bolivia trip

We went back to the University Thursday and met with 4 different classes to help them with English. Many speak it incredibly well. We giggled when a girl asked us if the word "friends" is pronounced "friends" or "fraaaands", as we must have said it with our Southern accents. It was interesting to learn about their culture and their generation. Most all students live at home until they are married, unlike our 18 year olds who move away to college and after graduation are out on their own. And of course they are shocked to meet two girls in their 30's unmarried with no children. Food is a huge part of their culture and they all asked us what we liked to eat and what local foods we had tasted. They are incredibly polite and respectful and listen to anything you have to say with attentiveness and interest. And they all have Facebook!
That evening we stopped at the Hipermaxi and bought cookies and went to the home of a woman in Missael's church. It was just a small gathering of professional women of all ages. Jana shared her testimony and we all gained a new "fraaaand". It was really beautiful to sit and share with women of a different culture and find we are not very different at all.
Yesterday we went to the Elderly Center and they organized a game of soccer! We played in a tiny field in front of the center and all the elderly pulled up chairs and watched as we poorly kicked the ball around and sweated. Even the old men served as goalies! That was fun. We then went to the Salon since Jana and I had heard the nicest salon in town offers $12 hair cuts. I washed that grey right out of my hair for half of what it would have been at home. Today we are going on our first real shopping excursion downtown. Then we are going to Rolando's parents to spend the day and celebrate Rolando's July birthday with him and his family before he leaves tomorrow. Photos are slow to post, but I got some really good ones yesterday. More to come.