That which does not kill us - part 1

At the urging of both my parents and our FMS executive director, I am starting to think about my “elevator speech” -- a 30 second and three minute presentation of my time in Bolivia. If that sounds daunting just imagine being me. It seems like an impossible task. How can I possibly sum up three years in 30 seconds, or even three minutes? How can anything I say in that short amount of time do justice to what I have seen and the people I’ve encountered?

Jean, one of my community members, said that hers is just as simple as, “that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” She was recovering from illness at the time so I chuckled at the appropriateness of her statement. Then I really started to reflect on it. We have been through so much in the last two and a half years; culture shock, language difficulties, political violence, parasites, armed robbery, bus accidents, etc. I feel much more sensitive than when I started this adventure--I cry more, I yell more, all of my emotions are right on the surface. Sometimes I feel weaker, more vulnerable, suspicious, and cynical. It is in those times that I have to see in the big picture. When I started this journey, I was a young, naïve, and carefree girl just out of college, approaching life outside the classroom for the first time. Now I have seen the reality of poverty; I have heard it, smelled it, and touched it. I have witnessed awful tragedies and amazing joys. This experience has not killed me and it has made me stronger because I am confident now in who I am, what I believe, and I have a sense of purpose.