Episode 10: Out of the Overflow

It's been a remarkably dry 'rainy season' this year, as
evidenced by this dusty road near our house.

Speaking of roads, these cars were getting a layer of mud applied so as to
prepare for the carnage of Carnaval (they spray paint at you here). A not
uncommon sight.

Sam in silly-selfie mode. There's definitely a west-of-Scotland thing going on here.

Remember Mariana from Trinidad? She graduated from Etnos last week! This
is a seminary with a particular focus on tribal missions and unreached peoples.
Here she is with husband  Nathan (they married just a couple of months ago).
Craig has known her since she was just eight years old and, of course, we served
alongside her at Fundación Totaí for many years. What a joy to see her graduate!

Sam with his friend Zoe, at church.

More of the same. I think that's quite enough for now.

Prayer Points

• We are busy, but very much serving from 'the overflow of the abundance' of God's grace. It's an exciting place to be. Give thanks.
• Give thanks for the progress we are seeing in Sam.
• Give thanks for the opportunity to come alongside other church and ministry leaders in Santa Cruz in the last month.
• Pray for our upcoming travels: Amanda to Cochabamba and Oruro (11th-14th), Craig to Scotland (17th-26th).
• Pray for the Langham event taking place today (Saturday 7th) and for preparations for the Level 1/2 event in June.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 17/02/18

Missionaries, eh?

We are now back, safely ensconced in Trinidad, but when we last wrote, our Guatemalan experience was only just beginning. So allow me to fill you in.

We made the most of our remaining time by Lake Atitlán, mostly slumming it by the pool, but also taking a boat ride one day for a little tour of the surrounding villages and towns, where Mayan culture continues to live large. 

Antigua, Guatemala's former capital city (helpfully,
'Antigua' means former).

However, our main reason for being in the Central American republic was, of course, Latin Link's International Assembly, back in Guatemala City, a four-hour drive from the lake on the morning of the 1st. The IA is a gathering of most of Latin Link's missionaries and support workers and takes place every four years. We have only been members of Latin Link for around 18 months and have just about got the hang of the Bolivia team, so while we knew it was probably the right thing to attend, we weren't exactly jumping for joy at the prospect of seeing old friends. So it was perhaps inevitable that the whole shebang surpassed our expectations, but it did so to an extent we had not anticipated; indeed, if you'll permit me a hackneyed cliché, I'd go so far as to call it a 'game-changer' (that hurt!).

La-la-la-la-la-la banda.

If you know my family, you may not be entirely surprised to know that the music at the IA was particularly special for me, though again, this in fact all rather snuck up on me. A few months ago, when the appeal went out for Latin Linkers to sign up to play in the band, I threw my hat in the ring with all the inevitability of an Olympic doping controversy. Because Cunninghams 'n' that. But as the IA approached, and with our family circumstances becoming increasingly challenging, I wondered if it might be best for me to sit this one out. As ever, Amanda knew best, encouraging me to go for it, knowing what a lift it would give me.

The joys were threefold. Firstly, I got to connect with a bunch of similarly somewhat-limited-but-willing people who loved the Lord and wanted to use such gifts to honour him; as a group, we gelled remarkably quickly. Secondly, we were led by the one person who was anything but limited: Santiago Benavides; missionary, musician, poet, artist to his fingernails. And, above all, a great disciple of the Lord, whose every utterance seemed bathed in thankfulness, and who, unlike the vast majority of Latin American Christian recording artists (whose output is largely driven by the immigrant market in the USA) espouses a most grounded, Latin American theology. 'Santi', from Colombia, was as patient and humble as he was professional. It was a privilege for all of us to serve with him (more here). 

A kids' programme was laid on for the likes of Sam.

Thirdly, and probably most crucially, for the first time in years I went back to my bass-twangin' roots, without the bothersome distraction of a microphone in my face. 'Twas very heaven.

With over 150 present from all over the western hemisphere in the morning sessions, the music inevitably had to cater to a range of cultures, and while Spanish was the main sung language, French, Portuguese, German and English songs also made occasional appearances. In the end, not a voice was muted and what could have been awkward became, under Santi's able direction, a spine-tingling foretaste of the new creation.

Mike Fernández, Cornhill cohort.

While I made lots of new friends in the music group, there were a few more of our old acquaintances in attendance outside of our Bolivia team. Peruvian Mike Fernández is now Latin Link's Scottish coordinator, a fair compensation having had the 'pleasure' of my company at Cornhill Scotland four years ago. A fair few missionaries from LAM Canada (which remains our main sending agency) were also present; with the Colombians LAM-ers, we staged a Super Bowl Sunday mid-conference caper (alas, Amanda and I had a long-standing engagement to attend to during the second-half). 

Our fellow Canadians.

Aside from the social stuff, the IA provided a daily diet of plenary sessions covering big, important themes for the world of missions (such as mobilisation, the changing nature of missions), and workshops dealing with more day-to-day practical issues (such as self-care, leadership and working with Millennials). We both gleaned great practical insight from these sessions.

An afternoon workshop.

The main order of business at the IA was welcoming Latin Link's new International Team Leader, Paul Turner, who assumes the role from Alan Tower (a great, warm guy, who served for many years in Bolivia, and who is moving on to Friends International). Amanda and I are really excited to be working under Paul, who, along with his wife, Ruth, we got to know well last year when they attended our Bolivia team meeting. They are a couple with a great interest in people and were a great encouragement to us. We are looking forward to seeing them again later this year, God-willing, at the Scottish conference.

Latin Link's World Cup winners, needless to say. A celtic conglomerate.

All said and done, the International Assembly proved well worth the airfare. What an encouragement to see what God is doing in Latin America; in particular, the increasing numbers of Latin Americans who are themselves bringing the good news to neighbouring countries, to Spain, or, indeed, to the Middle East (where they are, inevitably, much more welcome than the pastier-faced of this world). We are thrilled that Latin Link is actively facilitating such developments. And what a privilege to spend a week in the company of so many others with a love for God and for this corner of the globe. We're not alone, after all!

I'll close with a confession. As effusive as we try to be on this here blog, for the past few years we have often wondered if the time has come to pack up and head back to some kind of ministry back in Scotland; if anything, this has probably been driven by a combination of the relative isolation of Trinidad and the desire simply to be back among friends and family, more so than any real 'calling'. The International Assembly, for us, was confirmation that the Latin missions world is where we still belong. Whether that still means Trinidad, Bolivia, is a question for another day. For the moment, we're just thankful for the opportunity that Guatemala provided -- both for rest and for support -- and excited to see what our great God has in store. All glory, praise and thanks be to the 'Esperanza de las naciones'.

Prayer

• We arrived back in La Paz last Saturday, which was convenient, as our first big job after the IA was getting Sam's UK visa paperwork submitted (if you aren't aware, we're hoping to travel in late March for a six-month stay). However, being Carnaval weekend, we weren't able to hand over the documents till Wednesday morning, which required us to stay in La Paz a few more days; we were well looked after by a friend who lives in a quiet spot outside the city. Anyway, we appreciate your prayers that this application will be granted (what could possibly go wrong?).
• Sam starts his day-care again next week. You can pray for that.
• Assuming the visa gets the green light, we have just three-and-a-half weeks to finalise things here in Trinidad. Pray for focus, energy and patience.

Praise

• Our stay in Guatemala was also prolonged as the Latin Link Bolivia team opted to have our own two-day annual business meeting straight after the IA. Anyway, it was a good meeting and we had a particularly encouraging afternoon praying for one another.
• Guatemala also saw Amanda's mother, Selene, head back to Canada at the end of two months with us. She was a huge help during a challenging time for us, particularly in taking care of Sam. Give thanks for family.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 21/02/15

Last January, the Beni region -- which is flat, vast, and susceptible to rain-related hazards at the best of times -- was hit by the worst flooding it had witnessed in 60 years. Dozens lost their lives and around 60,000 families were displaced. The floods had a devastating impact on agriculture too, with 150,000 cattle killed and 43,000 hectares of cultivated land destroyed.

Of course, we were not actually in Trinidad when this happened; indeed, having arrived here in 2010 just after some similarly bad flooding, we seem to have an uncanny knack of avoiding the worst of it. We're probably due one.

It's not likely to happen this rainy season (which tends to run from December to early April), but the last couple of weeks have seen a spate of prolonged and heavy rainstorms. We reckoned we'd got off the hook again this year when we made it to the end of January with nothing worse than a daily half-hour sprinkling. But February -- often the peak month -- has been a different story altogether, with the streets around us often completely submerged in water. No-one is having to leave their home or anything, but when we look around us, we're thankful for that council regulation we followed somewhat begrudgingly a few years back when building the house, that required us to raise the height of our land by a metre or so. Good call. 

Just about the only day we haven't seen such downpours over the last fortnight was Monday, which was a particular bonus given that it was the day of the annual Carnaval youth event. This year, the youth committee invited a guest speaker, a youth leader from a local church, having (probably rightly!) come to the conclusion that the young people are probably bored of hearing from the same people every week. He did a couple of talks -- one in the morning and one in the evening -- on the attributes of God, and did so in a way that the young people could really relate to. As is tradition, the afternoon was spent outdoors playing games mostly involving oversized water balloons. No avoiding a good soaking here even on sunny days.

The Carnaval weekend takes in Tuesday as well; if you're new to the blog, you'll soon find out that bank holidays are a national pastime round these here parts. So it's been a pretty compressed 'working week' (whatever that means in ministry), with the usual mix of HR and one-on-one work for Amanda, and sermon preparation and church leadership meetings for me. Due to the weather and other factors, I wasn't able to touch base with my own discipleship charges. Some Carnaval-like conditions, then, would be most welcome in the coming week.

This is a bit shorter than normal, but I think perfectly fair, given that we've just sent out our latest update. If you'd like a copy sent to your inbox every three months or so, just send us an email at cramandaham@gmail.com.

Prayer

• Tomorrow, Craig will be preaching his first sermon of 2015 -- and his first Spanish sermon in over a year -- as he begins a three-week stint in the pulpit, picking up the 1 Peter baton from Elías. Pray especially for clarity in communication.
• We have had to deal with a very difficult domestic situation this week involving some people we know from the church, and will probably be knee-deep in it for some time to come. This is not the place to go into details, but needless to say, we need love, patience, and a lot of wisdom. Pray for a gracious bestowal of all of these.
• This coming Friday sees the visit from Cochabamba of Eduardo Rojas from Langham Bolivia, who is coming to give information about a proposed Langham Preaching course here in Trinidad. Over the next few days, Craig will be reminding the various Bible teachers he's touched base with over the last few weeks. Please pray for a really good turnout at the meeting.

Praise

• For a great Carnaval event with the young people, and particularly for a conspicuous lack of rain!

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 14/02/15

The best image I could find online of the below-mentioned jigsaw.
Deary me. McCartney's left nostril alone must've contained the 'Help' film
poster, the 'Revolver' album cover, and a Gretsch Duo Jet.

There haven't been too many ministry developments to report this week, but to be honest, it's just a relief that I'm even able to upload this week's scribblings. 

With many hundreds, or even thousands, of miles separating the overseas worker and loved ones back home, the importance of communications can be keenly felt. One of the fascinating aspects of the on-off relationship I've had with this unique country over 15 years has been to witness developments in this area.

Of course, back in September 2000, I didn't exactly set off for Bolivia on a cargo ship from Southampton, waving a handkerchief to a family whom I never knew when I'd see again. Things weren't that bad (though it wasn't too long ago, of course, that such a scene was perfectly normal). But the adjustments required for an 18-year-old, well into the internet age, were not insignificant. The postal service was sluggish and unreliable. My Mum sent me a Beatles jigsaw for Christmas that year, opting for land mail given the bulk of the package. It arrived some time in mid-April. My Dad kindly bought me a subscription to a weekly digest of a British newspaper, specially put together for ex-pats. The enjoyment of reading this was largely dictated by how much of the past three weeks' news I was able to forget.

Not that that was too hard, given that the only 'international' TV news source here was CNN, and the internet had only just got off to a sluggish start. A five-minute wait for pages to load was pretty much par for the course. The phrase, 'I'm going to check my email' was never so accurate (one email was about as much as you could cover in a session!).

As for phones, forget about it. Calls cost a small fortune and the line was beset with a five-second delay as standard, which proved particularly problematic one December day. That same Christmas as Jigsawgate, Dad (they really do mean well, my parents!) brought a conference phone home from his office so that the 20 or so family members jammed into my parents' house could take it in turns to wish me a happy Christmas. I got the distinct impression that Dad's good cheer extended only so far when it came to the phone bill, and I'll forever have in my head the imaginary image of him standing there by the phone, in Alex-Ferguson-pointing-at-watch mode, while I asked my Grandma what she reckoned to her new games console, and my aunt Ruth what she reckoned to United's chances of silverware. 

Two years later (the summer of Amandagate), things were picking up a little, with internet cafes more prominent and dial-up speeds picking up. It was therefore something of a surprise, when we returned seven years later in January 2010, to see just how little things had come on. The postal service was worse than ever, and broadband hadn't even taken off yet.

So it was with no small delight that we came back a few weeks ago to something of a communications revolution, with internet speeds now so fast that we could stream Netflix in high definition, and I could even watch Match of the Day on iPlayer (though like the aforementioned newspaper, the thrill in this depends greatly on staying well away from sports websites till Monday night -- ouch).

It was surely too good to be true. Wasn't it? Well, while the internet speeds have shown no sign of a decline, alas the same cannot be said of customer service, which has remained reassuringly average.

I spent half of Monday (our day off) in the offices of our service provider, as our internet had cut off around lunchtime. We assumed this was down to us using up our monthly data quota, which was surprising considering we'd arranged only a week earlier for it to be doubled. In fact, I was informed that we had almost all of our allocation remaining for the month (surprising after a week's heavy use).  The problem, they suggested, was with the modem itself. Feeling like I was trapped in a pinball machine, I then made a tour of the offices, as one person after another suggested it was the-guy-over-at-that-desk's problem.

Eventually, the problem was identified, but with a slight hitch: the repair to the modem could only be authorised by Miguel-Ángel (Fundación Totaí's president) as our modem was bought in the foundation's name, at the same time as the foundation's own unit. With closing time fast approaching, I'd have to wait till the next day to get it sorted.

On Tuesday morning, the repair was authorised, and I got the modem back. So far, so good. Except that around lunchtime of that day, FT's own modem started playing up. The next morning (Wednesday), they sent that in for a repair. Amazingly, it was the same issue!

But on Wednesday afternoon, our modem started playing up again, so I had to go back in, and was told that the line hadn't been re-registered after the repair. They apologised for this, fixed the problem, and we, at least, haven't had a problem since. But FT then came down with the same issue the following day. Having thought they'd got it fixed, their internet went down completely yesterday, and no-one has any clue what's going on any more -- least of all, the service provider, it would seem! What's more, we've been poring over the monthly receipts for the past few months, and it's looking like we were charged twice for the same period. We all now suspect there has been a mix-up in the modem payments somewhere.

So the issue needs dealt with quickly in order for FT to get its communications back up and running. The only problem is: a) everything has to be done in tow with Miguel-Ángel who, as well as being the FT president, is also the dentist -- he's busy enough as it is; and b) this weekend is Carnaval, meaning no businesses are open again till Wednesday. 

I think all concern for the quality of my writing went out of the window about three paragraphs ago. Ultimately, I think the purpose of the blog this week has been to get these frustrations off my chest, in any way possible. I guess we can only hope that, like a Christmas present from Mum, fully-functioning internet will surface some day in the future. Only please let it be more straightforward than that Beatles jigsaw. It was a photo mosaic. Those things are murder.

Prayer

• Carnaval, for the uninitiated, is the pre-Lent long weekend celebrated throughout Latin America, though it makes no attempt at all to hide its distinctly non-religious activities; the very name alludes to a celebration of all things fleshly. And all things fleshly will most certainly be indulged to the max this weekend in Trinidad. Prayer appreciated.
• As ever, the youth group will be staging their special Carnaval event this Monday, a 12-hour marathon of messy games and solid Bible teaching, with a special guest speaker coming to talk about the attributes of God, and what they mean for us. Simply for getting them out of Carnaval, the event is important, but pray for encouragement in all that the young people hear.

Praise

• We're now both into our one-on-one discipleship routine, with Amanda meeting with Adriana during the week. Give thanks for the progress already being made there.
• Craig spoke to two groups of pastors and church leaders during the week about the Langham Preaching course, and there seems to be a lot of interest in the course, which we're hoping will take place later this year.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 17/08/13

We'd mentioned last week as a prayer point that we've been having to deal with some 'difficult issues' in church. One of those over the past couple of months has been the youth ministry.

Regular readers will need no reminding of the stresses of the first few weeks of the school year, in February (well, it's stressful for me -- not really sure that anyone else is bothered). Staff and pupils return to a scene of anarchy, as the teachers don't concern themselves with sitting down and thrashing out a timetable until the first week of the semester. Furthermore, the biggest annual shindig here in Latin America, Carnaval, is just around the corner (picture, if you will, the school year in Europe and North America beginning in early December). Why, indeed, bother?

The pace picks up after the city recovers from its collective hangover and all is well until the end of June and the mid-year break. Because when classes return in mid-July, another major-league national holiday, Bolivian independence day on the 6th of August, is looming large. No problem with timetables etc. here -- the main hurdle is a parade in which all schools must participate, and three weeks of classes therefore disappear so that the students can practice marching to 'Ode to Joy' again. And again. And again.

Now usually, the winter break in July naturally impacts on attendance at the youth group during the two weeks of vacation. Many families choose to travel during this time. By the end of the month, normal service is resumed. But this year, we found ourselves down to around 15 young people (compared to an average of around 30) by early August, with the numbers having steadily fallen week-on-week. 

Now, of course, we as human beings have a tendency read success or failure numerically, and such circumstances give the devil much ammunition with which to discourage us. Our concern was not so much a drop in numbers as the sudden absence of many young people whom we have been discipling for a long time, and the vast majority of whom come from non-Christian homes. The 90 minutes or so they spend with us on a Saturday night is, in many cases, the only Christian input they'll receive in their week.

So at a leaders' meeting a couple of weeks back, we decided to do a little 'field work' and split up the long list of recent absentees between us, visiting their homes in our spare time. From this, we learned that one girl's parents had recently split, another girl's parents had told her she wasn't allowed to go any more and, of course, several of the young people were required to practice their marching at weekends too! But most were able to make a verbal commitment to coming back.

Well, wouldn't you know it? Last Saturday, almost all of them turned up again for an evening which was as encouraging for us as we think it was eye-opening and horizon-broadening for them. It was the last week of our series on prayer and, to round things up, we had an evening of prayer. The young people were divided into four groups and they spent the evening moving between four stations, at each of which, a different prayer focus, or prayer method, was presented and practiced. These touched on praying the Scriptures, worship in prayer, prayer for our city and country, and prayer for the persecuted church. I manned the persecuted church station and it was a privilege to give a presentation on this most important subject to the young people, most of whom would have had no clue as to such perils beforehand. Indeed, the theme turned out to be pretty relevant to what we've been going through as a group, as the young people were able to appreciate that being part of a faith community is, in fact, a great privilege.

So we're really thankful for the positive response to our visits and we'd appreciate your continued prayers for the youth group, particularly as we move on to the sensitive topic of sex and relationships over the next couple of weeks.

Prayer

• It's not long now till Amanda's mum and aunts arrive (two weeks tomorrow, in fact). We have a few last-minute preparations to make around the house. Pray that everything goes smoothly.
• Pray for the church band, who are beginning a fundraising drive this weekend to raise money to buy new equipment.
• For the youth group (see above).

Praise

• For the return of so many young people last Saturday to the group.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 25/02/12

With two days off for Carnaval on Monday and Tuesday, the past week has been a combination of R&R and last-minute scrambling to get everything in place for March, which as each year goes by, feels increasingly to me like the official month of Bolivian New Year. As mentioned a few weeks back, there’s a bit of a malaise in Trinidad between Christmas and Carnaval, particularly in the educational sector, and so it is in this coming week that things really get going on several levels.

Indeed, the coming week will see the launch or re-launch of four different ministries in which we’re involved. On Tuesday morning I take the first of three weekly new R.E. classes in a local secondary school (where I’ve essentially been given free rein to openly share the gospel). A few hours later, I’ll be presiding over the new session of English classes, which this year feature both grammar teaching and a ‘Biblical Application’ lesson. Then next Saturday afternoon, the church’s children’s ministry resumes, with Amanda and fellow missionary KC presiding over the teenage girls’ group. And on Sunday evening, Amanda will begin her study in Esther for the older teenagers and younger women of the church. Add to the mix the youth group’s resumption of its study on The Purpose Driven Life this weekend after the usual pre-Carnaval ceremonials, in which we’re both at the forefront, and it’s fair to say that nary a thumb shall be twiddled for the remainder of 2012.

As for last Saturday’s Carnaval event, I would have loved to have featured some photographic retrospective here, but alas, the prospect of losing our camera in the three hours of mudfights which ensued in the afternoon was not an appealing one. But the whole day went really well, the young people seeming to understand the message of Psalm 1 and its relevance at Carnaval time. Most excitingly of all, a lifetime ambition of mine was fulfilled as I was granted the opportunity to dress up as a cannibal for one of the games. I managed to stay in character pretty much the whole time, causing no shortage of utter perplexity among local onlookers. I even promised to dine out on them if they didn’t come to church. As pew-fillers go, I can think of worse.

Prayer

• For the range of new ministries which begin/resume this week in which we’re involved. Pray that Christ would be seen in us, that the Holy Spirit would be at work through us, and that God would be glorified by us.
• For Elisabet (new FT educational worker and Amanda’s old Sunday school assistant) who takes her first ever school lessons this week. She’s also teaching R.E., but in a local primary school.

 Praise

• For a tremendous day last Saturday; a great relationship-builder for the youth and ourselves as leaders, and an important message at the heart of it.
• For an enjoyable evening last night with friends Jerry & Georgina, a young couple in the church.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 18/02/12

I bet this guy's looking forward to Carnaval!

I suppose when most people from our necks of the woods think of Carnaval, images from Rio de Janeiro’s festivities would come to mind, glamorous ladies in ostentatious swimwear (though I doubt it’s all that practical for the doggy paddle) strutting their stuff on monumental floats. It certainly puts international arch-rival Strathaven Gala Day in its place.

Lowly Trinidad has its own, altogether smaller parade, as well as its own Carnaval traditions, one of them being to lamp the nearest white person with a ‘water’ balloon (though with open sewers on every street, alternatives are widely available).

Alas, here, as in Rio de Janeiro, that’s pretty much as far as the ‘fun’ goes. Carnaval as its name suggests, is all about indulging the desires of the flesh and as a result, the coming few days will see an alcohol-drenched populace brawling, passing out in the street and engaging in wanton bed-hopping (the last of which is implicitly endorsed by the state in Brazil).

It is not a pleasant state of affairs and as missionaries, we’ll be steering well clear of the centre of town over the next few days. But at least we’ll go home tonight to families who fully support our desire not to get involved. Unfortunately, the majority of teenagers in the church youth group will come under huge pressure from both friends and family over the next few days to do real damage to their testimony.

And that’s why, as a church, the annual Carnaval all-day youth meeting has taken place over the last few years. We want to give the teenagers a day away from such pressures and welcome them into an environment where they are surrounded by people who love them in Christ and who want to see them grow in his will, and where they can be armed with Biblical truth to face the days ahead. This year there’ll be the usual diet of food, games, music and water-fights. And the main thrust of the teaching comes from myself. I’ve opted to go with Psalm 1, which sets out in a clear and direct fashion the dividing lines between those who follow Christ and the rest. I’ve called it ‘Two Ways to Live’ and I’m really praying that it will help the youth to grasp the truth of it all on a weekend when they’ll be bombarded with lies.

Must dash, as the band are due to rehearse in a few minutes, but here are the usual prayer points to close.

Prayer

• For Craig as he speaks on the theme of Psalm 1 to the church youth group today.
• For divine strength for all the youth group members as they seek not to fall into temptation this week.
• For Amanda as she prepares her Bible study on Esther for young adult women in the church. It begins on Sunday the 4^th of March and we’re really excited about it.

Praise

• For Nicole’s speedy recovery. She is now back home, though the school are threatening to put her back a year. Please pray for that.
• For Elisabet, Amanda’s former Sunday school assistant, who has started working in Education this week at the Foundation and is brim-full of ideas and energy. Just what we’ve been looking for. 

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 11/02/12

The missionary life, at times, is one of great challenges. Living by faith, so far from loved ones, certainly has its ups-and-downs. And these are exacerbated by our decision to live in such foreign contexts.

Cultural barriers to the gospel’s spread arise at every turn in our world. From the language of ‘tolerance’ and atheism’s resurgence in the West, to Sharia law and unrelenting persecution in the so-called 10/40 window, one does not have to look very far before coming up against opposition. Here in Bolivia, our efforts can be frustrated by people’s clinging to weird mystic traditions (which are heavily promoted throughout society by the government) and the Catholic church’s strong (if diminished) cultural influence and works-based theology. Our problem here is not so much that people reject salvation – it’s their mistaken belief that they have already ‘attained’ it.

However, when I compare our lot with the constant opposition missionaries face all over the world (an area in which our home countries are, regrettably, increasingly non-exempt), I am reminded of just how privileged we are, and what a marvellous opportunity the Lord has so graciously provided us here to proclaim his name (I say ‘privileged’ and not ‘blessed’ as there is, self-evidently, extraordinary blessing in persecution).

This week we’ve seen just such an example of that. On Monday, the first day of the new school year, the Foundation received a letter from the local secondary school (where I taught English to a couple of classes last year) requesting more English input this year. The head teacher, to be fair, should really have borne in mind our conversation at the end of last year, when I expressed my desire to take R.E. classes this year rather than English. Nonetheless, an opening.

So I popped my head round the door on Wednesday morning to see if we could reach agreement. The head teacher had no problem with me switching subjects (it had been difficult for me to develop any kind of progressive learning process last year in English due to continual interruptions). I then went on to explain what I planned to use as my primary resource: a no-holds-barred evangelistic textbook based on the gospel of John (which we will read in its fullness alongside the textbook). I even went so far as to say “I’m a missionary, and my goal here is not merely to educate, but to lead people to Christ.” Can you imagine that conversation in your local head teacher’s office?

Pleasingly, the head teacher gave my plans the school’s full endorsement, and, from Tuesday the 28^th of February, I can look forward to essentially preaching the gospel to over 100 teenagers every week – at the state’s invitation! There is, indeed, plenty of confusion and resistance in this cultural context, but we have opportunities many missionaries can only dream of, and for this we give thanks to our merciful God.

One other important development this week was a meeting with our fellow missionaries, Kenny and KC, to establish a network of personal spiritual counselling in the Foundation. In the coming weeks, we are each hoping to start meeting with individual staff members on a regular basis, to pray and offer spiritual support where needed. With significantly more women than men working in the Foundation, it has to be said that Amanda and KC’s burden is significantly heavier than that of Kenny and myself. The women will, then, probably aim to meet every few weeks, while Kenny and I can probably meet once a week with our respective colleagues. We look forward to forming deeper relationships with staff members and ministering to their needs – and we pray that several may make some important life decisions in the process.

Prayer

• On Thursday, a 6-year-old regular at church and the community classes, Nicole, was trampled on by some horses that were running loose (yes, you read that correctly, Trinidad really is that provincial). Mercifully, her injuries were minimal (even the initial diagnosis of a broken clavicle proved not to be the case) and we were able to visit her and her family in hospital yesterday, and pray with them. We later found out that the horses’ owners has paid Nicole’s medical fees by way of an apology, which is great news. Pray for a full recovery for Nicole.
• For the youth committee as we plan next Saturday’s annual Carnaval weekend event, which will be like a regular meeting, but with food, water-fights and an 8-hour running time! I’m going to be taking charge of the main teaching slot, and I’ve opted to go with Psalm 1, a pretty appropriate passage for Carnaval time, when many of the youth will be wondering why we don’t go for it as believers. Please pray for my preparation this week.

Praise

• For the most encouraging developments on the R.E. classes front.
• For a good first week at the Foundation for Mayerlin (volunteer nurse) and Elisabet (part-time worker in education/sports). Readers may remember their names from previous posts as being young believers in the church. It’s great to strengthen the Christian witness at the Foundation and to be able to encourage these young women as they set out on their career paths.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda