The Good and the Bad:
Here in Bolivia we had been in strict quarantine since the later part of March, not being able to leave our homes but one day a week to get supplies. There were no cars allowed on the road so we had to walk or take a bike to the grocery store to buy things. It was kind of humorous because the only bike that we had was my daughter Grace’s, which was pink bike with a white basket on the front. So I proudly rode the pink bike to the grocery store every Tuesday and took advantage of the basket to carry the heavy things back to the house. We were definitely able to stay in shape because returning to our house is all up hill, so I ended up pushing the bike most of the way. Well all that was up until the 1st of June when our government decided to relax the restrictions and allow both private and public transportation on the streets. So we can now go out Monday – Friday and drive and most businesses are open but you have to order from outside and they bring your product to you. This has made preparation for our furlough much easier since we have been able to go out and buy the things we need and have people come to the house to do repairs. The bad side to all this is the number of cases here are growing rapidly taking us to the critical point for what the medical system can handle. Please pray for the many here that are getting the Virus and many who are dying.
Preparations:
As of writing this, we are almost finished with moving out of our house and almost ready to turn the keys over to the landlords. We have been working for several weeks painting the entire house on the inside and making repairs on things that were damaged. I have really been able to feel my age during this time and realize that I am not as young as I used to be but we have gotten most of the work done. The hardest part was probably having to move all of our furniture in one day. On the first day that we were able to get out, we bagan to get things ready, but about 11:00am we heard that the government had changed their minds and that transportation was not going to be allowed. This sent us into a panic, so we called a moving truck with the goal of getting everything moved that afternoon, before the restrictions were renewed the next day. We took several loads, on a truck completely loaded to the brim and finished with the larger pieces just before 6:00pm when our curfew took effect. Well that same night the government changed again and decided to allow transportation. So we had worked so hard for no reason, but at least we got it done. It now looks like the Bolivian airline here is going to be offering flights later this month so we are hoping to be able to get tickets at that time. Please pray that we can get everything done and ready to travel.
Preaching and Teaching:
We have also continued to do ministry here using technology and the internet. The churches have gotten used to the services and have been very encouraged. We also started our next trimester in our Bible college and are offering four classes at this time. With a good number attending we are praying it will be a productive time.
Prayer Requests:
1. Pray that the Lord will open many opportunities to reach people during this time.
2. Pray for the churches here as they prepare to carry the full load on their own.
3. Pray for our upcoming furlough and the preparations that we need to make.
4. Pray that the Lord will raise up laborers for the harvest here in Bolivia.