Two summer interns joined Becky in Ixiamas, Bolivia. Although they did not post throughout their time, we asked them to share about their experiences. This is the first part in a multi-post series.
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I was begged to write this. I’m not much of a blogger, so this was one of the last things I would have ever really done. But here it goes.
My name is Chas Jordan, and I’m a business major at Columbus State University. I’m 21 years old, and for the last four years, I have had a calling for South America and missions. In these last four years, I have been blessed to go to South America eight times. This summer, however, I wanted to stay here for a little longer than a week. So I applied for the internship in Ixiamas, Bolivia. Here is what it has been like.
- 70 days in Bolivia.
- 50 cold showers (I promise the kids must have poured ice cubes inside of my water when I wasn’t looking because I don’t understand how water can just be that cold.)
- 95 plates with rice as the main course (probably a lot more)
- 200 plus bug bites or some kind of chigger type bug…. I hated that.
- 15 or more books some that have changed my life
- 1 and a half chicken coop, 1 rope and washer pump, 3 painted rooms and 4 painted walls.
- 2 trips to Rurre, where I really enjoyed some fried chicken and Juliano’s cooking…he might be the best cook I know other then my mom and grandparents
- 50 hours plus or minus a few, inside that wonderful hammock, reading, praying, listening to the Lord…those were wonderful times
- One group from my home Columbus, Georgia. That was too wonderful a time.
- And then, of course, countless hours just hanging out with the Lord, that was the best, no doubt in my mind.
And so those are some numbers, but let me get to the real point of my trip. Yes, I did hang out with the kids at the Internado. Some very beautiful relationships were made. I did build a chicken house, ha, and I did live in a wonderful community with some great people, but what I will remember the most from this trip is what I think all people remember the most…not what they or I did, but what the trip did for us. Some of you may be my supporters both financially and through prayer and encouragement, and so I thank you for what you did, here is how your money and prayers paid off.
I did have some wonderful relationships made, but there were three that grew to places they had never been before…and just in those three relationships, life changes in remarkable ways. I’m talking about my relationship with Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Because I was separated from the busy-ness of life, the craziness of living in the States and the small distractions of school, family, friends and finances, it is sometimes hard to grow these relationships. But I had all of those distractions wiped away. I had hours and hours of reading, sitting quiet, listening and then after all those hours were gone, well I could just sit in that hammock and pray or give thanks for this wonderful life.
Come back to tomorrow to read Part Two of Chas’ summer.
