Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Bolivia!
Just arrived back at the Maryknoll Center House where in a few hours we will be having the traditional Christmas bar-b-q. Just like home. Although it is a bit cold and overcast - about 70 degrees.
I am missing you all on my first Christmas here in Cochabamba but all is going well. I celebrated La Misa de Gallos in el barrio de La Rivera last night and then concelebrated Mass but at the Main Chapel in Nueva Vera Cruz afterwards.
This morning I celebrated Mass again at the Main Chapel and then we participated in the chocolate and bread served to the children in the avenida in the barrio.
It was a very different but wonderful Christmas. Getting much more in touch with the lives of the people I serve and understanding more about their lives.
may the Lord bless all of you this Christma season.

Advent Greetings

Good Morning.
I have finished my first week working full time in the barrio and all is going well. I am still finding my way around and trying to learn the ins and outs of mission work. We have 3 weddings this weekend. At Sunday Mass we have a wedding, 3 children and 1 adult being baptized. There is a mother's club meeting this afternoon and a sacramental preparation session for adults tonight. I spent yesterday afternoon and evening painting our kitchen after a priests meeting in the vicariate in the afternoon. This is the quiet time in the parish (summer here) but things certainly fill up the day.
We are presently preparing for Christmas and all the celebrations that go with it. There will be a mass on Christmas Eve up the mountain in Riviera and also a mass in the Nueva Vera Cruz on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Please keep us all in prayer during these important days.
Buenas Duas.
Yo termine mi primera semana trabajando en el barrio and todos esta bueno. Ahora, necesito apprender que es importante en el trabajo missionero. Este fin de semana tenemos 3 matrimonios. Por Misa del Domingo tenemos 1 matrimonio, 3 ninos y 1 adulto por baptismo. Ayer yo traboje en la preparaction de muestra cocina despues una reunion de los sacerdotes de la vicaria.
Ahora preparamos por Navidad y todos los fiestas. Tenemos Misa de los Gallos ariba la montana en el Riviera y en Nueva Vera Cruz tambien y una misa por los jovenens en la manana de Navidad.
Por favor recuerde me en sus oraciones.

Moving Day

Hello My Friends,
I finished up classes yesterday and I officially move into the barrio tonight. I am helping out with the Sacrament of Reconciliaiton for a Confirmation class in one of the other chapels in the parish so will take the advantage to move into the barrio. Please keep me in your prayers as I officially begin my work in the barrio and begin to experience the mission there.
Several people have asked if they could help out the mission financially. There are several ways to do this. For the technologically gifted you may contribute online at www.maryknoll.org. You will find all the information that you need there under the donations section in the Maryknoll Priests and Brothers section. As needs develop in the barrio I will let you know about the specific things that are needed. If you would like to give specifically to our work in the barrio please include my name in the donation.
For those in contact with me by Skype I will usually be available on Sunday nights and Mondays since I will be at the Center House those days. My Skype contact is tgraff1. My email continues to be tgraff@maryknoll.org. Thanks to so many who have been in touch.
God bless.

Greetings

Good Morning All,
This is my last week in language school and I will be moving out to Nueva Vera Cruz this coming weekend. I am grateful for my time in school but am also looking forward to getting to work. The people in the barrio have been very welcoming but I know that I will be struggling with the language and the culture for the months ahead.
Please keep me in prayer as I continue on with my studies here.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello All,
It is Thanksgiving morning here in Bolivia. The folks here don't realize this but they seem happy enough anyway.
This is my first major holiday away from home and I just wanted to thank everyone for their love and support these last months. I am deeply grateful to the Lord for all of you and the place that you have in my heart.
I will be finishing up my classes in a few weeks and moving out to Nueva Vera Cruz for my ministry there.
All is going well.
Thanks again for everything.
Timothy

Hello All

Greetings from Cochabamba.
I am finishing my last few weeks of language school and will soon be moving out to the barrio full time. I spent last weekend in the barrio for the first time because the rooms that we added onto the chapel are almost done. We now have electricity and running water (most of the time) and am slowly getting all the comforts of home. The bed consists of a mattress on top of 2 benches from the school but is really comfortable. We will soon be getting (or borrowing on a permanent basis) some chairs etc. for the house.
The leaders of the parish met on Sunday to outline some of the priorities that we want to be working on. Their biggest concern was for the youth. With many parents working overseas, the large presence of drugs, alcohol and gangs and the high percentage of sexual abuse they are very concerned about the future for their children. This will be a top priority as we begin our ministry within the barrio.
I will have mass up the mountain for the 2 new barrios this Saturday night. As more people move in the community will continue to grow.
People have asked if they could help in any way with the minsitry here. Please feel free to make contributions to Maryknoll in my name and we will be able to use the money for our work in the barrio.
Please keep me in prayer and I always love hearing from my friends back home.

Hello From Bolvia

Hello All,
Sorry it has been so long since my last posting but things have been a bit busy down here. Classes continue to be good but challenging. I will have another month here in school before I move out to the barrio. I should receive official word about my assignment in a few days. I ask your prayers for my cousin Ed Carlin who died last week and also for his mother, my Aunt Irene. May Eddie know the peace that so often eluded him here and may Aunt Irene feel the love and peace taht so many wish for her. I was blog again soon when I have a bit more news. My love and prayers for all.

El Dia De Los Dinfuntos

Hello one and all.
Today we celebrate All Souls Day (El Dia De Los Difuntos). It is a major celebration here in Bolivia with many more people in Church and families visiting cemeteries to remember their loved ones.
Yesterday in Nueva Vera Cruz we celebrated La Misa del Los Angelitos - a mass for children who have died in their infancy or through abortion. It was a very moving service and was a blessing for all the families who participated.
Today I moved into the Maryknoll House and will be here for the rest of the month. I will be continuing my language studies and will be spending time in the barrio when I get the chance.
Please keep ime in your prayers as I continue with my studies.

Another Update

Greetings All,
All is going well here in Cochabomba. Classes continue going well and I am feeling a bit more confident in Spanish most days (not all). I had my first birthday away from home this week but it was a good day. I received a good number of ecards (from high tech friends) and went out to dinner with some other students.
I have another week before I move into the Maryknoll house here. I look forward to getting to know the men a bit better and to learn more about the missionary life here in Bolivia.
I enjoy hearing from friends and family so please contact me when you get a chance either by email (tgraff@maryknoll.org) or skype (tgraff1).
My love to all.

Greetings from the Bolivian Riviera

Hello All,
I hope this finds you all enjoying the Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Here in the South we are enjoying Spring. My first experience of 2 springs in one year.
Last night we traveled to another barrio covered by the chapel in Nueva Vera Cruz. It is about 1o minutes farther up the mountain past San Andres. It is a new barrio started by recent immigrants called La Riviera. I always wanted to visit the Riviera and now I have my chance. It seems like a nice community and I trust that I will enjoy working there if I am ultimately assigned to this area.
Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I continue with langauge school. It is challenging but I am doing my best. My love to all.

Greetings Friends

Hello to everyone.
I am now almonst half way through my time at language school and all continues to go well. I go through the usual ups and downs with the language but overall it is fine. I was at a meeting at the barrio last night and the other people at the meeting were missionaries from Spain and Brazil. I found myself thinking "If they didn't have these accents I could understand what they are saying much easier." I did see the irony of the thought fairly soon there after.
I will be moving into the Maryknoll House here in early November and will finish up Language School in early December or late November. By then I should have my official assigment and begin my work in mid-December.
I enjoy hearing from friends and family and can be reached at tgraff@maryknoll.org or on skype at tgraff1.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers.

Sunday in Bolivia

I was able to celebrate mass this morning with the community in the Capilla de Luis Espinal here in Cochabamba. It is a nice community that is part of the parish of Cristo Rey. It will be a blesssing to be with them for the next 4 weeks as I fill in for Fr. Ray Finch who is usually there but is in Marylknoll for their Chapter Meeting this month. It is good to be with a regular worshipopinbg community again - I did not realize how much I miss it. If anyone would like to be incontact with me my email is ¨tgraff@maryknoll.org" and my skype account is "tgraff1¨>¨. look forward to hearing from you.

Hello my friends

Hello, sorry it has been so long since my last posting. Things have been a little busy with classes, meetings etc. but things will slow down over the weekend. Many thanks for all your prayers and email during these days away. It makes home seem a little closer and Bolviia not seem so far away. Things are going well, it seems hard to believe that I have been here for 6 weeks already. Classes are going well and I am getting a bit more confident in using Spanish. Please continue to keep Bolivia in your prayers. We are presently at a respite in terms of the conflect as both sides are in negotiations are reportedly going well, but one can never tell in Bolivia. I am still feeling very safe - any problems that there are take place in other parts of the country. Thanks again for visiting the blog - it seems like a great way to keep in touch with many people at once!

Daily Update

Dear friends and family. Hope all is well at home. I have now been in Bolivia for over a month and am slowly getting into the rhythm of being a student again. I have 4 hours of Spanish class a day. Most of my classes are now in coversation although I still have the joy of trying to learn Spanish grammar in Spanish. Classes are going well and I see that my language skills are improving slowly but surely. If you want to reach me on skype my address is:tgraff2.

Unrest in Bolivia

For all those who have been hearing about the political unrest in Bolivia please know that the unrest has been in other parts of the country. I hear many different versions of the reasons for the troubles here: racism, economic pressure, outside international involvment etc.. I am sure that all play a part in the troubles that seem to always happen here. Please keep Bolivia in your thoughts and prayers. Know that I am safe and remember you all daily in my prayers as well.

Here In Bolivia

I thought that this blog would be a good way of letting everyone know what was going on in my time in Bolivia and Latin America. Since so many have been in touch this seemed like the easiest way to get information out to all of my friends and family. Thanks again for all of your love and support and I will try to keep this as updated as possible.