The kids are in winter vacation. It's only supposed to be for two weeks but often it turns into three because of the weather. This year it's four weeks. We had a really cold week here in Tarija but thankfully it's warmer now but in other places the cold is persisting. When you look at the temperature in just numbers it doesn't seem that cold, but having no insulation in houses or central heat, the cold is an issue. But cold weather always makes me more thankful and I see that in my girls too. Before vacation started it was also pretty cold in the mornings and I would set up the girls' small table and chairs right in front of our oven that I would have turned on. They'd be bundled up in knit caps, coats or robes and even sometimes scarfs as they sat in front of the oven and ate breakfast before heading to school. We try and start our mornings saying what we are thankful for and every morning without fail the girls said how thankful they were to have a warm house and be warm. And they meant it. They know most houses here don't get a lot of sun and are so much colder. They see our neighbors from our windows who don't have window pains and who have to go to their patio to wash dishes or clothes. I am blessed by their attitude and how they see things.
We went to Cochabamba for a week of this vacation so that Pilar could see the dentist and on this trip Catalina got to reconnect with her best friend Ana Clara who was at the orphanage with her and who had been adopted at the same time. I had been trying for over eight months to find a contact number for Ana Clara and her mom and told Catalina I would try again but we would need to accept if we couldn't get her phone number. When I told Catalina that someone in Cochabamba had found a number and I had contacted Ana Clara's mom, she cried. It was such a blessing to spend time with Ana Clara and her mom and I think offered Catalina some closure or acceptance that had been lacking from her transition from the orphanage to our family. We hope to see them when we travel to Cochabamba in the future.
In Cochabamba I was invited to give a talk to the ladies and Ana Clara's mom came which was great. It was on James 3, although there was some miscommunication and I had prepared a class for James 4. When I started the class one of the ladies told me they were in James 3 so with the help of the Holy Spirit I taught on chapter 3. I was also invited to give a talk on emotional heath with the group Wavemakers, a ministry in the States, who have seminars through a live youtube channel. This seminar that I participated in had lots of ladies giving 20 minute talks on various subjects but with the goal of being healthy emotionally, physically and spiritually all centered on God.
There is a family that the Torres have mentioned before who they have tried to form connections with over the last two years. They come to church rarely but Pancho and Mary have had Bible studies with them and are in contact with them. Their youngest son Angel is six years old and was born with one arm. Last week Pancho got a call from the family telling him that Angel had been ran over by a truck and that his other arm had been amputated. Besides losing his only arm, he has a broken hip and femur so he is in a cast from his high waist until the thigh of one leg and ankle on another leg. The doctors wanted to operate on his hip and put a metal plate in but also said that with the cast it should heal but will take 5-6 months of being in a cast. The parents chose not to do the surgery (which I probably would have the same decision with the information they were given). He looked so very tiny in that bed with that cast and now without hands and arms. It’s extremely sad and has been heavy on us all these days. The team has been visiting them in the hospital and helping where we can. Yesterday he was able to go home and that is good news. Please be praying for Angel, his recovery and his mental and emotional health. Also keep his family in your prayers that they might seek God for comfort, wisdom and for salvation.
Silvia, the land lady for where we rent the church, has brought up her mother in law a lot as she has had failing health this last year and has been in and out of consciousness. She has asked me and Mary Torres if we would be willing to visit her and we have always said of course and to just let us know when would be good. This week she said that Dona Maria, her mother in law, was more aware and asked us to go with her to visit her and pray and talk about God. Maria in 95 years old and her daughters and son take care of her. She is very loved by her family. Although she could not sit up or even talk she had her eyes open while we were there and seemed to enjoy the company. Mary Torres and I both shared some encouragement from the Bible, prayed and sang some songs. Along with Dona Maria, her two daughters where also there and Silvia, her daughter in law. We hope to go back often to encourage this family and get to know them better,
Thank you for thinking of us and praying for us! We are deeply blessed by your support of what God is doing here in Tarija. The going is slow but the seeds are being planted and God's Good News is being shared. Pray for Tarija that people will understand their need for a relationship with God and that people will take time for God.
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