{ Oct. 25 2009} You have heard me say that there is problem drinking here in Bolivia. And we have heard of some pretty sad stories from some of the youth here, so I decided to do a message on what does God say about alcoholic wine in the Bible. And to prepare I also did some research on its effects on Bolivia beside the health issues, I find this out; Bolivian has the dubious honor of being the champs of South America for having the highest rate of (48.9%), who have a problem with alcohol. In the High schools 58.5% of the youth have drank in the last week and of that 49.6% have been drunk. The transit authorities say hundreds are injured everyday and no one seems to keep count of how many die. There are no enforced public intoxication laws or DWI laws. 75 % of those who have problems with alcohol confess that they have problems with there family and friends and 70% of the homes experience violence. And those who have a problem spend 40% of their income on alcohol leaving the family lacking adequate food and clothing. And why is Bolivia the poorest country in S.A. despite having some of largest reserves of natural resources? Help us O Lord to be a light in this dark country.

Thank you for visiting us today. I have not been able to update for some time as we have been extremely busy. The Lord has provided us with a new location for the church and this is working out very well. Also we had teamed up with several other Independent Baptist churches in Tarija and had a 3 day conference August 25-27. The days were filled with instruction for pastors and leaders and the nights were for all who wanted to come and hear the Gospel message. We had a very good turnout with the evenings attendance around 450 people each night. We were also able to bring 16-20 people from San Lorenzo every night.

{July 19, 09} We had the privilege of having two of our prayers answered in baptizing Yule and Soledad Donaire. It was a cool day and the water was very cold, as it is winter here in South America. Praise the Lord these two sisters decided to follow the Lord in Baptism any way. God is so good!!!! If you would like to see photos click on the link (More Photos)

I thought I would give a quick update, we had a 5 day club for the young kids of San Lorenzo July 6-12. Things went very well, the first day we had 52 and Tuesday we had 62 in attendance but Wed. was down because there was stiff southerly breeze off the Antarctic blowing over San Lorenzo. Then the attendance picked up on Thur. and Fri. . We have had some exciting moments in ministry, we have had dogs, chickens, and pigs be a distraction but on Monday we had a new four-legged interruption. We were all lined up on an outdoor basketball court and ready to give out snacks. Being the first day and the kids not knowing what was expected of them we had a time getting them calmed down so we could give thanks to the Lord. Just when I got them calmed down and I started to pray all the kids started screaming and scattered. I looked over my shoulder and saw two big steers, the ones that the farmers use to plow with, charging the group. I think, I was the bulls first target as I was between the steers and the group. When the steers were within 30 feet one of the dogs that had been attending ran out and turned the bulls and broke their charge. It is true dogs can be mans best friend. Thanks Lord for sending the dog! And I am not going to were that red shirt any more during outdoor ministries! But in the end we all had a very fun time and are thankful for the help we received from the youth group. Want to see some photos of the 5 de club click on the button that says more photos. For His Glory Rick Ackerman Matthew 5:16

{12/10/07} I have been asked: "what do I do if I want to send your family a package". If you desire to send us a package the best way is to send it to us through the US Post Office it usually takes 3-4 weeks . However on this end our packages are opened up and inspected, they are looking for things that can be resold and are of $100 value or more. Bolivia has a 30% import tax and many business try to get around this by buying stuff over seas and sending it in the mail to avoid this tax. The main things they look for are electronics. So to avoid any problems just remove any items from their original packaging and write on the international label, that you will use, a value that is less than $100, and that they are gifts for personal use. The mail is pretty secure we have received every package that has been sent to us so far. Praise the Lord! Please use our correspondence address under the link "Contact Info." Brother Ricky

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