International Teams Australia, Bolivia Summer Team

Team has left

2006-02-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Sarah,
We just put most of the team on the plane; Melissa stays with us for
another two days and Kath for another month. The goodbyes are the
toughest part of the trip and never get any easier. Everyone is healthy
and greatful to God for the experience.
God bless!
Mike (Team Leader in Bolivia)

Australia Day

2006-02-02T16:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in this post...I had a few unexpected days out of the office. Sarah

Although as I write its January 26 here Australia day back home is long over.
We had a wonderful celebration buy hosting a party for the missionary
families here with whom we are working. Our team all took on
responsibilities in presenting and Australia Day Party last night at our
Hacienda.
Annie and Priscilla did the decorations and it was gum leaves as the table
centrepieces as they are prolific here. Mel and Alissa coordinated the
cooking and it was legendary - just like an Aussie Day BBQ back home with
sausages and steak and potato salad and garden slad followed by
lamingtoms, Anzacs, pavlova and fruit.
Our missionaries loved it all. Aussie games and even Bush dancing with
Annie on the fiddle, Em on guitar and Alissa calling and banging that
tambourine!
Glenda Hurlstonme who is a long-term Aussie missionary here declared it
her best Australia Day yet! We started at 6.30pm Wednesday here which was
9.30am on the real Australia Day back home so we knew it was OK to
celebrate then.
This morning some of us went our to buy used clothes to give to older Kids
at babywashing today. It was heartbreaking last week to not be able to
give fresh clothes to many of the older kids. this baby washing at the
dump we are all looking forward to as we experinece the heart of God here
in a big way.
Its been a lighther week with us assisting at a VBS - Kids holiday club
progranm every day at the orpahnage down the hill. With 100 kids each day
and all the leaders speaking only Spanish it has been challenging some
days. OUr team fees have covered all the expenses of the VBS and Mike
Timmer today said it must be the best funded VBS in all of Bolivia - all
of the kids have their own workbooks - previously unheard of.
We are all beginning to think of returning home and how will you all find
us with all the changes we feel within. We have all learned and
experineced so much. Please take time to listen to us well and seek to
understand what we have learned.
thanks for your prayers keeping us going. God is at work in us all here
in Bolivia..
Janice

Saturday, 22nd Jan

2006-01-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hello beautiful people! thank you for your prayers and kind notes of encouragment to us. Today was a day of rest for the team. Some of the team went to the muyurina orphanage for children's church and the rest to a spanih-speaking church in the city. We were able to check emails and then relax back at the hacienda to prepare us for the second half of our time here. The day was topped off with a surprise private concert from a traditional Bolivia band named Wiñay Marka at the Timmer's house. These guys are fantastic musicians and singers and normally do performances to much larger crowds. As you can guess, we felt pretty special. All members of the band are christians and self-taught musicians. You may be fortunate enough to hear a sample of their music as a lot of us will be bringing home a CD of theirs.
Some prayer points at this time: For us to maintain physical and mental and spiritual strength over the course of the next week and a bit. We will be helping out in the afternoons this week at the VBS at Muyurina Orphanage. On Tuesday and Wednesday hal of the group will be helping out at the centre for Amistad with Julie Bowler and her team. This is also a children's ministry. We hope to baby wash on Thursday at the dump also. Please also be praying for our future transition back to like in Australia and for ways in which we can continue our spiritual growth. We will be needing mentors when we return to discuss our experiences and feelings so please be praying for these people too.
thanks alot.

Em's Epic!!

2006-01-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

Note from Sarah: I'm in Australia posting this email from Em. It's loooooonnnnngggg and I sat down to try and edit it down, but it's all so great, and Em's heart and God's heart leaps from every word, that I couldn't bear to do it. Read it, it's worth it!! :-)

Also, the reason I'm posting it for them, is that they're having trouble getting internet access. So, this might be the last one for a while. If you don't hear anything more from them, don't freak out....they're fine unless you hear otherwise. :-)

Smile and shine, Sarah.

FROM EM
Hola mi amigos y familia!
Thankyou for all your prayers, I am now well. Yesterday was our biggest day so far, we started off going to a village called Sipe Sipe, which I loved. It was your typical kind of Bolivian village apparently. We went walking thru the main street (cobblestones are the norm here and in the back of our jeep, which we have squashed 17 people into, its always really fun and bumpy on the roads)....and we were distributing bread rolls, mangoes and bananas. Quieres frutta? was my role - I was distributing the mangoes. The people here are so beautiful....in Sipe Sipe they were quite gentle and softly spoken. After I ran out of mangoes I went walking thru the market talking to the ladies (in Spanish!!) and asking them if they had children to invite them to the kids program. Yesterday we ran a kids program, including a puppet show which has continued to be a hit. After a bit of a mix up (half of our group were in one part of the village lost with about 20 kids, playing games, and the others were playing games where we were meant to be) we all got together after Mike found us with the jeep, and so we had about a hundred kids which we all played games with. The puppet show is the story of the one sheep that runs away and the shepherd goes to find it and leaves all the rest behind. We actually have a Bolivian shepherd puppet, a sheep and a Sesame Street like puppet, whom I have called Erica. Erica acts as narrator on the end of my arm. Anyway, the puppet show and the rest of the VBS (Vacation Bible School) was a hit. After that we drove up to some Inca ruins on the mountain...which was cool.

(this keyboard is weird...check this out!! ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ)

then in the afternoon we went to baby washing in the plaza... a small parenthesis here: before coming to Bolivia, I had never in my entire life washed a child. However, at Tent City and the dump, I washed child after child after child...and loved it. It felt completely natural and where I was exactly meant to be. So much joy!!! While some people went and washed the kids....I decided to go play soccer (futball here...quieres juegar futball??) with the boys....there was this awesome Quechua kid called Julio, who was there last week, and he walked around playing his little three stringed guitar. Yesterday he really got into the game! Unfortunately the ball died (which it always does) and then we started piggybacking virtually every kid in the square who asked. When you got tired they would sneak up behind you while you were resting ("no mas" = no more, and doesn’t always work) and virtually strangle you. ARRGH. After being rescued a few times by Annie, I invented a new game, where they run through your legs. Man it was fun! At the end, I said ciao! And went to hug one kid. Instead, about eight kids all decided to hug me at once, so it was all i could do to gasp for air!

These kids are amazing and are so full of joy no matter what their circumstance. they are grateful for anything from a toy car to a ball to a single ribbon or hair tie, to a water bottle to kick around.

I really love this country. Today we got a taxi for the first time and squished in 6 people, and also got a bus down the hill from our hacienda. We have chickens, and a turkey which will die before thanksgiving. We also have a rooster which we all wish would die because he wakes us up every morning with his endless crowing. I have imagined visually murdering him with an axe. Surprisingly I feel no guilt at that kind of thought.

OUR HOME
Our home is called the hacienda, and it is beautiful. While I expected a shack, and minimal showering, we have been blessed with a two storey white house in the mountains, with verandahs, hammocks, Bolivian rugs and so much safety. (Mum, we are so safe).

THE POLITICS
It has been very exciting because we have been in the HUB of South American politics while we have been here. While we were in Chile, Liss, Mel and I went to the political rally for Michele Bachelet. It was amazing. She was elected as the first female president of a South American country.

Today, Evo Morales is sworn into office, as the first indigenous president of Bolivia, he is Aymaran. I’ve been collecting newspapers. We don’t watch TV here.

SPANISH
Its amazing how much my Spanish has come on... I actually only started teaching myself Spanish a few weeks before we came from a phrase book and with Agis’ help... but now ppl in the team are saying that I appear to be one of the more confident ones in Spanish. I really think that is a God thing...because I seriously knew so little. Of course, I still know so so little, but I have enough to get me by basically. I really love speaking it and cant wait to learn at uni this year. I love the word HOLA too (H is silent in Spanish). Please all adopt it when I come home.

ME GENERALLY
I love this country so much and it is actually really safe, nothing like what i expected. I have had so many expectations for this trip, and initially wanted to see miracles everyday etc etc. But I realise that I have had to scrap my own expectations and take on Gods. The work that we are doing I know is pleasing in his sight. Check out james 1.24, which is Mike and Bonnie’s special verse for their ministry. I have never really had that much to do with kids, not really having any baby cousins until recently...I’ve worked with kids from about 11 up, but the years below have generally been a gaping hole for me. And i LOVE these kids!! MAN! It is hard because i want to see them come to know God, but it takes longer than we have time to spend with the kids, if that makes sense.

It has also been hard because one of my expectations in coming on this trip was an expectation that my heart would literally BREAK. As yet, that has only happened partially. I think that when i sit down in Australia and remember what i have seen, that is hopefully when my heart will break. I have seen people fossicking around in the dump for things to sell, i have seen two year olds shiver with cold in the rain with muddy feet in broken sandals, people who live in tents for months on end, and the graves of children equivalent to the neighbouring adult cemetery. But somehow, I cant cry about it. Somehow i just keep going and keep washing the children, keep playing with them, and going to bed exhausted. I know i want my heart to break, for the apathy to be torn away. And i think that it is a slow and steady process. Already i am developing a real heart for the children and a love for them. There is a time for tears and it will come...but that time is not yet.

I think i will cry when i have to leave. I DONT WANT TO COME HOME. (No offence to anyone who loves me back home...hehe) I feel so alive here, and feel that what i am doing is bringing happiness to people. And it is certainly bringing happiness to me.

I hope you are all well. Thanks to my wonderful church who have been praying for me. Thanks to my wonderful family who love me. I do miss you a tiny bit!! hehe. Tom, your note was a classic and made me laugh. Luc, i havent read yours yet.

Thanks to all my friends too who are thinking of me! Thanks to everyone who wrote a comment. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE and am grateful for your encouragement.

If you would like to PRAY FOR us please pray
- that we would all have more energy
- that we would all grow spiritually. It’s so hard to spend quality time with God while we are so tired and have so much on.
- that i can fully surrender my expectations!
- direction for the future for all of us.
I love you all so much and cant wait to share of my adventures. Sorry this has been so completely sketchy. I know its also a lot to read and am sorry for that!!

Praise be to God

LOVE EM

Tired but happy....

2006-01-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Today we are half way throughout time in Cochabamba. We are all feeling quite exhausted but know that every minute here has been worthwhile.

Today half of us went along to a Spanish speaking church which is the home church here for the IT Aussie missionary here Glenda Hurlstone. It was great to feel the unity in the Spirit across the language barriers.

We are all feeling very well for which we are truly thankful to God and for the prayers of many.

This week we shall be assisting in a Kids Club every afternoon as well as doing baby washing again and having an Australia Day party on Wednesday evening to which we are inviting all the missionaries here who have served us so well. Though it will not be Jan 26 here it will be back at home and that is the best time we had to fit it in.

Love to you all, Janice

Friday Blog

2006-01-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends
We that you for your prayers and support in partnering in the gospel. We cant wait to share with you what God is doing here. We are all well and God has been showing us many things. Yesterday, we went to the dump and ran vacation Bible School and also did some baby washing. It was hard knowing that children live in the dump with its continuous stench of rotting rubbish and that people survive by going through the trash. One of the ministries is that the Timmers visit the dump each Thursday to wash the babies and children who do not have wather to wash themselves. I thought before going to the dump that i would be impacted and my heart would break for these children, when I see that condition that they are living in but when I got to the dump, my heart did not break but I felt numb. We have seen so much poverty and it dawned on me that the problem is so big and there is nothing we can really do to eradicate it. I questioned whether what we were doing would make a difference. However, as I reflect on the day and remember the children's laughter and smiles when they played the parachute games and when we preformed the puppet show based on the parable of the lost sheep, i an reminded it is worth it to bring a smile, laughter, joy to a child's face is priceless. I was also reminded by Janice, our team leader, of Matthew 25:40 that our presence with the children and showing them love was Jesus. It was worship to Jesus. In Matt. 23:40 it says "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of these brothers of mine, you did it for me," this passage has brought a new perspective to me as i go out today and wash babies again at "tent city" i can rejoice and love these children and wash and bathe them because i am doing it for Jesus. I dont need to think that the situation is hopeless because God loves these people too.
Glory to God
Love Prisilla
P.S. I love you mum, dad and Jason. I love you my church family

Crazy sheep

2006-01-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

Hola! Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us, we are seeing God do some amazing things here. Yesterday we went out to Villa Israel, the small village where the Timmers are building their second orphanage. We ran a kids club program there for a couple of hours for all the kids in the village. Absolutely incredible! There were around 35 kids there plus a few of their mums. Deonie did an awesome job coordinating the program where we shared the story of the Lost Sheep (la oveja perdida for the Spanish speakers among you!) This was followed up by the making of sheep masks for each of the kids - they really did look so adorable, and they are so patient and willing to get involved! We then taught the kids ´drop the tray´ and played football with them - they’re pretty good too!

The most amazing thing about the day was the love that these kids pour out. Without even knowing you, they run to you with arms wide open, so excited about being hugged and loved. It is such a privilege, yet such a humbling experience, to see these kids that have so little, give so freely. I know each one of us on the team has already been touched so deeply by the people here.

Last night we had another fantastic dinner at the Timmers place and then spent time as a team back at la hacienda in prayer and worship. It is wonderful to see the way that the Holy Spirit is touching each member of the team slightly differently, and that we can then share these insights and lessons with each other. It really is an experience that is unlike anything any of us have been privileged too before.

We all send our love to everyone back home, and we keep you in our prayers. Homesickness is starting to kick in for some so know that you are all being missed in this midst of this unreal experience. We will write again as soon as we can.

All our love, the Bolivia chicas xx

Day 2 at Cochabamba

2006-01-16T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hola Amigos
Thank you for your continued prayer support. God has been really good to us, keeping us safe and healthy. Today we began the day by going to children's church at the Muyurina Orphanage. It was exciting seeing God being worshiped through word and song (even though we didn't understand some of it). The 9 girls from Oz were able to sing a few songs to the children as well as going in on sunday school class. As Dee noted, there's still those few boys in the class that just don't sit still and like to play up!
We had a beautiful BBQ lunch, lovingly provided by the Timmers. Then we had an afternoon going to the 34 metre high statue of Christ, "cristo", at the top of a mountain overlooking Cochabamba.
Please be praying for Em as she has a cold today. Please also pray that our ministry in vacation bible school will be affective and we'll be received by the children. We will be baby washing on Thursday at the dump, so please pray for our actions are positive and again that God's love is demonstrated. God Bless

Day Two In Cochabamba

2006-01-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

Yes we have all arrived safely in Cochabamba and are unbelievably pleased to be here. Friday was a long dayof travel getting up at 3am for a 4am hotel pickup to Santiago airport. Flight to Lapaz showed us the magnificnet Andes on our right and then the desrt on north Chile where the plane touched down at Iquique and Arica.

At a Paz we did all experience the effects of hifgh altitude during our eight hour wait. WE truned blue in our finger tips and some of us had very white faces and we needed to move slowly but that was OK as we were pretty tired. All our blood circulated properely again when we were in the pressurised plane to Cochabamba. the President of Bolivia also flew with us but we didn't see him up front!

It was raining when we arrived and all day yesterday and coolere than some of us thought.

Our Hacienda home is wonderful for us all/ I shall try to attach a photo taken this morning when the sun came out.

Our hosts are Mike and Bonnie Timmer- the missionaries here and they have provide us with wonderful meals so far / BBQ lunch cooking now. We do our ow breakfast at the hacianda and will eat at some restuarants too.

This moring we shared together in a team meeting some of what we experineced yesterday as we went to the town centre for "baby washing". In fact no babies were washed yesterday as the rain wuld have made it too cold, but homeless mothers ad childre ined up for hot milk and bread. Some babaies were given clane clothes. Menatine we played with the kids til Priscilla's ball defalted and we swung them aroubnd and just poured love on these people loved by God and us.

Mike and Bonnie shared their story last night about loving God so much that coming to Bolivia to love the childtren whom God loves is such a passion for them. This challenged us all to think og God's blessings.

Also challenging was seeing a Bolivian Chruistian couple who themselves live in a dump, being part of the team serving the homeless. They said they do this because they want to help those who have less cause for thought.

Our hearts are already being stretched by what we see as we want to know what God wants us to learn from this. Melissa described it as having a glass celing seeing all this, but how can we really enter into it within the comstraints of our living in wealth in Sydney comparitive experience.

Please pry that God will guard our hearts and minds as we experince so much.

TGis morning we wnet to a kids church in the first orpahange that International Teams has established here. A team from a Wollongong church had done a lot of the building 18 months ago.

WE shall have a small tour of the city high point this afternoon then hom,e to prepare for our first kids program tomorrow in the site of the secind orphange still being built. Our running the kids program tomorrow will help with building relations with the local community where the church is based.

Em's moth ulcers are much imoroved thanks to the right medicine from the Timmers. Em's Guitar has just arrived at the airport so we are thankful for that as it was delayed in Santiago on Friday.

So, THANKS for your prayers they are being answered in our team wellbing, opnness and its all good.

Janice

Daytwo in \Cochabamba

2006-01-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

Australia Team Arrival

2006-01-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

This is Ashley Timmer, the Australian team arrived here at 8:00 p.m. last night and had breakfast at our house this morning. They say hi to all there family and friends.

Welcome

2005-12-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

Watch this space as Team Bolivia set aside three weeks of their holidays to minister to disadvantaged children.