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
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
April / May Highlights
Hello from Cochabamba! As I write Katie is in London and little Juju is in the states with her grandparents and cousin Sophie. Katie’s sister works for American Airlines and so Katie was able to travel on a pass with her sister to England. I am sure they are having a jolly good time. Jubilee of course is going to come home more spoiled than ever, but everyone needs to be a little spoiled sometimes. So that leaves me here, but I have Gary and Laura about five minutes in one direction and Vicente who is a brother of the church about five minutes in the other direction. I also have Fiona our dog, but we kind of have a love-hate relationship going on right now as she is still a puppy and is really good at driving me crazy.
New Sister in Christ
Last week we had our second baptism of the year. Our first baptism you may remember was Camila whose mother is a Christian and who had been exposed to the gospel for quite a while. We of course rejoiced with Camila when she was baptized and continue to be encouraged by seeing her growth as a young Christian.
Talia did not have the same exposure to the gospel so it was quite a different feeling to see someone who came to us as a complete stranger become a sister in Christ. From the first time Talia came to us as a student of our conversational English classes, we could tell that she was a special and unique person. She has a great way of communicating her opinion in a funny, honest and direct way. She has already expressed interest in helping Katie at the prison since Billie is no longer here to help. Katie will be thrilled! We are hoping and praying that Talia’s decision will motivate some of the other people who we have been studying with to also make the choice to become a Christian. Please pray for Camila and Talia our young sisters in Christ that they may become more like Christ each day. Also please pray for the other contacts we have that they may also make the choice to follow Christ. Among those contacts are Sonia, Omar, Gabriella and Augustina, and Carla. It never hurts to be specific so please mention these people by name as you pray.
New Arrivals
Just last week the team formed mostly at the Quito School of Preaching arrived in Sucre. The team is composed of two couples, two single men, and one single woman. One of the couples of course is Josh’s sister and brother-in-law Eric. We also got to meet the rest of the team when they came to Cochabamba two Sundays ago. We even had the pleasure of hearing Eric and fellow-teammate Pancho speak during the bible class about their previous experiences and their plans for Sucre. Please pray for the body of Christ now in Sucre. Sucre is at the heart of big changes in Bolivian government and will surely be an interesting place to work. We pray that God may use the dramatic changes taking place to remind the people of Sucre to seek first the Kingdom.
Next month we will also be receiving a group of interns from Harding University. We are already hard at work at thinking of ways they can serve while they are here for six weeks. One thing that I am very excited about is the help I will receive for our English conversation courses using the Bible. I will have 4 or 5 additional teachers meaning that we can take more students than last time. Please pray for our conversation classes that God may send us people who not only want to learn English but who are seeking Him. Also let us pray for our interns. These young men and women are spending six weeks of their lives to contribute to the work in a great way.
On top of the Sucre team and the Harding interns, we are also happy to welcome a group of Aggies for Christ who of course hail from Texas A&M. It will be hard for us to figure out how to use all these brilliant young minds, but I am sure we will figure it out. Their arrival conveniently coincides with a gospel meeting that we are planning in July. One job they will have is to help us get the word out. We may also have a few other projects lined up for them. Please pray for this group of Aggies, that God may be able to use them to His glory and that searching hearts may be brought to hear the Word because of their efforts.
On a more personal note, Katie, Juju and I are very excited about the upcoming arrival of my parents. They are planning to come this summer to visit and I can’t wait! I have already thought of a million things I want to show them and tell them when they get here. Please pray that they get their passports and visas on time as there has been quite a wait for these two things.
Somewhere there are a lot of people petitioning God to send workers to Bolivia so keep it up. Jesus words apply so very well to Bolivia when he says the fields are ready but the workers are few. You never know, God may just convince you to come!
Community Outreach
Even when we first came to Bolivia a year and a half ago, I could sense right away that God was calling me to figure out someway that we as a church family could reach out to the people of Cochabamba. I along with the team have had trouble identifying where to begin because the needs are so numerous and so great. We strive to do something that has a true impact on people’s lives while also striving to maintain our focus of sharing the gospel as opposed to becoming simply a humanitarian operation. I mention community outreach specifically because I had hoped to begin some kind of outreach by June even if it is just a temporary trial run. So as June fast approaches I am figuratively biting my nails hoping that I make a good choice as to how to go about serving our community. The good news is that I have Katie and Trish helping me as well as many community contacts, not to mention that I am certain God will lead us in the right direction. Please pray that God continues to bless us with wisdom concerning our decisions for community outreach.
National Network
The networking ministry which is in charge of communicating with the other Bolivian churches had trouble translating networking. So we are calling it the national fellowship ministry which I kind of like better anyway. I am getting to work with Josh and Katie to create opportunities for national fellowship which is so vital to Christians in nations where congregations are so isolated from each other. One very exciting item to report regarding the national fellowship ministry is that Josh has put a lot of work into creating a national newspaper for all churches of Christ in Bolivia. The idea is to keep church members informed of different activities going on throughout Bolivia. To start the newspaper will be put out four times a year. The first edition has already been printed and sent out. Josh did a great job getting the paper together as well as his “editors” and “writers” which included Butch and Katie. Please pray that the national newspaper will be a great tool to bring Bolivian brethren closer together.
Friday, March 16, 2007
March Highlights
March Highlights
Saludos (greetings) from Cochabamba
La Familia Forbess sends their warmest greetings and love to all those reading our post this month. March has been a spiritually uplifting time for Katie and I and we both thank God for that. We hope that all of you also have been experiencing a month of growing closer to our Heavenly Father. Below are the most recent goings on here.
Santa in February
Two weeks ago our brothers in Christ, DeWayne Neel and Steve Ham from Evergreen, Colorado came to visit and encourage us in the work. They are both members from one of our supporting congregations in Evergreen, Colorado. If you are ever in the area, please visit the Evergreen Community Church of Christ. You will most surely leave feeling the warmth of that great church body. DeWayne and Steve were able to spend one week with Katie and I accompanying us for Bible studies and other activities. They also spent time encouraging Katie and I with helpful feedback about what we are doing here in Cochabamba. They also set aside time to pray with us about specific spiritual needs which was wonderful.
Another fun event DeWayne and Steve participated in was a pancake breakfast. When Katie and I first began getting to know the Evergreen congregation we attended a Santa breakfast offering breakfast and pictures with Steve dressed as Santa Claus to all children in the community. We repeated the tradition in 2006 when we were in Evergreen during December right before we left in January for Cochabamba. It was wonderful for us to get Jubilee's picture with Santa Steve again this year even though it was in February. Thanks again DeWayne and Steve for visiting. And thanks to everyone in Evergreen for your continued love and prayers! Please take a moment to thank God for the Evergreen congregation as well as the congregations in Chillicothe, MO; Hamilton, MO; Dora, NM; Denver, CO; Highlands Ranch, CO; Brownwood, TX; Rogers, AR; Houston, TX; and Olive Branch, MS that have shown Katie and I their love through support of this work. Their are also many individuals and families from these same locals in addition to our family members who have been very generous.
Katie & Girls Off to Brazil
The day DeWayne and Steve left, Katie along with Laura, Julie and Patricia headed to Sao Paulo, Brazil. There they attended a retreat for women missionaries graciously hosted and sponsered by Continent of Great Cities. Because of flight changes, the girls arrived three days early which actually worked in their favor. They were able to relax on Brazil's beautiful beaches and by the time the conference started they were ready to dig in their heels and focus. They were all split into different groups with other ladies working in Brazil, Chile and Paraguay. Katie came back with a peace and focus that has already made a difference in both of our ministries. Thank God for this special time and also we would like to thank the ladies from Continent of Great Cities who served in such a Christ-like way. Please pray that the peace our ladies came back with will remain.
Resurrection Sunday
On April 8th we are planning a special celebration focused on the resurrection of Christ. Because many people come to us from faith traditions which emphasize the death of Christ on Good Friday, we felt it good to balance that observance of death with the observance of life. Sometimes life can seem very hopeless for Bolivians because of violence, corruption, and poverty. This celebration provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate in a powerful and life changing way the hope that we have in Jesus. In a climate where it is difficult to plan a week in advance let alone a year, etc... it is remarkably refreshing even for mature Christians to be reminded of the one thing we can always count on which is God's love for humanity manifested through the life, death and resurrection of the Messiah. Please pray that our celebration of our Lord's resurrection may be bring both Christians and non-Christians closer to God in a powerful life-changing way.
Instituto de Estudios Biblicos Avanzados
(Institute of Avanced Biblical Studies) The Institute is scheduled to open its doors this coming Monday evening. The Institute has been in the back of our minds ever since we began brainstorming evangelistic tools in Brownwood. It is based closely on the model used by Butch and his colleagues in Santiago and Vina del Mar, Chile. It is a 13 week course that gives students who complete the program a very good foundation to understanding the Bible and God's plan for mankind. Each Monday evening the students will meet for 2 to 2.5 hours giving students and instructor plenty of time to delve deep into the scriptures. Although it is an advanced course meaning that expectations of students is high, the course is open to all regardless of religious background or training. I am scheduled to give two of the classes because I am hoping to mostly observe Butch in action during the first offering of the course. It is our dream as a team to one day take in more students and perhaps offer the course more than once a week. For right now we so far have 25 people signed up who mainly have responded to an ad in the paper. Please pray that this course may provide an opportunity for many true seekers of God to come to know Him. Also pray that God may use Butch, Josh and I as His instruments in teaching this course.
Grupos C.A.F.E.
(Coffee Groups) The Coffee Groups as we would translate it in English are our small groups. I have previously written about them, but because it is such an important part of our evangelism program I feel it is important to update frequently. They are going well although we would probably like to see more people involved in them. Currently the small group that Katie and I attend with the Sandovals and Custers in the Sandovals home is going well. We have a core group of four ladies who have demonstrated that they are truly wanting to learn more about God's Word and how it applies directly to their lives. Sonia, Talia, Gabriella and Rosario are the ladies who are attending. Gabriella also brings her son Gabriel. Rosario we met through our neighbors across the hall when we still lived in the apartment. Gabriella is the daughter of the couple that owns the apartment building. Sonia came to us by "accident" one Sunday and has been with us ever since, and Talia was Jamie's English students from the conversation classes.
Please pray that Sonia, Talia, Gabriella, and Rosario may continue to learn about God's will for their lives so they may experience the freedom of living in Christ. The Marcums and Bulls also host a small group in the Bulls home on Tuesday evenings. Please also pray for the people attending the small group hosted by the Bulls and Marcums.
La Familia Forbess
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