Plugging in & Getting Out

We bought a toaster oven, a coffee table, and Mark broke our crockpot...life is starting to feel normal here in La Paz. Slowly we have made our apartment into a home, and are continuing to build community and explore this unique city and the beauty it has to offer. Ministry opportunities have also presented themselves and we have been able to serve in a couple different ways. We are starting to see growth as we continue to "plug in" by getting out.

The local English Speaking church opened up three weeks ago and we were able to go in person for the first time since arriving to La Paz. Many other churches remain closed due to covid concern and will possibly open after the upcoming election season is over. The opportunity to worship in person with fellow believers and missionaries was refreshing. Mark was able to serve on the worship team last week by playing guitar, and will help serve there until some of the normal musicians feel comfortable enough to return. We also had an opportunity to serve with another local ministry here that reaches out to the shoe shiners that line the streets of La Paz. Pictured above is our packing party where we compiled and prepared care packages of food and home essentials for the families of those who seek to make their living by shining shoes on the street. This was a great opportunity to not only serve, but also get connected with others who minister here in La Paz. Mark met the head of this shoe shiner ministry while watching American football last year at a popular burger joint in La Paz. God sure works in many unique ways.

The past few weeks have also brought a lot of open doors for community and relationship building, as well as opportunities to explore more of the area and it's beauty. We had a "professional development" day off of school where our director organized a hiking venture outside the city. It was the perfect opportunity to clear our minds and connect with others. She also invited many of us to play tennis at one of the more beautiful tennis clubs to exist on Earth. It was hard to focus on playing while being watched by majestic mountains and powder blue skies. Our school director does a fantastic job of promoting community and is always willing to host and serve the troops. Pictured above on the bottom right are some of the other teachers at a birthday celebration, hosted of course by our director, Lily.

Hiking continues to be an outlet for adventure and relationship building, as we have ventured out on a couple hikes with a Bolivian couple we know from school. Daniel and Sarita have been a big blessing in many ways and it has been nice to have a Bolivian couple to connect with and help us to learn the land, the culture, and the language. We are very thankful for them and many others that have continued to pour into Audrey and make her feel welcome.

Audrey has really enjoyed getting to know more of the staff at Highlands, and we both benefit from her mentor partner teaching her to cook at new altitudes and reach new housewife heights! In all seriousness though it has been great to feel the support of the community at Highlands as we continue to get plugged in. Like we mentioned earlier our apartment has grown along with us and we have recently added a toaster oven, which has enabled us to expand our culinary options and opened up new avenues of deliciousness. Audrey is becoming quite the master chef and we both enjoy the new addition to our kitchen. Along with other things, like a coffee table, we continue to get settled in and build a life here. We are continuing to study Spanish and are going through a historical tv series that is all in Spanish to help us grow in our skill. We continue to practice as much as possible and are asking that you continue to pray for us in this way. We also pray that you continue to pray for ministry opportunities, and we are so thankful for the ones that have come along thus far. We are keeping disciplined and mindful of the big picture, and pray for big things down the road as we continue to pour in day by day into the our mission here.

We are so thankful to be here and we count our blessings often and praise God for what he has blessed us with. Just yesterday we got to shoot some hoops, something we both enjoy greatly. We count it as a little thing that God uses in a big way to comfort us in this new season of growth and transition in Bolivia. As we continue to establish ourselves here we ask that you pray for us in the day to day grind as we battle to make the most of our time here for His kingdom and His glory. The future is always in God's hands and we trust in that. Today is election day here in Bolivia and many are projecting more violence and protests no matter the outcome as the country is still very divided and many still remember the frustrations and turmoil of last year. We will keep you posted on what happens here, but please pray for the country and the people as they turn to new leadership. God Bless.