Sunday night at our house

What do you do on a Sunday night at your house? We are in the middle of a couple of weeks of conferences with our national directors from all over South America. It's a quiet evening home, and I got to thinking about all the boards that the Tae kwan do team from Miami left behind. I challenged Andrew to see who could build the highest tower. Here's his effort - you can see his construction assistant with him! The last photo shows the tower in mid-crash.

Reality strikes

A week into our new term in Bolivia and we are reminded of the differences between life at home and life here.

Last night on the way home from an event at around 9 p.m., we came to an impromptu police checkpoint. The officer came to the window and I showed him my various stickers on the windshield that make the car legal: insurance, inspection, third license plate sticker. He asked where we had been and where we were going, and wanted to see my driver's license. Satisfied with all of the above, he asked me to blow in his face - apparently checking for any whiff of liquor on my breath.

Such is life in Bolivia. The police can stop you any time, any place for any or no reason at all. It will never feel right. Our motto for living here is "it's not wrong, it's just different". These kind of police stops are not only uncomfortable, they just feel wrong.

The Joy of the Lord

Just before we left for furlough in the U.S., I wrote about Rodrigo. He was a guy who received Christ with great joy in his heart and deep repentance. The first time he met with our men's small group, his prayer request was that God would change his life. It was hard to leave Bolivia just a few days later and hope that Rodrigo would stay involved and begin to grow in Christ.

We arrived back in Santa Cruz last week and immediately welcomed a team from Christ Fellowship church in Miami. We always involve our university students with the Americans and to my delight Rodrigo was on the list. Last night he was right up front leading the group of children as the American team played music. I thought you'd enjoy a picture of him. God is amazing!

Back in Santa Cruz

I arrived back in Bolivia on Wednesday and spent two full days opening up the house, de-ticking the dogs, paying the power and phone bills, charging a car battery and buying car insurance. Whew! I guess we're ready to get on with life! Jeanie and Andrew left early this morning from Portland and, God willing, will be here tomorrow morning.

The team from Christ Fellowship in Miami arrived late last night. All the luggage arrived with the exception of a big soundboard they will need for the music team. It came in this morning, so Pastor Berch from CF and I went back to the airport in my newly insured Pathfinder to get the equipment.

After we picked it up, as we were going through an intersection, I was clipped by a truck. Of course it was 100% his fault :)

I stormed out of the car like a typical American guy and started talking? to the young truck driver. He accepted at least 50% of the blame and suggested that we drive to a body shop and get an estimate. (His suggestion in itself is pretty miraculous in Bolivia.) I was to follow him in my car, so to be sure he didn't just drive off, I had Pastor Berch (no Spanish) ride in the truck with the driver. The body shop gave us an estimate of $50 plus maybe another $40 in parts. You should see the damage. It would be $800 in the US.

Jose Alberto, the truck driver, rode with us from the body shop in my car for another quote on a part and we got to talking. I found out he and his wife have a daughter and had a baby boy who died a year ago. We talked more and I shared my story about knowing Jesus as my personal Savior. As I shared God's offer of eternal life with him, he prayed with me, right out loud, to receive Christ. We exchanged phone numbers and look forward to having coffee together.

We got back to the hotel in time for lunch. God really uses circumstances to open new conversations and new relationships. Please pray for Jose Alberto and his family.

Here's a photo of the team from Miami. Pray for us this week as we share Christ's love with lots of young people like Jose Alberto.

The Gorge

Today we went on a family hike to Angel's Rest in the Columbia River Gorge. The trail gains 1500 feet elevation in 2.3 miles. Very steep, but worth the effort when you reach the top. I went with Andrew, my daughter Patty and her husband, Luke, and my brother Gary.
In just three weeks we'll be headed back to Bolivia and a different kind of beauty.

Back in the USA

It has been a whirlwind furlough with both of us making trips to DC and then settling in to Oregon for several weeks of visiting family, friends and supporters. I thought you might like this picture of Jeanie with Wesley, our first grandson.

Back in the USA

I have been in the USA for a month travelling from Miami to Washington, D.C. to Iowa to Portland to Seattle and back to Portland. Jeanie and Andrew arrived on Monday and will be in Portland with me on Friday - At last!

I went to Seattle last week and spent time with my sister, Patty and then a group of great folks who came with a mission team to Bolivia in 2006 from Grace Community Church in Auburn. The photo above is of Patty and me.

I also went to the Museum of Flight in Seattle. It would be great to take our college group in Santa Cruz:

High School in Bolivia

This year Andrew is enrolled at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center, the mission school in this part of Bolivia. There are around 240 students in the high school, about half Bolivian and half missionary kids. This weekend was the big Junior/Senior banquet. At SCCLC, everyone is invited. Here is a picture of Andrew with his proud parents.

Talita Cumi Board

Since the earliest days of our work in Bolivia, Jeanie has been involved with the Talita Cumi Children's Home. Last night we had the board over for dinner on the occasion of the visit of some friends from the U.S.

Talita Cumi is home to 30-35 orphaned or abandoned children. They learn, perhaps for the first time, how to live as part of a family. They learn about God's love for them and have constant encouragement academically, emotionally and socially.

This is a photo of the Talita Cumi Board for 2008. That's Jeanie seated on the left.

Finding Christians in the USA

Several weeks ago one of our JESUS Film student volunteers, Saul, left for the University of Arkansas on a Fulbright Scholarship. Saul comes from a humble part of Santa Cruz, Plan 3000, where he lived with his mother. He is really a great guy who wants to know the Lord more deeply.
He wrote to me after a week in Arkansas and told me that he was a little lonely. I called Jason, a Campus Crusade staff member in Fayetteville and asked him to invite Saul to their weekly meeting. The U.Ark. CCC Campus Director, Tim Casteel, wrote back and said that Saul had a great time.

Here is what Saul wrote me today:
"First you have to tell me how you knew? (that I attended the CRU meeting at U. Ark.) Well I am going to tell you something about the meeting, it was really good, approximately 150 young people, they have a band, and there is just one word to describe it, it was awesome. Besides, a preacher came from Oklahoma, and he was really funny explaining the gospel. Furthermore they talk about their next trip that they are going to have to Thailand, they do the same things that we do in Bolivia, and I felt like if I was in Sirari. It’s wonderful to see many people around the world that are adoring the lord, different cultures, different languages, but they are looking for the same like us in Bolivia. Thank you for being in contact with me, sometimes I feel alone, and its good to receive news from Bolivia. Please say hello to everybody in the group and God bless all of you."

I am just so thankful for God's people around the world. Please pray for Saul as he works to adjust to life in the USA and as he continues to grow in the Lord.

Ron

Random Paragraphs

Hi from Bolivia,

Can I give you a few random thoughts about life in Bolivia this Sunday?

We finally sold our 1994 Jeep Cherokee. It was a real problem. Never-ending maintenance. The good news is that I sold it to the mechanic who worked on it, so I have a clear conscience. Not the kind of car you would want to sell to a non-mechanic friend.

We bought a 1997 Nissan Pathfinder. (That's Andrew and Frisky in front of the car. Frisky is a Bolivian Terrier. Really.) The Pathfinder started life in Massachussetts and was imported a couple of years ago. I have no illusions. It is an older car, but the engine runs well and Japanese cars have readily available parts here. I am thrilled to have a more reliable (I hope!) vehicle to haul kids around in. Last night I took four university students home over very rough roads and we did well. By comparison, with the Cherokee, you just never knew when it might break down!

We are very thankful for Skype. We get to see Wesley (our new grandson) in real time video. I think being a missionary in 2008 is very different from being an overseas missionary in, say, 1908 or even 1988! Wesley's blog is very cute: http://babyhanks.blogspot.com/.

We had a great group last night at our CCC campus ministry meeting. Around 70 people came to the regular weekly meeting, including some family members and several new university students. We are seeing some new leaders forming. Very exciting things! Last night we had a very significant time of praise and worship. God was glorified!

Bolivia is still in turmoil. This time the central government is trying to control cooking oil prices by banning exports. The domino effect: Vegetable oil producers cut production>Truckers are out of business>farmers are stuck with crops they can't sell>farm workers are without the daily income they need to survive. Terrible. Here is a post from the usually "progressive - somewhat leftist" Democracy Center that is really pretty balanced and will give you a more complete picture, if you want to take a few minutes to read it: http://www.democracyctr.org/blog/2008/03/bolivia-notes-on-divided-country.html

This afternoon, Andrew and I worked in our storeroom, the one we built 2 years ago when we moved in. We saw tell-tale sawdust that told me we had termites. (None in the main house, as far as we know). We tore out all of the shelving and threw out everything made of wood or cardboard or paper, then swept it out and FOGGED it. We'll see if it works!

Other than that, Sunday is a great day to just relax, read, watch a DVD episode or two and get ready for the next week.

Talk to you soon,


Ron

La Niña Rains continue

This morning we awoke to the sounds of heavy rain again. Shortly after we got up we received a call from school that classes had been cancelled for the day because several classrooms and the lunch room were flooded. Andrew and I headed down to see if we could help. Roads from our house to the highway are very washed out and the highway itself was under a foot of fast flowing water. Pumps are working at the school, but until the rain stops, they won't make much headway.

Here's a picture of the dirt road in front of out house. The house itself is high and dry. We left the neighborhood on another street :)

Baby Wesley

Jeanie just got home yesterday from three weeks in Washington, D.C. for the birth of our first Grandson, Wesley Paul Hanks. I was there last weekend and, with the help of a new camcorder took a few videos.

Here is some video - probably more than you want to see, but not near enough for his grandparents!

Ron

Carnaval and Baby

Hi from Santa Cruz!

Today through Tuesday is Carnaval in Bolivia. It is a wild time when it is best to stay off the streets, unless you don't mind being pelted with water balloons, or worse, balloons and water guns filled with paint or indelible ink. Since I have to go out to pick up a friend at the airport, I am following the lead of the buses and taxis. Can you see a car under this mud? The idea is that the ink and paint will wash off with the mud.

Meanwhile in cooler, calmer Washington, DC, Jeanie is with Sarah and Dustin taking care of little Wesley.

New Grandson

Jeanie and I are now Grandparents! Wesley Paul Hanks was born at 2:33 PM, Saturday, January 26, 2008 in Washington, D.C. He is 8lbs. 12oz. and is 21 inches long! The proud parents are Sarah and Dustin Hanks.

January newsletter

Dear Friends,

The pounding rain started about a week ago and has continued for several hours every day since. Everything feels damp. Children play in muddy flowing streams. Cars and taxis break down in deep water. Hidden potholes "swallow" the undercarriages of vehicles large and small. The poor neighborhoods always suffer the most. This picture was in our local newspaper this morning. Please pray for the people here and especially for the pastors and Christian brothers and sisters who are struggling with the high water.

Hundreds, maybe thousands, are experiencing scenes like this (photos from El Deber newspaper):














This is a photo of Andrew's school today. I got a call this morning that the rising water had moved into some classrooms. The principal closed the school at noon for the rest of the week. Please pray that the buildings suffer little damage and that classes can resume next week.


The ministry continues in spite of the rain! Today Daniel, one of our university disciples and JESUS Film volunteers left for Argentina. He is going to live with his aunt and uncle in Tierra del Fuego at the very southern tip of South America. He is going in search of a job to be able to help his parents and sisters here in Bolivia. There is no Campus Crusade in Tierra del Fuego, and God has given him a vision to start a ministry among students there. We loaded him up with materials and a lot of prayer. Please pray for Daniel as he heads out in the power of the Holy Spirit to help connect lost people to their creator.

I took Jeanie to the airport this morning to travel to Washington, D.C. to be with our daughter, Sarah as she and Dustin expect our first grandchild. Her due date is January 26. We'll keep you posted on the progress. Please pray for Sarah and Dustin as they await the birth. Please pray that WESLEY will be born strong and healthy.

Jeanie and I love you and value your partnership with us.

In Christ,

Ron, Jeanie and Andrew

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32

Happy New Year at the Villa Rosita

It's January and university students in Bolivia are in the middle of summer break. We want to keep the momentum going, however, so we had a day in the sun - with morning rain - at a local hotel resort called the Villa Rosita. There were about 30 students who came out and we talked about discipleship from Matthew 4:

• Jesus is the one who calls us.
  
• He calls us with a purpose, to make us fishers of men.
  
• Those He called followed Him immediately.
  
• There was and is a cost to discipleship.

What a privilege to see God build a new generation of Christ-followers! Here's a slideshow/video from the Villa Rosita. Blessings!

Thanking God at Christmas

2007 has been an amazing year for our ministry. About 18 months ago, I began a Bible study for university men, many of them students of English. By January, 2007 I had about a dozen guys involved. Early this year the guys asked if we could include college women in the group. Funny how that worked out.

I recruited some young professional women to work with me, Patricia and Paola. Working together we have seen dozens of young people commit their lives to Christ and we are averaging 50 in our weekly meeting.

Last Saturday we had our first annual Christmas dinner/party and served 80: About 60 of our students and 20 family members. We praise God for his faithfulness to build a movement here among College men and women.

Here is a short video of the dinner. I trust you will have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The kids from Talita Cumi

On Sunday we had the joy of entertaining two of the kids from Talita Cumi, the children's home near our house. Jeanie is on the board of the home. Once a year the kids all find families for a day so that the 24/7/364 staff can have time together for planning. Beatriz, 17, and Juan de Dios, 5, spent the day with us. We went out for pizza and a movie (Disney's Enchanted) and then home to make a cake. Here is a picture of Juan de Dios helping Jeanie clean up.

Juan de Dios has only been at the home for five months and everything is an adventure for him. He had hardly been cared for with an absent mom and a father just out of prison. He is missing his front teeth, but from decay, not because they fell out normally. Nonetheless, he is one happy boy. You should have seen him doing cartwheels, a recently acquired skill, through the lobby of the movie theater!

Please pray for Juan de Dios and all the kids at Talita Cumi.

Ron

Polarization in Bolivia

The last several days have brought fear, confrontation, and uncertainty in Bolivia. Rather than try to explain the situation, I'll give you a link to an article on the democracy center's blog. The democracy center is run by a left-wing American who is usually anything but objective. Intestingly he gets it about right in his analysis this time. If you have a few minutes you can read about what's going on here in Bolivia. Then please take time to pray. Ron

Thanksgiving here and there

We celebrated a good old US Thanksgiving with about 70 folks from the American missionary community here in Santa Cruz on Thursday. We had turkey and stuffing, pumpkin pie, and everything except Grandma's "green fluff" jello.

Meanwhile back in Gainesville, Florida our grown children and their spouses all got together at our son Stephen and his wife Rachael's home for the holiday. We are so happy to see that they are staying close.

A story of courage

I want to tell you about my good friend Alfredo. He is a small young man, 25 years old. Two weeks ago we celebrated with him as he successfully defended his thesis and graduated from the Gabriel Rene Moreno University. He has been a leader in our student movement since it began about a year ago. Alfredo has been with us on mission trips and has a heart for leading people to faith in Christ. He leads the fun time at the beginning of our big weekly meetings. Since his father died 12 years ago he has helped his mom raise his four younger brothers and sisters. In the last several years she has been in poor health and has depended on Alfredo's teaching job to bring in most of the family income.

Last Sunday night he called me just before I was to leave on a trip the next day to Uruguay. He was sobbing. His mother had just died of pneumonia in the public charity hospital in Santa Cruz. I told him I would meet him at his house. When I arrived a few friends had gathered to wait for Alfredo and his mother’s remains. I comforted the younger kids and waited with them.

The old Toyota station wagon arrived with the casket and we carried it from the dirt street up the embankment to the house. The kids had cleared out one of the two rooms in front of the house and the morticians went to work. They did all of their work right there at the house. The neighbor ladies asked the kids to get their mother’s best dress and shoes. Someone scrambled to find shoe polish. After about an hour, the work was done and the room was open for visitors.

By midnight there were around 40 people sitting quietly in the yard. I slipped some money into Alfredo’s pocket and prayed with him, then left for home and my trip to Uruguay. I phoned my Bolivian Campus Crusade staff friends to give them the news and they assured me that they would be there to support Alfredo. The service was held on Tuesday and a dozen friends from the student group and dozens from their mother’s church were there.

Jeanie and I went to visit the kids yesterday. Alfredo and his sisters showed me albums of photos they had put together and were doing pretty well. His fourteen year old brother Noah hung around quietly in the background. Alfredo is committed to keeping the family together in the coming years. His sobs have given way to courage as the younger kids lean on him for strength. Please pray for Alfredo, because for him youth has come to a screeching halt. He is the man of the family now.

JESUS Film Movement: Brasil

Hi from Sao Paulo, Brasil. I am here with 20 leaders from all around South America thinking and dreaming together. They all work with the JESUS Film project to reach lost people in their countries.
As we move toward the future we remember fondly the picture of two men and a burro taking the projector, generator, and JESUS Film out to the villages. In some countries we still do exactly that!
In most of urban South America, we need to think through new, effective strategies to reach people using DVD's, new films, Internet, etc.
It is thrilling for me as the JESUS Film leader for South America to learn from the creativity and energy of these national leaders.
Please pray for our leaders in South America as they continue to seek new and relevant ways to reach lost people with the Good News of Jesus Christ,

Ron

Going to the Dogs

Hi from Bolivia,

A few months ago some friends of ours had an unplanned litter of puppies. The mother is a boxer and the father, well, maybe a poodle. So the puppies are Boxerdoodles. However, now that we have one of the puppies (not house trained yet) Jeanie says she is a Pooboxer. She is almost 4 months old, black with white trim and really gives 7 year old Lizzie a run for her money. We named her Sheba. The video gives you an idea of what life in the living room is like.

Great retreat weekend

Hi from Santa Cruz,

First off, we had a tremendous weekend with about 60 young people from our ministry together at a retreat just outside of town. We shared a lot of the CCC basic discipleship messages like: How to be sure you're a Christian and How to experience God's love and forgiveness. About 9:30 pm on Saturday, the heavens opened up and we had several hours of hard pounding rain. It was so loud that we had to give up on any kind of conference sessions. Like a lot of buildings here, the conference center has a tin roof. The GREAT news is that the rain washed away the smoke!

On the morning the conference was to begin, I was up early and went into the bathroom in our house and found THOUSANDS of mosquitos. We had some spray, so I gassed them and closed the door. The floor and counters were covered when we went back in. Who knows where they came from. That night Jeanie went home to take care of the dogs. The storm that brought the rain also burned out our computer monitor and the water pump. I guess the lightning got pretty close!

Speaking of discipleship, I found a great article by a missionary with International Teams, Woody Roland. He describes some the barriers to effective discipleship in Latin America. His points are right on target. If you have a few minutes, follow this link and read the article.

Barriers to Discipleship in Latin America

Blessings and thanks for your prayers,
Ron and Jeanie

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

FIRES IN BOLIVIA
"Hundreds, possibly thousands of fires (locations marked in red) were burning in South America when the MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite passed overhead on September 25, 2007, and captured this image.
The most intense fire activity was in Bolivia, where fires are concentrated in the Santa Cruz Department, in the southeastern part of the country."

That's the news from NASA. The news from our house is that the smoke is intense. Coming home from the office today the sun was completely blocked out and it was dark earlier than normal.
It's not too smoky in the house, but outside is bad. Bolivia has no real fire fighting capablity, and the president is preoccupied entertaining Iranian dictators. The only solution will probably come with the rainy season in a month or two.

Magdalena: Released from Shame

Last week I was in Cartagena, Colombia for the religious broadcasters convention for Latin America. I was there to premiere the new film we are working on called Magdalena: Released from Shame. The film presents the gospel story from the point of view of Mary Magdalene. The producers really wanted to reach women who are oppressed around the world. It really struck a chord with women here in South America.

We had a couple of goals, one was to distribute 1300 free DVD's of the film to participants, but more than that to encourage them to use the DVD to reach women for Christ and to start new small groups of women. In addition we showed the film on the big screen to an audience of several hundred.

I was anxious to get the reaction of the women who saw the film. Here is a brief video of some of their responses. Their excitement was plain to see:



I'll keep you posted as we distribute the film more widely throughout South America.

Ron

Bernadette Todd in Bolivia

Dear Friends,

Last weekend found us in separate countries, thousands of miles apart involved in very exciting ministry projects. While I (Ron) was in Cartagena, Colombia (I'll be writing about that separately), Jeanie was hosting some friends of ours from Miami, Bernadette and Jeff Todd.

Bernadette was here in the summer of 2006 and came again to share her story with students and families. She suffers from muscular dystrophy to such an extent that she has very little movement in her body. But, as she is fond of saying, she has her voice! And she uses her voice to tell people about God's goodness and his love.

Here is a video that our Campus Crusade team put together of her time in Bolivia last weekend:


Please pray for the folks that made commitments to Christ as they heard Bernadette's story. Pray as well for Bernadette and Jeff as they continue to minister together.

Ron

Spider, Stove and Birthday

Hi from Bolivia,

This month Andrew celebrated his 15th birthday with Mom and Dad and then later with some friends. He got a new guitar that he's already playing pretty well. It's hard to believe that Andrew is growing up so fast. We are really proud of him.

Behind him in the picture you can see the gas stove we bought when we moved to Bolivia in 2003. It works OK, but one of the things Jeanie missed from her range in Miami was the delay timed cooking feature. She used to put Sunday dinner in the oven to turn on while we were at church so that it would be ready when we came home. She has missed that a lot lately because we have a lot of young people at church that we like to invite home with us.


You can buy that kind of electric stove here, imported from the U.S., but they are very expensive, about double what they cost in the U.S. Well, God in his goodness brought some missionaries to town from Cochabamba who had just the stove that Jeanie had in mind. We bought it and brought it home this week. Not a big thing, but it will make life and entertaining more enjoyable for Jeanie. We donated our old stove to the Campus Crusade ministry center. Anyway, on the left is a photo of the new stove.



Last, here's a photo of some wildlife that Andrew found on the shower curtain this morning:

Settling back in

After an intense time of graduation, wedding, mission teams (6), and a lot of travel (Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Orlando), I think life is going to settle back down to normal for a few weeks.

The big change in our lives involves school. Andrew is back at the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center beginning his freshman year at the high school. He is really enjoying it so far. The other big change is that Jeanie is now working as a teacher at the school. She has two classes, freshman English and first year Spanish. Because the high school is very small, she only has VERY small classes: one in the special English class and four students for Spanish. She says reviewing the basics in Spanish really helps her. I can tell you her accent is great!

This morning is the big kick off brunch for the women’s bible study that Jeanie helps to lead. They are expecting about 50 ladies this year. Thanks for praying!

National Community Church

This week has been a fantastic time with the team from National Community Church from Washington, DC. Our daughter and son-in-law, Sarah and Dustin Hanks are members of the church and both had planned to come with the team. As it turns out, Sarah is expecting a baby in January and they decided that it might be better for her to stay in the U.S. We have enjoyed having Dustin with us this week.

These guys from DC are amazing. They are professionals, mostly, and ready for anything. We have built a church floor, ministered in schools and neighborhoods, climbed the Inca Ruins, and had a few sicknesses. We have seen a lot of people express faith in Jesus this week.

And, wow, these guys know how to blog! World champions. GREAT PICTURES. Here is the link to a much more complete story of what's been happening.

Blessings,

Ron

Ecuador and Peru

This week I have been in Quito, Ecuador and Ayacucho, Peru working with our JESUS Film coordinators in both countries. In Quito the national director of Campus Crusade took me up the new gondola lift up the side of the mountain on the west side of the city. The top of the ride is at 13,300 above sea level.

We walked around awhile and I saw a sign offering horse tours that would go farther up the mountain. I rarely do tourist things when I travel, but decided to go for it. I rode with a guide up to 15,100 feet, to the base of the Rucu Pichincha volcano. Horses that work at that altitude are a special smaller breed.

This morning I arrived in Ayacucho with my friend Carlos Olano. We met some of the volunteer pastors who are leading the Quechua Ayacucho project, targeted to Quechua Ayacucho speakers and their Spanish speaking children.

Tonight we drove about 20 minutes outside of the city on a dirt road to a hillside village at about 10,000 feet elevation. The JESUS Film team was there before we were, but were having trouble making the projector work. The village has no electricity, so about 15 Quechua men and boys gathered around the projector and generator in the dark to try to figure out the problem. They were amazingly patient and calm as the minutes stretched into an hour of waiting. They worked on it together with no real sense of time. In the end the problem was solved and people gathered to see the story of JESUS.

Tomorrow it is back to Lima and on to Santa Cruz.

Ron

Thank you Grace Community Church!

Thank you Grace for sending a team to Bolivia. Together with Christ Fellowship in Miami, Windermere Ministries in Orlando, and National Community Church in DC you are making a mark for Jesus in Bolivia in 2007.

In fact you are leaving a legacy. With the Grace Team alone, hundreds of people have heard the Gospel one on one, through group presentations, and through the JESUS Film. Hundreds have made the life changing decision to receive Christ as Savior. You have helped to plant two new home churches and have left wonderful structures for them to meet in.

Jeanie and I and the whole team of Bolivian staff and volunteers thank our Great God for leading all of our teams to share in the ministry He has called us to. As you return to the U.S. may He be your constant Guide, Companion, and Teacher as you take the same Gospel to a lost and dying people. We love you!

Ron, Jeanie and Andrew

Songs and JESUS Film

Hi from Montero, Bolivia!

Thursday. The team has one more ministry day in Montero and everyone is holding up great!

Every day the team from Oregon has been ministering to children through puppets, music and crafts. Today the kids decorated little pouches and made toy fishing poles. This is a picture of Stephanie leading songs with Amelia, one of our Bolivian volunteers. (That's Andy in the background).

After the kids activities we have been showing the JESUS Film. This is photo from this evening. The film presents the story of Jesus from the book of Luke. It gives people a chance to understand more about the life of the Savior, either just before or after they have trusted Him.

Tomorrow we will lay the brick floor for the second tent. The tents are used for the new home groups that are forming in two new neighborhoods.

After that we'll go back to the neighborhood in the afternoon for more house to house evangelism and children's activities.

Thanks for praying for the team,

Ron

Tents, Movies, Kids and Small Groups

Hi,

Today is Day 4 for the Grace Team from Oregon. They have been out sharing Gods love door to door using the Four Spiritual Laws, they participated in a JESUS Film showing tonight and did VBS activities and small group Bible study in the new tent structure for one of the new church plants. This photo was taken this afternoon.

Please pray for continued good health and strength as we move into the second neighborhood tomorrow.

Blessings,

Ron

Monday - Cold and Rainy

Dear Friends,

The Grace team is doing great! Here is a picture from our training time together with the church we will be working with in Montero.

This morning we woke up to cold and rainy weather - about 52 degrees Farenheit. The school we were planning to visit this morning with the puppet show cancelled classes! We had a great time of prayer and praise and are looking forward to sharing God's love in a children's home later this afternoon.

Blessings,

Ron and the Grace Team

Grace Community Church in Bolivia!

Hi!

A mission team from our home church from Oregon, Grace Community Church in Gresham, arrived this morning after 23 hours of travel. We let them rest about an hour and a half before lunch and then a quick tour of the downtown plaza in Montero.

This afternoon we started training on how they will be sharing the Good News of the Gospel using the Four Spiritual Laws. In Spanish! They will have volunteers from our campus ministry and the local church working alongside.

Tomorrow they will be sharing the puppet show at a school, putting up semi-permanent tent structures, doing a childrens Bible school, sharing the Gospel door to door and showing the JESUS Film. Please pray for the team that God will give them extra strength and good rest.

They are tired, but we promise a good night sleep tonight.

Blessings from Ron and the team.

How do you describe a free gift?

Last week we were working with a team of Chiropractic physicians to help plant a church in a town in the campo called La Porfia.

I was sharing the Great News of salvation by faith alone, by grace alone with a couple of men who were watching the construction of the new church building. As I shared with them, we got through the part of God's love - they agreed; then I talked about our sin -and they also agreed that we are are all sinners. I moved on to the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross on our behalf. Again, they knew that story.

Last, I shared our need to receive by faith God's free gift of salvation and eternal life. By way of illustration I asked them each if they had ever received a wrapped birthday or Christmas present. I often use that illustration to show people that all we do is receive the gift - that we don't work for it.

Each man replied no, they had not ever received a gift. But, I insisted, as a child surely you received a gift? Again, No.

How do you explain the concept of a free gift to someone who has never received one? We talked further and I explained what it might mean to receive the free gift of salvation and one of the men prayed with me to receive Christ as Savior.

Please pray for the new church in La Porfia. Pray that God will use the ministry of the church to bring the free gift of salvation into many homes.

Ron

Back in Bolivia

Dear Friends,

We are home again in Bolivia after a hectic 3 weeks in the USA. We went to South Carolina for Patty's graduation from Furman University and then on June 15, her wedding to Luke Tolbert. We came home thrilled with our new son-in-law, nostalgic for our little girl, and sorry to be thousands of miles away from our grown children. The number one sacrifice all of our missionary friends mention is the separation from family.

Here is a link to a video I just posted of the graduation and wedding. We're pretty proud of Patty!

Two men, two stories

Dear Friends,

Our young adult group is growing! Last Saturday 24 men and women came out to our meeting. Every week we have some new people and I try to meet with all of the new men over lunch during the week following the meeting.

This week I met with Pepe on Tuesday and Marcos on Wednesday. Both are about 30 years old, single but in relationships. I met with Pepe, and we had a good time getting to know one another. I learned from his story that he was living with his girlfriend. I shared the gospel with him using the Four Spiritual Laws. When I came to the end of the booklet, his response was that he was sure he had Christ in his life. That made the challenge to receive Christ a little redundant.

We talked some about God being the author of life and the One who sets the standards of right and wrong. Pepe is a great guy, but the issue of sin is definitely not clear to him yet. We’ll spend more time together in the weeks to come talking about the holiness of God and His standard of perfection. Only when we understand His holiness does our need for a Savior come into clear focus.

The next day (today, actually, as I write this) I met with Marcos. We spent 45 minutes or so just chatting. He has almost completed his degree in English and works for a Tour company. Like Pepe, he is one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet. He lives with his younger sister. His parents have long since split up.

As I shared the Gospel with Marcos, I was thinking about Pepe and really wanted to make the issue of sin clear with him. I really emphasized why we need salvation. As I came to the point of decision in the Four Spiritual Laws booklet, I read him the prayer, but then explained again that it was a matter of faith in response to God’s offer of grace. We talked again about sin. He said that he wanted to pray to receive Christ. Again I explained that it was a matter between him and God, that God was calling him to repentance.

He responded, “Ron, I know I’m a sinner. I want to pray that prayer right now.” So he did, right out loud. We were both overcome with joy. I shared more with him from the Bible what it means to know Christ. My favorite thing to share with a man who receives Christ is John 1:12. I explained that since he had received Christ, he had a right to be called a son of God. I asked him who his Father was, Marcos responded, “God is”. I told him that 36 years ago I prayed to receive Christ as well, so God is my Father, too. Then I asked him if we had the same Father what that made us. A big smile spread across his face as he answered, “BROTHERS!”

Please pray for Marcos as he grows in Christ, and for Pepe that God will continue to draw him to Himself.

Blessings, Ron

Brrr in Bolivia

Well, about the time we read about warm tempertures in the U.S., the temperature begins to drop in Bolivia! This morning we had a low of 51 degrees, with 14 mph winds from the South (that's where cold comes from in our part of the world south of the equator). It is a hard time for poor people here, because no house has central heating. Coats and blankets are always scarce.

For us, it's kind of fun to feel the cold and think of life back home. Our new house out in the country has a wood cookstove that has stood idle through our first months - summertime - in the house. This morning Jeanie decided we would fire it up. As I left for the office, smoke was coming out of the chimney, the kitchen was warming up and Andrew was scrambling eggs!

We'll enjoy it while it lasts. On Saturday the forecast is for clear skies and 86 degrees.

Ron

Easter weekend in Bolivia

Ron and Jeanie Burgin
Campus Crusade for Christ, South America


Hi from Bolivia!

We had a great Easter weekend in Bolivia. Andrew and I went with about 35 friends from our local Campus Crusade ministry out into the campo to show the JESUS Film in a couple of small villages. Jeanie stayed home with some other Easter weekend responsibilities (breakfast on Sunday at the churchJ).

Conditions were interesting! We stayed at the ranch of some friends. It was a nice house, but it had very little water. What little came out of the tap was very rusty. Fortunately, Andy and I brought 4 five gallon containers of water from home. It’s a good thing we did, because there was no other available water to cook with. The bathroom facilities were nice, just no water. So, we worked out a two bucket system: one to dip from for “showering” and another to empty into the toilet to flush it. Everyone was responsible to fill the buckets outside when the finished with the bathroom.

Have you ever heard of a “peto”? It is a particularly aggressive Amazonian wasp. I was with several of my guys when I found a nest of petos in a tree near the ranch house. I thought it would be a good idea to throw a brick at the nest. You have never seen a bunch of Bolivian guys run faster! Meanwhile, I stood and looked at the petos as the nest fell to the ground. Within a couple of seconds one of them stung me on the forehead with such force that it felt like someone hit me! Over the next 24 hours my forehead and left eye swelled up. The pain was like no Oregon yellow jacket sting I have ever felt.

To get between the ranch and the villages we had to ford a river in the jeep. It is four wheel drive, but it was a little bit of an adventure each of the 10 crossings. Andrew and the college guys thought it was a lot of fun. I held my breath each time.

On the Saturday afternoon Andrew showed the guys how to play American football in the river. I explained the rules, which the Bolivian guys find hilarious compared to soccer. The hardest rule for them to understand was: no tackling after the ball is dead – incomplete pass, runner is already down, etc. They really liked the tackling part. Here is a video in the river (the same river we had to cross 10 times).



We showed the film on the soccer field opposite the little Catholic church. The local community leader gave us permission to use the benches from the church! Here is Milton Andy carrying a bench for the showing.

That evening 25 adults and 15 children made decisions to follow Jesus as their Savior. I shared with two boys, Jose Patricio and Rodrigo. They were 10 and 11 years old. As an American, you would look at them and think they were about seven. They are very small. I asked them if they were sure that if they died that they would go to heaven. They weren’t positive, but wanted to know for sure. I explained how they could know for sure, and each of them prayed to receive Christ as his Savior.

We were working with a local pastor who has been in the area for about 6 months and he will be following up with the new believers.

Please pray for:


*Jose Patricio and Rodrigo – that they would grow in their faith.
*Pastor Adolfo who will be following up with the new believers.
*Jesús, Luis, Milton Andy, Edén, Never, Adolfo and Renato – the guys from our Bible study who went on the retreat. Pray that God would give them a vision to reach lost people.
*Pray for the growth of our ministry to college age men and women. Next week I will be giving a talk at the state university. We are trusting God to grow from 12 to 50 kids in the next several months. (We are just one of many college groups sponsored by Campus Crusade here in the city)
*Pray for our friends Tony and Sarah, missionaries here in Bolivia, whose premature twins died after a few days of life last week. Sarah is still very weak.
*Pray for God to give me wisdom as I work with our staff in the other countries of South America to maximize the impact of the JESUS Film.

Thanks for being part of what God is doing here in Bolivia! We couldn't be here without you!

In Christ's love,
Ron, Jeanie and Andrew

Meet the guys

For the last 4 or 5 months I have been building relationships with a bunch of university guys. They are mostly students of English at the state university in Santa Cruz. We get together Saturday evenings for Bible Study, prayer and fellowship.

They have really blessed me by their willingness to learn from God's word and by their faithfulness to show up every week. We are going through a study now on Bibilical manhood. There is not much in this culture that gives a Christian man hope. As we learn together what God made us to be as men, they are really encouraged. As John Eldredge wrote in "Wild at Heart", God did not create us to be "nice guys" but courageous, even dangerous Men of God.

I wish you could meet Luis, Marco, Humberto, Ernesto, Ever, Eden, Jesus, Luis, Renato and Darling. These guys are going to be mighty men of God in Bolivia.

Jeanie is an Artist!

A couple of weeks ago our Bolivian neighbor Daisy invited Jeanie to come to a painting class. The ladies from the neighborhood are learning to paint on fabric. They make tablecloths, pillows, and a lot of other things.

The ladies were there to learn to supplement their family income by creating salable craft items. Jeanie was there to meet the ladies! I think her work is beautiful!

Quechua recording of JESUS Film radio version

Hi From Bolivia,

Exciting things are happening here as three men from Orlando have come down to work with my Bolivian colleagues to record the Quechua and later, Aymara versions of the JESUS Film audio version.

We'll be using the new audio version to do initial follow-up among new believers in groups forming following presentations of the JESUS Film.

The photo is of Herbert Ogeda, the Quechua language voice actor who played Jesus.

Please join us in praying for the technical details of the recording and that God would use the recordings in a tremendous way in the lives of millions of Bolivians.

Blessings from Bolivia,

Ron

Perfection, holiness and old cars

Perfection. I am thinking of perfection in the American sense of wanting everything to work properly, the first time, consistently, and without maintenance. The joke around our house is that I am "Tech Support". In Bolivia we require a lot of tech support; for cars, computers, pumps, roofs, etc., etc. The trade off we have come to is that Jeanie manages the household in tough circumstances, but I do all the Tech Support. Fortunately these days my young associate, Andrew, is becoming quite adept at Tech Support.

The ongoing pursuit of perfection in all things mechanical means spending a lot of time visiting the mechanic. After a while we come to a new trade off: perfection vs. time spent pursuing perfection. Am I willing to accept a certain level of ongoing low level imperfection in order to have time to do the ministry God has called us to? Our radiator leaks a little. Back in the U.S. I wouldn't tolerate that. Here, well, I am sort of resigned to checking the water level every couple of days.

When I think of my personal life, can I afford the same luxury of tolerating and accomodating a low level of sin - imperfection - in my life? God tells me in his word:


As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." I Pet 1:14-16

and again:

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Rom 8:13

What seems expedient in the physical world, i.e. tolerating imperfection, doesn't seem to be profitable in the spiritual world. God has a higher standard. Fortunately for us His higher standard is accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Well, anyway, that's what I've been thinking about this week. I'll write more later on some exciting new developments in the ministry.

Blessings from Bolivia,
Ron

Gadgets are good

Hi from Bolivia!

I just finished a couple of intense days of meetings with our Bolivan Campus Crusade leaders, leaders from JESUS Film and representatives from Hosanna Ministries. We are working on a comprehensive evangelism and follow-up strategy that churches can use.

They brought us samples of a revolutionary device the size of a brick that looks like a radio. It is not a radio! It's called the PROCLAIMER and it comes with a flash memory chip containing the whole bible in dramatized audio format. It has a speaker that will easily allow 100 people to listen. It has three power sources: AC power, solar power, or crank.

We plan to use the device with poor congregations that partner with us to show the JESUS Film. The new follow up groups for people who come to Christ at the film showing, will gather once or twice a week to listen through the New Testament.

We will be working with new groups in Quechua, Aymara, Guarani and Spanish.

Gadgets are good! (But God is GREAT!)

Ron

The extremes of life

Hi from South Carolina!

Jeanie, Andrew and I are here in South Carolina to celebrate our daughter Patty's engagement to Mr. Luke Tolbert of Greenwood, SC. As a violin major at Furman University, Patty is required to perform a senior recital. We all attended the recital Tuesday evening. She was amazing (even if her dad says so)!


On Monday we went with the whole clan to visit Biltmore in Asheville, NC. It is the largest private home in the U.S. I have to say the contrast in wealth between that house and and average U.S. home is about the same as the contrast between the average U.S. home and the average Bolivian home. The house was beautiful in every respect.

In the end, however, the only thing that matters is our relationship with Christ. Whether you are the poorest Bolivian or a Vanderbilt, you'll have to give an account to your Maker someday. We'll be on our way back to Bolivia on Friday.

Thanks for your prayers for the country. In the days we have been away, things improved and then got worse again politically. Please pray for our friends Dan and Daryl Collins and everyone who lives in Cochabamba, the focus of unrest these days. Pray that Christians in Bolivia will be strong in the strength of the Lord.

Blessings,
Ron

Pray for Pastor Johnny

In our Christmas letter we mailed back to the U.S. I mentioned Pastor Johnny:

"I want to tell you about Johnny. He is a pastor of a small church in El Alto. For the past two years he has faithfully attended our T-Net pastors training. He has learned to use the JESUS Film to win people to faith in Jesus. He has learned how to follow up new believers and help them grow. He has learned how to build spiritual disciplines into their lives so that they can become Christ-centered multiplying disciples.

Johnny is determined to develop leaders in his church who are multiplying disciples of Jesus Christ. More than that, he wants to train other pastors to do the same. This morning while I was in a meeting, we got a phone call from Johnny. He has organized three groups of pastors, 25 in El Alto, and 10 each in different outlying areas to come together to be trained. We’ll help him, but he’ll do a lot of the training himself. It is because of people like Johnny that we love serving in Bolivia."

Two days before Christmas Johnny was attacked near his home. He was choked and was unable to speak for nearly two weeks. He lost his cell phone, wallet and his identity card in the attack. You would have to live in Bolivia to understand the magnitude of his loss. He has been forced to move his family because of threats on their lives.

Maybe we shouldn't be surprised that a key leader would come under spiritual attack. Please join us in praying for God's strength for Johnny and his family as he recovers, and as we seek ways to help.

Ron

Project in Peru

My job has changed in the last six months to include JESUS Film Distribution representative. The JESUS Film is a 2 hour film on the life of Christ that has been translated into more than 950 languages. I had a great week last week in Peru last week helping to get the JESUS Film Quechua project off the ground.

Our first major hurdle for the Quechua project is personnel. To accomplish the goals of the project, i.e. to effectively reach a people group and assure the beginning of a real movement of multiplication and church planting, we need the right man to direct the project.

Both our national director, Jorge Mariaka, and our AOA Director, Rolando Justiniano, have recommended Carlos Olando. I first met Carlos 10 years ago in Colorado. He and his wife joined CCC staff about 20 years ago. He is very effective in building networks of pastors. He is very relational, and a real pleasure to work with.

Last week Carlos and I traveled to Ayacucho and Huanta in the interior of Peru to get a feel for the project. We met with several pastors in both places. They were all excited about the project and the possibility of equipping pastors and church leaders to expand the ministry.

Carlos will come to Bolivia in early January for 10 days of intensive training in the new church planting and multiplication strategy we are using. While he is here we will work on a strategic plan that will include to main objectives:

1. Saturation. This aspect of the plan will use the JESUS Film in partnership with churches to saturate the area with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

2. Pastoral equipping. The majority of pastors have no formal training. Our process includes five week-long modules that equip them in:

-Evangelism and Multiplication
-Bible Study Methods
-Building a disciple-making church
-Developing Leaders and launching disciple-making ministries
-Managing and multiplying disciple-making churches.


I also talked at length with a young Quechua man, Isaias, who works with the JESUS Film project. Isaias grew up in the Amazon area of Peru and has been on his own, away from his parents since he was eight. He has finished high school and a year in a technical institute. His dream is to become a pastor. I think he will play a key part in the plan to reach the Quechua people.

Prayer requests:
Pray for Carlos as he begins work on the project.
Pray for God’s wisdom as we work out the target population. There are many sub-groups of Quechua peoples.
Pray for a productive time planning and training in January.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Ron

Life goes on

Christmas season in Bolivia is pretty rough this year. There is a lot of uncertainty, fear and hate between different political factions. Here in Santa Cruz, our main square is filled with hundreds of hunger strikers protesting against Evo Morales and his socialist government.

Here is a link to an article from the Miami Herald about our current situation in Bolivia: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16188677.htm


Jeanie brought 3 kids from Talita Cumi children's home back to our house to spend the weekend with us. Every year, the kids all go visit their "Tios" (aunts and uncles) so that the staff of the home can take time together for a retreat. While they were here we celebrated Cristina's 14th birthday.



Blessings,
Ron

Bad news

Sorry to report that Freddy's cow didn't recover.

Ron

This weekend I met a neighbor. Freddy and his wife Yovanna have two kids and 11 cows. One of their cows was "down" on the field across from our house. She had not gotten up for a couple of days. I mentioned to Freddy that I have a friend, Bill, who is a large animal veterinarian. He works with Christian Veterinary Mission out in the campo.

Freddy came to my gate at 7 a.m. the next morning and asked me to bring Bill to take a look at the cow who was still down. To lose this cow would be to lose a huge asset for Freddy and his wife. He had been sitting with the cow for a couple of days. They had built a tent over her to protect her from the sun. He had been cutting grass and hand feeding her, but she could not stand.

Bill came over and gave her a couple of IV's and a vitamin injection, but he was not very hopeful. Andrew and I stood and watched. After Bill finished we all stood and prayed for the cow and for Freddy and his family.

Water pumps and priorities

This morning I got the little jeep back from the shop. I wonder how many times I have heard the words (in Spanish or English), "your water pump is shot"? Well, this is the second time in 2 years on that car.

Later today I got an email from the JESUS Film office in Orlando listing the languages around the world with more than 100,000 speakers that still don't have a version of the JESUS film. There are four languages in South America, with a total of 1,050,000 speakers who don't have access to the film in their mother tongue. They live in the highlands of Peru and Ecuador.

Those two incidents put together help me to re-focus my priorities on getting the Gospel to lost people. We can't lose sight of the goal while we take care of the little details of life!

The simple power of the Gospel

Hi again,
Yesterday I got a thick letter in the mail from Johann Hiebert, an associate JESUS film missionary in Paraguay. They send us periodic reports of how God is using the film in people's lives. I thought you would enjoy a couple of stories.

The first is from Pastor Saturnino Jimenez in San Ignacio:
"San Ignacio is a new area being opened up by peasant farmers. These folks really didn't want us to preach the Word of God in their area or show the JESUS Film. We went instead to the local school where we handed out booklets and were able to show the film. That was our start. Today it is a new work with 8 candidates for baptism and 20 people ready for our discipleship program."

From Luis Gaona Guerrero a teacher:
"My name is Luis and my mother is Maria. We were baptized this year, 2006. I am happy because I was reached with the message of the Gospel through the JESUS Film. I can't put into words how "brand new" I feel inside. When the pastor showing the film asked if anyone felt a need and wanted to invite Jesus into their heart, I was the very first person to raise my hand and my mother followed me, in tears. We went home rejoicing that we had Jesus in our hearts. My mother has been greatly blessed. I am now serving the Lord, whom I thank for sending you to us."

Piano lessons in Bolivia

Hi from Bolivia,

We are in the middle of some pretty serious political turmoil here in the country these days. Day before yesterday the governors of six of the nine Departments (states) broke off all official contact with Evo Morales the socialist president. Please pray for Bolivia in these days.

In the midst of turmoil, life goes on. Last night we went to Andrew's Fall piano recital. If you have been to Bolivia, you know that piano lessons would be a very low priority on most families' budget. In fact, there isn't even a piano store in our city. We found an OK Chinese manufactured piano for Andrew to use.

When we moved to Bolivia 3 years ago, we knew we wanted Andrew to continue with his lessons. We found a teacher, Sarai, originally from Cuba. She has been a real blessing to us. Her students are as good as any anywhere. Her older students are really amazing. This school year Andrew has gotten really serious in his piano study and the effort is paying off. Will you forgive a proud father a personal video?

Blessings from Bolivia,
Ron