Dear team, I miss you so much. Words cannot describe how much I learned from you and how much I wish we could spend more time together. You helped make the best month of my life. I realized today that we have officially been home longer than we were in Bolivia and it broke my heart. I want to just live there. As much as I would rather be anywhere but here, God has showed me that I'm where I need to be. Home. It's hard to accept that I'll be here for a while, but I know God has such big plans for us. I know no one has posted on this blog for a while, but I just thought I would tell you how much you changed my life. I have been praying that we will all be the hands and feet of Jesus in your communities. You are forever recorded on my heart and I'll love you forever.
Posted in General Posts by Valerie Bitterman on 8/5/2010
SARA! i hope you will check this page NOW. because i have been trying to find you on facebook, myspace, or your phone number. but no luck. because i was bored the other day and was going to drive to see you, but i couldnt cause i couldnt contact you. so PLEASE check this page and give me your phone number and you need to make a facebook btw. anyway haha i love you
and i love all you other guys and miss you SO much. :) -- val
Posted in Trip Update by Amanda Bryant on 7/23/2010
Hey, Everyone!
The Bolivia team has made it safely to Atlanta! They have all of their luggage and are currently at the hotel resting. We look forward to hearing their stories--and we know you do too!
Posted in General Posts by Kristen McKee on 7/19/2010
Here is another blog post from one of the girls! Enjoy :-)
Today is one of our last days at home in Monte Blanco. It’s so strange that in just a few days we’ll be traveling away from these people who have become as big a part of our team as all of us are. They’ve been cooking for us, hanging out with us, and amusing us with some very choice phrases in English like, “You’re beautiful”, “You don’t know me”, “I am handsome”, and “Please don’t go”. We have volleyball tournaments, play hide and seek, and have English-Spanish sing-offs. They’re a part of our family, just as much as everyone on the team. Our team is such a cohesive unit by now. Everyone is so important and valued, and I can’t imagine our team without any one of us. We have inside jokes and spend our time laughing and taking too long to quiet down when we’re supposed to be practicing a skit or debriefing. Really, you wouldn’t believe how funny it is to be a wall of Jericho or a boat with these thirteen people around. It’s amazing to see how well God orchestrated this trip from the staff to our team to our VBS.
So far we have done three VBS’s and each has been so much fun and a great success. Our numbers have varied from 120 to so few that we walked up and down the streets asking for children to participate. It’s humbling to see how readily kids here respond to just the little time and love a couple of gringos are willing to give them. Despite language barriers, each of us has had one kid to a gaggle of children trailing our every move and trying to get their hands in ours as often as possible. Most of these children wore the same clothing every day and had on flip-flops in extremely cold weather. I’m so glad we were able to spend time with them and maybe brighten a few of their days as well as share a message of God’s love. Just spending time with these kids and seeing our surroundings has been such a learning experience for me. Our lives in America are not normal. Red brick two story houses decked out with modern amenities are not normal. We’re so blessed. It’s absurd. It’s been such a blessing to step outside the bubble of American provision and taste a dose of third-world reality. It’s convicting. I just hope I never forget the perspective I’ve gained here. This whole time in Bolivia has been wonderful and the people here, in the words of so many a Bolivian, "are forever written on my heart.“
This is one of the more attractive animals that we've seen during our time here.
During one of our play days at Manos de Amor, Sara found herself a friend.
After an afternoon with Bolivians on the soccer field, Josh collapsed next to his fan club.
Steph has been quite popular with all of the little kids at VBS. We've all enjoyed watching her be a human jungle gym.
Posted in Expectations by Kristen McKee on 7/14/2010
<~~ We went for a hike on our day off!!! Quite the adventure...
<~~~ Josh had an unfortunate run-in with the cook. We're learning to laugh while we wash dishes. :-)
<~~ During Vacation Bible School, we put on various skits in order to communicate the message. We've been teaching on obedience, and in this picture you can see Jonah in the stomach of the whale.
<~~~ Aren't they beautiful?!? We're learning that sometimes you have to look a little silly when you share the gospel with kids. We're embracing it!
<~~~ Part of our ministry is helping Monteblanco staff...Christine and Val were very devoted to helping in the kitchen.
This afternoon we are serving in a childrens' home called Manos de Amor (hands of love). We are putting on a Vacation Bible School for the 11 children who live in the home and the dozens of children from the surrounding villages. This has been an eye-opening experience for many of us in realizing how blessed we are to have families that care for us. Pray that the Lord continues to teach us to love His children as He does. We're loving Bolivia and more photos from ministry will be coming soon!!!
Posted in General Posts by Kristen McKee on 7/11/2010
Highlights from the last few days:
Watching half of our team hop around at the last VBS dressed in clown attire- complete with white faces and blue noses.
Volunteering to help wash dishes and getting attacked by the cook with pancake batter and flour.
Enjoying the scenery in this amazing country!
Learning 5 skits in 3 days. :-) We're pretty much acting professionals. The kids have loved it!
Perfecting the spanish language via children's songs.
Intense volleyball tournaments with the Monteblanco staff.
We can buy two liters of pepsi, candy, and new earrings for less than two dollars.
The fact that being late in this country is completely acceptable. We love latin time :-)
The general consensus is that we've eaten more food here than we've let ourselves enjoy in a long time. Bolivian juice is our favorite.
Sickness had Christopher down for a few days, but he's up, feeling better, and ready to go!!! :-) Continue praying for a healthy team. We've been blessed so far with good health.
From intense volleyball tournaments with the Monteblanco staff to dressing up like clowns for the local church's VBS, we're keeping ourselves entertained down here. The weather has been beautiful and aside from one of our leaders getting sick, we're all doing very well. The cook blessed us with an American meal two nights ago. We had hamburgers, chips, egg salad, and Pepsi. Today is Bolivia food day and we're all ready to expand our horizons. :-) We think we saw pig ears in the kitchen somewhere...
So, a few of the students have been journaling and we'll be posting their thoughts over the next few days. Enjoy :-)
Greetings from Monte Blanco! It’s been an interesting and entertaining few days. We’re learning how much Bolivian culture can differ from our own. Learning that Bolivian time isn’t always as punctual as American time, we’re learning to be extremely flexible in our ministry, play time, and work time. Getting adjusted to cultural differences is not always easy, but we're amazed at how God is bringing two very different cultures together in a remarkable way. The staff at Monte Blanco is amazing. They are all so welcoming and fun to be with. While we don’t always understand each other, we are constantly making jokes and learning from one another. We started our first VBS two days ago at a local church. The kids were very scared of us at first but slowly warmed up and have been more welcoming each day. We walked through the village finding kids to come to VBS. After songs, games, skits, crafts, and some delicious Oreo cookies, the kids went home happy.
Our contacts have shared details about some of the children's home lives. It's been difficult to hear. Most of these kids are rarely shown affection. So, we're learning that something as simple as a hug and our time can bring smiles to these kids’ faces. We have also visited Manos De Amor, a home for abandoned children. The kids were overjoyed to have us there, and we felt extremely blessed to have the opportunity to spend time with them. We played games that had us dancing like ducks. We're pretty sure the kids were laughing AT us, instead of WITH us. Regardless, we had an amazing time!
Our nights have been filled with skit rehearsals, craft preparation, and of course, some intense games of Volleyball. Christine and Jheri took on two of the staff from Monte Blanco in a game of basketball. The gringos (americans) were victorious! We've really enjoyed teaching all of the Bolivians english. Their favorite phrases consist of “No problem,” “Very good,” and “I am beautiful.” We are also learning some Spanish.
We are staying in a beautiful camp with landscaped grounds, roses, and fruit trees, and on either side of the camp there are the most beautiful mountains. We have every intention of tackling them this week for our free time. Driving through surrounding villages has made us really grateful for our accommodations. While we have well-constructed buildings, comfortable beds, and hot showers, we just have to look right outside the camp gates to see the poverty that plagues this country. The houses are made of adobe and cement and so many of them appear to be caving in. The people work so hard in the fields here, but have so little to show for their hard work. It's humbling. The Monteblanco staff has also shared a lot of the struggles that are common in the villages here. It's really been a blessing to know that we are some of the vessels that God has brought here to bless these people. We're anxious to see how he'll continue to use us. Yesterday we offered this older man a package of cookies. He couldn't speak, but just waved his hands and clapped out of thankfulness. Pray that the Lord continues to use us here and to keep us healthy!
(((The internet is incredibly slow. Pictures will come as soon as we can upload them to the website!)))
Posted in Mission Field by Christopher Adams on 7/7/2010
Hola from the Monte Blanco Center in Bolivia. Team Un-Bolivia-ble arrived here last night a short 30 hours after we left the AIM Base in Gainesville. We arrived to Monte Blanco feeling a mixture of emotions: tired, excited, nervous, and hungry. Luckily, we arrived in time for a wonderful and very warm welcome from the Monte Blanco Staff who have done everything possible to make us feel welcome, loved, and a part of the family here. While we all arrived safe and sound, we were missing one piece of luggage. Fortunately, it arrived tonight without delay.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. We plan to start our first VBS this Friday at a local church. Please pray that God would honor our preparations and that we would accomplish His will through these activities.
The rest of the team and the staff are outside playing volleyball, and I'd like to join them... So, farewell for now. We'll post more updates as often as possible.
Also, here's what Kristen had for you (and finally I finally got posted for her here) about training camp.
You might be on Team Bolivia at Ambassador Training Camp if...
The hose you're showering with could probably double as a pressure washer.
You make it to the final round of the training camp dance-off due to an accidental dance move that involved back flips and lots of laughter.
Your accent will go from New York to Alabama in one sentence cause your teammates are starting to rub off on you.
You awkwardly laugh it off then the other teams' girls complain about the "loud girls in the tents", a.k.a. you and the rest of Team Bolivia.
You refer to your team as un-Bolivia-ble.
AND, you are DEFINITELY on Team Bolivia if you opt to have your team meeting in the mud hole you crawled through army-style.
It's been an amazing week for Team Bolivia. Each day has brought us a little closer, challenged us to grow, and been full of laughter. We've spent each day being challenged on team builders, preparing our Vacation Bible School materials, and soaking up every minute.
Posted in Trip Update by Amanda Bryant on 7/6/2010
The team has safely arrived in Bolivia! The students ate a quick breakfast and have boarded the bus to Monte Blanco. They are happy to be there and excited about what God is going to do!
Please pray for them as they settle in and begin ministry. The leaders will continue to update this blog as time and internet availability allows.
Posted in Trip Update by Kristen Torres-Toro on 6/30/2010
The team has arrived!
Everyone is here… healthy, safe, and excited! We ate a delicious dinner and now are gathered for worship. The energy in this room is incredible. It’s a wonderful thing to see a room full of teenagers sold out for Christ!
Your leaders are in Gainesville and are excited to meet you! Here are some pics of us wearing the AIM t-shirt... look for people wearing this shirt when you arrive in ATL on the 30th!
We currently have 9 teams on the field in Mexico, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Romania, Peru, Kenya, and Nicaragua. God is doing mighty things in each of these countries to bring glory to His name!
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Today is one of our last days at home in Monte Blanco. It’s so strange that in just a few days we’ll be traveling away from these people who have become as big a part of our team as all of us are. They’ve been cooking for us, hanging out with us, and amusing us with some very choice phrases in English like, “You’re beautiful”, “You don’t know me”, “I am handsome”, and “Please don’t go”. We have volleyball tournaments, play hide and seek, and have English-Spanish sing-offs. They’re a part of our family, just as much as everyone on the team. Our team is such a cohesive unit by now. Everyone is so important and valued, and I can’t imagine our team without any one of us. We have inside jokes and spend our time laughing and taking too long to quiet down when we’re supposed to be practicing a skit or debriefing. Really, you wouldn’t believe how funny it is to be a wall of Jericho or a boat with these thirteen people around. It’s amazing to see how well God orchestrated this trip from the staff to our team to our VBS.
So far we have done three VBS’s and each has been so much fun and a great success. Our numbers have varied from 120 to so few that we walked up and down the streets asking for children to participate. It’s humbling to see how readily kids here respond to just the little time and love a couple of gringos are willing to give them. Despite language barriers, each of us has had one kid to a gaggle of children trailing our every move and trying to get their hands in ours as often as possible. Most of these children wore the same clothing every day and had on flip-flops in extremely cold weather. I’m so glad we were able to spend time with them and maybe brighten a few of their days as well as share a message of God’s love. Just spending time with these kids and seeing our surroundings has been such a learning experience for me. Our lives in America are not normal. Red brick two story houses decked out with modern amenities are not normal. We’re so blessed. It’s absurd. It’s been such a blessing to step outside the bubble of American provision and taste a dose of third-world reality. It’s convicting. I just hope I never forget the perspective I’ve gained here. This whole time in Bolivia has been wonderful and the people here, in the words of so many a Bolivian, "are forever written on my heart.“ 
