In this life we all have a choice to give a little and to give a lot. We often here about people who have given a lot. They have given a lot of money, they have given a lot of time, they have given a lot of their lives. These people have a lot to give and are honoured, and rightly so. But you never here about the person who faithfully gives a little.

Jesus told a story about this very thing when He was teaching his disciples about giving.

⁴¹Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴²But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. ⁴³Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44 (NIV).

It is easy to give a lot out of our wealth and feel good about it. And these people should feel good about it, don’t get me wrong, they are blessed and are a blessing to those around them.  It’s so much harder for the one who doesn’t have wealth, but gives out of their poverty to be noticed let alone honoured. But one thing I know is that God notices and God honours your gift.

So whether you give a little or give a lot, know that your gift makes a difference in the lives of orphans around the world. Every dollar counts!

I leave you with this thought.

If you, and everyone you know, gave $1 a week, how many orphans could you feed around the world?

 

What $1 will buy in Bolivia...

·         1 kilo of flour

·         1 kilo of rice

·         1/2 kilo of pasta

·         1/2 kilo of potatoes

·         1 kilo of sugar

·         6 eggs

·         1 kilo of onions

·         1/2 kilo of tomatoes

·         250 grams of meat

·         1/2 litre of milk

·         5 bananas

·         1/2 kilo of chicken

 

By faith we walk. By faith we take action. By faith we overcome the challenges of today. By faith do great exploits in this world.

When Abraham left his country, his home and his father’s household, he did not know what would be facing him around the next bend, but he went anyway, knowing that God had called him and that God would be with him, whatever challenges came his way.

In the same way, we as God’s children should not be worrying about what will happen tomorrow, or around the next corner. Our call is to live by faith, knowing that God is with us each and every step of the way.

So step out. Obey God’s voice. Do the thing that He has told you to do. Then wait to see what God will do! I am amazed everyday!

⁸It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. ⁹And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent. And so did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise. ¹⁰Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. Hebrews 11:8-10 (NLT)

²³Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. ²⁴Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:23-24 (NLT)

 

Things to pray for...

·         The orphans of Casa Segura, that they adjust quickly to life in their new family and grow spiritually and emotionally.

·         More orphans  and missionaries to come to Casa Segura

·         Sponsors for all children and workers

·         Provision of finances to cover the monthly operating costs

·         Funds to complete toilet and shower block and to furnish 2 cabins and to purchase an oven and a fridge for the orphanage.

·         Understanding between cultures

·         Protection from Malaria, Dengue Fever and other sickness

·         Strong relationships within the team

·         Strength and wisdom for life and ministry

·         Protection of the missionaries, workers and their families  from all kinds of spiritual attack

·         That God’s Will be done at Casa Segura and in Bolivia!

As I write this I am sitting in an internet booth in the airport in Santa Cruz, waiting for my plane to leave for Riberalta. By this afternoon I will be back in the warmth of the Jungle and in my own house, to see what creatures have moved in while I was away.

 

I want to thank all of you in Australia from the bottome of my heart. I was so blessed during my time there, both financially and emotionally. It was a great joy to be able to catch up with as many of you as I could, and share with you something of the work that I am doing here. Your support and generousity uplifted my heart and on my than one occassion brought tears to my eyes.  Thank you your thoughts, prayers and encouragemet. I pray that God will bless you for your faithfullness to His work here in Bolivia and all around the world.

 

I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things here and that this year will bring joy and hope to the lives of many Bolivian orphans.

I am in Australia at the moment for a short break. I've just uploaded heaps of photos from 2008 so you can take a look.

That time of reflection is upon me again, as I prepare to come home to Australia for Christmas. For me here in Bolivia, 2008 has been the year of the battle. I have seen victories and times of retreat, and though we grow weary at times the battle continues on all fronts and never ceases.

I want to thank all of you who have joined with me in this battle through prayer. Your prayers have brought many victories and accomplished all that is now here at Casa Segura. This year we have seen a school and a kindergarten opened, the first orphans come to live with us, new staff trained, and all staff and their families grow in their walk with God. By the end of the year 9 buildings will have been completed, with 13 more in various stages of construction. We have running water and I have turned responsibility for the office over to Wanda, our new secretary. Many other blessings too numerous to count come our way everyday.

I am praying for 2009 to be the year of the breakthrough. We need financial breakthrough, emotional breakthrough and spiritual breakthrough, especially against the powers of darkness that are at work to steal and destroy all that has been accomplished for God’s glory and for the forgotten children of Bolivia.

And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

 

I will be in arriving in Australia in the middle of December. I hope to catch up with many of you in January. May your Christmas be filled with love, peace and joy.

This journey we are on to build an orphanage can be likened to a  race. In a long distance cross country race, the finish line is often out of sight and the road ahead is littered with obstacles and refreshment stations along the way.  To keep himself going, the runner must ensure that he has enough sustenance to overcome the challenges along the way and make it to the end.

We are in the middle of our race. Much has been accomplished and there is much left to do. Each day we keep before our eyes the place where we hope to one day be and rely on God to provide all that we need to make it to the end.

Joining us in the race this month at Casa Segura are Rodrigo Bejarano and Wanda Guttierez. Pray that they too will finish their race.

Thank you for your support to this point and please continue to stand with us, cheering us on as we keep on running.

God is the Father to the fatherless! One respected Swiss-based research organization estimates that, based on a survey of 88 countries, there will be 100 million orphans under the age of 15 around the world by 2010. That is huge! Half of them will be AIDS orphans. No wonder God is alerting His people to the need to care for orphans. James reminds us that what God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this – to look after orphans and widows in their distress (James 1.27).  

But God is also looking for more – for children who are orphans to get to know Him as their Father – to learn to hear  His voice, pray, live by faith, reach out to others, plant churches and become nation changers – even by the age of 14! If children can be Olympic stars by this age then surely they can be stars for God too! We hear much about the abuse of orphans the world over. But where are the stories of those whom God has raised up? Moses was an orphan. Joseph as a child was rejected and sold as a slave by his brothers, and became separated from his family.  

Samuel was handed over by his mother to be raised by a priest. David was ignored by his brothers and father from an early age. Yet all of these became stalwarts of faith, trust and obedience to God, and leaders of their nation. He was their Father! God’s word also exhorts us about support for orphans. The tithe was meant for “the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow” (Deut. 26.12). Does that mean that a quarter of our tithe should be for orphans? When crops were harvested, some were to be left for the gleaners - “for the fatherless and widows”.

Source: Brian Mills as supplied by Interprayer

The world today is full of fatherless children. These children have been left without parents because of disease or violence. Each one has their own individually tragic story. We see their faces and look into their eyes and think, ‘what could I possibly do?’ In fact we sometimes even think it might be better not to look at them at all, because of how it makes us feel. So we turn our backs and ignore their plight, rather than turning our emotion into action.

 

God has a plan for the orphans of this world. He is moved to action by their hurting hearts. He sees how they suffer in the evils of this world. He has a plan for their lives, and we have a part to play.

 

 

God’s Part

 

·       Father of the fatherless

 

o       Psalm 68:5

 

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. Psalm 68:5 (NLT)

·       To protect orphans and defend them against evil

 

o       Psalm 146:9

 

The LORD protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. Psalm 146:9 (NLT)

o       Psalm 10:14-18

 

¹⁴But you do see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You are the defender of orphans. ¹⁵Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed! ¹⁶The LORD is king forever and ever! Let those who worship other gods be swept from the land. ¹⁷LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. ¹⁸ You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them.

Psalm 10:14-18 (NLT)

 

 

Our Part

 

·       Care for the orphans

 

o       James 1:27

 

²⁷Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

James 1:27 (NLT)

 

·       Don’t exploit the orphans

 

o       Exodus 22:22-24

 

²²“Do not exploit widows or orphans. ²³If you do and they cry out to me, then I will surely help them. ²⁴My anger will blaze forth against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Your wives will become widows, and your children will become fatherless. Exodus 22:22-24 (NLT)

 

·       Give to the orphans

 

o       Deuteronomy 14:28-29

 

²⁸“At the end of every third year bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in the nearest town. ²⁹Give it to the Levites, who have no inheritance among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all your work.

Deuteronomy 14:28-29 (NLT)

 

·       Defend the cause of the orphans

 

o       Psalm 82:3-4

 

“Give fair judgment to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. ⁴Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. Psalm 82:3-4 (NLT)

o       Isaiah 1:17

 

¹⁷Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17 (NLT)

 

Consequences

 

·       Cursing and public disgrace

 

o       Deuteronomy 27:19

 

¹⁹‘Cursed is anyone who is unjust to foreigners, orphans, and widows.’And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’ Deuteronomy 27:19 (NLT)

·       Blessing and praise

 

o       Job 29:11-13

 

¹¹“All who heard of me praised me. All who saw me spoke well of me. ¹²For I helped the poor in their need and the orphans who had no one to help them. ¹³I helped those who had lost hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy. Job 29:11-13 (NLT)

 

My challenge to everyone who reads this, is to open your eyes. Look for the people in this world who are alone and crying, don’t turn your eyes away. Look at the devastation that surrounds you in this world, don’t shield yourself from the things that bring conviction to your heart. Look into the eyes of a child whose whole world has fallen apart, and do something about it.

 

Help those who have no one to help them. Go looking for the orphans and defend their cause, don’t hide yourselves away from their need. Look into the eyes of a child, and see how they will bless you.

This month at Casa Segura, an explosion has begun. The long awaited day arrived on the 14th of August, when we brought the first orphans to live at Casa Segura. The breakthrough came in the usual fashion here when the grass roofing material arrived. Everyday since then has been packed with loving and caring for the all the needs of these orphaned children. Each night as we fall into bed exhausted from the challenges of the day, we can now look at their sleeping faces and know the love of Christ that compels us to go on.

Along with the children came a new list of jobs that need to be done, from collecting firewood to cooking, from buying shoes to buying bibles. By next week the size of our staff will have doubled, as we prepare for the explosion to continue. Please pray with us for the new members of our team as settle into life at Casa Segura, that they will have strength to endure and victory in every battle coming their way.

Last June when I was in Australia, it was prophesied that the struggles of the past year would be replaced by a moving forward. And God has been speaking the leadership here about the explosion that was on its way since the beginning of this year. In the fullness of time, the day has come to see these words come to pass! Our God is faithful!

There is no greater reward for these years of the day to day hard slog, than to look into the eyes of these children and see hope there. Hope for a future, hope in Jesus Christ and hope for a nation!

 

Things to pray for...

·       Completion of toilet and shower block

·       Completion of 2 more cabins

·       Operating with 20 orphans, with sponsors, by the end of the year

·       Sponsors for all workers and their families

·       Provision of finances to complete construction and Regular support for the operating costs of the orphanage

·       Understanding between languages and cultures

·       Protection from Malaria and other sickness

·       Strong relationships within the team and that all workers will have a heart for the ministry

·       Strength and wisdom for life and ministry

·       Hearts of missionaries will be prepared to come to Bolivia

·       Protection of the missionaries, workers and their families  from all kinds of spiritual attack

·       That God’s Will be done at Casa Segura and in Bolivia!

 

Last week we were honoured to have Ps Gary and Judy Levens from Taigum Community Church visit us from Australia. As part of their ministry supporting and planting orphanages around the world, they give their support to us here at Casa Segura. It was a great blessing to have them with us for the short time they were here.

 

These were their impressions of Casa Segura…

 

“To experience the Amazonian jungle is an amazing thing. Beauty on every hand, yet danger and death also is a constant threat.

What a place of contrasts Bolivia is. Enter through La Paz and experience the thin atmosphere of the world’s highest city. Headaches and dizziness come immediately. Off immediately in a tiny 20 seater propeller aircraft to Riberalta, literally carved out of the jungle. First impressions… oppressive heat, humidity, clouds of red dust (will we ever get it out of our clothes?). Then the smiling faces of our friends Mik and Kay waiting for us (or was all the chocolate and vegemite we brought them from Oz the greater anticipation?) Out to Hogar Casa Segura, the amazing acreage property that they have sculptured out of the jungle to be a haven for the multitude of orphans in the area whose parents have succumbed to the world’s greatest killer, malaria.

We were only there a day when we realised what a hostile environment this is. Bug-ville – there are creatures of every size and colour amidst the spectacular butterflies, parrots and monkeys. We didn’t see any anacondas, but we saw plenty of shed skins, some up to 8 metres (maybe they saw us though!! – Scary).

We drove into the jungle one day in the tip truck to collect timber that had been “hand cut” for the CS project. What a trip! Mik said that it was his most hair-raising one to date. Trust me to pick that one to go on! The “road” was actually little more that an animal track that was about wide enough for a small motorcycle. We slipped and slid our way along. I was convinced that I’d spend my first ever night hunkering down in the jungle. My mind played tricks and I imagined being swallowed by anacondas and whatever else. Sharpened up my prayer life. Needless to say we made it back.

The skill of the woodcutter amazed me. He fells the giant Brazil Nut tree and it falls amongst thick forest. He somehow manages to cut it up right there into long, beautiful planks according to the dimensions ordered by Mik. His only tool is a chain saw!

We left Mik and Kay, full of admiration for their grit, commitment and vision. They endure great hardships. Malaria, TB, parasitic digestive illness, discouragement and lack of Christian fellowship are just a few of their constant companions. God is with them. We were glad to be able to refresh them a little.

Back in La Paz last night in the Raddison Hotel we reflected on how our lives go from the sublime to the ridiculous in short time periods. We dined in luxury looking out upon this amazing city that is like an enormous bowl with very steep sides. As we reclined in a hot bath we thought of Kay and Mik without running water in their little jungle chalets and we gave thanks to Father for these unlikely heroes of our faith. Good on ya, you little Aussie battlers.”

 

All of you who have been praying for God to speak to the hearts of people to come and work with us here at Casa Segura will be pleased to know that this week the first person arrived. Maggie Ciranni, from Dayboro Christian Family Church, arrived in Riberalta on Tuesday. Trained in Child Care, she will become the first ‘big sister’ at Casa Segura. Her role will include caring for the first group of 6 orphans, and will also be involved in setting up procedures to help with the operation of the orphanage. We are currently working hard to finish building the cabin she will be living in with the children. The floor is going down and the walls will soon be going up. Soon the only thing missing will be the roof, which always seems to be the last thing to arrive here.

 

Please pray for Maggie over the next few months as she adjusts to life in another country, climate and culture. Pray that she will settle in and learn the language quickly. And most of all pray that she will be able to care for the first group of orphans within the next 2 months.

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.

Matthew 10:42 (NIV)

Through the blessing of three university students, we now have running water on the land at Casa Segura. This marks the completion of another milestone for us here, bringing us one giant step closer to being able to care for orphans in the Amazon Jungle.

Gareth and Kif (from England), and Phil (from Germany) joined us here almost a year ago to complete a water sanitisation project. During 2 stays of three months each, they installed the running water that will serve the needs of the children of Casa Segura. These young men volunteered their time and put the knowledge obtained through their engineering degrees to practical use here in Bolivia.

Their project consisted of 2 wells, which pump clean water to a 4000L tank. This water is then pumped to supply running water to the kitchen/bakery, and the toilet/shower block. Complete with a pressure pump we can now turn on a tap and have an abundance of water that will fill thousands of cups of clean water and wet the mouths of many thirsty children.

May God reward the young men who provided this blessing...

 

 

The wheels on the truck go bump, bump, bump…all the way to Brazil. The time had come to take the plunge and drive the truck the 80 km to the Brazilian border. The gringos needed a tank for their water project and it was up to us to go and buy it and bring it back across the river in a boat to Bolivia and transport it to the project on the back of the truck. The journey took just over 2 and a half hours with a top speed of 50km an hour in the rare patches of decent road. The guys bounced around on the back, eating dirt all the way there.

Upon arrival (or about two blocks beforehand) at the border to cross over to Brazil, we find that the river has risen about 2 metres since our last visit a few weeks ago, and has broken its banks flooding the low lying areas of both border towns in Bolivia and it Brazil. So off we set in a boat through the streets and finally make our way to the river and fight the currents of the overflowing river, through the gate and into the streets of Brazil.

Without many dramas the 4000 litre tank is purchased and we “patiently” wait for the next 4 hours for it to be delivered to our boat standing by at water’s edge. Finally, the man from the shop comes along and tells us that for some unknown the top of the tank that was perfectly intact a few hours before is now mysteriously broken. In the end the tank arrives without its lid and we take it across to Bolivia to be unloaded amongst mountains of pasta, fruit and nappies,. As the sun goes down, we embark on the bumpy, long journey home, minus the gringos who chose to ride in the comfort of a taxi for the return trip.

All in all we saved about $500 by transporting the tank ourselves and now we have a story to tell… And in a few more weeks it will be complete with a new lid...

This month, for the first time in three years the road from Riberalta to the Casa Segura property was cut because of the rain. Jungle life becomes a bit more of a challenge when the only way to supplies is pushing a motorbike through 50 metres of knee deep mud! For about a week there the road was impassable with trucks and cars stuck in the mud whole 24 hours a day as they tried to get through.

Despite these challenges, this year is shaping up to be a year of birth and growth for us here at Casa Segura. Eeni, meeni, minie and mo, our four little pigs were born in the last week of March. They have already doubled in size and are sooo cute! So the agricultural part of the project continues to grow. We now have 8 sheep, 5 pigs, 3 dogs and too many chooks to count (all of which I frequently have to chase out of the office). Along with our abundance of fruit trees we now have the beginnings of a the farm that will later serve the needs of the orphanage.

Our school opened at the beginning of the month. All the photos are on the next page. So all the kids got their new uniforms and at the same time we took the opportunity to make uniforms for the staff as well. For a few days there the office was full of green and gold screen printed T-shirts waiting to the distributed.

We now have children at Casa Segura everyday and it is a great joy to sit in my office and look out at the children learning their ABCs and two times table. To see them playing football and hear them laughing with their friends. It’s a great way to remind myself what I came here for. To bless the lives of children through the love and blessings available through Jesus Christ!

2008 is shaping up to be a year of advancement at Casa Segura. When I was last in Australia, in June of 2007, someone prophesied that this year the waiting and struggles would be replaced by a moving forward in God’s purposes.

Since the beginning of the year we have been working in anticipation as God has been opening door after door, to see the dream of Casa Segura become a reality. God is pouring out His blessing on all of the staff here and we are seeing an explosion in the number of people who want to be more involved with this vision. People who we have never even met are contacting us from around the world, wanting to help in whatever way is available to them.

In the next few days, classes will begin at the Casa Segura school. We will open with 11 children from the local jungle community with a one teacher classroom, grades 1-5.

In the following months, construction will continue at a greater rate, as God continues to bless us with the resources to move forward. We are waiting with great anticipation for the day that the first orphans can move onto the property.

His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts so much higher than our thoughts. We can tie ourselves up in knots when we get out of step with God, but when we learn to rest in His plans and purposes and trust in His timing, we allow God to work through us and we see His power at work.

I am excited about this year and the changes God has in store for us. His timing perfect. God is providing the resources, calling the people and bringing the children. I will continue to listen and obey and watch what the Lord will do.

⁸“My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)

Life Is At Work In You
by Jon Walker

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. (2 Corinthians 4:8-12, NIV)

======= ===== ====

We are jars of clay, chipped and blemished, fragile by God’s design in order to show the glorious light of God shining through our cracks and crevices. People should look at us and say, “What’s this? That plain jar of clay isn’t creating such a glorious light; it must be the light of heaven contained within. The peace and joy and love I see in that light must be from God.”

And so our older brother Paul says we can rest assured that our hardships are not meant to defeat us. God is still at work in our lives, even if we’re unable to see his hand at work.

We may be hard pressed, yet our hope in God keeps us from being crushed; perplexed, yet our hope in God keeps us from despair; persecuted, yet our hope in God tells us we’re not abandoned; struck down, yet our God keeps us from being destroyed. We are at the crossroads where the street called “When You Can’t See God’s Hand” intersects with the avenue of “Then Trust God’s Heart.”

And God says his heart is not to hurt us, but to help us as we journey back to heavenly wholeness with him. His good plan for us doesn’t mean we won’t be hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down. It means we can remain filled with hope, even as we pick ourselves up off the ground.

God’s plan is that every time we face these hardships, we learn to trust God a little bit more, so that every time the hardships press in, we can be a little stronger. God is our strength, not our own ability to carry the weight.

God doesn’t ask us to “work up” this hope – pretending we’re joyful when our whole world is collapsing around us. Rather, our hardships allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, developing joy and peace – teaching us to stop trusting in our own understanding and instead to trust that God is at work within and around our lives.

Paul encourages us to press on toward Christ-likeness. In order to be like Jesus, however, we must be men and women acquainted with sorrow, just like Lord Jesus, who hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, only to rise again.

In him we place our hope, and it is a hope that will not disappoint.

Believing Your Uniqueness
by Jon Walker

“The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me – to tell people the Good News about God's grace.” (Acts 20:24 NCV)

God gave you a unique role to play in his Kingdom.

You’re the only person in the world who can live your particular life for the glory of God. There is no one else in the world with your unique mix of spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences. God shaped you for a very specific ministry, and no one else can fulfill your mission.

Paul writes: “The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me – to tell people the Good News about God's grace” (Acts 20:24 NCV). God doesn’t want us to waste a precious minute of our lives doing things that don’t matter – if the most important thing we can do is left undone.

He sends you with his Spirit, the Holy Spirit, inside you to guide you.

 

As I embark on a New Year here at Casa Segura, I look back and see the much that has been accomplished and look ahead at the much that is left to do. At this time I see a great need for people to rise up and pray, so that the spiritual battle that is face everyday by all involved in this work, will everyday be overcome, and that everyday we will see the victory that belongs to us in Christ Jesus. So I am asking you to join us and rise up and pray, everyday, even if it’s  just one minute when you see my picture on the fridge in the morning.

 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7 (NLT)

 

Things to pray for...

·         Understanding between languages and cultures

·         Protection from Malaria and other sickness (and  relief from the plagues of bugs that are biting in our beds…)

·         Strong relationships within the team

·         Strength and wisdom for life and ministry

·         Provision of finances to complete construction and Regular support for the operating costs of the orphanage

·         Opening of School

·         All hindrances to the construction work will be cleared away

·         Hearts of missionaries will be prepared to come to Bolivia

·         Protection of the missionaries, workers and their families and covering from all kinds of spiritual attack

·         Wisdom for the leaders in dealing with personnel and organizational issues

• That God’s Will be done at Casa Segura and in Bolivia!

Hi Everyone,

 I have arrived safely back in Bolivia. I had a fantastic time on my holiday in in the USA. It was great to spend Christmas and New Year with my sister, Julie. I have arrived back in Bolivia refreshed and can´t wait to get back to work here. I am still in La Paz at the moment waiting for the finalisation of the papers for my two year visa. Please pray that in the next 24 hours all will be processed so that I can return to Riberalta on the Thursday flight.

 Thank you for all your prayers and support. I will send a more detailed account of my travels when I return to Riberalta,

Kay

 

^“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. “ Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV).

In general life in Australia there is no great necessity for us to put this scripture into practice in our normal everyday lives. We go about our daily business, with the expectation that things will generally happen as we want them to happen. We can go to the supermarket and know that they will have everything you need that week. We can order new part for the car and know that it will normally arrive when the mechanic says it will. Hey, now with the internet, we can do almost anything we need without ever leaving the house. We have a basic confidence that people will do what they say they will do.

Before I came to Bolivia, I took these things for granted. But here the culture is at the opposite end of the spectrum. People work when they feel like it. The customer is an interruption and an inconvenience to the day. And the people will tell you whatever they can to keep you happy. The truth and actual fact are not things that are valued. This is something that affects our work here in Bolivia everyday. With things as simple as buying bread, as well as ordering materials, and getting visas approved!

One example from my area of work was ordering a custom made desk for the office. We put in the order in the middle of August and the carpenter said it will take two weeks to complete the job. Now of course after more than a year of experience working with Bolivians, I know that in two weeks it will not be done. So at the appointed time we went back, and the carpenter tells us that he can’t buy varnish to finish the desk so he needs some more money (on top of half the price he has already been paid). So we give him a little bit more money, and he says come 

back next week. By now we are half way through September. The next week, we go back and see that no more progress has been made on the desk. This continues for a few more weeks, until the beginning of October. At this point we say to the carpenter, it’s better you don’t tell us when you will be done, but we will come past everyday to see if you are finished the work yet. So with this constant attention we drive past everyday, and bit by bit we start to see some progress, until we get to the end of October. At this point the major work on the desk has been completed. It has taken shape, and is only missing a few bits and pieces to finish it off. About a week before the end of October, we met a lady who had been waiting for her piece of furniture for two years. Wow, our two months suddenly didn’t seem that bad. So finally at the end of October, with the carpenter not having done anything in a week we gave a ultimatum. You can finish your work by the end of the week or we will come and pick up the desk as is, and finish the work ourselves. And of course, the end of the week came and the desk was not finished. We picked it up in the truck and took it back to the office. I then spent the next week sanding it back and painting it with varnish. Now it stands in the office, and I can finally go to work everyday, instead of working out of my house.

So next time you quote that verse, remember us here in Bolivia, believing in faith, having only that to rely on, with nothing in front of our eyes. We have faith that this dream will become a reality, It is proven to us in little ways every day, even though we can’t see with our eyes the things that are yet to come, we believe in faith that what we hope for will be!

Will you believe with us?