In Cochabamba, Bolivia

My girl's came over my casa for lunch and games

2009-02-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Bolivia

2008-12-27T06:25:00.000-08:00

Greetings everyone. I am sending a late Christmas Blessing to all. It has been a very busy yet wonderful Christmas for me here in Bolivia. As you know I have been working with adolescent girls ages 11-13. In the beginning the young girls were really testing the waters and seeing what they could get away with. I tried my best to hold my ground and stay consistent, and it has paid off. It took about 3 months, but now the girls are very respectful and I enjoy going to work. I don't think it was completely the transformation of the girls, I have changed as well. When the girls would give me a hard time, I couldn't believe it, I thought why am I putting up with this, I'm used to my cute little Chinese kids. However, now I feel my attitude is different(with the grace of God) and I see them as my hijitas (daughters) so even when they misbehave I still love them and they are mine, so I deal with it.
An Irish volunteer and I are in charge of the group, so I am free to do whatever I want. Which is almost like having my own classroom. I wrote up individual education plans for each girl and they have work in the morning to improve their skills, then they have some type of lesson (self esteem class, religion, science, dance, art, sports, etc.) It is really starting to come together. This Christmas we had our young ladies make their own stocking, so Christmas morning they opened them filled with goodies. Then we went over my friends house and we made a big breakfast: eggs, bacon, pancakes, special Christmas bread, hot chocolate, and all the dressings. The girls had so much fun! We even let them help us cook. It was so sweet, one of my girls was helping me make the bacon, she looked at me with a big smile and said, "I am so happy!" When they were living with their family's they didn't have a Christmas, no presents, no food, just all types of abuse. I hope that from now on they will never have to experiance the same terror and sorrow.
I was also able be a part of two plays, and a Christmas party. Every other week my roomate Ginny goes to feed the elderly grandmothers who live on the street (when I am awake I join her). They had a Christmas party for them this year. It was really enjoyable. I was the DJ and the ladies were calling me out the whole time to dance with them. It was so hilarious, these 80 something women dancing it up. In addition to the grandmothers, all the girls at the orphanage put on a play. It was so sweet, my girls are still singing the songs. Last but not least Casa Nazareth, a little boys orphanage where Ginny works had a very cute play. I will put up some pictures from the boys orphanage and the grandmothers, but I need to get permission before I place pictures of our girls online.
I missed my family this year of course, but I was very blessed to have had this experiance. I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

San Vicente Dance show

2008-11-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Hope all is well with everyone. Just wanted to put some pictures of the show we had on Friday. They danced all the traditional dances. It was really nice. I have a majority of the students in my class when I am teaching reading, so it was nice because I knew most of them. Also several of the girls I work with in the orphanage also attend the school, so it was a doubley proud day (not sure if doubley is a word oh well:) Everything is going fine here, but to be perfectly honest I miss Holy Redeemer terribly. I just absolutely loved it there, the children, the people I worked with, my superiors. I knew before I was leaving I'll never have that feeling of being home again anywhere else. I often think of my old students and wonder how they are and miss them terribly. I really love the children here as well, but I can not connect as well with anyone atleast for now because I have limited language skill. I do the best I can, pray, and call it a day. But, I really don't fit in, mainly because I can barely communicate. But, it's all a learning curve and I left knowing I was sacrificing that, but I felt God's call and I tried my best to answer it. It's been tough to be honest, but I am doing well considering.
Anyway, aren't the little dancers cute? :)

A local parade along with some of the cuties I work with:

2008-10-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

Four Months of Updates

2008-10-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings and Blessings to everyone. My apologies for not keeping up the blog. Once I found out I wasn't going to Africa it was a different country choice every week until I ended up in Bolivia. Once I got here I was spending all my time trying to learn the language. I actually forgot my username to log in to my blog:) That's just like me. Anyway, I finally had enough patience today to guess until I figured it out. I will give a brief outline of the past few months for better or worse:)
I was in language school for three months and learned enough Spanish to pretend I know what's going on. During language school I lived with a traditional Bolivian family that treated me as if I were their very own child. While I was living there the mother past away. A very difficult time for my host family. However, I learned more than just how to speak Spanish from them. I learned the importance of family and affection. Being there for one another even when it is not always comfortable. I realized the mistakes I had made with my own family. When we have gone through tough times I always thought it was important to respect one's privacy, if they wanted to talk they knew I was there. Well, I don't think that way anymore, it's more important to be present even if you don't know what to say.
I worked in a baby orphanage for about a month. I love the babies but I am thinking from changing all the diapers and the unsanitary conditions there, I was very sick the entire month and lost over 10 pounds. I joke here and say who needs LA weightloss when you can just get parasites:) I also was really missing teaching in a classroom. When I talked to people about it they would tell me the reality. It is very difficult here to get an approval to teach if you are a foreigner, not to mention my spanish is not where it should be to teach an entire class. I feel silly telling this but I would have dreams at night about teaching and walking by the school near my house and hearing the children play would make me sad. So, by the grace of God I met a wonderful sister named Doris who works in one of the alternative schools as a reading specialist. Most of the students there are orphans, their parents are in jail, or they've never been in a school before. So, she asked me is I wanted to check it out. My first day there it felt like that is where I belong. I love it! Originally, I was just helping sister, but unfortunately she is going blind and needs to return to the states to have weekly shots to keep her vision. So, she told me I was an answer to her prayers. Which in one sense is very nice, in another it stresses me out alittle because now I am in charge of all her classes with minimal language skill. However, I am holding my own and I can only improve, right?
I also was talked into working in an all girls orphanage, my group ranges from ages 10-13. That is not my favorite age group for all those who know me. But, the nun who is in charge there and who is probably 80 years or older looked at me with her sweet little eyes and said, "We really need someone for that group, because the sister in charge has left." How could I say no? So, I am trying it. If anything it is a new experiance. I guess I can't always be with the cute little children. I should challenge myself alittle. However, I am getting attached to them. I went on a quick trip to see Lake Titicaca and I missed them while I was away. So I guess that's a good sign.
Well, hope all is well with everyone.
- God Bless

Latest Update

2008-01-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

Due to the unfortunate conflict in Kenya my flight has been delayed. I was supposed to leave yesterday, however, with the tribal violence following the post-election results, Franciscan Mission Service has decided to postpone my travel as we wait to see how the situation develops. Please keep the people of Kenya in your prayers as we hope for a quick and peaceful resolution to the crisis. As more information becomes available, I will let you all know. Thank you and God bless.

God's Providence

2007-12-22T05:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Katie came to visit me the other day and we went to Holy Redeemer for their Christmas play. H.R. is the school I used to teach first grade. We were chatting about the fundraising and I was saying all the ways I was trying to raise my share of money to support myself in Africa through the Franciscans. Katie was saying how are you going to raise all the money? I said with trust in my heart God will provide. About an hour later one of my former student's mother tells me how proud she is of me, how I represent Holy Redeemer, and how I was so good to her Eva, then she hands me $1,000.00! I was so taken back by such a generous gift. Later, to my surprise at the beginning of the play my principal and dear friend Ms. Cancelliere, begins to talk about me and what I am doing. They put up a projector that read: Good Luck in Africa Miss Pulli, We Love You, We will Miss You! I was so touched trying so hard to hold back my tears, Ms. Cancelliere calls me up and announces that the teachers and students at the school raised $800.00! Then she continues to say that the Vice Principal, Ms. Leung, and her wanted it to be an even number so donated the rest making it $ 1,000.00! Looking out into the crowd seeing my friends (the teachers) with tears in their eyes, and glancing at my babies, I was so overwhelmed and am still not able to express my gratitude in words. I feel so loved by God and my school family. Holy Redeemer was not just a school I taught at for two years, it was and will continue to be my family. With the help of my church, my Uncle Tony who donated $500.00, my parents, family and friends I have my first year of fundraising taken care of. I have $3,000.00 and some change:) God is good and I have confidence that He will provide the rest of the money needed. I am only two weeks away from leaving. I am sad to leave everyone I love and I will miss them terribly, however I am at peace. God is filling me with His grace thanks to your prayers and I am not afraid. I am ready to take this leap of faith for God and I pray I am a good and faithful servant.

We are all Missionaries

2007-12-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

Matthew 25:34-36 "For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you clothed me; I was sick and in prison and you visited me. ' 40: 'When you did it to the least of my brothers you did it to me!"

We are all called by our baptism to be missionaries. We do not all have to go to foreign lands to be missionaries. We are called to live the gospel right where we are. To be missionaries to our family, friends, at our job, even to strangers. When I say missionary I don't mean the type that says: "Believe what I believe or else!!" God doesn't even do that with us. Jesus waits patiently and lovingly for us to choose Him freely. What I mean by missionary is as St. Francis would say: "Preach the Gospel and when necessary use words." It means to be filled with Christ's love and be a presence of that love to everyone we come in contact with. Easy to say, however it is a lifelong process of dying to self and surrendering to God's will. We have to realize that Jesus knows what is best for us and trust Him. Allowing God to use us in ways we never thought were possible. As a result we will be filled with immense joy, love, and peace beyond all understanding. I am not saying life will not have struggles, but rather in the trials there is peace and knowledge of God's loving presence.

I will be the first to admit my call to go to Africa seems alittle on the wild side. Africa why? There's so much to do here. Don't ask me:) God has placed a passion in my heart to walk with the people of Africa for over seven years. I know it is from God because I wouldn't have thought to do this myself. In everything I did, eating, teaching, spending time with family and friends, church I felt it all through me. Imagining what life would be like in Africa, how I can serve others, how they would change me and help me grow closer to God. In prayer I would say to God "No way, I want to be married and be a mom how can I do that if I'm away.' What about my family, friends, my students?' I'm too weak, maybe your asking the wrong person." It's as Dorothy Day described, "The call was like hounds chasing you." Well, here I am. I said, "Yes, Lord I love you and trust you." That doesn't mean I am not sad to leave or scared. It just means that I am open to the possibilities that God has planned for me.

Throughout the scriptures God uses the weak to show His divinity. Meaning it had to be God working through that person, because there is no way they can do it themselves. Lord knows I am a wimp. However, my faith tells me that 'I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me.' Phil4:13. So, I humbly ask for your prayers to help us everyday to glorify God's name in all we do. My prayer is that we may all grow closer to Jesus everyday. In Corinthians 5:13 Paul says: "Christ's love controls me." That is my simple prayer for you and I that we may always be controlled by Christ's love and daily walk our baptismal call through little acts of love.

God Bless you always,
AMDG,
Connie

Getting ready

2007-11-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I have a month to go. I am leaving January 1st and will arrive the 2nd. Its a 20 hour flight. The little sisters of St. Francis will pick me up and take me to my language school where I will be for 3 months learning Swahili. I don't know for sure what I will be doing in Kenya, they let us check it out first before commiting. However, the sister's have a primary school that they would love to have me teach, the only snag is my language school begins in Jan. and so does the school year. I don't want to come in at March and take another teacher's job. So we'll see what happens. I am excited to meet my new children!
My months of training are now over and I am home. I watch my family so sad but because they love of me, support me regardless. This month I am feeling a bunch of things; excited, sad, scared, etc. I have had a burning passion to go to Africa for over 7 years, however I need lots of prayers to get me on that plane and keep me in Africa as a loving presence:) Thank you for your prayers and support.

My Kenya blog is now created!

2007-10-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

I set up this blog to post pictures and messages about how life is going along my path in Kenya. This is a great way for everyone to keep in touch. Can't wait to start posting!