Feb 25- Mar 1
We are starting a blog to keep those who would like to know what is happening at Quebrada Leon up to date with events, stories, needs, and words from God. We hope to update this blog on a weekly basis, every Sunday. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
What’s happening?
At the present, all is a bustle as we are preparing for the start of the new school year, 2013. In Bolivia, the academic year commences in late February and runs through November. We start classes in March here at the institute. Everyone is working hard in various departments – reviewing applications, interviewing prospective students, harvesting rice, constructing a new dormitory, and painting. Besides maintaining the chaco (agricultural field), garden, fields, buildings, and the vehicles, we are involved in giving bible studies, prayer meetings, and health seminars on a weekly basis. The school is staffed by volunteers/missionaries from Columbia, United States, Jamaica, Sweden, and Denmark. All are content to serve in an environment where the glory of God is the underlying passion, where the love of God and one another is the common bond, where people awake to the chatter of monkeys, and where chirping birds may be heard all day.
The Kim’s have returned recently from their almost 2 month trip to the United States, bringing back more equipment and other necessities for the school. They have also brought with them fresh knowledge on treating cancer patients through natural treatments. New students and volunteers are working hard on accommodations for them including bed frames, mattresses, and shelves. We are grateful to God that we are able to use lumber from our own backyard, prepared at the carpentry shop on campus for both building and furnishing purposes. The majority of the work is accomplished by hand and we will be hauling more timber from the forest in a couple of weeks. It takes serious man power to carry it out. We have been working on the garden and reshaping the landscape for greater efficiency and better yield. We currently have pineapples, sugar cane, watermelon, tomatoes, carrots, green onions, papaya, flowers, and passion fruit; we also plan to plant corn, basil, lettuce, cilantro, and many others. There are construction workers building the dormitory for the ladies. The exterior shell is almost completed, just lacking the roof. For the kitchen, we assign 4 students/volunteers for a week to prepare meals for around 30 persons: breakfast, lunch, and a light supper. Food supplies are bought from Santa Cruz, about a 2 hours drive, every week.
We have been painting/re-painting the bathrooms, houses, and dormitory for most of the week. Some of the buildings needed serious priming and sanding of the cracks and chips. God sent us a professional painter who volunteered his time to work on several buildings needing repair and repainting, just when we needed him most. Some of us went out to the chaco to harvest the rice, weed the banana trees, and cut palm trees for the heart of palm. The vegetation grows quickly and we are constantly cutting the grass around the campus with machetes, the lawn mower, and the weed-wacker. The teachers have been busy preparing the various classes for the upcoming year.
Last Friday, we were visited by the President of the West Bolivia Mission of Seventh-day Adventists and also by the president of the Bolivia Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It was quite an honor to host them and to show them first hand what we do at Quebrada Leon as a medical missionary school. They are opening the doors for us to work with the local churches in educational, and evangelistic pursuits, and have extended to us access to radio broadcasts for our programs. How grateful we are for what the Lord is doing in opening doors for the institute to accomplish God’s purposes together with the church.
From left to right: Ben Kim, Justin Kim, Ryan Kim, Mission President of West Bolivia, Bolivian Union President, Dr. Kim, Mrs. Kim.
Mission Story/Testimony
Juan Carlos, one of our contacts made through a health fair effort in La Guardia, is a member of our health club. He has a strong desire to know and share God’s truth for abundant living. He has been recruiting other members to the health club and on one occasion brought 7 other persons with him for an impromptu visit to the institute. On that occasion we quickly organized for them a seminar on nutrition and lifstyle. Last week as the admissions committee was sitting in review of applications, an old truck drove up and there was Juan Carlos and Jhoselyn, his daughter. To our surprise, they came with their application form to see if Jhoselyn could attend the institute. It was almost completed, minus her testimony of her Christian experience. They had a few questions as regards to their membership to the Assembly of God church. Later, as we read her application, we were impressed with what she wrote in just 5 minutes about her Christian experience. It was very sincere and earnest. The next day, they came back the next day with all of Jhoselyn’s belongings. We gave them a short tour of the campus. Her father then asked for a bible study. He wanted to study on Jesus’ part in creation because he was learning for the first time last week that He is the Creator; he also wanted to lay off his doubts. He had many questions including the state of the dead. How God draws people through many different means is truly amazing. Juan Carlos came to ask for bible studies here at Quebrada Leon because he attended and was impressed with the health message through the health club. He said that he will bring about 20 people to the next health club meeting. Juan said, “I’m so happy for the studies for it has resolved many questions and doubts in my mind. We’ll be coming again with questions.” We can see what God himself is doing, not us. His daughter recently finished high school but Juan wanted his daughter to attend a school that would help her spiritually before attending an education system based on the world. He had spoken with his church pastor and he agreed and recommended that she be sent here. He has two younger children whom he plans to send here before going on to university. What the holy spirit is able to do and will do is simply amazing! We are blessed to be witnesses of wonderful events such as these. Keep praying for Juan Carlos and Jhoselyn.
Witnessed and shared by Pastor Marc.
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 and volunteer missionaries
-unity as a family of God
Needs
-volunteer carpenter
-volunteer who knows about alternative energy (solar) and general knowledge of electrical systems
-bilingual volunteer for public relations, website experience, writing skills
-volunteer with experience cooking vegan food (September)
-volunteers that want to serve the Lord (:
-vehicle to accommodate growing number of students and volunteers
Thanks to God
We are so thankful that God is ever so providing for His children working for His Kingdom. It is a wonderful and true testament to His promise that God says ask and it shall be given. Furthermore, he gives us in wonderful and abundant ways that we receive before we ask. Psalms 95:2 says, “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” Always keep your eyes on Jesus and He will solve all your problems. Amen.
Pictures:
Threshing rice in the chaco.
Hauling wood from the jungle needed to construct the girl’s dormitory.
Staff/volunteer meeting for the coming school year.
Visitations in Calera, man on left is Don Santiago.
One of our vegan lunches (plantain, salad, rice, beans, guacamole).
