Thank You

My first year in La Paz is winding down (the countdown clock shows about three weeks left until I head back to Atlanta) and I am trying to reflect on what 2008 meant to me.

But one thing I keep coming back to is the overwhelming gratitude that I have for my family and friends back home who make this whole thing possible. I thank God because He is working in your hearts.

But I seriously would not be able to serve here in Bolivia as a missionary if I didn't have your prayers and your support. So...thank you, thank you, thank you.

And I look forward to telling you "gracias" in person when I get back to the states in December.

As I reviewed my most recent posts I realized that most of them are "What's going on with me" posts and not really "What God is speaking to me" posts. I think that's because I am not making enough one on one time with God. I am not giving Him enough chances to speak to me.

I know that there have been a few sermons and passages that have spoken to me recently but I guess not strongly enough for me to write about them. My lack of alone time with God makes me want to get sick sometimes.

I need Him now more than ever. Someone told me before I left last year for Bolivia that I needed at least an hour every day alone with God. It's not that I feel guilty and think God is checking off a list our cheering when I spend time with Him.

I just miss Him.

I wish I had followed their advice about the one hour each day.
Actually, I think right now I will.

I am going to talk and listen to God for the next hour instead of worshipping this laptop...

I'm back....

Hey y'all.

I am back safe and sound in La Paz. I enjoyed a wonderful few days in Cochabamba attending a workshop talking about the mobilization of resources. It was heavily focused in marketing and fundraising and although not all of the info was new to me, I learned a great deal. And I made a great new contact with the guy who led the workshop. He is the Director of Communications for the Stromme Foundation, a large foundation based in Norway whose vision is a world free of poverty.

Check them out at www.stromme.org.

They mainly use education and microfinance loans as their tools.

But the whole experience just made we want more focus in my mission here in Bolivia. This past year I felt like I have helped a wide variety of ministries and organizations with marketing projects but I keep feeling in my heart that with some more time here God is going to give me more focus. I guess that is natural when you come to a new environment. You take it all in, see your options, pray and at some point God says..."this."

Well, I think I am just still waiting for the "this."

Something I do have is a fiance who shares the same missionary calling that I do. And I have no doubt that God has a plan for us as a couple. 2009 will be a big year for prayer for us. Praying for direction and guidance as a team. Something tells me in my heart that God is going to burden both Paola and I with a ministry or an orphanage or something...

We both know it is coming and we are waiting anxiously to know what it is that God needs us to do together.

The workshop this past weekend just made me crave that "one specific ministry" more. I want God to say "this" and I want to pour every ounce of marketing & communication creativity that He has given me into it.

God...just say "this" and I will say "ok."

Workshop

So last night I took an overnight bus with a few other folks to Cochabamba. I am in Cochabamba today and tomorrow attending a workshop. The purpose of the workshop is to learn more about raising/mobilizing funds for projects. It will be taught be someone from the Stromme Foundation, which is a big international foundation based in Norway.

I will be staying at the Bishop's house tonight and I am sure that I will be answering alot of questions about Paola. Speaking of Paola...I really miss her. We will only be separated for a few days but I know that this is but a small taste of what it will feel like in December when we are separated for three full weeks.

I just praise God that she got her visa to the states. That way...in December we will only be separated for three weeks and not five weeks. Praise God.

She's legal

Hey everybody.

Great news. Paola got her visa today at the US Embassy!!! God is so good. I know that He was at work during this whole process. And they gave her a visa for two years. Sweet. Everything went smoothly. They asked me to come to the window to talk as well and they gave her the visa no problems.

So...it's official. She is coming to the states for a visit at the end of the year. I need to go to work planning her visit. I will be picking her up in Miami on Dec. 28 and she will be staying for a few weeks. We will then travel back to Bolivia together.

I am so excited that she will have the opportunity to meet my family and friends and visit the church. So get ready Atlanta...here comes Paola Ruth Aramayo Montenegro. My future wife.

Thank you so much for your prayers. WE will see you soon.

A few things...

I now have the internet up and running at my new place so the phone lines are now open for business again. And I promise a new cribs video next week.

Paola has her visa interview at the US Embassy early tomorrow morning so please pray for her. I really want her to meet y'all at the end of the year.

And I just noticed that the countdown clock on the blog shows 29 days until I come home. I can't wait to see you. What a year.

Unplugged

Hey everybody.

First of all, thanks for all of your comments and messages congratulating me on my engagement to Paola. Thanks for the messages here on the blog. And thanks for the messages and comments on Facebook as well.

We are very very happy and it is all God´s fault.
He is totally to blame.
We can´t tell our story without talking about Him. Figures.
And I think that was what He had in mind.
Something about Him getting the glory or something like that...

Anyway...I also wanted to let you know that not only did I get engaged last Thursday but this past Saturday I moved into a new apartment as well. So there is lots of newness for me right now. I do not have the internet installed in my new place yet so I don´t have access to my Vonage phone right now. I, unfortunately, can´t call the states at the moment from home but I am hoping to have it up and running this week sometime. Which is really bad timing because I have so many people that I want to call right now.

Just wanted to give you a heads up. Lots going on in my life right now and to add to everything I am preparing to come home in 30 days. I have so much to do here in La Paz in this last month and I have alot to do as well to prepare for my trip home.

Keep checking my good ole blog here for the final month play by play.

Down...set...hut...

The Engagement

Well...it happened...I AM ENGAGED!!!

What???? You leave to become a missionary in Bolivia and 11 months later you are engaged?

I know. God is truly amazing. I prayed for a long time that God would let me meet my future wife. It was a huge desire that I had. But I also tried to keep it in the desire box and realize that finding a wife was not something that God owed me. And if it happened I would praise Him...and if it didn't happen I would praise Him.

Well it happened.

And I can see more and more each day how God was working behind the scenes to bring Paola and I together. She is a gift from God and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her and spend my life serving Christ with her. It is going to be a wild ride for sure.

But this past Thursday night, October 30th, I invited her to have dinner with me at a restaurant at the top of one of the hotels here in La Paz. And I proposed. I broke down. She broke down. But most importantly she said...yes.

We are very very blessed and happy.

We have set the date for the civil ceremony here in La Paz on Saturday, November 29th. (Yes that's right...28 days from now.) And we are looking at March 2009 for the church ceremony also here in La Paz. The church ceremony is this most important thing for us so although we will "technically" be married according to law on Nov. 29th we will not have rings or live together until the church ceremony in March. I will share more about the details when I get back to Atlanta in early December. But at some point we will have a reception in the states because I know it will difficut for friends and family to get down here to La Paz for the wedding.

But for now...enjoy this photo album that I uploaded to Picasa. It gives you a snapshot of how this amazing amazing night went down.

Blessings.