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My Incredible Stay in Bolivia Essay

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My Incredible Stay in Bolivia

As I lifted my heavy suitcase off the wheeled cart, my mind soon went to work reviewing everything I had brought. Considering the mad rush I had to get packed for my ten day stay in Bolivia, I knew there was no way I could have remembered to bring everything. I knew for sure that I had remembered my toothbrush, which is the thing I normally forget. I also mentally went through everything I had packed and to my delight realized I hadn't forgotten a thing! I was so proud of myself! I was part of a twenty-one member team from the United States that went to the largest city in Bolivia to provide humanitarian aid, which included eye exams and refractions. From the Santa Cruz airport, I rode in a small green …show more content…

Standing there, I could feel grits of sand hitting my arms and face as the breeze began to pick up. The sand asaulted my cheeks with their roughness, but soon the wind died down and the sand was once again laying rejected on the ground.

Turning my focus back to the church building, I noticed several Bolivians standing inside the iron gate. These people were all dark skinned with crinkles around their eyes, showing their love to laugh. They were dressed plainly, one boy wearing a shirt that proudly advertised "Coca-Cola." The girls were dressed in shorts and tank tops, and most of the boys just wore a pair of ragged shorts. I half anticipated them to smell like dirty laundry and unkept hair, but as I received the welcoming hugs, I knew I was grossly wrong. Accompanying these people was the cleanest smell I think I have ever smelled. It clung to them, in their hair, on their clothes and on their skin. The smell of Tommy Girl even came to me after hugging one teenager. The little boys, though dirty with sand-streaked faces and hands, were just as eager to give and receive hugs as the rest of the group. Even they smelled of freshly aired laundry and clean hair. Behind them, stood the church as well as a few other buildings.

This church was probably the prettiest church I have ever seen. Here in the States, people spend millions of dollars to create a showcase building, so tall and so

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