Birthday Celebrations!!!

Greetings once again from Santa Cruz! I don't have a lot of time to write this morning as we are doing achievement testing at school and I am responsible for providing modifications for students. That part isn't so hard, but my room is also being used by the other resource teacher who has a larger group of kids so that means that I don't get as much computer time while I'm here! However, I just wanted to touch base on a couple of things. First of all, thank you to all of you who sent birthday wishes and greetings! For those of you who didn't know, Saturday was my 33rd birthday! A couple of people commented that I was now ready for my ministry to begin...following in Christ's footsteps! Lidia, my friend, started my day off right by bringing me breakfast at the house...it was a wonderful surprise!!! After that, there is a girl from school, Veronica Apodaca (pictured above) whose birthday was also on Saturday so her parents invited me to her party. That was a lot of fun as well...although I don't know that I've ever been to a birthday party for someone else on my special day! Then, I went to visit my friend Avelina, who had prepared a special lunch for me (which I ate at about 4:00)...after that there was a women's Bible study at church (and more eating since they brought food for my birthday)...then in the evening we had our first divided youth group meeting. I have been asking you to pray for that time, for awhile. We started this past weekend so that I could begin with a party for me...I decorated my house, made a cake, and had pizza for them to eat!

They tried to get me to bite the cake...as is the custom here...which then means that someone will push the cake in your face so that you end up wearing about half of it! Fortunately, I was quick about it and they were kind to me...so it was only a small bite out of the cake!

Praise the Lord, things went SUPER well! We had a great group of girls...two people even brough friends so we had a couple of newcomers! I am so thankful for this group! Please continue to pray that they will desire to come and grow in their relationship with the Lord. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure that one of the girls who came is not a Christian so this is a great opportunity of witness as well! Due to the fact that I have a school event on Saturday night, we decided that our next meeting will be Sunday for lunch! In addition, there also appear now to be more older girls than there were before (upper 20s...and me) so we have begun talking about doing more things together. I think that could really be a great time of support and growth as well! This new ministry is exciting for me!

The celebrations, however, didn't stop on Saturday night...on Sunday afternoon, a couple of friends from SAM invited me out for cake and ice cream. We went to a local cafe, which has the most delicious chocolate mousse ever...and there awaiting us were ALL of the SAM ladies, with gifts in hand! It was a very special time and caught me quite by surprise! I didn't even have my camera with me...so I'm still waiting for someone to send me the pictures before I can pass them along to you.

Thank you so much for your support of this ministry! Well...I need to give up my room for testing now! Blessings to you all!

April 14, 2009

Sorry for writing this up-date a bit late this week! I had hoped to get it written yesterday...but the day turned out to be more busy than I had expected! As I told you in my last up-date...I have been busy this week with the Elementary Spiritual Emphasis Week and my Easter vacation travels! I have a few highlights to share with you about each!

Elementary Spiritual Emphasis Week...
Thank you to all of you who were praying for this time! I ended the three days absolutely exhausted...however, Praise the Lord for the many ways that He spoke through me! The children were attentive and appeared to really be taking to heart the things that they were learning, which was encouraging to me! There were also 5 children who made decisions to accept the Lord as their Savior during this time! I praise Him for allowing me to be a part of this special point in their lives! Please continue to pray that their walk with Him will grow stronger each day!

Easter Vacation...
On Friday afternoon, I left with two other SAM singles...Katie Wells and Dana Wilson, to go to a resort only about a half an hour outside of the city. The name of the resort is Las Lagunas...due to the lake that runs along the backside of the property. There was also a pool and plenty of areas to sit and relax! Part of the time we spent individually enjoying a refreshing time for a Spiritual Retreat, other times we hung out together (watching movies, lounging by the pool, or just talking), and on Sunday morning...we woke up at the crack of dawn to have our own little Sunrise Service! We returned to the city on Sunday afternoon...about 4:00. All in all, it was a wonderfully refreshing time...rich with Spiritual renewal as well. I can only speak for myself, but there were several things that God spoke to me about in my time alone with Him! Praise the Lord for this time away from the hectic city life!

As promised...I have a link for a few pictures from these two events. If you would like to look at them, just cut and paste this link into your browser...or you may be able to click on the link and have it take you directly to the photo album (http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=671141239766274848/l=655970008/g=31174248/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB). Thank you so much, once again, for your prayers over the past week! They were definitely felt!

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

I'm afraid this will be a rather short post! I'm tired, it has been a long and busy day, and tomorrow will start very early! So, let me quickly launch into some exciting things happening this week (hence the extra busy schedule)...then I'm heading to bed!

This week...well, the 3 day week that we have at school...is our Elementary Spiritual Emphasis Week. As the elementary chaplain, I'm in charge of this event. Basically, what it boils down to throughout these three days...is a chapel service each morning for 1st through 6th grades (from 8:45-9:15). Due to the fact that we are so close to Easter, we are using Christ's relationships with others through the time of His death and resurrection to help us in how we treat one another. Other than the chapel time each morning, I have also made arrangements to go into all elementary classes from PreKinder through 6th grade in order to do a special activity with each of the grade levels...ranging anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. Of course, I'm still responsible for most of my typical schedule and all of these activities need lesson plans and organization...hence the very busy week! Please pray for these times with the students that this will be a Spiritually enriching time for them...that God would speak to them in a way that they haven't heard Him before. Also, that God would speak clearly through me as I'm working to overcome obstacles such as the wide age range, hyperactive children, English as a Second Language difficulties, etc.

Another exciting thing is that this weekend, two of my friends from SAM (Dana Wilson and Katie Wells) and I will be going to spend the weekend at a resort on the northside of the city. Thank you to a very generous gift, we've decided to go on Friday and return to our homes on Sunday afternoon. While there, other than simply enjoying the pool and each other's company, we also plan to have a Spiritual Retreat. Please pray that this will be a refreshing and renewing time for us...and of course that God would keep us safe while we're away!

Well...I said this would be a short post! Next week I hope to have pictures of both of these events to share with you! May you enjoy this Easter weekend, basking in the presence of the risen Savior!

March 31, 2009

Well, here we are, the very end of March. April starts this week. I've always loved April...not only for the fact that it's the month of my birthday, but also because it signifies the nearing end of the school year! There's a general excitement in the air knowing that soon we'll be getting ready for a two month vacation from school! Often Easter, my favorite holiday, is also during the month of April. So, as you can see there is much to look forward to!

This past weekend was an encouraging weekend at church! Thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf. Praise God for the work He is doing in and through our little church. On Saturday night, the youth group took a trip to a nearby park in order to pass out tracts and share a time of fellowship by eating ice cream. There turned out to be 10 of us that went! Praise the Lord for that! It was the largest group we've had in a long time...the best part for me was that there were 6 females including myself! I was doing the driving so I needed to go and many times on Saturday I really prayed that I wouldn't be the only female going. It was such an answer to prayer for me! On Sunday too there was a good turnout of people, both in the morning and in the evening. All in all, I was very encouraged by that!

I also have some other news to share with you along with a prayer request. This summer, in July, the woman I am renting the house from will be returning from the states. That will mean that I will be without house or truck. There are many concerns about where I can feel safe living, as a single woman, which has caused some stress at least for me. However, the praise side of it is that it appears that God has provided a roommate!!! I'm super excited about that possibility! A friend of mine, Sandra Jaldin, is a Bolivian doctor who has worked quite extensively with SAM's Ayeore ministry. She just returned from living in the states for about a year where she was part of a program to work on her residency. Unfortunately, due to funding, the program was cancelled, and she had to return to Bolivia. She now plans to do her residency here, although she won't be able to start until next year. In the meantime she will begin working with the Ayeore ministry again as well as in some additional ministries. She is living with her family right now, as is customary for Bolivian singles, but plans to move into a house with me in July. It will be good for her, not only to allow her to keep up the English she learned while in the states, but also to allow her time to study for her residency when needed. I don't think I could have chosen a better friend to live with...fortunately, God worked that one out for me! Please pray for us as we begin looking for a house that will be in a convenient location for both of our ministries as well as in a safe neighborhood for two single women to live.

Thank you so much for your prayer not only in difficult times, but for also joining me in praising the Lord for the blessings He provides!

March 23, 2009

Well...it has been a couple of weeks since my last up-date. At that time, I mentioned feeling a bit under the weather, but I thought I was on the mend...little did I know. I ended up spending the rest of that week and weekend at home, in bed...and also enjoyed a quick trip (actually about 5 hours) to the doctor where I was administered two bags of IV fluid because I was so dehydrated. Fortunately, by the time that I went to the doctor, most of the dengue virus had left my system so once I was a bit more hydrated, I was able to go home and began to feel much better.

Last week I was able to get back into much of my routine, however, I continued to take it easy as I was warned of a relapse if I jumped into too many activities too quickly. So, I tried to get the rest that my body needed while I continued to minister at the school and at church (when possible).

This past weekend proved to be a busy time for me! Thank you so much for continuing to pray for my church. God is using your prayers to strengthen us in many ways...although it is a slow process. On Saturday afternoon, my friend Marcos and I led the children's program. About 20 children came, which is considerably more than we have had for over a month. I was greatly encouraged by this attendance. Saturday night, we had a dinner and special program to honor the fathers in the church (since March 19 was Father's Day in Bolivia). Again, there was a pretty good turnout...about 30 people total...which included most of the core families and singles. It was an excellent time of much needed fellowship. After talking to the pastor and youth leaders...it looks like we're going to wait and begin dividing the youth group into two groups (guys and girls), after Easter. I think we are going to hold the first meeting on April 18. Given that that is my birthday...I'm praying that it will be a good way to start the program...since we can plan the first meeting as my birthday party and I can organize a few activities during that time. Please continue to pray for this first meeting...primarily that the girls will come and that they will come with a desire to truly learn/be a part of this group.

Well, I guess that's about it for this week! Thank you so much for your prayers concerning my health as well as my ministry here...it means so much to me to be lifted up before the Lord in this way! Blessings to each one of you!

March 9, 2009

Greetings once again from sunny Santa Cruz! On Saturday, we had a city-wide cleanup day here...it was used like a paro or a strike in that no one was supposed to leave their homes unless they could walk to wherever they were going. There was no public or private transportation allowed on the roads. The purpose of the cleanup day was to get rid of unwanted trash and standing water that may be harboring mosquitoes...it's all part of the fight against the spread of dengue (the mosquito spread disease that's currently running rampant). Ironically, I started showing signs of having dengue myself on Friday night...fortunately, it appears to have been only a mild case and I am well on the mend! I spent most of Saturday and Sunday in bed or watching movies...with a fever, achiness, headache, etc. Tylenol helped with the fever and pain so I was thankful for that! I say it was only a mild case, because I never developed any of the additional signs such as upset stomach which leads to dehydration. I came to school for a couple of hours today, but I made arrangements for someone else to teach my CIET class tonight so that I could rest this afternoon/evening. One of the dangers, so I've been told, is that people start to feel better and jump back into their activities too quickly causing a relapse much worse than the initial attack! I don't want that to happen in my case, so I'm trying to be diligent about resting as much as I can!

Since I didn't go to church yesterday, I don't have much to report about that situation...please continue to pray for that congregation!

Yesterday, Kate Bove, a college student from the states came to stay with me for a couple of days so that she could see the school. She is an education major and would like to look into teaching abroad for a year or so when she graduates in May. She is here in Bolivia with a work team working outside of the city...a friend of mine who is working with the team called to see if she could come to the school for a bit with me. It is nice having her here and lots of fun to get to show her around a bit!

I guess that's all the news for this week! Thank you so much for your fervent prayers!

March 2, 2009

Boy does time fly when you're having fun! It's hard to believe that we're already into March! WOW! Last night I was thinking about the information that I wanted to include in this up-date and feeling a strong need to request prayer for my church...so I decided to focus this up-date on just that. I know I've mentioned a few things from time to time, but I decided to fill you in on some specific prayer requests.

I guess the short of it is that I find it discouraging how our numbers have slacked off so drastically. At the Thursday prayer meeting there were about 5 people...at our Saturday kids club that we have each week, there were only about 10 children this past weekend (a third of what we normally have)...at the youth group meeting on Saturday night, I was the only girl and there were not more than 4 guys (this becoming a regular occurrence). It has become common for most people to come regularly on Sunday morning...but then we don't see them anymore the rest of the week...not in small groups, prayer meetings, children's ministry, youth group, etc. This was not the case before...it has become more of a problem in the last couple of months. Some people have very good reasons for not being there...health, travelling, etc. The HAuse family and Heather Mickelson continue to be in the states on home ministry assignment so their absence is felt as well. Of course, there is also the situation with the couple in the youth group who got pregnant...they're married now, but this situation has affected them and their families greatly.

It isn't just attendance that seems down...it's participation, workers, excitement, etc. All of that seems lower than it has been. I find it sad and difficult. Even for me, going to church doesn't always have the same joy that it did before...I go now more out of a sense of obligation than a desire to be there.

On Sunday morning, our pastor gave a short lecture about the importance of being active in church ministry, more than just on Sunday mornings, something that was very difficult for him to have to say...but on Sunday night we had a good size group, bigger than we've had in awhile (ironically some of them weren't even there to hear the lecture in the morning...I guess God just knew we needed the encouragement of worshipping with them again)!

My pastor and I talked several weeks ago, about dividing the youth group into two groups (guys and girls) in order to address some topics/themes which are gender specific. However, it has seemed that basically since we had that conversation, there really haven't been any girls...so we have continued to put it off...not sure what to do. This weekend one of the girls approached me and asked me when we were going to start dividing into groups...I basically told her that I didn't know since right now if we divided I'd be in a class by myself. After that we called all the girls together and had a quick talk. Some of them weren't aware of this plan to split. Others said they had friends who wanted to come, but wanted to start coming when we actually divided, etc. So, I encouraged the girls to come for the next couple of weeks...since plans have already been made for those youth group meetings, but after that on March 21, we will have our first divided meeting. There is a new woman in her upper 20s who has started coming to our church, she is also interested in coming to the youth group meetings. Her name is America, she is a psychologist and has given some talks in other churches about dating and relationships (which are some of the topics that we plan to cover), so she has agreed to work with me on planning the activities and lessons. I am encouraged by her interest in serving with me as well as looking forward to developing our friendship more.

Personally, I would also like to invest more in the lives of certain women/youth in the church, but quite honestly, that takes a large time commitment. With my responsibilities at school and CIET, I find it hard to invest the amount of time that is truly needed. Please pray, not only for our church, but also for me as I seek ways to reach out to these women...that God will not only encourage me through it, but that He will minister to them as well through me.

Last weekend's Carnaval days were wonderfully relaxing and refreshing! Praise the Lord for the renewed strength that He's given me...I'm going to need it this week with all the activities going on! Thank you so much for your support and prayers...they really mean a great deal to me!