Christmas Tree Police

Philippians 5:6 “Be anxious for nothing,

 but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,

 let your requests be made known unto God.”

   A new year, January 2, 2012 and already the stress was accumulating. Do you know the feeling? The holidays are over, you are back to the normal routine, and the tree has to come down. That beautiful tree that took your breath away when you saw the glow of its lights for the first time in December is now only a source of stress; one more task that needs done in your busy life.

   I was already overwhelmed, and it was only the second day of the new year. Our Christmas trips and programs for the kids were over, and gift giving in our villages were a mere memory of the blessings we received by giving.  My undies were already in a bundle thinking of the tasks before me, when I was interrupted by a phone call. I would say it was from my sister-in-law, but when I hung up I knew it was a call from God.

   Now before you think there was actually a mysterious voice on the other end of the phone, hold on, it was the voice of my sister-in-law, Sharon. God used her to get my attention. She always blesses me and puts things into perspective when I am floundering, and her words are always backed by scripture. Everyone should have a  person like her in their life. She is someone who always points you to God.

   Telling her my woes she sweetly said, "Relax, there are no Christmas Tree Police." That was it, all I needed. I was reminded to be anxious for nothing, not even the Christmas Tree. So what if the tree is up for another day, week or even another month; will it make a difference in eternity? Probably not, but it would make a difference in my daily walk with the One who guides my steps. When I look at it now, it reminds me to pray and thank Him for giving me the peace that passes understanding, even through a Christmas Tree. 

   I  planned to take the tree down today, but another task for God came up and has delayed it again. It's okay, I have enjoyed that tree more the last few weeks when it should have been back in its box, than I did through the busy days of the holiday season.

   We sometimes miss the beauty of the things around us because of our busyness. BUT GOD says, "Be anxious for nothing."  But how do we get there? We get there through prayer and thanksgiving. I am thankful to God for the people He puts in my life, to nudge me and point me to Him, through a Christmas Tree and other ways.

   And I am thankful for all three of my sisters-in-law who are also my sisters in Christ. They love me unconditionally, and remind me of Jesus; they are special blessings in my life. 

   I am especially thankful there are no Christmas Tree Police, because by now I would certainly be in the Christmas Tree Jail.
  
   Most of all, I am thankful for a living God who answers prayer, and gives peace that passeth understanding in all of life's circumstances. You never know when a Christmas Tree crisis might arise, but don't be anxious, just pray and give thanks and remember...
There Are No Christmas Tree Police!

God's Ways

Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

 neither are your ways my ways,” saith the Lord.

   The rest of the story...and one you won't want to pass by. Yesterday I told you only part of the perilous trip down the mountain. Today I want to tell you the ways of the Lord on that mountain.

   Let's continue the story from leaving the village to God's perfect ways that led to praise and thanksgiving. Remember the whole group left the village on foot in pouring rain, and slippery paths; it was too dangerous to get a truck or bus up the mountain.

    The group walked three hours and decided it would be best to send a group of teens with one adult ahead, hoping they would find a bus along the way, they never did. It took 7 hours by foot for them to reach the main highway and three buses to get them to the church. Thankfully they made the journey with no injuries or accidents.

      Meanwhile, the remaining group prayed about their next step. It was decided the men would return up the mountain to recover the equipment and pray for a bus to get them up and back. I covered that story in yesterday's blog, now let me tell you about the group who waited midway for the men to return from the mountain.

      In this group was the pastor's wife, the ladies, and teen girls. After the men left the rains poured. A vehicle passed by and they flagged it down. The driver agreed to take them as far as he was going. Reaching that point they exited the vehicle and were standing in torrential rains with no covering to protect them. One of the ladies had a baby who hadn't had milk for two days. They knew they needed to seek shelter and food, at least milk for the baby. Looking around they saw a house down the road and ran towards it; soaked and out of breath they knocked on the door.

     Psalm 61:2 "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

    A man answered and invited them in out of the rain, a blessing more than they were expecting. Their thoughts were to hover under a roof till the men returned, thinking it would be soon; it wasn't till the next day. God's thoughts were higher than theirs.

    They were fed and warmed by a fire. And yes, milk for the baby, lots of milk from their cow. Then the man and his wife began to tell of their life and leading of the Lord, yes, believers with a vision. I am sure if these ladies had socks on they were knocked off as they continued to listen intently to what the man said next.

     Led of the Lord, this man and wife built a big room to serve as a church, there is no church yet, YET. He isn't a pastor, just obeyed and did what he thought God wanted him to do. You might say, God's thoughts, not his thoughts. He was thrilled to hear what our group is doing on the mountain. Then came his request.

     "I am not asking your church to come here and bring food and gifts. What I am asking is for you to come and teach us from the Bible. We have a place, we just need someone to teach us more of God's Word, so we can go into the mountains and take the Good News. There are 40 families who live nearby and some come now, but many more will come to hear what you will teach."

     A building already in place, a man who will then reach out to the villages higher in the mountain and the road to this location is passible even in the rainy season. Chuck would have no problem with his back on this road to reach this far up the mountain, and neither would our young guys from the church on their motorcycles.

     So they wait...an open home of a believer, a room to hold meetings, and people waiting to hear and be taught God's Word, high on this mountain.

     If the group had returned as scheduled we wouldn't have met this man. God's ways are higher than our ways.

       Philippians 1:12 "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,"

     We want you to know, brethren, we are ready to follow the way God has opened to reach this mountain for Him.

New Year ~ New Opportunities

Psalms 91:14 “ Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; 

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.” 

     The road was washed out, rocks in the river had to be removed, and the bus had problems. But the Lord rescued our group from disaster. For two days our group was somewhere on the mountain without a cell phone signal to let us know where and how they were. By Sunday morning we had waited 18 hours for news but nothing came. Two church leaders decided to go  up the mountain to find them. One group spent the night half way down the mountain in the home of a believer, just like Bible days when the Christians opened their homes to those spreading the Gospel. They were able to get a signal to notify us but the last group (five men including Juan) found a bus that would take them back up to the mountain village to get our equipment, that is when communication with them was lost.

     They were lost, but finally found. Everyone was ok, but the guys had to dig out rocks from under the bus where it was the stuck in the river. When the bus was fixed and the road opened, they continued on, but the rains were causing mudslides on the way down the mountain. Thank the Lord for His protection for these faithful young Bolivian men. 

     This is a typical house in the mountain village. Last year we delivered a baby in a house like this. The mother and baby would have died of complications if God hadn't had us there with a doctor and nurse from our church to assist the delivery.

     The mother is smiling, the baby isn't too happy but very healthy. We know this happy lady has received two blessings this past year, a healthy baby and the Good News. The village is open to a church being planted and God is preparing a way to send help to them through our church here to get the church grounded. Bolivians reaching their own people, and we are blessed to be a part.

     Our vets, (Jonathon, pastor's son, and Pablo, pastor's son-in-law), stomped around in the mud vaccinating animals. A typical scene, animals living close to the houses. When the group was stranded for an extra day the people of the village offered to kill a sheep to feed the group.

     One of the highlights is seeing the kids' smiles, and the contrast of before and after. They get a shampoo with lice medicine, manicures, pedicures, bows and berets for the girls. Then new sandals, and clothes we have collected from church members and from going door to door in the nicer parts of the city. See what you think about the contrast, before and after.

     The message we take is the Best Gift because it is forever. The first evening of meetings the people didn't want to stop singing, They stayed out in the cold weather with the lighting from our generator well into the night, and learned and sung children's songs with the motions. When we handed out New Testaments you could see the kids and people reading and talking about what they heard and read. God did a work in hearts and lives. We know the Word will never return void. Our work is not in vain.

     Is it worth it to leave our comfort zone, or help financially, or be a prayer warrior, to reach people in areas where no one wants to go to take the message of Jesus? The testimonies of all who went to minister or had a part in one way or another, would say yes. And the people who heard the message are eternally grateful. Many started the new year with a new life, an eternal life.

      A new sweater, hot chocolate and bread, it doesn't take a lot to meet the needs of children who have next to nothing. This year again the bread was gobbled up by all, and the hunger for the Bread of Life was evident by the participation in the meetings. 

        The new year brings the challenge of establishing a church for this village. We already have the people in place to help and the village asking for us to come and teach them. This is an open door for the furtherance of the Gospel. 

Philippians 1:12 "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,"

    If you wonder what God is doing when you go through hard things, trust that He is working things that happen for the furtherance of the gospel and He has a plan for you. The people on this mountain helped our group. God used these precious mountain people to meet their needs when no one else could. He always has a plan, the best plan. My next blog will tell an amazing story of how God stopped our group in a place half way down the mountain where He has a plan for us.  It's a new year, with new opportunities, for the furtherance of the gospel. 

Mr. and Mrs. Claus of Our Village

Do We Look the Part?

   
    We got up early on Christmas morning because the kids were outside waiting for us. We hurried to leave with the first load of gifts for our neighborhood kids. It didn’t take long to get ready because we don’t have to dress up anymore; the white hair and white beard are the real deal.

     Jaime was waiting at his gate and was all smiles when he saw us. He was just two years old when he was found alone on the street in the city. He  had been in an orphanage for two years when our neighbors inquired about him and began the process to adopt him. We were privileged to have a part in his adoption. Even though our neighbors are considered a poor family, the government is happy to place children in a Bolivian home rather than have them in an orphanage. We helped to buy a bed and clothes for Jaime; it was one of the requirements for the adoption. He is blessed to be in a Christian home now and his dad, Julio, is a leader in our Quechua church here in our village.

     Next door to Jaime is a family of eleven, with eight little ones. A few years ago they requested a visit from the church and most of the family accepted the Lord that night. The father, Daniel, has helped in the construction here in Rumi Rancho. They live directly across from our classrooms.

        Little Sherry helps to take care of the baby, but she still likes baby dolls. Her bothers and sisters help with the cows, cutting alfalfa and feeding the cows. They are all sweet kids.

      The kids greeted us with a gift of homemade cheese. A Christmas gift straight from heaven. It makes great lasagna and warms the heart too. A gift of love.

      They love to have their picture taken with us and they love their gifts and Christmas food.

     Nathaly is the daughter of one of my students. Her mom, Elida, quit school and had Nati and got married. When she was a teen I spent hours and hours trying to convince her to stay in school. Two weeks ago we attended her graduation, finally. She went to night school and got her diploma. She is even talking about going on to become a nurse. God answers prayer.

      We gave many gifts in our village and we were blessed with milk, cheese and eggs from the people here. Both of our churches had special kids' programs on Christmas day and shared the Gospel with many. Our city church gives out breakfast every week and on Christmas gives food and gifts to over one hundred kids. It's a joy to have a part in all they do. The mountain trip is this week and Rumi Rancho will have a big part again this year. We are thankful for God's people who help to make this all possible every Christmas. God has blessed again this year so we can bless many with Christmas gifts and the Christmas story, here in Rumi Rancho, and in hard to reach places in the mountains.

Rumi Rancho Reindeer

Rumi Rancho Reindeer

There really are reindeer in Bolivia

Said Abby to her sisters, Ellie and Olivia

They seem to me just a little bit strange

Aunt Peggy says it’s because they’re open range

I’ve seen them and they are strange indeed

Because their funny antlers are red and green

Many kids walk far to go to Rumi Rancho to play

They hear stories of Jesus and always want to stay

They heard that Jesus was born a long time ago

His birthday is on Christmas day and He loves us so

Missionaries travel the whole world wide

To tell the Good News that Jesus is alive

He was born in a manger on Christmas day

So that we might learn of all God’s ways

The way to heaven is still the same

Believe in Jesus, He knows us by name

We know we celebrate because you are the reason

So Happy Birthday Jesus this Christmas Season

From Rumi Rancho you can hear the kids cheer

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!

Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,

     who is Christ the Lord.”

Graduation Day

Psalms 71:5 “For thou art my hope, Oh Lord God; 
thou art my trust from my youth."

     All of these graduates were students in Rumi Rancho over the last twelve years. Most had computer classes with Chuck and Juan, and all the girls were in my Bible and cooking classes. Many also were in our Quechua Church Sunday School and youth group. The local school in our community finally had enough qualified teachers this year to add the senior year of high school, making this the first class to graduate from the community school. But, from their youth they have been taught God’s Word in Rumi Rancho. We were privileged to be asked, by the director of the school, to participate in the graduation ceremony on December 2, 2011.

       I was asked to walk down the aisle with Vania and her dad. It was an honor! She played in our yard as a little girl and was one of our first students in Rumi Rancho. She plans to attend the government university in our city to study gastronomy. Wonder how she was led to do that? Smile. God is working through my classes, what an awesome God we serve. Cooking and Bible classes are making a difference in girls' lives here in our area. 

     The government university is free, but other expenses are a sacrifice for the parents. All of the families in our area are dairy farmers and depend on their kids to help with the work. To send them to the university is not only a hardship financially, buying books and clothes, transportation fees, etc., but also, it is more work for the parents to handle all the daily chores, cutting alfalfa, and feeding and milking the cows. Vania’s brother graduates from the university this year with a degree in engineering. The family continuously thanks us for the computer classes he had here at Rumi Rancho, making a difference in his life’s direction. What a joy for us to see God using Rumi Rancho to change lives, spiritually and educationally.

     Chuck received a certificate of recognition from the director for all he has done for the school, his physical labor, spiritual guidance and financial contributions. We both were honored to be a part of handing out diplomas. It was an emotional day for us as we watched these kids receiving diplomas, knowing they now are going out into the world. We are thankful we have had the privilege of being in their lives, teaching and guiding them, and helping them through their childhood. We are blessed! We pray that what they have learned academically through the community school in Alba Rancho, and spiritually through our ministry here in Rumi Rancho will "stick" for the rest of their lives.

     It seemed as though no one else noticed that strong gust of wind but me. Half way through the ceremony a storm kicked up and blew down the backdrop and the flowers. The rains blew in and everyone was frightened. They thought it was another tornado like we had two weeks before, just a few miles from us. Within fifteen minutes it calmed down and we went on with the festivities. I am sure a lot of prayers went up during those fifteen minutes.

     Vania's family has been a blessing to us over the years. Her dad, Imilio, is the president of our community and advises us about happenings in the village and the country. Her sweet mom, Miteria, sends us eggs, milk and bread regularly. We are always included in their family gatherings and meals, oh, the delicious meals. You have never tasted chicken like this, cooked in a mud oven, unless of course, you have a mud oven. Smile.

                   We thank God every day for the many opportunities we have to serve Him. As we get closer to Christmas we look forward to our mountain trips, taking the gospel to those who haven't heard the Christmas story yet. We continue to spread the gospel, both here in our valley, and to the highest mountain tops of Bolivia.

Nathaly's Dissertation

I Timothy 4:12 “Let no man despise thy youth,

 but be thou an example of the believers, 

in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

    Nathaly’s life exemplifies this verse, and she has been a testimony to the Lord since she was a little girl. She was only eight years old when we helped to start our city church where her dad has been pastor since it’s beginning. We have had the privilege of being involved in her life for many years. It was our joy to have a large part in her wedding in 2009. Pablo, her husband, has been our vet for many years. We also attended his graduation when he received his degree a few years ago. They are both very special to us, and they are  Godly examples for all who know them. Both participate in the music ministry in the church, and also teach the youth group.

     The first year of Pablo and Nathaly’s marriage they lived here in Rumi Rancho. They were a blessing to us, and the ministry. Nathaly helped in my classes, and Pablo helped with various things in his free time from the clinic in town. We are always invited to their family occasions, and last week was no exception when we were asked to attend her dissertation. It was a blessing to all who sat in to listen as she WOWed us all, even the dissertation committee.

     We listened for 45 minutes as Nathaly gave her dissertation on the WiFi  of Cochabamba. It was very interesting. She had everything memorized, and never skipped a beat as she calmly and confidently showed her expertise in the subject. She studied for five years at the government university here in Cochabamba and completed her thesis this year for her degree in Electronic Engineering. Although the university is free, there are still expenses for books, clothes, transportation etc. Her parents sacrificed to help her see this day.

          

When she finished we were asked to step out of the room while the committee decided her grade.We weren’t surprised when we returned to hear their decision, 100%. Now we say Inginera  (Engineer Nathaly) when we address her, smile. We are proud of her and thankful that we have a part in her life. Just one more reason we love being here in God's work in Bolivia.