February was one of the most thrilling months of ministry that I’ve had since arriving in Bolivia back in 2017. 

Three of the boys made the decision to be baptized and follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The boys were quite pensive about the occasion, realizing that baptism is not salvation itself, but that they were making a public declaration of their faith, and that the submersion in water was a representation of the eternal life and resurrection we have in Christ. Please keep them in your prayers, that they would continue to advance in their faith.

We also celebrated the quinceañera (15th birthday) of Geraldine. The 15th birthday in Latin culture is the most important one. We had a wonderful celebration presenting her with roses, reading Bible verses, singing, eating, and praying over her. I had the distinct privilege of accompanying her for her entrance. Later in the program I presented her with a watch signifying that this is a special time in her life where she’s leaving her childhood behind and entering into her young adult years. I encouraged her to make the most of every moment to glorify the Lord with respect to Psalm 90:12: “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”

The night of the quinceañera, we also saw off Valeria and Nicol, two young women who have turned 18 years old and are commencing the next stage of their life outside of Talita Cumi. Valeria will be living with the family of the director of Talita Cumi and Nicol will be living in the transition home Ruth’s House with the guardian Raquel, a Spanish missionary.

This momentous moment marks the official inauguration of the Ruth’s House ministry, bringing to fruition a dream shared by many within Talita Cumi for many years. Please keep Nicol in your prayers as she continues with her studies and integrates into a new church community. Thank you for your prayers and offerings to care for Nicol and launch this project.

Grace and joy be with you.