National Youth Convention

I'll be spending this weekend in Santa Cruz at the national youth convention. I'll be speaking twice so I would appreciate your prayers not just for myself but those who are in charge, other speakers, the national youth council, all the sessions, etc. Please also be praying for travelling mercies for everyone.

I'll be staying on for a week or so in Santa Cruz to have time with the Vida Joven youth leaders that I've been working with and then will be heading to Cochabamba for CBM team meetings including Terry Smith and Sam Chaise from the CBM home office.

Will do an update next week on how the convention went. Thanks for the prayers!

'til next time,
rebecca

Back into It

I had a fantastic break with my family and got caught up on some much needed sleep although it probably still wasn't enough nor was there enough time back with family and friends but it was oh so good, no matter what :)

This weekend is a busy one with regional youth council elections tomorrow, a joint youth service in the evening to help one of the local churches celebrate their anniversary (anniversaries are very important here with typically a week-long celebration) and then a girls overnighter at my place afterwards. I have a feeling I won't be getting much sleep :)

Please be praying - especially for the youth council elections happening tomorrow - that it won't be a popularity contest but an opportunity to get the right people in the the right positions.

Photos from the weekend will get posted beginning of the week.

'til next time!
rebecca

Taking a Break

Later on tomorrow is the start of 2 weeks of vacation...I can't wait! Just wanted to give a heads up that I will be very much flying under the radar for the next little bit and getting some much needed downtime and sleep.

I will catch you up later on the past few weeks but for now...wahoo...vacation - here I come!

'til next time,
rebecca

Potosi

I've spent the last few days in Potosi and although I've been pretty sick both from the altitude as well as the intestinal infection, it's gone decently well. We've had a good start on the training with a couple of meetings and although as of yet, not all the churches are involved, I feel positive about the start. We have team meetings in Cochabamba this week (I head there tomorrow) and then I'll head back to Potosi beginning of next week to continue working with the Vida Joven leaders. I also want to meet with some of the Association leaders & pastors regarding the relationship with the youth, etc.

Please be praying for my health, stamina, the new Vida Joven team in Potosi as well as the teams in Tarija and Santa Cruz. I really appreciate all of your prayers and support!

'til next time,
rebecca

Ah, the Joys...

The past week has been a bit rough due to having a lovely (note the sarcasm :) intestinal infection so I haven't done any blogging. We decided in Sucre to hold off 'til the new year to do the Vida Joven training until they have the leadership team formed. I was able to have a couple of good meetings with the Sucre youth council as well as a few of the Association leaders and pastors regarding helping the youth council and youth in general. A stronger relationship between the youth and the churches needs to happen (not just in Sucre).

Thanks for the prayers and please keep them coming :)

'til next time,
rebecca

Wisdom needed

I tried to have my first meeting last night with some of the youth leaders and ones who might be working with the Vida Joven ministry but it didn't work out. The Sucre jóvenes youth council seems to be struggling with a lack of unity and initiative as well as some other issues (which I'm learning about and trying to figure out). I'm going to need to wisdom in how I might be able to help but at the same time not overstep boundaries. I'll be heading to Potosi next Wednesday or Thursday to work there for a week...this week here in Sucre will be crucial so as always...

Please be praying...

'til next time,
rebecca

...zzz...

It's about 3:30am and I need to get some work done. The Vida Joven training event ends today at noon and then there are a couple of more meetings that I need to do. Oh, and laundry. Tomorrow afternoon I head to Sucre to start about 5 weeks of work in Sucre and Potosi (approx. 2.5 hours from each other).

I am officially tired.

'til next time,
rebecca

National Vida Joven Training Weekend

9am tomorrow is the kickoff for our annual training weekend which is taking place here in Tarija this year. It's been a busy week of meetings, prep, and finalizing details. I ask for your prayers for the leadership team as they are in charge - especially Marina, Mariela, and Rodrigo and that everyone will arrive safely from the various regions. Please pray for the various workshop leaders and that it will be a fantastic and exciting time of learning as well as all the details that need to fall into place for the concert that has been planned for Saturday for all the youth from the various churches and communities.

'til next time,

rebecca

A Birthday Celebration

Last year I had my first experience of being serenaded for my birthday...

well, back in June, it happened again!

It was a great time of being with friends and although I didn't relish another year as far as the number; this certainly helped ease the pain so...

Happy Birthday to me :)

Eulalia, her brother, Elias and her son, Isaac (Elias is like my own brothers...a massive tease! :)

Eulalia and her daughter, Maritza...their family has become very special to me  

The first group that arrived

Vida Joven in Santa Cruz

I spent the month of May in Santa Cruz working with the newly formed Vida Joven leadership team. By the end, we had our first joint youth (teen) gathering and the team had really started working pretty well together. There's a lot of the potential with them. I'll be returning to work with them 

again in November for a few weeks.

Here are some pics of the leadership team as well as the youth in general from the youth gathering 

- the teens were very involved in the music, worship, drama, etc.:

Some of the dancers during the worship

An up and coming youth :) 

Introduction of the leadership team

Our first leadership team meeting

Pray for Lineth - she's the head of the leadership team

'til next time,

rebecca

The Blur

I last blogged end of April which is hard to believe so the following posts are going to be about what's been happening since then. I'll just describe it as a blur :)

Burmejo Update

In my last post, I mentioned that I would be heading to Burmejo with Rodrigo (the main youth leader on our Vida Joven leadership team). Thanks so much for the prayers...it went great! There was a better turnout than we were expecting at each of the churches and they want to start the vida joven teen ministry!

Rodrigo leading part of our first session Saturday morning...

we were really excited with the interest and questions asked

I spoke that evening at the combined youth service

The youth service that night 

We visited the three Baptist churches in Burmejo in a 24 hr period...this was our session at the final church on Sunday morning...very tiring but worth it :)

This coming week, I head to Santa Cruz for the month of May to work with the leadership team there to get Vida Joven firmly established and running. Tomorrow I have my last meeting with the Vida Joven leadership team here in Tarija before leaving for the month. Please be praying that all the final details fall into place, that the Tarija leadership team will continue to work strong and well, that I transition to Santa Cruz quickly, and finally for the Santa Cruz VJ leadership team that has just been formed. 

Will write again next week once I've arrived in Santa Cruz.

'til next time,

rebecca

Burmejo Training Weekend

Tomorrow morning at 4am, two jovenes (young adults) who are part of the Vida Joven leadership team here in Tarija are going with me to Burmejo which is about 3 hours away on the Argentina border to meet with those who are interested in starting up the Vida Joven teen ministry in the 3 Baptist churches there. We'll be visiting the individual churches to learn about specific needs, situations, etc. and to explain the ministry, various aspects of working with teens, etc. In the evening, I'll be speaking at the joint youth service that will take place at one of the churches. Rodrigo and Mariela (the two who are going with me) will be helping in the sessions regarding Vida Joven - it'll be a great learning opportunity for them as they share and speak on what is happening here in Tarija.

Please be praying and I'll be sure to remember to take my camera...I admit to being very forgetful with that lately. We'll get back early evening or so on Sunday. I'll post some pics and share what happened next week.

'til next time,
rebecca

Off to the National UBB Convention

In a couple of hours, I leave for La Paz because the UBB convention begins tomorrow in the Lake Titicaca region. It finishes sometime on Saturday and then I'll be back in Tarija late Sunday afternoon. It'll be great to see the Guthries, Nachos, and Ivan as well as the various pastors and other leaders that I've gotten to know. Please be praying that the convention goes well; that they focus on key issues that help the churches move forward and have more impact and not so much on the "politics". I fully admit that UBB "politics" is not my favourite part of life here :)

On Monday, Dorma Grant, who is a short-termer with CBM for about 6 months in Cochabamba teaching english, will be in Tarija for close to 2 weeks helping various jovenes and teens with their english. Please be praying for her as well.

'til next time,
rebecca

Review of Santa Cruz

I got back a few days ago from Santa Cruz...it was a fantastic time with the youth council there. It's a new group of leaders and they're great to work with; I love their initiative. I was able to start the teen research project there and visited 4 different churched including a combined youth service on Saturday of the Southern region of the city. On the last night I did a workshop that involved both teen leaders as well as other who are interested in working with this ministry regarding the Vida Joven work and some general information regarding working with teens, leadership, etc. They're also very excited about the online youth leader training program, Horizons, that will be starting here in Bolivia later on in the year. I returned to Tarija very excited and tired :) I'll be spending the full month of May in Santa Cruz working with the churches and youth leaders in order to launch the Vida Joven teen ministry. I also fully admit that winter will be beginning here so that means that it'll be a bit cooler (I thought Tarija was hot...it's nothing compared to Santa Cruz with it's humidity).

Thanks so much for your prayers!

'til next time,
rebecca

National Jovenes Campamento II

The following are pics from the January national jovenes campamento...(finally am getting more comfortable with the new laptop and it's technology :))

The craziness of the Survival Games

 

 

 

The tent "city" where I slept

 

One of the little cuties :)

 

During one of the evening sessions

 

Harsh but breathtaking scenery

 

'til next time,

rebecca

Santa Cruz

{Just an fyi, I'm having problems downloading pictures so until I get it all figured out, it'll just be written updates...please have patience.}

I arrived in Santa Cruz this afternoon; I thought it was hot in Tarija - wow, it's nothing compared to Santa Cruz. I'm here through Wednesday regarding the start of the Vida Joven teen ministry. I'll also be starting the research project with the teens here. I'm very excited and am praying that everything goes well. Tomorrow afternoon is the first get together regarding forming the core Vida Joven leadership team here in Santa Cruz as well as discussing the first steps of starting and key issues that they're specifically facing here in SC and then we'll go from there. Please be praying.

'til next time,
rebecca

January...National Campamento I

So, I thought it would be good to just start from the update that I wrote beginning of January as I was leaving for the national campamento in Oruro. I fully admit that it was tough as far as the location and weather, etc. and I fully admit to being glad when I returned home but I was really pleased with how the two workshops went that I was in charge of. We had great discussions about the Church and integral mission and how the youth can (and should) be a part of this. I was also able to have a talk with all the girls together regarding what is means to be a woman of God, integrity issues, etc. while a couple of the young pastors met with all the guys regarding "guy stuff" and being a man of God, etc.

Oh, one last funny story...for those of you who know me decently well, I tend to not be the most graceful person. Well, let's just say that there's a reason why one of my nicknames is "klutz". So...I headed back to La Paz a day before the campamento ended and needed to get to the bus terminal so I went with a group of the youth who were going to the thermal springs (Oruro is known for them) but as we were on our way in the back of the truck (just picture a herd of cattle), it started to rain buckets and then the hail began. Thankfully the driver stopped so that they could get a tarp over us but we were soaked no matter what. When we got to the springs and I saw how everyone was getting down without a latter, I decided to just sit down at the side and jump off so that I hopefully wouldn't break a bone :)

Unfortunately, I didn't think of what I was sitting on and as I launched myself into the air, I heard the rip...yep...you guessed it!! I ripped the back of my jeans in a very bad and obvious way. As I was holding the back of my jeans' leg together (in order to keep everything covered :) ), all I could do was laugh. The jovenes who had been near me felt awful for me. Thankfully a girl had a towel I could use to wrap around me and another helped me find a place to change while a third guy took care of my bags while I took care of "business." I was finally able to make it to the terminal and admit to breathing a sigh of relief as I got onto the bus.

Ah, the joys of no dignity...

'til next time,
rebecca

Back into it...

My apologies...for the last few months, I've had various problems with my laptop and so decided to just concentrate on the necessities regarding technology and so took a break from blogging but am excited that I now have a new laptop that works and is amazing! I no longer wonder whether my laptop will start when I turn it on :)

So...my time of blogging is beginning once again and I'll be using this next week to get caught up on all that has been happening. Please have patience as I work on this and learn the new laptop at the same time...

'til next time,

rebecca

Off to the National Campamento

Happy New Year!!!

Tomorrow am I head to Oruro for the national jovenes (young adults) campamento for 5 days. I'll be doing 2 workshops as well being available for any girls who are wanting to talk about whatever is on their minds. I'll return to La Paz for a night (celebrated New Years with the Guthries) and will then head back to Tarija. I ask for prayers regarding travelling, the workshops, conversations with the girls, health, spanish, and well...some sleep would be nice :).

Will let you know how everything goes afterwards.

'til next time,

rebecca