Hello everyone. I’d like to wish all of you a happy belated Thanksgiving! I hope that all of you had safe travels and were able to share quality time with family and friends and eat delicious food to your heart’s content. Although the holiday is not celebrated in Bolivia, I was generously invited to partake of a Thanksgiving lunch with American missionaries.

Two important items:

First off, I’d like to invite you to my open house! Please swing by so we can catch up. I’ll be sharing photos, stories, and some traditional Bolivian food and drinks.

Where: My home in Camarillo, CA.
When: Saturday, December 8: anytime between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m.

Please contact me by e-mail for directions.

Second, I’d like to express my profound gratitude to all of you for your steadfast prayers and financial support as I’ve served in Bolivia these past 14 months. Your prayers brought innumerable spiritual blessings and your offerings gave me peace of mind as I endeavored to carry out kingdom work. I understand that many of you will be making your 2019 budget soon. If it is the Lord’s will for you, then I humbly ask that you include me in your giving plans for next year. I am eager to continue investing in the lives of university students and children for Christ, and I would love your partnership in these endeavors. Thank you!

DONATE HERE

As you read this, I am in the final week of my English classes. I am feeling a little melancholy because I am going to miss my students over the winter break, but I am already feeling enthusiastic about the year that lies ahead. Some of my students will continue on with the courses and new students will be added in. Please keep my current students in your prayers. As part of their final project they will be reciting from memory Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” I will be closing my course with a discussion of this verse and its importance for every single student. It is my prayer that those who do not have a relationship with Christ will be moved by these words and sensitive to the Holy Spirit knocking on the door of their heart.

This evening my students learned how to order in English in the El Alfarero cafe. From left to right: Rebeca, Renate, Soraida, Diego, and Criseida.

The El Alfarero team in our cafe praying in anticipation of our annual fundraiser dinner.

Evangelism at Gabriel University.

The past couple of weeks have been quite a blast with the kids of Talita Cumi. The first grand event for the children included acrobatic performances with their classmates at school–a sort of miniature cirque du soleil, if you will.

Recently the boys took a trip to the zoo. I spent the afternoon with three of the older boys who are a part of the big boys club at Talita Cumi. That is, as part of a new initiative at the children’s home, we created two clubs: one for “los grandes” (the big boys) and another one for “los pequeños” (the little boys). I am leading five boys, ages 11-15, in the big boys club. Together, we’ve been going through the creation account in Genesis 1 and linking that to Jesus and the new heavens and new earth in Revelation 21. Going to zoo, beyond being a fun and amusing activity for the boys, fit perfectly with our discussion of God’s creation of the animal kingdom as told in Genesis.

Since I cannot post pictures of the kids online, here are some pictures of animals that we saw.

Prayer requests:
~ Please pray for the country of Bolivia. It will be holding elections soon and the current political climate is tense.
~ Please pray for safe travels for me as I return to the U.S. for a visit. I am looking forward to a time of reconnecting with family, friends, and supporters.

Praises:
~ I am thankful to God for the past 14 months: the Lord’s faithfulness, the warmness and generosity of spirit with which I’ve been received by Bolivians, and all of those who have lifted me up and encouraged me from the U.S.
~ Praise God that this past year has the Lord’s fingerprints all over it: from healings, to people coming to a relationship with Christ, to Christians growing in their faith and reliance upon the Lord. I’ve seen much here, and I look forward to sharing more with all of you in person.

Thank you, again. Just as a reminder, if you would like to donate to support my ministries and me for next year, then please click on the link below.

Grace be with you.

DONATE HERE

October was a bustling month full of all kinds of activities. I started two new courses of English, which meant that I took on several new students. It’s a great pleasure having new students in the classroom as well as a number of students who are continuing from prior courses. I’ve been amazed at the progress they are making linguistically and I am thankful to God for the conversations we’ve been having in the classroom.

One of my favorite conversations dealt with Matthew 4:18-22 where Jesus calls his first disciples. We discussed the implications of three central verbs in this passage and what they signify for a relationship with Jesus Christ: call, leave, and follow. Jesus called out to his disciples, they left their jobs and family, and they followed Him. I challenged my students to think about how this applies to their lives. Another one of my favorite discussions was about Matthew 8:23-27 where Jesus calms the storm. We discussed the story on a figurative level; that is, how we too face storms in life and we can call upon Jesus for help.

Some of my level 3 students.

Last month I also helped head up an information table for El Alfarero for a job fair at a university. I shared about the various ministries and internship opportunities that we offer. I also helped lead the Soularium activity in order to get to know more about the students: their aspirations for the future and their thoughts and views on God.

Mónica, one of the leaders of El Alfarero, and I at the job fair. Mónica’s husband, Sergio, runs the café at El Alfarero.

The Soularium activity.

On Thursday, November 8 El Alfarero held its annual fundraising dinner. We invited people throughout the community: individuals who have a relationship with us, and business and church leaders. While El Alfarero does have revenue streams through the café, educational courses, and office space for rent, it relies on outside support in order to survive.

I continue to volunteer at Talita Cumi, the children’s home. In recent weeks I’ve sensed that my relationship with the boys has deepened. Through my continued interactions with them, I’ve grown in knowledge on how to connect with each individual child in the way that he needs. They are more accustomed to my presence and–even though I spend time with them every Saturday–they frequently ask when I will be coming back for my next visit. The boys are used to so many people coming in and out of their lives and–whether they are conscious of it or not–they desire on a very basic level for people to invest in their lives not just with care, but with consistency. Please pray for me as I continue to do what I can to show them the love of Christ. In order to see pictures of the kids, please view my monthly e-mail newsletter.

Praises and prayer requests:
~  I am grateful to God for 13 months of fruitful service in Bolivia. Please pray for wisdom and vigor as I finish out four more weeks with my students before returning to the U.S. for a visit.

~ Please pray for the boys and girls of Talita Cumi and for its leaders as they are making structural changes for the employees. I’m overjoyed with the addition of two new workers whom the kids love and respect.

~ Please say a prayer for the finances of El Alfarero and our fundraising dinner, so we can continue to pursue our mission of sharing Christ with university students.

Gracias!