let me introduce you to my mission

I'm pretty excited about going to Bolivia. I've been doing a lot of research to know what it will be like. Here's some info I wanted to share. My mission also includes the departments of Tarija, Chuquisaca and Beni, (I think) but from what I've heard, they usually keep the sisters in Santa Cruz the whole time they are out.

Bolivia (the country)

• It is officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
• It is bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.
• Bolivia is named after Simon Bolivar, the great independence fighter of South America.
• Bolivia became independent from Spain in 1825.
• It is landlocked. This is a sore spot for Bolivians. They lost their coastal access to Chile in the War of the Pacific in 1979.
• Before it was colonized, it was part of the great Inca Empire.
• Bolivia is a democratic republic and divided into 9 departments (like states or provinces).
• The geography of Bolivia is varied with the Andes in the west, and lowlands of the east.
• The population is about 10 million and is multiethnic and multicultural.
• The main language is Spanish, although the Aymara and Quechua languages are also common.
• The current president is Evo Morales, who is the leader of the socialist party MAS ("more").
• Shares Lake Titicaca with Peru- the world's highest navigable lake.
• Bolivia is rich in natural resources.
• Predominately Catholic.
• Bolivia has 2 capitols: La Paz and Sucre.
• One of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America.
• There have been A LOT of coups the history of Bolivia since 1825.

Santa Cruz (the department)

• Santa Cruz is the largest department in Bolivia.
• Located in southeast Bolivia.
• Main languages in the region are Spanish, Guarani and Quechua.
• There are lots of natural gas reserves.
• Weather is warm and tropical.
• Winter lasts 2-3 months but it is only really cold for about 1-2 weeks, otherwise it's pleasant, and rainy.
• Agriculture grown there includes sugar, cotton, soybeans, and rice.

Santa Cruz de la Sierra (the city)

• Santa Cruz is the largest City in Bolivia with about 1.6 million people.
• The name means "Holy Cross of the Hills".
• The city was founded in 1561.
• Elevation is 1365 ft above sea level.
• The city's street layout is a concentric ring model.
• Santa Cruz is a major fashion and modeling hub. Cruceños are proud of the tradition they have of winning beauty pageants.
• The city has grown a lot in the past 15 years.
• Common foods are rice, potatoes, and meat.

info and pictures courtesy of CIA world factbook and wikipedia

My mission call

Guesses for my mission... no one guessed Bolivia! 

The envelope! Waiting to be opened. The anticipation almost killed me. Thank you Lauren for keeping my mind off it until my family arrived. :)

Video of me opening the envelope... Boone is pretty funny...