Back in Cochabamba

We are back in Cochabamba after an AMAZING time in Confital. We saw God move in many ways...thru medical clinic, VBS, school campaign, Pastor´s training, and in ways we didn´t anticipate. Everyone is doing well. Health issues were minimal. Thank you for your prayers. Please keep them coming. We´ll be flying to LaPaz tomorrow...will spend the day/nite there. Thu we´ll fly from LaPaz to Miami to DFW...spend the night in the DFW airport. Fly home Fri morning.

Looking forward to sharing more later, but must get to bed...have to be ready to leave at 5:15 am and can hardly keep my eyes open. Love to all!

Shari, for the team

She´ll be comin´ round the mountain

We´re loading up and will be heading up to Confital shortly. We have to stop at the FH office in Cochabamba and pick up Hortencia, our wonderful cook and off we go round the mountain.

The excitement builds as we think about meeting our sponsor children again, or for some, the first time. We think about seeing old friends and making new friends. We think about what is in store for us - many projects and plans, much anticipation, yet not our ways but His.

More when we return from Confital a changed people.

Love
Judy

Greetings from Cochabamba!

We arrived safely in Bolivia and are settled into our hotel. No one is experiencing altitude sickness yet...the new dosage that Thomas has us on seems to be working well for everyone. Praise God! Tonight we will enjoy a fantastic steak dinner (suffering for Jesus), and tomorrow morning we head up the mountain to Confital. Your prayers are appreciated over the next 6 days as we participate in work projects, health clinics, pastor´s training, and VBS. We are all excited to see what God is going to do! We will update as soon as we return to Cochabamba...probably not until Tuesday evening. Hopefully other team members will be able to steal a moment to blog tonight or in the morning.

Much love to all of our families, our friends, and our dear church family. You are loved!

Shari, for the team

And we're off...

And once again I find myself excited and ready to go...well almost! Can't believe it's been 11 months since last I sat here full of excitement of what is about to happen. Oh it may look simply like 14 people and LOTS of luggage are headed out for a great adventure, but that is only the tip of the iceburg!



Yes there are 14 of us, yes we do have lots of luggage, yes this is a great adventure, but things we see but do not know...130 lbs of luggage is medical supplies. We have new crayons for the children in Confital. We have soccer balls and basketballs and whistles, but mostly we have hearts that want to serve the children, hearts which will never be the same. How awesome is that???



We want to make a difference for the people of Confital where the need is great, yet our God not only blesses them, he blesses us. It is a very humbling thing...



Please pray for our safety & health and that we would be a blessing to all we meet.



Muchas Bendiciones, mi amigas!


Judy

Bolivia: Then and Now

Countdown Continues...One More Day

So today is the day that the team will be wrapping up all the final details before leaving tomorrow morning! I have about 90 lbs to stuff into a bag that can only hold 45. Not sure how that's going to work, but I'll figure it out. I also have a million thoughts scrambling around in my little brain that can only hold a few at a time. Daddy instructions, kids' school stuff, home remodel, VBS materials, packing, charging camera, planning worship for Women's Mini Retreat when we return, shipping orders, paying bills, contacting customers, hoping to visit family, laundry...you get the idea.

Although I'm not sure how to pack all that stuff in my bag, I do know what to do with the overloaded brain. It's time to be still. It's time to be still and know that HE is God. That beyond the packing and the laundry and the bills there is a God who has ordained this appointment with the people of Horizons and the people of Confital. That His purpose is greater than anything we can imagine. That regardless of the reasons we think we are going to Bolivia, His ways are higher and He is allowing us to be a small part of His work in a forgotten part of the world.

So as you are praying for the team...for safety and health and strength...please pray for the precious people of Confital. Pray that they will know that they matter. That there is a God who loves them and thinks they were worth sending His only son to die for them. Pray for the children who so need to hear that they matter...that they have a Friend, and that they can be part of God's Family.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement over the many long months of planning. Know that YOU are loved, too!

Blessings,

Shari

Less Than A Week

Talk about a slooooowww week ...
I can't believe it's less than a week till we leave. I have been through so much in the past four month's and now it's all down to this week. I have witnessed God all over my life and that of Cliff's as well as many of my fellow team mates. This is going to be an incredible experience I am so excited to see what God does with each and everyone of us. I met with the Children's Director at our church today and just the thought of what we plan to do for the kids in Bolivia during this very un-vbs is so exciting. The simplest things we have in store for them is going to change there lives. I can't wait to see them face to face and share that Jesus is there friend and they can be apart of our family, The family of God!
We will be leaving at 8:15 am from the church to the airport. We should arrive in La Paz the next day in the am. Then spend the day there getting acclimated then off on a crazy bus ride to our home for 10 day's in Confital. I will not be able to blog or facebook while were in Confital. We will be very busy doing many things but also hanging out with the locals and getting to know them more and vise a versa. Keep us in your prayer and thank you for all your support
All our love,
Lory and Cliff

Now on Facebook too!

We have also set up a Facebook Group, for those who may find it easier to follow us there. Search for "HCC Bolivia '09" or ask any team member for an invitation.

Team Training Begins

We had our first team training session Wednesday night and had a good time but for one. We missed you Chris and hope you are feeling much better now!

After the meeting, immunizations were in order. What do you think? It looks to me like Lily and Thomas are enjoying this just a little too much! Yes, that is a needle in his hand! Lory looks so brave - I wonder if she really knows what's coming??

Oscar Montes, FH Bolivia National Director Shares Testimony

The oldest of five siblings, Oscar Montes grew up in a poor family in San Lucas, a rural village in Chuquisaca, Bolivia. When he was 10 years old Oscar and his family moved to a poor urban area on the outskirts of Potosí. One night out walking with his friends led to an encounter which would greatly influence Oscar’s life.

The group of children heard music. Being the guitar player in a band, Oscar, then aged 12, wanted to know where the music was coming from. They discovered it was coming out of the large open doors of an Evangelical Church. It was Saturday night and the young people were having their weekly meeting. The group of friends entered the Church where Oscar met Vladimir Carvasal.

Vladimir invited the group to the Sunday school. Oscar and a friend accepted and visited the Sunday school the following day. Oscar then attended Vladimir’s Bible Study the next Wednesday where Vladimir explained the gospel to Oscar. As he heard about God’s forgiveness Oscar cried and cried. He asked Vladimir why he couldn’t stop crying. Vladimir explained that God was meeting with him. Oscar became a Christian and after that day attended the church whenever he could.

Oscar’s mother then met the Lord in the same Church. She had been sick for thirteen years without getting better. When she went to the Church she was prayed for and healed. After seeing that, Oscar’s father, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles and cousins went to the Church and became Christians too.

It was in this Church that Oscar also met Grover Moreno, FH’s first member of staff in Potosí. Both Vladimir and Grover were to become positive life-long role models in Oscar’s life. Vladimir and Grover are wise, hard working men who live for the Lord and to serve others. Coming from poor backgrounds themselves, they worked hard to support themselves whilst studying and want to give the same opportunity to others. When Oscar was seventeen years old and his youngest sister just four, their mother sadly passed away. This left the family devastated and questioning God. Oscar’s father was severely affected by his wife’s death. He returned to their village, San Lucas, neglecting his children and leaving Oscar to take care of his younger siblings.

During this difficult time, Grover was a great support to Oscar. He gave Oscar a job sweeping the FH warehouse in exchange for food. Oscar also painted to generate a little extra income. Some of his younger teenage brothers and sisters did odd jobs to earn a little money to help out. Oscar had to mature and grow up quickly, forcing him to prematurely leave his youth behind in order to care for his siblings.

When Oscar was 18 years old, Grover was in charge of the FH Child Development Program and invited Oscar to join an American couple who were volunteering with FH carrying out ‘Horas Felices’ (Happy Hours) for children in the poor urban areas of the outskirts of Potosí. Oscar helped out playing the guitar.

At age 19, Oscar moved into a paid role with FH as a librarian. In this role he taught local children basics such as reading, writing and maths. He also shared with them about God and his faith. Oscar walked seven miles each way to the library where he worked from 2.30pm-6.30pm. He earned just $20 per month to care for himself and his siblings. His father sent them very little. Whilst at work there was no-one to look after Oscar’s youngest brother so Oscar had to take him with him to the library. He would carry him the 7 miles home in the bitter cold, cradling him in his arms so he could sleep. Most days on the walk home Oscar would cry and ask God ‘Why us?’ wondering if they were so bad that they deserved their situation.

Over time Oscar’s father began to get back on his feet and his relationship with the Lord grew. He began to support his children financially as he could and the relationship between them improved. Oscar didn’t want to see other children having to suffer as he suffered growing up, so his dream was to develop himself to be able to serve others. To achieve this he wanted to go to University. Although he had wanted to study medicine, Oscar studied Agronomic Engineering as it was the only course he was accepted for. Looking back Oscar can see that was the hand of God to prepare him for the plans He had ahead for him with FH.

As Oscar had seen in the examples of Grover and Vladimir, he worked hard whilst studying to support himself. He studied during the day and worked from 9pm until midnight or 1am sanding and planing floors. But even without the burden of having to financially provide for his siblings, covering the cost of university was a challenge. To facilitate his studies Vladimir and Grover supported him through a contract whereby they gave him 150 Bolivianos (about $20) per month with the agreement that Oscar would report his grades to them, and when Oscar graduated and was working he would offer the same support to another student to enable them to study. This enabled Oscar to achieve his dream of going to University. After graduating, Oscar kept his part of the deal and supported other students. Over the years Oscar has supported various students, which he still does today.

At university Oscar was part of the ‘CCU’ (Christian University Community). This Christian movement shares the gospel with others and teaches its members to use their profession to serve others. This inspired Oscar to continue working hard to make ends meet to better himself to be able to help others. During his second year of university he married his wife, Aleida. When they had their first son, Jonathan, Oscar and his wife had a small business where they would go to the bakery at 5am each morning and queue up to buy bread to sell in their small local stall.

In 1993, after graduating, Oscar returned to work for FH as an agriculture technician in Tomoyo, a rural area of Sucre. But Oscar and Aleida had more challenges ahead of them. At 5 months old their son Jonathan had serious convulsions and became very ill with meningitis. The doctors thought he was unlikely to survive. For days Oscar and Aleida fervently prayed that God would heal their sick son. On the 14th day Aleida had a vision where Jesus showed her her son’s damaged brain and then the new brain which he was going to give to Jonathan. The next analysis showed that the disease had gone, leaving no trace. Jonathan was awake and eating again. The stunned
doctors agreed to let him leave the hospital on the condition that his parents bring him daily to see the consultant for monitoring. Today he is a healthy and intelligent young man, just beginning university studying Petroleum and Gas Engineering, known as one of the hardest university courses in Bolivia.

Another bombshell hit the family when Aleida was diagnosed with cancer and given just three years to live. Aleida lost her mother when she was ten, Oscar had lost his mother too and now their own children were facing the same fate. Many FH staff prayed for her. When one of the staff was praying, God told that person that Aleida had been healed and the cancer had gone. The next analysis was clear, and that was 15 years ago.

Having overcome many obstacles in his life, Oscar has continued working hard to become all he can be. He has worked in various roles in FH Bolivia over the years. From humble beginnings sweeping floors, volunteering in the ‘Happy Hours’ and becoming librarian, after university he moved on to be a greenhouse technician, later an
agricultural technician, a trainer, an agricultural supervisor, Regional Director in Cochabamba, Regional Director in Sucre, Program’s Director and now he is the currently National Director based in La Paz.

One of FH Bolivia’s major successes was during Oscar’s time as Regional Director of Sucre, with the construction of an irrigation system that stretches 15 kilometres and benefits 2,500 families. Oscar commented “I want to give glory to the Lord for having given us the privilege of showing the community of Tomoyo the dream that God had for this zone with regard to the irrigation canal construction and the results of building them into
an integrated model community for Bolivia and the world. May God be glorified.”

When reflecting on becoming the Regional Director of the Sucre office, Oscar was baffled as to how he had got there from his beginnings and why he had been so blessed. He agreed with the personal reflection of St Francis of Assisi that when looking for someone to use, God chooses the most unlikely, unworthy person so that His glory and power could be shown through that person. Today Oscar attributes his personal and work progress and accomplishments to the working and grace of God in his life.

Oscar’s time with FH has been a time of incredible blessing. FH has been more than a job. It has been a family and a place where he has been able to continue developing personally to reach his own potential as well as enabling colleagues to reach theirs. Regarding FH, he says “This is the most marvellous ministry that any man could experience. To grow in the Lord, together with our family, while serving the believers within FH so that they can develop the potential that God has given them, and at the same time be part of this great privilege to serve, is incomprehensible – it just passes human understanding. It is the grace of God!! FH has been and is still a school in which one is encouraged to grow integrally. It does not compare to any other organization, given that the standard of FH is the standard of the kingdom of God. Praise the Lord for such mercy, for countless heavenly blessings, even for material possessions that exceed our own expectations. We have been called to this ministry in accordance with the perfect will of God.”

Without the support and encouragement of role models like Grover and Vladimir, Oscar may well have lived out the rest of his life in the material and social poverty into which he was born, never reaching the potential that lay within him. Instead, with the right support and opportunities, Oscar has been able to make a change, the effects of which have been passed on not only to his own children but to countless others throughout Bolivia. It is this change that Oscar and FH Bolivia want to see in the lives of children in Bolivia; that through having the opportunity and encouragement to fulfil their potential, these children become the agents of change in their families and community. Each child can be another Oscar, changing history in Bolivia.

Here We Go Again!

Hold on tight because we're Bolivia Bound again! We'll return to Bolivia in October 2009 with 14 team members.

Won't you partner with us by praying as we prepare for this next journey to the mountain top. You never know what's gonna happen, but God always has an amazing plan!

And look Doug, still no Tsetse flies!! :-)

Coming Attractions

Great Adventure

Pics of the team having fun, not having so much fun, and remembering how to breathe...

Stay tuned...

We arrived home safely and no one has said a word on the blog! I'm so sorry! We've all been thrust back into life, but we WILL be back with updates soon.

If you are in the area, we'd love to have you join us at Horizons Community Church tomorrow for Bolivia Celebration Sunday. We will have several media presentations, many from the team will be sharing, Doug will be singing the song he wrote, and Tony will be sharing an awesome message entitled, "It's Worth It!"

Service times are 9 and 10:30 am. Horizons is on 79th Ave, just one block north of Thunderbird. Hope to see you there!

Back to Cochabamba

Greetings!

We are all back in Cochabamba and everyone is doing MUCH better! Scott is sitting right here next to me...he looks and feels waaaay better than yesterday. Cynthia´s stomach is still rumbly but everyone else is energized and ready to go shopping! We had pizza for lunch...really hit the spot. We have all learned that we are so very blessed to have the simple things at home, like electricity, running water and drinking water. What we went through with illnesses helped us all to identify with the people of Confital, for which that is an everyday part of life. We are all leaving a part of our hearts here in Bolivia, no doubt.

Thank you for your prayers! Please don´t worry, but don´t stop praying! We look forward to sharing more with you as soon as we return.

Much love from Bolivia,

Shari, for the Team

Prayer Needed For The Team

Hey Everyone,

I just got off the phone with Cari Day who had just talked with Scott who called her from a hospital in Cochabamba. It seems that altitude sickness has been a difficult challenge for the entire team. According to Lily Taylor (the team member who is a nurse), "...everyone has had their turn with sickness or injury." Most of the team have been affected by altitude issues which generally causes nausea (and the various side effects that come with that). One team member, Judy Davis, also "turned" her ankle in a misstep which has no doubt been a painful annoyance.

In Scott's case, he was much more sick than the others and endured a lengthy bout of nausea and vomitting throughout Saturday night (possibly Sunday night - not sure) and also a rapid heart rate. On either Sunday or Monday morning (sorry, not sure again), other team members noticed that he was passing in and out of consciousness. It was determined then that he needed to be taken to a hospital. Lily and the Food for the Hungry translator took him down the mountain to a hospital in Cochabamba where they determined that altitude sickness was the cause of his condition. He is doing well now and he, Lily and the translator will stay in Cochabamba until the team returns. Cochabamba is at a much lower altitude (8,000 ft vs. 13,000 ft) which should be helpful for Scott's condition. The team may be returning to Cochabamba sooner than expected due to all of the illness and Judy's injury. This will not affect their return date or flight schedules--just the amount of time spent in Confital.

Dear friends...PRAY for our team!

This has obviously been much more challenging for all of them than was expected. Pray for their health. Pray for Scott's condition to be completely aleviated. Pray and KNOW that God has used them for His purpose and His glory despite the physical setbacks. Pray for their safe return so that all of us can "love" on them and share together in their successes, struggles and "God moments." They are our family in the Lord, whether they are related to us or not. Pray for the Lord to bring our family home safe and sound.

God is control!

Jeff Gentry

Back from the grave

Had a great night of sleep and I am hoping that as of this morning I am officially
over whatever sickness I had. Hard to figure - on our trip here in May I was the
only one who had no problem at all. This time, I´m practically an invalid.

Excited about today, getting to Confital and being with the people. Please pray
for me as I beging the pastor and church leaders training this afternoon.

About that "Number 1" designation.... because 1 is the smallest number, I felt that
that would be the most appropriate number for me to attach to myself.

Off to Confital!!!

Tony

Pray for Tony

Tony missed the famous steak dinner tonight. :-( We brought him back some steak and soup and he does seem to be feeling better, but please keep praying for him. We have a long, grueling drive tomorrow and we´ll be heading back to over 13K ft, so he needs to feel better in the morning.

Thank you for your prayers!

Shari, for the Team

Where there´s a will, there´s a way.

Take 2 stubborn computer geeks, send them south of the equator, and challenge them to find a computer with internet access in a small town in Bolivia. They WILL get it done! Next adventure for Judy and Shari....The Amazing Race.

So we made it to Cochabamba. You should all know that the political unrest has died down to almost nothing here...everything is very peaceful...another direct answer to prayer. All the flights went well, and everyone handled the altitude change well with the exception of 3 people. One of them made me promise not to say who, so I´ll give you a hint...2 staff members and an almost deacon. The deacon is recovering nicely now that we´ve decreased in elevation. We knew he was feeling better when he began pulling pranks and chucking luggage on top of the bus. The staff members are still pretty green around the gills, but after a 2 hour nap and a steak dinner tonight, we hope they´ll be feeling better. THANK YOU for your prayers!!!! You prayed us through 5 airports, 4 flights, and one bus ride. Please pray for us tomorrow as we head to Confital...a 3.5 hour bus ride up a pretty windy, narrow road. I seriously doubt that Judy and I will find internet access there, but you KNOW we will try.

Ron and Kathy are SUCH troopers! Kathy momentarily lost her carry on when we arrived in Cochabamba, but found it quickly. They are both doing GREAT! Duane´s new nickname is Duan...rhymes with Juan...as that´s how the locals pronounce his name. He is as steady as ever and has a calming effect on all...except when Angela misplaced an important document. He TOLD her it would be fine, but then looked at me with the HUGEST eyes I´ve ever seen. Doug keeps us laughing...he was one of several who napped on the airport floor. Lily is our Florence Nightengale...she makes sure people get oxygen whether they want to or not. Nancy is as outgoing as ever and keeps everyone smiling. Mike wore shorts. SHORTS. We were all sure he would freeze but it was SO hot in Cochabamba that we were all jealous. He´s doing great, too, and practices his juggling in the airport. Cynthia amazes us all with her language abilities and her positive outlook at all times. Tony makes sure we are all present and accounted for, except when he is not. Angela and I have a fun photo-documentary that we are working on...you´ll have to wait to be surprised. She has been a trooper, and has done great considering she´s the only one that can´t take the altitude meds. Scott is Scott. He is perhaps the funniest person we´ve ever met, except when he feels like poop. Then he´s kinda quiet. Judy and Shari are doing just fine, too. All of us send our LOVE to our family, friends, and Horizons family!

OH...and here´s something you won´t see on Fox News: The Cochabamba Soccer Team won the national championship. They were on our flight. We are all thankful that it was only a 30 minute flight because they cheered and chanted and banged on the airplane ceiling the. entire. flight. Srsly. They were met by a HUGE crowd. We pretended that the crowd was there for us.

On a personal note...Alyssa, I got your note. I love you, sweetie...you made my entire day. That was so very thoughtful. Know that we are safe and having a blast. Thank you for taking care of your brothers and sister...and daddy. :) Sam, James, and Emma...I love you all with ALL of my heart. Be good and love each other. Jeff...your post below almost got Judy and I kicked out of here before we could write a word. I love you, honey. Thank you for holding down the fort.

Love to all!

Shari and Judy

From Carmen and Lola -
Hello Humans who feed us,
All is well here at Lory and Cliff's Kennel/Home. We are getting along fine with the other dogs here but could do without the cats. I being Carmen have expressed my authority and the cats do know who is the boss... Lola is starting to come around, she has attached herself to Paige and has choose to sleep in her bed with me last night... Life is pretty good here we even got to go for a walk with Lory this morning which was a comical act to watch her handle 5 dogs. We even planned a few times to try to make her trip but were unsuccessful, we will try harder tomorrow. May need to send Lory to the pet store tomorrow for more Dingo's since Bella keeps stealing ours. Well that's it for now. I need to go plan my next way to chase the cats. So I will blog you later.
We miss you but don't worry we are doing fine here.
See you in 9 day's,
Love Carmen and Lola