Las Primeras Palabras...

Buen Noche, Amigos,

It´s been a little more than a week since I´ve left, and I´m sure some of you are eager for some form of communication from me. I would have liked to write to you sooner, I think, but when I arrived here I did not have much to write about—or much motivation to write it—and by the time there was something to tell you we were departing to remoter parts of Bolivia where a computer was not readily available.

I´ve been experiencing a bit of ´mission culture´ shock since I´ve been here. The change of setting has not so far been unsettling, but I´ve been surprised by how we are interacting with the culture around us. As you may be able to tell from my last post, I came expecting to hit the ground running, abandoning my own needs in order to meet the needs of the community. Our itinerary hasn´t exactly matched my expectations.

Beginning last Thursday and continuing through this Saturday, our team has been on a learning tour hosted by the Mennonite Central Committee (alternatively MCC or CCM depending on which language you are speaking). Our time has involved much eating, touring, cultural experience and team bonding. I expected to come giving, but I just keep receiving, and I think it´s throwing me off a little bit.

Our hosts, however, have been extremely gracious. Whether Lynn, Lorry, Carl and Kathy at the MCC site in Santa Cruz, Ramont and Liz in small town Charagua, or Mennonite Colonists in the Chaco (more on that interesting twist to come), our team has been shown tremendous hospitality this last week.

Of course, there will still be a chance to freely give coming up shortly. On Sunday, MCC will be handing us over to Mennonite Mission Network for the service project to begin. Perhaps I can even find some opportunities to do so before then, if I look hard enough.

Keep our health in your prayer. Our team has been experiencing a bit of sickness. Some of my team has been experiencing a lot of sickness. Additionally, tomorrow we will be flying to Sucre and then driving to Potosi (which I learned tonight is not only the highest city in Bolivia, but, at 13,000 feet, is actually the highest city in the world) to learn about issues with water and mining, and your prayers against altitude sickness would definitely be welcome

Blessings,

Sam

A Mennonite Colonist drilling a well.

Night shot of the church and plaza in Charagua.

Temperatures were reaching record lows when we arrived. It´s warmer now.

"Freely You have Received..."

Hello, friends,

Here’s a list of ways that grace has been shown to me as I have prepared for this trip:

· During our car wash at First Presbyterian, we did a little bit to earn our way to Bolivia. However, much of our profit came from those (numerous) people who donated ten or twenty dollars for a mediocre car wash from a group of college kids going on a mission trip to Bolivia. Grace.

· I sent out a number of support letters, which many of you received, and received back an abundant amount of financial help for my trip—so much so, in fact, that two weeks after the letters were in the mail I was relieved completely of the pressure of fundraising. Among those who contributed: A roommate’s parents, whom I have never met, who sent a surprisingly generous gift and a note promising to pray; two high school students and one junior higher who decided to dip into their pockets to help send me along; two poor college students; two women who specifically asked me to send them letters so that they could support me; and some especially generous gifts from a mentor and from my church in Coarsegold. Grace.

· The fact that Mennonite Missions Network pays $1000 of my cost without compensation. Grace.

· That so many of you have promised to pray, and so many of you I know are praying even though you haven't said anything. Grace.

The point I’m trying to make is that I haven’t in any way earned this trip to Bolivia. It’s been given to me. God has blessed me with the opportunity and the means to do this almost without me even realizing what has happened.

And now I am expectantly waiting to see what other grace I’m going to find when I arrive.

In Matthew 10:8, as He is sending His disciples out to preach the Kingdom of Heaven in Israel, the Lord tells them: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”

And as I have freely received from God through Fresno Pacific University, Mennonite Missions Network, MCC and all of you this opportunity to serve in Bolivia, I hope to freely, and fully, give of myself there.

Yeesh. I already know from experience that that’s not easy. Even just last night after I came home from Bible study in Fresno I ran into a sort of spiritual brick wall, and the thought of giving freely of myself is not a very pleasant one at the moment. I'm having to realize more and more how small I am, and needing more and more to trust how big God is. And He's big. And this is all His.

At least I hope it is. I guess that's where your prayers come in.

At 10pm tonight I’ll be rolling out of Fresno Pacific University in a van with my team on our way to LAX, and (hopefully) by a little after midnight on Thursday we’ll be on the tarmac in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. See you all in four weeks.

Blessings, and thanks be to God (from Whom all blessings flow),

Sam