Saturday Post -- 30/04/16

We're back! Ever since realising we needed to do a blog post again, since we're back at work and into a semi-normal schedule, Backstreet Boys won't leave my head. I even turned to Sam this morning and tried to give him a "Backstreet's Back" rendition and I am pretty sure the look he gave me was along the lines of, "Please don't. Stop now." I bet you've all realised that this is Amanda writing... I mean, Craig would never ever lower his standards to listen to the Backstreet Boys, while I had posters plastered all over my room when I was younger. Actually, they weren't posters so much as pictures ripped from my friends's magazines and newspaper articles as my Mom would not let me spend money on boyband pictures. Actually she did buy me New Kids on the Block PJs once, but it was because they were on sale and she had no idea what she was buying. But... I digress.

I don't even know when our last blog was, and I am very sorry for our absence, but the last three-to-four weeks have been slightly crazy, so we appreciate your patience. We shall start with the business that I have not yet been able to get over yet: Craig left me in Bolivia and went gallivanting! Joking... I'm fine, its really not still keeping me up at night or anything. I am totally OK with the fact that he got to go away on holiday for a week without me... and he went out for nice meals, and went to a gorgeous wedding (Congrats, Douglas and Chantal!!!!), and went for nice meals, and saw his family, and he ate BBQ, and went to Monticello, and ate at this apparently new amazing bagel place, and went golfing (OK, that one didn't keep me up at night). There must have been cake at the wedding. I love cake. I'm fine...really. In all seriousness (this time, I really am being serious), Craig had a great time and we're (both of us) glad that he got the opportunity to be there for Douglas and Chantal's big day. The only thing I regret is that he couldn't bring me back bagels from this new, apparently amazing bagel place. I love bagels, but I doubt they would have gotten through customs. I got two T-shirts though, one being a UVA (University of Virginia) top, to go with my Ohio State top from the Limings (thanks, guys!). I think collecting lots of university clothing defeats the purpose of being loyal to one specific place and therefore wearing their clothing, but as I am not American I think I might be exempt from this. I feel strongly about not going around in UofT clothing or Western clothing though. I went to Mac and I will only wear Mac clothing. I digress...again.

So, Craig went to party it up in the States and as Sam and I were dropping him off at Trinidad airport I kept thinking, "I can do this. It's only three days till my Mom gets here to help. People look after their own children by themselves all the time. It can't be that hard." And the first day went well, no worries. I didn't go to work the next day to be able to stay in and watch Sam and we were fine...but I think at some point that day Sam figured out he hadn't seen Craig in a while and he got so clingy. This kid wouldn't let me go. I also went from doing 50% of the work to doing 100% of the work and, to be honest, there were moments when I wasn't sure I was going to make it. I showed up to Youth Group on Saturday night and I looked and felt like a zombie. I had to apologise to my small group for being unable to have a decent conversation; my Spanish flew out the window and I was only understanding little bits of what was going on and I couldn't remember anything, like their names. It was bad. And then Sunday came and my Mom arrived. Yasssss!!!! I essentially said, "Here... take him. I need a nap." And even though he was clingy with everyone else with Craig gone, he grabbed onto his Grandma with both hands. He loved her more than me most days I think, and I didn't even care, because it meant I got naps. And I love naps...and bagels.

And then...the Brass Tacks team arrived! FT has been back and forth with Brass Tacks for about a year now trying to organise a team to come out and do some construction work for us on unfinished parts of our building. They are an organisation based in the UK that helps missionaries and missions projects with builds and construction, and we are very excited to have them with us. I think it might have been the day Craig left when I received an email from their Director asking if they could move the construction project up from July to...right now. They had to cancel a job in the Middle East and didn't want the workers who had taken time off from their own jobs to lose out of working on a missions project. I looked around slowly (at no one in particular, because I was alone) and said, "OK...I guess so." So, on Friday afternoon I went to the airport (my third time in eight days) to pick up Paul Dodds and Aaron O'Neill who are here working on the completion of FT's second dorm room and trying to sort out our septic system, which is a shambles, apparently (I had just kind of gotten used to the smell after six years, but apparently it is unpleasant to newcomers). They hit the ground running in a way I have never seen, not even interested in resting for a bit. I was willing to take a nap in their place, since they wanted to work, but my afternoon turned out too busy to do that. Shame.

And then that evening... well, I got to be a judge in a talent show. All the AWANA Clubs in Trinidad came together to host a talent show amongst all the kids involved in the various churches in order to raise funds for the annual AWANA Olympics. It was an honour to be asked by my church to be the judge from El Jireh; it would have been more of an honour if they had not asked Craig first (as the musically gifted one in the family) and had to accept me as his replacement because he was going to be out of the country on that date. I am sure his judging would have been better than mine as my judgements consisted of, "That kid was better than those kids... I think." In the category of musical instruments, the first participant played the recorder and I couldn't bring myself to give him a high score. I felt sorry for him having to receive the weight of my own personal baggage, but I was having unpleasant flashbacks to elementary school that I just couldn't get past. It worked out in the end because the kid who won that category played the drums in a rock number and he had a drum solo and everything. I knew if Craig was there he would have been able to tell if the kid was playing in time and all the technical stuff that comes with playing the drums, but I was at least able to figure out that he was better than the other kids, in rhythm or not. One of the choreography numbers was called Magical Princess and six little girls came out dressed as fairy princesses and did a choreographed number to a song about princesses. It was cute at first, but got dull really fast as they kept doing the same thing over and over and some of the princesses didn't know the steps... so they got a mediocre score from me because by the end I was like, "Yawn!" But the judge next to me gave them a 10 and I wanted to yell, "You're being manipulated!!! This is a talent contest, not a cuteness contest!!!" But my shouting would have fallen on deaf ears, so I stayed silent and stewed in the unfairness of it all. It also turned out that I was the only judge who actually was fair in the judgements and didn't automatically give out 10s to the groups and kids from their own churches. Ya, who knew that fairness was optional in a Christian talent competition. Because of my fairness our church was the only church that didn't win anything. The prize for the winners of each category was a whole roasted chicken (when Craig found out he laughed and said, "That is so Trinidad"), and as I drove a whole pile of youth home after the contest I got hit with a lot of, "It's your fault that we didn't get a chicken", "I wanted to eat chicken." Well, la-di-dah...we all want something we can't have. I will not compromise my morals for chicken, whether it comes with french fries or not and I told them just that.

Oh my goodness, this blog post is long... and Craig hasn't even gotten back from the States yet.

So then Craig arrived back from the States the next day and on Sunday morning we had an open air evangelistic service in honor of the church's 11th anniversary where we served cow's head soup to all our neighbours. I went and I chatted with people, but I couldn't bring myself to eat any cow's head soup. There are some sacrifices I have made in the name of ministry, and I will continue to give away my portion of cow's head soup to the children who have none for the sake of the gospel, because I am awesome like that. It was a great event where there were at least 100 people, with at least half of them being from the local community and not regular attendees.

In the afternoon we had Sam's first birthday party!!!! Sam is now one!!!! He spent most of the time attached to his grandma as he was confused as to why so many people were in his house. As was I, as half of the kids who attended were not invited. I kept turning to Mariana saying, "And who's this one?" Kids kept coming up to me and saying that the order of people jumping on the trampoline wasn't going fairly and I kept thinking, "Who are you?" Apparently word got around over cow's head soup, so all the neighbourhood kids turned up... and a good number of youth showed up uninvited as well, as you don't normally invite teenagers to 1st birthday parties, but I acted like it was all cool and they were actually welcome, which they were, because I had had the crazy idea the week earlier to order two massive cakes instead of one and order 150 empanadas instead of 75, so there wasn't even anything to stress about. It was the most awesome first birthday party ever...which Sam will have no recollection of. Sigh.

Sam is up now and I have run out of time to write more... essentially, we left for Santa Cruz in the car on the Tuesday after running around like headless chickens on the Monday trying to get ready for the Tuesday. We then hung out in the hotel, swam, ate a lot (sadly, no bagels) and generally rested. Thanks, Mom, for the holiday! Sam got spoiled rotten by Grandma... and the car was very full on our way back, so much so that we had trouble getting his stroller back in the car after dropping my Mom off at the airport and we had a moment of panic when we didn't know what we were going to do. But elbow grease and a lot of brute force is always the key.

We have been back at work this week trying to catch up with a lot and trying to help the guys in the big construction project. Craig is right now out with them trying to get some more supplies. Unfortunately, a lot of building and construction terms that we don't really know in English are words that we definitely don't know in Spanish, so a lot of our translating at the stores have been, "You know... the thing that goes in the thing", with a lot of hand gestures. But so far, so good.

Prayer

• Pray for Paul and Aaron (from Brass Tacks), for their time here in Trinidad.
• Pray for a family in the church who have recently suffered a terrible bereavement, with a mother and daughter murdered. Pray for wisdom as to how to help this family move forward.

Praise

• For a refreshing few weeks with family, in the USA and here in Bolivia.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 02/04/16

Not every day you come home to this.

A busy few weeks are upon us. On Thursday, I’m due to travel to Virginia for a family wedding; sadly, Amanda and Sam will be unable to accompany me due to his adoption not yet being finalised. Meanwhile, Amanda’s mother is due to arrive next Sunday afternoon to lend a hand with his lordship. I’m due back in Trinidad the following Saturday (following an overnight journey from the USA), and then we’re off to Santa Cruz for a break for a few days the following Tuesday, dropping Amanda’s mother off at the airport before returning to Trinidad on Monday the 25th of April.

Chances of any prayer updates between now and then: slim to none.

So, I’ve done my best to remember all the things that will be going on between now and the month’s end, as well as mentioning the week’s highlight as usual.

Boo!

Praise

• The English class was great this week. The group are really getting used to both the format of the lessons and each other’s company. In many ways, it’s a shame we have to break up for a few weeks after this Tuesday’s lesson. Still, much to be excited about.
• Craig is just back from the monthly Langham early-morning escuelita, where it was his turn to preach to the group. Give thanks for continued enthusiasm there.

Prayer

• Amanda is speaking at the youth group tonight on the small topic of making wise decisions.
• Pray for safety for all of us in our various travels over the next few weeks. Pray for an encouraging time for Craig with family in the US, and for some much needed R&R in Santa Cruz later in the month.
• Sam and Amanda were a little off towards the end of the week with a suspected stomach bug, though you’d hardly guess from his lordship’s general demeanour. They’re gradually getting over it now; pray for continued recovery.
• Craig would also appreciate your prayers for wisdom for himself and the other leaders with regard to some challenging situations we are facing among attendees of the church, including a family whose parents have not been around for a couple of weeks and a youth group member who was caught stealing at the Foundation yesterday.
• The 17th of April (Sunday) is a big date for two reasons. Firstly, in the morning, we’re hoping to have a special event for the church’s anniversary. The hope is to stage our usual service in a neighbouring street, and to include a meal for all attendees post-service. Please pray for wisdom as we plan this event, and for the necessary finances. Pray, too, for all those who attend and who will hear the gospel preached.
• Later on the 17th, God-willing, we’re hoping to host our own little celebration for Sam, who will have turned one year old on the 14th (alas, Craig will still be in the US on the day itself). Birthday parties here tend to be fairly uniform, with much birthday boy/girl-glorification at the centre! So it’s a great opportunity to publicly give thanks for Sam, and above all, give the glory to God alone; pray that this would indeed be the case.
• And speaking of Sam, of course, we value your continued prayers for the adoption process. We are very tentatively looking into going on a short home assignment in Canada and Scotland early next year, so in order to get the ball rolling on visas etc., it would be a help to have the adoption confirmed sooner rather than later. Pray that God’s plan would prevail and that we would gladly submit to it.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 26/03/16

Their first verb. I envy them.

The more I mull it over, the more I warm to Justin Welby's proposal of a fixed date for Easter, not least as the mooted date is in early April, giving us all a little more wiggle room between the two biggest dates on the Christian calendar. It's really snuck up on us this year.

Indeed, even the weather here has strangely resembled March back home, with an unexpected (and unseasonal) sur blowing into town overnight on Thursday. Temperatures have plummeted to a mere 22 celsius. Don't laugh: on a short outing to the plaza yesterday afternoon, there was barely a square-inch of flesh in sight.

Yesterday's day off was a welcome break in a busy week, details of which follow.

Praise

• The English class is progressing well. There is a steady group of around 15 students attending class, and this week was the first in which we were able to have two consecutive lessons (the general strike put paid to that last week; as if Bryan needed any more excuse to despise socialism). For all that the culture here is generally more relaxed, education can be rather po-faced in its delivery, and the students seem to be slowly adjusting to the very relaxed environment I like to foster in the class. Pray for deepening relationships and commitment to the class from the various attendees.
• Speaking of Bryan & Amanda, they finally arrived home on Monday evening. They did very well considering the great disappointment of the general strike on their scheduled departure day, and while it would have been a great burden for them to not see their children as early as they had hoped (something we increasingly appreciate), they certainly didn't show it; we also appreciated the unexpected opportunity to let them see the church in action at the weekend. 
• Give thanks for the discipleship opportunities afforded us. We are currently meeting weekly wth four young people: Amanda with Milly, and Craig with Diego, Daniel and Daniel. All of them are relatively young Christians with leadership responsibilities in the ministries for children and teenagers in the church.
• Give thanks, too, for what appears to be a genuine growth spurt in the church. The last few weeks have seen numbers go up dramatically; we haven't experienced such consistently high attendances on Sunday mornings since arriving here in 2010. That's not only down to the usual increase of children in attendance now that the children's ministry has begun (pretty normal for this time of year), but several adults and couples as well, from a variety of backgrounds. Pray for consolidation and commitment.

Prayer

• Craig is teaching tonight at the youth group; the subject is the Bible as a tool for helping us make correct decisions in life.
• On Monday, we are hoping to submit papers for the adoption proper. The process should last about a month, i.e., we should be done and dusted a couple of weeks after Sam's first birthday.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 19/03/16

BLOG UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Hello there!  The blog is being hijacked, shanghai-ed, commandeered, "liberated" and in every way buccaneered this week by Bryan and (la otra) Amanda.

Lucky you, we're brilliant!

We're so great that Craig and Amanda have put up with us for the last nine or so years since we met back in Glasgow.  That's no small feat!

And since it had been the better part of a decade since they left the Auld Country, we figured it was just about time to go see what this whole "Bolivia" thing was about.

The view on the way from La Paz to Trinidad was ok, I guess... 

Well, maybe since this is a missionary blog I should tell the truth: Craig and Amanda are nice, and Bolivia is great and all, but there was a small matter of a wee Sam we had to see to.  Yeah.  Like you wouldn't fly across the world to pinch his cute little cheeks.  You've seen him, right?  Irresistible.

But coming here did afford a number of wonderful opportunities to see our dear friends and the important work that they do here in the Beni.  (I'm not sure if that is even appropriate phraseology, but I heard Craig once refer to the region thusly and I thought it sounded rad.)  It was really strange for us to both experience this radically foreign culture for the first time and at the same time see how well Craig and Amanda have adapted to their environment here.  

This is us "fitting in."  Ohioans are duty bound to do this wherever we go, because there were only two of us we had to enlist the Cunninghams' help—dance puppets, DANCE!

It has been an exciting time to be here.  On Monday, we went to court!  Yay, Bryan (future lawyer) loves court!  The occasion was the expiration of the statutory period of appeal for Sam's biological parents to appeal termination of parental rights.  As no such appeal had been made, the judge was able to enter a final judgment of termination for Sam.  Craig and Amanda hope to start the work for formally requesting adoption this week and after papers are submitted the court will have no more than thirty days to act on them.  We pray to the Almighty that this time passes quickly and uneventfully!

We also have been able to see Craig and Amanda engaged in many of the various ministries they perform here.  On Tuesday we went and saw the Foundation where Amanda is very much in her element.  Working at the very nerve center, she oversees the various cogs, gears and whizz-bits with a maestro's aplomb!  On Tuesday night, we saw Craig in action kicking off another series of English classes.  That was a hoot.  To get the "J" sound as in "jacket"—which doesn't exist in Spanish—the class were literally screaming JACK-et JACK-et!!!!!!

"No, not 'JACKET!!!'" Craig explained calmly, just, "jacket."

"In America they would say 'wadder' whereas we say 'waTer.' See the difference?" [Blank stares].

One of Amanda's highlights was attending Bible study on Thursday night where families gathered together not just to read the Bible, but to learn about how to read the Bible.  One of Bryan's highlights was traveling out to Maná, a small village outside Trinidad which is home to many of the families of the men in a nearby prison.  Needless to say, neither of us had seen anything quite like it.  We went to Maná to catch some of the OANSA program—Bible study/memorisation for children. 

Kids in Maná getting their Jesus on!

There were probably sixty or so children there, most of them traveling the dark streets on their own to get there.  It was held in a school courtyard where the electric lights brought in hordes of of insects that would have impressed even Moses which the children warded off by burning cardboard egg crates and whirling around t-shirts like horsetails.  "Let the little children come to me" I could hear deep in my mind as the children sang and recited verses from memory.  Later we would learn that several of the children gave their lives to Christ that night.  God be praised!  We pray that they will be filled with the Spirit and that the love of Christ sustains them in the difficult years they have ahead.

We've also had a "taste" of life in Bolivia.  Where to start on that...  We could tell you about the family of five we saw all crammed onto one moto scooter, the general disregard for traffic laws, common sense or human dignity on the roads.  We could tell you about the wonderful food that seems to be everywhere (google "salteñas" and then wish you had smell-o-vision).  We could tell you about the western women in La Paz with their great, voluminous skirts and funny little top hats hawking dubious drinks in plastic bags on the roadside.  We could tell you about the heat (ugh) and humidity (UGH!).  Or about the cow's head that was left in the middle of the street being devoured by stray dogs.  But none of that would be it.  None of that can capture Bolivia.  I guess you'll just have to come and see for yourself.  

Speaking of cows in the road, MOOOOOve it, already!

You're lucky, you know.  We're not even supposed to be here writing this.  You could be reading Craig if it wasn't for a general strike that was called on Thursday to protest, um... I don't know, it's Bolivia.  We were supposed to fly out to La Paz on Thursday, you see, but these kindly folks blockaded all the roads early in the morning.  We couldn't make it to the airport and even if we had, we would have been the only ones there.  That's when we took this vacay to the bonus round!

And despite the hefty surcharge for rebooking, we're kind of glad it all happened that way.  Every day here with the Cunninghams is such a blessing and we're very happy to get to worship with the church on Sunday.

Prayer

• OANSA program in Maná
• The completion of Sam's adoption process
• Bryan & Amanda make it back to the States on Sunday/Monday

Praise

• Decisions for Christ made this week
• Great time of fellowship and encouragement this week
• Salteñas!

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig Bryan & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 12/03/16

"Sorted."

Many exciting things have taken place since we last posted. New ministries have launched, we’ve passed an important adoption milestone, and Amanda wore Craig’s trousers to work by accident.

Without further ado, then…

Praise

• On Wednesday, we attended the hearing for the termination of rights for Sam’s biological parents. Their family members had had over a month to respond to an edict in a national newspaper, asking them to come forward. As we had been half-expecting, and as was confirmed in the hearing, no-one showed during that time, thereby ruling them out of the process henceforth. So that hurdle has now been overcome and all that remains is for the adoption proper to be confirmed in the next month or two (excuse the vagueness re. a timeline; our hearing was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was cancelled at the last minute in order to give the judge’s office the afternoon off for International Women’s Day!). 
• We’ve had a really exciting past couple of weeks in the church. A week past on Monday, at the family’s request, we held a special evening service in the home of the boy who died so tragically a few weeks ago. They live in a village a few miles outside Trinidad, called Maná. The service was packed – it was standing-room only very early on – and many villagers who have no contact with our church turned up, as Elías, our pastor, delivered a gospel message and we sang hymns and prayed together.
• Meanwhile, the boy’s parents have been coming to church regularly, having previously turned up only for special events their children have been involved in (such as the Christmas service). Last Sunday, during a vibrant Communion service, both of them gave their lives to Christ. We were overjoyed.
• Finally, the launch of the new youth programme last Saturday went really well, with 30 young people in attendance. The meeting starts a little later than before, and lasts an extra half-hour, giving more time for games and small-group discussion. Though last week’s pizza was a one-off, alas.

Prayer

• In a few hours, our first visitors of 2016 will be boarding the first of four flights to Trinidad. We first met Bryan & Amanda Dove, from Ohio, way back in August 2007, and they are a special couple for us, being the first friends we got to know together, rather than one of us introducing them to the other and keeping our fingers crossed that they’d get along (a particular quirk of long-distance relationships). Despite spending most of the past decade on different continents, we’ve remained firm friends, and we can’t wait to see the Doves when they arrive, God-willing, tomorrow afternoon. Pray for their travels to and from Bolivia (they only have five days here), and for an encouraging week all round.
• Somewhat unexpectedly (not least for me), I’m teaching my English course again. The Foundation is needing a little help making ends meet, and after giving it some prayer, I’ve decided to run the course this year. In the past, students were always commenting on how cheap the course was (we were simply covering expenses for photocopying etc) so we’ve decided to increase the cost by, er, 500%! Yet still, people seem to consider it a bargain, and interest has been high, so I’m hoping it will prove an effective fundraiser. If you’ve been reading our blog for a few years, you’ll know that as we progress through the year, we begin reading the Bible together too. To that end, I’d really appreciate your prayers that God would bring together a group of students who are amiable, committed, and willing to learn.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 27/02/16

You, this time next Saturday. Six whole years, eh?

Our final Sunday morning in Scotland before coming out here way back in 2010 was spent not at our commissioning service (we'd had that the week before at Shettleston) but at the dedication of our friends' baby. There, over a coffee in the service's aftermath, I had a chance conversation with the proud grandpa. He complimented us on our early efforts at communication (we'd begun sending out our email updates as our preparations intensified), while encouraging us to not let that slip once we were out here. In fact, he told me, his own church had recently hosted a missionary couple who, in order to maximise communications and accountability, maintained -- of all things -- a blog. 

The arrival in Bolivia was still a few weeks away as, for some reason (I seem to remember it was family-related), we had decided that Canada in January would be ideal preparation for tropical Bolivia. In between the various appointments with friends and relatives (many of whom simply couldn't bear to see us only once before parting), we had plenty of time to mentally prepare ourselves for what was coming. And I seem to remember it was while sitting bored on the living room couch one morning that the blog conversation came back to me. Rather than waiting till we got to Trinidad, I simply posted away.

Looking back now, there were a whopping twelve posts before we even got here (I must have been really bored), but for what we were to lose in prolificity, we quickly made up in regularity, getting into the rhythm of sharing updates on Saturday mornings -- and that despite an internet connection the likes of which I thought we'd left behind in 1999. And come rain or shine, with the exception of home leave periods and vacations, we've pretty much been at it ever since. Some weekends have been more difficult than others for carving out a couple of hours, but that hasn't stopped us.

Over the last few months, however, a major new component has been incorporated in our lives (I'll give you a clue: it starts with 'S' and rhymes with 'ham'), and free time -- heh! -- is increasingly a thing of the past. Weekends were already fairly busy for us with our church commitments, but things have intensified considerably with the new addition, even causing us to -- the shame! -- overlook the blog completely a few weekends ago. This morning, with the weeks's groceries to be bought, a youth meeting to plan, a baby room to decorate, Amanda facing a veritable avalanche of clothes to be ironed, and, oh yeah, a ten-month-old to keep two pairs of eyes on, my first thought was: "How on earth will we manage to write a blog post today?"

Well, turns out I managed in the end. But, with heavy hearts, we have today decided to approach the blog with a little more flexibility for the foreseeable. We will endeavour to share a full post at weekends where possible. If not, we will, at the very least, share our prayer points for the week gone and the week ahead -- that is, after all, what got us into this game in the first place.

So it's not so much a case of 'goodbye', and not even 'au revoir', but simply 'here's an extra five minutes in your weekend that you hadn't been expecting -- go outside and kick a ball around or something'.

Wouldn't work in Canada in January, mind.

Prayer

• Yesterday, Craig visited the family of the teenager who died recently. Naturally, they are still coming to terms with his suicide, the mother being especially upset. However, unprovoked, they have both expressed a desire to come to church, starting tomorrow (their children already attend the children's and youth ministries). Please pray for healing and for a significant revelation of God in their lives.
• Keep praying for wisdom for Amanda and the other Fundación Totaí board members, who are facing a number of headaches right now.
• Craig is speaking to the youth tonight where the theme is, er, Pepsi, and its 'Live for Today' advertising campaign. You can probably see where he's going with that one.

Praise

• There have been a number of illnesses of late in our community, but the three of us are have been (so far!) relatively unscathed. Give thanks for the strength to be able to pitch in where others cannot, and pray for these cases too.
• Plans are progressing well for the re-launch of the youth group next weekend, with a constructive meeting this past week. 

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 20/02/16

Coming soon to Trinidad, Bolivia. Population: 120,000.

This weekend, Bolivia goes to the polls for a truly historic referendum. We have to be very careful about expressing political opinions here (especially as foreigners), so in describing the current political climate, I will restrict myself to facts that have been widely reported and are widely accepted.

• On the back of a third consecutive presidential election success in 2014, president Evo Morales' MAS (Movement Towards Socialism) party has set a referendum as to whether or not the constitution can be re-written to allow a president to seek a third term in office.
• Morales had the constitution (which allows for two presidential terms) re-written and endorsed by the people in a referendum in 2009, just before his second presidential election victory. Thus, while he is technically already serving his third term, the first one in this case doesn't count as it was under an old constitution. 
• Morales' current term ends in 2019. He is already the country's longest serving president, and a new term would potentially see him in power until 2025.
• In the event of a 'Yes' vote, the parochial, remote and largely unpopular Beni region (where we live) is set to benefit from, among other things, an international airport, according to pro-government campaign material.
• Should the Beni deliver a resounding 'No', questions will be raised as to the validity of last year's gubernatorial vote, in which MAS secured a most unexpected victory. Moreover, in such an event, it is likely the current governor will be removed from office and replaced by a former Miss Bolivia (yes, that one). 
• To mark his decade in office, in January, Morales and his vice-president began the day, a national public holiday, by offering animal sacrifices to Mother Earth at the ruins of ancient Inca city Tiwanaku. Morales then delivered a six-hour-long speech, broadcast nationally, heralding the achievements of his government. The speech was carried by all of Bolivia's television channels, which were threatened with closure in the event of non-broadcast.
• In the event of a 'No' vote, according to Bolivia's vice-president, "the sun will cease to shine and the moon will hide." 
• In the event of a 'Yes' vote, Morales would still have to run as a candidate in 2019.
• Vast sums of government money have been spent on campaigning for a 'Yes' vote.
• Bolivia remains the poorest country in South America.
• On the eve of the vote, polls are neck-and-neck.

Make of that what you will.

Prayer

• It's been a tough week for us as a church community. Earlier this week, a teenage boy who was a regular attender up until a few years ago (his siblings are still very much involved at the church) committed suicide. As is standard practice here, the burial took place soon after, but as a church, the comforting process has only begun. The parents have never been involved in the church, but the father has this week expressed to Craig and his fellow elders a desire to 'return to the Lord'. Pray for healing for the family and wisdom for the church.

Praise

• The staff meetings at FT this week were a great success, with visible evidence in the aftermath of greater unity, and a greater understanding from the staff as a whole as to FT's general direction and focus. 
• Edwin travelled home safely on Monday, after further ministry in Trinidad over the weekend. Give thanks for the great blessing he has been to us here, as a family, as a church, and as a group of Langham students.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 13/02/16

Amanda's eyesight's bad enough as it is.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've been busier than Donald Trump's hairdresser, so much so that last Saturday, for the first time in the history of this blog, we completely forgot to post anything (as opposed to home leave periods, or those weekends when we serve notice seven days earlier that we'll be venturing to some exotic destination -- or Santa Cruz). 

As a result, in spite of our efforts to give our blog-posts a more thematic feel in recent months, this weekend's effort will very much be in the tried-and-trusted mold of I-did-this-and-she-did-that-and-no-one-died.

The first of these last two weeks was exhausting, firstly because we were up late every night, and secondly because when we did finally rest our weary heads, we kept getting that nightmare about showing up for a high school exam late/unprepared/sans vêtements. Except for the first time in years there was some experiential basis, as a not-altogether-untricky exam was awaiting us at week's end.

All of which is attributable to the youth training week, which we mentioned last time out, with the church looking to re-calibrate the structure and methodology of the youth work, bringing it more in line with the AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) programme we run for children with its focus on Bible memorisation. It was an interesting course, but as intensive as it was interactive; here, rather than meet, say, once a week for five weeks, people prefer to do such courses quickly and efficiently over five weeknights (remember the Marriage Course)? 

In the end, we just about managed to scrape a pass (fully clothed, too) in the leadership exam, though the majority failed. Mercifully, there was a re-sit a few days later, by the end of which all eleven candidates got the seal of approval.

Ah yes, the old favourite of, er, smacking a ball around with balloon-stuffed
pillows.

After something of a dry January, rainy season has lived up to its billing a little more in the last couple of weeks; the storms have been heavy if intermittent, but much surface water remains, meaning mosquitoes are an ever-present nuisance (particularly, and most annoyingly, by our front door). Thankfully, but for a lunchtime downpour, the rain kept well away for last Saturday's annual Carnaval social event for the young people at the lake, which featured testimonies, the usual water-based games, and plenty of opportunities to demonstrate John 13:35 in action. 

That was an all-day affair, capped off with the exam that evening. Sunday, then, presented an ideal opportunity to finally put our feet up...except that we'd organised a Super Bowl party. We went to the lengths of borrowing the church projector for the occasion, rendering the thudding anti-climax all the more massive.

Cam Newton, in happier times (i.e., the pre-game warmup).

We had just about managed to get our house in order again by the time Thursday morning arrived with Edwin Fernández in tow. Avid readers will remember that Edwin works for Langham Preaching here in Bolivia, and Casa Cunningham is base-camp for what is his second follow-up visit since the initial course back in June. There is a lot to be encouraged by here; the fact that he has made the trip so frequently is symptomatic of Langham's optimism about the way things have progressed in Trinidad. Indeed, at the curtain-raising meal on Thursday with all the participants, Edwin presented us with a veritable bookshelf of written material (good books are very hard to come by here), adding that Langham Central was greatly encouraged by the Trinidad group's dedication, and the books were a gesture of gratitude.

Edwin's visits are always greatly encouraging (you might as well call him Barnabas) and he has even been kind enough to make himself available to the staff at Fundación Totaí, most obviously at the morning devotions. We're looking forward to what he has to say the rest of the weekend, be that on Sunday morning, Saturday evening with the youth, or today in our Langham workshop.

I should leave it there before I cause a renewed outbreak of exam nightmares.

Prayer

• Sam is growing quickly and his health remains robust, however, mosquito season brings great potential for complications. Pray for protection there.
• This Wednesday and Thursday, FT is holding two consecutive mornings of staff meetings, with the goal of better equipping our staff for the year ahead and helping newer members of the personnel understand better FT's mission and vision. Pray that these would go well.
• Pray for wisdom for Amanda and the other members of FT's board as they grapple with some financial restraints right now.

Praise

• That everyone passed the dreaded exam! Most were mature adults (you have to be at least 21 to serve as a leader in the new programme), including several who are getting involved in youth ministry for the first time this year. Exciting stuff.
• For safety, fellowship and fun last Saturday at the lake.
• For the great encouragement of Edwin's visit.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 30/01/16

"How on earth am I supposed to concentrate on this putt with the referendum
looming on extending Evo Morales' presidency?"

Yesterday afternoon, while driving through the streets of Trinidad, with people going about their lives all around me, I began to wonder if Rory McIlroy could actually reclaim the world number one spot.

On Thursday, while putting out the chairs at church, I mulled over the pros and cons of a summer referendum on EU membership.

On Wednesday, while walking through my neighbourhood to work, I thought about the dangers of an overabundance of bespoke Bibles in western culture. 

My thoughts were consumed with such matters due to my weekly diet of podcasts. Podcast listening is one of the main things I enjoy doing here to relax, while also staying in touch with the world beyond Bolivia. Yet little of it, if any, touches on the day-to-day realities of life in Bolivia. To take just the three examples cited above, golf is the reserve of the super-rich, you'd do well to find any Bibles in Trinidad's stores, and David Cameron is somewhat inconsequential (OK, maybe that last one isn't quite so culturally specific!). 

In the past, I have sought to rectify this by engaging with Bolivian culture, but find myself hesitant to go back there having seen too much corruption in politics, too much play-acting on the football field, and too many items on Miss Bolivia/Santa Cruz/La Paz/Wherever on the national 'news' bulletin (seemingly a daily feature).

We believers are in the world, but not of it, we like to say, yet, as an overseas worker, if you want to be addressing genuine needs as opposed to those that exist in the west and that you hope exist here, you really must seek avenues of connection.

Yet, here, we most certainly have a great advantage over many other missionaries in Latin America. Over these past six years, we have had opportunities to visit missional contexts in other countries and areas of Bolivia, where the potential to simply form a western enclave -- often around English-speaking schools -- has been obvious, even if not everyone falls victim to this. In Trinidad, we don't have English-speaking schools, motor-mowers or Starbucks. But we also lack fellow overseas workers, a deficiency which has, in the end, been very much to our advantage, forcing us to form deep and abiding friendships with the locals. We get all the news we need not from the weather report, but from our daily chinwags with a small yet beloved group of Bolivian families who, in times of trouble, will be there for you in a split-second. And all because each one of us has, in God's grace, responded to -- with apologies to Rory McIlroy -- the only news that really matters.

Now, please excuse me while I watch Colchester United vs Spurs live on ESPN.

*            *            *

Before moving on to the prayer points, just another reminder about those funds required for updating FT's accounting software (click here to read more). We're delighted to report several generous offers of support so far, but there is still a shortfall. If you feel led to contribute something, please don't hesitate to get in write to us at cramandham@gmail.com.

Prayer

• The new school year is now upon us, and that means that much of the church's weekly activities are slowly emerging from hibernation (if that's possible in summer). We are hoping to launch a new format for the youth ministry, and Amanda and I will be attending a training course all this week in the evenings. Prayer appreciated.
• The Zika virus has really hit the headlines, and we know that there are a few cases in Santa Cruz. However, over the past couple of months, several people we know have been victims of Chikungunya, another mosquito-borne virus, with dengue-like symptoms. Two of them are Craig's two fellow church leaders. Pray for Elías, Miguel Ángel and others.

Praise

• Our visit from the social worker on Monday went really well. Thank you for your supplications here, and keep praying for the adoption process in general.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda

Saturday Post -- 23/01/2016

I (Amanda) sit here on a Saturday morning, with sports on in the background (shock, horror, gasp - it's okay, it's the Australian Open. It's not like I've started watching football or anything), and I feel so rested. Because my generous, gracious husband let me sleep in this morning!!! I slept in till 8am this morning!!! For the first time in six weeks!!! I don't think that has ever happened in my life before. I have never gone six weeks without sleeping in. I don't think I realised how much I missed it. Sleeping in is awesome. As a teenager, I would always choose more sleep over the chance to eat breakfast. I think I feel the same way still. Sam, at nine months, has not learned the awesomeness that is sleeping in yet. But maybe, just maybe, he'll figure it out one day... or maybe he'll be a morning person like his Dad. Ugh... 

So far, our grand plan of switching off working and looking after Sam has gone well. We both feel we've gotten back into the swing of work, and we're able to keep Sam comfortable in his routine. We have also found that it is a lot easier to have people over at our house now instead of going out with him, especially in the evenings. We had a movie night here last Saturday with the young people. We finally got around to watching The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe after spending the second half of last year reading through the book, and the youth seemed to enjoy the movie even though the majority had already seen it. However, when asked which they enjoyed better, the movie or the book, they all answered, "The movie!!!" To which I replied, "You're all wrong! Read more!" Young people these days (shakes head in dismay). 

We also had Miguel Angel and his family over for lunch yesterday and Sam was in his element surrounded by so many people, being the centre of attention. Miguel Angel and Ruth, being dentists, were immediately commenting on how his two bottom teeth have come in. I was so proud and glowing over their comments, "Look at my kid... he's so talented, his teeth came in!" I looked happy, and probably smug, on the outside, but inside I internally accepted that his teeth coming in probably didn't have much to do with me, or anything conscious on Sam's part either. Due to our recent success at having people round here, Craig and I are talking about how it would be good to start trying to have more things at our place to be able to keep up our relationships with people, but not have to pack up the insane amount of things we have to carry around with us when we take Sam out. 

This past Thursday we had another interview with the psychologist attached to the Judge's office. Craig, Sam and I arrived bright and early and they all spent some time fawning over Sam and how big he's gotten. Then we entered into a relatively extensive interview about how we're getting on, but I think she was most impressed with Sam's diaper bag... because when he was starting to get fussy at breakfast time, yes, I pulled out his puréed mango and he ate like a champ and didn't even get any on his shirt. Then I pulled out everything I needed to mix his post breakfast bottle. We pulled out various toys as the meeting went on and we had his cloth for cleaning him up... and of course, had he needed to be changed, we had that as well. Talk about being prepared! However, when we went to the park after work that same afternoon and we needed to change his diaper, we discovered that we had packed everything for a diaper change expect a diaper. Sorry, dude... you're just going to have to sit in it until we get home. Complete fail. Returning to our interview that morning, the psychologist ended our time together by complimenting Sam's jeans and asking us where we got them. "Santa Cruz", we replied. At home Craig said, "You were thrilled about how she commented on his clothes, weren't you? It's almost like she complimented you on yours." "Absolutely," I replied, "I'm not in a position to buy stuff for myself anymore. I need to live vicariously through my son now." 

To give everyone a general update, we have another interview Monday morning with the social worker attached to the Judge's office. And on Wednesday the first advert goes into the weekly paper asking for his birth parents to step forward if they would like to claim him, or something to that effect. That gets printed this coming Wednesday (27th of January) and once again the following Wednesday (3rd of February), and then 30 days from the appearance of the first advert we will have another hearing with the Judge to terminate his parents' rights, if his parents or other immediate family members haven't stepped forward. Please pray that this goes smoothly. 

In terms of our work and ministry, things have been going well. Craig has started all his weekly discipleship sessions again after the holidays, and I have restarted some and will be back in full swing with all of mine next week. Craig spoke last Sunday on 1 Kings 17. I cannot tell you how it went because I was on nursery duty that morning. I spent the morning trying to fend the other kids off from poking Sam in the face and from trying to shoot him with toy pistols. I mean, what if he remembers that one day and it traumatises him? One kid asked me, "Can I kill him?" "Ummm, no, you can't! Don't kill my baby!" I know everyone has varying opinions about guns, but I grew up in a household where my police officer father didn't even let us play with water guns, so I am by nature very wary of anything to do with shooting in play... I was taught guns are never toys. So don't try to pretend to shoot my baby. Returning to Craig's sermon, I am sure he did a great job... as always. It's like a given. :)

Mariana, FT's chief administrator, has been on holiday this week, as she well deserves, so I have been trying to keep on top of various things in the Foundation. I have approved probably more purchases than she would have liked in her absence, but everyone assured me that they were necessary. Maybe I am a complete pushover or maybe it is my lack of Spanish and, therefore, understanding. Our caretaker tried to explain to me how there was a leak in the sink in the dentistry office and what he needed to fix it. I had no clue exactly what the problem was or what he was telling me he needed (my Spanish plumbing vocab is nonexistent), but he seemed so impassioned about fixing the sink that I just had to let him. It's his job, it's important that I let him do his job! 

I am speaking at youth group tonight and I want to challenge the youth to not limit God. God does not operate within our limitations and rules. God is bigger than that and we can trust in his greatness. I am planning on using Ephesians 3, focusing on the second half as Paul prays for the believing gentiles, where various mentions are made to God's unfathomableness (might not be a real word... it appears in wiktionary, but not in Webster's, so it's probably a fake word, though I think everyone understands what I am trying to say). Of course I will spend some time explaining the whole chapter and how the mystery of the gospel is that salvation is for the Gentiles too...because we can't forget about context, can we? I wouldn't be able to come home and look my husband in the eye if I forgot about context. But if God can't be measured (v18), if God's love can't be understand (v19) and he can do more than we can imagine (v20), why do we limit God when he is so clearly much bigger than us? I plan on starting with an activity to get them thinking about their imagination and about what they can really imagine...youths' imaginations are so under-stimulated here, it is really sad. Personally I think it's the lack of reading. (Please see above for my thoughts on this. Shakes head in dismay. Again.). So, I am going to put a fantasy-esque picture on the screen (see pic, below) and in small groups they have to come up with a story to fit the picture. The group with the most entertaining, dynamic story wins. Think big, think outside the box, yes in stories and in our imagination, but also in life. We can lead bigger lives than we're letting ourselves if we let go of the limits we put on God. Please pray for this message. 

What could possibly be happening in this picture?
And reciting the plot to Avatar does not count as creative.

Prayer

• Please continue to pray for the ability to update FT's accounting software, as I expressed last week. If anyone feels led to help towards this specific need, please get in touch with us privately. 
• For the message tonight at youth group - that the youth would be challenged. 
• For our interview with the social worker on Monday morning.
• Please pray for our church, El Jireh. There are lot of big decisions approaching and the leaders would appreciate guidance.

Praise

• A great time with Miguel Ángel, Ruth and their kids yesterday.
• For the interview with the psychologist which seemed to go well.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig and Amanda