I definately recommend Bolivia

We have had a great last two days. Yesterday we did the most intense part of our study. We did a sensory panel where each child was interviewed while tasting the cookies. They had 6 questions for 5 different cookies, each with a different level of calcium. After we gathered the data, it showed that there was no significant difference in the cookies, meaning that even the highest level of calcium we used wasn`t detected. That`s great news. 






























Today we brought cookies with the highest level of calcium but this time made with the three different grains and they put them in order from what they liked the most to least. 

That`s all the data we need to know so tomorrow we are going to give them hygiene kits as gifts for helping us. After the school yesterday we went shopping. For those of you in Guatemala with me last year, just think Antigua. It was fun. 



















The people of Bolivia are so great. I`ve been amazed at how well mannered they are. I haven`t had one person yell ¨rubia¨ at 
me, they don`t yell ¨gringos,¨ and I feel safe. Bartering here is also done so kindly. People just say, ¨do you think you could lower the price for me a little?¨ and they do. It`s great. Such great people. 































Today after the school we went to lake Titicaca. It was so beautiful! You should all come see it. It`s been cold (the other night it snowed in El Alto and everything higher) but the sun was out today so the cold was tolerable. 

We just got back from a book fair. It was amazing! So many books everywhere. Tomorrow we are going to the ruins of Tiuanacu. Then to the airport. I feel like I have been here for weeks. I think because the days are so long. But also because we have been so immersed here. 



















There are the four of us and five Bolivianos so we learn so much

from them. It has been such a great experience.

Good News

Well, our bags finally showed up this morning. We actually were really surprised to get the call. We had pretty much come to grips with being in the same clothes the whole trip. Yesterday we found some leftover shampoo and a bar of soap in the magic closet so we tried to get clean (still no deodorant though). We also decided to wash all our clothes so we could be clean today. It was funny. Now we feel like we´ve all over packed though. Anyway, the work is going well. The reason we are here is to do taste-panels with a school of kids out in the middle of nowhere. An earlier study done showed that the kids get 5% of the calcium they need. So on Monday morning we made two types of cookies using quinoa flour (a native grain here that is really good for you) and took them out to the school for the kids to taste them. When we got home we made 300 more cookies for them today so they could pick their favorite. On the way out today one of the roads was being blocked by workers. We`re not really sure why. Some kind of protest. It reminded me of Argentina when they would protest by blocking the bridges by lighting tires on fire. Anyway, we finally got there and the kids were a lot more open today. I got a lot of great pictures. They all picked the sugar cookie as their favorite so we came home and made 400 cookies with 5 different levels of calcium. Tomorrow we are going to interview each kid as they taste each one to see which is their favorite and if the calcium makes a difference at all. Then Thursday and Friday we are going to make the cookie using quinoa, amaranth, and cañaua (other indigenous grains). You`re probably thinking ¨did she just go down there to make cookies?¨ Well, yes, I guess I did. But our hope is that we can get this research published and that we can work with the government to incorporate calcium into the kids diets. The government provides a breakfast to the kids of jello in a bag and a muffin or bread. If we can show them that the kids enjoyed products with calcium and would still eat it, maybe they will be willing to fortify the products they already give them with calcium. We were thinking we would probably have to find a company in the states that would want to donate the calcium. But what we`re doing is where we have to start.
The Benson Institute (the part of BYU that is funding this trip) is doing so much good here. They have so many projects going on to help the community.



















One thing that we were able to see was these underground greenhouses. They dig big trenches 8 feet into the ground and cover them with plastic. They are able to keep them 20 degrees warmer than the surface air so in this arid part of the country they can plant vegetables that they normally wouldn`t. They also go around teaching this in the schools so the kids help take care of the ones they have. Family home evening last night was great. My favorite part though was when we were asked to write down characteristics of someone we know that we admire and then share it. Most of us chose friends or family, but Adriana, who is only eight, chose Christ. She said she admires him because he is kind, loving, merciful, and showed us the way to get back to our heavenly father. Kids are so amazing. What a great experience!

Day 3

I still haven´t washed my face. The airport said the bags aren´t lost, they just aren´t here yet. They hope they will come in tomorrow. My pants are falling off because I´ve been sleeping in them. Please send help. Just kidding. Well, just kidding about the send help. The rest is true. We did find some toothpaste in the closet though and there is a washing machine so tonight we are going to wrap up in blankets and do some laundry. Hopefully the dryer works though. If not things could get awkward. No, but all that aside, we had a great day. I love it here. I realize how much I miss living in these cultures. It´s winter right now and pretty cold so as we got into bed last night with all the blankets on our beds and a space heater in the room, I remembered days in Argentina. There is actual hot water here though so it´s incredible to turn on the kitchen sink and not freeze your hands. There´s dogs everywhere, kioskos on every corner, and broken bottles cemented into the top of the walls to keep intruders out. As for what we did today, we got up this morning and made cookies and kispiña from quinoa then headed out to the school. We are staying in La Paz which is about 12000 feet up but the school Is about an hour away up in El Alto (about 14000 feet). I think I was made for thin air though. I really haven´t had any problems. I had a bad headache last night while I didn´t sleep much at all, but we keep drinking coca tea and it helps. (Coca tea is made from the leaves of the coca plant which is used to make cocaine). Don´t worry though, I´m not addicted :). 













Anyway, we went out to this school in the middle of nowhere and the kids are beautiful. Of course they are. There´s just something about central and south American kids. They were so shy though. And they just kept staring at my blond hair. I think I look pretty strange to them. But hopefully each day they will start to open up more. That´s what happened in Guatemala last summer. The kids were afraid at first, but loved us in the end. There´s a lady that works for the Benson institute that lives up the street and she invited us to have family home evening with her family tonight so that should be fun.

Let's start with Bolivia

I had the opportunity to spend a week in Bolivia finishing up some nutrition research with Dr. Johnston.

Well everyone, I finally made it to Bolivia..........but our bags didn't. Let me take you all on a journey of how wrong this trip has gone that it is actually pretty funny. We left Salt Lake on time Saturday at noon and got to Dallas. We had a two hour layover that turned into four hours because of lightning (at least that´s what they said). So we ended up getting to Miami six minutes after our flight to Bolivia had left. Sweet. Now what. Oh, don´t worry, the airline was kind enough to give us vouchers to a hotel so that it only cost $69 instead of the normal price. They said since weather had caused the problem they weren´t responsible for us missing our flight. Okay. No problem. BYU is paying for this anyway. But let´s all take a moment a think about the new rules at the airport.........no liquids or creams of any kind on board so we had to check our bags........and we weren´t able to get them back since they were checked in. Once again, sweet. That means that none of us have shampoo, toothpaste, or even deodorant. I can´t take my contacts out either. So we slept in our clothes. (Luckily i packed an extra shirt, but that´s it). So at 1:30 pm we left from Florida to Bolivia. We finally got here at 8:30pm. But......yes there´s a but.......our luggage didn´t. (This one deserves not just a sweet, but how about an awesome;)). They think that the bags should come on the flight coming in tomorrow morning. They think. Meanwhile, we still don´t have any toiletries. Not even deodorant. And I still have my contacts in. And I´m wearing the same clothes. Man I wish I had put my pajamas in my little carry on. The one time in my life when i have flying problems is also the time when we aren´t allowed to bring on the plane a good overnight bag. Usually I pack that way just in case something goes wrong. Thanks to the airlines that is no longer possible. You can´t even bring water on......our first flight actually ran out of water. Did i mention that i haven´t even washed my face since Saturday morning? (I hope you all will still be friends with me when I get home). Anyway though, I really think this all really funny. We are in a great house (the Benson institute house) just the three girls. Dr. Johnston is in a hotel. But we even have Internet here which is great. They are totally taking care of us. Poor Audrey though (the other student with me) got the stomach flu from her kids so she´s been throwing up since this afternoon. The good thing though is that probably nothing else should go wrong. Me and Audrey were also fortunate enough to switch our return flight to Friday night instead of Saturday morning so that we don´t have to spend another night in Florida. We´ll get back a whole day earlier! I´m super excited to be here though. La Paz is beautiful (at least what i could tell at night). It is a huge city of a million people. I´m also missing Argentina a ton. Man i miss South America. I love the people, the atmosphere, everything. It´s great. Well, I´ll try to keep you all updated this week if there´s time for email. I love you all!

Spending the night in Florida