Day 8 | The Journey Home: Hearts Full And Bags Heavy
This Sunday morning came early and bittersweet. We woke before the sun again, rubbing sleep from our eyes as we packed up the last of our dusty clothes and dirty work shirts. Not before a few team members went and finished the final flooring of our gym project…. truly finishing what we started and we are thankful. We then loaded our suitcases onto the bus one final time. A quick breakfast, a round of hugs, and then we were off to the local church. One more chance to gather shoulder to shoulder with the boys we’ve grown to love so dearly.
We worshiped in Spanish this morning, voices lifted beside the boys from the BLC. It didn’t matter if we understood every word, our hearts knew exactly what we were singing. There’s something about praising the same God in two languages that reminds us how big and beautiful His family really is.
After the final “Amen,” the hardest part came: the goodbyes. There were tight hugs, quiet tears (very quiet as we protect the boys hearts and do not cry in front of them), and a lot of “see you laters.” In Bolivia they say “chow” instead of “adios” because “chow” is more casual and “adios” is more of a “goodbye” for them. The beautiful thing is how the Lord used this week to deepen old friendships and spark new ones, each “chow” carrying the hope that this is never really the end of the story.
Before heading toward home, we made one last stop that has become a tradition for many of us — El Cristo, the towering Christ statue that watches over Cochabamba. It stands just three feet shorter than the famous one in Brazil, arms outstretched over a city we now carry in our hearts. Half of our crew braved the hike up the steep steps, while the rest rode the bus to the top. Standing beneath that statue, we looked out over the breathtaking view. Red rooftops, green hills, and winding roads and we couldn’t help but think about the beauty, hardship, and hope we’ve witnessed here this week.
Next, we filled our bellies (and our hearts) at a team favorite: Bros! Lunch was simple but delicious - crispy chicken, rice, potatoes, and a signature Bolivian green sauce. We shared the meal with some of the older boys who have graduated from the BLC and moved on, but still come back to reconnect. It was another sweet reminder that the BLC is so much more than a building… it’s family.
After lunch, we squeezed in one more bit of local culture with a trip to La Cancha, the open-air market buzzing with colors, voices, and the hum of everyday Bolivian life. We picked up souvenirs - handmade trinkets, Bolivian chocolate, little reminders of the faces and places we’ve come to cherish.
With time to spare before the airport, we settled into a cozy coffee shop with our missionary friends for one last chance to swap stories, laugh about the week’s inside jokes, and share dreams for what’s next. It was a gift to sit still for a moment, cups of coffee warming our hands as we soaked up these final hours together.
And then, just like that, it was time to go. The airport is never glamorous… our first flight time shifted more times than we could count, and the team ended up scattered across multiple small flights from Cochabamba to Santa Cruz. We finally reunited at the Santa Cruz airport. We were sleepy, hungry, a little bit travel-weary. We attempted to doze off on benches and cold tile floors as our overnight flight to Miami kept getting pushed later and later (originally 11pm). At 3:00 AM, we were finally in the air, Bolivia shrinking beneath the clouds as we carried so much more than we packed.
We can’t wait to share more with you when we land. For now, please pray us the rest of the way home.
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With love from the air!
2025 Storyhill Bolivia Team
