Saturday Post -- 04/05/16

Me right now, without the glassesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

You can pretty much count on our posts being somewhat curtailed on the first Saturday of each month, as this is the day on which the Langham Trinidad group meets…at 6am! So difficult was it to find a time during sensible hours that suited everyone that the group elected to stage meetings at a time when everyone would definitely be available (if not entirely awake). Thus far, the early start has not been too much of a hindrance, and this morning we enjoyed our first such preaching class since theLevel 2 conference last month.

Regular readers will be aware that one of the strengths of the Langham Preaching programme is the frequency of visits from their national overseers (based in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba), and, not even three weeks since the retreat, we also received confirmation this week of the first such follow-up visit in October from our good friend Edwin.

My week has mostly been taken up with more administrative tasks for church, and preparation of the morning meditations at Fundación Totaí. Taking place before FT opens for ‘business’, these are an integral part of the day, an opportunity to hear from God’s word and prayerfully reflect upon it. Three of us are involved in this, taking a month each on a three month rotation. I have been slowly but steadily working through Mark’s gospel with the staff, the shortest of the four gospel accounts, yet five ‘months’ later (in reality, since May 2015), we’re only at Wednesday of Holy Week!

I’m passionate about the morning meditations, from a discipleship and evangelism standpoint, and so I’m happy to set aside the time to prepare each of them from scratch, though usually they take me around 90 minutes’ of work. With my other commitments, that requires time management; I usually do one a week, but in leaner preaching spells (such as right now) I try to get a few out of the way at once. It’s paying off, with the Christians in the group coming to a deeper appreciation of Mark’s purposes and themes, and the non-Christians reading through an entire gospel account, perhaps for the first time in their lives.

Amanda, meanwhile, has had various monthly departmental meetings (another trait of the start of the month), but is also turning her attention to the summer’s volunteers. This year we do not have a team, but three individuals spread across the next few months (the third is hoping to stay on for the best part of a year). Next weekend, God-willing, the first of these three will have arrived on a medical placement from the USA, and Amanda will be charged with overseeing her time in Trinidad.

We say 'summer' volunteers, of course, when in actual fact, it's winter here, and feels like it. Hooray!

  

Prayer

• The adoption. You know the score. We remain answerless.
• For Amanda as she prepares for the arrival of this summer’s volunteers.
• For the morning meditations delivered by Craig, San and Elías (this month); that the saints would be built up, unbelievers’ hearts would be softened, and that Christ would be established at the centre of the day ahead.

Praise

• For a great start this morning to the new year of monthly Langham meetings.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 17/12/11

It seems that my week was so exciting and Craig's week was so mundane, that it made no sense for Craig to write the blog and therefore, for the first time this year... it is my turn! As in, Amanda is writing and not Craig. I think it was about this time last year I wrote my last post... so I'm well on track for once-a-year entries.

The reason that my week was a lot more exciting than Craig's is because I travelled to Cochabamba for a three day course on solar hearing aids... and Craig did not. His week was even duller than average because he had to deal with more paperwork for our land and housing project. I'm really glad I wasn't here for that. I had been in Cochabamba for a layover before in 2003 when my Canadian team was leaving Bolivia and we had enough time to go to their big market and see Cristo de la Concordia (this massive statue of Christ on top of a hill - akin to the Christ statue that makes Rio de Janeiro notable), but in reality I didn't know the city at all. This time I feel like I got to see a lot more of the city... the less touristy things, and I didn't go see the statue... I couldn't even see the famous statue through all the clouds from anywhere in the city. But I got a good sampling of the city's food and a good idea of city life.

Cristo de la Concordia, the highest statue in South America
(yup, that includes the one in Rio de Janeiro).

I think we've said before that La Paz is probably the most "Western" of the cities we've been to, and that Santa Cruz is really developed and has a lot of amenities that are a nice break every once in a while, though it is really just a big Trinidad. Well, Cochabamba is somewhere between the two. It has a nice, cool climate, at least while I was there it was nice and cool... and rainy, but that doesn't bother me after Trinidad's sweltering heat. I don't know if I can describe it really well... but I got this vibe that put it somewhere between La Paz and Santa Cruz. We had a nice hotel to stay in with hot showers... and a girl can't really ask for more than that.

I went with Odalys, one of the nurses at the Foundation, who is trained in Audiology and runs the Audiology Department. CBM organised the course and people from all over Bolivia came to be properly trained in Solar Ears' product line (Solar Ears are an NGO from Brazil that makes low cost hearing aids, with rechargeable batteries and solar powered battery chargers). Solar power just makes so much sense here because a lot of people don't have the finances to keep buying new batteries, which can only last a week, and because a lot of people work in the country and are there for months at a time and have no way to buy new batteries when they need them. If they can just recharge the batteries they have with solar power it is a lot more practical. However, people are not used to such technology and they have to be properly taught, which means we have to be properly taught as well. Apparently, a common problem with their whole system is that people don't understand that only the charger is solar powered... you have to charge the charger in the sun about once a week... and then the charger will pass its power on the rechargeable hearing aid batteries... BUT NOT IN THE SUN. People think the whole process should be in the sun and they put their hearing aid batteries in the chargers and leave them together out in the baking sun and then their batteries explode. That had to get repeated several times over the three days to make sure we completely understood.

I don't know how much people would like to know about the details of the actual course... I'm sure if you have no experience with hearing aids you would find a run down of my course quite boring. So, if anyone actually wants to hear more... please e-mail me or Facebook me and I shall regale all. As to the other things I did while I was there... please keep reading.

I find travelling without Craig really hard... I know some people might find that mushy or gross or go, "Awwww", but it's true. I feel off somehow, kind of unbalanced... and the longer the trip, the harder it gets... but thankfully, this trip was only three nights and I survived without any permanent damage. After the first day, Odalys, Maricarmen (an Audiologist who used to work at the Foundation, but who moved to La Paz) and I went out shopping and walking around... and afterwards we went out for a really nice dinner at this restaurant called Paprika. It was really trendy and yummy even by North American/European standards... I really enjoyed this as I don't get to hang out with girls and do girly things all that often... there is not that much to do in Trinidad and when I am outside of Trinidad I am usually with Craig... and shopping is not something he enjoys all that much. It felt good to be out and have a girl night... it was very refreshing.

The second night the course finished earlier than expected and we went back to the hotel and rested... until dinner and then the three of us went out again. This time we went to a restaurant which people who've been to South American will understand... it's one of those restaurants staffed by young adult travellers from North America/Europe who are trying to pay their way through their travels... as in, a lot of them had dreads in their hair. :)

A view over the city. Cristo de la Concordia  is on the hill in the centre of shot.

The third night, CBM organised a culturally traditional dinner at this nice restaurant for everyone in the course... I ate half a duck. I love duck! It is so rich and always a treat, because you can't eat it every day as you would get sick... unless you were my sister who just gets sick anytime she eats it (she has a sensitive stomach). Anyways, it was definitely enjoyed... and I am anticipating my next mouth-watering duck experience with much eagerness.

I had been praying about this trip for a while before it... praying for a way to witness to Odalys... and, to be honest, we didn't have any earth shattering conversations... but I pray that we, as people and friends, are closer because of it. Odalys would say she is a believer, but it's hard to know if she understands what that means or if she thinks she is because she is Catholic. I'm not sure... she was one of the nurses who recently received a Bible from us, and she brought it with her on the trip... and I saw her reading it. She also recently received a devotional program for children to read with her 11 year old daughter. Please keep praying for her. I find it hard sometimes to know what to say to the nurses here, because I am very often unsure as to the depth of our friendship and how interested they are. I measure depth in a friendship by how much you share of yourselves together... how open you are and how serious you can be... and sometimes I think I am not very close with these nurses. And then sometimes they do or say something to make me think that they think we are very close... so maybe they measure friendship in a completely different way. Please keep praying that I can manoeuvre these cultural differences to be share to more with them and support them as well.

I also enjoyed getting to know Maricarmen a lot better as well. Maricarmen taught the very first ear course I took at the Foundation in April, 2010 and she came back from La Paz to lead the Audiology course I did  in January of this year... so I knew her a little, but I definitely enjoyed getting to know her better. She moved to La Paz about a year and a half ago... but not long after she moved, one of the young people from the church, Maye, moved to La Paz to study Audiology... and Maye is now living with Maricarmen and her family. Through Maye, Maricarmen became a Christian and is now attending the local church and brings her son as well. I can see a big difference in Maricarmen... she talks about trusting God and seeking His plan for her life. Please pray for her as well as she has big decisions coming up in her life; that God would lead and guide her through them all.

I have been instructed to tell you that we now have a Facebook ministry page... and if you are interested in knowing of prayer and praise items in the moment, please 'like' our page on Facebook. If you don't have Facebook, do not feel like you need to go out right away and get it... we will still be posting on our blog once a week, but if you like the shorter, more frequent updates, we now have that facility. There is a link at the top right-hand side of the blog... or if you want to go to the effort of typing (perish the thought!), the web address is www.facebook.com/cramandaham.

Well, see you next year then... or maybe sooner.

Prayer

• Maricarmen and Odalys and their personal walks with God.
• Craig as he focuses on Christmas during the staff meditations this coming week and his Christmas epilogue at the Foundation's Christmas Celebration. 

Praise

• Amanda's nice time with friends in Cochabamba - and the informative solar hearing aid course.
• A really great time with friends and colleagues at last night's informal staff-organised Christmas dinner. The food was so good and we really enjoyed the laughs and fun.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!


Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 19/11/11

Yet another holiday weekend is being enjoyed in the Cunningham household, particularly after a busy few days. Visits to, among other destinations, the river, Wimbledon, Augusta National and a Soviet military silo (not all of them via the Wii!) made for some good times. Amanda especially was run off her feet at times this week in her audiology work and enjoyed the hectic nature of her working week. In the photograph, above, are two of Amanda's nursing colleagues, América (left) and Kleider (right), with caretaker Maribel in the centre. The three were among the latest recipients of Bibles from our recent supply. Every morning at the Foundation we have a time of meditation upon a particular passage of Scripture, but not all staff members even own a Bible. So our prayer is that they'll get good use out of them and that they'll be read as much in leisure time as in work time.

As for me, I've been gamefully engaged in church duties. This weekend, the youth group are away on their annual camp, which is run by another church, which on one hand deprives me of two key band members, but on the other hand means no rehearsals and allows me a chance to get things together for the next few weeks and, most of all, Christmas. December at church last year was particularly hard-going for this fuzzy traditionalist. The only tangible nod to the season was an afternoon Christmas Eve service. As the church's sole band member, I had no idea if Spanish Christmas carols even existed and, even then, they are not sung widely here at all. If it weren't for my 'Carols at King's' album, I'm not quite sure how I would have survived.

I was determined not to let that happen this year, so I took to iTunes and found some good traditional and contemporary tracks, one of which has a heavily evangelistic edge, which could serve us well on Christmas Eve, when usually a lot of family members come out. Hopefully we can start singing these over the next few weeks, so that something of a crescendo is reached on Christmas Eve, as opposed to Bolivians looking around at each other in search of a melody.

My other church work this week has been preparing a sermon for tomorrow's service, and it has been a passage of solace to us as yet more hurdles have arisen concerning our land transfer. I won't go into details but we are beginning to wonder if this whole exhausting process will ever end!

My allotted section was the second half of John chapter 13, a passage in which, at first glance, the odds appear to be heavily weighted against Jesus. As Good Friday approaches, one of his disciples is on the verge of effectively handing him over to the authorities, while the rest of them aren't much use themselves, with self-appointed hard-man Peter making big promises that won't be kept. Things appear to be very much beyond Christ's control. And yet taking a closer look this week brought home to me a new truth: that the disciples' misdemeanours are not only prophesied by Jesus, but they are in many cases commanded. Indeed, Judas himself is commanded by Jesus to 'do what he must' both at the Passover feast and at the moment of betrayal.

It has all brought home a renewed sense of God's sovereignty. If the son of God was imbued with such authority on what was clearly the most difficult 24 hours of his time on earth, how much more is he able to do 'more than we ask or imagine' from his seat at the right hand of the Father! God has a soul-stirring purpose for every believer, and nothing can stop its accomplishment.

Prayer

• For Craig as he preaches tomorrow at church.
• For those at work and in the church who have recently received Bibles, that those who know God would grow closer to him, and that those who don't would find him.

Praise

• For a productive week at work.
• For a renewed sense of the Lord's hand at work in the difficult times, and for his speaking to me before I have the opportunity to share with the congregation.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 18/06/11

Here are some pictures from Día de la Santísima Trinidad, the big annual parade which was held yesterday. A few of these are of students from the school where I teach English on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was a pleasure to go along and encourage them. More of these on my Facebook page.









Yesterday, everyone in town had tolerancia, i.e., permission to leave work from 10am in order to attend the festivities. Holidays tend to come in all at once here and this week is no exception. Yesterday's festivities kick off a weekend of celebrations, so Monday is a local holiday, nicknamed Día de la Recuperacíon (no Spanish degree required to work that one out). Day off #1. The following day, Tuesday, is not only the winter/summer solstice, depending on where you live, but also Aymara new year (the Aymara being an indigenous race here). Day off #2. And Thursday is the Catholic holiday of Corpus Christi, so, inevitably, that's a holiday too. Day off #3. Must say, accommodating everyone else's belief systems does at times have its upsides.

Adding to the weirdness of the approaching week will be the absence of Amanda from Wednesday morning onwards. Indeed, she won't be back round these here parts for 10 days or so. This week, along with three health colleagues from FT, she'll be joining a team of Canadians and Bolivians on a boat. I've asked her for specifics and, well, she's none the wiser! I've been reliably informed that she'll fly some kind of small plane to the place where the boat will leave and that the boat will go up a river. And that's really all she can tell me right now. I tell you, it's like being married to a CIA operative. Hopefully by next week I'll have more useful information. Anyway, while voyaging on the good ship something-or-other, she'll be putting her audiology skills to good use among the villagers that live in these extremely isolated communities.

I would cook for myself -- I do a mean line in eggs and bacon -- but thankfully our neighbours Kenny & Claudia have stepped in and will be keeping a seat spare at the lunch table. So I'll be nourished, but it'll be a tough old 10 days or so, easily the longest period we'll have spent apart in our marriage, so please pray for us.

On Tuesday past, we both got to go on a trip of a far smaller -- though no less meaningful -- scale, back to San Pedro, where, in our latest afternoon visit in advance of July's 5-day club, we were accompanied by a full team of health workers, including Amanda, who provided a series of check-ups on people in the community. It was the final visit before the club itself and another enthusiastic bunch of kids turned up, a little smaller this time, though the presence of the health team probably contributed to that -- both because of kids attending the check-ups, and the primal fear which exists in such remote communities, and this is no joke, of doctors coming and sticking needles in you. Anyway, the gospel was clearly shared once again and good foundations have been laid for July.

Prayer
• For Amanda as she sets off on her river trip on Wednesday, that she and the rest of the team would be a blessing to all they encounter and that they would be protected in all they do.
• For us as a couple as we spend an extended period apart.

Praise
• For the Lord’s guidance (and personal application) for Craig as he led this weeks meditations in Galatians 6:6-10, on ‘sowing and reaping’.
• For another beneficial visit to San Pedro on Tuesday and the groundwork laid for the 5-day club.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 23/04/11

This is Paul & Helen Burns, with whom we spent some time on Tuesday evening. Paul, from Stockton-on-Tees, has been to Trinidad for two spells over the years as a volunteer and they took advantage of the English school holidays by coming out to visit the work and catch up with old friends. We hadn't met Helen before and we very much enjoyed making her acquaintance.

Trinidad, too, is currently in holiday mode, with everyone enjoying a long Easter weekend. We took advantage of it yesterday for heading out to the lake, the first time we've actually left the Trinidad city limits in a couple of months. Saturdays and Sundays usually entail some kind of church involvement, so we thoroughly enjoyed a day devoid of demands.

But throughout Holy Week we've had plenty of opportunities to reflect on those seismic days. In morning meditations this week we read Luke's account of the Easter story. In the Community classes, we used a Palm Sunday lesson to highlight Jesus' rejection. Last night the church screened 'Jesus' at its monthly Noche del Cine. And, of course, on Sunday morning we're having a special, evangelistically-focused service, to mark the resurrection (the final choir practice is tonight).

For me, however, the highlight of this Easter week has come from a more unlikely source: Trinidad's men's penitentiary. As part of the website development I'm involved in, I've been trying to add to the image portfolio we have available. We didn't really have anything to show for the prison ministry side of FT's work, so I took a trip out there on Tuesday afternoon. In reality, FT's involvement is chiefly supportive. The ministry has been led by a believer called Wilson Soleto for many years, but Sammy, who is my co-worker in the Community classes, accompanies Wilson on Tuesdays and Thursdays to lead the singing.


Wilson (left) and Sammy (centre) at work

To be honest, I'd been planning on turning up, taking a few shots and then heading back to the office. But I was about to see something special. As Wilson did his usual pre-meeting walkabout in the prison, he introduced me to two men who in the past few days had put their trust in the Lord. Shortly afterwards, as the meeting began, another inmate shared that he, too, had in the past few days come to a saving faith. We sang hymns together in the small, but packed, meeting area. Wilson proceeded to teach the men about Palm Sunday, skilfully relating those events in the context of Easter week.

The three of us were about to take our leave of them when we were interrupted by a voice in the opposite corner. Tears streaming down his face, another inmate declared publicly that he wished to put his trust in Jesus. What a humbling experience, and what a wonderful insight into the work that God is doing in this city. And yet, as I looked around at these men, very much at the margins of society (which is some going in a place like Trinidad), I was reminded that, around 2,000 years ago, Jesus made himself lower even than these in order to save us all from sin's chains.

The Lord bless you all this Easter weekend.

Prayer
• For the Easter service tomorrow at the church, that we'd see some new faces and that the gospel would be preached faithfully.
• Continue to pray for Amanda's visa, which we are hoping will be ready soon.

Praise
• For the work at the men's penitentiary.
• For the opportunity to share the Good News with so many this week.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 19/03/11

Last week, not long after I polished off the weekly entry, a bunch of us headed for the stadium to see the latest Mamoré game (as appalling as a 2-0 win is likely to get), including our friend, Farid, and Steve Connor of Sports Outreach, who has been with us over the last ten days to disciple the Sports team at FT. An ex-NFL player, Steve is not one to shirk a challenge, and so, right away, he invited Farid to come and hear him speak the next day at church.

So on Sunday, Farid turned up at the service for the first time since we met him and was challenged by what Steve had to say about having our priorities in the right place. Steve spoke to him at the end of the service and gave him some books to take away, including a New Testament with various sporting vignettes thrown in here and there. He came to lunch with ourselves and the other missionaries at Kenny's house and, when he finally left at 4 o'clock or so, he thanked us for our input in his life, knowing full well the importance of these matters. He's not quite there yet, but he took a couple of important steps at the weekend (such as discovering that Christians aren't nut-jobs) and we're greatly encouraged. Thank you for your prayers.

For me, the weekend feels like yesterday as it's just been one of those pretty intense five days of work since then. In fact, so tired was I when I got home last night that I opted not even to play my beloved fronton this morning. As missionaries, we expect to have to give much of ourselves and not receive anything in return, especially in developing contexts, where natives do not hesitate to ask for assistance. We feel privileged to serve in such a way, indeed we believe that we are all called to such a mindset, but now and again, you just need a good break. So pray that the old batteries will get the re-charge they pretty desperately need this weekend.

Here's Amanda to tell you about an exciting first week of the Sunday School...

Well, Sunday School started last week... myself and a 19-year-old Bolivian girl, Elizabeth, are leading the teenage girls' class and Miguel Angel, one of the church elders, has the teenage boys' class. Last week we decided to put the two classes together for the opening session for the year and we took the opportunity to let the kids get to know us better by sharing our testimonies with them. I spent most of the week before trying to encourage Elizabeth, who was really nervous, and really didn't think about my own nerves or such. I was trying to explain to Elizabeth during the week that God can use the re-telling of all parts of our lives for his glory and through the leading of the Holy Spirit we will be lead to share certain aspects depending on who is there to hear it. For my part, I felt that encouraging the teenagers with the thought that God has a huge, special plan for everyone would be appropriate. Miguel Angel went first, then Elizabeth, and then I finished. I didn't have anything written out, which was probably a mistake, but I didn't want to be reading off of anything... The thing I realised as soon as I started was that one's testimony is generally in the past tense... which in Spanish is complicated because there are two past tenses. So, on my feet I was trying to conjugate verbs in the appropriate past tense and keep my testimony somewhat coherent. It was challenging... and then near the end I wanted to say things like "I would have...", "It would be..." and, while if I thought about it long enough, I could do it... on the spot, I started to break into a cold sweat. But I finished, and although it will not win any awards for eloquence, I asked at the end whether people understood me... and they answered in the affirmative. Miguel Angel was so good as to tie everything together... and that was such an encouragement. At least he understood what I was trying to say...

Today, as well, is Father's Day in Bolivia... so I organised a card-making night for the girl's Sunday School class... nine girls came last night... and while they turned our dining room into a war zone of paper cuttings and my dining room table was lost in the chaos of it all, I think they had a good time. It was nice to organise something for them on my own and allow them to get to know me more, establishing comfort in visiting us in our home, just chatting with them a bit... they all quite fancied Steve Connor's son... but I told them it was just because he was something new to them... it's a good thing that he leaves today, because I couldn't promise his safety tonight at youth group if he was to attend.

This week in Sunday School we're looking at points from the life of Abigail...please pray for the ability to communicate and that the girls would engage as well with the lesson.

Prayer
• For Craig as he prepares and delivers next week's morning meditations on Galatians.
• For a reinvigorating weekend for both of us.

Praise
• For everything that happened with Farid last weekend -- keep praying for him, mind.
• For much encouragement for Amanda in the Sunday School ministry.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 26/02/11

Increasingly appreciating the opportunity the blog presents us to stop and take stock every Saturday. The weekdays here are hectic. But, more than anything, this being Trinidad, they are entirely unpredictable.

Take yesterday morning, for instance. Rainy season has naturally caused a build-up of excessive mud in grassy areas, making it pretty precarious at times for driving. A few of us guys were attending to official business when we got a call from one of the nurses, who couldn't get the ambulance (a 4x4, no less) out of one of these ditches. 6 chaps, 2 spades and 90 minutes later, we eventually rescued the trapped vehicle from this particular slough of despond. Job done. Morning gone.

Flexibility is key here. Expect the unexpected. Anticipate disaster. A hard lesson for one so set in their ways as myself -- my diary, unfortunately, can, at times, become my gospel, making Trinidad a most unlikely venue for my missionary skills. The Lord sure ain't finished with me.

Indeed, the week was constantly moved and shifted by the unpredictable. Yet amongst this, we made progress on a few things. Amanda has been hard at work in Audiology testing some new equipment which they have there and her meticulous approach to her work is being very much appreciated by both patients and staff. The English classes continued this week with a few new faces and enthusiasm undimmed, even when faced with the challenge of the first verb.

I've also been afforded the opportunity by the board to look at my weekly schedule and consider what changes could be made to give me more educational opportunities. When we got here over a year ago, we were advised to take things slowly for the first few months and we largely observed this, while picking up small, generic tasks in the meantime. For myself, however, since I took on the role of Director of Education, these activities have not always been conducive to making progress on educational tasks. In many ways, they have kept me humble -- abandoning my office to drive the ambulance a couple of times a week to pick up physio patients, for example, has taught me a lot about what it means to serve -- but the time has come to start prioritising.

To this end, I'll be using my gifts in teaching a little more. From this week, I'll be running a drop-in guitar workshop for an hour on Thursday afternoons. And I'm hoping to meet the head-teacher of the local high school on Monday to offer support in English teaching. The standards of teaching and discipline at state-run schools here are pretty abysmal, so a challenge certainly awaits, but it will be a good reminder of how life is for the majority of children here, how blessed I've been to have had the education I had, and another little awareness-raiser of FT in the community.

Amidst the busyness of the week, we got a little complacent with the visa application, giving it no attention whatsoever, and we now have just four working days next week to get it together before the deadline. Technically, we have just about everything we were asked for ready to submit, however, I refer you to the first three paragraphs; it would not surprise us in the slightest if the government had completely changed the rules within the last month. God-willing, by this time next week our applications will be winging their way to La Paz -- passports included. Yikes!

Prayer
• For our visa applications, that we would achieve what we need to this week and that the Immigration office would look kindly upon them.
• For Craig as he takes on the new educational tasks in the coming weeks.

Praise
• For the positive impact Amanda is making in Audiology.
• For the Lord’s help in preparing meditations this week (on Galatians and The Jerusalem Council).

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 19/02/11

Last year, one of the first significant moves we made in our ministry was to launch free English classes for beginners at FT. The classes began in June with big numbers in attendance and, over the proceeding months, we helped an ever-diminishing, though committed, bunch of people pick up the basics.

As the months progressed, lessons were learned along the way, mostly by the teachers. For one thing, organising free classes was a pleasant enough idea in theory, but in practice it engendered a lack of commitment from those who were scared off by the first few lessons (which, admittedly, were a little too hasty for this culture -- that's been rectified this year). For another, splitting the course into two modules didn't go far enough. Don't ask me why, but Bolivians love their certificates of achievement, so the more smaller modules into which we could divide the year, the better.

Adding to the frustration of last year was that by the time we took on board such key cultural pointers, it was usually far too late. Therefore, with an earlier, February start date this year, we spent December and January making big revisions to the course structure and working out a fair, affordable price for the classes -- in the end, it simply covered the cost of students' writing materials.

So a lot was riding on Wednesday and Thursday, when, respectively, the Elementary and Basic classes kicked off (these are the 2nd and 1st levels of proficiency recognised by TEFL). All the work of the past few weeks wouldn't count for much if we didn't have greater demand. We spent a good part of the last week praying hard. This time last week I had absolutely no idea how things would turn out.

Well, to paraphrase Harold Wilson, a week is a long time in education, and I can happily report that we had a terrific week with the classes. 8 people, most complete strangers to us, turned up for the Elementary class, with a few more expected next week. But the Basic class was particularly incredible, with a steady stream of students taking us well past my planned limit of 20, to the extent that we had to lock the door at one point to stop the numbers increasing any further.

We're thrilled to see the way God has graciously blessed this ministry, in which we hope that, ultimately, the educational side of things will eventually provide avenues to share the gospel message.

Further encouragement came this week in the form of our visa application. We'd managed to land our Interpol certificates last month, one of several items required to be submitted to La Paz. The cost of this single bit of paper proved to be a stack of photocopies, lawyers' letters etc. and this week, we managed to secure two more certificates which, in themselves, demanded so much paper that Bolivia should be grateful it's a landlocked country -- otherwise the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior would be on to us in no time. It was a bumpy road, not made any easier by unbridled hostility towards white people from certain quarters, but we got there in the end and by next weekend we should have our complete visa application submitted, about a week before the deadline.

Amongst all this, Amanda has managed to juggle her Audiology commitments and is quickly getting to grips with new equipment which has recently arrived at FT. I had the Community classes again this week, where again we saw a big hike in the numbers in attendance.

Prayer
• For Craig as he leads next week’s morning meditations on Galatians.
• For the welcome challenge of the increased administrative burden placed upon us by the increase in numbers. Pray also for our relationships with students and opportunities to share the gospel.

Praise
• For the enthusiastic response to the classes.
• For significant visa progress this week – God-willing, this will be the last of it for two years.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 15/01/11

There we are at the wedding, last night, of Asalia, one of Amanda’s nursing colleagues at FT. We certainly enjoyed ourselves, though the evening was not without its responsibilities. I was asked by Asalia and her husband to be the official photographer, something I am hopelessly under-qualified for, but nonetheless, I was happy to pitch in. Amanda had the honour of being asked by Asalia to be an official witness at the marriage ceremony, an important role here. And in the run-up to the wedding, Amanda had also provided her talents in an area she has had plenty of practice in (not least for our own nuptials): making the invitations. It was a pleasure to provide such support to Asalia, a great friend to both of us.

Yesterday’s celebrations capped a busy week for us in which we’ve been occupied with a range of tasks at work. I led the meditations in the mornings, dealing with Paul’s vision of heaven, his ‘thorn in the flesh’ and, well, those silly Corinthians – and by extension, you and me! Some ripe passages for good teaching this week. I also turned my attention to the Education section of FT’s six-monthly report, which will be with sponsors in the coming weeks.

Amanda, meanwhile, has spent the mornings enhancing her audiology skills as part of a two-week course which is being held at FT. FT’s former audiologist and speech therapist, Maricarmen Fernández, has come back to take the course and Amanda has benefitted immensely from the teaching, with a week still remaining.

Her afternoons have been spent in nursing. That is, apart from Thursday, when we drove to the airport and picked up Jessica, whom we are pleased to say arrived in one piece. Just as excitingly, so did the various Zip-Loc bags stuffed with top-quality European chocolate! A few other surprises were in store and it’s fair to say we enjoyed something of a late Christmas on Thursday evening (well, they do say Christ was really born in January!).

Know what else happened in January, indeed, on this very January day a year ago? We left the UK for Toronto and, ultimately, Bolivia. Wow! Where did that year go? I guess at this rate, it won’t be too long till our first furlough. We look forward to seeing you then, but till then, you’ll just have to content yourself with this week’s prayer points.

Prayer
• For Jessica as she begins her two weeks of voluntary work this week at FT.
• For our time with Jessica as a family, that we’ll make the most of the next couple of weeks with our sister/sister-in-law (delete as appropriate).

Praise
• For the opportunity to serve our work colleague at her wedding on Friday.
• For Amanda’s course and all she is learning there.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 08/01/11

Last weekend I mentioned that the outdoor Christmas Eve service a couple of weeks back had been something of a test for the fingernails as storm clouds lurked overhead throughout. The worst of it, in fact, had been a mild sprinkling early on, followed by the rainbow, of which I included a photo last week. Indeed Christmas Day was, weather-wise, one of the most pleasant I can remember. The rain never came but the temperatures stayed cool with some pleasant sunshine to boot.

Oh, but doesn't Christmas seem a mere relic of the dim and distant past today! Rainy season well and truly began this week with two major deluges wreaking havoc. We live in one of the higher parts of town, but the FT headquarters got a slight mediaeval spin with their very own moat protecting the portcu--sorry, front door. And as for altitude, we reckoned we'd got it made, living in an upstairs apartment and all. Not so! Yesterday lunchtime we came back from work to discover a giant puddle on the surface of our bedroom floor. Water had managed to come in from the balcony, entering under the patio doors. So we did full justice to the phrase 'working lunch' while making the pleasant discovery that our balcony has a drain, which blockage had caused the water trappage in the first place. Shows what careful homeowners we are. Anyway, that made quite a difference and we were able to deal with the consequences without any major damage.

Of course, our minor annoyance was as nothing compared to what will face many homes around Trinidad, many of which are simply made from sticks and often built on stilts so as to avoid the worst of it. For many, it's a losing battle and FT's healthcare team will deal with a fair few cases who have endured its ill-effects over the coming months.

The other main development this week is that we woke up one day and realised that it was time to start making headway on our next visa application. Regular readers may be forgiven for thinking we only just finished off our last one -- and yes, it feels like that to us as well. But the one-year visa will be up in early March and so we need to start getting together the mountains of documentation required for the new two-year visa application (this is the maximum visa we can obtain at the moment and then in 2013, we can apply for permanent residence), particularly as there is a hefty daily fine for each day we stay in the country sans visa. So this week we made a start on our Interpol administration, just one of several certifications required for the two-year visa but one that will take at least a few weeks to process. When we have that and everything else in place, our passports will then be sent to La Paz to be granted the new visas. Clearly a good drenching of prayer would be welcomed, not only for the process itself but our attitudes throughout. I particularly find my patience draining in these many hours of sitting around in offices, most of the time being told that the last guy sent us to the wrong place. Nevertheless, having started the process last year in early February, we've made something of a head start this time, so that's a little encouragement.

Work has been busy for both of us, Amanda ploughing away at the survey results and audiology; I preparing meditations for next week and my sermon for this Sunday, which will be on 2 Samuel 7 -- those of you who know the passage will realise what a challenge it is to limit oneself to a 40-minute sermon. We're also looking beyond the weekend, however. On Monday Amanda will begin taking a two-week audiology training course at FT and then on Thursday it's off to the airport to, God-willing, collect Amanda's sister, Jessica, who will be flying down from Toronto via Miami on Wednesday/Thursday. The final leg of the trip, as for all international travellers to Trinidad, is from Santa Cruz to Trinidad on a 12-seater plane. She needs to get from one airport to the other within Santa Cruz in order to do this and Spanish is by no means her forté. However, our friend and co-worker Maicol has a brother in Santa Cruz who is going to do us a big favour and transport her between the airports and on to her flight. Prayer, nonetheless, would be much appreciated.

Prayer
• For patience and the Lord’s guidance as we begin the long and winding visa road.
• For Craig as he preaches this Sunday and takes the morning mediations at FT next week.
• For Jessica’s travels to Trinidad and our time with her over the following few weeks.

Praise
• For a full recovery for Craig from a very brief stomach upset on Sunday/Monday.
• For the arrival of a key computer hardware package from Canada this week (it was sent in November so we’d been growing a little concerned).

¡Qué Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 11/12/10

Sorry, folks. After that refreshing, feminine-infused interlude last week, I'm afraid you're stuck with me again. But I'll see if we can hire her for another appearance soon. She's not bad, you know.

BREAKING NEWS: A shop has opened within a stone's throw from our house. It has bread and everything! Our neighbourhood, very much on the brink of Trinidad, is undergoing something of a transformation, with people buying up land and building properties. The dirt track that leads to our flat is fast becoming just another street. So the shop's opening is further proof that we ain't in Kansas no more (when I say 'shop', I refer to an oversized shed, as most such establishments are here). Many's the Saturday morning back home when, with both cupboards and botheredness levels running on empty, we'd nip round to the neighbouring Co-op for some munchies, often in a state of wanton jammie-bedeckedness. So you can no doubt understand our sheer giddiness at the latest turn of events. Right?

If you want another slice of Trinidad life, try this for size. The other week one of our tyres got two major punctures. We took it to a tyre specialist and got the punctures repaired for the princely sum of 25 Bolivianos, or about £2.50. Back home, that would have been a straight replacement. The lack of such resources here leaves you with no other option when it comes to cars, but doesn't it say a lot about us Westerners' disposable outlook on life?

We've had a pretty busy week. Amanda mentioned the graduation ceremony last weekend and we've included a picture from it, above. We thought that was it for 2010 until, on Sunday morning, we got an invitation to another friend's school graduation party, on Monday evening, beginning at 9pm. Now, back in the UK, if you're invited to something, there's usually a good half-hour of leeway re. the actual arrival time. But in Bolivia, if the invite says 'Come at 9pm' what it actually means is 'See you at 11!'.

This left us in a bit of a quandary. You see, we're not getting any younger and rare's the night we're not sound asleep by 10.30pm at the very latest. And, of course, it was a school night. Very much a school night. So we reckoned there was only one thing for it: show up at 9, look like idiots in the process and politely slink away about 90 minutes later.

Well, as Meat Loaf once eloquently put it, two out of three ain't bad. It was at least two hours before the whole party had arrived and the obligatory parade of the new graduates didn't start till about 11.30pm. The rest of the week has therefore been a bit of an upward struggle, energy-wise. However, we're just chuffed that people would think of us in that way and, as you can imagine, it's a great opportunity to develop relationships with some of the families around here.

At work, we've both been busybusybusy, with Amanda really getting into the nitty-gritty of the data processing she's been tasked with, while I'm at the beginning of the long process of preparing curriculums (should that be curriculi?) for next year's Community and English classes. I'm also taking meditations next week, which requires a lot of preparation.

Excitingly, though, we got our Christmas tree up on Wednesday evening. If you haven't already seen the pictures on Facebook, here are a couple. Many thanks to Chicho and Rachel for lending us the tree and decorations. It's my first faker in years, something of a challenge to my principles, but as you have probably guessed by now, like Co-ops, tyres, and most other things, real ones are hard to come by down here.




Prayer
• For Craig as he leads the meditations next week.
• For Amanda as she organises the data for FT’s EPPDATO survey on hearing loss in the Beni region. It’s a huge project, with the deadline at the end of January.

Praise
• For the opportunities in the last week to develop relationships as part of the school graduation festivities.
• For getting through a busy week with significantly reduced energy levels!

¡Que Dios les benidga!

Craig & Amanda