its hot

Well hello from Bolivia! I left Manitoba bright and early on Jan 20th, went through Montreal, Miami, La Paz and finally got to Santa Cruz morning of the 21st. Flights and layovers were good, I didn’t sleep as much as I hoped. I did finish 3 books though. I was picked up by a missionary couple, we went for breakfast (yes, beans and rice were in there), then ran errands for a while as they don’t get into a big city that often.
Bolivia Tip #1: [When driving] “Just close your eyes and go.”
Bolivia Tip #2: The red light is more like a suggestion.
Police stand outside banks with shotguns. We paid a man to keep my suitcases safe in the back of the truck while we ate breakfast. Toilet paper does not go in the toilet. People put on sweaters when it gets down to 30C.
Annnyways, I got to my temporary place around 2 pm, where I immediately went to sleep. I woke up later on to drink some whatever, but slept till around 1 pm the next day. It was great. I am extremely thankful that my room has AC. My apartment in MB was usually kept somewhere inbetween 16 and 18 C, here my room feel very comfortable when I get it down to 28. Perspectives! My hosts are very busy with multiple things, including attending a wedding, so I only met them for the first time today (the 23rd). Their children and another teacher were my hosts in the meantime, and they were very welcoming. I haven’t done much since I got here, slept, read, drink water. Things like visa paperwork and teacher training will start up next week!
Tonight 2 teachers and myself took a taxi to Pailon, the nearest town, for supper and to walk around the market areas. Very South American/spanish/warm climate. There were bright colours everywhere, all varieties of motorbikes, dogs, the orange roofs. It’s beautiful. It was a wonderful evening.

Prayer requests:
I haven’t actually done any lesson planning prep yet! This is a stressful thing in my brain.
A place to put my head down at night. I’m currently staying in a guesthouse but it isn’t a permanent situation.
That I’ll learn Spanish overnight? Doing everyday things like grocery shopping will require me knowing some Spanish, so I hope I can learn some quickly!

Thankful!!:
Safe travels everywhere I’ve gone.
Everyone I’ve met has been so extremely welcoming and friendly.
Our Father is a good, good Father.