Okay, so my two girls are sleeping safe and sound in their beds and I thought now may be an opportune time to write. Thanks for your prayers regarding our travels. Our flights occured without any major complications and we arrived actually a little early to Cocha. Praise God!
Upon taking our first nap in our bed after nine weeks on the road I turned to Katie and simply said "words cannot express", and Katie said "I know, you don't even have to finish the sentance". We loved seeing everyone and we loved sharing about the work and getting to witness other great works going on out there. However, how truly sweet it is to be back in Cochabamba. During our last driving trip from Brownwood back to Dallas I asked Katie where she would like to see us ending up when we come back to the United States. We talked a little about all the places that we had visited and we mentioned a few places that we felt would be "doable". Although, I must say that all I along our trip we had been saying how we felt God has truly placed in the right place at the right time for our family. Arriving in Bolivia, and especially once we finally got to Cocha, I immediately felt a sense of coming home and our conviction that God has placed us where He needs us and where we need to be was reinforced tenfold.
Of course, I say that Cochabamba is our home with the understanding that even tomorrow we could for some reason have to leave. If we learned nothing else from the events of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it was that nothing on this earth is guaranteed. Therefore, Katie and I try not to ever feel too at home anywhere, except for when we are in fellowship with our Heavenly Father and His children, for those times are the glimpes of our true homeland that we have awaiting as Christians.
Now that the Forbess family has joined the ranks of the globally mobile we have learned evermore to trust in the truth that our true citizenship is in Heaven. When we are in the United States there are many people and aspects of the culture that we love and there are aspects of the culture that we find hinder us daily in our goal to be Christ-like. The same is true of life in Bolivia, though those hindrences be different. What we have also grown to understand in greater depth and appreciation, is that we don't have define ourselves by the standards of geographic or political boundary. Yes, there is a part of me that is very American and that is part of my identity that will always be there, but as I try to live each day in the footsteps of Jesus, I am drawn to an earnest desire to define myself first and foremost as a disciple, a brother, a mentor, a student, a husband, a father, and a son of the Creator and Master of the Universe. I love the United States and I love Bolivia as well, but it is not because I think one is so wonderful. I love these places because they are inhabited by people who are all precious because they are creations of the Creator, but people who in their majority still live unaware of the peace and joy that is found through the grace and mercy Jesus offers. Wherever God asks Katie and I to be I am sure that His will is that we share with others His love through our words and more importantly through our actions. During this brief moment of our life God has placed our family in Cochabamba to be messengers and ambassadors of a living hope and we are thankful for the awesome privilege and blessing that is.
Our prayer request for this post is one of thanksgiving; thanks for the precious time we had with our family, our church families, and our friends; thanks for safe travel; and thanks for being able to come back. Taking a quote from our teammate Julie's latest blog entry, "God is good all the time". May God bless you on this day.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Two Days to Go....
Well, hello to you all. Currently we are in the Big D, actually Colleyville. Sunday and most of yesterday we spent in Brownwood to visit a little more and receive some last minute spoilage from Granny who cooked us a delicious breakfast before heading back to Dallas. On Saturday night Katie's sister and brother-in-law hosted a wonderful party in honor of Auntie Joyce, and we were able to see lots of friends and family who may not have otherwise seen. Friday night we visited our good friends and previous neighbors Javier and Lora Beth Escalante at Lora Beth's sister's home in Dallas. It was also a good time to get to know Lora Beth's sister and brother-in-law and their two beautiful children.
Before coming to Dallas, we spent a week or so in Hot Springs Village with Katie's parents. During that time we also got to make a little side trip over to Olive Branch, Mississippi to visit the Friendship C of C and Linda, Katie's mom, treated us to a special visit to Graceland. Before Hot Springs Village, we were a week in Rogers, AR with my sisters, Grandmother, great aunts, and cousins. We did many fun things in Rogers, among them we celebrated the Cousin's Birthday which Jubilee enjoyed immensly.
On Friday and Saturday Katie received a major answer to prayers. During the whole time we have been on furlough Katie has been asking people to pray that she may find a curriculum to use for the prison ministry. So, lo and behold, on the very days we were scheduled to be back in Dallas there was a conference to be held at the Prestoncrest C of C just minutes from Auntie Doris' house in North Dallas. Personally, I had been praying and hoping that Katie would not only find a curriculum, but that she would get to meet lots of people involved in the same kind of ministry. Both things happened during the conference. Katie found a great curriculum already translated into Spanish and she was able to do lots of great networking with other people throughout the brotherhood working in jails and prisons to bring the good news of Christ. So all that to say thanks for the prayers! God heard our prayers and answered in a mighty way, praise God!
Hopefully, once we get back home I will have more time to sit down and do a better write up of our travels. Thanks to all of you prayer warriors who have been praying for safe travel and good health. Please continue to pray that the last leg of our journey will be most importantly safe and secondly that it will be uncomplicated. May God bless you in abundance, richness and fullness of His love. We serve a great God, amen!
Before coming to Dallas, we spent a week or so in Hot Springs Village with Katie's parents. During that time we also got to make a little side trip over to Olive Branch, Mississippi to visit the Friendship C of C and Linda, Katie's mom, treated us to a special visit to Graceland. Before Hot Springs Village, we were a week in Rogers, AR with my sisters, Grandmother, great aunts, and cousins. We did many fun things in Rogers, among them we celebrated the Cousin's Birthday which Jubilee enjoyed immensly.
On Friday and Saturday Katie received a major answer to prayers. During the whole time we have been on furlough Katie has been asking people to pray that she may find a curriculum to use for the prison ministry. So, lo and behold, on the very days we were scheduled to be back in Dallas there was a conference to be held at the Prestoncrest C of C just minutes from Auntie Doris' house in North Dallas. Personally, I had been praying and hoping that Katie would not only find a curriculum, but that she would get to meet lots of people involved in the same kind of ministry. Both things happened during the conference. Katie found a great curriculum already translated into Spanish and she was able to do lots of great networking with other people throughout the brotherhood working in jails and prisons to bring the good news of Christ. So all that to say thanks for the prayers! God heard our prayers and answered in a mighty way, praise God!
Hopefully, once we get back home I will have more time to sit down and do a better write up of our travels. Thanks to all of you prayer warriors who have been praying for safe travel and good health. Please continue to pray that the last leg of our journey will be most importantly safe and secondly that it will be uncomplicated. May God bless you in abundance, richness and fullness of His love. We serve a great God, amen!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Greetings from the Heartland
Greetings from the Heartland
Hello to all of you out there. Today marks our fifth week back in the United States on furlough. Many of you may have been wondering, “what’s up with the Forbess family?”. Well, we are here in Chillicothe, Missouri with my parents and supporters of the Chillicothe and Hamilton churches of Christ. So far we have visited supporters, friends and family in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Missouri. Next week we will go on to Rogers, Arkansas for a week and then we will be in Hot Springs Village for a week.
Let me jump straight to Jubilee whom you want to hear about first anyway. She is loving her time here and two of her favorite things are parks and water fountains. Not that we don’t have parks in Bolivia, but we happen to be back at a great time of year when it is the perfect weather to spend time outdoors. In Brownwood, Jubilee got to reacquaint herself with Granny Bobbie and eat her delicious food and basically be spoiled rotten. She also got to ride around Lake Brownwood and had many opportunities to get her toes wet which she loves. In Dora, NM our friends Mickey and Alicia Burkett have several tractors and school buses so Jubilee thought it was great fun to hop up in those with the help of Mickey and pretend she was driving. In Colorado Springs, Jubilee got to see her friend Pamela, daughter of our close friends Roberto and Johanna Batres. Pamela and Jubilee were born within a week of each other so it was nice for them to have each other to play with. In Evergreen, Jubilee got to see many people we love dearly, among them Santa Steve. Jubilee is quick to tell you if you ask that Santa lives in Evergreen not the North Pole! In Denver, Jubilee got to see more friends and so did mommy and daddy. Visiting the University church of Christ in Denver was very special as this was the congregation where the elders had said a special prayer for her future although she doesn’t remember that. We spent one night in Kearney, NE and then on our way to Chillicothe. In Chillicothe, Jubilee has got to spend lots of time with Grammi and Pops as well as a short time with her three aunties and cousin Janet. We have still yet to take her to Chucky Cheese’s or bowling which she has repeatedly asked about though. Please pray for Jubilee as she is dealing with a stubborn cough and she has started to ask for her favorite people in the world, Michaela and Nathan.
Katie and I are also doing well. There have been so many wonderful things to happen during our furlough. Probably the best part of our time back in the states are the countless encouraging conversations that we have had with other saints who are out there on the front lines as well. It has been so nice to talk with other people and receive and give encouragement. Thanks so much to all who have lifted us and the work up in prayer. Please pray that the rest of our time in the United States goes well and that we are blessed with good health as traveling can begin to take its toll.
One more item before I close and that is Baby Chippy. No, that is not the official name; Chippy is the name Jubilee has chosen and until we chose a name this is what we are calling the baby. Everything with Katie’s pregnancy continues to go well. There are the regular things such as occasional morning yuckiness and tiredness. Aside from those things however, Katie has been feeling well. We did have one scare in Santa Fe when Katie took a little tumble. At first her ankles hurt very badly, but by the next morning they felt fine. We are so thankful to our dear friends Jean and Leroy who I know said a special word of prayer for her. Praise God that Katie did not suffer any serious injury as a result of her fall, and please continue to pray for Katie and Baby Chippy that they may enjoy good health.
To our friends whom we have already seen and visited with, thank you for your encouragement and love. To our friends and family whom we have yet to see, we can’t wait! And to our church family in Cochabamba, nos hace mucha pero mucha falta y les queremos mucho! May God bless you in richness and fullness of His abounding love.
La Familia Forbess
Hello to all of you out there. Today marks our fifth week back in the United States on furlough. Many of you may have been wondering, “what’s up with the Forbess family?”. Well, we are here in Chillicothe, Missouri with my parents and supporters of the Chillicothe and Hamilton churches of Christ. So far we have visited supporters, friends and family in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Missouri. Next week we will go on to Rogers, Arkansas for a week and then we will be in Hot Springs Village for a week.
Let me jump straight to Jubilee whom you want to hear about first anyway. She is loving her time here and two of her favorite things are parks and water fountains. Not that we don’t have parks in Bolivia, but we happen to be back at a great time of year when it is the perfect weather to spend time outdoors. In Brownwood, Jubilee got to reacquaint herself with Granny Bobbie and eat her delicious food and basically be spoiled rotten. She also got to ride around Lake Brownwood and had many opportunities to get her toes wet which she loves. In Dora, NM our friends Mickey and Alicia Burkett have several tractors and school buses so Jubilee thought it was great fun to hop up in those with the help of Mickey and pretend she was driving. In Colorado Springs, Jubilee got to see her friend Pamela, daughter of our close friends Roberto and Johanna Batres. Pamela and Jubilee were born within a week of each other so it was nice for them to have each other to play with. In Evergreen, Jubilee got to see many people we love dearly, among them Santa Steve. Jubilee is quick to tell you if you ask that Santa lives in Evergreen not the North Pole! In Denver, Jubilee got to see more friends and so did mommy and daddy. Visiting the University church of Christ in Denver was very special as this was the congregation where the elders had said a special prayer for her future although she doesn’t remember that. We spent one night in Kearney, NE and then on our way to Chillicothe. In Chillicothe, Jubilee has got to spend lots of time with Grammi and Pops as well as a short time with her three aunties and cousin Janet. We have still yet to take her to Chucky Cheese’s or bowling which she has repeatedly asked about though. Please pray for Jubilee as she is dealing with a stubborn cough and she has started to ask for her favorite people in the world, Michaela and Nathan.
Katie and I are also doing well. There have been so many wonderful things to happen during our furlough. Probably the best part of our time back in the states are the countless encouraging conversations that we have had with other saints who are out there on the front lines as well. It has been so nice to talk with other people and receive and give encouragement. Thanks so much to all who have lifted us and the work up in prayer. Please pray that the rest of our time in the United States goes well and that we are blessed with good health as traveling can begin to take its toll.
One more item before I close and that is Baby Chippy. No, that is not the official name; Chippy is the name Jubilee has chosen and until we chose a name this is what we are calling the baby. Everything with Katie’s pregnancy continues to go well. There are the regular things such as occasional morning yuckiness and tiredness. Aside from those things however, Katie has been feeling well. We did have one scare in Santa Fe when Katie took a little tumble. At first her ankles hurt very badly, but by the next morning they felt fine. We are so thankful to our dear friends Jean and Leroy who I know said a special word of prayer for her. Praise God that Katie did not suffer any serious injury as a result of her fall, and please continue to pray for Katie and Baby Chippy that they may enjoy good health.
To our friends whom we have already seen and visited with, thank you for your encouragement and love. To our friends and family whom we have yet to see, we can’t wait! And to our church family in Cochabamba, nos hace mucha pero mucha falta y les queremos mucho! May God bless you in richness and fullness of His abounding love.
La Familia Forbess
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
More Updates
As I said, I would like to post a bit more of information today as I have time. But please scroll down to get the rest of the information on recent baptisms, etc... that I posted earlier today.
HARDING INTERNS
There is so much to say about these wonderful young people and so little space. We were truly blessed this summer with the arrival of Taylor Box, Stephanie Sanderson, and Jason and Rachel Eades. During their time in Bolivia they attended language school for Spanish and Aymara, lived with Bolivian families, lived with us the missionary families, visited congregations in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cuzco, helped with all kinds of ministries and activities and brought a youthful warmth and joy into our team life and church body. They are still at a stage in life when it is easy not to take yourself or others too seriously and that was a wonderful kind of environment to be around. In addition, we saw each of the four interns grow immensly in their knowledge of Latin America and missions and more importantly we saw each grow a great deal personally and spiritually.
At the end of their stay I received an additional blessing when I was able to accompany them on the last leg of their journey which took them to Cuzco and Machu Pichu both located in Peru. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know each intern even more, share with them more a little about my experiences, and learn from them as well. Probably the most uplifting time during our Peru trip was the time the interns spent with the Christians in La Paz as well as when we all were able to spend time with the Christians in Cuzco. On Saturday night in Cuzco one of the brothers invited us to his house where we were all then accompanied to their neighbors house where the wife is a new Christian who was baptized at the Ladies Conference in Santa Cruz and her husband is not a Christian. Although we had nothing planned, I mentioned to the family that our four interns loved to sing and were quite good at it so we all spent a good two hours singing together and encouraging each other. By the end of the night the interns had experienced one of my favorite aspects of mission work which is spontaneous and genuine fellowship.
Please pray for Stephanie, Rachel, Jason, and Taylor as they all consider how they are being called to work for the Kingdom. They are great servants and will be ablessing to whatever work and church family they find themselves in.
THE TEAM CHANGES
Earlier this month it was announced that the Drew and Jamie Custer will be leaving Cochabamba to return to the states. We are deeply saddened by this news and earnestly ask for your prayers regarding our team, the church family here in Cochabamba and for the Custers' reentry into the states. Please refer to Drew Custer's blog for further information regarding this decision.
FURLOUGH
Many of you are already aware that Katie and I will be leaving on furlough on August 18th to be gone until October 18th. Katie has worked very hard and diligently on our schedule although we are still trying to figure out how to visit a few of you. If any one of you would like to receive a schedule of dates and places for our furlough and did not receive the schedule please let us know and we can send it to you as soon as possible. Basically our journey goes something like this: Dallas --> Brownwood, TX --> Dora, NM --> Santa Fe, NM --> Colorado Springs, CO --> Evergreen, CO --> Denver, CO --> Kearney, NE --> Chillicothe / Hamilton, MO --> Rogers, AR --> Hot Springs Village, AR --> Dallas, TX --> Brownwood, TX --> Dallas. And somewhere in there we are trying to fit in Olive Branch, MS! It sounds a little overwhelming but we must say the Lord has already blessed us with a vehicle to use during our time and we are looking forward to seeing everyone. If we are going to be in your area and you would really like to visit with us please write us by email so we can figure out a time and place. In most places we have a place to stay, but in Denver we do need a place and in Kearney we'll probably just stay in a motel since it is about half way between Denver and Chillicothe. Please pray that we have safe travel, that we have fruitful fellowship, and that we don't get too stressed driving across the country's midsection!
I have asked Katie to help me post pictures from the Ladies Conference as well as from my trip to Peru and from the three recent baptisms, please continue to check the blog as those pictures should be up very shortly.
HARDING INTERNS
There is so much to say about these wonderful young people and so little space. We were truly blessed this summer with the arrival of Taylor Box, Stephanie Sanderson, and Jason and Rachel Eades. During their time in Bolivia they attended language school for Spanish and Aymara, lived with Bolivian families, lived with us the missionary families, visited congregations in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cuzco, helped with all kinds of ministries and activities and brought a youthful warmth and joy into our team life and church body. They are still at a stage in life when it is easy not to take yourself or others too seriously and that was a wonderful kind of environment to be around. In addition, we saw each of the four interns grow immensly in their knowledge of Latin America and missions and more importantly we saw each grow a great deal personally and spiritually.
At the end of their stay I received an additional blessing when I was able to accompany them on the last leg of their journey which took them to Cuzco and Machu Pichu both located in Peru. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know each intern even more, share with them more a little about my experiences, and learn from them as well. Probably the most uplifting time during our Peru trip was the time the interns spent with the Christians in La Paz as well as when we all were able to spend time with the Christians in Cuzco. On Saturday night in Cuzco one of the brothers invited us to his house where we were all then accompanied to their neighbors house where the wife is a new Christian who was baptized at the Ladies Conference in Santa Cruz and her husband is not a Christian. Although we had nothing planned, I mentioned to the family that our four interns loved to sing and were quite good at it so we all spent a good two hours singing together and encouraging each other. By the end of the night the interns had experienced one of my favorite aspects of mission work which is spontaneous and genuine fellowship.
Please pray for Stephanie, Rachel, Jason, and Taylor as they all consider how they are being called to work for the Kingdom. They are great servants and will be ablessing to whatever work and church family they find themselves in.
THE TEAM CHANGES
Earlier this month it was announced that the Drew and Jamie Custer will be leaving Cochabamba to return to the states. We are deeply saddened by this news and earnestly ask for your prayers regarding our team, the church family here in Cochabamba and for the Custers' reentry into the states. Please refer to Drew Custer's blog for further information regarding this decision.
FURLOUGH
Many of you are already aware that Katie and I will be leaving on furlough on August 18th to be gone until October 18th. Katie has worked very hard and diligently on our schedule although we are still trying to figure out how to visit a few of you. If any one of you would like to receive a schedule of dates and places for our furlough and did not receive the schedule please let us know and we can send it to you as soon as possible. Basically our journey goes something like this: Dallas --> Brownwood, TX --> Dora, NM --> Santa Fe, NM --> Colorado Springs, CO --> Evergreen, CO --> Denver, CO --> Kearney, NE --> Chillicothe / Hamilton, MO --> Rogers, AR --> Hot Springs Village, AR --> Dallas, TX --> Brownwood, TX --> Dallas. And somewhere in there we are trying to fit in Olive Branch, MS! It sounds a little overwhelming but we must say the Lord has already blessed us with a vehicle to use during our time and we are looking forward to seeing everyone. If we are going to be in your area and you would really like to visit with us please write us by email so we can figure out a time and place. In most places we have a place to stay, but in Denver we do need a place and in Kearney we'll probably just stay in a motel since it is about half way between Denver and Chillicothe. Please pray that we have safe travel, that we have fruitful fellowship, and that we don't get too stressed driving across the country's midsection!
I have asked Katie to help me post pictures from the Ladies Conference as well as from my trip to Peru and from the three recent baptisms, please continue to check the blog as those pictures should be up very shortly.
Summer Updates
Hola from Cochabamba. Our Heavenly Father is good and has continued to bless our family with good health and spiritual blessings. We thank Him and give Him praise. We also thank you our supporters, our friends, our family and our brothers and sisters in Christ for your continued committment and prayers. Gracias!!
BABES IN CHRIST ARE BORN!
Since Talia became a sister in Christ in May. We have seen three new spiritual births, praise God! Gabriella the daughter of our landlady, Miguel who is Gabriella's fiancee and Sonia a woman who first came to one of our services by "accident". As Gabriella and Miguel are forming a family we are overjoyed that God will now be a part of that process. It is our prayer and fervent hope that through the transformation manifested in their life they may also bring many people from within their family and friends to Christ as well. As a church family we are also overjoyed to welcome Sonia into the family of God. She has had a very rough year facing many tough challenges. We pray that her new relationship with God will provide her a new joy and peace that gives her something to hang on to during difficult moments. Please pray for these three new family members, their names again are Gabriella, Miguel and Sonia. Please also continue to pray for Talia who was baptized in May as she also continues to grow and mature.
OTHER NEW FAMILY MEMBER ARRIVES IN AUGUST!
Okay, for those who may not have heard yet, we are expecting a new family member of our own in January! We don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl yet and we are not finding out because we like surprises. Jubilee tends to think it is a boy and has also chosen the name Chippy Chippy for him. We may have to overturn her name choice though :) So far the baby and Katie are doing very well. Please pray that Katie and baby Chippy Chippy continue to enjoy good health.
FELLOWSHIP AMONG BOLIVIAN AND PERUVIAN BRETHREN
During this time period we have also had ample time to strengthen bonds with the Christians in Bolivia and Peru. Jubilee and I along with Josh, Michaela and Eleana accompanied Katie and Julie to this year's Ladies Conference held this year in Santa Cruz. Attendees came from La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and from Cuzco, Peru. One of the most encouraging happenings was that one of our new sisters in Christ from Cochabamba who has reservations about the people from Santa Cruz was able to observe that as Christians those regional differences and stereotypes seem much less important. For those who don't know, between the highlands, valleys and tropical regions of Bolivia there exists great cultural and political differences. It was truly then a blessing for Christians of all regions to gather together in the name of Jesus to uplift each other in their spiritual walk and praise God as one body.
We also have enjoyed getting to know the members of the Sucre team on a more personal level. Angela has come and stayed with us two or three times now, as shopping in Cocha offers much more variety and affordability than in Sucre. She also put her artistic skills to good use this last weekend when she so graciously agreed to paint Jubilee's room with a Winnie the Pooh motiff. We have also had time to spend with Jenny and Eric and their son Sion during the Campaign in July as well as Ivan and Juan Carlos the two single men graduated from the school of preaching in Quito, Ecuador who now also work in Sucre. This weekend Katie and Jubilee also got to spend time with the Torres Family of the Sucre team, I was out of town however.
In addition to spending time with the brethren from La Paz, Sucre and Santa Cruz I was also very blessed to spend some time with the church family in Cuzco, Peru which I will write about in a later section. Please pray for not only the work in Cochabamba but also for the congregations that meet in La Paz, Sucre, Santa Cruz and in Cuzco, Peru.
GRAMMI AND POPS
We also had a very special visit in July, when Grammi and Pops Forbess came to Bolivia for ten days, (my parents). We picked them up in Santa Cruz where we stayed for four days during the Ladies Conference. Not only did my parents enjoy spending time with us but they also got to meet many people from the five congregations in Santa Cruz. In Cochabamba they were also able to spend time with the team, the church family and many other friends of ours. Of course their main motivation was to see that granddaughter of theirs and spoil her rotten. Fortunately, however, they were also able to get a real feel for the work here and bring that news back to our supporters in Chillicothe and Hamilton, Missouri. We would like to say a very special thank-you to our supporters in Missouri who think enough of the work here to have helped my parents make the trip so that they could learn about the work in a much more direct way.
Also of course thank you to you Mom and Dad, (Grammi and Pops). You faced uncharted territory to encourage us and we are so grateful that you did.
ROLAND BOWEN VISITS COCHABAMBA
In July the team also welcomed brother Bowen from the Austin Avenue congregation. He came for a quick week long visit and was able to spend about two nights in the home of each couple with the intentions of encouraging us in the work and as families. We are thankful to him and to Carol for doing without him for a week :) as well as to Austin Avenue for making the trip possible.
MORE TO COME....
As soon as I have a moment I would love to sit down and write much more about the past two months. Please continue checking the blog frequently as I will be posting pictures of the baptisms and other important events that have taken place. We love you guys and thank again for everything.
La Familia Forbess
BABES IN CHRIST ARE BORN!
Since Talia became a sister in Christ in May. We have seen three new spiritual births, praise God! Gabriella the daughter of our landlady, Miguel who is Gabriella's fiancee and Sonia a woman who first came to one of our services by "accident". As Gabriella and Miguel are forming a family we are overjoyed that God will now be a part of that process. It is our prayer and fervent hope that through the transformation manifested in their life they may also bring many people from within their family and friends to Christ as well. As a church family we are also overjoyed to welcome Sonia into the family of God. She has had a very rough year facing many tough challenges. We pray that her new relationship with God will provide her a new joy and peace that gives her something to hang on to during difficult moments. Please pray for these three new family members, their names again are Gabriella, Miguel and Sonia. Please also continue to pray for Talia who was baptized in May as she also continues to grow and mature.
OTHER NEW FAMILY MEMBER ARRIVES IN AUGUST!
Okay, for those who may not have heard yet, we are expecting a new family member of our own in January! We don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl yet and we are not finding out because we like surprises. Jubilee tends to think it is a boy and has also chosen the name Chippy Chippy for him. We may have to overturn her name choice though :) So far the baby and Katie are doing very well. Please pray that Katie and baby Chippy Chippy continue to enjoy good health.
FELLOWSHIP AMONG BOLIVIAN AND PERUVIAN BRETHREN
During this time period we have also had ample time to strengthen bonds with the Christians in Bolivia and Peru. Jubilee and I along with Josh, Michaela and Eleana accompanied Katie and Julie to this year's Ladies Conference held this year in Santa Cruz. Attendees came from La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and from Cuzco, Peru. One of the most encouraging happenings was that one of our new sisters in Christ from Cochabamba who has reservations about the people from Santa Cruz was able to observe that as Christians those regional differences and stereotypes seem much less important. For those who don't know, between the highlands, valleys and tropical regions of Bolivia there exists great cultural and political differences. It was truly then a blessing for Christians of all regions to gather together in the name of Jesus to uplift each other in their spiritual walk and praise God as one body.
We also have enjoyed getting to know the members of the Sucre team on a more personal level. Angela has come and stayed with us two or three times now, as shopping in Cocha offers much more variety and affordability than in Sucre. She also put her artistic skills to good use this last weekend when she so graciously agreed to paint Jubilee's room with a Winnie the Pooh motiff. We have also had time to spend with Jenny and Eric and their son Sion during the Campaign in July as well as Ivan and Juan Carlos the two single men graduated from the school of preaching in Quito, Ecuador who now also work in Sucre. This weekend Katie and Jubilee also got to spend time with the Torres Family of the Sucre team, I was out of town however.
In addition to spending time with the brethren from La Paz, Sucre and Santa Cruz I was also very blessed to spend some time with the church family in Cuzco, Peru which I will write about in a later section. Please pray for not only the work in Cochabamba but also for the congregations that meet in La Paz, Sucre, Santa Cruz and in Cuzco, Peru.
GRAMMI AND POPS
We also had a very special visit in July, when Grammi and Pops Forbess came to Bolivia for ten days, (my parents). We picked them up in Santa Cruz where we stayed for four days during the Ladies Conference. Not only did my parents enjoy spending time with us but they also got to meet many people from the five congregations in Santa Cruz. In Cochabamba they were also able to spend time with the team, the church family and many other friends of ours. Of course their main motivation was to see that granddaughter of theirs and spoil her rotten. Fortunately, however, they were also able to get a real feel for the work here and bring that news back to our supporters in Chillicothe and Hamilton, Missouri. We would like to say a very special thank-you to our supporters in Missouri who think enough of the work here to have helped my parents make the trip so that they could learn about the work in a much more direct way.
Also of course thank you to you Mom and Dad, (Grammi and Pops). You faced uncharted territory to encourage us and we are so grateful that you did.
ROLAND BOWEN VISITS COCHABAMBA
In July the team also welcomed brother Bowen from the Austin Avenue congregation. He came for a quick week long visit and was able to spend about two nights in the home of each couple with the intentions of encouraging us in the work and as families. We are thankful to him and to Carol for doing without him for a week :) as well as to Austin Avenue for making the trip possible.
MORE TO COME....
As soon as I have a moment I would love to sit down and write much more about the past two months. Please continue checking the blog frequently as I will be posting pictures of the baptisms and other important events that have taken place. We love you guys and thank again for everything.
La Familia Forbess
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