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In June of 2006, Grace United Methodist Church of North Augusta, South Carolina, USA, sent a team of 15 missioners to Bolivia to share our love of Christ with the indigenous Amayra people of the communities of Marquirivi and Calamarka in the Inquisivi Province of the La Paz state (departamento). The photos in the accompanying pages record some of the memories of the mission and the beautiful people and countrysides of our travels and our week in Marquirivi and Calamarca.
Janis ("Juana") led the team. Our dentists were Scott of Grace UMC and Jim ("Jaime") of Atlanta. Genia of Atlanta was our Nurse Practicioner. Lisa ("Luisa") was our pharmacist. David served as our "Oculista" fitting people with reading glasses or sunglasses, aided by Jhonny of Bolivia. Helping Genia was Mike ("Miguel") who took blood pressure readings and nurse Wilfredo of Bolivia. Assisting the dentists were Wilma, Scott C. ("Escot"), Jose Luis (studying to become a dental technician), and Susan ("Susana," a school nurse from Atlanta), Assisting in the pharmacy were Joe ("Jose"), Lauren ("Laura," studying to become a pharmacist), Myles, and Matthew ("Mateo," an MD/PhD student). Barry distributed toothbrushes, lip balm, and lotion. Filiberto, district pastor in Bolivia, worked mostly with registration and translation, with Payo the bus driver and Carlos his assistant helping with Spanish-Aymara translation.
Bruce and Betty drove us to the Atlanta airport in a rental van and we flew by American Airlines to Miami and on overnight to La Paz (the El Alto airport). After spending Saturday in La Paz to acclimate to the altitude and to have tea with the Bishop of the Bolivian Methodist Church (IEMB) in the evening, we took a bus to Marquirivi on Sunday. After driving south for several hours on a good paved road, we took a left on to a rough dirt road and reached Marquirivi several hours later. We gained great respect for Payo, our driver. After a very warm welcome by the villagers of Marquirivi, we set up our living quarters in a school room, sleeping on straw mattresses in sleeping bags provided by Dakin, our missionary contact in Bolivia. After working in Marquirivi on Monday, we traveled by bus to Calamarca to work Tuesday, and alternated at the two sites afterwards. Many teeth were pulled, many health conditions were diagnosed and patients helped, many eyeglasses were fitted, much medicine dispensed, and many toothbrushes, chapsticks, and lotion distributed, all along with a healthy dose of Christian love for our Bolivian brothers and sisters.
Our medical and dental work completed, we returned to La Paz, with Payo again providing excellent driving. We gave several Bolivians including Beatriz the Marquirivi schoolteacher a ride out to the paved road toward her hometown, and she filled us in on a lot of details about schooling in Marquirivi. Back in La Paz, we had time on Saturday for sightseeing and souvenir/gift-shopping, and Barry visited the Institute at which Jhonny teaches computers to talk to and with a group of students of English. Around three in the morning on Sunday, we returned to the El Alto airport by bus to catch the American Airlines flights to Miami (via Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia) and on to Atlanta where we were met by MaryAnn and David for the van ride home to North Augusta. A devoted group of family and well-wishers greeted us warmly in the wee hours, and we all headed home for much needed rest and welcome family time.
Please enjoy our photos. God Bless You! Que Dios te bendiga!
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