As I write this up-date, I find myself locked in my house, trying to avoid the worldly effects of Carnaval! Typically, for this long weekend, I join my church along with other churches in going to camp or campamento as it is called here. This year, however, I decided not to go. It really wasn't a difficult decision to make initially since my church was planning to travel to a town which is about a 10 hour train ride from Santa Cruz. Due to the fact that I have to be back at school on Wednesday morning and many of them weren't returning until Tuesday night (arriving here Wednesday morning), I decided not to go. Then, they were unable to get train tickets for the whole group so they joined another church in going to a camp only a couple of hours from here. I toyed with the idea of going, but I had so many things that I had hoped to accomplish while here in my house, not to mention that after the busy week I had last week, I just really thought I could use the rest!
Carnaval in Santa Cruz...
The two biggest threats in being out and about during this time of the year are the drunks and the water balloons. I think people being drunk whether they're walking in the street or driving a car, needs no further explanation of the dangers that can occur. However, water balloons/squirt guns may seem to be an odd form of threat. Let me explain that after a couple of days of using water, it appears that people begin to get a bit bored and choose to be somewhat adventurous in the types of amunition that they are using. This means that water balloons begin to be filled with dirty water, car oil, paint, rocks, ice, etc., which obviously begins to pose a much larger threat. Therefore, most people advised that I could go about on Saturday and Sunday as I wished with some caution, but on Monday and Tuesday, I should plan to stay home. I don't need to be warned twice of such matters...so I have a stack of paperwork awaiting me, several books to read, and a pile of movies for when I need a bit of a break!
CIET board meeting...
You may remember that I asked for prayer concerning the CIET board meeting that we had last Tuesday night. Thank you so much for your prayers, I definitely felt them as God granted me the wisdom to understand some changes that the rest of the board wanted to put into place which I knew SAM wouldn't approve of at this time. He then gave me the strength to voice my concern in making that change. He also helped me to realize that in this male dominated culture, it is going to be very difficult if not impossible for two women to voice the concerns of SAM and have their concerns legitimately heard...in addition to the struggles that we have already been having. This primarily will pose a problem when we hold meetings in order to write the bylaws for CIET which have not yet been written. Therefore, I plan to talk to the SAM field leadership and request that they replace my position on the board for a MALE representative of the mission...at least for the meetings designed to write the bylaws. Please continue to pray for wisdom and strength as this is a battle not yet won.
Well, I think that's about it for this week! Not too many exciting things to share. More than anything, I would like to express my gratitude for all of your faithful support and constant prayers! It means so much to me to have your support in this way! Thank you!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
February 15, 2009
Happy Belated Valentine's Day to all of you! I hope you enjoyed the day celebrating with those you love! I had fun delivering a few "Valentines" this weekend, although it wasn't Valentine's Day here...it still was fun to spread a bit of joy!
As I write this up-date, it is actually Sunday night...typically I up-date my blog on Monday mornings since I don't have to go into school until late morning, however, the PreK teacher has dengue (a rather serious illness spread by mosquitoes...it has been running rampant in Bolivia for about the last month so I've known a lot of people to get very sick from the disease) and needed someone to substitute for her tomorrow. So, I'll be doing that until about noon then finishing up a couple of my own students, then I have basketball practice after school. Since tomorrow is Monday and the new semester has also started up in CIET, I'll be there teaching classes from about 7:15-8:30pm. As you can see, it will be a busy day so I thought I should go ahead and up-date my blog before going to bed tonight.
I will confess, this may be a rather short entry. Saturday night, there was a wedding at my church with the reception afterwards...typical Bolivian wedding...I got to get all dressed up...the reception included dinner at about 10:00pm or so plus cake sometime after that and loud music in between...no, I didn't catch the bouquet (much to the chagrin of several of my friends from church...hee hee)...I was taxi driver to an older couple (parents of the groom) and a friend of theirs so fortunately we left "early" at about midnight or so...but by the time I took them home and then got home myself, it was after 1:00am. Of course, I still had a few things that I wanted to take care of around the house, plus I was a little wired after the wedding, so it was about 3:00am before I went to bed. Needless to say, my Sunday afternoon nap wasn't quite enough to recover from that. All in all, the wedding was beautiful and I think everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Do you ever have one of those Sundays when you go to church and get the feeling that the pastor preached both sermons specifically for you? Well, today was one of those days for me. This morning he used the example of David and Goliath and how we all have giants that we face on a regular basis...he chose three giants specifically: loneliness, inferiority, and the battle to forgive ourselves for things of our past. All three of these are a struggle for me as I'm sure they are for many other people...but the first two are particular struggles for me on the mission field. The pastor used Paul as an example in helping us learn how we can combat these giants as David did Goliath. It was an excellent sermon...but one that's so hard for me to put into practice...it's much easier to hear something than it is to actually believe and live it out! This evening's sermon was from 1 Kings 19 (the first 7 verses) when God sent an angel to Elijah. Elijah was extremely depressed, wishing he were dead, so after falling asleep for some time (getting much needed rest), God sent an angel to him with food and water, then allowed him more rest, and sent him more food and water...giving him strength and encouragement when he needed it most. The part that struck me a great deal this evening, was that in the afternoon I toyed with the idea of staying home from church. I didn't need to play on the worship team so I had no specific role, I was tired, feeling discouraged, feeling lonely, etc. Basically, I didn't want to go. I decided to take a nap (knowing that was the root of my problem) and only set one alarm. When I'm really tired, that's not usually enough to wake me up. So, I said a little prayer...not always the best to make bets with God, but I said that if He really wanted me at church tonight, then he was going to have to wake me up with this ONE alarm. Of course...He did! He had quite the struggle to wake me up...several times I think He tried, until finally I remembered my promise and decided to get up. Levantate y come (Get up and eat)...the angel's words for Elijah and God's words for me today...Get up and be fed by my Word...let it encourage and rejuvenate you! Oh, and that it did!
The last thing I wanted to share with you is that on Tuesday night I have a CIET board meeting...you may remember a couple of weeks ago I shared how difficult that was for me so I would appreciate your prayers this week, particularly on Tuesday night...as well as in general...this will be a busy week and I expect that I'll be tired...which is often when my giants of loneliness and inferiority attack...pray that God will help me to defeat them with one stone in my sling! Thank you so much for your prayers and friendships! You are such a blessing to me!
As I write this up-date, it is actually Sunday night...typically I up-date my blog on Monday mornings since I don't have to go into school until late morning, however, the PreK teacher has dengue (a rather serious illness spread by mosquitoes...it has been running rampant in Bolivia for about the last month so I've known a lot of people to get very sick from the disease) and needed someone to substitute for her tomorrow. So, I'll be doing that until about noon then finishing up a couple of my own students, then I have basketball practice after school. Since tomorrow is Monday and the new semester has also started up in CIET, I'll be there teaching classes from about 7:15-8:30pm. As you can see, it will be a busy day so I thought I should go ahead and up-date my blog before going to bed tonight.
I will confess, this may be a rather short entry. Saturday night, there was a wedding at my church with the reception afterwards...typical Bolivian wedding...I got to get all dressed up...the reception included dinner at about 10:00pm or so plus cake sometime after that and loud music in between...no, I didn't catch the bouquet (much to the chagrin of several of my friends from church...hee hee)...I was taxi driver to an older couple (parents of the groom) and a friend of theirs so fortunately we left "early" at about midnight or so...but by the time I took them home and then got home myself, it was after 1:00am. Of course, I still had a few things that I wanted to take care of around the house, plus I was a little wired after the wedding, so it was about 3:00am before I went to bed. Needless to say, my Sunday afternoon nap wasn't quite enough to recover from that. All in all, the wedding was beautiful and I think everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Do you ever have one of those Sundays when you go to church and get the feeling that the pastor preached both sermons specifically for you? Well, today was one of those days for me. This morning he used the example of David and Goliath and how we all have giants that we face on a regular basis...he chose three giants specifically: loneliness, inferiority, and the battle to forgive ourselves for things of our past. All three of these are a struggle for me as I'm sure they are for many other people...but the first two are particular struggles for me on the mission field. The pastor used Paul as an example in helping us learn how we can combat these giants as David did Goliath. It was an excellent sermon...but one that's so hard for me to put into practice...it's much easier to hear something than it is to actually believe and live it out! This evening's sermon was from 1 Kings 19 (the first 7 verses) when God sent an angel to Elijah. Elijah was extremely depressed, wishing he were dead, so after falling asleep for some time (getting much needed rest), God sent an angel to him with food and water, then allowed him more rest, and sent him more food and water...giving him strength and encouragement when he needed it most. The part that struck me a great deal this evening, was that in the afternoon I toyed with the idea of staying home from church. I didn't need to play on the worship team so I had no specific role, I was tired, feeling discouraged, feeling lonely, etc. Basically, I didn't want to go. I decided to take a nap (knowing that was the root of my problem) and only set one alarm. When I'm really tired, that's not usually enough to wake me up. So, I said a little prayer...not always the best to make bets with God, but I said that if He really wanted me at church tonight, then he was going to have to wake me up with this ONE alarm. Of course...He did! He had quite the struggle to wake me up...several times I think He tried, until finally I remembered my promise and decided to get up. Levantate y come (Get up and eat)...the angel's words for Elijah and God's words for me today...Get up and be fed by my Word...let it encourage and rejuvenate you! Oh, and that it did!
The last thing I wanted to share with you is that on Tuesday night I have a CIET board meeting...you may remember a couple of weeks ago I shared how difficult that was for me so I would appreciate your prayers this week, particularly on Tuesday night...as well as in general...this will be a busy week and I expect that I'll be tired...which is often when my giants of loneliness and inferiority attack...pray that God will help me to defeat them with one stone in my sling! Thank you so much for your prayers and friendships! You are such a blessing to me!
Monday, February 9, 2009
February 9, 2008
Well, as usual time tends to fly on by and we're already into the second week of February! I really only have a couple of little things to report, I guess you could say that last week was rather uneventful!
First of all, I may have mentioned before that I serve on the board for CIET (the Bible Institute that SAM supports). This is a new role for me and basically temporary until others who typically serve on the board return from furlough later this year. There is one other SAM missionary who serves on the board of 6 people with me. Anyway, this is a difficult role for me for several reasons. The Spanish vocabulary used during these meetings is more advanced than I am accustomed to in my interactions with people at church and in the community. This in and of itself, is a challenge because I need to work much harder to understand what's going on and still there are many things I apparently miss. Also, my fellow SAM missionary and I both have similar personalities...neither of us are confrontational...and there are a couple of men on the board who have started making suggestions for things that SAM does not think would be wise for CIET. Therefore, as the SAM representatives, we're basically expected to watch out for those things and voice SAM's concerns. Again...when you're struggling to understand what's going on in a meeting it's difficult to add more things to be watching for. The other SAM missionary's Spanish is very good and she's served on the board for quite some time so she understands what's going on. However, she's also the secretary so it's hard for her to be typing in Spanish, taking notes, thinking about what others are saying, having her own thoughts, and then trying to voice any of those concerns. So, if you would just pray for wisdom to do what's best for CIET as well as strength to voice our concerns when necessary!
The second thing I wanted to tell you about this week concerns the Jr High Camp and Sr High Camp that the kids at school take each year. Last week, Wednesday through Friday, the Jr High students were gone to camp. Based on all that I have heard things went very well, no one got hurt, and it was a very fruitful time, so please join us in praising the Lord for that! This week, starting today and going through Friday, is Sr. High Camp. There is a speaker and others who have come down from the states to lead the services. The chaplain for the jr. high and sr. high groups organizes these camps and some teachers go as chaperones. I am not going as a chaperone this year, however, Bill and Bev Smith (fellow SAM missionaries and good friends of mine) are going as cooks for the week. Their oldest son will be with them at camp, but they have two younger children who will be staying behind, Benji (3rd grade) and Jessica (8th grade). I will be staying with them at their house this week to look after them...it's a chance for me to fulfill the role of Aunt Laura! Anyway, please join us in praying for camp this week...that God will bless that time, that students will come to a greater understanding of who He is and that He will draw them unto Himself in a closer way, that the teachers/speaker/others will have the strength they need to get through the week...also for those of us not going to camp, that we'll be able to fill in the holes left by the missing teachers for the week, that the kids in the Smith home and I will be kept safe this week and enjoy each others company, etc. Thank you for praying for these things this week!
Well, I have lots to do, so I guess I better get my day started! Blessings to each of you!
First of all, I may have mentioned before that I serve on the board for CIET (the Bible Institute that SAM supports). This is a new role for me and basically temporary until others who typically serve on the board return from furlough later this year. There is one other SAM missionary who serves on the board of 6 people with me. Anyway, this is a difficult role for me for several reasons. The Spanish vocabulary used during these meetings is more advanced than I am accustomed to in my interactions with people at church and in the community. This in and of itself, is a challenge because I need to work much harder to understand what's going on and still there are many things I apparently miss. Also, my fellow SAM missionary and I both have similar personalities...neither of us are confrontational...and there are a couple of men on the board who have started making suggestions for things that SAM does not think would be wise for CIET. Therefore, as the SAM representatives, we're basically expected to watch out for those things and voice SAM's concerns. Again...when you're struggling to understand what's going on in a meeting it's difficult to add more things to be watching for. The other SAM missionary's Spanish is very good and she's served on the board for quite some time so she understands what's going on. However, she's also the secretary so it's hard for her to be typing in Spanish, taking notes, thinking about what others are saying, having her own thoughts, and then trying to voice any of those concerns. So, if you would just pray for wisdom to do what's best for CIET as well as strength to voice our concerns when necessary!
The second thing I wanted to tell you about this week concerns the Jr High Camp and Sr High Camp that the kids at school take each year. Last week, Wednesday through Friday, the Jr High students were gone to camp. Based on all that I have heard things went very well, no one got hurt, and it was a very fruitful time, so please join us in praising the Lord for that! This week, starting today and going through Friday, is Sr. High Camp. There is a speaker and others who have come down from the states to lead the services. The chaplain for the jr. high and sr. high groups organizes these camps and some teachers go as chaperones. I am not going as a chaperone this year, however, Bill and Bev Smith (fellow SAM missionaries and good friends of mine) are going as cooks for the week. Their oldest son will be with them at camp, but they have two younger children who will be staying behind, Benji (3rd grade) and Jessica (8th grade). I will be staying with them at their house this week to look after them...it's a chance for me to fulfill the role of Aunt Laura! Anyway, please join us in praying for camp this week...that God will bless that time, that students will come to a greater understanding of who He is and that He will draw them unto Himself in a closer way, that the teachers/speaker/others will have the strength they need to get through the week...also for those of us not going to camp, that we'll be able to fill in the holes left by the missing teachers for the week, that the kids in the Smith home and I will be kept safe this week and enjoy each others company, etc. Thank you for praying for these things this week!
Well, I have lots to do, so I guess I better get my day started! Blessings to each of you!
Monday, February 2, 2009
February 2, 2009
I guess we can safely say that the year 2009 has officially gotten underway! During one of the prayer meetings at church last month, we read Isaiah 43. Other than the comforting reminder that God is always with us, there was one particular passage that jumped out to me, verses 18-19.
"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:18-19a, ESV)
This happened to be the exact message I needed to hear right now. How easy it is to get caught up (and fearful or depressed I might add) about the things of our past without focusing on the things God wants to do anew in and through us each day! Oh, that I might focus on the LIGHT ahead rather than looking back! Lately it has been a struggle for me to focus on the work God has for me here and now...without being fearful of being evacuated again and leaving my friends behind...or without dwelling on past wrongs done to me or that I've done to others...etc. Please pray that God will strengthen me and allow me to sense His presence each new day in order to encourage me to press forward toward the goal!
Last week was Vacation Bible School at church! It was a long week...teaching at school in the mornings, running errands and taking care of things in the early afternoon, VBS at church (plus cleanup) until about 6:30, then hanging out with friends until close to 9, and going home and heading to bed in order to start it all over again the next day! Boy was I ever tired by the time we got to the weekend! However, the exciting part was that on average 70 kids heard the gospel expressed in ways that they could understand...and memorized Romans 5:8 as a reminder of Christ's death for their sins! How awesome it was to see their excitement of being in the house of the Lord...everyday! Probably about half of them were already coming regularly to Sunday School and our Saturday afternoon children's club...but the others weren't. So, now comes the difficult part...the follow-up and discipleship! Pray that we, as leaders/teachers in the church, will be diligent about seeking out these precious children of God so that they can grow in a greater knowledge and understanding of Him!
Well, this will be a shorter post than some of them have been...but that's about all I have to report for this week! "Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." (2 Cor. 2:14, NIV)
"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:18-19a, ESV)
This happened to be the exact message I needed to hear right now. How easy it is to get caught up (and fearful or depressed I might add) about the things of our past without focusing on the things God wants to do anew in and through us each day! Oh, that I might focus on the LIGHT ahead rather than looking back! Lately it has been a struggle for me to focus on the work God has for me here and now...without being fearful of being evacuated again and leaving my friends behind...or without dwelling on past wrongs done to me or that I've done to others...etc. Please pray that God will strengthen me and allow me to sense His presence each new day in order to encourage me to press forward toward the goal!
Last week was Vacation Bible School at church! It was a long week...teaching at school in the mornings, running errands and taking care of things in the early afternoon, VBS at church (plus cleanup) until about 6:30, then hanging out with friends until close to 9, and going home and heading to bed in order to start it all over again the next day! Boy was I ever tired by the time we got to the weekend! However, the exciting part was that on average 70 kids heard the gospel expressed in ways that they could understand...and memorized Romans 5:8 as a reminder of Christ's death for their sins! How awesome it was to see their excitement of being in the house of the Lord...everyday! Probably about half of them were already coming regularly to Sunday School and our Saturday afternoon children's club...but the others weren't. So, now comes the difficult part...the follow-up and discipleship! Pray that we, as leaders/teachers in the church, will be diligent about seeking out these precious children of God so that they can grow in a greater knowledge and understanding of Him!
Well, this will be a shorter post than some of them have been...but that's about all I have to report for this week! "Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." (2 Cor. 2:14, NIV)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Bolivia Votes "Si"
Well...yesterday was a rather uneventful voting day...peaceful as far as I could tell, which is a blessing. No campaigning is allowed for the last couple of days before a voting day so other than remnants floating around (graffiti on the walls of buildings, fliers, etc.), there wasn't much new. Most of the votes had been cast by about 6:00 in the evening, so the news channels began to post results. I made the rounds in the afternoon and evening, visiting people I knew who lived within walking distance...it made the day pass by a little quicker. During my last visit before going home, I stopped to have dinner with some other singles from SAM. We turned on the television to see what we could find out. Basically...the country as a whole voted in favor of the constitution. As we all expected...Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando, and others voted opposing the referendum....however, La Paz, Potosi, Cochabamba, and others voted in favor. So, where do we go from here? We continue to sit, wait, and PRAY! Only God truly knows what will happen from here on out. Praise the Lord that His plan is perfect! The idea therefore, is for us to continue to go about our ministries as God has called us to do...keeping in mind that the ultimate goal is that those ministries would continue, even if we were pulled out of the country...so as SAM's motto states...Build Leaders to Build Churches!
On a lighter note...this week is Vacation Bible School at my church! It starts today and will go until Saturday...every day from 4-5:30. It is quite possible that we will start off with 30-40 kids and then by the end of the week have close to 80 or so. We'd appreciate your prayers as we work to share the gospel/God's love with these children! The theme of the week is "Jesus, el regalo de Dios para ti...Jesus, God's gift to you!" We're also praying that the weather will stay nice all week. It is rainy season, so it is common for us to get a burst of a shower or even a couple of days of rain. However, if that happens many of the children will not be able to come, their parents won't want them out in the muddy streets. So, please join us in praying this week!
Well, I guess that's it for now. I'm attaching a couple of pictures below for your viewing pleasure! They're both pictures from school...one is a picture of me teaching the weekly elementary chapel...the other is a goofy picture of a few of my students. Hope you enjoy!
On a lighter note...this week is Vacation Bible School at my church! It starts today and will go until Saturday...every day from 4-5:30. It is quite possible that we will start off with 30-40 kids and then by the end of the week have close to 80 or so. We'd appreciate your prayers as we work to share the gospel/God's love with these children! The theme of the week is "Jesus, el regalo de Dios para ti...Jesus, God's gift to you!" We're also praying that the weather will stay nice all week. It is rainy season, so it is common for us to get a burst of a shower or even a couple of days of rain. However, if that happens many of the children will not be able to come, their parents won't want them out in the muddy streets. So, please join us in praying this week!
Well, I guess that's it for now. I'm attaching a couple of pictures below for your viewing pleasure! They're both pictures from school...one is a picture of me teaching the weekly elementary chapel...the other is a goofy picture of a few of my students. Hope you enjoy!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Happy New Year!
Here we are...another year has begun! In case you've lost track of me over the past few months...I just wanted to let everyone know that I am in BOLIVIA!
I enjoyed a wonderful Christmas/New Years with my family. I arrived in the states on December 20 so my parents and I were able to enjoy close to a week at the beach together before my sisters arrived with their families. Janet and Rick, and Emily, Christopher, and Wesley all caught up with us at the beach on the 26th. We ate at a couple of our favorite restaurants, swam in the indoor pool, walked on the beach, did a little shopping, and drove along the boardwalk to see the light display. Then, that evening we headed back to mom and dad's house in order to have our Christmas celebration on Saturday. All in all, it was a wonderful trip.
I returned to Bolivia, on January 4, feeling encouraged and strengthened once again to the work God has called me to here. It was difficult to say good-bye to my family (of course) and I left Chiquito (my dog) in the states with my folks (also an extremely difficult move), but so far I've been pleasantly surprised at how being back in Bolivia just feels so RIGHT! It suits me! I hit the ground running as soon as I got back...we had our annual SAM field conference last week. We stayed at a resort called Los Cedros...it was a good time of fellowship as well as challenging in the Biblical themes we were taught.
This week, classes at SCCLC started up once again...so I'm back to teaching resource style classes. Due to some changes in scheduling for the general curriculum classes, we had to rearrange our resource schedule as well. It took us a couple of days to get that straightened out...so I really didn't have to start teaching until Wednesday...not bad! This week, I'm sure will be a rude awakening...back to old clothes and porridge as my mom always says! I do have one new responsibility at school...I am now officially the Elementary School Chaplain...which basically just means that I have agreed to do the teaching for the weekly chapel in the elementary grades. It's only about a 15 minute teaching once a week, but I'm excited about doing it! I have done it a couple of times over the course of last semester, but now it works out in my schedule for me to do it each week. If anyone has any ideas...feel free to send them my way!
I continue to be active in church...actually, now I guess I'm even more active! The HAuses and Heather Mickelson (fellow missionaries in my church) are currently home on furlough, Dalmiro (another one of the pastors from the church) is currently in Abingdon, Virginia in the missionary internship program...several other core leaders for various reasons are now unable to help out...so quite a few holes have been left, so I find myself filling in more frequently in many different roles than I had before. Two things you can be praying for with regards to the church...one is that we will be having our Vacation Bible School (Bolivian schools are still on summer vacation) from January 26-31. We often have close to 100 kids that come by the end of the week. Please be praying for both children and workers alike. The second thing is that one of the couples in the youth group (college students) recently announced that they are expecting a child. She is about a month along. This came as quite a shock and now is another hurdle for us to cross. They are planning to get married, possibly in February. They could use your prayers, as well as their families. I have become even more concerned for the other girls in our youth group. Please pray with me as well for the best method of reaching them with the importance lesson of waiting. May God strengthen their hearts and their willpower! I find this sort of thing is all too common in this culture!
I've also been able to begin working with SAM's children's ministry team. On Saturday, I went with a few other missionaries to a church that is a part of the association that SAM supports. They had their Vacation Bible School last week. We were asked to come and do the closing program. I gave the Bible lesson...talking about being new creatures in Christ. We used the caterpillar turning into a butterfly analogy. I think it was one of the few times that I have really felt comfortable teaching in Spanish. It was such a blessing for me! Praise the Lord for the time we had with the children there! Once I get some pictures of that activity, I'll share them with you!
There is one other thing that I would like to briefly mention...one week from today, January 25, is an election day. The people will be voting on the new constitution that has been written. So far, it is expected that it will pass. I have not read it all myself...but from what I have been told...there are many aspects that could be really bad. Therefore, the tension in the country has begun to pick up a bit and is only expected to get worse. I tell you this, not to frighten you for my own safety. The mission has already shown me that they are perfectly capable of caring for me! I only tell you these things as a reminder to be praying for this country...both the Christians and Nonchristians alike. Not to mention...personally, the thought of being evacuated again, is really hard! I don't want to go through that process of having to leave again! However, God is in control...and I know that His will is going to be done regardless of the type of government...God works through all situations!
Well, I know this was a rather long entry...that's what happens when I go several weeks without writing! Now that I'm getting back into a routine, hopefully, I'll be able to up-date my blog once a week like I did before. My plan will be to up-date it on Mondays...so you can feel free to check anytime after that! Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support! I appreciate all of you so much!
I enjoyed a wonderful Christmas/New Years with my family. I arrived in the states on December 20 so my parents and I were able to enjoy close to a week at the beach together before my sisters arrived with their families. Janet and Rick, and Emily, Christopher, and Wesley all caught up with us at the beach on the 26th. We ate at a couple of our favorite restaurants, swam in the indoor pool, walked on the beach, did a little shopping, and drove along the boardwalk to see the light display. Then, that evening we headed back to mom and dad's house in order to have our Christmas celebration on Saturday. All in all, it was a wonderful trip.
I returned to Bolivia, on January 4, feeling encouraged and strengthened once again to the work God has called me to here. It was difficult to say good-bye to my family (of course) and I left Chiquito (my dog) in the states with my folks (also an extremely difficult move), but so far I've been pleasantly surprised at how being back in Bolivia just feels so RIGHT! It suits me! I hit the ground running as soon as I got back...we had our annual SAM field conference last week. We stayed at a resort called Los Cedros...it was a good time of fellowship as well as challenging in the Biblical themes we were taught.
This week, classes at SCCLC started up once again...so I'm back to teaching resource style classes. Due to some changes in scheduling for the general curriculum classes, we had to rearrange our resource schedule as well. It took us a couple of days to get that straightened out...so I really didn't have to start teaching until Wednesday...not bad! This week, I'm sure will be a rude awakening...back to old clothes and porridge as my mom always says! I do have one new responsibility at school...I am now officially the Elementary School Chaplain...which basically just means that I have agreed to do the teaching for the weekly chapel in the elementary grades. It's only about a 15 minute teaching once a week, but I'm excited about doing it! I have done it a couple of times over the course of last semester, but now it works out in my schedule for me to do it each week. If anyone has any ideas...feel free to send them my way!
I continue to be active in church...actually, now I guess I'm even more active! The HAuses and Heather Mickelson (fellow missionaries in my church) are currently home on furlough, Dalmiro (another one of the pastors from the church) is currently in Abingdon, Virginia in the missionary internship program...several other core leaders for various reasons are now unable to help out...so quite a few holes have been left, so I find myself filling in more frequently in many different roles than I had before. Two things you can be praying for with regards to the church...one is that we will be having our Vacation Bible School (Bolivian schools are still on summer vacation) from January 26-31. We often have close to 100 kids that come by the end of the week. Please be praying for both children and workers alike. The second thing is that one of the couples in the youth group (college students) recently announced that they are expecting a child. She is about a month along. This came as quite a shock and now is another hurdle for us to cross. They are planning to get married, possibly in February. They could use your prayers, as well as their families. I have become even more concerned for the other girls in our youth group. Please pray with me as well for the best method of reaching them with the importance lesson of waiting. May God strengthen their hearts and their willpower! I find this sort of thing is all too common in this culture!
I've also been able to begin working with SAM's children's ministry team. On Saturday, I went with a few other missionaries to a church that is a part of the association that SAM supports. They had their Vacation Bible School last week. We were asked to come and do the closing program. I gave the Bible lesson...talking about being new creatures in Christ. We used the caterpillar turning into a butterfly analogy. I think it was one of the few times that I have really felt comfortable teaching in Spanish. It was such a blessing for me! Praise the Lord for the time we had with the children there! Once I get some pictures of that activity, I'll share them with you!
There is one other thing that I would like to briefly mention...one week from today, January 25, is an election day. The people will be voting on the new constitution that has been written. So far, it is expected that it will pass. I have not read it all myself...but from what I have been told...there are many aspects that could be really bad. Therefore, the tension in the country has begun to pick up a bit and is only expected to get worse. I tell you this, not to frighten you for my own safety. The mission has already shown me that they are perfectly capable of caring for me! I only tell you these things as a reminder to be praying for this country...both the Christians and Nonchristians alike. Not to mention...personally, the thought of being evacuated again, is really hard! I don't want to go through that process of having to leave again! However, God is in control...and I know that His will is going to be done regardless of the type of government...God works through all situations!
Well, I know this was a rather long entry...that's what happens when I go several weeks without writing! Now that I'm getting back into a routine, hopefully, I'll be able to up-date my blog once a week like I did before. My plan will be to up-date it on Mondays...so you can feel free to check anytime after that! Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support! I appreciate all of you so much!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
December 6, 2008
Well, here we are...in two weeks I'll be arriving home for Christmas! How exciting is that! At the same time...it's a little frightening to think of all I wanted to finish before then. Lots to be done...may God give me the necessary strength to get through it!
I have one quick story I wanted to share from this week...
I went to see my friend Avelina on Thursday night so that we could have a Bible study together, she lives in the house next door to the church. Her family lives upstairs and another family from the church lives downstairs. Anyway, when I arrived at the house, the woman who lives downstairs was outside talking to a woman whom I had never met before. It didn't take long for me to learn that the stranger wished to speak to the pastor of our church. She had come by the day before wishing to get some advice from someone and was told the pastor would be at the church in time for the prayer meeting that we have on Thursday nights. She came about an hour early, hoping to talk to him before the service, but he was not there. They asked me if I would call him so I did. Given that our pastor is a single male, it is understandably difficult for him at times to give advice in situations such as these. As it turned out, he was not available to come early before the service and was a little hesitant to do so. He then asked me if I would be willing to talk with her to see if I could help.
I excused myself from my meeting with Avelina and went over to the church with the "stranger" who I quickly found out is named MariCruz. She and I sat behind the church in one of the classrooms so that the person leading the nightly prayer meeting could arrange the seats for the meeting. MariCruz began telling me about a friend of hers who was going through a difficult time and she wanted to know how to help her. As it turned out...the "friend" of whom she spoke was herself. With respect to the confidentiality that I promised her, I won't go into great detail about the struggles that she was experiencing. However, she did say that she is 2 months pregnant and suicide was one of the many problems with which she was struggling (not due to an unwanted pregnancy, I feel I should make that clear)...therein lies the parts that are better left unsaid. Anyway, with no family in the city...she was looking for a place to turn...I do believe it was God that led her to the church door. She was feeling lost, a sinner, a nobody, etc...particularly through her suicidal thoughts mixed with her Catholic upbringing...suicide an unpardonable sin!
Without going into a lot of detail, God used that situation to give me an opportunity to share the gospel with her. To talk about His love for her and the worth she had in his eyes. Although I could not help her much with the situation leading up to her desire to take her own life and the life of her baby...I was able to share Christ with her. She prayed to receive Christ into her life and to become one of God's children. My prayer for her is that it truly was a heartfelt decision. I don't expect that I will see her again...she doesn't live in the area of the church and was making plans to leave town...however, I continue to pray that God will guide her footsteps, carry her when she struggles, and provide for her needs. Oh, that she might truly see the depth of the relationship that He desires with her. Please join me in praising God for her life and that He has called her unto Himself. Also praise Him for giving me the blessing of getting to share this exciting news with her, to love her even with the baggage of her past that she carries with her. Also join me in praying for her continued walk with him, as well as her protection and guidance.
May we not forget, especially during the Christmas season, the saving grace that was sent to live and die for us all. Blessings to each of you this holiday season!
I have one quick story I wanted to share from this week...
I went to see my friend Avelina on Thursday night so that we could have a Bible study together, she lives in the house next door to the church. Her family lives upstairs and another family from the church lives downstairs. Anyway, when I arrived at the house, the woman who lives downstairs was outside talking to a woman whom I had never met before. It didn't take long for me to learn that the stranger wished to speak to the pastor of our church. She had come by the day before wishing to get some advice from someone and was told the pastor would be at the church in time for the prayer meeting that we have on Thursday nights. She came about an hour early, hoping to talk to him before the service, but he was not there. They asked me if I would call him so I did. Given that our pastor is a single male, it is understandably difficult for him at times to give advice in situations such as these. As it turned out, he was not available to come early before the service and was a little hesitant to do so. He then asked me if I would be willing to talk with her to see if I could help.
I excused myself from my meeting with Avelina and went over to the church with the "stranger" who I quickly found out is named MariCruz. She and I sat behind the church in one of the classrooms so that the person leading the nightly prayer meeting could arrange the seats for the meeting. MariCruz began telling me about a friend of hers who was going through a difficult time and she wanted to know how to help her. As it turned out...the "friend" of whom she spoke was herself. With respect to the confidentiality that I promised her, I won't go into great detail about the struggles that she was experiencing. However, she did say that she is 2 months pregnant and suicide was one of the many problems with which she was struggling (not due to an unwanted pregnancy, I feel I should make that clear)...therein lies the parts that are better left unsaid. Anyway, with no family in the city...she was looking for a place to turn...I do believe it was God that led her to the church door. She was feeling lost, a sinner, a nobody, etc...particularly through her suicidal thoughts mixed with her Catholic upbringing...suicide an unpardonable sin!
Without going into a lot of detail, God used that situation to give me an opportunity to share the gospel with her. To talk about His love for her and the worth she had in his eyes. Although I could not help her much with the situation leading up to her desire to take her own life and the life of her baby...I was able to share Christ with her. She prayed to receive Christ into her life and to become one of God's children. My prayer for her is that it truly was a heartfelt decision. I don't expect that I will see her again...she doesn't live in the area of the church and was making plans to leave town...however, I continue to pray that God will guide her footsteps, carry her when she struggles, and provide for her needs. Oh, that she might truly see the depth of the relationship that He desires with her. Please join me in praising God for her life and that He has called her unto Himself. Also praise Him for giving me the blessing of getting to share this exciting news with her, to love her even with the baggage of her past that she carries with her. Also join me in praying for her continued walk with him, as well as her protection and guidance.
May we not forget, especially during the Christmas season, the saving grace that was sent to live and die for us all. Blessings to each of you this holiday season!
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