The Getaway

This last weekend in February was Carnival here in Bolivia. Normally this holiday is celebrated before the onset of Lent with parades, dances and water fights, but this year because of a drought, things looked a little different in the streets. Due to the water shortage throughout the country, super-soakers and water balloons were banned in the streets with strict fines for those caught wasting water. We had our doubts about whether this ban would actually be respected but things remained surprisingly calm—emphasizing the severity of the drought. A part of Kallie wasn’t disappointed that water bombs haven’t been flying at her from cars!

Churches often take advantage of this four day weekend to get out of the city and host a retreat camp. We were able to join one of these camps as guest speakers for a few days, undertaking workshops and a sermon. It wasn’t all teaching though, the camp was packed with activities and games which gave us opportunities to build and strengthen friendships.

One of the highlights were the Baptisms that took place on the last day. Six young people were baptized, including Diego and Celina. Diego has been part of Casa de la Amistad and Celina a part of Jireh, and both came to know Christ through these projects. It was great to be able to personally witness the growth in these youth over several years and share this meaningful day with them.