17 Jul 2009
Educational Excursion: A big success!
The following post was sent by Carrie Blackburn Brown:
Expectations were high as the excited children loaded onto our own personal bus for the week. There was not a face to be found without a smile on it as the day they had been patiently awaiting, finally arrived. The children… were plastered to the windows as we left La Paz and journeyed through a part of the country they had never seen. The activity was non-stop as soon as we arrived. We were lodged at a lovely Methodist Retreat Center called Thiu Rancho where the playgrounds, soccer field, pools, and open spaces were thoroughly enjoyed. The many parks of Cochabamba were the source of much joy as the kids learned to ride bikes and swim. They also enjoyed learning about and comparing Cochabamba to La Paz. The night brought more fun as we roasted marshmallows and made S’mores over a campfire as we sang and enjoyed each others company. A highlight of the next day in Cochabamba was our trip in the gondolas up to The Christ statue that overlooks Cochabamba. Many of the kids were convinced that they were flying. After a wonderful lunch and ice cream for dessert, we headed to the cinema to see the movie Up. We knew it was the first time that the kids were going to see a movie in a cinema, but were delightfully surprised to see what an adventure an escalator could be. It was hilarious to see the kids treat the escalator as if it were something from another world. They were opened up to so many new and exciting opportunities during this trip and their minds were broadened by this experience. We are so appreciative for all of you who helped to make this trip possible and have already started to plan for our trip next year. Our first educational excursion was a huge success!
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