August 4, 2013
Today was a good day. Everyone got up at 5:00 like they were supposed to, without having to be called twice (I was in shock for a while! :) ). We got dressed, had our worship and went to breakfast. Then, at 6:30, everyone was loaded on the truck and heading to town.
The pathfinders practiced marching for about an hour and a half in the park on the main square in town. There were many people there...tourists, residents, as well as many soldiers from the local branches of the army and the navy. After about an hour and half of practice, one of the colonels of the arm came over and talked to us. Then we left and showed back up a few minutes later with the members of his marching and drilling band (each with their instruments....trumpets, tubas, bass drum, snare drums, etc.), as well as with about 12 soldiers. He had the band play while his soldiers showed the Pathfinders how to march and gave them some tips. (I will say here though that the way Bolivians march is quite different from the way we march in the U.S. It was almost comical to watch for me...:) ). The colonel was extremely nice and worked with the kids for about an hour. Then, he took his soldiers and marching band, along with our Pathfinders, to the front of the main square and informed us that the Pathfinders will march WITH the Bolivian army during part of the parade!! I was quite surprised to hear this, as were the kids. But, boy, were they excited! So they practiced marching around the square three times, with a soldier or two (all in full uniform) at the ends of each line of Pathfinders, giving them tips and guidance as they marched. It was quite a sight! I especially loved watching the little Adventurers (ages 5-9) march! They had such enthusiasm and the biggest smiles on their faces! The actions of this colonel and his men may not seem very significant in their eyes, but to our kids, it meant a lot and I’m grateful that they took the time to spend part of their day with us. But it goes beyond that...we have to meet the soldiers tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 for another practice session! :) I’ll be sure to post several pictures so you can see the practice today. I’ll also post pictures of them at the parade once I have them.
There are two parades this week in honor of Independence Day. Tomorrow, all the principals/directors of the local schools march, along with some of the students. Then on Tuesday, the local organizations and professionals march. That is when the Pathfinders will march. Tomorrow and Tuesday, however, there is no school and we are taking all of the kids to town to see the parades. Tomorrow Warren will march with the other local directors. Again, I’ll be sure to post pics. :)
After the practice session ended today, everyone came back to Familia Feliz, except for Vilissa, Oriel and I. We spent a few more hours in town, as we had to get groceries and other supplies for the next two weeks. Then, we had some free time to use internet. I took advantage of the time to get a haircut too...my first haircut in Bolivia. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But the man did a very good job! And I was especially pleased with the price...$1.40! :) We ended up getting home about 6:30. We got supper, got the kids settled in and ready for tomorrow, talked amongst the staff for a bit and now am getting ready for bed. Tomorrow, Warren, Nickisha and I will leave at 7:00 for town for a meeting about the parade. Everyone will join us at 8:30.
Before going to bed, though, I wanted to give you an update on little Crystal. I spoke with Melissa twice today. They made it to La Paz safely and have been sent to a private clinic there, supposedly the best in the city for children. Melissa said she has been very pleased with the medical staff and the attention they have received since being there. They are running all sorts of tests on Crystal to see what exactly the problem is. They also said that she is malnourished and dehydrated (with doesn’t make sense because she eats her formula very well...however, we found out this past week that some of the kids have tapeworms. So it’s possible the baby has them too which would explain why she isn’t gaining weight as she should. They are going to check for that.). She also has a urinary tract infection, as well as bronchitis. :( I feel so bad for her! They have her on oxygen in an incubator for the time being. She also has a fever, so they’ve started her on an antibiotic. I’m going to check on her again tomorrow, so I’ll be sure to update her status on our Facebook page, as well as in my entry tomorrow. Please continue to keep both her and Janet in your prayers. Also, pray for our finances! Since losing the monthly donation of our main donor, things have been very tight!We don’t know how much these medical treatments are going to cost yet (Crystal’s will probably be the most since she is a private children’s hospital), but we know it will be more than we have at the moment. So far, we have had to use next month’s food money to pay for what we’ve had to pay for (medicines, appointments, travel, etc.). We aren’t worried because we have seen how God has faithfully provided for all of our needs in the past and how He has worked on our behalf thus far. But we do ask that you join us in praying for this. And if anyone reading this feels led to help financially with these medical bills, please contact us and we can get you the information. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support!
Good night and God bless!
Maranatha!
August 5, 2013
Boy, what a BUSY day!! We got up at 5:30. had worship and breakfast. Then, Warren, Nickisha, Agustin and I headed for town. We got there at 7:30. Students, principals, etc. were already lining up on the street, getting ready for the parade. Everyone was in their school uniforms and you saw a rainbow of colors. There were several marching bands practicing for their performance. Everyone was dressed up. It was a big deal for this little town! We took some pictures and then headed to the main square. Warren had to sit with the directors, so Nickisha and I watched from the other side of the street. By this time, all the other staff and kids from Familia Feliz had arrived. The square and streets were packed with people.
Each school marched around the square once. Then they marched around again, much slower the second time, and was presented to the mayor, councils, and the public. The parade lasted about 5 hours! We really enjoyed it and had a good time...but it was HOT. Definitely in the mid 90’s without the heat index. The kids still had a good time though.
After the parade, we went and ate the lunch that we brought beside the river. Then, at 2:00 , the Pathfinders had to go to the army base to practice marching again with the soldiers for their part in the parade tomorrow. While they did that, Vilissa, Oriel, Nickisha and I went to run some errands. Nickisha and I had to edit some school documents and print them out to turn into the Department of Education. When we finished that, we had some time to use the internet and enjoy a mango/strawberry smoothie while we waited on the Pathfinders to finish. Then, we had to go to pick up the Pathfinders’ uniforms that had just come in (and just in time too! Thank you Lord for answering our prayers and getting them here before the parade!) We didn’t get home until around 7:00. That’s when it got really busy. We had to make supper for everyone, wash and clean the kitchen, plan breakfast and lunch for tomorrow (since we’d be in town early again tomorrow and be there at least until lunch time), plus...there was a problem with the uniform order and none of the patches were sown on (we had paid to have the arm patches sewn on each shirt). So, we had to 3 patches on each of the 18 shirts. Everyone had their part to do. We finished around 10:15 I think. Then it was time for showers and time for bed.
Also...got an update from Melissa about Crystal today. Here’s what she said: "Just talked to the doctor, her diagnosis is sepsis. Translated into terms I can understand, sepsis is affecting her respiratory system, her digestive system and her blood. She has rotavirus, bronchial pneumonia. Her mineral levels were extremely low but that has diminished as she has rehydrated. She is still malnourished and anemic, which I think is the precipitating cause of the rest. Her oxygen levels have been diminished, her saturation is excellent. She will most likely have a blood transfusion before they let her go. The doctor says they will let us out Sunday at noon, so we can take the afternoon flight back. :-[ I'm going to administration to get an estimate on what this is going to cost, so I know what to be praying for. But this baby was born with one foot in the grave as far as I'm concerned so I'm not sorry she's getting some quality professional care to get her off to a good start. "
Please continue to pray for little Crystal and share/like this so we can get as many people as possible praying. Also, please pray for finances. Thank you.
Well, tomorrow’s the big day! Looking forward to see how the Lord uses us to reach the community. I’m praying that we can be a light for Him and show His love, in some way, to someone tomorrow. Well, good night. God bless!
Maranatha!
August 6, 2013
Talk about being tired!! But it was worth it! Let me back up a bit...got up before 5. We had worship, had breakfast, got everyone dressed in their Pathfinder uniform and headed for town. We met the other Pathfinder members from the local church and headed to the main square to watch the parade while we waited for our turn to march. We were the last ones to march...we would be right in the middle of the Bolivian Army. The army’s marching band would lead the way, followed by the Adventurers and Pathfinders, then the foot soldiers would finish out behind us.
Let me just say that this was a wonderful experience!! Way more than I expected, to be completely honest with you. All of the kids were dressed up in their Class A uniform and looked really nice. None of them had any honors, so they were all somewhat fascinated by mine and asked me all sorts of questions. As I was talking to some of the group, a sergeant in the army came up and asked to speak with me. He commented on my honors and asked if I had taken any kind of survival skills class/honor. I told I had. He asked me if I could be so kind as to find him a survival skills manual in Spanish for them to read and learn from. I told him I’d be happy to see if I could find one online for him. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next though! He then said, “I see you have taken lots of courses. I’d like to ask you to come and teach my soldiers survival skills and anything else you think would be useful to us. Would you do that for me?” I was speechless for a moment! I mean, here is the sergeant of the Bolivian Army, in full dress uniform with his medals, insignias, etc. asking me (a Pathfinder...who has never been involved with the military, etc.) to teach his squadron survival skills! Before I could say anything, the Lord reminded me of my prayer the night before. “Lord, help us to be a light for others tomorrow. May someone come up to us and ask us about Pathfinders and may we have the opportunity to share information about the club and about Your love with them. Use us in some way, O God.” I was humbled....very humbled! I was seeing and hearing the direct answer to my prayers! I agreed and the sergeant was extremely grateful. He then asked if he could take a picture with me in my uniform. I was thrown back. I mean, he is the sergeant!! I’m a nobody. Just a guy in his Pathfinder uniform. And this head of the army wants my picture?? We took several pictures with him. Then, several more soldiers followed him and asked to take a picture with us. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. It’s Bolivia’s independence day...a day in which they are honoring soldiers and remembering soldiers that have given their life for the freedoms they enjoy today. And on this their day, the very ones being honored are asking the Pathfinders if they can take a picture with us! What a great God we serve!! It may seem small and trivial to many of you, but it was a very humbling experience to me. But it didn’t stop there.
I had planned on being the photographer today. We needed someone to take pictures of the Pathfinders and that was me. So I didn’t practice marching with the club because I had been put in charge of taking the pictures. Well....guess who was asked to march and lead the Pathfinder club in the parade, giving the drill orders?! I was honored, but was a nervous wreck inside. The marching style here is quite different from what I’m used to...and I haven’t practiced at all! But I prayed about it and soon felt peace. Soon, it was time to line up. We got the kids in formation behind the army’s marching band. They were getting nervous and it was extremely hot (near 100 degrees), so they were tired...but excited all at the same time. We went over last minute details and soon were given the order to march. I cannot tell you how proud I am of these Pathfinders!! They have never, ever marched in any event before. Many of them experienced marching for the first time this week in practice. And they did a SUPER job! Before us, various organization groups and professional groups had marched (nurses, doctors, different local unions, etc.), but as our kids marched down the street and approached the stand where the mayor and city/district leaders were, everyone started cheering us on and clapping. They did not do that with any other group...none! Only for our Pathfinder and Adventurer club. Not even for the army before and behind us! As we passed the mayor and officials, we saluted and did “Eyes Right”. Here again, we were bombarded by cheers of admiration and encouragement. The people had big smiles and their faces lit up with pride. As we passed by, the announcer on the microphone announced that we were the Pathfinder and Adventurer club of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He went on to give some history of the church, talked about the clubs some and announced what countries were represented by the clubs. As we finished our march, people were still clapping. We stopped for a quick group picture at the end of the line, in front of an army truck. Then, we went to the center of the town square (the park area) to re group and rest before heading to a church member’s house (who had prepared juice and watermelon for us --- which was SUCH a blessing after being in this heat!). As we were standing there, a guy approached me and asked me what group we were and what we were all about. I told him we were Pathfinders and gave him a quick run-down of what we do. He then told me that he wants his son to be a part of such a group and wanted to know what he needed to do to enlist him in our club! I directed him to the Pathfinder director of the local church. Someone else also came up and wanted their kids to be in Pathfinders. A third person told us that he lives in another town, but that after seeing us today, we was going to visit the local SDA church in his town. There were many more that approached us and wanted to have their kids in Pathfinders. As I type this entry, there are tears in my eyes because of how God has answered my prayers in such a quick and direct way! You always hope that people see a difference in you...that they see something that they want to be a part of. You always hope that you are able to plant a seed. And while that hope is always there and while people do see a difference and a seed is planted, oftentimes you do not see it. It goes unnoticed, unannounced. Many times you don’t know if you were used by God to reach others or not. But today, the Lord blessed us by allowing us to see the seeds that He sowed through us. He answered each of our prayers. The kids did a spectacular job, everyone watching learned that we were part of the local SDA church, the crowds stood and applauded the kids and their efforts while offering words of encouragement, people approached us to ask us what we stood for and then wanted to be a part of it, the army asked us to come and teach them...I mean, how much more can God show us that He has heard and answered our prayers?! Truly, truly a very humbling and fulfilling experience! I thank the Lord for allowing me to part of such a memorable experience!
We continued on to the church member’s house for refreshments. She lived on the corner of the main square. We then took a few more pictures with the full army unit outside of one of their buildings. They made it seem as though we were the guests of honor and it was their privilege to take a picture with us. There, the sergeant reminded me of their desire for me to teach them survival skills. Several more soldiers came over and asked to take their pictures with us. Then, the colonel of the army came over, shook my hand and thanked me for today. He asked if I would let him take a picture with me. He did the same with Warren. The colonel of the army! This man has really been a blessing to us these past three days, opening his base up to us, allowing us to march with his unit and band, taking the time himself to teach the kids and walk beside them to give them tips on marching, allowing us to rest in the army’s recreational building afterwards...he has just done whatever he could to accommodate and help us. It was a really, really good day! And it was just noon! :)
We got everyone loaded up and the kids and some of the staff headed back home to eat lunch there. Warren, myself and a couple of other staff members stayed behind for a little bit longer. We went to get some poster board and other materials to make a big thank you card for the colonel and his men for all of their help and kindness this week. We’re going to have a picture that we took with the clubs and the full army unit enlarged and printed and place in on the card. Then, each child will be able to write a note of thanks and sign it. We’re also going to make a picture dvd for them to have. It’s the least we can do to thank them.
We then joined the others at Familia Feliz and had lunch. It’s 3:15 now and everyone is sort of “in their own world”...playing, resting, sleeping, etc. The last three days have been very busy ones, with lots of practicing, stress, planning, cooking, etc. and very little free/off time...even for the kids. As such, we’ve decided that we won’t have class tomorrow. Everyone needs a day to “catch their breath” and rest. We’re planning on taking the kids to a creek up the ways a bit so they can get wet, swim and have a little fun after all the hard work they’ve put in yesterday and today.
So it has been a good day. I am so thankful that the Lord has brought me here. Really. I am blessed to be working with an EXCELLENT group of missionaries, who truly love Christ and have a heart for service. I’m also blessed to be working with precious children, of all ages, that show God’s love in so many ways and so unconditionally. And I am blessed to be having so many wonderful experiences that, under any other circumstances, I wouldn’t be able to have. Sometimes we question the events or trials of our lives. We don’t know why things happen the way they do and we don’t understand the reasons behind it all. And, as human beings (at least for me), that’s a hard pill to swallow. We want to know and understand and approve of everything. But that isn’t how God works. He doesn’t want our approval. He wants our trust. I remember an old song my mom and aunt used to sing...the words have always stuck with me. Perhaps some of you remember it. “You don’t need to understand. You just need to hold His Hand.” That’s the gist of it. That’s the whole matter. If we truly trust in God, we give up the right to understand and approve of every trial, situation, experience in our lives...because we know and believe what God says in Romans 8:28. “And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” It doesn’t say “some things” or “only the good times.” No...it says, “ALL things.” That means the trials, the temptations, the tests of faith, the pain, the tears, the heartache, the uncertainty...if we trust in God and die to self, then we KNOW that even those things are for our good and God will turn them into a blessing for us in His time and in His way. I’m learning and experience that now here. And I challenge you to do the same....trust God with your whole heart. Turn everything over to Him and just let Him lead you. It doesn’t matter where He leads you...it may on top of the mountain where everything is good and life is great. Or it very well may be through the valley of the shadow of death. The place, the event, the trial isn’t what’s important, however. That’s not what it’s about. Let’s finish reading what the Psalmist says about the valley of death. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for THOU are with me.” It’s not about where He leads us. It’s about WHO is with us. It matters not where we are in this life if our God is with us. If we can just learn that, how much simpler and more fulfilling our lives would be!
I don’t know who may be reading this...perhaps no one other than myself later on in my life, as I look back and remember my time here in Bolivia. But whoever reads it, I challenge you to take God at His Word. Trust in Him. Don’t look at the trials, the tribulations, the hard times. Look to the Savior, for He is the One that has promised to never leave you nor forsake you and to work ALL things out for your good and wellbeing if you trust in Him.
Some of you know that this past year has been a very trying one for me. It has tested my faith more than any other event in my life. It’s been full of hard times, of uncertainty, of the need to die to self and my wants and live according to God’s will (even at times when it didn’t seem fair and didn’t feel good). And I’m not saying that I have been successful at it 100% of the time. But it was definitely been a year of soul-searching, of falling on my knees and asking God for strength and grace to get through the day because I could not do it on my own. And through it all, the question has always been there. “Why, God? Why am I having to go through this?” Not so much in a complaining tone, but rather trying to understand things...figure things out. But, as my pastor and dear friend says...we shouldn’t ask “Why me?” but rather, “Why NOT me?” If Christ is our example and He, who sinned not neither was there anything vile found in Him, had to suffer and go through trials and tribulations, who am I to expect anything less?? Christ Himself told us, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep your also.” (Matt. 5:11-12, John 15:20). We don’t like suffering and persecution. We don’t like to be lead out of our comfort zone and into trial and tribulation. But that is the path that our Master took and that is the path we must take. But take heart...Christ has overcome the world and all in it. And He has promised that every trial and tribulation we go through...if we go through it held on to His Hand and trusting in His Word, it will be used for our good! And that is exactly what I am seeing, living, experiencing now after this past year of trials and questioning. While I still don’t have all the answers I seek and I still do not understand many things I’d like to understand, hindsight is 20/20 and I can see how I am here today, in this place and living these experiences that you have been reading about on this blog, as a DIRECT RESULT of the trials and tests of faith I have had to go through during these past 15 months. If things had been any other way, I wouldn’t be here. God knows what He’s doing. He can see the end from the beginning. I cannot. My only hope is trusting in Him!
Okay...I’ll get off the pulpit now. :) Sorry. I didn’t meant to write this much. It’s just that in reflecting on all the events of the day, God has allowed me to see the perfection of His timing and His ways in comparison to mine (Isa. 55:8-9). If you’ve read this far, God bless you! :) And I pray that all of us can truly learn to trust in God, even when...no, especially when we don’t understand things. Because it just may be that you have to go through that most difficult trial so that He can get you to move to Bolivia and march in a parade so that the colonel can ask you to come and teach his soldiers what you have learned in church through the years!
God bless us all!
Maranatha!
August 7, 2013
Not too much to write about today. We all slept in a little later after the big day yesterday. Then, after breakfast, Warren needed me to go back into town to run some errands and make some calls for him. Juan and Emy had already left for town in the truck, so Agustin took me in on his motorcycle and I would just ride back with Juan and Emy. It was about 11:30 when I got into Rurre. I was done with everything by 4:15. But we couldn’t leave town then. All entrances and exits were cut off because a race was coming through town! So we didn’t end of leaving town until almost 9pm! When we got home, all of my boys were in the bed already. I took a shower, had my devotion and am now heading to bed. Until tomorrow!
Maranatha!
August 8, 2013
This morning started early, since I had to get up and get all the boys ready for school. We got ready, had our worship and headed to breakfast. By this time, some of the boarding students started arriving for school. They informed us that school in town was cancelled today and tomorrow still because there were still events going on dealing with independence day. I verified it with one of the locals that teachers here and then went and talked to Warren. We decided to cancel school today and tomorrow as well, since the local government had cancelled local schools. So all the village students went back home, while the residents here at Familia Feliz had a work day. :) We cleaned a couple of the empty houses, worked in the garden and worked on getting the newly-assigned boy’s dorm ready for the new missionaries that will be arriving next week here. By lunch, everyone was tired! The sun was really beating down today. After lunch, Warren took all the boarding students back to town to spend the rest of the week with their families. Then, the kids that remained had the afternoon off. The spent time playing, swimming in the creek, washing their clothes, etc. They enjoyed it. The staff had a laid-back afternoon as well.
About 3:00, we had a visitor stop by. His name was Luke and he was from Holland. He is part of the Kids At Play Organization. They travel the world and build playgrounds for the children at orphanages that meet their criteria. Their next project will be here in Bolivia, so we is visiting four orphanages in the country to determine which they will help. We had no idea about any of this. He was very friendly. Nickisha and I showed him around the property and answered his questions, since Warren was in town. He asked me what our biggest need at the moment was. I told him a well (having consistent running water). He said that while they had never installed a well before, they are a group of engineers and that is something they could very well do for us if we are selected. He also talked about installing a nice, updated playground for the kids. We talked a bit more and then he said he would be in touch. He will be looking at the other orphanages during the next several days and would then make a decision. So that was a nice surprise. It would be a double blessing to receive the well we’ve been praying for, as well as a new playground for the children to enjoy! We’ll continue to pray about it and leave it in God’s Hands. Please add this to your prayer lists as well. Thank you.
After supper, the kids cleaned their rooms and then had some more free time before bed. Some played, some read and some joined Nickisha, Vilissa, Agustin, Oriel and I watching a movie.
Everyone is now in bed and I’m about to head that way too. It’s been a good day. God is Good. I am grateful for all of His many rich blessings, of which you are a part of. God bless you!
Maranatha!
P.S. **** Internet is too slow to upload pics now, but PLEASE look at the pictures of the parade on our Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.181443815369625.1073741834.174977009349639&type=3
No comments:
Post a Comment