Koocking, Kids and Kamp

This past weekend Niki and I had the privilege of cooking for the Santa Cruz Christian learning Center high school youth retreat. Although there was not an overly large number of people to cook for (around 80) it was a challenge for us to know how to plan and prepare for that large of a group. The menu was simple enough, spaghetti, hamburgers, chicken, taco salad, cinnamon rolls and breakfast burritos, and we did as much ahead as possible to make preparations there as easy as we could. But it still involved a lot of work.

Thankfully we had good help (another missionary couple plus a couple of Bolivian ladies)

and the kids were quite willing to eat what we put out.

My big day was on Saturday when I had to grill hamburgers for lunch and chicken for supper (There was no available working oven except a clay wood burning oven designed to cook bread). I had trouble getting the firs going becasue of the altitude but one of the other cooks knew just what to do so she rescued me and dinner was done on time.

Although from our perspective food was the foremost item the goal of the retreat was to challenge the kids to go deeper in their spiritual lives. The speaker was Aaron Breakfield, ECM missionary from Brazil. He did a good job of speaking directly to the kids and challenging them to live faithfully for the Lord.

We arrived back home late Sunday afternoon. Then early Monday morning it was off to visit the Santa Cruz district youth camp where I was scheduled to speak on that morning. We left the house in plenty of time but did not realize that we were going to hit a roadblock on the main drag out of town. (I think it was a group of frustrated neighbors trying to get the city's attention.) That caused us to arrive late at the camp as we had to follow slowly in line with a million other people (more or less) who were trying to get around the roadblock as well.

The camp had as its theme being a good soldier for Christ. Almost everyone was dressed in some kind of camouflage wear. Activities during the weekend had included running to the river, calisthenics, obstacle course, propelling down a cliff and other fun military type activities and, of course, lots of good food as only the church women can fix. I would never have gone to a retreat like that as a kid but everyone there was having a great time.

Reviewing the troops. you can tell I'm a general by the bulge in the belly.

When it came time for the session where I was to speak the commandant of the camp told everyone, in no uncertain terms, that they were to listen carefully. Yes sir, they all replied at the top of their lungs. What a great idea, I thought. Maybe we need this guy to give a pep talk before every lesson I teach. Now because we had arrived late my time was cut into about half so I had to make some quick revisions and changes to my presentation. I was asked to share on holiness and my text was Exodus 19. I thought that my presentation suffered some from the last minute changes but at the same time I felt that God was helping me in what I shared.

I am thankful that I had the chance to be involved in both of these youth retreats and turst that I was able to have a small part if what God is doing to raise up godly young men and women to serve him here in Bolivia.

Tutoring Center

A tutor who tooted the flute
Tried to teach two young tooters to toot.
Said the two to the tutor,
"Is it tougher to toot
Or to tutor to two tooters to toot?"


We won't be teaching any young tooters to toot but we are making preparations to open the Santa Cruz Tutoring Center in February. One of the great needs in the neighborhoods where we have churches is someone who can help school kids with their homework and give them a safe place that they can go. In many homes the children are left alone to fend for themselves when not in school because their parents (or in too many cases just their parent, usually the mother) are working. There is little or no time to help with school work and, in some cases, parents perhaps are unable to do so because of their own lack of education. And so we are working to offer help to school children in the neighborhood starting in February when the Bolivian school year begins again.

The project is under the direction of Bryan and Molly Canny and is a working out of a dream that Molly has had for some time.

The first concrete step toward making the dream a reality came this last summer when the Fort Valley GracePointe church sent a work team here to pour concrete. (Yes, the bad pun was intended!) An earlier post shared about their work here and what a blessing they were. With them, and with the finances they provided, the basic physical structure is being put into place. We now have a tinglado (covered space),

bathrooms (almost completed)

and a room for a security person to live in.

While they are sparse by US standards, they will provide a good beginning for the tutoring center. As finances are available we will continue to build and eventually have classrooms as well.

The vision for the center is to offer homework help each afternoon Monday - Friday along with a snack and a Bible lesson. Also two mornings a week English classes will be offered to high school students.

The planning for this program has been a combination of input from missionaries and Bolivian brothers and sisters.

Oscar, a school teacher, is giving of his time and knowledge.

Elías has been invaluable in getting the physical site ready.

Snack time at a recent organizing committee meeting.

 
We are now in the stage of announcing and planning a general meeting for all those who might be interested in volunteering time for the center. Without a lot of volunteer help the center will not be able to function. we are trusting that God will call and the right people will respond to this invitation to show love to the children of this particular neighborhood and to their families.

She's a little young, still, but cute as can be!

 You can be of help too. While I generally resist the idea of turning Ch'airo into an opportunity for fund raising I am going to give in this time. If you would like to help sponsor one day's snacks for the children, a gift of $10 would cover much of that expense. Also the hope is that one time a month the families of the children can be invited to a meal. A gift of $50 would go a long way in providing food and an opportunity to meet the parents of the children. There are other needs as well. Between now and February chairs and tables will need to be purchased, partitions made and other supplies purchased. Any gifts can be sent to:

Evangelical Church Missions
9421 West River Road
Minneapolis, MN 55444

Checks should be made out to Evangelical Church Missions and it should be indicated that the gift is for Bolivia Tutoring Center.

Above all, do pray for this new ministry. In a sense it is like walking in the dark because we have never done anything like this before but we are trusting that God will give us, and especially Bryan and Molly, wisdom that only he can give.