HNGR VACA!!!!!!!!!!

I had the freaking sweetest luck with HNGR placements ever... for, well, a variety of reasons... but one really important one is that being placed in Bolivia meant my beautiful friend Christine was only one country away!!! She has been working with Paz y Esperanza in Andahyluas, Peru as a HNGR intern since June as well. We had been eagerly planning the prospect of a "HNGR Vacation" together since before we even knew if we'd been accepted to the program, and we were thrilled to actually make this dream a reality when in late October we met up for 10 blissful days of relaxation, rejuvenation, processing, praying, laughing, and crying.

This picture was taken about an hour after we were reunited at the La Paz airport. After hugging and crying for about ten straight minutes (haha you think I'm kidding...), we grabbed our bags, headed straight for the nearest café, and ordered whatever chocolate cake they had on the menu. (We couldn't decide between two varieties, so we ordered both!) This pretty much represents how we spent a LARGE portion of our time. We got the most decadent dessert available at EVERY place we went to... EVERY single day.

Here Christine is in our cute hostal room, where we stayed the first night...

So happy to be together after five months!!


We had a blast exploring La Paz!!! I'd never been there before, and every city in Bolivia really is so different.


We sheepishly confessed to each other that for whatever reason, we were both CRAVING to see a movie. A real movie. In English. In a movie theater. Some sort of lame, Hollywood, boy-meets-girl, pop-music soundtrack, movie. And so we found a movie theater in La Paz and went... and FREAKED OUT.

"WE'RE IN A REAL LIVE MOVIE THEATERRR!!"

Talk about culture shock!!! First off, this theater puts most American theaters to shame- it was massive. When after almost five months of South American life we walked in and saw the CARPETED floors, the neon lights, the fast food everywhere, our jaws dropped and our palms started sweating and we tried to remember how to be Americans... it was a little insane. It makes me kind of scared for what's going to happen the first time I go to Target...


We spent most of our time in La Paz staying with some friends of Christine's family, the Kittelsons, who are missionaries there. They are wonderful and were unbelievably hospitable to us. We loved getting to know them!!



We went on a bunch of great hikes...

Including getting caught in a rainstorm one time! (It was well worth it.)

Breathtaking views with a precious friend. Is there much better?

After five days in La Paz, we headed off to Copacabana, a small town about three hours (by both bus and boat!) away, which is right on Lago Titicaca- the highest lake in the world. And in my opinion, maybe the most beautiful. There, we spent five more days, taking long walks together along the edge of this:

(I know right!)


And doing a whole lot of this:

(And eating more chocolate at every opportunity.)

Does it get much better?

Anyway... the trip was absolutely incredible. The Kittelsons were perfect hosts, La Paz was a blast, Copacabana was absolutely gorgeous.

But honestly, I think that had we been staying in a tiny motel room in an alley somewhere and it had rained the whole week, I still would have been totally happy. The best part was just being with Christine. We got to share our hearts, tell some of the stories we've heard here, laugh together over the joys and goofs of the last few months. We got to cry over our own failings that we've come face to face with as we've lived out of our comfort zones, over how much we miss our friends and family back home, over the injustices and horrors we have seen and heard and not been able to do anything about. We were able to affirm, enjoy, and pray for each other, and speak God's truth to each other's hearts- that He could not love us more even if we had been "the perfect HNGR interns". That He is doing more than we can see or imagine, in the lives of the people that we have grown to love so much here, and in our own. That there is fruit in both of our hearts and lives from this time, and there will be more.

It was a priceless, priceless trip, and it will be one of my favorite memories forever. I could not be more grateful to have gotten to do it, and to have gotten to share that time with one of my best friends.

I love you so much, Christine!!!!! Thank you for sharing this time and your heart with me, and thank you for encouraging mine more than I could ever say.