On Saturday, we set foot in Cochamba for the first time in more than a year and a half. We began the painful process of selling off everything in our house in Bolivia. We knew it would be difficult, but that would be an understatement. When we moved here, we went all-in, investing so much in the life we were building. We were able to ship some large and valuable items to Bolivia—including musical instruments, tools, and kitchen supplies—but we didn't realize it would be extremely difficult or costly to take things back to the USA when that time came. Then again, we didn't think much about it; we planned to establish a life here for the long haul and had no intention of moving back to the USA within just a few years.
Now, as we have to sell or donate almost all of our belongings, we are grieving the loss of the life and ministry we had and hoped to have in Bolivia. Yes, there is a heavy financial loss. But the deeper pain is saying goodbye to our life and relationships here, and to the hopes and dreams that are linked to so many of our possessions. On one hand, those are just material things. But they carry with them memories of the life that we had here in Bolivia, and the hopes of the life we would have.
A tote of camping gear represents the days and nights I hoped to spend in the villages of Bolivia, serving alongside my friends and teammates. The military cot in the corner causes me to reminisce about driving fifteen hours, sleeping in the school building of a remote village, then hiking for several hours to help a friend recover his damaged airplane. When I open that tote, I also can't help thinking of the camping trips with my kids that never happened and never will happen.
There is a cabinet full of kitchen supplies that Tara carefully selected and brought to Bolivia over the course of several years. But they are more than just plastic and metal. They are the tools that she used to prepare many family meals and to bake cookies and cuñapes to bless our American and Bolivian friends. Those material possessions are an expression of her desire to make our home a hospitable place where everyone feels welcome and loved. We remember the many times that we hosted friends at our house and the meals we shared together as a family, and we grieve the loss of future opportunities to express Christ's love in Bolivia through hospitality.
On one hand, these are just things. But as we pare down our entire household to a few suitcases, we are processing many layers of loss. Please pray for us during these few weeks.
