More Visits

So sometimes when you have meetings at projects that work with kids you get the opportunity to really see what life is like from the kids’ perspective. The picture below is me in my really small chair waiting for our meeting to start. Seriously, I sat in this chair during the entire meeting...about two hours...I love how my New Balance shoes just seem to glow…



Our visits to projects continued last week on Thursday and we visited two more projects that are part of the Soforthilfe foundation. Soforthilfe is German for “Immediate Help” and the foundation has five different projects. I wrote about my experience visiting their street ministry in a previous post.

Last Thursday we visited two more of their projects. One project is called CATI where they offer a safe and secure environment for kids to come to. They help the kids with their school work, they feed them and they strive to help meet the needs of the kids...needs across the board…from washing the kids to help keep them clean to spiritual growth exercises. CATI is for kids ages 6 + and all of these kids are at-risk and most live on the streets.

The other project that we visited was called MI CASITA and it is a similar program to what they do at CATI but this home is for kids less than six years old. There are about 40 kids involved in the project right now. The kids were so little and cute. They were eating lunch when we arrived then of course came nap time. I snapped a few photos of the kids sleeping. In one of the rooms there were twelve kids sleeping all together in a row. They had some cushions underneath them but I really wish that I had some of those blue mats we use in the states to give to them.

It was another successful day visiting projects. We have visited eight different projects so far and I think we have about three or four more to go. We are currently developing a website for our program that helps all of these projects and over the next two to three weeks I will be gathering all of the info that we need for the site so that I can get it to our designer. Getting all of the info together for this site is my main focus these next few weeks. Once we get this website launched I hope to work with some of these projects more directly to help them accomplish some of their marketing and communication goals.

This German foundation Soforthilfe is really doing some great work and I am excited to help them. They currently receive all of their funding from Germany and a few other countries but they have no support in the US. I hope to help them break into the US market.

New Response

So I had a thought this afternoon. I have a new response for when people ask me why I am not married yet.

I am going to start telling people that it is just taking me longer to name the animals than it took other guys. Ha.

I Had it My Way

I did it. I caved. I have been away from the states about 90 days and I couldn't take it anymore. A family from church invited me to lunch today and we ended up at Burger King.

What you see above is a Whopper Double combo with King-sized fries and a King-sized Coke.

And it was all that I had hoped it would be.

He’s not a machine, He’s a man

At the Home of Martha and Mary

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” John 10:38-42

In my weekly meeting with my pastor here a few days ago this story hit me square upside the head. The timing of it was nothing short of a God thing. You see, for the first three months of my life here in La Paz I have been Martha in the story above. I have been someone distracted by the work that is in front of me. I have been someone who has been worried, upset and anxious about many things. I have been someone who at times has valued serving God way more than just sitting at His feet and listening to Him.

I don’t really think that Jesus’ point in the story above is that serving Him is wrong. If fact, it is great. It is just an issue of balance. But I think what Martha missed and what I miss sometimes is that when you have opportunities to connect directly with Christ and listen to Him directly you have to take those opportunities and not miss them. My pastor Ron told me that my life should be like a pendulum. I should swing back and forth between spending time alone with God and serving God. Back and forth. From one to the other. It is a matter of perspective as well. He also asked me if I used my cell phone so that I would have to charge it or do I charge it so that I can use it. Wow.

Do I serve God so that I will have to spend time with Him for renewal or do I spend time with Him so that I am charged and ready to serve Him? I truly believe that authentic service of Christ can only stem from an intimate connected relationship with Him. I could hide behind service to Christ and people might think that I am a “great Christian”. But I am nothing if I am separated from the vine.

I have spent some amazing time with God lately and God actually helped me realize this before I read the story above on Wednesday. The story above from John was just confirmation in me that most of my time here in La Paz has been out of balance. And confirmation that if I continue down the path I am on, the result is going to be burnout and distance from God.

I have even written it here in my blog. Go back to my Call of Duty post and you can see it plainly. I mention a pretty intense list of projects and then I say that I am looking for more. More to do. More service. As much service as I can get. I didn't write about looking to just sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Him more, I wrote about looking for more service.

Well during another visit to a project yesterday I felt God nudge me during our meeting and speak to me and say… “Curt, you have enough to think about already. Look at the projects that I have given you already. Just focus on what is in front of you and don’t look for more. You are right where I want you. I know that you want to spend time with kids but if you look closely I have placed kids in your life already if you will just take the time to get to know them. I gave you your Marketing skills and just look how much need there is in front of you for those skills. There is ministry after ministry who needs help in Marketing and I brought you here so that you could use your skills to help them. Curt, I need you in the strategic Marketing area right now. It is a huge need here in La Paz. That is where I have placed you and that is where you can do the most for My Kingdom right now. There will always be at-risk kids to visit here. Slow down and don’t rush. You are not a machine, you are a man. Put down the to-do list sometimes and just enjoy being human. Do you see the snow-capped mountains all around you? When was the last time you stopped and admired my creation? Curt, My love for you is not based on your productivity. I made that clear when I modeled the Sabbath for you. Us spending time together is more important to me than you checking a project off of a list.”

My ears were open to hearing these words from God only because recently I have made spending time at His feet and listening to Him more of a priority. My life has been more of a balance between Mary and Martha. I have WANTED to hear from Him. And when we actually want to hear from God it is amazing what He tells us sometimes.

So for right now I am going to follow His advice. Right now the only thing that I am actively looking for more of is time alone with God. I am not going to worry about finding MORE ministries and projects. My focus is going to be on the projects and ministries that God has placed right in front of me. They need my attention right now.

Another Gift

Below is a photo of another gift that the team that visited me brought...

If there is one thing that God has shown me in these first three months it is that one of the things that Bolivia needs the most is...more cowbell.

Recap

Well it has been a few weeks since the team that visited me from Georgia left Bolivia. It was so great to see some familiar faces but hosting was also very stressful. I learned a lot and I know that trips in the future will only be better.

Here is a photo of the group that visited…


Chris, Doug, Allen, Chuck and Foley

A special delivery of Publix chocolate chip cookies...thanks Paul and Juanita!!!



The team was here for about two weeks and they split their time between Cochabamba and La Paz. One of the things that made the trip challenging was that the team was not here to accomplish a specific project. People had different objectives and goals. My pastor from home, Foley, was here to share three nights of messages at one of the Anglican churches here. Doug is an ex-paramedic and he was here to give first aid/CPR classes to workers from different ministries working with at-risk kids. Allen was here just experiencing the culture for the first time and Chris and Chuck were here for meetings and also to just minister to me.

A few photos of the team at work…







There is another group from church that is planning a trip down in July. I am excited to host them and excited to have them here to get them involved with what God is doing here in Bolivia. It is truly a blessing that my home church is so excited to bring teams down here to Bolivia. Although managing and hosting the teams is difficult for me because hosting is not my gift and I haven’t been here very long, I just praise and thank God that anybody wants to come. I have some other friends who are planning trips down this year and I am excited to have them experience the Bolivian culture and have their eyes opened to what God is doing down here.

I am just trying to see the big picture through the challenges. God is at work and it is just a privilege and honor to play some small part in His plan.

Soul Mate

Well...after only three months I believe that I have found my soul mate here in La Paz.

Check us out...



Mr. Pibb and Dr. Pepper are my two favorite sodas and they are no where to be found here in Bolivia. Or so I thought. I heard rumors recently that occasionally cans of Dr. Pepper will appear at the grocery store. Today I found six and I bought them all.

They are in my fridge getting cold as I type this.

I think I have found my soul mate.