There and back again

WOW! God is amazing!

We have just returned from a two week trip to Bolivia. The first week we spent in La Paz. The second week we spent in Santa Cruz.

We were amazed at how large La Paz was. The city was busy all the time. People always seemed to have some where to go at all hours of the day and night. Most women still wear the tradtional dress of the Chola. The women carry huge burdens on their backs, wound up tight in colorful blankets. Often these blankets include small children.

We found the people to be very kind and hard working. At times it was difficult to catch our breath but we adjusted well thanks to all the prayer and fasting going on back home. We never got sick. The Lord is faithful.

We were very exicted to minister to the Amaryan people in the alto-plano. We feasted on several varieties of potatos (papas) and quinoa soup. This amazing soup is made with a grain that is very high in protien and mixed with milk. It was muy rico! I loved it. We were also treated to an Aymara worship song. You can click on the picture below to hear the song.

The man in the blue shirt is Boniface. The church meets in his small home until they can build a church on the back of his property. The home has no running water, no refrigerator, no heat source, no bathroom of any kind.. In fact there is no bathroom on the property at all. The people use the fields as needed.

They have many animals that provide for their needs. There are no trees on the property and no fuel source. The oven is located outside and dung is used to heat it for cooking. The night of our visit the temp got down to 25f degrees. Many of the villages that are further up in elevation get even colder. The people do not have shoes to wear, only sandals made from old tire rubber.

The people are hungry for the word of God and receive with joy the good news of a god that wants a relationship with them. They are very family oriented. A god who wants to be their father is an amazing idea to them.

We became acquainted with a man who works for the Bolivian Bible society who was able to supplies us with some Amaryan Bibles and some Proclaimers. Proclaimers are AMAZING!!! They are like a CD player powered by the sun. Only the CD is built in. The entire Bible is broadcast like a book on tape…IN AYMARA! It does not need batteries or electricity. It is powered by the sun. We ordered 20 to be distributed to surrounding villages. This is not enough. We need more! (for more info on the Proclaimer go to http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/proclaimer ) The people have many needs. Shoes, socks, blankets, food sources, fuel sources, Aymara Bibles and teaching, Proclaimers and more.

In a couple of the villages they had never seen Anglos. In fact a lady spoke up to say that the children had NEVER received a gift of any kind...ever. The children do not have TV or movies. They were amazed by the puppets, dramas and songs that we ministered with. Also, they loved the clowns. The team had hired some clowns for the children. They were so wonderful; the best I had ever seen. We enjoyed them as much as the children.

Many of the Aymara were in awe that we would come so far to share the love of God with them. Many, many gave their hearts to Jesus. ¡Glori a Dios!

There is so much more to tell you about. We will make time to tell a little bit in each posting.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace" Eph 1:3-7

Please continue to pray for a mighty move of the Spirit in Bolivia!