HELLO FROM SAN FERNANDO!

May 24, 2011

This Asian sombrero is Dina’s. I don’t remember where she got it, but no one in San Fernando has ever  seen anything like it and they find it hilarious! Dina and I were telling them that it’s Asian, and how they should stand if they wear that hat. It cracks people up. It’s fun.

May 24, 2011 San Fernando, Bolivia.  It was this sweet little girl's first birthday, and I was able to give her this cute pink dress someone had donated to me to give in San Fernando. It was perfect. That is our God:  Perfect just like this dress for this little girl's first birthday. The patriarch of the family leads the Catholic church, but is not a priest. I have become good friends with the whole family, showing them God’s love, and  earning the right to say that it's God who gives all good gifts and blessings. They also believe in some strange things.  I don’t know what category it falls in… They believe a tooth of a wild pig (I think it’s pig) on a necklace for their girl babies will keep them healthy.

Don Vital and his wife, Dona Sayfairina. I have no idea how you really spell her name, but that’s what it sounds like.  And I can’t ask her because she doesn’t know how to read or write. However, Don Vital went to Rincon del Tigre ( a great evangelical boarding school when he was in high school) and he still remembers things about the school. I think I remind him of that time of his life because I’m evangelical and an American. His teachers were American.  Life is hard for this couple.  It’s hard to get old. His legs are bad. I don’t know if it’s really his hips or knees, or arthritis. His hearing is going, and his eye sight is going.   HOWEVER…. Sayfairina came to the church Monday morning wondering if I had any more glasses which might help her husband. Her problem is her memory. She doesn’t remember that I gave her glasses that seemed to help her, and that I tried various prescriptions for him, but nothing seemed to help. His problem is much more complicated… but since she could not remember that… I headed to her house a little while later with a few pairs of glasses, the strongest I could find.  Low and behold, a nice pair of blue plastic reading glasses seemed to help. He could read a very little bit, but it was better than nothing. I didn’t have my camera with me that morning. Oops. He is so sweet, I think because he is so old, it’s like he is sensitive again, like a child. I understand. He has started crying a few times when I was there, as he talks about how sad he will be when I leave. He is sweet.

Teresa and her newborn baby boy. It is truly amazing to me: all babies are born at home and I have not heard of anyone having a problem yet. Amazing. It is by the grace of God.

The fourth grade class I am teaching… Bible and Art combo. It’s fun.

Francisco invited us to his birthday lunch. He is the boy in the yellow shirt. Next to him is his sister Erica, then their mother Rosita, and the father also Francisco. Then there is Don Fauto. I am not sure if they are related or just family friends. So many families are connected. A little part of our ministry is taking pictures. When we go back to the city we will develop them and bring them back and give them away. PEOPLE LOVE THEIR PICTURES TAKEN!!!!

Please keep praying for younger Francisco.  He is the one who was bothered by an evil spirit for years, but after much prayer, is free from that. He wants to follow God and not live life like most of the rest of the men in the village:  getting drunk, fighting, abusing their wives. He wants to be different.  Pray for this family.

Other random notes:

I taught in the church Sunday night on the subject of CLOTHES… being clothed with Christ and what that means. Dina has been teaching Sunday mornings, continuing our study of Luke with the adults as I teach the children in back of the church (our kitchen). It’s a GREAT set up. Dina is also teaching Saturday nights which has  more of a youth focus, and activities that go with the lesson. And I will continue to teach and lead the Wednesday night prayer service.  I’m leading the music for all services. At this point I know how to play more songs on the guitar in Spanish than in English. Last Sunday's music was purely songs I’ve learned here that I’ve put to music. Who knows if the chords are right...

On Wednesdays I’m still teaching a small group of ladies, but now will meet in a different house. My friend Candelaria was flown out for a serious medical problem, and now is going to stay in San Matias for a few months until she is completely recovered. (You can google San Matias, Bolivia, if you would like to put our location in context. There is only one San Matias, Bolivia. Maybe you can see some pictures. San Fernando is south of there some 100 kilometers, in the Pantanal region.)

Dina has taken on leading the small class of believers on Mondays and Fridays from 2.30 pm until 4, which is SOOOOO GREAT! SHE IS A GREAT TEACHER. AMEN AND HALLELUIA! PRAISE THE LORD.

And I have STARTED SOMETHING NEW!!!! IT’S SO NEW WE DON’T HAVE A GOOD RHYTHM YET. IT’S JUST STARTING. It’s a small group of teen girls. Pray that this takes hold. THANK YOU, MARYLIN FROM HOPE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN NEW BRIGHTON MINNESOTA, FOR THE WONDERFUL IDEA OF CONNECTING YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS OF GIRLS WITH THESE GIRLS. I HAVE GIVEN THE GIRLS THE “PEN PAL” LETTERS AND TRANSLATED THEM. So fun!!!!!!! I’m kicking myself for not taking pictures. I hope to take pictures of each girl at some point. And THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL BOOK!!!!!!!  Girls Gone Wise, in a world gone wild. It is outstanding! God is speaking TO ME through it. I hope at some point to share parts of it with these girls here. If you want to pray for the girls by name here they are: Paola, Jasmine (Mina), Elena, Luciana, Nardy, Erica and Mariana Jesus (Neisa)

My sweet, tough (but a little dumb) cat fell in the very deep, dark hole of an abandoned outhouse. PRAISE THE LORD IT HAD NOT BEEN USED FOR YEARS. I thought it was strange my cat was missing for five days. My mom had told me back in February to not worry if he disappeared, as he may be roaming looking for love…. But on the fifth day I started calling him more, and finally heard him. Poor little thing. The hole was not very big.  Our neighbor got a rope and some how got a loop around him and quickly hoisted him out of there. He was a little hoarse from meowing for days.

This is first grade through ninth grade all lined up. They have very official ceremonies every now and then. It is typical for Bolivian schools, I’m told.

PRAY:

1. FOR ALL CHURCH SERVICES AND SMALL GROUPS AND CLASSES WE TEACH: THAT GOD WOULD LEAD US TO GLORIFY HIM, AND PEOPLE WOULD SEE GOD MORE CLEARLY.
2. FOR BELIEVERS TO GROW IN THEIR FAITH.
3. FOR OTHERS IN SMALL GROUPS TO BE DRAWN TO GOD.
4. Lastly, I can feel the devil trying hard to discourage me at every turn. These last few weeks have been great with Dina back, but my spirit is tired.                              Thanks for your prayers.

Our Neighbor boy Daniel (Negon) with one of their sweet calves. They have eight dairy cows they milk. We drink VERY fresh milk every morning.