We had only been with them a day, and yet at the market the father of our home-stay family introduced me as his “hijo” (son). Within a day we had gone from complete strangers to a part of the family. This simple phrase completely describes our relationship. We have been adopted into a Bolivian family and have experienced love, service, concern (and sometimes even invasion of privacy) just like any other member of the family.
In our family, the father does most of the cooking. Yes, this is abnormal for South America, but for Rolando, it is part of his nature. In his mind, meal time is for the whole family to be together, and it is his way to maintain connection with his loved ones. You could say “cooking for” is his love language and our family is loved every day with mostly agreeable meals. One special thing he does for me is to save a bowl of the noon-meal soup (which I’m unable to eat because I’m in class) for me to have with my dinner.
Our Bolivian mother helps Rolando in the kitchen, washes our clothes by hand, and somehow finds time to work in their leather shop as well. She has a sweet disposition and loves to engage in meaningful conversations. She and her daughter have especially fallen in love with Michaela. It is nice to have two who are so willing to take her at any moment: to sing to, dance with, or take outside.
We have been blessed to be welcomed into this family. Of course, we had our concerns at the beginning. Were we going to get along with them? Were they even trustworthy? Both of these anxieties have proved to be empty worries. Time after time they have tried to protect us “gringos” from getting taken advantage of. Just the other day, Eli returned 1000 Bs. to us (around $120) that I had hidden in a sock. Julie didn’t know about it and had thrown it in the wash. Though I was trying to be careful and avert temptation, our Bolivian mom assured us we have nothing to fear.
Lest I paint a picture too perfect, there have been definite challenges to our new family situation. The American side of us feels that we’ve been stripped of some of our personal independence and privacy. We might even go so far to say that these people are “overly enmeshed.” Julie and I have been given ample unsolicited parenting advice and financial suggestions (if they think we’ve spent to much on something). We have to lovingly bend with some things and set boundaries with others.
I don’t believe our experience is unique to just our family. As I’ve talked with the rest of the team, it basically typifies what all four of the families in home-stays have experienced. The very people, to whom we’ve come to give God’s love, have first shown us an incredible love and acceptance. We pray daily that our 24/7 witness and communication, though it often be in broken Spanish, will only further strengthen these bonds until they are founded in Christ.
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