The Monte Blanco trip is now history. Don and Christine and Art are now well on their way home and the work in Bolivia is done as far as the Lord has designed for this time in our lives. Many memories have been made and friendships from now into eternity have been formed. We sincerely thank all of you for your interest and your many prayers on our behalf. The fellowship times will always be remembered. One of the things we will all remember is the many times we sang a song by Robin Mark that speaks of why we were here. Doing work like this needs to always be for Jesus, All For Jesus. We sang that song in a Bolivian church one Sunday evening and in the special celebration banquet that the Bolivian believers did for us one of our last nights together as an entire team, they elected to sing it for us. You can listen to the words and think about the meaning of what they say as you follow this link.. To God be all the glory!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
A Day of Rest
Well as you have read, the first group from I-TEC left Monte
Blanco on March 1st, leaving Art, Christine & Don behind with
the Steppin-Out Missions team. The SOM
team left on March 7th which has changed the scope of things here
again. Christine has continued almost
nonstop in the sewing room where she started on curtains, then did some pillow
cases, aprons, and then approximately 40 table runners. Her latest project is a Superman costume for
a skit the program staff is working on.
You just never know what you will be doing when you say yes to the Lord.
Art and Don have been plugging away on the building wiring
as there were a lot of panels to rewire after changing the service drops from 3
wire 120/240volt over to 2 wire 220volt.
This has been a daunting task as there were over 30 buildings that the
I-TEC linemen changed over in less than two weeks. Some of these buildings have multiple panels
hidden in closets, bathrooms, bedrooms and even the attics. The last building we finished on Saturday had
five such panels to reconfigure. They
also have been repairing a lot of long standing issues that creep up in a camp
this large, especially when there is no dedicated staff electrician. This includes a myriad of broken switches,
receptacles, lamp holders, and yes even a three bladed ceiling fan.
Please pray for us this week as Christine and Art recuperate
from a virus similar to the one Don had the week before. We also need prayers and God’s insight as we
spend our last couple of days trying to find and repair everything else that
could hinder the Spirit as the Camp gets ready for 100-150 youth for the
following week. In fact this will start
the fall camping season that will have back to back camps until sometime in
July. Please also pray for the staff
here at Monte Blanco that they can stay strong and that each camper has the
opportunity to meet Jesus here.
As we wind up this project we thank the Lord for allowing us
to serve Him and His people here in the beautiful country of Bolivia. Thank you at home for allowing us to
represent you and Christ here in this place. We are also thankful to the Lord for a day of rest before the final push and our long trip home.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Last Day @ Monte Blanco
"Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt HIS NAME together" ~ Psalms 34:3
I have the privilege of being the Assistant Director of Steppin Out Missions. I am writing on behalf of ITEC Mission and the work that has been accomplished over the last 3 weeks here at Monte Blanco in Bolivia. Yet right now as I stop and reflect upon the last 3 weeks, and the work that has been accomplished I am reminded of Psalms 34:3 and I pray that through every blog entry, every email and phone call home, and now through every missions report given that the Mighty Name of Jesus be Lifted High! SOM & ITEC deserve none of the praise, only the Lord Jesus for what He has accomplished, really despite us. As I write this entry we are relaxing after a morning of packing and then a short truck ride up into the mountains to the highlands. We are indeed done with a huge portion of the work that is here at Monte Blanco. There is still more work to be done though, and I don't want to discount the efforts that are being made by the roofing crew, the sewing ladies, and Don & Art who are in yet another attic today.
Last night was a very special devotional time as we were able to visit and hear from Chuck Ramsey the founder of Latcom. Chuck shared his heart and the story of how he and his late wife Gene first met and were led by the Lord to come to Bolivia. It was a thrilling tale of allowing God to Work, and just joining Him in what He was doing. Chuck encouraged us all to be faithful and to trust that the Lord can still do the impossible, and wants to! I am blessed to serve alongside of my dad (John C) and it was pretty cool to sit last night and see Tim and Chuck in operation. I pray that the Lord would show His Grace to us as He has to the Ramsey's all these years.
God has been very Gracious to all of us that were blessed to participate in this project. We have seen Him provide materials, answered prayers, a spirit of fellowship, and the list goes on and on. Usually you will here someone say "To God be the Glory" when they receive a compliment or an expression of gratitude, but seriously, all of the Glory for the success and impact of the SOM ~ ITEC Electrical Mission to Monte Blanco 2013 belongs to GOD and GOD ALONE!
I have the privilege of being the Assistant Director of Steppin Out Missions. I am writing on behalf of ITEC Mission and the work that has been accomplished over the last 3 weeks here at Monte Blanco in Bolivia. Yet right now as I stop and reflect upon the last 3 weeks, and the work that has been accomplished I am reminded of Psalms 34:3 and I pray that through every blog entry, every email and phone call home, and now through every missions report given that the Mighty Name of Jesus be Lifted High! SOM & ITEC deserve none of the praise, only the Lord Jesus for what He has accomplished, really despite us. As I write this entry we are relaxing after a morning of packing and then a short truck ride up into the mountains to the highlands. We are indeed done with a huge portion of the work that is here at Monte Blanco. There is still more work to be done though, and I don't want to discount the efforts that are being made by the roofing crew, the sewing ladies, and Don & Art who are in yet another attic today.
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| Ceci & Christine still working hard in the sewing dept. |
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| The view is amazing! Thanks ITEC .... No more poles! |
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| Joel from Steppin Out trying on some of Christine's handiwork |
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| Priceless.... Tim in Spanish on the left, Chuck in English on the right....telling of God's Faithfulness |
Last night was a very special devotional time as we were able to visit and hear from Chuck Ramsey the founder of Latcom. Chuck shared his heart and the story of how he and his late wife Gene first met and were led by the Lord to come to Bolivia. It was a thrilling tale of allowing God to Work, and just joining Him in what He was doing. Chuck encouraged us all to be faithful and to trust that the Lord can still do the impossible, and wants to! I am blessed to serve alongside of my dad (John C) and it was pretty cool to sit last night and see Tim and Chuck in operation. I pray that the Lord would show His Grace to us as He has to the Ramsey's all these years.
God has been very Gracious to all of us that were blessed to participate in this project. We have seen Him provide materials, answered prayers, a spirit of fellowship, and the list goes on and on. Usually you will here someone say "To God be the Glory" when they receive a compliment or an expression of gratitude, but seriously, all of the Glory for the success and impact of the SOM ~ ITEC Electrical Mission to Monte Blanco 2013 belongs to GOD and GOD ALONE!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Just Another Manic Monday
Today marked the first day of the last week for the crew from Steppin Out Missions, and it marked the beginning of another week of work for the remaining crew from ITEC of Don & Christine as well as Art.
Don and Art were busy buzzing around the campus today like bumble bees. They began their day in yet another attic, and finished up another of the cabins, then worked their way across the campus ending up in the carpentry shop I think? As I walked by several times I could hear them yelling out different color combinations that were seemingly meaningless because the colors of the wires seem to change in mid air (literally!). They are a good team and they continue to tidy things up in many of the buildings around the campus, trying to get ready for Camp in 2 weeks!
The crew from Steppin Out was able to finish 2 buildings on Saturday so a part from just some light cleaning and receptacle covers, they made their way over to the Girls Dorm and began the difficult process of sorting through the rats nest of wires and lamp chords that are draped through the attic. We will be showering and sleeping with no electricity tonight, but hey we are in Bolivia after all :-) Some of the Steppin Out guys made their way around the office complex, as well as the Dining Hall and made a few last minute changes as well and just made sure that the buildings were indeed done.
The ladies continued to do their artistry in the sewing room. I wasn't able to get over there today to get their picture, but I know that they were discussing their stitches at the dinner table and that's always a good sign. They are attempting to make 40 new table runners, and they have already made all new curtains for the Boys Dorm that was recently painted by the ladies from ITEC & SOM.
Yesterday we all enjoyed a day of rest and solitude. Many of us took hikes alone and just enjoyed being quiet before God and allowing His Holy Word and His Holy Spirit to minister to us on the Day of Rest. In the evening we attended the OEN church in San Isidro again and Joel Corley from Steppin Out was able to preach. The Lord was gracious and a woman in the congregation made a decision for Christ!
We really need your prayers, we are all tired, hot, and getting anxious for the finish line. God has done some many wonderful things on this trip and we don't want to lose our focus and drive now. Thank you for the encouragement and the Support through your Prayers!
Don and Art were busy buzzing around the campus today like bumble bees. They began their day in yet another attic, and finished up another of the cabins, then worked their way across the campus ending up in the carpentry shop I think? As I walked by several times I could hear them yelling out different color combinations that were seemingly meaningless because the colors of the wires seem to change in mid air (literally!). They are a good team and they continue to tidy things up in many of the buildings around the campus, trying to get ready for Camp in 2 weeks!
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| Art smiling in another attic.......seriously......he's got the Joy of the Lord! |
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| Don said "Hey a picture of me actually working" |
The crew from Steppin Out was able to finish 2 buildings on Saturday so a part from just some light cleaning and receptacle covers, they made their way over to the Girls Dorm and began the difficult process of sorting through the rats nest of wires and lamp chords that are draped through the attic. We will be showering and sleeping with no electricity tonight, but hey we are in Bolivia after all :-) Some of the Steppin Out guys made their way around the office complex, as well as the Dining Hall and made a few last minute changes as well and just made sure that the buildings were indeed done.
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| John from Steppin Out enjoying a plaster bath !! |
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| Ron and Syl (way in the corner) from Steppin Out in Boys Dorm Bath Attic |
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| Gordon from Steppin Out is sick and tired of the light above his head not turning off!! |
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| Boys Dorm with new lighting and electrical! |
The ladies continued to do their artistry in the sewing room. I wasn't able to get over there today to get their picture, but I know that they were discussing their stitches at the dinner table and that's always a good sign. They are attempting to make 40 new table runners, and they have already made all new curtains for the Boys Dorm that was recently painted by the ladies from ITEC & SOM.
Yesterday we all enjoyed a day of rest and solitude. Many of us took hikes alone and just enjoyed being quiet before God and allowing His Holy Word and His Holy Spirit to minister to us on the Day of Rest. In the evening we attended the OEN church in San Isidro again and Joel Corley from Steppin Out was able to preach. The Lord was gracious and a woman in the congregation made a decision for Christ!
We really need your prayers, we are all tired, hot, and getting anxious for the finish line. God has done some many wonderful things on this trip and we don't want to lose our focus and drive now. Thank you for the encouragement and the Support through your Prayers!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Be Still and Know that I am God
Well it has been 2 full work days since the majority of the ITEC work team left and it has indeed changed the environment here at Monte Blanco. It is significantly quieter and calmer around the campus. I still haven't figured out if that is a good thing or not? j/k The crew from Steppin-Out Missions has worked very hard both yesterday and today and they have all but finished 2 more buildings completely with all new conduit and wiring, as well as devices and fixtures. The Boys Dorm which had been painted over the last 2 weeks by some of the gals from ITEC now has all new electrical and it looks and works great! The other building that was finished except for a few receptacles was the main office complex. This building houses 5 offices and 3 classrooms and we energized the breakers tonight and saw a look of joy and gratitude from Vico. ITEC still has a presence here with Don and Art, and they also had a terrific day in yet another attic as they traced and verified circuit after circuit making sure that everything was ok. Art made the comment last night that there are certain jobs that he would never do for any amount of money, and working in attics is one, however, he has continued to be filled with the joy and strength of the Lord and he is glad to work in those conditions here at Monte Blanco. One of the things that we all have been able to do with the departure of the ITEC group is now reflect on just what the Lord has done over these last couple weeks and at different times I think each person has rested in the Grace and Peace of Almighty God. We have wondered where materials were going to come from, how they were going to work, and if loved ones would be ok in our absence. And now in the stillness and quietness of the last 2 days I think we have all just been quieted to KNOW that He is God and that He is GOOD! We are looking forward to a great Sabbath rest tomorrow as well as the safe return of the group that went to Santa Cruz with ITEC. Thank you so much for your continued prayers, we cannot do this work without your support.
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| Bill & John from Steppin Out figuring out how to get those "Euro" Receptacles to actually fit! |
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| For all the guys that have had to crawl into these Attics....this ones for you! |
Well it has been 2 full work days since the majority of the ITEC work team left and it has indeed changed the environment here at Monte Blanco. It is significantly quieter and calmer around the campus. I still haven't figured out if that is a good thing or not? j/k The crew from Steppin-Out Missions has worked very hard both yesterday and today and they have all but finished 2 more buildings completely with all new conduit and wiring, as well as devices and fixtures. The Boys Dorm which had been painted over the last 2 weeks by some of the gals from ITEC now has all new electrical and it looks and works great! The other building that was finished except for a few receptacles was the main office complex. This building houses 5 offices and 3 classrooms and we energized the breakers tonight and saw a look of joy and gratitude from Vico. ITEC still has a presence here with Don and Art, and they also had a terrific day in yet another attic as they traced and verified circuit after circuit making sure that everything was ok. Art made the comment last night that there are certain jobs that he would never do for any amount of money, and working in attics is one, however, he has continued to be filled with the joy and strength of the Lord and he is glad to work in those conditions here at Monte Blanco. One of the things that we all have been able to do with the departure of the ITEC group is now reflect on just what the Lord has done over these last couple weeks and at different times I think each person has rested in the Grace and Peace of Almighty God. We have wondered where materials were going to come from, how they were going to work, and if loved ones would be ok in our absence. And now in the stillness and quietness of the last 2 days I think we have all just been quieted to KNOW that He is God and that He is GOOD! We are looking forward to a great Sabbath rest tomorrow as well as the safe return of the group that went to Santa Cruz with ITEC. Thank you so much for your continued prayers, we cannot do this work without your support.
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Saturday in Panama
Well the mission is complete, or at least for right now, and we are on our way home. I am part of the second group that left Santa Cruz this morning at 6:30 am, the first group left at 2:30 am, and we are now in Panama waiting out our 7+ hour layover. We will arrive back at Washington Dulles tonight around midnight.
To pick up where I left off Thursday afternoon........The Monte Blanco staff invited the entire team to a 7 pm dinner and told us to dress in our best clothes. We walked into the dining hall to find it decorated with a tropical flair, the staff decked out in fine duds and Jimmy Cruz playing acoustic guitar for our entertainment. The staff greeted us in a receiving line then went on to Thank us in a lengthy explanation of what our work meant to them and blessed us in prayer for all we had accomplished. Tom then , on behalf of the team, thanked the staff for the care they gave us during our stay and reminded them that we did not do this work for us, that we indeed did it for the children of Bolivia and the Glory of God to make a difference in their lives. After a wonderful dinner and a huge 3 layer cake for dessert, we gathered in the auditorium. First we were shown a video about I-TEC from its beginnings to it's various projects around the world, followed by 2 videos highlighting Monte Blanco and the children who have attended camp there. The evening was filled with team members sharing their reasons for being in Bolivia and what the 2 weeks there meant to them, along with prayers of thanksgiving for what the Lord helped us to accomplish.
As I sit here in the airport exhausted..... wishing I was still in Bolivia....... reflecting on the past 2 weeks, I must say that I could not be happier to have been on a team with such great people working on such a meaningful project! The friendships that were made between team members and with the staff members at Monte Blanco are the kind that will be rejuvenated again and again on future mission trips. On the bus ride back to Santa Cruz yesterday Tim Ramsey said "missionaries are a unique bunch, they are people who are willing to leave their home and their loved ones to go to a foreign land and work in culture they probably don't understand. That takes a certain amount of thrill seeking adventure mindedness and a divine purpose that many people don't understand". I am happy to say that I do understand and I feel very privileged to be in that group, as a member of this I-TEC Team!
Again We can't thank you enough for following us on this project and praying for us every day. There will be many more trips in the future that will need your prayers, and I certainly hope you can follow us along!
To pick up where I left off Thursday afternoon........The Monte Blanco staff invited the entire team to a 7 pm dinner and told us to dress in our best clothes. We walked into the dining hall to find it decorated with a tropical flair, the staff decked out in fine duds and Jimmy Cruz playing acoustic guitar for our entertainment. The staff greeted us in a receiving line then went on to Thank us in a lengthy explanation of what our work meant to them and blessed us in prayer for all we had accomplished. Tom then , on behalf of the team, thanked the staff for the care they gave us during our stay and reminded them that we did not do this work for us, that we indeed did it for the children of Bolivia and the Glory of God to make a difference in their lives. After a wonderful dinner and a huge 3 layer cake for dessert, we gathered in the auditorium. First we were shown a video about I-TEC from its beginnings to it's various projects around the world, followed by 2 videos highlighting Monte Blanco and the children who have attended camp there. The evening was filled with team members sharing their reasons for being in Bolivia and what the 2 weeks there meant to them, along with prayers of thanksgiving for what the Lord helped us to accomplish.
As I sit here in the airport exhausted..... wishing I was still in Bolivia....... reflecting on the past 2 weeks, I must say that I could not be happier to have been on a team with such great people working on such a meaningful project! The friendships that were made between team members and with the staff members at Monte Blanco are the kind that will be rejuvenated again and again on future mission trips. On the bus ride back to Santa Cruz yesterday Tim Ramsey said "missionaries are a unique bunch, they are people who are willing to leave their home and their loved ones to go to a foreign land and work in culture they probably don't understand. That takes a certain amount of thrill seeking adventure mindedness and a divine purpose that many people don't understand". I am happy to say that I do understand and I feel very privileged to be in that group, as a member of this I-TEC Team!
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| The Team |
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| Monte Blanco staff |
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| The long drive to the city |
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| The Plaza and Cathedral in Santa Cruz |
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| The gang enjoys some fresh ice cream |
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| Low land artisan crafts |
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| Up and away, Santa Cruz |
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| On the way to Panama |
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| The hammock shop |
I-TEC is part-way home
Our travels this day had taken us from Monte Blanco to Chuck's house in Santa Cruz. We all went downtown to several market areas and did some last minute shopping for momentos from Bolivia. This included visiting the Plaza area and then walking to several shops. After completing any purchases we headed back to Chuck's house and pizza was ordered for the team. The WiFi at the mission house was not working at all, so we were unable to post any pictures from the travel of the day. Once the second part of the I-TEC team arrives here in Panama, Shane should be able to post some of the great pictures that he got from our last minutes at Monte Blanco and some of the journey out of the Andes. The fellowship time continued until around 10 PM when we were visited by David Salazar, Monte Blanco Camp Director, who wanted to see us off and to thank us for the work that got done these past weeks. It was a bittersweet time knowing that we would be leaving very soon and the team that the Lord assembled to work together here in Bolivia will never again be together again this side of eternity. Those on the team who would be leaving on the second flight on Saturday morning were privileged to get a few hours of sleep.
The first seven I-TEC volunteers arrived at the Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz a good three hours before take-off time, only to find the check-in line to be very long and not moving at all until the agents finally showed up. It took over 1-1/2 hours to get checked in, and then we had to go through Immigration and finally on to our gate. I am now writing this in Panama after our first leg of travel. By now the second flight of I-TEC volunteers has left VVI and they are on their way to this point. In another 15 hours this trip will be history and most of us will be in our homes. Again I say thank you to the over 3500 times you have viewed this blog to date and for you who have prayed for us and thought of us while we have been away from you all. The Lord has blessed every one of us immensely!
The first seven I-TEC volunteers arrived at the Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz a good three hours before take-off time, only to find the check-in line to be very long and not moving at all until the agents finally showed up. It took over 1-1/2 hours to get checked in, and then we had to go through Immigration and finally on to our gate. I am now writing this in Panama after our first leg of travel. By now the second flight of I-TEC volunteers has left VVI and they are on their way to this point. In another 15 hours this trip will be history and most of us will be in our homes. Again I say thank you to the over 3500 times you have viewed this blog to date and for you who have prayed for us and thought of us while we have been away from you all. The Lord has blessed every one of us immensely!
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