The Epilogue

Well, we've officially been back in Canada for a week now, and the journey of processing has only just begun for the three of us.  It is interesting to think that we were saying our goodbyes at the airport just last week and that now we are settled back into our routines of life in Canada.  I know, speaking for myself, that I will never be the same.  The experiences that we have been a part of this past semester have molded and shaped our personal lives and callings.  We have made friendships that we will never forget, we have gone through conflicts and trials that have taught us about ourselves, and we have experienced God in new ways and with new eyes.  Although I am sad to say that this chapter of our lives has come to an end, I am confident that this marks the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.  We are now entering into a time of personal reflection on our past four months so that we can reengage in our own culture with a fresh awareness of what missional living means.

I would like to personally thank each and every one of you who faithfully read our blogs and who supported us either financially or prayerfully over the last semester...  We have been so blessed by your generosity and support!  We hope that you have been encouraged through the reading of our blogposts, and we hope that it was almost like you were adventuring alongside us the entire time.  If you would like to hear more stories, to get some clarification, or just to say a word or two, feel free to comment on this post and we will reply.

May God bless you, and may you be encouraged to go into your world and live a life that is worthy of the calling!

Last Day in Bolivia

Today was our last day here in Bolivia.  We currently are sitting here in the Santa Cruz International Airport, awaiting our flight to Miami.  We arrive home at 4:45 tomorrow evening and we will be writing our final blogposts/reflections throughout this week.  Thank-you all so much for reading our updates and for all of your continued support (we've reached over 3000 hits). Over the period of the next we will update some more pictures and stories so keep your eyes on the blog!

Goodafternoon Blogreaders,

I'm sorry to inform you that I don't have any new updates on the current political situation here in Bolivia.  As of right now, we have yet to hear more information regarding the outcome of the Santa Cruz referendum or the riots that it has brought with it.  We would like to let everyone know that we are safe and that we have had no major problems here in Cochabamba.  Both Dave and I were able to attend church yesterday without encountering any large protests.  At this point, we hope that the worst of the rioting has ended and we ask you to join with us in prayer for Bolivia.

Here's just another reminder that we will be Canada bound exactly one week from today. Our plane lands in the Pearson Int. Airport sometime in the evening on Tuesday, May 13.  We look forward to seeing all of you when we get home, and until then, we send our thoughts and love.

Felipe

Lockdown

So in case you haven’t noticed, Phil and I are still in Bolivia. For all who didn’t know, we've decided to extend our trip by a couple of weeks. Our main reason for doing so is because we didn’t want to spend our final weeks in Cochabamba writing papers. We wanted to have time to just relax and savour our time in Bolivia with some of the friends that we’ve made.
So far we’ve had a great time. We have continued to work in a few of our ministries (Phil: teaching English and working on a promotional video for CBM; Me: working with Jireh), and we have also been able to spend some quality time with our friends. However, life without Tarryn has not been easy. The other day we were making dinner for a few of our friends and began panicking when we realized we had no idea where our cheese grater went. We tried to call Tarryn but we couldn’t get a hold of her, so I had to resort to ripping the cheese into pieces by hand. We have managed to survive thus far without her, but your continual prayers would be appreciated.

On a more serious note, we would appreciate your prayers for Bolivia in the next few days. Due to a number of complicated political circumstances, political tensions are increasing in the major cities of Bolivia. On May 4th, a referendum is being put forth in Santa Cruz that could lead to protests and blockades. (We are not in the Santa Cruz region but there will likely be some unrest in Cochabamba, as it is one of the major cities).

Our return date is the 13th of May. We hope to spend the next week spending more time in ministries and with our friends, saying our good-byes.

Thanks for your support. May God grant us strength as we represent Christ in every aspect of our lives.

Dave

Leaving on a Jet Plane

This was the journal entry I wrote on the plane back to Toronto:
As I am writing this just as the sun is about to rise. Reflecting on my time in Bolivia, I could say that it was all fun, that it was all encouraging and all uplifting, but that wouldn't be true. Although most of our blog posts have highlighted the good times we have had here, the past four months have seen many challenges. However, I believe that it is in the these times God teaches us the most.One of the biggest things that I struggled with in Bolivia was my identity. In my own country I prided myself in who I felt I was. I was someone who could hold intelligent conversations, make people laugh, encourage my friends and give advice. These things told me like, I was smart, funny, a good friend etc. However, in Bolivia, I had none of these. In the beginning mostly, I rarely knew what was going on and when I did it was difficult to find the words to ever contribute anything worthy. Because of this, I never imagined developing close friendships and for a long time I didn't. Who would want to be my friend? I was the quiet, awkward foreigner? haha.

However, God used this to teach me a lot about myself and my relationship with Him. He challenged me on how I viewed myself and who I really was. Do I really need these things that I associated with 'Tarryn' to really be the child of G od I am called to be? So often I get caught up in the North American persuit of individualism and my relationship with God becomes an attempt to "better [myself] and to be more upwardly mobile in social status". This was a quote that I took from the Cross-Cultural Communication class we took with Dave Roberts that describes some people's motives for learning a new language. However, I often feel as though in pursuing God I am actually just trying to better myself and my life when I need to be focusing on my identity in Christ and what that consists of in light of sharing the gospel of love to others.There were times in the midst of learning this, and in the midst of a new culture that spoke a different language than my own, that I felt isolated. It was in these times, when I was forced to rely on God, that I was closest with Him. Something else I learned on this trip that God has been teaching me for many years, and will continue to teach me for the rest of my life, is His faithfulness to provide. From little things such as a chance to rock climb and play hockey with the Jireh kids (Dave's and my favourite sport) to bigger things, like the community of Christians here that provided me with support and friendship. (Paola, Jhaki, Saul, Lineth, Ruben, Ariel, Julio, Myrela, Ever, Luis, Pablo, Jose, Ben, Ivan, Christina, Emigdio, Pat and Terry Janke and Phil and Dave).  It was through these people that God showed me His love. Like I mentioned before, I asked myself, "who would want to be friends with someone with whom it was so difficult to get to know?" I rarely talked at the beginning and put little effort into getting to know people in comparison to what they put in. However, I was shown an unconditional love and acceptance that I have been blessed with only a handful of times before in my life. I was blessed with gifts of their time and presence, and coming from a culture that values time significantly, it meant a lot. They showed a commitment to get to know me, regardless of what I showed them. It is amazing how much God uses Christian community to show us His love. Truly, the Christian community I experienced in Bolivia has been an example to God's relationship with us, and now my time is done. Oh wow, I can see the sun coming over the clouds just now.
-In Christ, Tarryn, Tarry, Tarence, Theresa, or Carjen

Tarryn and the Despedida

Goodbye Tarryn.  You will be dearly missed here in Bolivia, but we know that we will all see you again in the Great White North in no time!  I don't know how Dave and I will live without you here (or what we will eat), but we know that your family misses you.  We hope you have a great trip home.  Blessings and brotherly love, 

- Dave and Phil

Family and friends, I would like to recount to you the story of "the Despedida" which tookplace last night, but first a few thanks are required.  Dave and I would like to first off thank the Start family for loaning us their daughter (and sister) for the last four months, we have thoroughly enjoyed her companionship and we know how proud you must be of her. She has taught us so much, and we can see how much she is growing into an amazing woman of God (who can speak Castilliano too).  Also, to all of Tarryn's friends back home, thanks for letting us borrow your friend (and unlike most things we've borrowed, she will come back in better condition than she left).  We've heard numerous stories about you and I apologize in advance if you have to endure the even more stories about us!  I know Tarryn loves you all and missed you so much, thank-you all for your support along the whole way.

Now, for the story of the great despedida.  Tarryn's goodbye party (or despedida) was held last night in our friend Julio's clubhouse and todo el mundo was invited.  We were joined by 34 of the friends we have made over the last 4 months (Tarryn is now famous around the world) from Bolivia, Canada, England, and Brazil.  We started out with a time of some good socializing and fellowship; reminiscing about the past semester together.  As the seats filled in, we played a little "Cheppi-Cheppi" (also referred to in  a past blogpost) which is always a total laugh.  We then joined together in a BBQ, because no matter where you are in the world you can't meet together without eating!  After the meal we did the logical thing to do after a meal in Bolivia... we danced!  Traditional Bolivian music filled the air and we joined in dancing many different traditional dances (most of which I don't think Canadians are genetically designed for).  

After working off all the calories from the meal we were ready for some cake, but, as is custom before eating cake, we made public speeches about Tarryn and how greatly she will be missed.  Dave and I serenaded Tarryn to a lovely rendition of "Leaving on a Jetplane" and we too shared a few words about the "third musketeer" (or our bandita).  After eating cake we naively thought that the night was coming to a close (it was now nearing 11), but it was only getting started.  It wasn't long before we went inside of the patio for some cafe and before we knew it someone had found a couple guitars.  We sang worship songs in Spanish, English and Portuguese (usually in what ended up sounding like a strange re-mix actually) taking in every last moment of our time together.  It was definitely the perfect last-night-in-Bolivia to remember.  I have no doubt in my mind that neither Tarryn, nor Bolivia will ever be the same.

A Glimpse of Heaven

I think that the three of us can now say that we have experienced a little bit of what eternity will be like.  Last night at the First Baptist Church of Cochabamba we were a part of unity service for all of the ministries in the church.  We joined together with more than 500 people from all over the world and we all worshiped together in our own languages.  First we were blessed by the ministry of the Quechua people (the largest indigenous group in Bolivia) which was totally unlike anything you've ever heard.  Then we were able to worship in Portuguese with our Brazilian brothers and sisters who totally know how to raise the roof.  After that it was time for a little English. Tarryn, Ivan, Myself and a group of 6 British girls led worship in English (representing those present from: Canada, U.S.A., England, Scotland, Ireland, and Australia).  The worship segment ended with a mind blowing worship time in Castilliano (being the first language of Bolivia, the majority of people spoke this form of Spanish).  After a sermon on unity preached by the Quechua pastor we joined together in singing "The victory, the victory is mine" in all of our native languages combined and it was so amazing!

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." 

- Revelation 7:9

"Oh! Como é bom e agradável que os irmãos vivam em união!" 

- Psalm 133:1 (Portuguese)

"Tukuy runastaj Diospa salvacionninta rikonqanku." 

- Luke 3:6 (Quechua)

"Solícitos en guardar la unidad del Espíritu en el vínculo de la paz" 

- Ephesians 4:3 (Spanish)

Our Spiritual Retreat and Trip to the White City

As soon as Tarryn and I arrived home from the Jireh camping trip, we headed to the Jankes house where we met our Canadian comaňero (Phil) and began a two day time of spiritual reflection. That night we each were given the chance to remember and share how God had led us throughout our spiritual journeys. We recounted some of our greatest spiritual challenges and struggles of the past and how the Sovereign Lord had carried us along to where we are now.

On Monday morning we spent three hours in silence and solitude in various places in the beautiful casa de los Janke (the Jankes’ house). During this time we reflected on our experience here in Bolivia and really tried to pinpoint some key areas in which we’ve learned and grown. For me this was some much needed time to think about how I’ve changed and how I ought to respond to some of the things I’ve learned since I left the northern hemisphere. There is still much processing to be done for all of us, but I think it’s safe to say that our relationships with God will never be the same. In the afternoon we discussed some of our reflections as well as the many challenges we may face when we return home (so-called reentry shock).

On Tuesday morning we got on a plane with Pat and headed to Sucre for a three day trip. I had heard many good things about Bolivia’s old capital before we arrived, but I was not prepared for the beauty we encountered. As we drove from the airport to our hotel I felt as though I was entering the 17th century. Sucre, the “White City,” is famous for its Spanish colonial architecture and its rich cultural history. An extravagant white cathedral is situated on almost every major street corner and many of the roads are made of cobblestone. Cochabamba is in a valley surrounded by mountainous terrain, La Paz is in a sort of crater in the mountains, but Sucre is literally in the mountains, which means that no matter where you are you’ll probably have some sort of magnificent view. The view from the terrace of our hotel’s restaurant was unbelievable.

Here some of the main things we did in Sucre:

Tuesday
-we checked into our hotel in the morning and ate lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking the city
-we toured the city a bit on foot and got to see the beautiful cathedral in the main square of the city
-we visited a dinosaur exhibit in which we saw real dinosaur tracks
-we visited a museum which showcased the history of some of the tribes in the Sucre area, as well as some of the masks commonly used in indigenous dances and festivals
-we went to a dinner theatre in which there was a spectacular presentation of the indigenous dancing of Bolivia (ask Phil about the diablo part…I think we both wanted to make a run for it…)
Wednesday
-we visited a museum run by an organization which strives to preserve the cultural tradition of weaving among five different tribal groups
-we saw a semi-restored colonial mansion (think Beauty and the Beast style), which was owned by a ridiculously rich miner in the 17th century (I think). He was unable to have kids and so he decided adopt 100 orphans and have them stay in his mansion.
-we did a bit of shopping and experienced the lively Sucre nightlife
-I did my oral exam with Pat (on a book about the history of Canadian Baptist work in Canada). We did it on the hotel balcony which overlooked the night lights of the city. It was easily the most beautiful setting in which I’ve done a university exam.
Thursday
-we visited the casa de la libertad (the house of liberty) in which we saw the Bolivian Declaration of Independence, pictures and statues of many famous historical figures and presidents, and the huge main hall of a former Jesuit university
-we had lunch in a beautiful courtyard of a great restaurant and discussed more about reentry shock
-we toured a large convent near our hotel in which we saw many Catholic paintings and the inside of a massive cathedral
-we flew from Sucre to Santa Cruz and were able to take a one hour tour through the city before eating some subway subs and heading back to Cochabamba

It was certainly an action packed trip but I was also thankful to have some time to relax, to pray and to reflect. I learned a lot about the rich cultural history of Bolivia that I did not know before. Regardless of whether or not I ever return to this amazing country, I know that this whole process of acculturation has been invaluable to my walk with God. I trust that God is using it to make me a more effective witness of Christ in whichever context I end up.

Dave

Camp Kewiña

Friday morning Dave and I left with the Jireh kids for Kewina Camp for the weekend. I have added some pictures that show some of the things we did including, rock climbing, floor hockey, skits, eating, more eating, a hike up a mountain, a ride in a boat, praying and hanging out with the kids. It was an amazing last time with the children and youth and I will never forget it. Through my limited Spanish I was only able to offer them the simple, yet impacting sign of God's love. When Dave and I got off the bus Sunday afternoon and waved good bye to all of them it was really hard knowing that there care is out of my control. However, now, all that is left for me to do is pray that God will continue to bless and provide for the the Jireh Project and through the ministering of God's love there the kids we have been working with for the past three and a half months will encoutner the love of the gospel in their lives in a significantly real way.

Solito

The title of todays blog reflects my current state.  Dave and Tarryn have left me for the weekend, they have gone to a camp with their ministry and left me to man the quarters.   They will blog on Sunday night when they get back from roughin' it and you will get to hear all about their grand adventures.  I could tell you about my weekend, but so far it's looking like schoolwork, teaching english, more schoolwork, climbing the Cristo, some more schoolwork and maybe 5 church services... just another weekend in Bolivia.  

Since I don't really have any great stories since my last post, I will put up some pictures and at the end I would like to leave a quote from Henri Nouwen (a famous theologian and Roman Catholic evangelist to Bolivia) from his book Gracias: A Latin American Journal (which I highly recommend you read, it's a great book for understanding South American culture). 

(Mayra, Laura, Paola, Jhaki, Josue, Phil, Pablo, Dave)

(St. Paddy's Day - It's older but you haven't seen it yet)

(The Guys: Pablo, Myself, Josue and Dave)

       "This is a hard vocation. It goes against the grain of our need for self-affirmation, self-fulfillment, and self-realization. It is a call to true humility. I, therefore, think that for those who are pulled away from their familiar surroundings and brought into a strange land where they feel again like babies, the Lord offers a unique chance not only for personal conversion but also for an authentic ministry."

 - Henri Nouwen, Gracias (pg. 18)

The home stretch...

Well everyone, here we are, the final leg of this race.  I need to apologize again for the lack of recent updates, things here are getting so busy (school finishing up, ministries coming to a close, intentionally continuing to build relationships) and so we have not had large amounts of free time to blog.  I will give you an update of where we are at in the trip so far, with not only a weekly update but I would like to leave you with some lessons we have learned while here. 

Visitors to Bolivia:  

Since our last post we have been joined by: a couple from CBM - the Mitchells from Deer Island (who have already gone back home), our professor of Global Christianity Terry Smith (who is no longer in Cochabamba) and a group of 14 adults from Canada (who are here till tomorrow).  There would be too much to blog about if I wrote all the things that have happened over the last 10 days so I will just highlight a few things (if you want you can ask us about them on the comments page).  

March 23 to April 2 - In Fast Forward >>>

We had a sleepover at the Jankes (when Pat and Terry were out of town), Tarryn baked cookies with her english class, Jonathan broke his arm, I taught english at 6:30 am twice this week, we finished up a course with Terry Smith, I've tour guided a group of 14, gave exams to our kids at the school, we watched a documentary on the children who work in the mines of Bolivia, April Foolsed, went to the airport 3 times, went on a sketchy Truffi Adventure, and I wrote this blog.

Important Lessons Learned:

DON'T give Bolivians a reason to paint on eachothers faces, this was our Bolivian friends first St. Paddy's day and I'm pretty sure they did it better than I've ever done it before.

DON'T let Tarryn bake cookies at the same time as teaching to speak a second language, sometimes you want communication to be very clear, especially when you will be eating the result!

DO give Bolivians every right to shove Dave's face in his birthday cake, it proves to be rather therapeutic.

DON'T try to communicate complex thoughts in Portuguese when you are in fact studying spanish.

DON'T try to manhandle the Jankes' Parrot, it will hurt you.

DON'T teach your english class to say, "shut up"... it may be the only thing they say all year

DO eat the street food, who needs a detox program anyways?

DO feed the mangy dogs, they'll only follow you for the rest of your life

DON'T try to play basketball in the dark, at 9000 feet above sea level with Bolivians, they will kick your butt every time

DO read the www.onroutebolivia.blogspot.com blog, it always proves to be a great read! 

Our Trip To La Paz

Happy Easter!

It’s Sunday evening and we’ve just gotten back from our trip to La Paz. We’re all exhausted. The trip was an amazing and interesting experience. Not only did we enjoy Bolivia’s capital, but we also got to see some of Bolivia’s most renowned sights and places. The first night we arrived we went out for dinner on one of La Paz’s most busy streets. I was amazed by the city. It’s located in the Andes, in a sort of crater surrounded by smaller mountains with huge snow-capped mountains in the distance. The city is similar to Cochabamba except that it has larger, more modern style buildings and the temperature is quite a bit cooler.

The next day was pretty action-packed. We first drove to a place called Tiwanaka, a sight famous for its Incan ruins. Although it still has not been fully excavated, there was some very interesting stuff. First we saw an idol of mother earth (I can’t remember how to spell it but their god was basically a version of mother earth) and then we looked though a museum filled with Incan artifacts. We also saw some very interesting temple-like structures with altars and idols and such. It was good to be reminded of the fact that Bolivia has a rich history and that much of its present culture has been influenced by its Incan ancestors.

After Tiwanaka we traveled an hour or so to another notable feature of Bolivia, Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It sits 3,812 m (12,507 ft) above sea level making it the highest lake in the world. It was beautiful. While we were there we got to try some of the Titicaca trout, which was delicious. We also got to learn a little more about Bolivian history at another museum. (Oh and not to mention get a little friendly with some lamas and alpacas.)

This morning we visited the Fist Baptist Church of La Paz and Terry preached a great sermon as usual. Once again I was blown away by how welcoming the Bolivian Christians were. Being around them always makes me fully appreciate the fact that in Christ we are all brothers and sisters.

Before I finish I should add to the comment that Phil made in his last blog about Bolivian Catholicism. When we arrived in La Paz we got to see one of the Good Friday parades. It consisted of a large group of people wearing strange costumes (which closely resembled those of the KKK) carrying different statues from one church to another (Mary, Christ on the cross, and Christ in a transparent casket). Although some aspects of it were quite strange, I was moved by how apparently serious these Catholics took their religious traditions. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but draw the conclusion that many of these people had reduced the significance of the death and resurrection of the Lord and Savior to a ritual they perform once a year and remember on the odd Sunday. It aches my heart to think that those to which the gospel has been entrusted have forgotten or failed to understand that the cross ought to affect every facet of our lives.

Please continue to pray for us as we strive to serve Christ in Cochabamba.

Dave

Ps: Special thanks to Phil and Tarryn for making my Bolivian birthday memorable, and for getting me a delicious, wet Bolivian birthday cake (which my nostrils thoroughly enjoyed).

Some Pictures

(From top to bottom): Dave golfing on our golf day with the Janke's. The next three are of Dave's birthday party. The three of us at the highest point on the drive to Oruro at 4496 meters above sea level. The next two are of some of the views of the drive. The third is Phil testing the hot springs we stopped at and the last picture is some alpacas we saw at the side of the road.

Happy Birthday Dave!

Well everyone, 

Once again, my apologies about the lack of new material this week.  We have been so busy lately, with classes and ministry and traveling... finally I have a little time to sit back, relax and blog!  

Today was Dave's 22nd birthday, and so we (Tarryn and I) decided to throw him a big traditional Bolivian style surprise party.  We invited lots of friends, we had food, music and even fun hats!  Dave's face went in the birthday cake (as is tradition here), and we all shared our favourite memories and sentiments about Dave (as is also tradition).  

The night was so much fun and we were all able to just relax and celebrate our friend Dave Graham.  

Early this evening we went to Roman Catholic mass and then went to the stations of the cross at another large cathedral.  It was really eye-opening to see the intense Catholicism here which looks very little (if at all) like Catholicism from back home.  Holy week is one of the most important times in the church calendar and it was amazing to be able to experience what this time of year means to millions of South American Catholics. 

As a quick summary of what we've been doing since the last blog posting... Last Sunday we took my family to the airport and sent them on back to Canada.  We had a wonderful time with them and I know that you all missed them back on your side of the world (but thanks for lending them to us).  

On Monday morning we went golfing with the Janke family before our ESL classes (in my class we had a St. Paddy's day party with a REAL Irish lady! I'm sure my students would have loved her if they could've understood anything through her accent).  The rest of the week was back to the regular ministry routine (which always proves to be anything BUT regular!) and that brings us back to today.  

Tomorrow, Tarryn and I will be flying to La Paz (the capital of Bolivia) and Dave (along with the Jankes) will be driving (we will explain in the comments section if you really want to know why...).  So, that's a fancy way of saying, "when we get back on Monday morning - we will post again (and this time, we won't take forever to update you)".  

May you all have a blessed Easter weekend,

- Phil

Christ is Risen! 

Our Trip Up the Mountain

As Phil promised, this blog is about our adventures out of Cochabamba this past weekend to Oruro and Llallagua. So 8:30 friday morning the seven of us, Phil, Dave, Terry, Phil's Dad, Rick, his grandparents Richard and Eunice and I all piled into Terry's jeep. We headed on our way up the mountain to Oruro, a city about five hours from Cochabamba. The trip was...how do I put it in a way that will capture the adventure without giving my parents a heart attack. . .um. . . a perpetual near death experience. Haha, O.K. maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but I'll have to admit that whipping around those corners not knowing what was ahead of us, only that we were a foot from the edge of a mountain was at times. . . how would I put it, exciting!

Along the way we threw buns out the window to stray dogs (actually that was a lot more fun than one would think) and stopped to take pictures and see some hot springs. Friday afternoon we stopped in Oruro for lunch but then continued on to Llallagua. There we stopped in Murka Myra where we visited a memorial church for six people martyred in the 1940's. We also were welcomed into the home of one of the local missionaries for some Coco tea. For me Murka Myra and visiting the missionary's family was one of the highlights of the weekend. Stepping into someone's home provides an entirely new look into a culture, and in this case, when we looked we saw the love of two people showing hospitality to others and the cutest little girl that I am pretty sure Amigdio would have taken home with him if he could. The home we visited was extremely humble in wealth but rich in love. Being in Murka Myra couldn't help but challenge my lifestyle full of luxuries I call necessities.

Later on we checked into our hotel in Llallagua where Willie, the old man we all quickly befriended that worked at the hotel, served us dinner. After dinner Phil and I toured the night life of Llallagua. Walking up and down the narrow, cobblestone streets jam packed with people, street vendors selling anything from washing machines to 80 brands of shoes, we couldn't help but think of how much the little yet lively town felt like a movie set. There were bright lights but you could tell beyond the busyness of the city it was dark, quiet and desolate. The next day we joined Terry, Ivan, Amigdio and the other ministry representatives from Cochabamba for a bit for a meeting they were having. After the worship was over we left to experience Llallagua a bit more, handing out gum balls with bible verses written on the packaging to children in the street.

Later Saturday afternoon we checked out and headed back to Oruro. Dave Phil and I, wisely used that time to cram for the testimonies we would be sharing in Spanish later on that night. Notice how I use the word wisely there, however the wiser thing to do, obviously, would to have it done before we left haha. Shortly after arriving in Oruro we ate dinner quickly and then headed to one of the local churches there. The Pastor of the Church, Pastor Alex, was one of Terry's students at the seminary in Cochabamba. Phil shared with the young adults group the importance of personal devotion with God and Dave and I shared parts of our testimonies that high lighted that. Afterwards they served pastries with super salty cheese and hot, cinnamony, blueberry smoothies. Yes, Bolivian food has been a new experience for us. Another high light for us all is coming up here. After the snack the Bolivians led us, yes all of us, even Phil's grandparents, in 'The Cheppycheppy', a song/dance duo.

Sunday morning Rick lead a devotional for adult Sunday School on God's process of reuniting man with God, with himself, with others and with the earth and Phil translated! Terry gave a sermon both in the morning and in the evening. After the service we went out with some of the ladies who had latched themselves onto the available gringos...ehem...Phil and Dave. We all had a laugh about that one. Especially when one of the girls asked if she could hold Dave's arm, and Dave afraid of 'offending' anyone was compelled to say 'yes'.

Driving home Monday morning, reflecting on it all, I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we found more encouragement in the people of the two humble towns than we probably brought. Whether it was the warm welcome we received every time we entered the church, the offers to go to Chile, the candies non-shelantly passed to us during services or the warm smiles, I felt undeservedly loved by people I assumed were total strangers. The people we met in Oruro and Llallagua reminded me that I shouldn't view fellow Christians as mere strangers but as people who can provide an opportunity to build up and encourage the body and be built up and encouraged myself.

-Tarryn

Vamanos!

This is just a short post to let you all know that we will be traveling to Oruro this weekend and will not be blogging again until Tuesday.  Quick Update: My dad and grandparents arrived here safe and sound just a few days ago, and the whole group of us are feeling well... Your prayers will be coveted as we travel.  Blessings. Chau. 

Dave Roberts: The Saga

Hello again blogreaders, 

I will be reporting to you our adventures with Dave Roberts.  The Following events took place between February 23 and March 2 (the time overlaps the last post but the story details will be different). This blogpost will also be slightly different from usual - I will be giving you a play by-play of our week here with Dave Roberts. 

0200hrs 23/02/08 - Dave R. Arrived in Bolivia 

1900hrs 23/02/08 - We took Dave R. out for his first Bolivian dinner followed by some good ol' Bolivian fellowship at the Calama church where he was able to meet some of our friends

0900hrs 24/02/08 - English church at Calama immediately followed by more fellowship and another church service in Spanish 

1230hrs 24/02/08 - We joined the Jankes and the Gutierrezes  for a BBQ at another local missionary's house

0900hrs 25/02/08 - Our first class with Dave R. (on the topic of cross-cultural communication)

1830hrs 25/02/08 - Dave R. joined our ESL classes for the evening 

2000hrs 25/02/08 - Dave R. kicked our butts at volleyball and impressed all of our Bolivian friends (up until that point we had told them that Canadians just don't play volleyball very well... looks like we'll need a new cover)

o900hrs 26/02/08 - Our second class with Dave R. (on the topic of cross-cultural conflict)

2100hrs 26/02/08 - We took Dave R. out for some Bolivian style bowling.  We were able to introduce Dave R. to more of our friends, and yet again, he schooled us at another sport (I don't want to talk about it, it's still a sensitive area...)

0900hrs 27/02/08 - Our third class with Dave R. (on the topic of culture shock)

1500hrs 27/02/08 - Together, the four of us, braved the stairway to the Christo.  We were able to show Dave R. our beautiful city from one of the highest vantage points... and then decided to take the ski-lift back down because we were afraid Dave R. might have a heart attack trying the stairs (... ok, not really, I'm just trying to tarnish his image because we are jealous that he's more athletic than us...)

1730hrs 27/02/08 - We went out to a lovely restaurant/cafe to talk about and process the trip so far.  We were able to talk freely and personally, and once again we were all blessed by Dave R.'s wisdom and experience.

0900hrs 28/02/08 - Our fourth class with Dave R. (on the topic of communication dynamics)

2000hrs 28/02/08 - We were invited into one of our friend's houses for a birthday celebration, and Dave R. was able to see a traditional Bolivian birthday celebration with the birthday blessing, and the cake in the face, and all!  It was amazing to see Dave R. adapt and relate to the culture on so many levels so quickly... it really inspired us that we have a long way to go.

0900hrs 29/02/08 - Our final class with Dave R. (on the topic of contextualizing the message)

1600hrs 29/02/08 - We took Dave R. on a shopping adventure through the Cancha.  We explored the largest marketplace in the city for several hours and once again we were able to experience the culture with Dave R. first hand.

1200hrs 01/03/08 - Dave R. met with some of his S.I.M. colleagues here in Bolivia

1530hrs 01/03/08 - Tarryn and I took Dave R. on one more trip to the Cancha to pick up a few more things for him to take back to Canada (at this point in the week the sadness of thinking about Dave R. leaving is beginning to set in)

1700hrs 01/03/08 - Dave R. came over to our apartment for dinner.  It was spicy and... umm... well ask Tarryn how it went, I'm sure her "descriptors" are better suited for painting an image in your mind.

0900hrs 02/03/08 - Dave R. preached at the Calama English Service and we lead worship (his message on prayer was a great finish to the spiritual insight he had given us this week).  The service was followed immediately by... you guessed it, more fellowship and another church service in Spanish! (We go to a LOT of church... it is so cool). 

1300hrs 02/03/08 - The Jankes took the four of us out to lunch where we were able to hear amazing stories about the missionfield.  Stories about 7ft deadly snakes, killer hippos, poisonous bugs and other amazing stories that you really need to hear first hand. Between Dave R. and the Jankes there is so much knowledge and missional experience to learn from it is such a blessing.

1900hrs 02/03/08 - Sadly, Dave R. headed to the airport for his flight back to Canada.  

Final thought: In a world that is so big that most of us will never get to see it... How many times have we missed an opportunity to take in the experience of another?  To be able to simply sit and listen to another tell their story is perhaps one of the most profound ways to soak in wisdom far beyond our own years.  Every person you meet has a story, will you take the time to hear it?

- Phil 

ESL and Cross-Cultural Communication

Well the fact that we haven’t blogged in so long attests to how busy we’ve been in the last two weeks. On Thursday we began our ESL classes at Calama church. Phil is teaching at an advanced level and Tarryn and I are teaching basic. We’re all enjoying it a lot. It’s difficult at times, given my poor Spanish, but it’s also very helpful and rewarding. Last night I taught them basic pronunciation and how to sing the English alphabet. It went well, even better than expected. Although you wouldn’t believe how difficult it is for some non-English speakers to pronounce certain sounds that come so naturally for us (e.g. the Z sound, the difference between “sit” and “set” etc.). ESL is also really great because it's a good chance for us to get to know some of the Bolivians and ultimately, it's a place where we can represent Christ. Please pray that we would not only be effective teachers but that Christ would be glorified in our teaching and in the relationships we develop.

On Saturday we went to the airport to pick up Dave Roberts, Tyndale’s Missions Mentor. He has been here all week teaching us a class called Cross-Cultural Communication. The whole point of the course is to teach us how to serve God effectively in another culture. It’s been wonderfully practical. Dave spent twelve years living in Africa. It was great to be able to learn from his experience and to be challenged by his teaching. Over this past week I feel like I’ve acquired a renewed passion for Bolivia and motivation to learn and understand all aspects of the culture. I've also been convicted about some of my cultural orientations that could serve as a hindrance to ministry. Dave has taught us to really consider what it means to be servants to all (1 Cor. 9:19-23).

On Thursday afternoon we were able to climb the Cristo (1136 steps

 to the top). It was a great experience and the view of the city was breathtaking.

This Sunday will be sort of a Tyndale worship service at Calama’s English service. Dave is preaching and we are leading worship. It should be fun. Your prayers would be appreciated; for the service and also for Dave’s flight home, which leaves on Sunday.

One more important update. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Terry and Pat will no longer be involved with the Baptist Seminary (we will hopefully still get to stay here in the Seminary but we're still not sure). Please pray for them as they seek new opportunities to serve Christ in Bolivia.  We would also appreciate your prayers as we wait on God to continue to provide us with ample opportunities to develop relationships and to serve.

Thanks for your support.

Dave

Miniature Earth

Numbers and statistics can be really difficult to get our heads around. For example, take the population of the world, which is approaching 7,000,000,000 people. It's too large a number to comprehend. But what if that number was smaller, much smaller, something we could visualize?

Try to imagine, then click here... 

San Lucas 12:37-38

Last week was our first full week of ministry. Dave helped out with the Jireh Project playing games with children and youth who shine shoes in the streets and helping them a bit with their homework. Phil helped teach a few English classes at The Colegio Evangelico Emanuel an elementary and high school and I did a little bit of both. So far I am really enjoying teaching at the high school. Since we have begun I have been able to teach seven classes and am slowly getting to know the youth. For the last part of the last class I was in today I just ended up talking to a few of the students and getting to know them. They invited me to play soccer with them and to come to their church. I can't remember why, but some how we ended up talking about museums and they all thought it was pretty cool that in Canada we have a wax museum and a cheese museum. Or maybe they thought it was a little weird, but I am choosing to believe otherwise.

We also managed to fit in some hang out time with our friends into our busy schedules. I finally convinced a group of Bolivians, including about seven guys to go see '27 Dresses'. In case you don't know what that is, it's one of the newest chick flicks playing at the movies. It was a good time minus the fact that Phil got everyone in trouble for starting a popcorn war halfway through the movie. I think the guys may have been a little bored.

Thursday night was another interesting evening. Let's just say that we truly experienced the indirect communication and lack of timeliness of Bolivian culture. We were told to meet at the church at 7pm to meet for dinner with the young adults group. Knowing by now that 7 never means 7 we purposely showed up at 7:30 thinking we would be in time for dinner. We didn't leave the church until 8:30 and eating dinner was miles down on the agenda. However we didn't find this out until we actually completed the crazy adventure we were about to embark on. After leaving the church at 8:30 we drove for about 20minutes out of town with no idea where we were going. We made a stop at one girl's house to pick up a mystery item and then another stop to a bunch of guys standing on the street and then one last stop to pick up chocolate. If this doesn't make sense to you, don't worry it didn't make sense to us while it was happening either. We kept laughing that a car rally or some sort of scavenger hunt would have been the perfect explanation for what we were doing. Finally we arrived at a home with a big field in the backyard. There was a large bonfire in the middle and about 50 chairs set up around it. We played games and listened to a pastor give a sermon in lieu of Valentines day. We finally did get dinner that night. It was at Harvey's at 11:30. Although we all knew it wouldn't feel great eating so late the next morning, after a 10 hour fast it was all that I wanted. There have been few times in my life that I have laughed so hard and could think of a more ridiculous adventure, but that is a good thing because I like adventures.

At this point I am beginning to miss home a little bit and it is the little things that I find myself remembering and being most grateful for at the end of the day. For example, having one of the students remember me from helping out at his youth group makes me think that slowly relationships are being developed here. Or, going to Volleyball Monday nights at Calama church and not playing but just watching and talking to the people who come and getting to know them. Or when Ivan makes us coffee and lets us hang out in his office and watch TV while our laundry is being done. Or walking into the grocery store and finding maple syrup and American style peanut butter on the same shelf. Ok, maybe that last one is a little less significant than the others but you would be surprised how good a little taste of home can make a person feel.

- Tarryn

Happy Valentine's Day!

We just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and let you know that we are so grateful for your continued support.  Thanks to all of you who have helped us get here financially and thanks even more for all of you who have remembered us in prayer.  We wouldn't be here without you!  You really are a part of this team, so thank-you for faithfully reading the blog and we wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!

Final Carnival Craziness, Ministry Begins

Saludos!

So in case you couldn’t tell from the video, we all had a lot of fun with the Jankes at the Carnival parade on Saturday. One of our most memorable moments occured when we were leaving. After squishing our way through a sea of Bolivians and almost starting a riot, we had no choice but to cross the parade road in the heart of a water balloon-throwing warzone. We made it across staying relatively dry…well…except for poor Pat who had foam sprayed all over her face. However, we were met on the other side by a crowd of about twenty-five Bolivians ready for action. I heard a loud war cry (which apparently signified “Get the Gringos!”) and suddenly we were all running for cover from a vicious onslaught of water balloons. Needless to say, we got soaked, and our Carnival parade experience was complete.

One major update since the weekend is that this week we have officially began our ministry internships. Yesterday we spent the morning at the Jankes’ house for ESL training with Pat. My favorite part was the Swiss Chalet-like lunch afterwards…she even had the real Swiss Chalet sauce! This morning Phil and Tarryn taught ESL at Emanuel Christian school and from what I’ve heard they had a great time getting acquainted with the students and teaching them fun facts about Canada (...apparently the CN tower is not as big a deal as we thought). I spent the morning at Jireh, the drop-in center for kids. It was challenging, with my limited capacity to communicate. The man who runs it speaks almost no English at all. But I was still able to spend time getting to know some of the kids. I suspect this will be a very rewarding ministry for me as I already feel humbled and touched after the first day. In the afternoon I also went to Emmanuel to help teach English. It was the first day of school so we didn’t do a whole lot, but English is the one of the few skills I have to offer here so I am looking forward to this ministry as well.

We don’t yet know our exact ministry schedules but we will update you as we continue to get more involved. Next week we will begin teaching our own ESL classes at Calama church on Monday and Thursday nights. We’re all looking forward to it.

Well that’s about it for now. As of right now Phil is feeling much better and we are all healthy. We appreciate your continual thoughts, comments and prayers.

Peace,

Dave

The Parade - A Video Blog

Well... here it is ladies and gentleman, our first ever Video Blog.  So grab the kids, pop some popping-corn, sit back and enjoy the movie!
          

CARNAVAL!

Hello again everyone, 

There is SO much to update you on, and I would just like to apologize to everyone because I have been unable to access the internet this week, and therein had no communication with all of you. Of all the weeks to lose my connection to home it was the one during which I had emergency dental surgery, 5 huge shots of antibiotics, and have now had something odd and terribly painful going on in my stomach for the past 2 days. Thank you all for your prayer through the surgery, everything went well and I am healing perfectly. And if you would continue to remember our digestive systems in your prayers, my insides would be grateful!

Now, to begin with the post! This post was originally going to be titled "The little puppy that missed" but due to the fact that today is Bolivia's largest national holiday, I decided to alter the name to something more fitting. I promise you, however, that if you inquire about the old title we will fill you in on the "comments" section of this post (this will be a chance for you all to learn how to comment, because we love feedback). 

Since Dave last blogged we have done some amazing things ! The three of us went to a camp in Los Molinos, just a half hour out of the city, with the College and Careers group from 

Muyarina (a church we have become involved with). The camp consisted of the usual campy things: sleeping in tents, Bible studies, sing-songs, water fights, campfires and waterfalls... wait a second, I guess huge waterfalls and raging rivers aren't normal camp things in Canada. You know, after a while in Bolivia you really learn to expect anything, because if you don't, you will end up crossing a river in your only pair of dry shoes. Yes, ladies and gentlemen that is me crossing a raging river full of waterfalls, and no matter what Tarryn says, I did not look that frightened the entire time. 

After returning to the campsite (slightly more damp that when we left), we dried off and shared in a time of Bible study led by Pat and Terry Janke (our missionaries here). We then ate some dinner, sang some songs... fast forward to... the campfire! Now, I have spent many a night at the fireside with friends and 

family, and both Dave and Tarryn can attest to the fact that I know far too many campfire songs, pranks and skits for any one human being. But what's a campfire without someone getting wet and laughed at?! We also taught our new friends how to make Smores (I don't know how they survived before), and now I'm afraid we might have some Smores junkies (we might have to start running a Smores rehab ministry for those who want to kick the marshmallowy habit)! I digress... fast forward again... As bed time draws near, a terrible sickness inside me rears its ugly head, and the longest night of my life begins. My night was spent tossing and turning in a my freezing-cold tent, with the occasional break to get up run outside and vomit somewhere in the trees(I'm sorry if that was too graphic). Interestingly enough however, I learned something that night. That is that, I would rather be tossing Smores in Bolivia than anywhere else in the world (sorry again, that one was even more graphic), and you know what? I think that means I like it here! 

Final thought: When I consider the mountains much larger than I, when I hear the raging river much louder than I, when I feel the wind swifter, the rain fiercer, and the current stronger... I wonder how I could ever be so audacious to think that I am in control of anything.

- Phil