Pine

Oswald J. Smith once said, “The mission of the Church is missions.” Presbyterian Missionary Union was established in January of 1985 to help the Bible Presbyterian Church, General Synod, fulfill its mission. Throughout its history, the work of PMU has been focused upon advancing the testimony of Christ through the BPC. In recent years, PMU has enjoyed a growth in the number of “boots on the ground” on various mission fields around the world, for which we are grateful. Also, we have been serving as the “front door” for many folks as they explore what it means to be a Bible Presbyterian, or how to start a church.

In order to accomplish these ancillary ministries, PMU depends upon the gifts of God’s people. We especially look to local congregations of the Bible Presbyterian Church as the primary source for underwriting the work. We are also very thankful for the loving and faithful gifts of those from other branches of the Body of Christ who take part in regular giving or special projects.

The expansion of PMU’s testimony in the world has been costly, and God has been generous through his people. The work has progressed over twenty-five years to the point that now new vigor in financial and prayer support is needed to maintain the home and foreign missions efforts that have developed so well over the past few years. Still, the question begs to be asked: “Why should I support PMU?” Perhaps the best way to answer this question is through some typical stories from the fields on which we serve.

Compassion

Love for the Lost

Before coming to Christ and responding to the Lord’s call to the gospel ministry, Rev. Mark Baldwin was a successful engineer and systems analyst at GE. He left his lucrative salary and nearly all of his worldly possessions behind to travel to Cambodia in 2004 to serve some of the poorest people in the region. And he does not serve them at arm’s length from an ivory tower, but rather in their midst adopting their customs, learning their language, enjoying their food, and assisting them in their necessity in ways that encourage their dependence upon God and not men. His love for them is palpable, and it demonstrates itself in the fervor with which he applies himself to the “3-D” ministry of the gospel among them.

Love for the Church

In 2004, PMU began working with Rev. Khawlrokima to assist him in his burden to reach his native land of Myanmar with the gospel of Jesus Christ, particularly people groups that were largely passed over by other churches in the country. Starting with a house church in Yangon, the ministry has now grown in a few short years to twelve mission stations, two orphanage centers, and two preschool ministries spread across three of Myanmar’s states. The Yangon body is now a particular church with its own well-qualified elders and is actively working to evangelize the city as well as providing oversight for the mission stations. We share Kima’s passion to develop biblically qualified leadership, and regularly send professors to assist him in providing a seminary level education for the future pastors of the Bible Presbyterian Church of Myanmar.

Care

Of Resources

The world is full of incredible opportunities to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of people. Multiple requests for assistance from around the world are the norm here in the office. In many cases, it is not question of the worthiness of the project being promoted: we could spend our budget three times over and still not meet all the requests that we receive throughout any given year. But we recognize that our donors give to this agency because they entrust us to be careful in how the funds are used. Designated funds go to the designated account; every dime that is given for any particular missionary goes to that missionary’s account; great caution is taken to make sure that General Fund dollars are not squandered on items and services that do not advance PMU’s mission; accountability practices are stringently followed to maintain our financial integrity. And, we use what we have to strengthen current fields first before adding other projects, however worthy additional projects might be. When great needs arise from among our brethren in sister churches around the world, we require accountability for the use of those funds. Occasionally, some on those foreign fields take exception to our insistence of accountability; when that happens, the funds cease to go there. We will not compromise on good stewardship of the Lord’s money which is given through faithful donors.

Of Personnel

Staying aware of changing political and social “climates” in foreign lands and home mission fields is a challenge, but we take this duty seriously. Of course, the personal needs of our missionaries and church planters often shift in response to those changes. For example, on our largest field in Asia, Miriam has found that the only constant thing in that culture is change. Through the years as various crises have occurred in employment, government policy reversals, and opposition to her work, Miriam’s calls for help have been answered by changing policies to decrease Council response time, providing clearer parameters for independent action on the part of field personnel, increasing salary when necessary to meet a sudden need, simplifying reimbursements, defending her against brethren (true and false) who would undermine her labor, and making sure that connections back home stay strong. All of this along with doing what is necessary to keep bank accounts healthy enough to not only keep her on the field, but to help her thrive on the field. Caring for God’s servants is a top priority.

Commitment

To Presbyterian Government and Doctrine

In a day when church government grows increasingly congregational, PMU’s missionaries are standing firmly for the propagation of biblical church government regardless of the cost. In Western Australia, Ed Paauwe’s firm stand on Reformed faith and practice has led to the formation of a new church when his former congregation decided to follow congregational and non-Reformed practice and doctrine contrary to the church constitution. It was a painful time, but the Paauwes and the majority of the Session held firm in their commitment. Today a thriving new congregation has been established in the area and is already active in supporting missions efforts of like character in the region. We praise the Lord for their faithfulness!

Here at home, PMU is committed to operating in a functionally subordinate role to the denomination as a whole. All Council members, and all full-time missionaries, are members of the BPC General Synod as a matter of policy. We do not begin to discuss bringing a missionary or church planter on board unless they are first approved by a church Session or a regional Presbytery. We honor the discipline of the Church and will not subvert it by elevating our own goals above the courts of the Church. We work closely with our Presbyteries and local churches to identify potential church planting locations, recruit qualified workers, and provide such resources as may be useful in the pursuit of the mission of the local church. We are first and foremost a Bible Presbyterian entity that exists to aid the Synod in its appointed task of disciple-making and church planting.

To Like-minded Brethren

While it is not always possible to supply regular support for new mission fields at present, we are delighted to be able to serve the Church at large in occasional ministries that aim at edifying brethren who seek us out for training, counsel, and encouragement. For example, Dr. Pine, working with other members of the PMU Missions Council, has had the privilege of providing training in India on church government and biblical connectionalism as an aid to planting churches with a wonderful group of brethren who are the spiritual progeny of BP missions years ago. That training established a relationship of mutual help and encouragement that may eventually result in more concrete ties in the years ahead as the Lord directs. Whether it does or not, PMU has played a vital part in assisting these brethren in furthering their testimony in northern India, and for that we are thankful. Dr. Pine and other Council members have done similar work in Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Bolivia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Peru.

Occasionally we also have the privilege of serving the larger Church among brethren in other Bible-believing bodies here in North America, and we count it a privilege to do so. Ministry visits, concerts, conference participation, and being a general resource on a broader scale is also part of fulfilling our purpose for existence.

To Vibrant, Biblical Christianity

At PMU we do not believe that it is enough to have a presence in a community without actually impacting that community. Our missionary to Bolivia, Rev. David Quisbert, demonstrates his passion for a vital and visible Church in everything that he does. His days are full of evangelism through personal contact, tract distribution, radio ministry, web presence, and youth outreach. He takes advantage of opportunities to minister to the homeless and destitute in Jesus’ name, testify of Christ to national leaders in public and private, train others to plant churches around the country, encourage like-minded brethren in their work in various parts of the city and nation without jealousy, and participate in regional ministries that bring faithful believers together from all over South America for a united testimony to the power of the gospel to save souls. All of this work is in addition to the regular pastoral care that he gives to his congregation through the various ministry efforts of the local church in La Paz.

Watching David preach Christ to the president of the country one day, and kneeling down beside a homeless beggar the next day with a plate of food and a tender urging to Christ, we are reminded of the Scriptural admonitions to be ready to boldly give account in the highest echelons of society, and to live out true and undefiled religion in ministering to the poor. In reality, we have now come full circle: this is living out compassion for the lost in ways that are tangible and genuine. We are thankful for such missionaries as these who serve in our ranks.

How Can I Help?

And so our initial question has found an answer. Compassion, care, and commitment add up to an agency that by God’s grace is endeavoring to faithfully do God’s work in the portion of the vineyard known as the Bible Presbyterian Church and its faithful “neighbors.” We are here to help you fulfill your mission. But we need your help in return.

Previous sources of income upon which we built our current efforts were, in the providence of God, unexpectedly terminated in the past year. We have cut extra expenses, trimmed back everywhere that we can while still keeping essential operations going, made regular pleas for additional funds, and still find ourselves coming up critically short. We will soon be tapping limited emergency funds just to keep current efforts going. We find ourselves in the frustrating position of being unable to expand our efforts to meet additional needs that come to our attention. So, the Lord is making it possible for us to see his wonderful provision through his people once again.

Will you be part of that provision through committing to regular contributions, especially to PMU’s General Fund and the account of our Field Director, Dr. Pine? If you already do so, either individually or through your local church, would you please consider increasing the amount that you give? Naturally, pray with us as well:

· That the Lord will provide the necessary resources;

· That he will call people to himself who love the faith “once delivered unto the saints” and want to start churches;

· That he will raise up pastors and missionaries to answer the call to serve;

· That he will preserve us through all challenges to the work.

The work of PMU is vital for the ongoing testimony of Christ through the BPC in this country and abroad. There are many organizations pleading for funds, we know. Presbyterian Missionary Union walks in a unique and committed relationship to the BPC, and in doing so makes itself useful to the larger body of Christ as well. Partnering with you in the gospel ministry is the reason we exist: may God grant that our partnership will be fruitful for Christ for the next twenty-five years. Thanks for your prayerful support.

As we approach the end of 2009 and look ahead to the coming year, we rejoice in God’s provision of all that has been needed for the work of PMU thus far. In His providence, we are also experiencing the effects of the economic downturn and the challenges of being committed to serving the missionary program of a small denomination. Some of our missionaries’ accounts are doing very well indeed: we praise the Lord for the abundant support for Rev. Mark Baldwin’s work in Cambodia. The Paauwes’ support for their work in Australia is also in good shape. Our other accounts need your help and prayers. Miriam’s monthly support is about $500 under budget. The Kimas’ support is short about $350. Rev. Quisbert’s support will increase next year as the Lord provides. We currently will need an additional $600 monthly to meet the Bolivia mission needs. The General Fund is about $800 short every month. And Dr. Pine’s account is in the greatest need, averaging $1,550 below budget monthly. All support accounts currently have positive balances in them, praise the Lord, and we are able to function. But those balances are not large, and those that are running at a deficit will soon be depleted without assistance from God’s people. We have cut our budget as much as possible while still being able to carry on. Can you help? Pray with us that the Lord will provide through His people so that the vital work PMU missionaries are doing will not be hindered in the coming year. Thank you very much.

Our Lord was gracious beyond comprehension as He enabled Dr. and Mrs. Pine to travel to Cambodia and Myanmar last month to help Revs. Baldwin and Kima in their labors on those fields. First, He supplied all the funds necessary to go. Second, He prepared the hearts of young people and parents from two different Cambodian villages to desire to attend (and keep attending!) a first-ever VBS program in the countryside. Over two hundred children participated and heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, many for the first time. Third, the Pines enjoyed the fellowship of not only Rev. Baldwin, but also Miss Miriam, who came down from her field for a “holiday” of fellowship and mutual labor with the children. The Pines and Rev. Baldwin were blessed by her help and company. And, the face-to-face opportunity to take care of vital business related to the ministries on their respective fields was of great value. Fourth, at our Sunday services in the village of Prey Pdao, a man who has been hostile to the work of the gospel there slipped in during the service and sat quietly through the message, attentively taking in every word. This man has been instrumental in hindering the work there prior to this, so we are praying that the Lord will use His Word to soften a hard heart and win this man to Christ.

The blessings continued in Myanmar. Miriam returned to her field, so the Pines arrived on their own in Yangon to work for about ten days in primarily adult ministries. Dr. Pine taught a concentrated course in biblical interpretation to the lay pastors of the mission churches in the Shan State and to interested elders as well. They were excellent students! The course was in cooperation with Western Reformed Seminary in Tacoma, Washington.

Karen Pine taught a seminar to the ladies of the churches on the roles of women in the church and home, and that seminar was very well received. One of the pastors’ wives in the Shan State will take this material and teach it again in her area (a village where foreigners cannot go). In addition, Karen did Bible clubs with the Yangon pre-school and the Mingala Children’s Home, which the children loved. As in Cambodia, the clubs were filled with Bible lessons, crafts, music, and games. The Pines also were able to host the children at the Yangon zoo and an adjoining amusement park on a Saturday. Dr. Pine preached in the Yangon church both Sundays the Pines were there, and the blessing of fellowship with God’s people in Yangon was incredible. For more on this great ministry, see Dr. Pine’s online blog at http://lenpine.wordpress.com.

The Pines are extremely grateful for the prayers of God’s people while they were traveling; for the hard work done by the ladies of the Grand Island BPC to prepare all the craft materials for the ministry (30 lbs. worth!); for the donors who gave so generously to underwrite the expenses of the trip; and to the Lord for His safe keeping and blessing as He demonstrated so clearly His presence in these wonderful works.

We praise the Lord for His goodness which was poured out on the Bible Presbyterian Church’s 73rd General Synod, August 6-11, in Bristol, Virginia. Rev. Garry Cole and the Ryder Memorial Presbyterian Church were our hosts, and produced an atmosphere of welcome and Southern hospitality that none of the delegates or guests will soon forget. From the first day until the last, the easy grace of Ryder Church family made all feel at home.
Synod’s theme this year, chosen by outgoing Moderator Rev. G. W. Fisher, was “The Sweetness of Prayer.” The theology and practice of prayer was developed throughout the week along the lines that are revealed in the writings of John Calvin (principally the Institutes of the Christian Religion), whose 500th birthday anniversary the Synod observed this year. Particularly in view of the Calvin anniversary, the Synod was pleased to welcome Dr. Joel Beeke to the pulpit on the opening night of Synod to speak on “Calvin and Piety.” Dr. Beeke is arguably the world’s foremost living authority on Calvin and is also a pastor, an educator, and an author of international renown. His message was a blessing to us — and so was his well-stocked book table, which delegates scoured clean.
In light of the theme, a new feature was added to the docket this year. Throughout the day, prayer was conducted for our business and the church at large by friends, visitors, and delegates who were not otherwise engaged in the business of the day. These regular gatherings for prayer were a reflection of the quiet and prayerful attitude that prevailed at this year’s Synod.
Other highlights of the Synod included the presence and participation of Rev. John Janbaz, elder statesman of the BPC, who had attended the very first General Synod of the BPC in 1938, and made the trip out from California to attend this year; the delightful ambience of our meeting hall, the Bristol Train Station, which sits next to an active freight line with all its attendant (and delightful, for train buffs!) distractions; a most enjoyable women’s day including a play, lunch, and Highland Festival shopping; Sunday services under tents in the State Park across the street from the church; an Appalachian-style concert on Sunday afternoon by Dr. and Mrs. Pine, Miss Emily Blizzard, and the Synod choir; and an outdoor, riverside banquet that featured the best of southern cooking, homemade ice cream, and a wonderful closing message by Rev. Stephen Johnson.
The newly-elected Moderator, Dr. Len Pine, now serves with his fellow officers, Rev. Stephen Johnson (Vice Moderator), Rev. John Dyck (Clerk), Rev. Steven Brinegar (Assistant Clerk), Elder Frank Williams (Treasurer), and Elder Eric Lasch (Assistant Treasurer). The next Synod is slated to be held at Grace Bible Presbyterian Church in Sharonville, Ohio, August 5-10, 2010. Please pray for these men as they fulfill their duties, and pray for the Lord’s blessings on the BPC in the years ahead.

On September 23, Dr. and Mrs. Pine will take flight for Cambodia and Myanmar, where they will spend three weeks visiting with Rev. Mark Baldwin and Rev. Khawl Ro Kim and family. These visits will include joining in with the ongoing work on these two fields in a major way: conducting two VBS programs in the countryside of Cambodia, and training church leaders with a WRS course in Hermeneutics (Len) and training ladies in matters of biblical perspective on women’s roles in church and home (Karen) in Myanmar. The Pines will also conduct a one-day Bible school with the orphanage children in Yangon.
Please pray for the Lord to provide all the funds needed to cover the expenses of this costly effort. Pray, too, for safety in travel, and wisdom and excellence in all the many areas of preparation necessary to carry this off. We thank the Lord for the able and eager assistance the ladies at the Grand Island BPC have given for the crafts portion of the VBS ministries. Rev. Baldwin is expecting as many as two hundred children to attend! Miriam is coming to join the team and help with the VBS program in Cambodia. Please pray for her safety in travel and an uneventful return to her own field. The Pines and Miriam will be in Cambodia until October 2, and then the Pines will travel on to Myanmar, where they will remain until October 13.

Wednesday was kind of a blur, as I still felt rotten and weak and couldn’t get out to do anything. Certain aspects of this thing just wouldn’t let up. Couldn’t figure out what the problem was and was beginning to suspect a parasite of some kind. Everyone was worried. I just wanted to be able to preach, and not have my gut hurt!

In the morning, tract distribution was scheduled, and Pastor David had prepared about 3000 to send out. I heard them when they left, and when they came back. They were pretty excited. All 3000 had been given out in about an hour, and they came up to see me and tell me how people crossed the street to come and get a tract, how eager many were to receive one, how exciting it was, how they wished people in the States wanted to hear about the good news of Christ with the same determination. They had a good time.

The afternoon was free time so the team could go out and do some shopping. They had been looking forward to this for a long time, and I was very sorry not to go with them. I stayed in bed, feeling marginally stronger and wanting to keep it that way. It was very quiet during the afternoon, and I slept it away. Meanwhile, they were busy! They enjoyed exploring the Witches’ Market area and finding their own places to buy gifts of thanks and remembrance for people back home. By the time they returned, they were pretty tired, but showed me the stuff they bought like warriors returning in triumph. And, some of them did really well in the bartering – others, well, let’s just say they were a little too soft-hearted!

I tried eating a very little before the service, but it didn’t set very well, so I quit. One of the church members came up to the office about a half hour before the service – he was helping conduct the opening parts of the service – and started talking to me about my symptoms. He’s a dentist, a very fine man, and was quite concerned for me. His name is Victor, and a good friend. Anyway, after hearing what was going on, he said it was clear to him that I had an intestinal infection, not a parasite, and he knew what I needed. He and Roldan took off to a local pharmacy and were back in a few minutes with some strong antibiotics and some other things, including an instant Bolivian version of Gatorade, and got me going on it. I was ready to try anything.

The Lord helped me through a long, emotional farewell service, and the message went pretty well. Started slow. Ed told me it took about 5 minutes for the engine to start running properly, and it felt that way. But the Lord gave the strength, and the preaching seemed to go well. I usually am a little on the longish side anyway, and these messages are all translated – even though I shorten them a bit, it’s still twice as long due to the translation, so we go about an hour. It was a long time to stand, but I hardly felt it once I got going. The Lord was good. I’ll admit I was ready to sit down, though!

Well, Victor’s prescription worked. I slept through the night for the first time since Saturday, and woke up feeling alive again. So well, in fact, that I spent the day with the team walking (slowly!) around La Paz through a museum and in some nice parks with views of the city, even doing a little shopping with them. Was pretty wiped by the end of the day, but it was great to be out again, and to spend our last day in Bolivia in fellowship with more than my pillow.

It was a beautiful, warm day, and the museum we went to was a great way for the team to get to know the history and culture of the area. It even had rooms full of silver and gold from the Inca days, and lots of dioramas, costumes, weapons, etc., from a the various eras of La Paz’ history. It’s located in a preserved area of old colonial La Paz that takes you back a couple of hundred years to what the streets were like then. The parks are perched on top of ridges that overlook the city, and have a lot of big toys (concrete and steel, not wood like here) and play areas for kids. My particular favorite thing to do in Laikkota Park is to spin the kids around on the merry-go-round until they scream for mercy, and then they laugh and want me to do it again. Once I start with a few of them, any kid within sight comes running to jump on. It’s fun. The girls and Pastor David slid down a giant slide, and Ed and a few others allowed themselves to be swallowed by a giant alligator. The locals must think we’re crazy.

After lunch it was time to finish up the last minute shopping before heading back to the church for a special farewell meal. It was a feast, and Gloria and Gonzaga worked all day preparing it. My only regret was that I couldn’t hardly eat anything. But no one else seemed to have that difficulty, and the food was delicious. They had even obtained a cake from a local bakery and we had a wonderful celebration. Gloria and Gonzaga have worked so hard throughout our time here, with absolute joy and a determination not to let us do anything for ourselves that they could do for us. They are very special people.

So the day ended with last minute packing – had to get up at 3:30 in the morning or so. Rachel and Liz were determined to just stay up all night, which they did, and I think regretted doing the next day! The Quisberts and Irustas all came the next morning with us to the airport, and patiently waited while we got checked in, guarding our carry-on stuff. We all went to breakfast at Burger King in the airport before tearfully saying goodbye. These are good friends, well-met, and it has been a trip that no one will quickly forget. Thanks for your prayers. After about 20 hours of travel, all are safely home!

Sunday night was a long night, went to bed early, and then woke up about midnight feeling really bad. It’s now Tuesday night, and it’s the first time I’ve felt well enough to do much of anything. Basically had the 48 hour version of the 24 hour flu. And yes, it is what Carol had. The last two days have been a blur, sleeping most of the time (in between trips downstairs), but I can tell you some of what the team has been doing, anyway.

Monday was painting day, and the team was able to prime the whole interior of the church, and get the outside painted entirely. Pastor David hired a couple of painters to come finish up the inside – they were here until about 11 pm. The sanctuary and outside are now a very nice, warm, sandy-yellow color. It’s light and inviting. Pastor David is ecstatic. It really looks nice from the street, too. Painting is quite different here than in the states. First, you have to tint your own paint. You buy the base, and the tubes of tint, and then bring it home and stir it up. Then, for some reason, they like to thin it out with a lot of water. I could understand that if I were spraying the paint, but they get it really watery and roll or brush it on. Takes more coats that way. It was driving Carol crazy – she had the consistency just where she wanted it, and the painters came in and started adding more water! I think we kind of got to do it our way on the exterior. But, either way, it looks very nice, much better than the raw, grey concrete it was before.

Rachel, however, didn’t have such a good day. While priming an area over her head, some of the primer dropped into her eye, partially dissolving her contact lens and causing a lot of pain. It took some doing for Carol to get the lens out, but she was able to do so. Rachel was in a lot of pain, and felt bad besides because it knocked her out of the work crew. Carol lubricated the eye with drops and patched it after looking on the internet to see what to do. Today, Rachel still couldn’t see much out of the eye, so they took her to an eye doctor here who said everything looked pretty good, and that the biggest issue was an infection in the eyelid. He gave her some anti-biotic and anesthetic drops, which have really helped the pain. Praise God she is seeing better this evening and a lot more comfortable.

I understand the evening Bible study at the Ramirez’ home was terrific, with the house packed with about 30 people, and plenty of food (not that I was interested in that). Sorry I had to stay behind. The Ramirez family are good friends. I just slept. Tried to eat a few crackers and a little soup, but that was about it until this morning. Still going slow, very drained. Tonight, though, is the best I’ve felt, so I’m hoping for a good night of rest and a normal day tomorrow.

Tonight everyone has taken off again for the home Bible study at the Huanca home. The Huancas are also very good friends, and I’m sorry to miss it. But I’m worried about pushing it too fast. Today was a good day for the team: Rachel is better, Liz has a cold, but is plugging along, Carol headed up a women’s Bible study that went very well from what I am told, with a lot of ladies in attendance. This afternoon the team gathered with a group of young people for a couple of hours of sports at a local Wallyball complex, and Roldan brought a devotional. I guess there were about 20 young people there besides the team. Ed came back breathing hard, remembering that the altitude hasn’t lessened! But they had a great time. And yes, I slept through it!

Had a light dinner tonight, and am trying to regain equilibrium. For those of you that knew about this and were praying, thanks. I’m sure I’m out of the woods now. Have to preach tomorrow night, and we’re supposed to go out and distribute tracts in the morning. Also, we scheduled some time for shopping in the afternoon tomorrow, and the team is anxious to find gifts for folks back home. I hope to go with them to help them find what they need and help them barter for the best deals. It’s more fun than actually buying stuff for yourself!

I found out that my blog host is having issues with their service that they use to post pictures. I tried to upload some yesterday in a coherent moment, and the deal is that nothing that I post will show up for the moment. So, when they get it straightened out, I’ll be putting pictures up for Peru and Bolivia. Until then, thanks for reading and keeping us in your prayers.

Saturday was a lighter day, with only teaching and helping with the children’s OANSA program in the afternoon. That’s the Spanish version of AWANA in the States. More on that in a moment.

Well, we took some time in the morning to get some money changed and walked downtown, about a mile or so, to the exchange place. It’s located about a block from the San Fransisco church and plaza, in the heart of La Paz. We passed out tracts as we went, and more when we reached the plaza. None of us have enough Spanish under our belts to really engage people with the gospel, but we are thankful that most receive the tracts willingly and even begin to read immediately. Roldan spent some time with a drunken man in the plaza, and tried to relieve him of his liquor. It’s so sad to see this sight frequently – men staggering through the streets in midday in a stupor. The verse that reads, “without God, and without hope in the world” comes to mind. After exchanging some money, we walked through the church, which is about 460 years old or so. Its façade is an ornate blending of traditional Inca, Tihuanacan, and Catholic art, and the interior is a blend of baroque and neoclassical Catholic images and designs, much of it covered in gold leaf or gold paint. The walls are lined with images of saints, with people praying to the images and offering flowers and incense. The mix of pagan and Christian symbolism is obvious, typical of the Romanist tendency to syncretize with local religions rather than remaining true to biblical Christianity. The devotion of many to this false religion is an occasion for sorrow, and reminds us of why we are here.

Back out in the fresh air, we decided to take a stroll back uphill toward the church to find a taxi. This area of La Paz is a big tourist draw, and the streets surrounding the church are lined with shops that sell every kind of tourist trinket, traditional handcrafts, musical instruments, and Bolivian clothing of all kinds. And, the famous “Witches’ Market” is also in this area, interesting to be so close to the Catholic church! The walk uphill can be grueling, with grades of 10-15% sometimes, so we went slowly, did a little browsing along the way, and enjoyed soaking up some local sounds, smells, and sights. There was the traditional wedding we saw a part of in the streets, the crowded Saturday market streets, fresh-squeezed orange juice from a street vendor’s cart (one of my favorite things to do in La Paz!), and doing our best to avoid becoming a hood ornament on taxis and busses! We never did find a taxi or bus that was free along our route, so we ended up walking the entire way back to the church, tired but happy from the experience. We had handed out about 250 tracts, and found a few bargains on gifts for people back home, and become one with the city for a time.

The afternoon OANSA program is an outreach to the children of the neighborhood, and from 3-5 every Saturday afternoon the kids pile into the sanctuary for a time of singing, Bible stories, Bible memory, games, and activities. Today, our team was privileged to be the leaders (helped a lot by Gloria, Martin, and Gonzaga!). The kids did a great job with their memory work and crafts, and they loved the game time, too. I brought a Bible story from the book of Job. I think there were about30 kids present. The church has been doing this outreach for a little over a year now, and is sponsored by the Grand Island BPC in New York.

Since we didn’t have anything planned for the evening, we continued a tradition of taking the team and the Quisberts, Irustas, Roldan, and the kitchen helper out to a nice dinner as a thank you for all their hard work. We went to a awesome restaurant at the top of the Hotel Presidente downtown. The food was superb, and the view was incredible 17 stories up. You look all around and see the panorama of La Paz at night. It was beautiful.

The Lord’s Day services went very well. Susan and Carol taught the children’s Sunday School classes, and I preached in the morning and evening. It was a blessing to see the church pews full, and to know that this is the regular attendance, too. With some of our special services, we have a lot of visitors, which is wonderful, but it is nice to see the regular attendance at good levels. In the afternoon, we had a kind of in-house concert where the music students for the week played piano and violin, and team members did more solo or small group pieces/songs, and the whole group did several Aymara and Spanish songs. It was low-key and a great time of fellowship. These music students have worked with our teams before, and continued their practice in between, and they really make progress with our music teachers. This year, Carol had the violin students, and Susan the piano students. It was a special treat to have our friend Christian spend the concert time and evening service with us. Susan had taught him piano four years ago, and while he had had lessons before, he hadn’t made much progress. He took what he learned from her and just took off. He plays mostly by ear, and plays with incredible virtuosity. And, he especially loves hymns, and when he plays he just grins from ear to ear with joy in the playing. It’s a blessing to hear him.

I’m not feeling well this evening, not sure what is going on. Hope this doesn’t turn into what Carol had this week.

Forgot to mention yesterday how the final English classes went. We had a smaller number of young people show up, but still in the neighborhood of 60 or so, including some new ones. We all made a particular effort to  make a final presentation and urging to the gospel which, in my class at least, was soberly received by most of the kids.

Rachel and Carol took it easy this morning, and both are feeling better. Don’t know if it was something they ate, or just the winding road and altitude adjustment that hit them, but we’re thankful for the Lord’s strengthening them. They were ready for the day in the afternoon.

Today was our last early morning broadcast, and I finished up with the church at Philadelphia. I’ll have to cover the other churches that I have left (Pergamos, Sardis, and Thyatira, in that order) on Sunday and next Wednesday. Ed is looking forward with a little trepidation to the final two home Bible studies in the evening next week, but I’m sure that he will do well. He has been a blessing to the people. Some of them have even been calling him “Pastor” which really makes his day!

We wrapped up VBS this morning, with about ten children. The kids were really terrific this year. School is in, or we’d have a lot more, but we are glad for what we had.

The last music lessons were also done today. We will include some of the students in Sunday’s concert in the afternoon. The participation has been enthusiastic, to say the least. We’ll have students playing violin and piano numbers. We had the rest of the afternoon free, so did some practice for our own music on Sunday and came up with a good program for that afternoon. It will be more of a “personal” kind of concert, doing some of the music that we have done so far, but also doing a lot more solo and small group songs. Roldan is even going to do a solo on his harmonica – he’s pretty good!

The choir “invitational” in the evening was quite a big deal. We started doing this four years ago with the first team that we sent down here, and it has become a tradition. This one was the best organized and executed yet. There were five choirs that came, and our team, each singing three songs. The choirs come from all over La Paz. Some are from specific churches, but most are Christian community choirs that any believer can join. The music was almost all done in Spanish, and was a blessing to listen to. Some of the songs were hymns that we know in English, and others hymns and gospel music that is indigenous, at least to South America. Other songs had a decidedly classical touch. Wonderful variety without being worldly. We marveled at the piano accompaniment of a young man that Susan had taught four years ago, and has essentially taught himself to play anything by ear with tremendous skill and virtuosity. He played for almost all the choirs, all by ear, sometimes only glancing at the music (when it was available) to make sure he had the tune in his head.  Then, one of the choirs asked me to play for them, two songs that I had never seen or heard before! Well, I didn’t do as well as Christian, but I survived and so did the choir, as the Lord helped us put it together as they performed the songs. Our team did two songs in Spanish and two in English. It was a beautiful evening of worship and celebration together. Susan was given an engraved silver plate in thanks for her coming for the third time. They really love her here.

After the service, Gloria Quisbert and Roldan had a surprise for us — ice cream! Roldan overheard Liz saying how much she was longing for some, and he went out and bought some for all of us. We enjoyed it all together with our Bolivian brethren before our evening devotions and bed. God is good. It was a great day!

Well, today was a big day. In addition to our usual Bible study in the early morning and VBS, we were looking forward to visiting a couple of radio stations up in El Alto this afternoon, coming back for English class, and going back up to El Alto for the evening concert. Well, I have to say we really weren’t looking forward to that schedule, because it’s a good half hour up to El Alto on steep, winding, bumpy, twisting roads, and its exhausting just making the trip. And, we were painfully aware of how much practice we needed for the concert. Well, as it turned out, the Lord saw to it that we got some rest and the practice! The radio stations called to say that they had sold time in the afternoon, and that we could only come later, during our English class time. So, that was cancelled, and we were able to stay here at the church for the afternoon. Pastor David made arrangements with a secular station just up the street from us about 2 minutes to go in and do a team interview and some songs for about 20 minutes or so, and we were able to do that. This station particularly is designed for factory workers in the area, and we were able to talk about the gospel, and ecumenicity, and the contrast between us and the Catholic church, all as the announcer asked questions. It was great.

We go in some good practice, and spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready and gathering strength for the evening. It’s hard to imagine the difference a couple of thousand feet can make in the extent of your endurance, but at this altitude it can be huge. After a nice dinner, we took a minibus up the tortuous way, but a little quicker this time since we took the toll road. Still, on the way Rachel started feeling really rough. Thought we were going to have to stop to let her out a couple of times, but she held on. By the time we arrived at the church, she was pretty green. Roldan found some local herbs that are good for this sort of thing, and they perked her up considerably, enough so that she was able to participate in the concert! God is good. We really needed her voice and flute, since we’re a pretty small bunch, and it was a big sanctuary. Carol started feeling poorly about the time we started the concert, but held on as well. The trip down was rough for her, but the herbs did the trick for Rachel.

The concert went really well, and was well received. There were about 200 people or so there, many of whom I know from past trips, and many new faces from all over El Alto. Most exciting to me was seeing our new brother in Christ, Ronald, walk in, grinning from ear to ear. He was just beaming, and I felt like jumping up and down with joy at seeing him. He is clearly a new person. He will be coming to church here, and Martin and David are taking him under their collective “wing” to make sure that he is in a place where he can grow in the Lord.

The church we sang at is a large one, and the building is relatively new and still unfinished. But they have come a long ways from the last time that I saw it and ministered there. The pastor is the head of the CALA ministry and a leader in his denomination. CALA is the ministry that produces hymnals in Aymara, the songs that we sing for the concerts we do. They are amazed that Americans like and care about their music, and they treat us as one of them. It’s a blessing.

We came home tired but elated that we survived our concert, and thankful for the strength that God gives to do his work. Thanks for your prayers.