Have you ever wondered how common ‘common sense’ really is? To find out what I think about jargon like that please click through to where I have been graciously invited as a guest writer: Laura Parker Life Overseas. Or click the following clip:

“Somebody should do something about the orphans in our city,” says Someone persistent, insistent.

“We may not be able to help them all, but we can help some,” the reply is not so quick this time. Stare for a moment with eyes wide open into the eyes of dejection. Eyes of flickering hope.

These were the beginning whispers of a dream come true: The House of Dreams Orphanage.

Today I am so very honored to be a guest on the Heart to Heart with Holley blog site speaking about the House of Dreams in her series God Sized Dreams. To read the whole post follow this link:

Heart to Heart with Holley – God Sized Dreams

As a special thanks to the readers there is also a give away of an authentic Bolivian item over there that you won’t want to miss!

Ages ago in the United States children were shipped long distances on trains in order to be adopted. Many of them grew up as little more than servants in the homes of their patrons. This was a dark time for the States. As the economy improved these methods were ratified and the changes were positive.

Currently adoption in the United States is viewed as a viable and loving way to make a family. Great strides have been made in the culture of adoption.

Now we can turn our eyes to the adoption culture of Bolivia.

——————————————————————————–

Want to read more? Come on over to the Latina Lista site today… “The Adoption Culture — One of hope and frustration”

Brown fingers curled over the edge of the car door, a window hidden below. The wind rushed by picking up the black as night strands in the midday heat. Her chin rested with pensive eyes above. Buildings, streets, trees and city-bustle zoomed by the girl seated next to her caregiver.

“Why are those people sleeping on the street?” the girl said.

—————————————

Want to read more? Come on over to the (in)courage site today… “From the Window Pain”

How about some links?

1. To answer a question I pose about how to cope with the relationship  revolving door hitting you on the tooshie as a missionary: “Tuesday Topic: Revolving Door of Relationships”.

2. What do coasters for your warm frothy beverages have to do with a washer and dryer? Find out here: “Coasters for a Cause”.

3. Did I mention I tweet? It’s fun: atangie.

Bonus link:

Last year I did NaNoWriMo. It was thrilling. Shall I do it again this year? That is the question. Oh, and the other question is: Are you going to do it? Here’s their site: National Novel Writing Month.

Miss Maureen Milham has bestowed on me a lovely blog award. Thanks, Mo! You rock!

Isn’t it pretty? Below are the 5 recipients that I am extending this award to because I think they are lovely ladies!

Carin of “United Here” is a friend who lives here in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She moved here with her husband and two wonderful kids earlier this year. She inspires me with her worshipful heart and prayerful spirit. We run together in the mornings, that profits us some. We also run together for the cause of Christ, this is reaping eternal rewards.

Birgit Whelan is a Kiwi living in England. She has an amazing testimony of how God has rescued her from the darkness and placed her as a shining light in this world. Visiting her blog is always a thought provoking and inspiring stop. Aside from the devotional posts she has some unbelievable photography. I am glad to have met Birgit.

Sarah of “Junglewife” is a sweet woman serving in Indonesia with her husband and their darling daughters. They are so cute! They get it from their mom, of course. Sarah is a down to earth chick. She is creative and finds ways to make life livable and even enjoyable in extreme situations. She is a dear lady.

Sarah of “Missionary Mommy“  lives in Botswana with her husband and their two kiddos. They have been serving as missionaries long enough to have to renew their drivers licenses. Her upbeat and fun approach to life are an encouragement. Her real life hospitality shines through on her blog as she tells stories about living in Africa.

Julie of “Keepin’ the Faith” works alongside her husband in Paraguay. They have just begun the process to adopt; their son will be a great big brother. Julie is not one to mince words. She is thoughtful, has a heart inclined to the heart of God and chooses to make every moment count. Oh, and she collects orchids! Cool, eh?

You will not be disappointed if you click through on those links. They really are a lovely bunch of gals.

- o -

On Flickr there is a set of shots I took around the city of Cochabamba. They are already nicely captioned and displayed in a snazzy little set. I really enjoyed going out on the town and capturing some images of some of my favorite places here. I don’t think this will be the last time that I do something like this. There are some other night sites that I would like to grab on film.

Click the image below or follow this link: Cochabamba Night Shots on Flickr. Comments here or there are welcome and appreciated.

“Dime con quien andas y te diré quien eres.”

Translated, this common Spanish saying goes, “Tell me who you walk with (hang out with) and I will tell you who you are.”

The followings links are to people that I hang out with. The first two links are folks I have never met face to face, but who I enjoy being with here in the blogosphere. The last link is to some people that are here with us in Bolivia.

In case you were wondering about the title “Quien Soy” means “Who I Am”. So here are some glimpses at some people who make me who I am.

1. “On Tears” – The author, Jill Carattini, is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

2. “Impressions” – Birgit Whelan is a Kiwi living in England. She is an aspiring (and inspiring) young author.

3. “A Couple New Hands” – Romon and Melinda Gore are our interns. Now you can see some pictures of them.

Why not leave me a ‘quien soy’ link in the comments below or on my honk page to an article or blog you have read recently by someone who influences who you are?

Did you know that we are not the only people in Cochabamba, Bolivia that have an orphanage? There are more homes than just Hogar de Sueños (House of Dreams). We are friends with some of the people who share our burden of caring for these sweet kiddos.

One such person is named Jennifer Thompson. This woman is absolutely amazing! Her dedication to love the kids in her care is unmatched. I am continually inspired by her sacrifice and fierce diligence to providing for the children of Bolivia.

She happens to be a blogger as well. (Yeah!) To celebrate one year in the blogosphere she is hosting a fun little contest. You can check it out here: http://hogardeamor.blogspot.com/2009/07/200th-post-230th-post-1-year-blog.html

We love you Jennifer!

(click the image to jump to her site)

Usually I share photos on Wednesdays. It is Saturday. I am just so pleased by how these pictures turned out that I wanted to share them. There are more on my Flickr account if you get into this kind of stuff. Oh, and speaking of Flickr, if you are a member over there then feel free to add me as a contact. I like pictures.

The deal with these pictures is that I have been practicing taking close ups. There is a setting on our snazzy camera, but it is tricky to use; thus the need for practice. Then there are the artsy things like lighting, composition, line, color, etc. to consider. I gave myself a challenge: good close ups with no computer editing help. I took about a hundred shots in the botanical gardens one afternoon last week. These are some of the ones that I am really pleased with. (You can click on the images to see them in all their thousand-of-pixels glory.)