toilet paper in the bathrooms and hard beds and squished cars... with all this I really think I could be content! It doesn't bother me. So that's good news. Also I was so encouraged to see the passion of the village people as we worshiped the Lord together on Sunday in this tiny, barely-roofed church down a dirty alley. God is WORKING, even in these remote, undereducated and poor places. And a lot of that fruit is due to the missionaries there in Caranavi--I got to spend a lot of time with one family--I so admire their peaceful plodding in the way of the Lord as they simply live with and give of themselves for these people. Some of the most contented, gracious, and generous people I've met. That's the result of living solely for the kingdom. It's really beautiful.