Hello, friends!

Greetings, everyone! 

It has been some time since we posted anything here, so I thought I would give you an update. We have been back in the USA for about 6 weeks now, and we are still finding it hard to adjust. We had forgotten how fast the pace of life here can be, and the whirlwind of activity has just been wearing us out! It is slowly getting easier to go work in an office for 8 hours every day, although I miss my students very much. Someone asked me what I missed most from living in Bolivia, and I told them it is the simple joy that most Bolivians take in everyday life. Bolivians don't seem to invest much in delayed gratification. If there is a reason to celebrate, they have a party! They don't wait for when it fits everyone's schedules. Many people don't have every minute of their day mapped out with "what's next" - and that means they have time to stop. Just stop. Admire the scenery, laugh with friends, dance, talk about whatever interests them (usually local politics!). It is a wonderful lifestyle, and one I could happily enjoy the rest of my life. Alas, things are different here at home. My sister Amy asked me recently how things were going now that we're back, and I said I feel like I'm riding a carousel that's spinning out of control, and it's too fast for me to jump off!

So, what have we been doing since we returned home? I went back to work almost right away. I work at a company that manages flex/cafeteria pans for small to medium sized businesses. For those reading this from other countries, it means I help manage employers' health benefits for their employees. These plans are very desirable to workers, and having one means your company is more desirable to the best, most qualified potential employees. It also means you're more likely to keep employees from moving on to a position with another company that does not have a similar program. Jeff is working from home using the Internet on a project that is generating some extra income, but has the potential to generate quite a bit more. It is nice to be back where we have reliable high-speed Internet service. :) Jeff has also entered the discernment process, which is Episcopal-speak for "he is seeking the support and approval of his local congregation to become ordained." He feels he has been called to ordained ministry, perhaps to become a priest. His focus is youth ministry and local/global mission. Please pray for him as he begins this new chapter in his life.

Delaney spent the first few weeks we were back with her friends. She was with at least one friend every day! She has also attended Episcopal Summer Camp at Pictured Rocks Camp in Monticello, IA for a week, plus she attended Band Camp for marching band at her high school, where she was "promoted" to playing piccolo. She is all registered to start her junior year of high school on August 21st, and she is very much looking forward to that! She is also studying to take her written exam and get her driving permit so she can do drivers' education this fall. Watch out, she'll be driving soon!

Finally, one thing I have heard from many people since our return is: how did you guys lose so much weight? It's called eating clean -- no preservatives, additives, artificial colors or flavors, sweeteners, etc. Nothing processed. It's hard to even find that sort of thing there, and what a difference it made. It has made all three of us very aware of just how bad the American food system really is. It is hard to find anything that isn't processed here, all of the food is "dirty"!! We discovered lots of foods taste much better when they are fresh and untouched. It is funny how our opinions as a society are formed by the mega-corporations that made their millions feeding us the junk they call food! Really? I'm weird for preferring to eat real food? I don't know that many people understand that we did NOT diet while we were in Bolivia. We didn't skimp or starve. We just ate real food and lost a lot of weight. If you are interested in learning more, I am starting a new blog called Eating Clean. I will be sharing recipes, ideas and tips, and I will also start a FB page where others can share their thoughts and ideas. I promise to monitor for trolls!

So this is me, signing off for now. I think we will probably keep this blog up for awhile, but we won't be posting to it regularly anymore. Please find us on FB, or feel free to email for other ways to keep in touch.

God's blessings to you all, and take care of yourselves,

Susan

Home at last

Hi everyone!

We have had requests from many people to continue our blog, at least for now, so here we are! Today's Waverly Democrat newspaper published a front-page article about our return, Here is a picture:

Since they don't publish all of the articles online, here is the text of the article and the two photos they used...

One year ago, the Cornforths of Waverly set out on the journey of a lifetime. After more than two years of planning and fundraising, they departed at last for a year of mission work in Bolivia, South America, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. They traveled to the Unidad Academica Campesina (the UAC-CP), a small college in the tiny rural mountainside village of Carmen Pampa. Founded in 1993, the mission of the UAC-CP is to: provide higher education to the poor and marginalized; prepare young men and women who are called by Christian principle to serve the poor; guide young adults in their search for truth through education, research, and community service; and integrate the College’s work throughout Bolivia’s rural area.

The college started as a joint effort between the Catholic University of Bolivia in La Paz, the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (MFIC), the Diocese of Coroico, Bolivia, and the sub-central Villa Nilo–a local governing body of the indigenous people, Nor Yungas, Bolivia. The people of Nor Yungas are mainly of Aymaran or Afro-Bolivian descent who, until 1952, were indentured slaves.

Sr. Damon Nolan, MFIC, who was living in the mountainous Yungas region, guided the four groups who were united in their concern regarding the absence of higher education for young people in one of South America’s poorest areas. Building a college, they agreed, would be a way to empower people from the rural area to respond to common problems and needs of the population. In 1992 an agreement was signed with the local farmers’ organization to build the College. Some farmers signed the pact with a thumbprint.

Jeff and Susan Cornforth visited the UAC-CP in 2001 when they were graduate students at South Dakota State University, one of several US institutions with which the UAC-CP has exchanged students and research projects. They were so inspired by the work and mission of the college, and its effect on the rural communities and people of Bolivia, that they returned after two weeks determined to return and help someday. Their youngest child, Delaney, grew up with talk of the day they would return to Bolivia, and the family felt called to go there together and serve God’s people. As Delaney prepared to begin high school, she began discussing the possibility of missing a year to go to Bolivia, and a family friend mentioned Iowa Learning Online, a program that would allow her to keep up her studies over the Internet while gone. Susan reached out to an old friend at the UAC-CP, Dr. Hugh Smeltekop, who by this time had become the Vice Director of the college, and began discussing the idea that the family would come for an entire year, with Delaney keeping up her studies online. He assured them an Internet connection was regularly available, and they realized that the time had come to make their dream a reality.

The family talked with their church, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Waverly, and they were very willing to help with fundraising and support the family in any way they could. Jeff and Susan, usually accompanied by Delaney, began fundraising in earnest, visiting over 20 churches and organizations and using social media to reach friends and family members out of state. Several committees of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa gave grants to help, plus St. Andrew’s raised funds before and during the year, supporting needs that came up as the mission developed. Without the generous gifts of people all over Iowa, and throughout the US, the mission would never have happened.

Landing on July 10, 2013, in La Paz, Bolivia, at the world’s highest international airport (13, 070 feet above sea level), the Cornforths then departed for the Yungas. As they settled in at the College, their work began. Susan taught English to two classes, one a group of students in the Agronomy department and the other in Education. At first, the students were hesitant and shy, but since Susan is a singer, she fills her life and surroundings with music wherever she goes. She began a tradition of creating a playlist of songs in English for her classes, and playing the music before class. She also used song lyrics in many lessons, teaching her students English while they sang along. Many times, she discovered some of her students had heard a song before and were eager to learn the words and what they meant. The music broke the ice, as students would crowd around her after class asking for copies of music she used in class and dancing and teasing each other. Susan says one of her favorite things about Bolivian culture is their artistic tendencies – they love to dance, sing, dress up, decorate, have parties. Over the two semesters she taught there, she made many friends among the students, and had great fun. Among other things, they baked banana bread together (using recipes in English to practice), played baseball, and sang karaoke. She learned to love them and their creativity, and learned much from them about the importance of joy in everyday life.

Jeff started out exercising his handyman skills, fixing things small and large all over the campus. He also designed and worked on several large projects during his year, including a hanging garden system to create a visual barrier along a set of stairs with an open side and no handrail, a fountain for a redesigned courtyard that reuses old satellite dishes, and a complete remodel of the library. His vision for library included an indoor garden and soft corner to encourage reading for pleasure, an almost unheard-of pastime in Bolivian culture.

Delaney spent much of her time working on her schoolwork, and with the Internet connection very unreliable at times, she sometimes needed extra hours to complete her schoolwork. Her volunteer work was centered on the children’s library in the village. A family from Minneapolis came in August with a large donation of books and helped her set it up, then she ran it by herself for the rest of the year. She took great delight in interacting with the village children, and established a weekly storytime where she could read to them. She also built a great relationship with the faculty and staff children on the campus where the family lived, often having them over to bake cookies or play games.

The family returned to Waverly on June 21, and was welcomed back by St. Andrew’s the following day. They say they will spend the next several weeks adjusting back to life in the US, and that the experience has changed forever their relationship with God and the way they think about the world and other people. “While we know this sort of mission is not for everyone, it was an incredible time for us, and we would encourage anyone who feels moved by the needs of others to act, whether that’s by spending a year in a developing country or by volunteering at your church or in the community. Get outside your ‘comfort zone’ and interact with people from other places or parts of society, and be open to other points of view,” says Susan.

Last days in Bolivia

Hello everyone,

Sorry not to have posted earlier this weekend, but things got a little crazy! After we got back from La Paz on Tuesday, we were nonstop until a few hours ago. Between final exams and final grades for me, Jeff and Delaney getting in as many more hours working in the library as they could, and cleaning and packing up our apartment after a year, we are exhausted! While we are not excited to pay for three nights' hotel on our way out, we decided discretion was the better part of valor and came today just in case some group decides to start up another blockade tomorrow morning. Seems Monday mornings are often a target. Besides, it is nice to have a couple days here in La Paz with no pressure before we begin the long journey home very early Wednesday morning!

Friday evening we hosted a pancake supper for all of my students from the whole year, plus many other friends and colleagues. It was a great opportunity to visit with everyone one last time, and Jeff served up some masterful pancakes!

Friday noon our dear friends and neighbors from upstairs, Carlos and Gladys, served up one last delicious home-cooked Bolivian meal. It was wonderful fun, with the conversation flying back in forth in both languages as we all consumed some truly outstanding food.

Yesterday we finished packing, and around quitting time, many of our friends among the faculty and staff stopped by to say good-bye and wish us well. As with the students, many of them asked when we would be coming back!

Today we rose early, put the finishing touches on the apartment, and were just ready to go when our driver arrived. Carlos, Gladys and Nathaly all came down to help carry and load luggage and see us off in the clouds and sprinkles. We all shared some hugs and a few tears, as we will miss each other very much! On our way to La Paz, we stopped and took pictures a couple of times, including a few at the very top of the pass, where there is a shrine. It was very cold up there!

Here is a link to our latest photos: http://tinyurl.com/pb2jt3p

Enjoy the photos, and we will see many of you soon!

Peace,
Susan

Monkeys and a paddleboat...

I’m on top of the world, hey!

Okay, so I had to quote from one of my favorite songs, because today and tomorrow we are in Copacabana, Bolivia. Two interesting things about Copacabana: first, it’s the original Copacabana that all others are named after. Second, it’s on the shore of Lake Titikaka (or Titicaca, depending on who you ask), the highest lake in the world. The surface of the lake is at 12, 500 feet. Our hotel room is a ways up the hill, and on the 4^th floor, so figure another hundred feet or so above that. Needless to say, the stairs up to our room are gasp-inducing, even when we were in La Paz for a couple of days first! Our hotel there is at (only!) about 11,000 feet.

We will post many more pictures and some videos tomorrow night from La Paz, because our Internet connection here is kind of wiggy.

There will also be many from our trip last Sunday night to Senda Verde, the animal refuge near Coroico. We stayed overnight so we could see the two Andean spectacled bears, who have the largest enclosure in the world (for their species in captivity) at over 3000 square meters – that’s more than a square mile of rainforest where they can roam and nest and just be as natural as possible. They are an endangered species, and have no protections in Bolivia. Both were rescued from black market situations where they were horrifically abused, but are now recovered and in excellent health.

They also have parrots, macaws, monkeys of several different species, tortoises, and many other animals there, and it was a wonderful experience. Delaney was very inspired by the volunteer work that is done there by young people from all over the world, and is planning to return after high school to volunteer herself. To see many photos from this week, including Senda Verde and Copacabana, visit our Google Plus page – just go to this address:

http://tinyurl.com/pcbt5wx

Jeff will do a separate post sometime this week with photos and words about the progress on the library project. He and Delaney will be madly working to finish as much as possible before we go…

Love to all, and see you soon!

Susan

The week's events

Hola amigos!

     As I’m sure you can imagine, we are crazy busy with end-of-the-semester activities, preparing to return home, and trying to squeeze a few more of the sights before we leave in a few weeks. This week, the interns from Siena College fully participated in English classes. They are certainly a welcome addition, I only wish they had come sooner! George and Joanna have truly been a blessing this week, and I’m sure they will continue to be over the next two weeks as classes wind down.

     Last Saturday the Siena students went on a hike to the Puerta de Viento (Wind Gateway), a high mountaintop about an hour’s hike from here from which much of this end of the valley can be seen. Several UAC students went along, as did Jeff and Delaney. Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment:

     Speaking of pictures, here is a link to a new album of pictures, including the poinsettia tree (yes, they are really trees!) in front of our building in full bloom, two different street celebrations in La Paz, snow in the pass and shots along the road to/from La Paz, views from the staff retreat a couple of weeks ago, more photos from the Siena hike, and pictures from the student research fair:

https://plus.google.com/photos/110653989940195940305/albums/6019679122574008273

     Friday afternoon Jeff and I went to the students’ project fair. Every student at the UAC must complete a scientific research project for 10% of all their class grades. Today they presented their posters and results, giving verbal presentations and answer questions in a format somewhat similar to a high school science fair at home. We found the Agronomy section the most interesting, what with live animals, growing plants, and a wide variety of very well-displayed and well-researched projects. We also visited the Education and Nursing displays. The projects ranged from extremely simplistic – a study of administrators’ knowledge of the mission statement of the UAC and its meaning – to extremely complex – a study of the effects of using three different types of liquid organic fertilizer in potato production. We had a great time mingling and asking questions, and visiting with the many students we have come to know and love.

     Sunday afternoon we will head to the local wildlife refuge, famous for its monkeys and its rare Andean spectacled bear, to spend the night in a cabin and see all there is to see. We promise many photos!

     The library project is currently awaiting paint, which we heard Thursday may not happen until after we leave. So, Jeff is busy doing all the prep work so that everything is ready to hang or install as soon as the painting is done, and Ruben has very detailed plans of how it should all go. We have been promised pictures of the finished product sometime later this summer.

     Jeff has also been hard at work finishing designs for a couple of other projects he has proposed, so that they can be done when the labor and funds are available later. One is his satellite dish fountain, which Padre Emilio is very excited about!

We pray all of you are happy and healthy, and we will see you very soon!

Love,

Susan

Karaoke, the Library and Interns from the US

Greetings to all!

     Well, our chronic Internet problems have just been getting worse and worse. We apologize once again for not getting anything up last week. Hopefully we have the problem solved now and we will be in touch until we leave.

     First, a report on two continuing items: Karaoke practices are ongoing, and the variety of song choices is trully astonishing! They range from simple teen pop music to classic rock to adult easy listening. We can’t wait to hear how they all come out! Since we have no way to adjust the sound properties of our system, it has been a challenge finding a room to use where the echo is minimal enough to keep from feeding back into the microphone, but we are now using a room with carpet on the floor, which is much better. Last time, we not only had 10 students come and practice, but there were at least 4 others who came just to listen and enjoy the music. So much fun!

     The library remodel is coming along. THANK YOU to St. Andrew’s for donating the rest of the money needed to finish the project before we leave. Ruben is thrilled! This week will see many changes, and we will take plenty of pictures for you all to see next week.

      Second, our big news this week is the group of student interns from Siena College in Albany, NY, arrived! Two of them, George and Joanna, will be interning with the elementary school in the village in the mornings in their advanced English class, and in the afternoons/evenings they will be working with my two classes. I am very excited to meet with them and work out exactly how they will fit into our last few weeks of class. You can read more about the Siena students (and some of mine!) on their blog: http://sienaglobalserviceinternship.wordpress.com/2014/03/19/where-will-you-be-serving/ (The entries by my students were for a class project on learning to introduce and describe themselves.) They also read this blog for information about the Siena students. I am very much looking forward to having Joanna and George in the English program!

     I will close this week with a proverb in Spanish that hangs on the wall in our apartment. It’s great food for thought!

Vigila tus pensamientos, se convierten en palabras. Vigila tus palabras, se convierten en acciones. Vigila tus acciones, se convierten en hábitos. Vigila tus hábitos, se convierten en carácter. Vigila tu carácter, se convierte en tu destino.

Watch your thoughts, they will become words. Watch your words, they will become actions. Watch your actions, they will become habits. Watch your habits, they will become your character. Watch your character, it will become your destiny.

Abrazos a todos!

Susan

Hello all, and welcome to this week’s post!!!

This week has seen some interesting sights. Susan’s English 1 classes are starting to rehearse their karaoke songs for their finals, which is always entertaining. I have been awakened early in the morning by a flock of green parrots. Last night, around midnight, the dogs were all set off barking by a monkey’s call. He would call; let the dogs get all riled up, then when they would all settle down, he would call again. I tell you, it is like living in a jungle here! J

Projects are proceeding. The library garden is waiting for a fountain now. We are looking to see if the Diocese of Coroico might have something that we can use. The library project overall is moving forward. Paint is being requested, chair rails have been removed and holes patched. Tables are being shortened to match the rest of the furniture heights. It is all very exciting. Since putting in the garden, I was very happy to see that students have started watering the plants, giving them ownership. It is a nice thing to see happen.

Delaney is finishing up her school work. She has been having a hard time due to the Internet being out so often, or so slow that she can’t actually do anything. Luckily she has some GREAT teachers that are sending her stuff to accomplish off-line.

With less than 6 weeks left of our time here, it is amazing how fast this year has gone by, how many blessings we have witnessed, and how many people have touched our hearts. The students always remind you that you have touched their lives, which is a great pick-me-up when I am tired or hurting. They create in you a desire to help them achieve what they want in life. The students are starting to see a trend in my special projects. I created the hanging gardens/safety buffer, (which unfortunately has to be repaired). I created the library garden, which has seen an increase of students sitting in the comfy chairs reading around the quiet space. And the first project that I proposed is a fountain utilizing the satellite dishes that are no longer in use for the different levels. I am afraid that I will have to leave a detailed description for someone else to make it with. In short, I have become the garden architect! Hopefully, I can use some of these skills and ideas to make our space at home nicer in turn!

I want to take this time to wish every mother out there a very Happy Mother's Day. We should celebrate our mothers everyday, but, alas, we must have some time to fish! So Happy Mother's Day from well South of the border!

I will end for now, although I understand Delaney is also making a post, so make sure and read that. Know that each and every one of you is in our thoughts and prayers. Yes, even you. (You know who you are!) Take some time to slow down, listen, and be what God is calling you to be.

La paz,

Jeff