Preparing Pastors:
This past month we were able to participate in the anual pastor’s school in Arequipa Peru. This is the city where we studied language and did our internship before coming to Bolivia. Every year they have a pastor’s conference designed to train, equip and encourage pastors from all over South America. This years conference was titled “The Good Fight” and focused on how we can fight the fight and also finish the fight. During the day we had classes for pastors and leaders and then services at night. This year there were eight of us that traveled from Cochabamba to Arequipa a trip that normally takes 18-20 hours crossing the Andes mountains to get there. We usually leave on Sunday night and travel about seven hours to the city of La Paz and from there it is close to two hours to get to the border of Peru. From the border we take either a taxi or a small bus for three hours to a city in Peru called Puno. From the city of Puno we take a tourist van for five hours to the city of Arequipa. Although it is a long trip it is always worth it and is a great encouragement to all who go.
Special Visitor:
One of the things that is a great encouragement to us on the mission field is to have other friends that are missionaries in other countries around us. One of those families is the Holt family that has been missionaries in Chile for close to twelve years. Well while we were there earlier this year we spoke with them about the possibility of their daughter Katie coming to visit with us for a month, kind of like a short mission’s trip for her. Jason came over in September to teach at our pastor’s retreat and Katie came with him at that time to stay with us. Then she traveled with us to Peru where she met up with her parents. While here Katie was able to help in the church teaching in the children’s ministry and helping out with the music along with other ministries. She was a great blessing to us and we already miss having her around.
Three Years Old:
This past month we were able to participate in the anniversary service of the second church that we started in an area of our city called Quillacollo. It has now been three years since we started the church, and we are very grateful for how the Lord has been blessing. At the end of the first year, working in the church, it was time for our second furlough and we were able to leave the church with pastor Pablo Rojas, and since then him and his wife Evelyn have been doing a great job and the church has been growing at a steady pace. They invited us to have a part in their special service and I was able to preach about how God using them to do great things. During the service they had several testimonies, one being pastor Isaac Benitez, who also helped during the first year that we were starting the church. After the service they had a special meal and sang happy birthday with a cake that had three candles on it. The church was almost full and in all there were close to seventy in attendance. Please pray for pastor Pablo, his wife Evelyn and their daughter Rebeca that the Lord will continue to guide, direct and provide for them.
Prayer Requests:
1. Pray for the there churches that we have here; in Cochabamba, Quillacollo and Pacta
2. Pray for a little girl named Maite in our church that has stage four brain cancer. .
3. Pray for the intern that we had here, AndrewWilder, as he returns to the US and seeks God’s will for his life.
4. Pray for laborers for Bolivia that we can reach many more with the gospel.