Can You See Me Now?

It's 3:30 AM La Paz time as we load our micro bus with suitcases for the flight home. At 11,000 feet above sea level it's chilly, even if we are south of the equator. It's dark, the streets, usually flooded with people, are empty.

About 30 feet away, on the dirty sidewalk is a dark, hard to notice bundle of trash, wool and newspaper. I probably wouldn't see it at all if it weren't moving. Someone has been sleeping, make that living, under that wool blanket.

There is no way that blanket can protect against the cold. It's too thin, too old and too small. The man under the blanket seems to be combing his hair, using his fingers.

I'm not sure if anyone else notices him or not. Most of us are busy dragging our sleep deprived selves and our suitcases through the hotel door. That's one of the pitfalls of being poor. You aren't noticed. In fact often it's like the poor are invisible, except when they are panhandling us.

I'm wondering as we drive away, how can there possibly be hope for him? It would be hard enough to trade that blanket for a room with four walls if you lived in the United States. But in Bolivia? I can't even figure out how to pray for him. Pray he stays warm, finds enough to eat today, avoids muggers for another 24 hours? I'm wishing he had just stayed invisible.

What does God see as he looks down at the street in front of Osira Hotel in La Paz? Fourteen Americans, most of them teenagers, with a world of hope in front of them? And.......a homeless Boliviano with little to hope for. Does He pay more attention to the Americanos because of their bright futures, thinking the Boliviano is just too far gone?

No, He values all. His Son died for all. The fact I even ask the question is evidence of my own poverty. Believing somehow those who fit my description of success are more worthy of notice. Sometimes I agree with person who said " I'm so poor all I have is money."

The East Mountain population outside Albuquerque has an extraordinarily high number of those the census says are poor, and at the same time, a higher than usual number of the very affluent.

I'm wondering if we've noticed that. Followers of Christ have a mandate to notice, to care and to act. I've learned from Food for the Hungry that it is not enough to just notice and care.

They have also taught me that the way we react must be right........ or we do more harm than good.

But if I'm going to act at all,....... I first must notice.

There is Life Here

Yesterday the team planted flowers and trees. The new plants are a picture of the work God is doing here. Surrounded by the despair of spiritual and physical brokeness God is planting His life in so many.

I met a girl this week who met Christ through the FH work in her neighborhood. The life in her is very apparent.

Life is emerging in the sewing academy. Sylvia is leading them, taking up where the team left off in March. She is realizing His plan and purpose for her life.

Last night, at the Dance Academy we saw life in young women who are learning Gods plan and purpose for their lives. This was in sharp contrast to the gang members in the audience. The emptiness in their eyes was unmistakeable.

FH is using the Dance Academy to reach out to the gangs in HCB. So many of the young people are drawn to gangs because their parents abandon them in different ways and for different reasons. The gangs offer a false sense of protection from this abandonment.

The youth heard the gospel last night, please pray that God will redeem them from their slavery.

The needs in HCB can seem over whelming, too many broken families, too many abondonded children, so much emptiness.

Yet.....God keeps showing examples of His work. What ever you are doing for HCB whether sponsoring a child, praying for the community or preparing to join a future team you can be sure God is using your effort to bring Life to many. (capitalized on purpose :) )

Rijcharjy Warmi

"Wake Women". Women in HCB suffer in many ways. There are are even fewer resources for them than the other members of the community.
One of their most difficult issues is their marred identity. They are taught from a young age that they are inferior and can make little contribution to their family or community.

That is changing for 65 women in HCB. What began as an idea God put on Charlotte Smith's heart has become a reality in HCB. Ricjcharjy Warmi is a micro enterprise that produces beautiful artisan textile products. Ricjcharjy means "wake women". The women are waking up to their value in Gods eyes, that He has a plan for their lives and that they can make a difference.

This is providing much needed income as well. 80% of their net income is contributed to the Soccer and Dance Schools. What a Biblical principle, the needy with God's help becoming contributors.

HCB is changing, God is at work. We are priviledged to participate.

USA One, Bolivia One

The team has been kept very busy, so you haven´t gotten a recent update. The FH staff sends their best to everyone at MCC. They keep asking how previous team members are and how the church is doing.

So far we´ve made home visits to sponsored children, held math classes and played to a one one tie with the soccer team from the soccer school FH is sponsoring. Coaching by Erin our team soccer officiando kept us from losing.

The Soccer School has been on the real highlights of our visit. There are about 80 neighborhood students involved. They still play on the same dirt field we saw in March. The program itself is top line.

The students are taught many life skills as well as soccer skills. These are at risk students from a very poor area of HCB. Many of them are abandoned and this is their only real connection to anyone who loves them. Through the academy they learn that God loves them and has a plan for their lives.

FH has high goals for the academy and the students, trusting God for the results. If you´ve been to field here you know that is FH´s style. Big goals, big faith. That´s one of the benefits we receive when we visit. We are reminded that we serve an abundant God who can move mountains, esecially the mountains of depair brought on by a broken world.

Please be praying for the FH work here. We are seeing real progress. God is good!

La Paz Day Two-ish

The plan was to spend today in La Paz, eating, site seeing and....checking in for our quick flight to Sucre this afternoon. Problem is our flight never left for Sucre.

It wasn't the weather, wasn't mechanical problems. The flight was canceled because of darkness. Bet you haven't heard that one before. There are no runway lights in Sucre so if it's dark they don't fly. So, here we are in La Paz one more night. The team is sad to have to wait one more day to see our friends in HCB.

We know that God who works all things according His purpose and schedule has this in hand so we are confident He will use this delay in some fantastic way. More tomorrow.

Anticipation.......

Planes.....planes and more planes. The biggest challenge of going to Bolivia is the going. Until MCC scores that Gulfstream we are all waiting for the Team is at the mercy of American Airlines. Not really, it just seems that way.

It's actually God we are depending on to make sure we meet our many connections, get all the peanuts we can eat and only use our airsickness bags as hand puppets.

One of the lessons I've learned from Food for the Hungry and particularly the staff in Bolivia is to trust the sovereignty of a loving God.

We have lived with them through the challenges of funding cuts, the sadness of families suffering under the brokeness of a fallen world and the joys of seeing God restore lives.

Their prayer for us this week is to see our team, and our church transformed because of our visit. FH calls it "end to end transformation". That is, God working to transform HCB and MCC as we work together.

Thank you for your prayer for us this week. Come back for updates about Gods work this week.