March 3-March 9
Events
The start of school this year has been a little hectic. We have been working very hard to prepare accommodations and to cook the large amounts of food required to feed approximately 50 people. Currently, there are students from Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, United States, Guyana, and volunteers/missionaries from the United States, Columbia, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Jamaica. The Lord has impressed so many from all over the world to further His Kingdom at a place called Quebrada Leon. Wouldn’t you say Amen?
This past week, we have seen many applications and unexpected arrivals of students. Through God’s providence, this school year will see the largest attendance of both students and volunteers/missionaries. The past couple years, we have not exceeded 20 persons in total, but it has more than doubled that record this year! We have a carpenter constructing bunk beds for the large number of people. God has protected us even with all the hard labor and thankfully, we have not had too many injuries. One of our students received a gash from a machete on her head while working to clear a path in the jungle. Praise the Lord it was not a deep wound and is healing very well now. The people hauling wood are sore with abrasions and cuts as the wood is very heavy and treacherous to carry through the narrow, steep, and often slippery trails. Others have been working on more painting and concrete work to have the classroom finished before school commences. It is a very messy job as the brick walls require a mixture of limestone and water (cal or whitewash) before the application of paint.
Most of us are learning new skills required for the different tasks at hand. For some of us, it is our first time working with machetes, hoes, shovels, wrenches, electrical wires, knives, vegetable/fruit juicer, gas stoves, axes, weed-wackers, and other tools. Through shifts or rotations we all share in the work so we all acquire the skills and experience to handle everything. Helping the students to adopt a Christ centered lifestyle, based on a balanced schedule to make them into an independent missionaries, is one of our goals in training students.
We support two churches, one in San Jose and a budding church in La Guardia. The fruits of our labors are beginning to show with more regular attendance at the church in San Jose. What used to be only a few members has now enlarged to more than 15 regular attendees. We used to have many bible studies, but now we are concentrating more on those who show more interest and desire to learn about the Bible in La Guardia. Our recent visitations to Calera (the town nearest to our institute, 3km away) have resulted in at least 10 bible studies and more who are interested in learning more about health and the Bible. The response has been a blessing to us and an encouragement to study the Bible more ourselves.
Mission Story/Testimony
Recently, our family came back from the states. Every year, we go back to the states, if we have the funds, for a month or two to share with others what God has been doing here in Quebrada Leon. In the process, we purchased what is needed at this school and we had made the payments with a credit card, which we paid off before leaving the states. When we returned to Bolivia, I received a statement from the credit card company saying that we owed some more money. I realized that the statement was accurate and that we owed an amount that I did not have enough funds to cover. Within an hour, I received an email that someone had sent some funds. The timing was incredible because he had already sent the funds, but he sent me the email about an hour after my trial with the statement. When I received the email, I found that it could cover the bills on the credit card and have enough to carry us through the month. I was amazed to see how God had provided for us again. I looked back over the purchases and realized that those were things that we needed at the school, and not frivolous items. I felt that we had done our part and I was so happy and overjoyed because God had provided for us so generously.
Words of Dr. Kim.
Needs:
-volunteer carpenter
-volunteer who knows about alternative energy (solar) and general knowledge of electrical systems
-bilingual volunteer for public relations
-volunteer with experience cooking vegan food (September)
-volunteers that want to serve the Lord
-car to accommodate growing number of students (church, bible studies, etc.)
Prayer List:
-that God may send students who need this Institute to grow in Christ
-that we may be able to construct the buildings necessary for the school to function smoothly
-continued guidance for the leaders/volunteers/missionaries
-unity as a family of God
Thanks to God
We praise God for the willingness of all those here to serve others who are in physical, mental, and spiritual need. The drive to bring others to Christ is effected only through the Holy Spirit. As the scriptures saith in Ezekiel 26:27, “And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” and Matthew 9:37 tells us, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19,20.
Pictures
Singing and sharing hymns of praise with our neighbors in Calera.
Visitations with another neighbor.
Painting and re-plastering concrete in the main classroom.
