We are sharing these reports from the "Bolivia Journey Team, June 2011"  , so that people could see through the team members point of view what a powerfull and life changing experience it can be to come to Bolivia in a mission trip to the jungle.

June 3, 2011 - 3 pm

We made it safely to Cochabamba, Bolivia today around 3 pm.  Several things to praise God for:

- making it safely to Reagan National Airport and smoothly checking in. (We gave ourselves plenty of time for our 4.30 pm flight, but traffic was very heavy around DC.  But there were no problems and we got through security with plenty of time to spare!)

- we arrived in Miami; we had a layover - which got extended as they worked on the plane.  We left an hour later than we were supposed to.  So we were concerned about making our connecting flight in Santa Cruz.  The flight was good though.

- we arrived in La Paz, Bolivia.  We did not get off the plane.  Wow!  Being at nearly 12,000 ft above sea level is an experience!!  You'll have to ask any team member about being at that high of altitude.  They loaded some new passengers on the plane and we continued to Santa Cruz.  Again - a very good flight.  Temperature in La Paz - about 40 degrees F.  We were sitting in the Andes Mountains and they were beautifully snow covered!

- we arrived in Santa Cruz.  We had to go through customs and get visas for 14 of 17 on the team.  Major praise - no one had any problems.  We collected all of our bags and because we were a group, they let us pass right through!  We didn't have a single bag searched.  And all 29 of our checked bags made it.  Temperature in Santa Cruz - much warmer than La Paz - probably around 75 degrees F and a bit of humidity.  Santa Cruz sits in the jungle.

- in Santa Cruz, we had a connecting flight to Cochabamba.  They were great in getting our boarding passes quickly and checking our bags back in.  Got on the plane and took about a 30 minute flight and arrived in Cochabamba around 11.15 am.  Temperature here - about 65/70 degrees F, but no humidity.  Beautiful sunny day!  And all of our bags made it once again.

We are now settling in at Cochabamba International Church.  We enjoyed a great lunch of fried chicken, fries and rice!  The team is now relaxing, taking showers and enjoying the beautiful weather.  We are going to get together with the Murrins soon and get ready for what is next.

Pray for:

- a continued willingness to serve; for flexibility (we have a great team and everyone is doing great)

- a few on the team are dealing with some colds and sinuses - pray that clears up quickly (that ears would open)

Thanks for all your prayers!  The team appreciates it and we are quite aware that God is doing so much on our behalf!

*****************************
 

I can not begin to describe what an AMAZING journey this has been so far! Where do I even begin to describe what I have experienced! I want to start off by thanking you all for your continued prayers for us as a team; it is greatly appreciated and I know God has blessed us through them!

This past week has moved me and stretched me in ways I could have never imagined, from washing babies, to playing and loving on kids in the jungle and in the villages!

One particular event I would like to share with you all is what I experienced today as we traveled 3 hrs on a bus into the mountains and spent the day in the village of San Jani. While we were traveling, we stopped at this lake on one of the mountain tops and ate lunch (we were at approx. 14,000 feet above sea level!).  While we were there, I looked up and was just taken away at the beauty of it all. God truly is great and mighty; it just hit me, that the God who created all this beauty and wonder is the same God who created me and not only created me, but sent His only Son to die for me. It literally took my breath away! After we were finished eating lunch, we all stood there in awe and then just broke out in worship, singing "How Great is our God"! It was a moment I will never ever forget!

When we arrived at the village, we played with the kids for a while and did a little lesson with them.  Wile we were playing, Dan and I decided to go climb one of the mountains that was next to the village. When we got to the top, I looked out and saw more and more mountains, one bigger than the next.

Another thing hit me ... no matter how high the mountain I was on seemed to be, there was always a mountain higher and it made me think, we often feel content with the way we do things and we think we are as high as we can be and as good as we can get, but then God reminds us that we can always give a little more or take our faith even higher! He is so good!

After the lessons were over and the exploring was finished, the people of the village shared a meal with us. It just showed how giving they were and how willing they were to give us all they had and not think twice about it. It makes me think of all the things I think I need and do not want to give up, when in reality they are nothing but worldly things.

We have worked hard as a team whether it was by putting in flooring for new Sunday school rooms for a growing church or playing and loving adults and kids that don’t get the love they deserve. I can truly say that it was worth every sore, blister, tear drop and smile!

Overall, God is teaching me so much and my eyes have truly been opened to see what is important in life and what are things that I need to just let go of because I know there is something far greater than this world. I have been so blessed to see a glimpse of it through the people I have met and the lives I have touched while in Bolivia!

To God be the glory!

********************************** 

Has anyone ever wished to fly out of civilization, over vastmountains,
and into the deep jungle at 6 am on a tiny airplane with one change of
clothes and gallons of bug spray? Well, we have been anticipating this
event since we first decided to go to Bolivia. Admittedly, some were
nervous, some were excited, but all were looking forward to quite an
adventure. We knew we were in for a very special day when we landed on a
small runway clearing. As we were climbing out of the plane we were
greeted by the excited shouts of little children running up the path to
meet us. After unpacking the plane and a quick hike to the village, we
were introduced to a missionary named Inocensio or "Ino".

Nine years ago Ino and his wife came to this village (Oromomo) with the
vision of bringing the Gospel to the Yuracare people. Progress has been
slow and Ino has had to endure many trials. Currently his vision is to
build a church in his village. This will be the first and only church
within the inaccessible jungle region (size of New Jersey). Ino cut
planks of wood by chainsaw for the construction of this church and our
goal was to assist in transporting these planks from the jungle into the
village. It did not take long to realize why Ino needed help. Weighing
approximately 60-80 pounds, these boards had to be carried a distance of
about one mile. This took a good portion of the morning to complete and
we were quickly exhausted.

The rest of the team arrived in the jungle a couple hours later bringing
food and supplies for the children’s programs. Carolyn and Tony (along
with the assistance of the entire team) were able to lead the children
in making Gospel Bracelets and singing songs. We also enjoyed playing
jump rope, throwing Frisbee, kicking soccer balls,climbing trees and
painting faces.

After the children’s program, we went on a fishing expedition down the
Secure River, where we enjoyed a canoe ride and hand line fishing. The
fish caught by Jimmy and Dan helped provide our dinner for the evening
which also included rice and scrambled eggs which Megan cooked for the
team. In the darkness we ate dinner and prepared for the next day with
great anticipation. Although exhausted, many found sleep evasive due to
their unfamiliarity with sleeping on rocks and roots while covered in
mosquitoes and dirt. After endless rooster calls, the morning came all
too quickly. Desiring to complete the task of moving the rest of the
lumber, the men got up early and set to work hoping to complete the task
before the first flight out. The women and Tony (for translation) stayed
behind and continued with more children’s ministry.

Once the entire team was back in Cochabamba, we showered, ate, and
headed to a local orphanage to spend some time with the children. This
included making and explaining the Gospel Bracelets and playing games.
One thing that was noticed was the lack of male presence in their lives
and their desire for it. It was a blessing for all of us to be involved
in this ministry.

Through all of these events, a couple lessons stuck out to us. The first
of which was seen through the carrying of wood out of the jungle to the
village carpenter. Many of us thought of the image of Christ carrying
His cross as we struggled with our piece of wood. Although the severity
is not nearly as intense, it was a great reminder of Christ’s love and
sacrifice.


AFrom the time we stepped off the plane until the time the last group
left the locals, the people continued in their giving spirit, showering
us with food, accommodations, and friendly smiles.


As we watched and interacted with the children in the jungle and the
children in the orphanages, it became clear that their needs and desires
were the same: they all want to be loved and cared for. They long for
attention and for acceptance. Although this was, in part, accomplished
by our presence, this need goes much deeper. It is our hope that through
our display of love, they will have received just a taste of the Lord’s
love and acceptance and will search for these things the only place they
can truly be found ... in Christ.

Looking back over our first days here, we are excited about what the
Lord has done. He has brought our group together and showed us many
things we could never have otherwise seen. Yet as we anticipate our
final week, we are excited for what more He has in store for us. We
thank you for your support and ask you to continue in praying for us and
those we are serving. We hope to represent Christ well.

I was challenged today to really be thehands and
feet of Christ and I hope that you will be challenged wherever youare to
do likewise.

********************


Well, since a new day starts at 12:01 a.m., my day started pretty early
today as I stayed up past midnight talking with my good friend, Willy. I
had the chance to hear his testimony and just talk about life. One of my
favorite parts about going on a mission trip is meeting new people and
building relationships.


The goal of our ministry at the church in the morning was to renovate
some rooms and make them accessible for church ministries. We had the
task of removing everything from the rooms, then shovel dirt into wheel
barrows, which would be unloaded and leveled in each room as the floor.
Just for perspective – it took two guys fromthe church three days to
complete one room. We were able to complete two rooms in just two hours.


While the work was certainly challenging, it was all worth it knowing it
was going to further God’s kingdom. The people were so grateful.They
brought us fresh fruit (bananas & tangerines), drinks, and smiles the
entire day. Not a bash towards the States, but I have come to realize
that people in the States (myself included) often give generously or
maybe what is needed, but the people in Bolivia literally give you what
they have, plus some.

After lunch the guys, Sarah & I played 5 v 5 soccer on a small blacktop
court with kids from the local school while the girls threw Frisbee and
jump-roped with them. We also did other activities such as face painting
and relays. Tony shared the Gospel with the kids through making color
beaded wristbands which was really cool.


This partof Cochabamba was very dry, so when the wind came through the
place it covered the area with dust. There were times throughout the day
when I was uncomfortable because of the wind, dirt, and sweat, but just
being around the kids totally changed my perspective. These kids didn’t
care about the dirt all over them, they just wanted someone to spend
time with them and love them. Picking one of the kids up and tossing him
in the air and seeing his eyes light up and smile made my day. It made
me step back and chill out. God has me here right now for apurpose. He
can use me despite being dirty, sweaty, and tired. It was a pretty
awesome day.

?=o
@Wh @i /st1:PlaceType>, where we enjoyed a canoe ride and hand line fishing. The
fish caught by Jimmy and Dan helped provide our dinner for the evening
which also included rice and scrambled eggs which Megan cooked for the
team. In the darkness we ate dinner and prepared for the next day with
great anticipation. Although exhausted, many found sleep evasive due to
their unfamiliarity with sleeping on rocks and roots while covered in
mosquitoes and dirt. After endless rooster calls, the morning came all
too quickly. Desiring to complete the task of moving the rest of the
lumber, the men got up early and set to work hoping to complete the task
before the first flight out. The women and Tony (for translation) stayed
behind and continued with more children’s ministry.

Once the entire team was back in Cochabamba, we showered, ate, and
headed to a local orphanage to spend some time with the children. This
included making and explaining the Gospel Bracelets and playing games.
One thing that was noticed was the lack of male presence in their lives
and their desire for it. It was a blessing for all of us to be involved
in this ministry.

Through all of these events, a couple lessons stuck out to us. The first
of which was seen through the carrying of wood out of the jungle to the
village carpenter. Many of us thought of the image of Christ carrying
His cross as we struggled with our piece of wood. Although the severity
is not nearly as intense, it was a great reminder of Christ’s love and
sacrifice.


AFrom the time we stepped off the plane until the time the last group
left the locals, the people continued in their giving spirit, showering
us with food, accommodations, and friendly smiles.


As we watched and interacted with the children in the jungle and the
children in the orphanages, it became clear that their needs and desires
were the same: they all want to be loved and cared for. They long for
attention and for acceptance. Although this was, in part, accomplished
by our presence, this need goes much deeper. It is our hope that through
our display of love, they will have received just a taste of the Lord’s
love and acceptance and will search for these things the only place they
can truly be found ... in Christ.

Looking back over our first days here, we are excited about what the
Lord has done. He has brought our group together and showed us many
things we could never have otherwise seen. Yet as we anticipate our
final week, we are excited for what more He has in store for us. We
thank you for your support and ask you to continue in praying for us and
those we are serving. We hope to represent Christ well.




************************************ 

Hey everyone,

This is Garrett Derr, one of the members on the team. Each day we are individually writing emails to you all letting you know how our experience in Bolivia is going. So far so good ... everyone is still breathing.

Some of us started the day off decently earlier around 7 a.m. for a Men’s Breakfast (here at Cochabamba International Church where we are staying). When I say “some of us”, I am not included. The other few of us slept in till around 10 a.m. The morning consisted of half of the team practicing their music in the sanctuary for tomorrow morning’s service. The other half of us who aren’t exactly gifted in the music field spent time playing with younger kids.

We then ate lunch at our place and soon headed out for the day around 3 pm. We went to the "Plaza la Principal", the center of the city (Cochabamba) where baby washing take place every Saturday around 4.30 pm. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the washing of babies in other countries, I’ll do my best to explain. Children and babies who spend the entire week without bathing come to the Plaza to have their hair washed and rinsed with water and scrubbed with shampoo or for the really young newborns and infants, they are given complete baths.  Following their wash, we rinse their hair and then dry it with a towel. Once the children’s and baby’s washings were complete, they were sent to a tented area where they received brand new clothes.

This was by far the most humbling and rewarding thing that has ever taken place in my life. It made me think how often I take for granted the opportunity to shower at least twice a day. Some of these kids are covered in dirt, sleep on the streets and hardly ever eat. A couple others spent time playing with the rest of the kids in the Plaza. Some of the group also got to spent time handing out sandwiches to the children and their families. We soon ran out of meat for the sandwiches, but still had rolls to distribute.  The people were still thrilled with just a roll of bread. How many of us can say that? I think I speak for the entire group that our hearts were completely broken after what we witnessed today. Sometimes I ask why God even allows things like this to happen. Its especially hard for those of us who have nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters the same age as some of these children. God never intended for these people to sleep on the sides of the streets, go days without eating, or spend their entire weeks, or even longer in dirt covered clothing. I believe He intended for us, who are a million times more fortunate to share what we have with them. I think something I will be looking at when I get home is supporting an individual for $25 a month. That’s all I can really afford since I’m a “broke college kid”. So, I challenge you to think about doing the same. What is $25 to some of you. Is your daily coffee or stop at the store really more important than a 2 year old child sitting on the side of the street in filth? I think showing God’s love through our actions plays a bigger role than jamming the Gospel down their throat. I think our job is to plant the seeds and allow God to do the rest.

When we came home we had dinner which consisted of BBQ chicken, Mac-n-Cheese, Potato Salad, Carrots, Greenbeans, and Bananas and Mangos. To think a few miles away, children, babies, and adults are starving to death without a home to sleep in. Its crazy how lucky we really are and don’t even realize or act like it sometimes.


**************************


 Hola everyone! Today was a very long but good day.  It started bright
and early since we had to move our luggageand beds out of the Sunday
School rooms (where we are sleeping) and intoanother room by 8 a.m.
After wewere finished, we ate breakfast (and I don’t remember what it
was called).  It was basically a fried piece of breadwith cheese inside
and powdered sugar on top.  It was pretty funny watching everyone trying
to eat them withoutgetting any powdered sugar on their church clothes.
Church started at 10:15 a.m. and I must say that the worshipteam was
phenomenal!  It wasobvious the practice that went into it and the church
members really enjoyedit.  Jimmy and Carolyn shared theirtestimonies and
despite some nerves, they were very open and honest and Ibelieve they
touched a lot of people’s hearts.  We also had the privilege of sharing
in communion with thechurch which was pretty neat.  ThenScott Harrison
preached a very powerful message about mercy that resonated inme.
Cochabamba InternationalChurch is a bi-lingual church doing parts of the
service in English &Spanish.  Luckily Scott didn’t haveto learn Spanish
(but his message was translated in Spanish via short waveradio for those
in attendance that only know Spanish). It you want to see anypart of the
service, CIC does record their service and livestreams it via
theinternet.  You can still see today’sservice by visiting the church’s
website at www.cicbolivia.org.
Lunch was an adventure.  We walked quite a ways before finding a
restaurant bigenough for our large group.  Eventuallywe found one and
enjoyed a buffet of traditional Bolivian food at “Beirut”.
By the time we arrived back at the church, it was time tohead back out
again to go play soccer with a rough group of Bolivians called
“cleferos”or glue-sniffers.  These young menare constantly
sniffing glue to get high (even while we were on the bus).  A wonderful
lady, Jennifer, was ourcontact for this opportunity. Jennifer is a
missionary from the U.S. who is one of very few people toever work with
this rough group of people.  They are literally the poorest, lowest
class of people inBolivia.  The only way they can getfood is to steal it
because they cannot get jobs due to their badreputations.  They are
looked downupon and treated poorly by all Bolivians and no one ever
wants to spend timewith them.  They are known fortheir fighting among
each other as well as for stealing and raping.  Despite all of their
rough edges,Jennifer has a neat relationship with them and has even
brought several tochurch on different occasions.
The guys played soccer with the cleferos while the girls watched.  My
favorite part of the day was holdingand playing with several young
orphans from one of Jennifer’s three orphanagesthat she runs (she really
does it all!). I love kids and was so blessed to love on some today, but
all day longit was all I could do not to break down and cry as I kept
thinking that theselittle ones might not ever get the chance to call
someone mommy or daddy.  I am praying that these orphans willget adopted
by a good family, but even more than that I am praying that theycan one
day become a part of God’s family.
After an intense game of soccer, we handed out refreshmentswhile Brett
shared his testimony.  Theguys went back to playing soccer mostly
because the cleferos were having such agood time. We also handed out
hygiene kits (that included:  bar soap, toothpaste, tooth
brush,detergent & tissues) and they were so excited to get toothbrushes!
Nobody wants to spend time with thisgroup of people mostly because
people are afraid of them. Just the fact that wetook time out of our day
to intentionally play with them and get to know themwas unknown to them.

It was really cool how Scott’s message tied into what wewere trying to
do with the cleferos. He talked on Matthew 5:1-20 and how Jesus met
demon-possessed manwho no one ever wanted to be near and who had to be
off by himself among thedead, but Jesus showed mercy to him. I hope that
the little we did today showed a bit of the love and mercyof God to a
group of people that really needs to see that.
Finally we came back to the church and had another wonderfulmeal
prepared by the Murrins (sloppy joes) and had a team meeting to
debrieffrom our day and get prepared for tomorrow which is the jungle!
The guys are flying out at 6 a.m.tomorrow and the girls will follow at
8:30 a.m.  So if you could be praying for smooth, safe flights as wellas
safety, health and strength as we work in the heat tomorrow, we
wouldgreatly appreciate it.
Just several things that stuck out to me from today were howlittle it
takes to show mercy, love and grace.  We just played a game of soccer,
yet it meant so much to thecleferos.  It also hit me that Ididn’t need
to come to Bolivia to do this.  There are so many people right where I
live that arehomeless, looked down upon, orphaned, addicted to drugs,
hurting or whatever.  I was challenged today to really be thehands and
feet of Christ and I hope that you will be challenged wherever youare to
do likewise.

**********************************************************

Sadly we are on the last stretch of our trip.

Today we drove a few hours south into the Andes mountains to Inca ruins. Our first stop was in a little village where Tony and Drew’s grandparents used to live and minister.  We saw the adobe house in which they used to live.

When we got up to the Inca ruins a few of our team members weren’t feeling well (in fact, if you would like to pray specifically for Jimmy, he’s not feeling the best) so a few stayed behind. The rest of the team hiked up to see the ruins, the most impressive of which was a temple. It was massive and had little cut outs in the wall that the Murrins said were for human heads that were sacrificed for offerings.

On the same path was a waterfall that we got to stand under. It made me think of pictures of an oasis in the desert. There we were, surrounded by dry mountains and there was running water coming from nowhere. It reminds me of how God is an oasis from the world and we should never leave Him, because we quickly become dry and fruitless… it was beautiful there.

After our hike we drove home. It seemed like a really long bus trip, but the views on the way home were amazing. The clouds literally rolled over the mountains, even though you may hear that phrase a lot, I’m pretty sure that you haven’t experienced it like this; they were so close and moving so fast.

Everyone made it back in one piece. Jimmy did devos and talked about letting sin and our own selves be the focus instead of God; it kind of lined up with the testimony Willy gave about how he let his pride get in the way and how God humbled him to get to his heart. It made me think about how I can focus on myself instead of what God is trying to do and I end up missing the bigger picture.

Fortunately there is no loud music tonight, so it looks like everyone should sleep pretty well. Thanks for all of your prayers, and we’ll be seeing you soon!!

We have worked hard as a team whether it was by putting in flooring for new Sunday school rooms for a growing church or playing and loving adults and kids that don’t get the love they deserve. I can truly say that it was worth every sore, blister, tear drop and smile!

Overall, God is teaching me so much and my eyes have truly been opened to see what is important in life and what are things that I need to just let go of because I know there is something far greater than this world. I have been so blessed to see a glimpse of it through the people I have met and the lives I have touched while in Bolivia!

To God be the glory!