Salty Planet Pictures

God spilled the salt in Uyuni, Bolivia and I have the pictures to prove it. A lot has happened in the past three weeks, but I will focus on the restful break I got and the trip to the salt flats that I took with my roommates over the Carnival vacation days. Although we only spent two days in the salt flats, it felt like time moved slower on this salty planet and it made for a very enjoyable and unique experience.

We left Friday night, February 21st, and took a nine hour overnight lie-down bus ride to Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flats at 4,086 square miles and just at 12,000 feet above sea level. These flats border Chile and have some of the richest lithium deposits in the world, as well as being breeding grounds to various types of flamingos! Not something you think would pair together, but the more I explore the more I learn about this amazing world that God designed. The true beauty of this experience was magnified by the reflective water mirror that sat anywhere from an inch to ten inches atop the salt. This was a prime season to visit the salt flats as the rain creates a reflective sheen and in turn created some heaven-like horizons.

The views lent themselves to a lot of introspective thinking and outward appreciation of God's creation and his grandeur. No moment better than early Saturday morning as we watched the sunrise reflect over the vast salt dessert and reveal a multitude of profound colors.

The whole trip was really good for refueling my tank and refocusing on the glorious God that we have and His continual goodness to me. It's as if the reflective watery mirror induced reflective thoughts about how God has blessed me since arriving to Bolivia. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to serve Him in Bolivia and I can see how things have progressed a lot since my arrival. I write this post knowing I have grown in many ways since my arrival, and I continue to pursue growth both spiritually, relationally, and linguistically. I know He has great things in store for me, and I eagerly await every opportunity to serve Him and proclaim His goodness. Psalm 145:5-7 is very appropriate for how I am feeling after this trip. It says, "I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness."

The trip included a lot of laughter with my roommates as we sought to make the most of every photo-op and utilize our creativity. We also had a great opportunity to get a window into our tour guides life. Hugo and his wife accompanied us and took care of us throughout the trip. They drove for us, cooked for us, and Hugo acted as our official photographer. He even found us a "salt hotel" to stay in where everything was made out of blocks of salt.

Upon returning to La Paz I feel ready to continue my service here to both my students and the people of Bolivia. I am so thankful for the chance to be here and for the opportunities to explore this beautiful country. I am thankful for opportunities to refuel and refocus by exploring God's mind-blowing creation, and remembering His goodness. I'm thankful for everyone's prayers and support to allow me to be here. I look forward to updating you more on the great things that are happening here in La Paz and at Highlands International School.

Salt Hotel