To hope, to dream.

This last week I started my internship in Cochabamba, Bolivia. As a girl who loves to travel you can't keep me in one place, there is far to much to see, to know, and to learn. At the start of the week I went up to El Cristo de la Concordia, from this point I could see the whole city. The city is so big it didn't seem to have an end. Everywhere I looked there it was, climbing up the base of the mountains in every direction.

*This is a panorama of the Northern and western section of the city. This probably captures only about a 1/4 of the entire city. Again. It is a giant city.

In that moment I was completely overwhelmed. I came to Cochabamba to intern at a local water municipality, in order to help increase the access and quality of water in Cochabamba. But at the top, seeing all of the city I started to feel defeated before I even began.

How could I make a difference? What difference would it really make?

At the top of the hill it seemed impossible. I am working in the western region of the city, but from the top I could see the southern region where the need is even greater but due to lack of funding, infrastructure and countless other hurdles, for the time being there is no easy and efficient way to bring that section of the city water. My heart breaks for them.

I will do what I can though. Anyways, as Mother Teresa says:

"Don't worry about the numbers. Help one person at a time."

As I was feeling overwhelmed and defeated, I also knew I had God. If my work is for him, then no breath or step will ever be wasted. I cannot bring access to water to the whole of Cochabamba, but I can help those who are already supplying it to the western section of the city. I can help those that live here and work here to better their communities because they know their needs.

I did not come to this city to uproot their methods and ways but to learn and help along side them in anyway I can. For me that entails helping a local water municipality maintain and better their system so that they are able to reach more families and provide access to clean water one house at a time, and maybe one day they will be able to reach into the southern parts of the city. 

From the tops of the hills, it all seems a little overwhelming. However, down on the streets, within the community I am filled with hope. In order to change the world all you need to do is change one life. I will do my best. The big guy has my back.