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.

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.

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

• 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.

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

• We are seeing the LORD use PINC to influence young women's lives.
• Safety and Health
• Fellowship with Christian sisters

Requests

• That God will refine our message to the audience.
  
• Renewal of our physical strength
• Continued sweet fellowship
  

photobucket link

http://s324.photobucket.com/albums/k323/wisechoices2bolivia/

The Scenic Route

Today was an adventure. We began the morning early as we headed to a suburb of Santa Cruz, La Guardia. We presented the PINC material to three different groups of 50 girls. The girls were very respectful and seemed interested in the message we shared. The school was very appreciative and we will return there tomorrow to share with another 150 girls.

On the way back to Santa Cruz we saw that all the cars ahead of us had turned around and were headed back toward us on the one way street. At first we weren't alarmed due to our initial experiences with traffic and driving in Santa Cruz. We asked one of the taxis headed toward us what had happened ahead. We were told that the locals had blocked the road in protest because a young pregnant woman had been hit by a car and died the day before. (Ask us for more details on that story later.) We then had to find our way back to Santa Cruz through dirt roads and fields. It definitely showed us the hovels of the city.

In the afternoon we came back and prepared 100 care packages for the orphanages we will visit on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We realized we were still short a few items so we headed out to Siete Calles (seven streets). This is an outdoor market lining seven streets that converge in one intersection.

We closed the day by attending the Centro de Vida board meeting where each board member shared their story of involvement and the founding of the center. It was a sweet time of fellowship and mutual encouragement. Both organizations look forward to continuing to build and deepen this partnership. They expressed their appreciation for our on going support and the purpose of our trip here.

Praises

• Safety in crazy traffic
  
• Attentive students
• Our equiptment working today... it was dodgy...
• Safety at the market

Requests

• Continued safety
• Energy and strength for each day and a good night of sleep
• We will speak to two of the orphanges tomorrow. Many of these girls have suffered abuse and we need to be sensitive. Pray that they will understand that no matter what's been taken from them, there is new life in Christ.
• Continued health
  

Pictures

We are working on posting pics but the laptop battery is about to die. You can go to photobucket.com and look at wisechoices2 bolivia to see some of our favorites now.

A Sunday of Worship and Rest

Today we woke up feeling refreshed from a good night of sleep. We attended church at Trinity Union Church (the only English speaking church in a city of 1 million). We were warmly greeted and welcomed. Roger and Isha Hulford led the praise and worship and a young man from Panama, Johnny, taught his first sermon in English. He taught about the attitude of indifference that is so common throughout the world. He reminded us that as followers of Christ we are to reach out to our neighbor and demonstrate the love of God.

After the worship service we headed to lunch near the plaza. In route to lunch we were caught in the middle of a political campaign parade. It was our second glimpse of the passion over political differences in Santa Cruz.

We made it safely to lunch and enjoyed a fun and relaxing afternoon at the hotel. This evening we spent time with Holly Nyquist and were encouraged by our coversations with her.

Tomorrow begins a busy week of speaking and teaching on purity and presenting the gospel and our testimonies. As we continue to meet people we have been given more opportunities to share. The people we will speak with are coming from difficult life situations that we couldn't even begin to imagine. Pray that God will give us sensitivity to what they've been through and the we will communicate His love. After all their only hope is a relationship with the same One who has saved us.

Praises

• Beautiful weather
• We are all healthy
• God has continued to protect us and keep us safe
• Affirmation of our purpose

Requests

• Strength and energy for the week.
• Guidance as we focus our presentations on our audience. We will be speaking to girls that are prostitutes and street people.
• That God will change hearts and save lives.
• For the right words
  
• As we have spoken with several friends living in Santa Cruz we have seen that there is not much value placed on marriage, commitment and responsibility.

Pretty in PINC

Saturday Night in Santa Cruz...

Here we sit under the stars in the patio area of our beautiful surroundings at Hotel Yotau. It is the only place we can get a good internet connection. We certainly are modern missionaries! Anyway, the day was awesome and we are pleased to be able to report to you a good report.

This morning, we hosted our PINC conference for the English Speaking Missionaries and the young women they influence. Suzanne and Sara first with the young women and spoke about purity and setting boundaries. The young women responded with enthusiasm and one of the senior girls from the Christian Learning Center invited them to come speak at the senior girls Bible study on Thursday night. This was something that God had laid on Sara's heart and an opportunity that she had been praying for as she prepared for Bolivia. There were many teens, moms, and missionary women who made a commitment to purity and they in turn prayed for our next week of sessions to be spoken in the schools and orphanages.

This afternoon, 15 women who are volunteers at Centro de Vida, came for training. The discussion and training was very interesting to see the cultural differences between our two countries on the subject of adoption, abortion, stds, and so on. We presented them with a small gift from Wise Choices and also presented them with youth education curriculum which is in spanish. They were very thankful and appreciative. Their "graciousness" and appreciation for what we have offered are very heart-felt!

We found out yesterday that we will be presenting purity and integrity to a group of 15 young women who have been in prostitution and/or have been sexually abused. So if you are reading this prior to our speaking...we certainly would appreciate your prayers!

Tomorrow morning we will go to the Trinity Union Church and are looking forward to seeing and meeting more of the local English speaking missionaries. We hope to encourage them to pray for our team and for Centro de Vida. We will get a bit of souvenire shopping in at the plaza tomorrow and then back to the hotel to relax and get ready for the full week ahead of us.

Buenos Noches from Bolivia! Eve, Leslie, Suzanne, and Sara

Sisters in Christ

What a wonderful day in beautiful Santa Cruz. The weather is great because it is winter for this part of the world. What a wonderful change from hot, dry Texas.
Today we slept in a little since we did not get settled into our hotel room until after 2:30 AM. We went to lunch and tried a Bolivian specialty. We then went to the bank and did a little shopping for supplies for our presentations.
Our hearts were touched specifically when we went and toured Centro de Vida. During our time we heard testimony from Patricia about her vision to start the center and how faithful God has been. Her passion for the work is so obvious. We also talked with Cynthia the counseling director. Her testimony of how God brought her to the center brought us all to tears.
We were privileged to participate in the 1st birthday celebration of Andrea. Her mother was one of Cynthia's first clients who was very abortion minded. After seeing her baby on ultrasound she decided to continue her pregnancy. The center is now a part of her family. What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ coming together to support this young mother.
Patricia and Cynthia also expressed great joy and appreciation for the air conditioners. They shared testimony of how this will impact the work they do. The counseling room has direct sun exposure and gets horribly hot especially in the summer. A big thank you goes to First Baptist Church in Decatur who provided most of the money.

Tomorrow we will present the Purity and Integrity in Christ (PINC) for the English Speaking Missionary moms and daughters. In the afternoon Eve and Leslie will train the Centro de Vida volunteers.

Praises:

• The wonderfully cool weather!
• The living testimony of Andrea. (We will post pictures later)
• The unity of the body of Christ.

Prayer Requests:

• That all the technology will work.
• That our hearts and their hearts will be prepared for what the LORD will do.
• For the breakout sessions with the moms and daughters, that the conversations would be real and intimate.
  
• We need energy!
• Patricia, who will be our primary translator. She is nervous and is worried that things will not go smoothly. Pray that the LORD would give her the right words and that she would have His peace as she speaks.
  

We're here!

Yesterday we traveled from DFW to Miami where we ended up with a four hour layover. That time provided an opportunity for us to practice our presentation, Purity and Integrity in Christ. When we arrived in Santa Cruz at eleven o'clock we had to wait in line for two hours to get our visas. While it was tiring to wait in line after a long day of travel, the Lord provided and let us through with only a few minor bumps and ALL our luggage. That was a huge blessing and one of our biggest concerns as we came into Bolivia. We had immediate assistance from Robertowho helped guide us through the visa process and rescued our luggage! Once we were through customs we were greeted with smiles and hugs by our wonderful sisters in Christ, Patricia, Christina, Martha and Cynthia. We arrived safely at Hotel Yotau at about 1:30 AM Friday morning.

Praises

• God provided safe travel into Bolivia.
• All of our luggage arrived with us on time.
• We had a healthy day of travel.
• Thanks for sweet fellowship with sisters in Christ.
• We easily acquired our visas upon entry into Bolivia.

Requests

• That we will depend on the LORD to be our strength.
• That Patricia will feel comfortable translating and that it will be easy for her.
• That we will continue to remain healthy.
• We still feel tried from travel so pray for physical strength.

Bolivia Mission Prayer Calendar

Would you pray for us? Here is our schedule...
July 24th - Travel to Santa Cruz Bolivia

- VISA at the Airport and safety through customs

- Leaving behind our family

- Safety AA flights #2279 and #947

July 25 - Meet with staff at Centro De Vida

Work and Coordinate with CDV on presentations (PINC)

- Unity in Christ

- Getting the technology to work

July 26 - PINC presentation for missionary kids and moms

Evangelism training for Centro de Vida volunteers

- God will give us his words and open up hearts

- May we be an encouragement to missionary families

July 27 - We will visit a Bolivian church and TUC Trinity Union Church - the only English speaking church in Santa Cruz. In the afternoon we will visit Stansberry orphanage. http://www.stansberrychildren.org/

Safety as we go to the market to buy supplies for the childrens home.

July 28 - PINC presentations in the public schools
Meeting with the Centro de Vida Board

- Open the hearts and minds of the Bolivian students to hear his plan and his call for them

July 29 - PINC presentations in the public schools
Visit Talita Cumi Girls home http://www.talitacumi.org/index.html
Meet with the international bible study fellowship

- Safety for travel

- Open hearts and minds for the students

- Encouragement for the missionary women

July 30 - PINC presentations in the public schools
Visit Cristo Viene Girls Home http://www.nacerministries.org/cristo_viene_girls.html
Film testimonies of clients at Centro de Vida

- Technology to cooperate with presentations and filming

July 31 - PINC presentations in schools

- Lift up the team. We will be TIRED by now.

- Lift up our families. They will be missing us.

Aug 1 - Visit World Concern
Visit Cristo Viene Boys Home
Travel to Samaipata for a retreat

- Pray for safety as we travel into the mountains.

Aug 2 - Visit the Incan Ruins and return to Santa Cruz

- Pray that we will accomplish all God has sent us to do

Aug 3 - Travel to USA

- Pray for safety as we return. AA flights # 922 and 1973

Our daily prayer concerns include:
- Unity in Christ among team members
- Physical protection/Health
- Flexibility with planning. Everything is subject to change.

Team members: Leslie H, Suzanne J, Eve R, Sara R

Leaving Next Week!

Centro de Vida!
Santa Cruz, Bolivia here we come…

On July 24, there will be four Wise Choices’ representatives headed to Santa Cruz, Bolivia for ten days. Eve R and her team - Leslie H, Sara R and Suzanne J will be going to assist/advise, speak (in schools) and take resources to help the Centro de Vida (Center of Life) Pregnancy Resource Center in any way they can. They are currently raising funds to help the center purchase two air conditioning units and a DVD player for the center and a karaoke speaker system to use in the schools. The center currently has no air conditioning and the units are very expensive ($600-800 each).

This 3 ½ year old center sits in the middle of a city of over one million people. It is the only pregnancy center in the entire country of Bolivia. Executive Director, Patricia B says that in the first 3 years they were open they had 1,150 client visits, 94 abortion minded who changed their mind for life and 300 decisions for Christ. Their abstinence presentations have already reached close to 2,000 students.

While in Santa Cruz, Roberts and her team also have plans to visit four orphanages (approximately 100 children). They are raising funds of $10 per child to be able to purchase hygiene items, school supplies and other miscellaneous things once in Bolivia.

*Some facts about Santa Cruz, Bolivia:
·Bolivia is one of the poorest and least developed Latin countries: 65% of Bolivians live on less than $2 a day.
·Abortion is illegal, yet about 115 abortions occur daily.
·47-50% of hospital beds on gynecology wards are occupied by patients admitted for abortion complications.
·In less than 200 years’ independence, Bolivia has endured nearly 200 coups and countercoups.
·Bolivia is the 3rd largest exporter of coca (cocaine in the raw).
·Santa Cruz is the largest city in Bolivia.
·President Evo Morales has pledged to reform Bolivia, reject Western concepts, and recover Aymaran wisdom. “We fight to defend the Pachamama [Mother Earth],” he said.
*quoted from www.lifeinternational.com

The team is going with an open mind to be used by the Lord in whatever way He desires. If you would like to help out financially with any of the mentioned needs, please contact Eve R as soon as possible at 940-627-6924.