putting my faith into practice

My spanish language studies continue to improve and my host family continues to provide me with special attention (I feel like a guest at a Bolivian bed & breakfast!)...but, this week I finally had the opportunity to put my faith into practice here in Bolivia! On Saturday, I spent 4 hours at a very special home for infants and young children under 5 years.

This home for 150 young children and 12 other facilities for women and orphaned children are managed by "Fundacion Amanecer" (http://www.amanecer-bolivia.org/) founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1981 and now recognized by the Bolivian government as a non-profit. I was so impressed with the director of this facility...she has been with Amanecer for over 30 years and is still smiling as she greets each new volunteer!

The entire four hours at Hogar Salomon Klein was spent holding and feeding babies under 1 year...how amazing is that! Looking into the faces of each precious child was so moving and yet so bittersweet...for even though the care at this orphanage is very loving...I know that it is impossible for the staff to give enough individual attention to each infant. So just holding, speaking and giving affection to each tiny infant was a special gift of love...and believe me...the gift was reciprocal! I could not help but think of my beautiful granddaughter, Hadiatou, as I kissed the faces of the sweet infants. This "hogar" and all the other Amanecer facilities depend on volunteers to help feed, play and care for the young children and provide classroom and hands-on training to the older children. As I write this entry, my thoughts are that I can't wait to go back to the hogar next Saturday...the babies certainly didn't mind that my Spanish was just a few words and phrases spoken with much love!

Today my co-missioner, Ann, and I visited the palacious home of Bolivian tin magnate, Simon Patino. In many ways it reminded me of the Vanderbilt Estate in Asheville, because of the similar style and the opulence of the era in which it was built. Simon Patino was born into poverty in Bolivia but became one of the wealthiest men in the world due to his tin mining interests both in Bolivia and abroad. The beautifully manicured gardens of the home contain many unusual species of plants and the furnishings and decor of the home reflect the European designs of the 1920s. Unfortunately, Simon Patino never lived in the home due to his travels abroad and poor health. Today the home has been converted to an educational and cultural center. It was an interesting visit to a "lugar" of Bolivian history.

Until next time...hasta luego!