Lovely Feet Newsletter - November 2009

Day of the Dead offerings

San Pedro Prison, La Paz Bolivia. People wait in line to visit loved ones in the prison.

Vida Abundante, El Alto Bolivia




EL ALTO
High above the city of La Paz where we are living is another larger city on the edge of the Altiplano called El Alto. El Alto is a dusty rundown city inhabited almost entirely of displaced Aymara people driven from the villages of the Altiplano by drought. The city is full of drugs and alcohol without a main center, characterized by large street markets. There is a very small remnant of Christians struggling to survive. Here, a small church named Vida Abundante (Abundant Life) has carved out a stronghold. Vida Abundante has about fifty members, many of them youth currently led by Pastora Claudia Murillo, a twenty-nine year old single woman. Last year Vida Abundante celebrated its 30 year anniversary.

We traveled up to Vida Abundante on November 1 where we were received with hugs and kisses and snaps of cameras. They remembered us from last year when Rhonda and I had the opportunity to play and sing with some other musicians from the states. The service on Sunday was wonderful and the young people didn’t want to leave. We were asked to return to play and sing again with their small worship group. Finally, we left to return to La Paz and Pastora Claudia came with us as did another friend and some children. We spent the rest of that day at our house eating, praying and singing. Later that afternoon another Pastor from El Alto joined us and we talked and strategized about what the needs were in El Alto. They stayed until ten that night before taking a two hour bus ride back home.

It is our hope to return to Vida Abundante in El Alto one Sunday a month and at other times as possible to encourage and participate in their service. We are praying about training the youth in drama, both short skits and longer presentations that we can perform in the streets and at churches. We also want to have a movie night once a month showing encouraging films in Spanish and feeding the people Choripan (sausage on a roll). The people here are poor and the food will attract many. Please consider this in prayer. The enemy has risen like a flood but God will raise up a standard against him. Our feet have walked in El Alto---God has given it to us…for Christ!

PRAYER NEED: The enemy will not continue to hold this city captive! The church will be encouraged and strengthened and the neighborhood would be open to see the films and their eyes would be open to the truth of Jesus.

THE LA PAZ PRISON
(San Pedro Prison)
Sunday morning is visiting time at the prison in La Paz and people line up early waiting to see their loved ones. Women line up on one side of the gate, men on the other. This past Sunday, November 8, a small group of us walked through Plaza San Pedro, across from the prison, handing out a Christian newsletter about the Peace of God, witnessing and inviting the people to church. Sam and I went to the lines at the prison. Most of the women were Aymara but they wanted to read the newsletter. We didn’t really hand it out, instead the women reached for it. We talked and joked with them as they waited for the prison gates to open. They wanted more newsletters than I had and many asked me to go in. I said that I was going to apply for entry when my Spanish was better and then they told me that there were English speaking people inside that couldn’t speak Spanish and needed a visit. They encouraged me in my Spanish as well and said it was good enough. I could feel their desire for help, for something, for someone to save them and their families. I told them that I was praying for them and their families and I could hear them say thank you throughout the line.

We will return to the prison line next Sunday to share with them what we believe God is saying and to tell them that God loves them and has a plan for them, a plan to prosper them and not to harm them, to give them hope and a future!

We left the prison to return to our church and Sam uttered his final words: Diosampiki which is Aymara for God be with you. The women laughed and smiled and some repeated Diosampiki! They were pleased and surprised to hear a young white blond man speak Aymara.
A special note about the prison: In Bolivia when a man commits a crime and is sent to prison, his entire family goes with him, wife and children. There in the prison they are subject to abuse. During the school year the children leave the prison early in the morning to go to school and return to the prison by 1 p.m. every day. Next week begins summer vacation here. The children will not be able to leave the prison for school until it begins again in February.

PRAY NEED: Pray that I (Ron) will get approval to enter the prison, to proclaim the word of God to those who speak Spanish and to those who speak English. Pray for the children, and the families for their safety and for the binding of the enemy! The gates of hell will not prevail against the church! Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

THE VILLAGE
As you know our trip into the Altiplano to a remote Aymaran village in the month of October was postponed, but we have another plan. We will be traveling a little more than 2 hours into the remote areas of the Altiplano November 20 or 21 to different village that has not heard the gospel. Pastor Angel secured this visit and we are ironing out details. We will take our small drama team with us to present the story of Creation, the Fall and our victory over the enemy through Jesus, our Savior, for all who believe. We will also present three other dramas, music and proclaim the Word.

It is our hope to present the Jesus film in Aymara. We will be purchasing a projector before we go since we received a generous donation for half of the price of the projector. LovelyFeet has also purchased children’s Bible stories in Spanish to be given as gifts to the village. Currently, the Aymara offer sacrifices to Pachamama, mother earth, serving her in fear.

PRAYER NEED: Pray that the village would be open to see the Jesus film and that chains will be broken and captives set free

CULTURAL UPDATE: THE DAY OF THE DEAD
The Day of the Dead is a national holiday in Bolivia on November 1. It coincides with the Catholic day of All Saints Day but that is as far as the resemblance goes. It is a pagan holiday, characterized by families visiting cemeteries to honor their dead relatives. They bring food offerings, alcohol and toys for those who died as children. They may also make arbors of sugar cane over the grave. They believe that the dead spirits will take the “spirit” of the offerings leaving the food for the families to eat and drink and participate in a celebration of their kinship. Here, in La Paz, everything was closed. Days before the 1st, even the post office was selling bread in the shape and size of people for the offerings.

Setting Captives Free...

Friends from Vida Abundante and the Church of the Nazarene share worship time in our home.

Pastora Claudia preaching on Romans chapter 7 in Vida Abundante

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The mist and light rain was falling today as Rhonda and I walked up and down the street outside the prison meeting the women waiting in line to go inside. The lines form every Sunday regardless of rain or sunshine. Most of the women are Aymara, wearing their traditional dress, some carrying meals or breads for their family inside.
Some recognize me from the week before, they smile and utter a word or two in Aymara because they remember me butchering their language last week. They laugh at my attempt and Rhonda passes out a small newspaper entitled, “The Message of Peace.” In the United States, I remember holding out tracts and waiting to find someone who would take it; but not here. The women are reaching for it. They know it is Christian and many of them are not, but they want the paper anyway.

This prison is not like any other that we Americans understand. Here, in Bolivia, when a man commits a crime he goes to prison and so does his wife and children. During the school year the children are released from the prison to attend school and they return to the prison after classes. School ends here next week for summer vacation and I don’t know if they will have the opportunity to leave the prison walls again until February when classes return.
It is said that if a family wants a cell to themselves that they can buy it or their family outside can buy it for them. If they don’t pay for a cell then they sleep in the courtyard, but I don’t know if that is true. It is also said that cocaine is manufactured inside the prison, but again I don’t know if that is true. I know is that God loves the people inside that prison and we are praying for their safety and for revival to overtake the prison.

After we pass out some of the papers I deliver a short message about God’s love for them and how God’s plan is not to harm them but to give them hope and a future. Many of the women listen, some turn their backs (but we know they are listening) and others shout “Amen.” Rhonda finishes our visit by praying for their safety and for God’s love to break into their lives and set them free. More women reach for more papers. They share smiles with us. I think they are happy to know that somebody cares and that we can see their value. And we wave, say good-bye and say to them all, “Oramos para ti y para su familia,” “We are praying for you and your family.” Many of the women have tears in their eyes. Rhonda and I walk away to words of “Gracias,” and I wonder who was blessed more, them or me. My breath is gone and God’s presence covers me and I am the thankful one.

We are writing our own tracts each week to hand out at the prison. They are about the mini sermon that was shared the week before, so that the words are reinforced and they can take the message inside to their family. We are also taking cookies once a month to pass out to the 100 or so people that wait. I want inside the prison but I am not allowed right now. I am waiting for the paperwork to apply. Everything is a process in Bolivia. The ladies tell me that there are some English speaking people inside that don’t speak Spanish and that have no one come to visit them.

I am unable to take any pictures because the guards would frown on it. We will write more as the doors to prison are opened by the grace of God.

God be with you!

Ron, Rhonda and Sam

LOVELY FEET NEWSLETTER

LOVELY FEET MESSENGER
Newsletter October 5

ON THE ROAD TO A VILLAGE
We are very excited as we are on our way on the 17th of October to a very remote isolated Aymara village on the other side of the Andeans Mountains to bring the gospel of our God to those who have not heard. This is a large village consisting of 300 children. Pastor Angel, an Aymaran man, has opened these doors to this village. We will be teaching the children through drama, stories and puppets about creation and salvation. We have a small team of 4 young people from our church, Rhonda, Sam and myself. Pastor Angel will minister to the adults with his wife, Marisol.
We are bringing with us 300 small illustrated children’s books that we have purchased from the International Bible Society. There are five different illustrated stories that we hope the children will read and pass around to each other. This is an opportunity to change a generation of Aymara children, to set them free from bondage to Satan and Pachamama whom they serve out of fear. While there are regional differences in worship many believe that if they don’t sacrifice to Pachamama that she will exact her own sacrifice in blood.
While we don’t know what we will find in the village and we don’t know how we will be received we are going believing that God will set these people free from bondage and free to understanding that God is good and that he loves them. Please consider fasting for us this day, believing with us that chains will be broken and the love and light of God released and that God’s miraculous hand will move through the village. Watch for our film that we will be posting shortly after we return.

We have many needs for this trip. You can help us by donating on our website www.lovelyfeet.org. If you want to specifically designate your gift, send us an email and let us know. You can send your message directly to me at ron@lovelyfeet.org.

300 illustrated books $150
Toys for children $200
Transportation to/from $150
Snacks/cookies and food $200
300 New testaments $ covered

A great desire is to bring the Jesus film in the Aymara language to the villages. Most of these people have never seen movies let alone seeing it in their own language. This film could be so powerful for all these people. However, we have several obstacles that I am hoping you can help us with. We have a DVD player but the projector will cost us $700. I have found the projector here in La Paz. I have not priced any speakers but I do not expect them to cost more than $100. The biggest problem is a power source. I’m working on that. I can get a small generator but I would prefer a large battery. I found one in the states but they will not ship it here. Please keep this in prayer.

ON THE ROAD EACH MONTH
Our future plans include visiting at least one village each month. Of course there is a significant expense to that. Not every village is as large as the one we are visiting this month, but there will be continuing costs. Please consider partnering with us each month to help us with these costs and the costs of living here. We need you!

VICTORIES
Our house is sold, Praise God. Thank you all for praying for us. We are able to pay off almost all of our debts that we had in the US. Some of you may have thought we were crazy to leave our jobs and the US when we still had debts. But God said to us “the clock is ticking” in January. We heard 7 times that we were not waiting on God but that God was waiting on us and we left in faith. I’m not saying that our faith was not repeatedly challenged but we took our steps. We did not take any salary from this ministry and still have not. God simply supplied our needs and sold the house before we had to make one payment while we were in Bolivia…exactly 4 days before. SET aside all obstacles that so easily beset us! Our debt was the first of our obstacles, but God removed it. To those who are saying to yourselves that you can’t work for the church or take a missionary journey until you have so much money…stop focusing on the obstacle and seek God alone.

FAVOR AND FRIENDS
We have found much favor here in Bolivia. WE live in a boardinghouse where our hosts have basically adopted the three of us. As I am writing this I am recovering from an attack of sickness of fever and flu. Rene, the owner of our home, came into my room through the night checking on me and bringing me medicine and tea. They have become our sincere friends. We also live with three other girls, one from Japan, one from Holland and one from England. The people who live here rotate but all have been genuinely interested in the Lord and what we are doing here. We are praying for them and find it interesting that we would have the opportunity to witness to people from all parts of the world.
Our housekeeper at the boardinghouse is Aymara. Flora is one of three Christians from her village, the Isla del Sol. She never owned a Bible in her own language. I am happy to say that Lovely Feet bought her an Aymara Bible and we gave her copies of the Jesus film in her own language. Aymara people are very unemotional but Flora just about jumped up and down.
I would be lost without my neighbor and friend Abdul. Abdul has spent hours with me each week helping me through immigration. It would literally be impossible to make it without him. This has taken 20 to 40 hours of his time each week. As if that is not enough he has had us over to bar-b-que twice as well. And yet, Abdul is not a Christian. We openly talk about Jesus and about faith but he confesses to be an Atheist. He says that faith is difficult. As I love my new friend, keep him in prayer.
Our church is a small gathering, but each and every week new people appear with testimony of transformations. Rhonda has gotten the chance to play her guitar and lead in worship. Her guitar was purchased through a gift from a friend in the states.

CULTURAL UPDATE
The darkness is thick here in La Paz. We continue to learn about the devil’s strongholds and I want to keep you updated. We recently learned about the “Elephant Cemetery”. Legend has it that in Africa elephants go off to a solitary location to die when they think their life has run its course. Here in La Paz the homeless or down and out go to a secret location (it is illegal) and pay for a bucket of strong drink and a room. They are locked in this room to drink themselves to death. It is said that it can take a day or a week. Their body is then thrown into the foundation of a large building as a blood sacrifice to satisfy Pachamama. It is said that some workers will not work on the building unless there has been a sacrifice because Pachamama will exact her sacrifice on the construction worker if she does not have it another way.

SAVE THE DATE
Prayer and Fasting for October 17 as we go to the village. We will update you with photos and film.

WE LOVE YOU AND ARE PRAYING FOR YOU. Ron, Rhonda and Sam.
Check out our website at www.lovelyfeet.org

Week 3 in the promised land

"Rhonda and Flora"
"The prison. People line up very early on Sunday mornings to get in for a visit"
"Rhonda playing and singing at church"

We have been here just over two weeks and already it has been an incredible journey with God´s hand on every part of our lives. Ok, so you might not think it is God when twice thieves have attempted to rob me...that´s right, twice in two weeks (don´t tell my mother, she worries enough) but God was with me both times. The first time my bag was cut with a knife from behind...the thieves made off with 6 altitude sickness pills, funny, huh? The second time someone threw dirt on my neck in a crowded market to distract me while three men tried to crowd me and I caught one of their hands in my pocket. I pulled it out and yelled at them and they left...empty handed. Ok, so how is this an opportunity for ministry? I am thinking that I will photocopy money and let it hang out of my pocket...on the backside of the money I will put the gospel starting with The thief comes to kill and destroy but God comes to bring life and that life more abundantly. I am working on it...keep you posted.

There have been so many great connections made. I made very close friends with Abdul, the husband of the woman who runs are language school. He has spent many many days with me taking me back and forth to immigration and the police department and the consularia in order to secure our Visas for a year. A few days ago the consularia turned us down because our sponsoring church is not internationally registered. Abdul was upset, walked out of the consularia, raised his fist in the air and proclaimed, ¨Ok, now its personnel¨ We went back to immigration and found a way to stay as a volunteer instead of a missionary. God is with us! Of course I still have to fill out a million pieces of paper and get approval by the police and a doctor as well. Keep praying.

This weekend, Abdul and Alix had us over for a bbq. I ate meat, more meat, with meat for dessert. It was wonderful! They have taken us under their wings, helping Sam get into an ecological school as well. They are awesome folks, though they do not share our Christian views, it doesn´t matter to them.

We are making closer friends with everyone in our boardinghouse and we share many conversations including those about the Lord. Flora is the housekeeper of our boarding house. She is Aymara and SHE IS a Christian. She says that she is one of only three from her village. She did not own a bible in her own language so it was our pleasure to give her one from Lovely Feet. She was thrilled and said a most interesting thing when she received it. She said that her children would enjoy it very much along with her. Her children are teenagers. Isn´t that an interesting response? How many americans would say, Oh, my children will be so happy to receive a bible? (Picture of Rhonda and Flora above)

This weekend we visited her village. It is huge. There are hundreds of people, maybe a thousand, but only 3 Christians!

Rhonda blessed our church service this weekend by playing and singing praise songs. Our church of about 30 people does not have live music...or didn´t until now. It was a beautiful service. (picture of Rhonda above)
As far as our own adjustments, there are many. We wash clothes by hand, but what a great view we have while we wash looking over the city. I told Rhonda that I knew what I wanted for Christmas...a wringer...you know the old fashioned clothes wringer, it would really save my hands and my forearms. I think I am developing Popeye arms from all the wringing!

Of course, we don´t have a car here, but taxi´s are cheap. Mostly, we walk up and down streets that have 45 degree angles at times. It is very tiring but we are getting better. I walk nearly 5 miles a day.

God is moving so greatly, so quickly but there is so much to do and so many needs here. We are preparing to go back into a village in the Altiplano in a month or so to minister to the children while Pastor Angel ministers to the adults. This takes alot of preparation and finances. But it is the biggest reason why we are here. We are hoping to be able to take a projector to show the Jesus film to the Aymara, but it won´t be this trip unless God does huge things (which he certainly can). We need a projector and player and an energy source. That´s the tough part. I know of an energy source but we can´t get it to this country at this time. I will update details later.

Another matter for prayer is that by the first of the year or soon after I am hoping to approach the prison about being able to visit. The prison is a very sad sight with people waiting outside in long lines to be allowed to visit. The need is great, but so is the opportunity. (see picture above)

Please keep praying. YOur prayers are making a great difference. WE see the hand of God on things every single day. We love you, Ron and Rhonda.

WE ARE IN BOLIVIA

It has been a long and winding road but we are in Bolivia. (Ok, its a reference to Beatles song...believe it or not here in La Paz there is a place that has Beatles Karaoke...who would have guessed it). All glory to God. Rhonda and I and many of you have been praying for this for the last 3 to 4 years and now God has brought it to pass. There has been many obstacles thrown in front of us but God has taken us through!

We are living in a boarding house with a woman named Gloria and her husband Rene and their daughter Andrea and also with a young woman from Holland and another from Japan. We have our own room and SAm has his own room. This is home for the next 10 weeks!

When we flew into La Paz at 6am on the 3rd of September all of the mountains surrounding the city were covered in snow. It was a beautiful site through very tired eyes. It does not snow in the city which is a good thing because the streets are very very steep in all directions. We reached our new home and quickly began taking measures to fight the effects of the altitude. WE have been doing well but it is very exhausting to walk to the places we need to be.

As many of you know I was hoping for a shower in our home. Well I am glad to report we have one that we share and it even has hot water....sometimes. The house does not have heat but we sleep under several layers of wool blankets and we do stay warm. The food has been good too with soup twice a day with the meal. So, things are better than we hoped.

We began our classes in Spanish and Aymara and that is taking alot of brain power. Sam is taking off with both languages. The main man we are working with is Pastor Angel. He met us at the airport and has already begun working with us for our VISA extension. This is a lot of work with many steps. PLEASE friends, partners and all readers of this blog, pray that we have favor and that our paperwork goes through.

Unexpectedly, we have already begun sharing the gospel. I say unexpectedly because last night the young lady from Holland and her sister began asking me questions about the Christian life. I didn´t think that I would come to Bolivia to share the love of God with people from Holland. It was a lengthy conversation that ended with them saying that I had given them something to think about. They said they had really never heard the gospel before. It was a blessed hour. Keep them in your prayers, too.

Rhonda is great, leading Sam and I with her knowledge of Spanish. She is just as charming in Spanish as she is in English. Everyone loves to talk to her. WE love all of you and we will continue to update as we can. Pictures to come soon, too.

KEEP READING AND PRAYING Diosampiki (God bless you in Aymara)

To Bolivia and beyond...

Hello dear friends,

Well the next leg of our adventure begins one week from today. We leave for La Paz from Chicago O’Hare on September 2nd and arrive early the next morning. We are very busy with the final details of getting our VISA’s approved, packing and a host of other last minute things.

First, the VISA’s; we found out last week that we would not be able to stay for a year if we entered the country with a tourist VISA. We thought we could apply for all the paperwork we needed once we got to La Paz but this is not the case. You see, once you enter the country with one type of VISA (i.e. Tourist) it cannot be changed to another kind of VISA (i.e. work, student, specific purpose, etc). So we had to send our Passports and other important documents to Miami to get the Specific Purpose Visa. It took some time to get the stuff back and it made us nervous to send our passports, money orders, invitation letters, shot records etc in the mail. But when we got the paperwork returned we found that we had been denied. This was very discouraging. We called the other Consulate in Washington DC and they spoke much better English so we were able to understand what was needed. So, on Monday this week we sent our paperwork again but this time to DC. Please pray it is returned promptly AND that it is approved. We leave TN on Friday. If we do not have the paperwork back by then we will have to drive to DC before going to Chicago. This would be time consuming AND expensive.

The packing has been very difficult. We each can only bring two bags of 50lbs each. We are not able to bring extra bags and pay a fee, 2 is all we get. It is very difficult to pack a whole years worth of living in 2 suitcases. We have clothes, school books and ministry materials to take. It seems that we are constantly picking away at what we have to reduce it.

It has been getting harder emotionally as we say good-bye to loved ones. I know that we will be back in a year but still, it is hard. One highlight is that we were invited to the home of the Mathis’s. They are the family who now have Cocoa. It was such a blessing to see how happy and healthy and loved she is. They are such a wonderful family and it gives me great joy to see Cocoa become part of their family. Figaro is still with Ma in Chicago so we will be able to say good-bye to him too.
The house has not sold yet but we are trusting in our God. We have prayed and determined that nothing will stand in the way of the calling that God has placed in our hearts and minds. “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”. We have signed over Power of Attorney to a dear friend who will be able to negotiate and sign papers on our behalf.

We have been in contact with our friends in Bolivia and are already planning a trip to the Altiplano to minister to the Aymara. God is truly putting things in position for our travel, our arrival and His ministry to the Aymara.

We love you all and will continue to be in prayer for you. Please pray in agreement with us for open doors to share the freedom in Christ to the people of Bolivia. We will try to update the blog once a week to share with you what God is doing and how He is blessing us.

Please pray for these needs;
3- 1 Year Visa’s $1,050 each year for 2-3years
Truck/Van/Jeep to reach the villages $4,000-$6,000
Transport and house engineer to dig well $300-$500 per trip from Santa Cruz
Supplies to dig well $200 per well
Housing for Haynes family $250 per month
AT&T Prepaid minutes for Bolivian Cell Phone $30 per calling card
Food, gasoline, insurance, licenses, taxes etc Currently unknown
Village gifts, gas, transportation $100-$200 per village
Partners $25 per month

Thank you
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” Phil 1:3-4

Missionaries:
Mark & Bev Chandler
Elaine Wilburn
Brian & Mary Chamberlin

Churches:
Light for the Nations Church of God
Living Word Church
Centerpoint Baptist Church
Flint Springs Cumberland Presbyterian
Abundant Life Church
Shiloh Baptist Church
The Rock Church
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Straightway Baptist Church
Steelville 1st Assembly of God
Tennessee Valley Community Church
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Celebration Baptist Church
Immanuel Lutheran Church

The Oregon Trail

Dear Friends,

We just flew in from Portland Oregon and "boy are our arms tired"...hahahaha.

We had a great time with Ryan, Brad, Chase and the whole gang! We flew out to Oregon on Thursday. Friday was a day of rest and then Saturday was Ryan's graduation. What a great day! We were so proud to see her graduate. She and the other chemistry grads spelled out Chemistry on the top of their hats using the periodic table of elements. It was so cool!

You may be wondering why Chase is singing Indiana Jones...he has the game for his DS and it is his favorite. Chase is ALWAYS humming. I am telling you, he has perfect pitch. He should be in the Vienna Boys Choir! We really enjoyed hearing him hum, listening to him read and watching him play. :::Sigh::: he is growing so fast.

After the graduation we had a party at Ryan and Brad's new house. We loved the house. It is so comfortable and beautiful! On Sunday we went to church and then to downtown Portland. In Portland we went to Powell’s the biggest used bookstore in the state. It was so big you had to have a map to get around. WE LOVED IT!

At Powell’s, I got this great book by Steve Saint called “The Great Omission.” Really, a great book. I already finished it. Steve Saint is the son of Missionary Nate Saint who was martyred in Ecuador in 1956 along with 4 other men (Jim Elliott and others). It is a great book about missions and empowering indigenous people by providing them with opportunity to spread the Gospel to their own people group. Also Saint has started a company that gives access to modern technology to indigenous people groups. He has built a small "electric parachute" that can be flown very simply. This allows the native people to travel around the rain forest of the Amazon to reach others, to take in supplies, to fly people out to medical doctors and clinics. They have also engineered a portable dentist drill and chair that is small enough to wear as a back pack and weighs only 60lbs. Check out his website at http://www.itecusa.org/projects.html The programs that ITEC has are teaching the native people to minister and serve their own people. It is really amazing! In fact that is the whole idea of this business is to put modern technology in a usable way in the hands of native people. This technology has not been thrust upon them, rather they have asked "how can we learn these skills so that we can fix our own teeth? We want to learn to fly so we can easily get to our other tribes to minister to the sick and share the story of God.” This technology allows the native people to keep their autonomy and dignity by being self sufficient and not having to depend on missionaries or the "white-man".

Monday was Ron's birthday. Thank you all for your phone calls and Facebook notes. It really meant a lot that you remembered Ron on this day. This was another great day! :) Ron and Brad laid some trim for the wood floor Brad had put in. It really put the finishing touches on the house. It looks so good! Ryan made a really yummy lasagna for dinner. We all ate too much and laughed a lot.

Tuesday was a sad day...we had to leave. It was such a blessing to be able to travel to Oregon to be with Ryan and her family. Thank you all for your prayers, the trip was well worth it.

Sam was not able to go so he held down the fort in St. Louis finishing his school work for the year and taking care of Cocoa.

We are now in preparation mode. We are preparing to hit the open road for New Mexico. There is a lot of packing, praying and planning to be done.

Please continue to pray for the sale of our house. Please pray that God will use us to share His love everyday...right now, right here.

We will be sending out one more newsletter before we leave for Bolivia. If you would like to receive the newsletter by email, send us an email at info@lovelyfeet.org and type SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

God bless you all!
Ron, Rhonda and Sam