Dream with Us
"Thank you for everything, seriously. I am grateful to you for what you do. It is a great act of grace on your part. God bless you, friend." That is the message of thanks one of our guys wrote a friend of mine this week for buying his school supplies. The message of it goes for all our supporters though, because they are the reason we're able to help Edson with school supplies.
Because of you we're able to provide love and a sense of family to kids that don't have that at home. They are able to see a healthy and happy marriage founded on Christ. They receive hugs and hear the words, "I love you," when no one else in their life tells them this.
We dream of moving to the Chiquicollo community, beginning a youth and children's outreach, and planting a house church. We dream of making a bigger impact, not just in their lives but in the lives of the people around them as well.
Our home is already a very central place of ministry for us, but if we were in the boys' community, we could open our home up to the families of the boys we already are investing in and do family ministry. In order to do more, we will need more financial support. What we have currently is enough to live on, and do a little bit more (buy glasses for Giovanni, treat our guys to dinner with the family at a restaurant occasionally, have the older boys from the boy's home over for a meal several times a month, give odd jobs to our boys when they can't get work in the market, etc.).
Let's dream for a minute together. Here's a picture of the "cancha" a court where 50 or more kids meet three nights a week to play soccer and see friends.
We would love to live so close that several nights a week Seth and I can walk down there and just be present in the lives of these kids when most don't have adults active in their lives. We can get to know and love them, and will "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15) These kids know very little, if anything about the Bible. My prayer for them is this, "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Col. 2:2-3)
Here's a video that scratches the surface of the dreams we have for this area. It features Edson, one of our teens that lives very near here. Click "CC" for the subtitles.
My prayer is that more friends and family will dream with us and want to see God changing the hearts of kids and teens in Coch. I pray that God will move on hearts to give generously towards the gospel going out into homes and areas where it is rarely, if ever, heard. Jesus, grow in others a sincere love for the people of Bolivia!
Pray with us that as we sow seeds, it falls on good soil, and that God will provide growth and a harvest of righteousness to his glory. "...that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified...For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations." Isa. 61
If you aren't already a supporter, could you give $25 a month? $50? $100? And if you already are a supporter, reread the words of Edson above and be encouraged that you are investing in hearts that are changing and discovering the treasures we have in Christ.
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| Edson, a son in the faith to Seth |
Because of you we're able to provide love and a sense of family to kids that don't have that at home. They are able to see a healthy and happy marriage founded on Christ. They receive hugs and hear the words, "I love you," when no one else in their life tells them this.
We dream of moving to the Chiquicollo community, beginning a youth and children's outreach, and planting a house church. We dream of making a bigger impact, not just in their lives but in the lives of the people around them as well.
 |
| A rainy day in Chiquicollo |
Our home is already a very central place of ministry for us, but if we were in the boys' community, we could open our home up to the families of the boys we already are investing in and do family ministry. In order to do more, we will need more financial support. What we have currently is enough to live on, and do a little bit more (buy glasses for Giovanni, treat our guys to dinner with the family at a restaurant occasionally, have the older boys from the boy's home over for a meal several times a month, give odd jobs to our boys when they can't get work in the market, etc.).
Let's dream for a minute together. Here's a picture of the "cancha" a court where 50 or more kids meet three nights a week to play soccer and see friends.
We would love to live so close that several nights a week Seth and I can walk down there and just be present in the lives of these kids when most don't have adults active in their lives. We can get to know and love them, and will "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15) These kids know very little, if anything about the Bible. My prayer for them is this, "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Col. 2:2-3)
Here's a video that scratches the surface of the dreams we have for this area. It features Edson, one of our teens that lives very near here. Click "CC" for the subtitles.
My prayer is that more friends and family will dream with us and want to see God changing the hearts of kids and teens in Coch. I pray that God will move on hearts to give generously towards the gospel going out into homes and areas where it is rarely, if ever, heard. Jesus, grow in others a sincere love for the people of Bolivia!
Pray with us that as we sow seeds, it falls on good soil, and that God will provide growth and a harvest of righteousness to his glory. "...that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified...For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations." Isa. 61
If you aren't already a supporter, could you give $25 a month? $50? $100? And if you already are a supporter, reread the words of Edson above and be encouraged that you are investing in hearts that are changing and discovering the treasures we have in Christ.
 |
| These are some of the younger boys at the boys home. (And one of them is a friend's son.) |
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| Giovanni came to see us on his first day back to school. |
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