Foto Friday

These fotos are from our spiritual retreat...we were at a beautiful location that was incredibly peaceful. Unfortunately the fotos don't do it justice but I hope you'll enjoy them.

The kids were trying to teach the parrots new words
(actually...we all tried :)

Norma and I enjoying the sun and laughter

Caleb popped in front of the camera just at the right moment...
the girls were enjoying petting the dogs that live there.

Sharlene and Diane enjoying coffee break

Enjoying Saltenas...a very tasty Bolivian snack
that is also very messy :)

Have you ever seen aloe vera of this size?!!

We think this is grapefruit

'til next time,
rebecca

Home Assignment

I forgot to mention...my home assignment has been confirmed for beginning of September of this year through to end of November!!!

Just had to share my exciting news :)
rebecca

The Past Week

The past week has been pretty incredible. If you read my last posting, you'll know that an overnighter happened at my place last week with 6 girls who are jovenes leaders. There was much conversation, laughter and they also taught me how to cook silpancho. There wasn't much sleep (they didn't crash until about 4:30am) but it was definitely worth it. This past weekend Sharlene Craig (head of member care for CBM) and her husband, Brian who's a pastor, who have been visiting us for the week, led the entire team in a spiritual retreat. It was a wonderful time of being in God's Word, prayer, and a time of just being together. The following pics show some of what was happening and some of the team. On Friday, there will be more pics from the weekend.

The girls' night

The makings of Silpancho

Pedro, Diane, and Gladys (Emigdio's wife)

Norma, Brian, Jim, and Brian (Craig)

Sandra, Chantal (our route students), June, and Sharlene

'til next time,
rebecca

2am and still going strong...

I needed a bit of a "brain break" so thought I'd let you know how my evening/night has been going. There are 6 girls downstairs talking (all jovenes leaders) who arrived between 9pm and 10:30pm. We made Silpancho and have talked the entire time...ok, they've talked and I've talked a bit, asked questions and tried to listen and understand everything but have been lost in conversations many times during the last few hours :)

It's a painful and frustrating process trying to get language comprehension and speaking "up to speed" - especially when there's a group of girls talking about guys, love, relationships, marriage, and God's Will in it all. But there's great conversations happening and definitely a lot of laughter in the midst of all :)

I should get back to them so will let you know how the rest of the time goes later.

'til next time,
rebecca

This Week

I think this is going to be quite the week...on Wednesday evening I have 6-8 girls (jovenes) coming over to spend the night. They're very excited about a girls' night of watching movies, doing makeovers and nails, eating chocolate, and of course lots of talking. I believe they're also going to teach me how to cook Silpancho which is a very tasty Bolivian dish. I have a feeling sleep is not part of the plan...

Sharlene Craig and her husband, Brian, arrive as well this week from Canada. Sharlene is head of member care for CBM and Brian is a pastor who will be doing some teaching at the seminary here in Cochabamba. Sharlene will be meeting with all of us on the team and what we're especially looking forward to is the spiritual retreat, led by Sharlene and Brian, coming up this weekend with the entire team.

Besides my spanish classes, I'm also hopefully finalizing the beginning of translation of Horizons and starting to put together the interview questions for the research project for Vida Joven. Like I said, it'll be a week :)

'til next time,
rebecca

Foto Friday

Well, it's not quite 3am so since I can't sleep, I thought I'd do my blog update. These fotos are of some of the main Vida Joven leaders from last week's VJ meetings and some of the various adolescentes (teens) from the La Paz camp that I attended a few weeks ago.

Have a great weekend!

'til next time,
rebecca

Exciting news from Vida Joven

Vida Joven Leaders and Myself

As I mentioned on Monday, I hosted the main leaders from Vida Joven (ministry with the teens or adolescentes) at my place for meetings that lasted all Saturday and Sunday morning. They were from La Paz, El Alto, Sucre, Oruro, and Cochabamba. We were able to get to know one another better and have good, deep conversations regarding the ministry and what is needed to improve and deepen the impact of Vida Joven. I was also able to introduce them to the online youth leaders training program, Horizons, that Jeff Carter (CBM field staff in Prague) ... and after talking through how it works and the potential of it, they decided that it should be brought to Bolivia. We'll be starting translating and culturalizing the units as soon as possible with the plan to have the pilot project in one of the areas beginning at some point in the fall.

One of the main points that kept coming up was the need for more training for the leaders. As the discussion continued and more detail and specifics came to light, one of the needs that came out was for a deeper understanding of Bolivian youth so that the leaders can better communicate with them and have more impact. So they've asked me to do a research study on Bolivian youth for the next 1.5 years that will look at everything from what they're watching on tv and the internet, their interests, fears, drugs, alcohol, sexual activity, parentless families (as a result of one or both parents working in another country to get make money for the family), and the consequences of it all. The study will look at youth in all 8 districts where Vida Joven is or is planning on starting up: Cochabamba, La Paz, El Alto, Sucre, Santa Cruz, Oruro, Tarija, and Potosi and I'll use the various camps and gatherings to build up trust and friendship in order to talk with them and gather the info but first I'll begin with the leaders to learn their thoughts and assumptions which will also allow more time for the youth to get to know me.

To say it was an exciting weekend is putting it lightly. Four of the leaders (they're all jovenes) spent the night at my place which also helped deepen friendship and trust. Of course, I didn't
get much sleep but it was worth it :) I ask that you be praying both for the Horizons leadership training project - many details regarding the translating, time frame, etc. need to come together quickly. As well as the research project as I put all the parameters in place and the questions together. I'll keep you posted on how it's all going.

Sunday morning tying up the meetings

'til next time,
rebecca

Oh, Canada!!!

Within the next couple of days, I'll share about the amazing meetings that took place over the weekend with the main Vida Joven leaders but right now I just want to share in the excitement of Canada's hockey team winning Gold yesterday :)

Yesterday, Team Bolivia gathered at the Whittles with the STM led by Blair Clark from CBM to watch Canada go for gold...it was a great time of being together, laughing, and sharing in the tension and anxiety of wondering what the outcome would be :) Duane (Guthrie) also invited our friends, the Collins, to join us who are from Oregon, USA. They were very brave and took our ribbing well...you gotta love friendship!











'til next time,
rebecca