The suitcases are open on the floor and we have spent as many of our remaining B's as we can. Today has been a day of saying goodbye to those who have helped us so much during our time. I(Leslie) was able to do the Evantell training with Patricia and her director of client services Cynthia. It was like Christmas when Cynthia and I unpacked the 80 pound suitcase at Centro de Vida.
Our time here has been so fruitful. We have been touched people in so many walks of life, from street kids to missionary kids. The level of hospitality we have experienced and the welcome we felt has made Bolivia feel like a second home.
Pray that God will guide us when to return. There is a great deal of interest for us to return possibly over Spring Break and do a more comprehensive program at the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center.
Thank you for your support and your prayers. We have never felt in any physical danger. God has guarded our health and gone before us in situations we have been apprehensive about. We serve a great and mighty God who is the same in Bolivia as he is in the USA.
Be in prayer for us as we go through customs and immigration in Santa Cruz and Miami. Tomorrow will be another long travel day.
Via con Dios
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Stories We Haven't Had Time To Tell
Estella's Story
On Thursday we went to Cristo Viene girls home. We taught a group of 16 young women. After speaking to them we were able to hang around and become better accquainted with some of the girls. One young woman we met was named Estella. We found out that on Wednesday she had been diagnosed with myelodyplastic anemia. She has been prescribed a medication that will cost US$200 every week. Cristo Viene is a very poor orphanage that has trouble providing fruit for their children becauce of the rapid inflation that is affecting the entire country. Please pray that God will open up doors for her to have the proper medical treatment.
Delivering the Gifts
We gave gift sacks to the children at Cristo Viene girls home and Talita Cumi. The kids were all very excited about everything in the sacks. The workers in the home were very grateful for everything we brought. The stamping supplies were especially appreciated by the Cristo Viene girls since this is one way they earn money.
The El Aferero GirlsWe were all touched by how responsive and gentle this group of girls was. We had asked you all to pray for our time with these young ladies and as always the LORD was faithful to provide in abundance. He gave these girls attentive ears to hear, teachable hearts and a level of comfort with us so that they were able to ask honest questions. They were quick to hug us and smiled the most out of any of the groups we spoke to. Continue to pray for this ministry that is providing hope and a home.
Rainy Friday Morning
Hi to all from rainy Santa Cruz! We are going to have a "mid-day" blog today. We are actually sitting in a patio area of a coffee shop and enjoying the cool weather and rain. I'm (Eve) getting really used to my cafe con leche (strong coffee with steamed milk and sugar).
This morning we went to World Concern Headquarters as Patricia Banegas (Director of Centro de Vida) gave a presentation on what has been accomplished since the inception of their center. World Concern was a big supporter of her center for the first 3 1/2 years and now she has her legal papers which has made her able to be autonomous. This was a sweet good bye of sorts...she gave them a plaque for appreciation and they prayed for her at the end. We are glad to be part of this small ceremony.
Our plans had been to go to Cristo Viene Boys' Home today (one hour from SC), however, it rained all night and a bridge collapsed in el tourno (the road to CVB). Coincidentally, this was the same road we would have been traveling on had we gone to Samaipata today. I believe we know for sure that we are NOT supposed to take this road because plans have been blocked by a rock slide, construction, gas shortage and now a collapsed bridge.
We are reflecting on all that has happened today...amazing to see God's Hands in every thing we have done. We know many of you reading this have been praying for us at every bend and turn and just want to say once again how much we appreciate your love and concern!
The highlight for me so far (Eve again), was the night we spent with the 13 very young girls at El Afarero. We were so touched by their sweet faces and childlikeness coupled with the fact that they are already very scarred with lifes pains and sorrow. I believe many of the girls we see at Wise Choices have the same heartache and I pray that God will give us a chance to be able to share with them the way we have been able to do here.
We now know so many new ways to pray for the young girls of Bolivia. We have seen their eyes and hearts and have been able to share a great love with them.
That is all for now, and we will blog more later today! Love in Christ! Eve (for Team PINC)
This morning we went to World Concern Headquarters as Patricia Banegas (Director of Centro de Vida) gave a presentation on what has been accomplished since the inception of their center. World Concern was a big supporter of her center for the first 3 1/2 years and now she has her legal papers which has made her able to be autonomous. This was a sweet good bye of sorts...she gave them a plaque for appreciation and they prayed for her at the end. We are glad to be part of this small ceremony.
Our plans had been to go to Cristo Viene Boys' Home today (one hour from SC), however, it rained all night and a bridge collapsed in el tourno (the road to CVB). Coincidentally, this was the same road we would have been traveling on had we gone to Samaipata today. I believe we know for sure that we are NOT supposed to take this road because plans have been blocked by a rock slide, construction, gas shortage and now a collapsed bridge.
We are reflecting on all that has happened today...amazing to see God's Hands in every thing we have done. We know many of you reading this have been praying for us at every bend and turn and just want to say once again how much we appreciate your love and concern!
The highlight for me so far (Eve again), was the night we spent with the 13 very young girls at El Afarero. We were so touched by their sweet faces and childlikeness coupled with the fact that they are already very scarred with lifes pains and sorrow. I believe many of the girls we see at Wise Choices have the same heartache and I pray that God will give us a chance to be able to share with them the way we have been able to do here.
We now know so many new ways to pray for the young girls of Bolivia. We have seen their eyes and hearts and have been able to share a great love with them.
That is all for now, and we will blog more later today! Love in Christ! Eve (for Team PINC)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
What a wonderful day. The temp was perfect and no rain. The Lord has blessed us with good weather and Suzanne is almost back to normal.
Today we went to Cristo Viene girls home and Talita Cumi orphanage. We were able to give the PINC presentation to the girls. Afterwards we had time to pass out the gift packs and take a tour of the orphanage. Tomorrow we will post pictures with some specific stories.
In the evening Sara and Suzanne were invited to the senior girls bible study. Eve and Leslie went to dinner with some of Eve's friends. We all got in very late.
Today we went to Cristo Viene girls home and Talita Cumi orphanage. We were able to give the PINC presentation to the girls. Afterwards we had time to pass out the gift packs and take a tour of the orphanage. Tomorrow we will post pictures with some specific stories.
In the evening Sara and Suzanne were invited to the senior girls bible study. Eve and Leslie went to dinner with some of Eve's friends. We all got in very late.
We have cancelled the trip to Samipata because of difficulty with the roads. A usually 2 hour trip is now taking 4-5 hours. Because of our flight on Sunday we decided that we will cancel that excursion. Leslie will do evangelism training with Patricia so she can teach the Evantell training to her volunteers.
Praises
- Suzanne is much better. Thank you for your prayers.
- We have been able to continue to present the PINC program
Requests
- May God guide our choices as we decide how to reschedule our time
- We will be traveling 50 kilometers outside the city to Cristo Viene boys home.
- Continue to pray for safety. We have run into more blockades which have slowed us down, but we have never felt threatened.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Lord Works In Mysterious Ways
Good evening from Santa Cruz. We have had a busy and wonderful day. We have been truly aware of and blessed by your prayers.
Our day started with a strange sound outside our window. It was pouring down rain and the temp had dropped 25-30 degrees. This changed our wardrobe plans quickly.
The work part of our day started with a trip to Patricia's old high school. We were supposed to have 3 different classes to talk to, but after our first class the principle got on the the speaker and said school was cancelled for the rest of the day. All the public school teachers and administrators in Santa Cruz had been called to a meeting. We packed up and went to an internet cafe for coffee to warm us up.
This suprise left us with a some unexpected time that allowed us to work on how to present the program to the street girls with a history of prostitution. We were then able to go to the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center for a trip down memory lane for Eve and Sara. Eve had taught computer in 2000-2001 and Sara had taught art in Fall 2006. They enjoyed giving the tour and were able to see some old friends.
In the afternoon we went with Patricia to Ebenezer Baptist Church where she presented to a group of ladies about the mission of Centro de Vida. They were very receptive.
Immediately we went to speak the the street girls from El Alfarero home. http://www.ywamconnect.com/sites/hulfordsbolivia/El%20Alfarero%20Photos
We spoke for over 2 hours. They were VERY receptive and had many questions about STD's. This was our best presentation by far. We left so excited and with a sense that God had been with us in a very special way. Our team knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we were being bathed in prayer.
Tomorrow we will present at Cristo Vienne girls home. We will also be giving the gift packs we have made. These contain a washcloth, soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste as well as schools supplies and other personal hygiene items. Thank you to everyone who gave money or items for these packs. We will also be taking fresh fruit to supplement their meals. Thank you to Corinth Baptist Church VBS for sending this money.
Praises
Our day started with a strange sound outside our window. It was pouring down rain and the temp had dropped 25-30 degrees. This changed our wardrobe plans quickly.
The work part of our day started with a trip to Patricia's old high school. We were supposed to have 3 different classes to talk to, but after our first class the principle got on the the speaker and said school was cancelled for the rest of the day. All the public school teachers and administrators in Santa Cruz had been called to a meeting. We packed up and went to an internet cafe for coffee to warm us up.
This suprise left us with a some unexpected time that allowed us to work on how to present the program to the street girls with a history of prostitution. We were then able to go to the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center for a trip down memory lane for Eve and Sara. Eve had taught computer in 2000-2001 and Sara had taught art in Fall 2006. They enjoyed giving the tour and were able to see some old friends.
In the afternoon we went with Patricia to Ebenezer Baptist Church where she presented to a group of ladies about the mission of Centro de Vida. They were very receptive.
Immediately we went to speak the the street girls from El Alfarero home. http://www.ywamconnect.com/sites/hulfordsbolivia/El%20Alfarero%20Photos
We spoke for over 2 hours. They were VERY receptive and had many questions about STD's. This was our best presentation by far. We left so excited and with a sense that God had been with us in a very special way. Our team knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we were being bathed in prayer.
Tomorrow we will present at Cristo Vienne girls home. We will also be giving the gift packs we have made. These contain a washcloth, soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste as well as schools supplies and other personal hygiene items. Thank you to everyone who gave money or items for these packs. We will also be taking fresh fruit to supplement their meals. Thank you to Corinth Baptist Church VBS for sending this money.
Praises
- Gods incredible grace with a group of very receptive girls.
- Cooling rain. Temps in the upper 80's are pretty hot with no air conditioning
- All the technology is working great and is a true asset
Requests
- Suzanne is feeling under the weather. She is still able to present and most people would not know she is sick.
- Bolivia is in the middle of a gasoline crisis. The gas stations have very long lines. Our taxi driver this AM said it took him 2 hours to get gas last night. This could affect our plans for later in the week.
- Pray for Sara and Suzanne tomorrow night. They have the invited to the senior girls Bible study for the girls at the learning center. Ask that God will give them wisdom and a fresh message about purity and integrity.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Back to Basics
Today was another long day. This morning we went back to La Guardia and spoke to 150 more girls. We were encouraged to hear that the message of purity that we had communicated was already beginning to effect the girls and that it was stimulating conversation between students and teachers. The faculty at La Guardia was appreciative and gracious and invited us to come back whenever we could to continue and teach this much needed message to the girls in the community. We finished at the school around 12:30 and grabbed lunch at one of Eve's favorite restaurants.
After lunch we went to visit Stansberry children's home. This was an emotional experience for Eve, seeing where her daughter Michelle spent the second 45 days of her life. She was able to visit with a woman who remembered and had cared for Michelle before they had adopted her.
It was then time for us to present the PINC presentation to the girls from Stansberry and also the girls from Talita Cumi. In all we had 21 girls as a captive audience. This group was our most difficult to present to so far. Most of these girls had come to the homes because of abusive situations so it was imperative that we communicate the message of purity in a sensitive manner. It was also a challenge because we had to go back to the very basics and give clinical definitions of sex and body fluids. But all in all they received a message of God's ability to heal from sexual abuse.
From there we went straight to Holly Nyquist's home for a ladies Bible study. We enjoyed fellowship with many women Eve and Sara had known while they lived here. We shared how we came to Santa Cruz and what we had done so far. We ended the evening with prayer and have just now returned to the hotel. We are wiped out and have a busy schedule for tomorrow.
Tomorrow we meet the El Alferero girls, those that have been and are still currently in prostitution. Pray for our time with these girls. Pray that God will open their eyes and that they will hear a message of hope and His great love for them. We will meet with them tomorrow evening, so as you eat dinner be sure to lift us up in prayer.
Praises
After lunch we went to visit Stansberry children's home. This was an emotional experience for Eve, seeing where her daughter Michelle spent the second 45 days of her life. She was able to visit with a woman who remembered and had cared for Michelle before they had adopted her.
It was then time for us to present the PINC presentation to the girls from Stansberry and also the girls from Talita Cumi. In all we had 21 girls as a captive audience. This group was our most difficult to present to so far. Most of these girls had come to the homes because of abusive situations so it was imperative that we communicate the message of purity in a sensitive manner. It was also a challenge because we had to go back to the very basics and give clinical definitions of sex and body fluids. But all in all they received a message of God's ability to heal from sexual abuse.
From there we went straight to Holly Nyquist's home for a ladies Bible study. We enjoyed fellowship with many women Eve and Sara had known while they lived here. We shared how we came to Santa Cruz and what we had done so far. We ended the evening with prayer and have just now returned to the hotel. We are wiped out and have a busy schedule for tomorrow.
Tomorrow we meet the El Alferero girls, those that have been and are still currently in prostitution. Pray for our time with these girls. Pray that God will open their eyes and that they will hear a message of hope and His great love for them. We will meet with them tomorrow evening, so as you eat dinner be sure to lift us up in prayer.
Praises
- We are seeing the LORD use PINC to influence young women's lives.
- Safety and Health
- Fellowship with Christian sisters
- That God will refine our message to the audience.
- Renewal of our physical strength
- Continued sweet fellowship
Monday, July 28, 2008
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