My Road to Cochabamba
Tomorrow morning, four of us will be leaving the country and spending our much-anticipated summer in Bolivia. The past months and weeks have been filled with changing plans, frustrations, and blessings all wrapped up in the one experience of preparing to go to Bolivia. Throughout the whole process, I think everyone on the team would agree that we have seen God work in surprising and wonderful ways. Everyone on the team has a different story about how God has shown His faithfulness amidst changing situations and transformed plans.
 I have always known that God is in control of my life, that He knows what is best for me, that His purpose for me will surpass all of the “great” plans I can make for myself. But in the past few months I have come to truly know (experience) this as I prepared to go to Bolivia. Way back around February-ish I decided to join the CCF Bolivia mission team. I had always known that I wanted to go on some sort of longer mission trip during my college years, but I had no idea that this opportunity would come so soon. My original plan was to be in Bolivia for the last 3 weeks of August with the majority of the team. But after hearing about the Bolivian research project that Erika and Jordan were a part of (explained in Erika's post below), I decided to see if I could also take advantage of this opportunity through the U of O. After the initial testing, it seemed that I was “in.” I was so excited to not only spend more time in Bolivia, experiencing the people and the culture, but also to have the majority of the mission trip paid for through the U of O.
 This seemed too good to be true and I though this was God's way of providing the money I needed for the trip. But about two weeks into the testing, I found out I didn't pass one of the tests and I could no longer be a part of the study. This devastated me. I was so confused about why God would seemingly tease me with this opportunity, then take it away so quickly. Just a week later I got my answer. Through my mom and the connections of some friends, I came into contact with the Bakers, a  missionary couple who also happen to live in Cochabamba. They run Bolivian Youth Ministries, a home for girls whose parents are incarcerated in the corrupt Bolivian prison system. After several weeks of emailing, the plans came together for me to go early to Bolivia and spend time with these missionaries and the girls in their house.
 Now, looking back on the whole process, I can see so clearly how God was directing and redirecting my plans. Through the possibility of the research project, my desire to spend more time in Bolivia was revealed to me—the opportunity to fulfill this desire was soon to follow. Getting to spend nine weeks blessing and being blessed by the people in Bolivia is a plan that I could not have made on my own. The Lord redirected my plans for the better in ways that I could have never imagined.
 After the first two weeks that I spend with the girls at Bolivia Youth Ministries, I will get to live with a Bolivian host family, and hopefully help out in a preschool classroom with Abbey Wanzek (who, along with her husband Tom, works with Dan and Daryl). The biggest thing I have learned throughout this time of preparing for the trip is to trust in the Lord. Not to just say that I trust Him, but to truly lay my plans at His feet then to patiently and faithfully wait for His provision. 
 I feel like I have already grown so much in just the preparation for this trip. I cannot wait for what lies ahead! Please pray for us as we travel the next couple days and get used to life in Bolivia. Pray that we would daily surrender our plans to the Lord, and that He would be our focus and our joy throughout the entire trip.
Thank you for your support and teaming up with us as we begin this adventure!

-Megan