We have returned

 I'm back...finally.

As I mentioned in my last post, I traveled around South America with my fellow SM friends for three and a half weeks. We got back to Familia Feliz last Monday. Sharing all the details and pictures from the trip is a near impossibility, so I am not even going to try. My goal is to put together a few travel videos of my adventures, and if that becomes a reality, I will share those videos. All I will say is that the past three weeks may have been the best of my life thus far. Words can't describe what an amazing time I had traveling with friends and seeing incredible sights.

I remember the first night back "home" and the myriad of emotions I experienced. It was rather overwhelming, to be honest. Coming from almost a month of cool weather, hot showers, and stress-free days back to stuffy, dirty, buggy Bolivia was hard. There was dust and dead bugs on my bedroom floor and spiders in my bed. The sights and smells brought me back to my first few weeks at Familia Feliz and how hard that was. I sat down in my chair, put in my Airpods, and started listening to my solemn music playlist. I can't remember the name, but there was one song that started playing, and I remember stepping back and lifting up my heart to God. I remembered that I am not here at Familia Feliz for selfish reasons. I am not here just to take a break from school and travel. I am here to serve God and these amazing kids. Why am I so shocked and overwhelmed that life isn't easy? In that moment, I refocused my spiritual eyes on God and I rested in the knowledge I had that I was in the center of His will. What peace I then had!

I've now been back at Familia Feliz for five days, and so much has happened already. The first full day back, all of the volunteers sat down for a three-hour meeting with the new interim director. His name is Aaron Weber, and he has been at Familia Feliz for a month already. No one is sure how long he will be here, but he is hoping not more than a couple months. I think he is just what Familia Feliz needs right now. He has past experience in Adventist education and being a director. I can tell he has already put so much effort into starting the school year off on the right foot. He is implementing a lot of changes here, but they are necessary changes because Familia Feliz is shifting from an orphanage structure to a boarding school structure. Some of these changes include a more organized structure and chain of command, a cafeteria to feed the children instead of the cooking happening in each individual house, and three of the houses relocating to different houses. My days consisted of a staff meeting every morning, a group lunch in the cafeteria, and assisting in the moving process in the afternoons/evenings. I imagined that the weeks after our trip and before the kids come back to be pretty relaxing. I was definitely wrong, but it's probably a good thing. Campus needs a lot of work, and I don't mind being busy. I wish I knew what to expect for these next two weeks before the kids come back, but none of us have any idea what the director has planned for us to do, so we will have to wait and see I guess. 

Pictures

I don't have as many pictures this week because the kids aren't back yet.

We found Alvaro and Adrián in town! I hadn't seen them in a month and 
a half. While we were on our trip, we received the news that Alvaro's
and Adrián's mom had passed away. I don't think it was a surprise, but 
it was so sad to hear nonetheless. We also were told that the five siblings 
would not be returning to Familia Feliz and that they were going 
to be taken care of by other relatives. If that is true, then that might 
have been the last time I saw them on this side of heaven. It's a 
sobering thought. Please pray that these boys and their siblings will 
grow up to love God and have a meaningful relationship with Him.

We have an army of kittens on campus 
right now. I think there are 11 kittens in total. 
Some of them look like little rats, but others,
like this one on my lap, are actually quite 
cute.

I randomly found this manikin with its mouth 
hanging open. Not sure what the designers 
were thinking.

Jesús and Valentín killed a bat in our house. I was thouroughly disgusted 
(with the bat, not with the boys).

One of the girls decided my hair needed 
some pig tails and ribbon. Flattering, isn't it?

My phone didn't do the stars any justice, but they were so bright that night. 
I'm going to miss the Bolivian night sky.