Five Guys

When you first read this title, your first thought might be of burgers and hot, delicious fries.  Unfortunately, we've been in Bolivia nearly 8 months and Five Guys burgers are becoming a distant memory. (There are no such burgers like that in Bolivia!) But, Seth and I have our own five guys, and I want to tell you a little about each of them.  You may think, "You moved to Bolivia for five guys?"  But, Jesus himself only intimately discipled 12 guys.  And for the time being, these are the guys He has given us to pour much of our energy (and food) into.

Let's call the first guy Pedro.  Pedro is 15 years old, a little on the quiet side.  He is thin and has a very sweet smile.  His dad died in May, leaving his mom to raise him, his brother, "Dan," and their three year old sister alone.  She works a lot to barely provide for their basic needs, and can't be there for her kids much.  Pedro' plays with my kids every time he comes over...the girls beg for him to let them ride piggy back, and he is always willing to kick the soccer ball with Cruz or help him create things on Minecraft.  They may not speak the same language, but they understand the universal expectations of playing together.  He is gentle, and always very thankful for meals, snacks, anything.  Today at lunch, he said the blessing and prayed that God would make a way for us to stay here (despite the visa challenges) because they need us.  I love this kid.  He always remembers to bring his Bible with him when he comes to church with us.  In fact, last Sunday morning our doorbell rang at 8:10 a.m., honestly before we even got out of bed, and he was at our door ready for church.  He loves to listen to the song, "Mighty to Save" in english and spanish.

Next, we'll talk about Pedro's brother, Dan.  He's 17 years old.  We joke that he has "Bieber hair" and, like his brother, is gentle and kind-hearted.  He plays with the girls really well, maybe because he has his own little sister close to Lola's age.  He is also very thankful for any generosity we are able to show him, and seems to have a compassionate heart.  He is also very eager to learn English, so we're always impressed when he knows things we don't expect him to know.  Its fun (and really cute) to hear him and the other guys try to say things in English.  He has a great sense of humor too.

Then, there's the group leader, we will call Leo.  Leo is the first "wheel barrel boy" we met when we moved here.  He comes across very self-confident and has a deviousness about him.  He has a great sense of humor, and has a way of raising one eyebrow as if to say, "Oh yeah?" and he does this often.  He has an older brother we also met almost as soon as we got here.  His brother was our wheel barrel boy until he had to go away for a while to work, so now Leo is often our guy at the market.  He can be a good worker, but he always seems to be up to something...running here or there to talk to friends or his brother while he should be working.  He doesn't like coming to church, and compared to the others, is the least interested in the gospel. He loves soccer, but as these guys can't afford to play soccer on some of the good teams in the city, he and his friends get together and they all chip in money.  The team that wins gets all the money and they split it among themselves.  Leo says his team never loses.  He can frustrate me at times, but I can't help but love him and feel compassion towards him.

Leo's older brother is "C.J."  C.J. is 18, and very well mannered, and respectful.  He's soft spoken and thoughtful.  But there's another aspect of him that I recently discovered, his desire for justice. At baby washing one Saturday, a wealthy Bolivian woman began yelling at those there helping to wash the babies and hair of older kids and adults. She told the missionaries they should go home, and said all sorts of mean things about the poor women and children there on the plaza.  C.J. was very bothered by this and thought about it for hours afterwards.  I think it impressed him the way that the missionaries stood up for the poor, whom they don't even know that well.   C.J. is always dressed nice, although the clothes may not be the right size, and may be really worn, he always looks really nice and polished. He's a young gentleman. He is graduating from high school soon and did some artwork that was on display at school.  He told Seth when he gets to bring it home, he is giving it to Seth.  C.J. seems very receptive to the gospel, remembering the things Seth is teaching them and taking it to heart.

Finally, there's "Gerson," the youngest in the bunch at 13.  Although the young one, he is the most eager to be a Christian, and also be like Seth.  He comes over to our house so often, he's like a 4th child in our home.  We joke that he's starting to eat and drink like an American, using his fork less and drinking drinks more.  He's very affectionate so when he and Seth are together, he often has his arm around Seth as they talk. He has an infectious smile and a servants heart, willing to help set and clear the table, and help with anything we need help with.  He also has a fun sense of humor, always joking and laughing. If I ask him on Facebook, "What's up?" His response will be, "Na mach," exactly how he says it.  He's precious and we both really love him like a son.

So, there's our five guys.  They may look like your average Bolivian teenagers, but I believe God is beginning to work in their hearts.  They still don't know all the treasures there are to find in God's word, but I am believing that they will discover it and abide in Christ. I think God can use each of them and their gifts to share the gospel to young people in Bolivia.  Pray for these guys and for the many other young people believers here are reaching out to...whether through orphan care, the baby washing, Kid's Club, churches, etc.  We have one Bolivian friend here who every single time he rides in a taxi, he brings the conversation around to our need for Christ and shares the gospel.  The good news is being preached, pray that the lost will be saved and His name with continue to be proclaimed and glorified in every nation, tribe, and tongue.  2 Corinthians 4:5-7, "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk3Wh10pLn4&app=desktop