Still, the feeling of family, interconnectedness and community is so much more than language.
Up Close has become our safe haven here in Bolivia. Emma and Rolando are now like our second set of parents. They check in on all of us and they really take care of us. Last week, Idunn, our roommate and co-volunteer from Norway, was sick with a bacterial infection and an amoeba in her stomach. She spent four days in the medical clinic, about 40 minutes away from where we are staying in Jupapina. Emma woke up at the crack of dawn to drive her there, stayed with her through checking in and even consoled her mom, who was an entire ocean away feeling scared about her daughter's illness. Plus, Mino, our coordinator here at Up Close, went to visit Idunn every day. Rolando was there to pick her up when we she was released, taking photos to celebrate her recovery and driving her all the way back to the Green House.
Through Up Close, Emma and Rolando have opened the doors for all of us foreign volunteers to interact with and grow alongside the local communities of Jupapina and Mallasa. Their support has given us the confidence to walk out into the community with open minds and hearts.
Every Monday afternoon, Josh and I meet with Angelica, Silvia and Carolina, three of Up Close’s "homegrown" volunteers. Angelica, Silvia and Carolina live in the areas surrounding La Paz, and they want to become English teachers in the near future. We work with them to plan our lessons for the students in Jupapina and Mallasa each week and to share our knowledge and experience as English as a Second Language teachers. They, too, have become an important part of our community and our second family here.
