Ama Háp´a

Sé Fiel.
Be Faithful.

Today in my seventh grade social studies class I taught the basics of Inca religion. Pachakamaq, the creator god who is represented by the sun, the sons of Pachakamaq, the Incas (Note: according to the people group Incas, the word Inca was used to describe the leader, the king), the concept of Equilibrium that governed Incan life, and La CHaKana, the four values in Incan society. One of which, Ama Háp´a is the challenge I am facing recently.

Ama Háp´a: Sé Fiel.... Be Faithful.

I have spent every afternoon for the last three weeks running aroung downtown Sucre working on the tramite (paperwork) for my Bolivian Residency. On monday, I believed that I had finally, after three months of working on this Visa process, arrived at the day that I would turn in ALL of my paperwork and be well on my way to being a Bolivian resident. And then I was told that I needed to do even more on Monday, and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and now today, Friday the 13th. Each day I left discouraged. "Come back on Monday", the lawyer told me as I tried to turn my paperwork into immigration.

The new semester is well underway and I am seeing how different my life is this semester from the last. Not only have my classes, my house,  and my schedule changed, but I realized quickly after returning to Sucre that many of my relationships were changing as well. For someone who has moved nine times in the last six years, I don´t handle change very well. It has difficult to adjust to these changing relationships. I have often found myself walking the tightrope between longing for what was and enjoying what is. How can be faithful to ambas relaciones?

I recognized months ago that I was in a time of "training," although I truthfully could not tell you for what I am in training. I am being stretched, frustrated and broken. And yet I know that I am supposed to be here. I simply need to be faithful.

Ama Háp´a. I guess you can´t just give up on faithfulness. You can´t press a fast forward button. You simply must wait.

Oh Lord, Grant me your faithfulness.