apartment

I moved all of my things over to the apartment this past Tuesday, after a month of living with Miriam and Oscar. I really enjoyed living there, and was quickly introduced to Colombian culture and food with them. It was a great first month and they were so welcoming and generous. Their place was about a 15 minute walk from the church/office/apartment so it was really convenient too. Last Saturday was the "day of friendship and love"...basically it was Colombia's valentine's day. There was a party at Miriam and Oscar's apartment and it was a lot of fun. There was a dancing contest that night....and I was signed up by Oscar. It was pretty official..they even pinned numbers on us. My dancing partner was a man from the apartment, and he was really good. Well, we ended up winning the contest. And anyone who knows my dancing skills knows that we only won because I was the cute 'gringa' and they thought it would be nice to let me win. It was a lot of fun and feliz "dia de amor y amistad" to everyone! 

So now I'm living in the apartment and I'm really excited about it. My room is all set and it's so nice waking up in the same building that I have to work in and the church is right there. The first night was a little chilly, but I have a few blankets now to keep me warm. It's a simple apartment, but it's perfect for what Laura-Catherine and I need. I have a nice, big closet that I've covered in pictures. The main roads to catch buses and a transmilenio stop are really close too. The 'Gran Pared' climbing wall is right next to us so I'm hoping to start climbing more frequently. I went with Laura-Catherine, Lucho and Oscar yesterday and it was tough, but a good workout. The only problem about leaving Miriam and Oscar is that I have to start cooking for myself. haha Please send any (easy!) recipes to kate.schaeffler@gmail.com asap! 

Everything in Usme is going well. The kids have been working hard on drawing their families and writing letters to their penpals from the USA. Sam sent me a care package earlier this week (thank you!!!) and I brought them some reeses peanut butter cups. They loved them and want to try more things from 'the United States!'. Hopefully I won't eat everything in the care package before the next time I see them!

I was able to meet with Father Carlos yesterday while I was working in the office. He works in Soacha, a city on the southern edge of Bogota. I had read about Soacha on the Doctors without Borders website, and really wanted to get involved there. Here is an article from 2005, but it's definitely still relevant: Soacha. It's a very sad story, but it's a reality all over Colombia. I was invited to spend this weekend with Father Carlos and his family to get acquainted with the city. He has wanted to start some sort of clinic or mission for a while. Unfortunately,  he works outside of the city during the week and doesn't have the time to start something right now. I am very interested on taking on this project and helping in any way I can. He is picking me up tomorrow and I will be there until Sunday afternoon. I'm hoping that I will have a better idea of what the need is, and how I can start helping, after this weekend. I'll keep you updated!

Brittany sent me a message earlier that she will be arriving on October 1st! We are really excited for here to get here and I can't wait to show her around. The two of us will start language classes on October 5th at the National University. I registered today and have to take a placement test next Wednesday. I'm really excited about this opportunity. I'll get to make some new friends while learning how to communicate more clearly. It's an intense 5 days a week class (4-6pm) for 2 months. It is exclusively for 'extranjeros', people from outside of Colombia and should be perfect to boost my spanish skills. Very exciting!

I hope everyone is doing well and I'll check in next week! Love, Kate

Las busetas

Every time I visit the mission in Usme, I have to take a buseta...or a bus. When I first got here, I was shocked at the lack of organization and safety of the buses. I'm starting to get used to it, but it seriously is a little crazy. 

First, there are no bus stops. You have to wait on the side of the road and search carefully for the bus that has the name of where you need to go. For my trips to Usme,

 I have to look for the bus that says "libertadores". This isn't easy when every bus has its own, different sign with a list of about 10 locations, and there are tons of them. 

So, if you're lucky enough to find the bus with your location on it, you have to flag it down. Like I said before, there are no bus stops. The busetas drive along until they see a hand reaching out to flag it down. Once the driver sees you, he cuts off about 2 lanes of traffic to get to

 the side of the road, so that you can get on. This leads to lots of honking and more crazy driving to get around the bus. 

The bus is there, right in front of you, so you step on. Once one foot is on the bus, it starts driving away...no I'm not kidding.. It was a little scary the first time, but now it's kind of fun. You have to go through a little turnstile and hand the driver your money (usually 1,200 pesos..about 60 cents). The driver then looks at how much you gave him and determines how much change he will give you...WHILE driving down the busy streets of Bogota. This actually really impresses me. 

The busetas here rarely follow the traffic rules. They will go through red lights and are always cutting people off. I really fear for the motorcyclists, who are always weaving in and out of traffic. When you want to get off the bus, you have to push the 'timbre'. This alerts the driver to

 pull over...so he speeds up to the curb and stops on a dime, giving everyone a little bit of

 whiplash. And then he starts driving off, as you're jumping off the bus!

I'm having a lot of fun with the kids in the Usme mission. We are working on some english vocab (fruit, animals, colors) and they're doing really well. Also, we started writing letters to the youth group from Maryland today! They were loving it!

The brigada in Bosa last Saturday ended up not working out. No doctors showed up, and the people from the community didn't show up. This was frustrating because apparently the same thing happened last time. Tomorrow morning, Laura-Catherine and I will be talking with a clinic in Bosa to hopefully schedule a time where doctors can see the kids. Most of them need to be looked at and vaccinated. Also, I talked with some doctors, and will hopefully be going door-to-door in the neighborhood with them in the future to offer medical help.

Next Monday will wrap up my first four weeks in Bogota! I will probably be moving into the apartment with Laura-Catherine sometime soon. It'll be nice to live independently, and closer to the church/office, but I am definitely going to miss my hot chocolate and bread dinners with Miriam and Oscar. They have been wonderful!

Keep me updated on how you all are doing (kate.schaeffler@gmail.com)! Thanks again for all of your love and support.  Love, Kate

 

Usme

Another busy week in Bogota is making this time fly by. We said goodbye to Audra on Wednesday and it was really sad to see her go. She was the first YASCer here and she really paved the way for us. I don't know what I would have done my first week in Bogota without her here to show me everything! We just called her from the office and are happy to hear that she made it back safely and is home with her family!

This week, I started going to another mission in the south, in a city called Usme. I think I'm going to spend most of my time here, while Laura-Catherine focuses on her work in Bosa. It takes a little over an hour to get to Usme by bus. The kids are wonderful and are really fun to work with. I have been teaching them some english and they are picking things up really quickly. Audra and Laura-Catherine had already taught them 'head shoulders knees and toes' and 'the hokey-pokey' and they love those songs! I'm working on the ABCs with them...and we have made it to the letter 'P'. Yesterday, I broke them into two teams (lions vs pumas--their choices), and we played a trivia/vocab game. It was great!! They were into it the entire time, and we had a lot of fun.

After eating lunch, learning some english, and working on homework, the kids get some time to go outside and play. The problem is that 'outside' is a steep road right in front of the church (see pictures), so it's difficult to get any games going...soccer is pretty much out of the question. Cars drive by really quickly, and it's just not a great environment for kids to be running around. My hope is that we can turn the grassy hill in the backyard into a flat field. Even though they make do with what they have, like playing on the side of the road in a little sand pit from construction, they really do need a safe place to play. Meanwhile, I'm planning on bringing jumpropes and other toys that they can play with in a limited amount of space. Let me know if you have any ideas!

Next week, they are going to start writing letters to the youth group back at my church in Maryland. This will help them with their english and they are very excited about their new friends from the states.

Tomorrow, I am waking up early and going to Bosa for a 'brigada'. It's basically a health fair where doctors and specialists treat people from the community all day. I'm really excited about it. I am also looking into medical opportunities in Soacha, where doctors without borders is located, and an AIDS clinic is struggling to open up. I'll keep you updated!

As I wrap up this entry, I want to take a moment to remember the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and all of the people who risked their lives to save others. I want to say thank you to every member of our armed forces and pray for all of the people who lost family and friends that morning. Never forget!

Love, Kate

life in colombia

Hola! I have been in Colombia for almost 2 weeks now and am really enjoying it here. I miss everyone a lot, but am quickly adjusting to life here. Last Friday I was able to go explore the city at night with Audra and her boyfriend. I even learned a little bit of merengue. It was a fun night in a very cool part of the city with lots of music and dancing. On Saturday, I went with Oscar and Miriam to a family reunion. They were celebrating Oscar's grandmother's 90th birthday! He has a huge family and I think I was introduced to every single person there..I got along really well with the 'cousins' and had a great night. A full religious service started around 9 and then came the mariachi bands, the whiskey on the rocks, and the dancing. We didn't start eating dinner until 11! Needless to say, it was a LONG, but fun night.

On Sunday, I went to church and Miriam asked me to do a reading...in spanish! I was a little bit nervous, but I was able to practice beforehand. It went really well and I really enjoyed the service. Toward the end of it, the Bishop asked Audra and I to come up to the altar. Then he introduced me to the congregation and said a special prayer for me. Audra is leaving on Wednesday, so he also did a nice prayer for her. It was great. Everyone was very welcoming and it reminded me of my home parish, St. Andrew the Fisherman, because the 'passing of the peace' was the longest part of the service... I love that!

On Monday and Wednesday, I made the long trip over to Bosa. It is a city on the outskirts of Bogota, where a mission started up a couple of months ago. Wednesday was a full day. I was up at 530am and walked back in my door around 7pm. The mission intends to give children in the neighborhood a place to eat, play, and do homework while their parents are away at work all day. It's called Operation Rescue, and it really is rescuing these kids from the streets and from the television. I went with Laura-Catherine and we spent most of the day cooking for them, cleaning up, helping them with their homework and playing games. I played soccer with the kids until the ball went up on a roof. We quickly switched over to basketball and everyone was having a lot of fun. The kids are wonderful and have a lot of personality. It was difficult at times when they wouldn't listen, or would fight with each other, but it's easy to tell that they are happy to be there.

Tonight is Audra's going away party and it obvious that everyone is going to miss her! It'll be sad to see her go, but hopefully she'll come back to say hi soon! Hope you all are doing well! Send me an email at kate.schaeffler@gmail.com to check in, or if you want to be added to my email list! Love, Kate

Bienvenidos a Bogota!!

Hey everyone! I'm writing from the apartment in the basement of the Episcopal church in Bogota right now! After about a month at my homestay, I'll be living here!
I had a great, safe trip here and love my host parents, Oscar and Miriam! They are awesome! We only speak spanish and watch spanish soap operas together at night. I've been learning a lot with them and really appreciate their hospitality.
I left Baltimore (picture is at BWI with all of my luggage and my Dad) last Monday and flew to Newark. I had about a 2 hour layover before my direct flight to Bogota took off. That's when it all kind of hit me. I was calling and texting everyone for the last time on my US cell phone and saying goodbye to the states for a year. Almost everyone on the flight spoke spanish fluently and was from Colombia. I was a little nervous, but even more excited to start this new adventure...and it really started when I landed.
Getting off the plane around 9pm on Monday night was a little crazy. There were people in uniforms everywhere and they were checking passports and bags very carefully. When I left the baggage claim area, it was like walking the red carpet. There were tons of Colombiansyelling for their family members and crowding the exit area. It was alittle overwhelming and then I heard "KATE!!"...Audra, her boyfriend Oscar (lots of Oscars here), and Laura-Catherine were there to get me!
I am so excited to be here and the weather has been pretty nice this week. Like I expected, it's about 60 degrees everyday with occasional rain. It is about a 10-15 minute walk from my homestay to the office and my host mom showed me the way the first two mornings. I walked alone today and didn't have any problems getting to the office. The first day, I met the bishop and he is really nice! He knows that I am interested in medicine and said he will work with me to find a good placement. I am working on getting my Colombian ID and then I will start working in the missions next week. Audra and Laura Catherine have been so helpful and I am starting to understand the bus system and how to get around. Also, Audra took me rock climbing yesterday..it was awesome and I think I'm going start going as much as I can!
The food here has been really good so far. The first morning we had hot chocolate, lulo (a colombian fruit) juice, bread, and cheese. It was a nice breakfast and Oscar said a great grace before we ate. Later that day, I went out to lunch with Audra and Pilar, the bishop's secretary. I had ajiaco, a Colombian potato soup and it was really good!! I've had lots of different fruits (passion fruit, lulo, guanabana) and even ate tofu yesterday for lunch. Also, I had my first cup of coffee EVER at Juan Valdez Cafe in downtown Bogota. It was actually really good.
Lastly, I have good news: my boyfriend Sam is coming to visit me on October 9 for his fall break!!! I can't wait! I can't wait for people to visit me so I can share this experience with them. I have been skyping with friends and family at the office and can sometimes pick up a little bit of a signal at my homestay. So if you have skype, find me! See pictures below! Love, Kate

ps. If you want to send letters or packages (UPS--(or fedex/dhl i guess)-my dad's a UPS pilot haha) please send them to:
Kate Schaeffler
Iglesia Episcopal
Carrera 6 #49-85
Bogota, Colombia THANKS!!

my bed at the homestay w the Boston lobster
Sam gave me and their blue octopus haha

the view from my room in the homestay

Lemonade!

This past Monday, I was on my way home from picking up my Colombian visa (yes!!) and saw some of the neighborhood kids running a lemonade stand. I stopped by to get some of their delicious, homemade lemonade and they were accepting 'donations only' in return. Then they told me that they had raised over 100 dollars...and all of it was going to my mission fund!



The girl on the far left, Geneva, attends my church with her sister Sarah (the other girl in the pink), and they woke up that morning with the idea. It was even Geneva's birthday! So many people have gone above and beyond in helping me prepare for my trip, and this is just one of the many touching moments I have experienced.

I take off on Monday (3 days!) and can't wait to get started. I have been talking with Audra and Laura-Catherine, the two YASCers that are there now, and they have been very helpful. It will be so nice to have them there when I first arrive to show me the ropes. On Monday, I will go straight from the Bogota airport to my homestay and will live there for the first month or so of my year in Colombia, while visiting the different missions and helping in the office. Living with a Colombian family should really help my spanish come back quickly!

I have spent the past few days saying goodbye to family and friends. Below is a picture of 8 of my 14 cousins and my boyfriend Sam (in the light blue) around me at my goodbye party. This is right after the family all sang 'hasta la vista to you'. haha It was a great send-off and I'm going to miss all of them a ton. I'll be looking forward to getting visitors throughout my year in Colombia!




3 more days until the big journey begins. I'm so excited! Thanks again to everyone who has made it possible. Love, Kate

Flight is booked!

On August 24, 2009 around 1pm I will leave Maryland for Colombia (with a quick layover in Newark). My new life in Bogota will become a reality in less than 3 weeks and I'm so excited! This has been a great summer and I have been able to spend lots of time with my wonderful family and friends. I have a few more things to take care of, but am just about ready to go.

Thanks to the generous support of so many people, I am very close to reaching my fundraising goal. There will be a send-off concert on August 22 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Sunderland, MD (corner of rt2 and rt 4) from 4-7pm. All proceeds will be used to support my trip. Everyone is welcome and I'd love to see you there!

In general, I have received lots of positive, encouraging responses about my placement, but some have expressed their concerns about going to such a 'dangerous' country. Colombia definitely has a reputation and is struggling to overcome it's past. As I have researched more and more about the country, and have met with people from Bogota, I am so excited about my placement. To be honest, at first I shared some of those same reservations and was nervous about spending a year in a war torn country. After learning so much about Colombia, I am more determined than ever to do what I can to help in this country's efforts to turn itself around and move on from it's violent past. Colombia is still plagued by paramilitary and rebel groups displacing families and drug trafficking, but it has so much to offer and the few people I have met from there have been so amazing. I can't wait to get started!
Love, kate