Operation Bolivia

We are always excited about having people come and visit us here in Bolivia.  This past week we had our pastor and my dad and step mom visiting with us. They arrived on Friday morning and said that all their flights and travel went smoothly. On Saturday, they were able to go with us to our youth meeting and enjoyed seeing the activities and I translated for them during the preaching. On Sunday my pastor preached for Sunday school and in the morning and night services. We had a great attendance in the morning of more than 80 and we sang a special as a family in the night service. Our pastor also brought us several radio like boxes that are called Proclaimers. They are simple devices that work with solar power, batteries or plug in and have the Bible recorded on them in the national language. They can be used for Bible study and reaching many people in rural areas that can’

t read or write. We truly enjoyed having family here for a short stay and they were a great blessing to our ministry and us.

A day at the park.

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My pastor on the left my dad and step mom on the right with Cochabamba in the background.

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        One of the greatest needs that I see in Bolivia and even in other countries around the world is the need for strong families and strong churches. In Bolivia well over half of all children have one or both of parents absent because they are working in other countries. Also as missionaries and pastors it is easy to get into the routine and be satisfied with where we are. For that reason we had this month two conferences together to help unite families and stir pastors. We invited pastor Austin Gardner whom we trained with in Peru to come and speak. Starting on Sunday through Wednesday each night we had our second annual family conference. On Monday through Wednesday in the mornings we had our first conference for pastors and leaders. The people of the church worked hard inviting friends and family and we sent out invitation to as many pastors as we could. Planning for the conference we were expecting maybe 50 or so pastors and leaders and had a goal of 120 for the family conference. When it was all said and done we had people come from Peru, Argentina, and three different cities here in Bolivia. In the mornings we had around 100 with a high attendance 120. In the family conference averaged around 140 each night with our high attendance on Tuesday night of 171. It was truly a time of blessing for our church and many pastors that participated. We heard comment after comment about how the time helped them in their families and encouraged them as pastors. This was a great opportunity for the people of our church to learn and begin to work in the ministry.

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Father’s day is celebrated here in Bolivia on March the 19^th but much like in the United States it doesn’t compare to the same day celebrated for moms. With our family conference coming up a week afterwards we didn’t make that big a deal of it. We told everyone to invite their fathers and that we had a special gift for each one. The Lord truly blessed and we had several fathers visiting for the first time. In total we had 105 in attendance and many that raised their hands wanting to be the father that the Lord wanted them to be. 

In Spanish countries the decision to get baptized can be a major one. This month as we had our second baptism service in the church we were able to see this first hand. We were preparing several people for this first step of obedience and as the time approached several of them told us that they would not be able to participate because their parents apposed. For many here that don’t know Christ, getting baptized means that they are rejecting their religion that they have had for years and many either prohibit it or threaten to disown them as part of the family. On the 23^rd we were a little discouraged but the baptistery was ready for what we thought would be four people getting baptized but during the Sunday School hour we had several that stepped forward and made the commitment. When it was all over seven had gotten baptized. We praise the Lord for these who took this first step of what we hope will be many in following Christ. 

As many of you know the country of Bolivia is in South America which is the southern hemisphere or south of the equator. This means that our seasons are opposite of those in the U.S. As most of you are coming to the end of the winter season and heading into spring, we are coming to the end of our summer going into fall. Here in Bolivia, during the summer season, one of the popular things to do is have a “Dia de Campo” which is like a day in the country usually accompanied by a picnic. This is also very popular in the churches here. At the beginning of February, we planned one of these days for our church to go to the country and have a cookout. We rented a complex on the outskirts of town that had areas for sports activities like soccer, racket ball, a type of volley ball that is played in doors with four walls, and lots of grassy areas for the kids to play in. We divided up into four teams and rotated between the different sports. Afterwards, we had relay races using balloons filled with water to give some relief from the hot sun. During this whole time, several of the men of the church were working the grill cooking different types of meats. The ladies of the church brought the side dishes of rice, rice with cheese, salads, and a dish with Yucca which is a popular food here that is a root but tastes like a potato. When everything was ready we called everyone in and had a great feast in the dinning hall of the complex. As everyone was finishing, we had several songs and we gave the opportunity to four of the young guys in the church to preach for five minutes. They did a great job, and the people were really encouraged. When we planned the activity we were not sure what the results would be being that it was the day of the Carnaval parade which is one of the most popular holidays in all of South America. We ended up with 97 in attendance and as a result four new visitors on Sunday that trusted Christ as Savior.

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I can honestly say as a missionary that the help and instruction that we received before starting our deputation process was a lifesaver and allowed us to get on the field much faster than normal. By the Lord’s grace we were able to finish our deputation and raise the full amount necessary for our field in only a year and a half. We would have never been able to accomplish this without the help that we received. Much of that instruction has now been put into a book format so that others can benefit from it. If you as a pastor would like to be able to get this information into the hands of your missionaries or you know someone who is thinking about being a missionary or starting the deputation process I would highly recommend you get this book “The Deputation Manual”. If you would like more info you can go to www.bcwe.org and click on the deputation manual link. I know that it will be a help and lifesaver for you.

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On the mission field here in Bolivia we sometimes face many dangers and difficulties, even down to the difference in the bugs that we have. Here we have some of your normal creatures like Flys, Beatles etc. but we also have things like a bug called Vinchucas which is an insect that if it bites you can do permanent damage to your heart and digestive system. Also since we arrived we often see in our house small scorpions. Until now we have not had problems with the Vinchucas but the other night while in the bathroom Taylor our youngest daughter put her hand down on the rug and there was a small scorpion there that stung her. Although they are not deadly we have heard that they can cause lots of pain and the victim can run a high fever and have convulsions. Thankfully our landlord is a pharmacist and was able to tell us what medicines we needed to give here. After taking them she fell immediately asleep and slept through the night. The next morning we awoke to find her acting completely normal with no signs of the affects of the sting. We have joked and said that we think the scorpion actually died after stinging Taylor instead of hurting her. We are very thankful to the Lord for His protection over her and that it wasn’t very serious. Thank you always for your prayers for the Lord’s blessing and protection over us.

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The Bible tells us that there is joy in heaven for every sinner that repents. Recently in our church the Lord has given us some great victories. I have written in the past about Edwardo and his desire to see his family saved. Yesterday he called me to tell me that he went and spoke with his mom a very devout Catholic. He said for the first time she didn’t argue. After talking for a good while she prayed and trusted Christ as Savior. When we first started the church among the teenagers that came there was one guy that came but he was anti American and didn’t seem to like us much. He has come off and on since then and we have prayed for him a lot. Recently I noticed that he was coming and instead of joking during the invitation he would look around to see if anyone was raising their hands. This past Wednesday after church he told me that he had trusted Christ at home by himself and wanted a Bible to be able to read. This along with two people that were saved during camp has been truly a blessing in our church. Of course we know that this does not make Satan happy and we have had several under attack. We had one of our teenagers that out of the blue his mom told him they were going to Argentina and they left. One teenage girl that dedicated her life during the camp was told by her mom that she couldn’t go to church any more because she was changing to drastically. Also one of the young guys that who was formerly a Mormon was told by his parents that he could no longer go to our church and had to return to theirs. It is no coincidence that the Lord is working in lives of each of these in a great way. We would ask that you pray that we will continue to see sinners come into the fold and that the Lord will shelter all from the attacks of the enemy.

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In the first part of January the young people of the church had the opportunity to go camp. We had 18 total with fourteen young people and four adults that traveled from Bolivia to the country of Peru to the coast for the Extreme Camp 2008. The group left here at 11:00 pm at night and arrived to the city of Arequipa where we once lived at 10:00 pm the next night. There they spent the night and left the next day for a three hour trip to the city of Camaná at the coast. This camp was put on by the Faith Baptist Church and the brother of Jorge our partner in the ministry here. Many were very excited to go because they had never left the country and most had never seen the ocean before because Bolivia is a landlocked country. At first it was a bit of an adjustment with the heat and conditions but in all two trusted Christ as Savior and almost all of the others came back with a much greater desire to be an Extreme Christian and to serve the Lord.

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Often in life there comes the time when you have to say goodbye. As you leave for work, when you finish a visit, or even when you give someone a ride. This past Wednesday after our church service, we were able to give a young girl in our church a ride to her house. Rocío began coming to our couples meetings this past year, and then started coming to church. After trusting Christ as her Savior, she started to get involved in the church only to stop coming shortly there after when she got a second job. Recently, she started coming again and this past Wednesday we were able to take her home after church. As she got out of the car we said our goodbyes and she went on her way. Little did we know that on that Friday leaving from work she would be hit by a truck and go off into eternity. On that Wednesday night when we said good bye we had no idea it would be the last. The only consolation that we have is that she was saved, and we know she is in the presence of the Lord. The one thing that rings through my mind is that when I say goodbye is that it could be my last. May we make the most out of every day that we have.

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