Endings and New Beginnings:
Our First Intern:
Well 2016 has come to an end and 2017 is before us. This past year was full of many blessings and opportunities and we are now looking forward to all that the Lord has for us this coming year. One of blessings, was to have our first intern to study with us here in Bolivia. His name was Matt Yeager and he is preparing to be a missionary to Costa Rica. With the missions training center at our church, each missionary candidate has to spend six months on the mission field with a veteran missionary, after finishing all of their classes. The goal is that after learning about missions they can experience it first hand. They gain knowledge that is indispensable to them as missionaries and puts them light years ahead of others. They already have the opportunity to learn things like adapting to a foreign culture, learning a new language and helping in an actual church plant. There is also the opportunity for the missionary to work and invest in the life of the intern to prepare them for things like raising their support and learning how to disciple someone else. We had a great time with Matt and I believe that it was very beneficial for him. He is now back in the US also looking forward to many new things this year like getting married and starting deputation. Please pray for him and his family as they prepare to go to Costa Rica.
Church Activities:
The end of the year is usually a busy time in our churches with many activities. At our first church we had a Christmas cantata and gave gifts to all the children of the church. They also made several gift baskets, with food items that the people of the church brought, to give to several needy families in our community. Another big tradition here is what is called a chocolatada. Usually on Christmas or right before, they have hot chocolate and a bread called Panteón which is much like our fruitcake. On the Sunday night before Christmas we had this at the new church in Pacata and there were more than thirty that showed up. We also had a New Years day banquete on Sunday night of the 1st. The people of the church fixed the food and we had almost thirty come. It was truly a great time and a great way to start off the new year. We are now looking forward to all that the Lord has for us this coming 2017.
Huge Thanks:
We are very grateful for all of the Lord’s blessing and provision this past year. I am always amazed at how He blesses us above and beyond what we even think or deserve. We want to thank all of you that have given to us and the ministry here in Bolivia. First I would like to thank all of you who gave a special Christmas offering for us. This is a great help and blessing for the extra expenses that we have this time of year, and extra Christmas offerings that we also give to the pastor’s. Also I would like to thank all who have been giving to help with the construction on the church building for our first church. We have received several offerings that will cover the main glass doors and two windows and also an offering from a family member, that is going to take care of most, if not all of what is needed to finish the bathrooms at the church. I don’t know how to thank you and let you know how much of a help and blessing this is, not only to us, but also to the churches here. Please pray for all the activities in this upcoming year that it will be the best year yet for the ministry here in Bolivia.
Prayer Requests:
1. Pray that we can find the right place to start meeting for our new church in Pacata.
2. Pray for me as I travel to Peru the end of January to preach at a youth camp.
3. Pray that the Lord would raise up more leaders and pastors here and allow us to plant more churches.
4. Pray for Bolivia and the ever changing political situation here.