{5/7/08} Please go to our Prayer Ltr. tab for our current letter.
Oportunity through the School.
{4/3/08} Dear Prayer Partners I would like to update you on the opportunity I had to share my testimony and some encouraging truth from God's Word with some of the high school aged youth here in San Lorenzo.
I know you prayed for me and are probably wondering how it went? It went very well, attendance was voluntary and there were about 12 in attendance, because of a fiesta the night before. All the handouts inviting them to a Bible study where taken and Señor Oberdan was very helpful in encouraging the young people and us.
As I was contemplating just how well my Christ centered presentation was received,
Señor Oberdan asked if the next time I could give a teaching on what the Bible says concerning respect for ones parents! Yes, many youth here have the same problems as the rest of the world.
We as a family are planning on going to Santa Cruz this coming Monday then onto Vallegrande and back to San Lorenzo, will be traveling for the next 10 days. The situation at this time is that there is a road block in the route we have to take and there has been no vehicles passing through it for 10 days now. It will continue until the government gives in to some of the demands of the local population. This roadblock is the equivalent of blocking traffic on I-80, however there is no detour. Has this caused some trouble? Oh yes!! This may be a prelude to some of the future stand offs in Bolivia as Bolivia prepares for some upcoming votes on "autonomy" May 4.
Please pray: for the political situation here in Bolivia.
That we would be able to make our trip in safety.
That I would be able to share a message with the youth that God would have me share and that He would be glorified.
Thanks for your prayers
Brother Ricky
What's Going On?
{ 3/13/08} Greetings, I guess it has been a while since the last time we have written an update for this website.
Things have been progressing well here in San Lorenzo. We continue the “Hora Feliz” every other Saturday. On the 8th of March we had 25 kids in attendance and it went well. Our helpers from the church in Tarija are slowly falling away as the newness is wearing off. That is Ok, we as a family are enough, but we do appreciate their help.
Jose Rosa is the 78 year old that has been coming, well a couple of weeks ago I asked him if he wanted to start a Bible Study with me and he said yes, Praise the Lord. However last week when I asked him about it again he was under pressure to say he cannot do it. Why do I say under pressure? Because he is a 3 year convert of the Jehovah Witness’s and they have visited him and told him he should not have any part of us. The Witness’s do not have a church here so they make their rounds every two weeks. Jose still comes to “Hora Feliz” so this is our opportunity with him and of course our little visits on the street.
We also meet Don Oberdon and his wife, Lucrecia. He is the superintendent of the schools here in San Lorenzo and his wife is a teacher. They are also interested in Bible Studies. They say we can visit anytime! But every time we visit is a bad time. They are seldom home as he works in the mornings and she works in the evenings. We will keep trying.
Then this weekend we meet Armando and his wife, Asunta. Last night we went to visit them. They have ten children but only seven live at home. We had a good visit with them and they told us they knew we were here but were afraid us! We then started noticing that many people we meet walking on the street are very uncomfortable as they approach us. When we cut the ice by a simple, “hello how are you”, the majority seem to be relieved and respond in kind. As if to say, “I guess you are not monsters after all.”
Earlier this week we went to see Don Oberdan but he was not there so we took a side road back home. As we were walking, a shy little girl who had gone to “Hora Feliz” had dashed into her house and hid. Her out going mother, on finding out what she had done, brought her out to us and we got to meet the whole family. What a blessing.
So please pray for us that we would have more opportunities with these people and that their fears would be relieved and the Gospel would have free course here in San Lorenzo.
“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you” 2 Thess. 3:1
The Retreat for the Young People
{2/7/08}
Hello, greetings in the Lord! We had a wonderful retreat for the young adults. Thank you so much for praying about this. The retreat was from Sat. am until Tuesday afternoon. There was lots of time for the preaching of God’s Word, fellowship, and fun. Then on Monday the whole church joined us for a fellowship dinner and an afternoon service. Praise the Lord! We even finished the day with Pastor Alberto doing three baptisms, I believe everybody enjoyed themselves.
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It was quite a contrast, being inside our fenced in yard while the unsaved raged outside the gates. Throughout the days and the evenings we could hear the drunken revelers and the bands playing music, that I think would have even given a hard-rocker the creeps. It is all just about over for the season. I say just about because it is not until this Saturday the 9th when the city will officially lock the Devil up in his cave until next Carnaval. What a lie, don’t they know the Devil is free all year long to destroy families and relationships?
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I have heard some Christians refer to Carnaval as; Carne- Baal, which refers to the offering of flesh to the Devil (Baal) in dance, yelling, drinking, and other acts of wickedness. But there are some other aspects of Carnaval where we see the fun innocence of the young children shining through as they toss water balloons at each other and at people passing by. It’s just sad that water balloons in Bolivia are tied to Carnaval. And therefore the young are indoctrinated at an early age into the lie that Carnaval is just a fun time.
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Please continue to pray for us as we sow the seeds of Truth, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners from the power of the Devil and to give us Eternal Life.
Brother Ricky
Christmas Traditions in Bolivia
{12/24/07} Merry Christmas from Bolivia! Several of you have asked how the people here celebrate, here is a brief overview. Christmas Eve is when it starts as they prepare a feast named Picana which is made up of pork, chicken, beef and veggies. There is a special bread called Panetone that they also have here, similar to fruitcake. This they will eat when they return from midnight mass. At mass, they all bring their baby Jesus dolls for the priest to bless for good luck in the coming year. Upon returning home, they eat their big meal and then the dancing and drinking begin until the dawn breaks. They also light fireworks during the middle of the night. Christmas day is spent sleeping in. There are probably more traditions that we have not observed yet, but these are the ones we know of.
Sheila
{12/23/07} We had the opportunity to go to what the Bolivians call a “happy hour” (children’s ministry) in Las Palmas yesterday after the Christmas dinner at the church in Tarija. We are planning one for the middle of January here in San Lorenzo which will be similar to a VBS since it is the “summer break” for the schools. It is exciting to be moving forward in the ministry and we ask your prayers for wisdom and prepared hearts, and since it will be outside, sunny days.
To Send a Package
{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
Favorite Books
Great Preaching on Christ, Compiled by Shelton L. Smith
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