Saturday Post -- 11/09/10

We’re both going on a somewhat holiday. Tomorrow lunchtime we’ll be vacating the Trinidad region for the first time since we arrived back in January and flying to La Paz. Our intention was to take a break from our life and work in Trinidad and, location-wise, we couldn’t have done much better. A vast metropolis set at a height of over 3500 metres above sea level and nestled within a dramatic crater (Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon would not be an unseemly landing vehicle), La Paz provides a stark contrast to the hot jungle lowlands of the Beni region. Weather-wise, meanwhile, it won over this Scotsman long ago. 20 celsius would be a pleasant day (though the proximity to the sun can make it feel warmer) with temperatures plummeting to zero or below in the evening. Needless to say, as oxygen lacks, hills abound, so a few days’ acclimatisation are essential.

Culturally, things are no less distinct from the Latin-infused Trinidad. La Paz is the main hub of the majority Aymara population of Bolivia, who descend from the country’s native Indians. Women in bowler hats carrying babies in their back-pouch can be seen trundling up and down the streets all over the city. Vibrant arts and crafts are furnished and sold at many a street corner. And rare is the restaurant meal which isn’t interrupted by a folk band thrashing their charangos (a Bolivian variation of the mandolin) and beating a drum.

All of which will be wonderful. But I’m not going to lie to you. Probably the thing we’re most looking forward to about La Paz is that, as a big city, it provides many of the amenities we took for granted back in Glasgow. It has bookshops. It has a multiplex cinema. It has Burger Kings – I’m not even sure if I’ve visited a Burger King this millennium, but all of a sudden the thought of a Whopper prompts me to reach for my bib.

It’s a ‘somewhat holiday’ as we have items of business to attend to but we’ve managed to keep these to a minimum; one being to purchase tracts for Fundación Totaí – a simple and effective way of ministering to those who pass through our doors every day – and the other is sourcing a new laptop to replace our faithful Macbook, which processed its last megabyte a few weeks ago. This coming Sunday, we’re hoping to pay a visit to the church of a chap called Juan Antonio, an old friend of the church here, whom we’ve heard so much about over the last few months.

On Tuesday, we’re going to take a three-hour bus trip up to Copacabana – not the beach in Rio but the original town from which it took the name. As a small town it’s worth a visit in itself, but the big attraction is the body of water it sits upon, the largest in South America at 190 km long and, at 3,810 metres altitude, the highest of its size in the world. I refer to Lake Titicaca, shared by Bolivia and Peru, as close to the sea as you’ll get here, but what a substitute! The navy blue water gleams like a diamond on the usually sunny days up there and is surrounded by some dramatic mountainous scenery. While we’re there, we hope to do something else we were getting used to back home, albeit, a lot more healthy than an XL bacon double cheeseburger: walking. The Isla del Sol, a two-hour boat ride from Copacabana, is home to some well-preserved Inca ruins and some excellent paths for exploring.

So much to look forward to, and you can probably sense my excitement, but above all, we just want to have a relaxing week and re-charge the batteries for the end of the calendar year, which we’re led to believe is usually the most hectic period at FT. And we hope that, in the moments of solitude in our hotel room, in a boat or on the road, the Lord will continue to reveal his plan for us and our work here in this country, where the myriad of spectacular landscapes provide a backdrop to corruption at all levels of society and rabid superstition (of which more when we return).

No post, then, next weekend, but I’ll be sure to regale our readership with photos and anecdotes when we return. God bless you in whatever situation you find yourself in right now.

Prayer
• For safety as we fly to La Paz – the smoke of a few weeks ago has returned to a lesser extent than previously. Flights are operating to the best of our knowledge.
• For a relaxing time away from Trinidad, and a renewed vision for our work.

Praise
• For Craig’s sermon on Sunday – really felt the Lord’s guidance as I addressed a difficult topic.
• For successful completion of all the usual end-of-month admin tasks.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 04/09/10

Blog readers who question the power of prayer may wish to take note of events 48 hours after our previous entry. You’ll remember we’d requested prayer for rain over Bolivia, a hitherto unknown quantity for some three or four months. On Sunday evening, a downpour ensued and has been followed by two further storms (one of which caused Amanda to literally jump out of bed the other night).

The immediate benefits are obvious. Night driving is no longer the hazard it was and the colours of Trinidad are on show again. Looking out our kitchen window, we can see rich shades of green in the dense jungle that we’d forgotten existed. And the airports are fully functioning again, meaning that we should be able to travel to La Paz next weekend for our week in the Altiplano of Bolivia.

And longer-term, the smoke’s recession means stress-free breathing and an end to that feeling that you’ve woken up in the middle of the Marlboro factory. Happily, though heavy, the rains weren’t so prolonged as to cause any significant flooding or damage to properties – many properties here, of course, being a simple combination of sticks and tarpaulin.

I got an insight into just such housing while driving FT’s ambulance earlier this week. Recently I’ve been charged with going twice a week to a clinic on the other side of town to pick up some children who come to FT for physiotherapy care. The uptake, however, had tailed off in recent weeks and so our physio, Paris, was keen to accompany me as we opted to drive directly to the doorsteps of many needy patients. We drove through one barrio to pick up some cases that I hadn’t even known existed before though it soon became clear why Trinidad’s town councillors would be unlikely to make a song and dance about it. While waiting outside one house, Paris pointed out to me the adjacent cuneta (sewer) where, just a couple of weeks back, he’d spotted a live alligator!

With a team from FT on the annual “Oye Bolivia” trip north, the usual health excursions have been sidelined this week so Amanda has been mostly based at headquarters while I’ve mostly focused my attention on my sermon this Sunday from 3 John 9-11. Our usual church/youth responsibilities will make for another busy weekend, though quiet weekends have long been a thing of the past (which is why we’re planning on being away for two of them in a couple of weeks). But with Amanda’s 25th birthday falling on Saturday, I’m sure we’ll find time to enjoy ourselves.

Prayer
• For Craig as he preaches on Sunday.
• For continued refreshment from above – i.e., rain.

Praise
• For the week’s showers.
• For the opportunity to help isolated physio cases this week.

¡Qué Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 28/08/10

Something pretty amazing happened this morning. I was sitting in the car in the queue for the petrol pump, minding my own business, when some chancer on a motocicleta thundered in from nowhere and parked himself right in front of me in the queue. And here’s the thing: instead of ignoring this abuse of systematic restraint, the pump attendant proceeded to waggle her finger at him like a mother to a naughty child and, at which he slowly put-putted away, head down, lesson learned.

Please excuse my seemingly disproportionate levels of excitement, but round here, people don’t so much queue as elbow their way to the front, like John Prescott at a buffet. It can be thoroughly demoralising, not least because in most establishments, such loutishness is happily patronised by staff. So, when something like what occurred this morning takes place, it restores your faith in humanity a bit.

Anyway, as you can doubtless deduce from my ability to drive, I’m now leagues removed from my bed-ridden state of last week’s post, indeed, by Sunday, it was already a dim and distant memory. And I’m thankful it took place last weekend, because this weekend we’ve taken Friday and Monday off to give ourselves a short break. Indeed, after seven months of working straight, holidays are all of a sudden the new black as we’re hoping to fly to La Paz in a couple of weeks for a complete change of scene (and altitude).

And ‘hoping’ is the best way of putting it right now, because you may have read in the news that huge swathes of Bolivia are under a big black cloud right now. Winter being the dry season, this is the time of year when landowners traditionally take advantage of the arid conditions to burn down trees in order to clear space – smoke has filled the air for about two months here now. Except, in some parts of the country, the fires have been left unchecked and some 5 million acres have been wiped out. The consequences are several: the air quality is plummeting, 35 homes have been destroyed and, now that we have our very own version of the Icelandic volcano cloud, many airports (including Trinidad’s) cannot guarantee flight departures.

The government is in an awkward position, claiming it can’t afford to put the fires out from the air but so far failing to convince any regional neighbours to come and lend a hand. Of course, the US are just a phone call away, but the bridges were burnt there some time ago...

Essentially, then, we would ask that our blog followers become a little band of Elijahs and pray for rain to fall on this parched land, for the good of the people of Bolivia and, if possible, to allow us to get away for a while. We live next to FT and Trinidad is pretty isolated so in order to get a proper break from our work, travel is a must.

This week we were up to our usual tricks and I was charged with leading the meditations, taken from 2 Corinthians 5:6-15 in which Paul defends himself from accusations of selfish motives in the church on the basis that the love of Christ controls him, effectively rendering selfishness an impossibility. Would that I could say the same! A great challenge to us all and the chair in particular.

Prayer
• For rain (see above).
• For next Tuesday, when we’ll be heading back with a team to the remote town of San Pedro, to build on the work accomplished there during July’s 5-day clubs.

Praise
• For the refreshment of our mini-break – already feeling it by Friday lunchtime.
• For the never-ceasing vitality and relevance of the Word of God – something we often take for granted, yet so true this week.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 21/08/10

Well, wouldn't you know it? Having spent last week's post waxing lyrical about my recent internet firsts, I find myself writing my first ever blog entry from a sickbed. Last week there was a bit of a virus going round (the standard 24-hour vomiting bug) and tonight I appear to have been smuggled on the last carriage heading south. It only just got to work late this morning but I'm hopeful that, what with the myriad of medical solutions around (including, excitingly, my first-ever injection where the sun don't shine) and a nurse for a wife, I'll be on my feet again soon. But I'm not putting myself under any undue stress -- though the Saturday Post simply cackles in the face of sickness.

Needless to say, I'm not really up to writing much more, but obviously please be praying for that. We had a few car issues that were threatening to derail our week a little, but the Lord was merciful and provided the assistance to help us get through it. And we're both now counting down the days till next weekend, when we'll be enjoying a long weekend of leave. As regular readers will know, Bolivia's not exactly lacking in local/national holidays, but we have 15 days at our disposal which we haven't touched yet, so we reckoned we should start making inroads on that before the year is out -- and boy, is 2010 disappearing!

Prayer
• For a swift recovery and cautious return to action for Craig.
• For next weekend, that we’d make the most of our time off.

Praise
• For being able to address our motoring issues this week.
• For Amanda’s stepping-in at the last minute to take Craig’s class today – what a gal!

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Memories are made of this

If you're a football fan of any disposition and you haven't yet seen this winning marriage of the contemporary and the classical, tarry ye not. TV down here carries all the big Premier League games live (and for a fraction of the price you'd pay in the UK, ironically enough) but without that old familiar music, Saturday nights just aren't the same any more. Da da da DA da-da da da da, da DAH da-da da da...!

Not exactly a model state

If you're looking for a wider appreciation of contemporary goings-on in Bolivia, the Beni region and the at times preposterous political situation here, you could do worse than check out this article posted in The Observer on Sunday.

Saturday Post -- 14/08/10

Starting the blog this year has really given me a personal insight into the power of the internet. Its benefits have been threefold: it's allowed me to have a few moments of reflection at the week's close; it's given me a reason to keep up writing, which I've always enjoyed (even if the readers haven't); and, most importantly, it's kept friends and family with an interest in our work up-to-date with developments. And we've been immensely encouraged to get your feedback and to know that so many are using the blog to stay informed and to know how they can pray for us.

Having experienced this at first-hand, I've been keen to transfer these insights to FT's website, which was established a few years ago but has suffered from a lack of maintenance over the years -- quite simply, no-one has had the time to carry out the overhaul required. But this week, I've begun to make significant strides and I'm hoping to have the new site up and running within the next few months. Given the myriad of areas which FT's work covers and the overlapping nature of many of the ministries, it's a mammoth task, but one I'm excited to take on.

A few weeks ago we asked for guidance as to the direction of our work with some interesting opportunities potentially surfacing. Since arriving here in January, we’ve been keen to assist in the running of the Jovenes (youth) group, with both of us having a fair bit of experience in this area in the past. However, we were keen not to simply dive in to every area of need when we arrived, so as to accommodate the ever-increasing workload. Over the last few weeks, though, we’ve really felt God pointing us in the direction of the youth work and this was really confirmed to us last Saturday evening, when I spoke at the youth meeting for the first time. Given that around 70% of those who come to the church on a Sunday are aged 20 or under, the importance of the youth ministry cannot be overstated – it could be argued, indeed, that Jovenes is the church’s main service. So please pray ardently for us as we go into this. Pray that we will lead the youth in truth in a culture which abounds with damaging temptations, at school and in the home. And pray for discipline for ourselves in protecting our personal time at the weekend, now that Saturday night is youth night!

Earlier on Saturday, we enjoyed a pleasant afternoon in the company of Sarah Bellhassen, a Canadian medical student who has just left FT after two weeks of voluntary work. We drove out to Loma Suarez, just 15 minutes’ drive from town but a stark contrast to the motorised chaos of central Trinidad – indeed, the only motor we could hear was that of the boat we were ferried up the river in. We sampled some mouth-watering fish before venturing up the water and, all said and done, enjoyed the three hours or so of escape. Some photos are included in the post.

A personal landmark in that I posted 28 years on Tuesday (now two years older than my Dad was when my parents had me – terrifying!) and thank you for the well-wishes expressed via Facebook and otherwise. No parties for me, though – I’d best leave that to the locals, who are doing wonders for our caffeine levels this weekend, the 10th anniversary of our neighbourhood. I woke up at 6am with the music from last night’s party still reverberating through the neighbourhood. And that was only Thursday.

PS – You may be aware that one of my main tasks is to put together the monthly update sent out to interested parties in the wider work of Fundación Totaí. If you’d like to be added to the address list for this update, just drop us a line at our email address (cramandaham@gmail.com) and we’ll be sure to add you to the mailing list.

Prayer
• Our new work with the Jovenes group (see above).
• Wise stewardship as we aim to furnish our flat in the next couple of weeks.

Praise
• Craig’s progress on the website development this week.
• A relaxing time out of town last weekend.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 07/08/10

I write to you on the 6th of August, a date of no great significance to most, but here in Bolivia, it's a different story as the Seis de Agosto, marking Bolivia's liberation from the Spaniards' grip in 1825, is the equivalent of July 4th in the States or July 14th in France. The schools are shut, businesses are closed for the day and a weekend of national festivities is in full swing. I would, of course, love to regale you with anecdotes and photos from this morning's big parade. Except we didn't go. Instead, we did something we've not done for about a month now: a lovely lie-in. And it was worth every minute.

The week was curtailed further for Amanda, who appears to have caught a fever last Sunday and didn't make it back to work until Tuesday afternoon. A retrospective chat with a GP at FT raised the possibility that she'd been hit by Dengue Fever, carried by mosquitoes and potentially lethal. We live on the less Dengue-ridden side of town, but in the cooler climates which we're experiencing just now, mosquitoes tend to go for whatever blood they can get their, er, hands on.

Anyway, needless to say, we're very thankful to have avoided the worst-case scenario there. Elsewhere, the sermon bandwagon continues to clatter along and is currently showing no signs of stopping. No sooner had I dusted off my effort at church last week than I was approached by some members of the Jovenes (youth) group, interested to know if I could address the theme of 'true love' this Saturday evening, a subject which I am frighteningly underqualified to address, even if I've received ample tutelage from one of the best teachers out there: marriage. I will be taking my cue from Ephesians 5, if anyone's interested.

Prayer
• For a restful holiday weekend.
• For Craig as he addresses the Jovenes group.

Praise
• For Amanda’s speedy recovery.
• For a productive week of work as we both had various administrative tasks to address.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 31/07/10

Amanda, as legions worldwide are already aware, is a woman of many talents. Thorough yet thoughtful, kind yet crafty (in a good way), she brightens the lives of all she encounters. I am indeed privileged to call her my wife – and she the very picture of grace to call me her husband.

Anyway, given that Amanda is to administration what Tony Hayward is to career self-destruction, her abilities were always going to be a perfect fit for Fundación Totaí, as transparent and thorough an organisation as any we have come across. In Bolivia, however, such scrupulousness leads to inevitable skyscrapers of paperwork, making it exceptionally difficult for FT’s admin staff to keep up (though deadlines are seldom missed).

Back in her previous work in a Glasgow health centre, it is said that computer keyboards shuddered in fear at the very mention of Amanda’s name, knowing a severe bashing was on the cards. Therefore, we knew that when her Spanish reached a certain plane, her administrative portfolio would soon grow to the same extent as her nursing work. And in the last couple of weeks, we’ve both been really encouraged to see some tasks that required a particular administrative flair being passed on to Amanda. We hope she will be of particular assistance to Jo Santana, wife to Dr. Diego, whose clerical burden at times beggars belief.

Elsewhere, I’ve been up to my usual tricks in education, though towards the end of the month the work always increases a couple of notches with reports and sponsor updates to be delivered. I’m particularly enjoying my temporary charge of the Emmaus distance learning Bible course – such an encouragement to guide so many people in Biblical truth. And I’ve been digesting a bit of that myself, in preparation for my next sermon, which is on Sunday. I’ll be speaking on 2 John 7-11, which warns against false prophets, but amidst everything is buried the telling phrase ‘watch yourselves’. As I type the words I will speak, I can assure you that I write to Craig Cunningham as much as anyone else.

Prayer
• For the administrative burden upon both of us which we usually face around this time of the month.
• For Craig as he preaches on Sunday.
• For continued guidance as to the direction of our work. A few interesting developments this week.

Praise
• For Amanda’s talents and their being used to great effect.
• For the Lord’s continued assurance of our place here in Trinidad.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 24/07/10

Will have to be a brief one today as we have a birthday party to be at in a few minutes. Needless to say, following last week's exploits, the pace of things took on a far more Bolivian feel, a fact for which all three of us (that's Amanda, me and the car) are all truly thankful.

Morning meditations has been my main task of the week. When the baton was handed over to me on Monday, there were just a couple of verses left to cover in 2 Corinthians 3 (we work through the Bible book-by-book at a non-specified pace). And yet I barely scratched the surface of the monster verse that is verse 18. Were it a politician it would be Kenneth 'Big Beast' Clarke. Were it a car it would be a Hummer. Were it an ego it would belong to Gary Barlow. So much glorious truth and so little time -- sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am to be doing this work.

On Saturday, we both passed our sign language test with flying colours. It turned out to be not quite as formal as we'd been expecting -- this is Bolivia, after all -- but glad for the opportunity to take on yet another language. My poor little head can't take much more.

As for my English classes, the recent decision to open them up to younger learners is really paying dividends, with increasing numbers of local teenagers coming along and enjoying the opportunity to learn English from an English speaker rather than an unqualified teacher working from a barely decipherable textbook (as is often the case in the schools here).

Also increasing are the temperatures, once again acting my age and not my shoe size, following last week's perilous south winds. We'll enjoy the relative cool while it lasts.

Prayer
• For a continuing deepening of relationships with workmates/locals.
• For wisdom for the way forward with the English classes – we’re considering launching a new beginners’ course to meet demand.

Praise
• For the enthusiastic group coming along to the English classes and the relationships we’re developing with them.
• For the help Craig received taking this week’s Meditaciones.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda