Larry and Patty Morehead in Bolivia

ANDRES!

2011-06-16T16:36:00.003-04:00

Another prayer request for u guys. Above is Andres. He's 17 and is hooked on cocaine, smoking it as a freebase several times a day. Andres is from the northern part of Bolivia, but has lived on the streets for several years & now hangs out w/ the older, tougher street population under a bridge of one of the busy streets in town. He's expressed an interest to come off the streets, but hasn't come to the place of doing so as of yet. Please pray for him & that the Lord would restore his life & break his life-damaging addiction.

Never Dull

2011-06-16T15:12:00.003-04:00

Life here in general is rarely predictable or dull. Some surprises we experience are wonderful; others, while unavoidable, are a bit more . . . um . . . painful. Photographed above is Mauricio, one of our boys from the boys' home 'El Camino,' who after a freak soccer accident at school shattered 2 bones in his ankle & wound up in the Emergency room late last Wednesday night. He had to have reconstructive surgery, with metal pins & plates inserted into his right ankle, after trying to make a valiant save on goal during his team's match. He's now recovering back at the boys' home and Lord willing, will make a complete recovery. As these things usually do, we did take quite a hit to the ole' wallet. In assuring he'd get adequate care we took him to a private clinic, where in the end we racked up a thousand dollar plus hospital bill for the all the tests, meds. & surgical procedure itself. It was definitely worth it, as the operation was a success & looks like after a few months on crutches, Mauricio will be healthy again & back to normal!

New Blood in the Family

2011-05-28T23:23:00.003-04:00

Alejandro is our newest boy in El Camino, the boys' restoration home! He's 10 years old & comes to us after having run away several times from a very abusive situation at home with his mother & step-dad. Alejandro was found sleeping in the market by himself, in one of the poorer areas of the city. He's one of 7 kids, and was not going to school so he could 'take care of' his younger brothers & sisters in his family's 1-room rented space. His step-dad would lock them in the room until either he or his mother returned late at night. When Alejandro didn't take care of his younger siblings adequately enough, or had fought with them during the day, his step-dad would take a hammer and smash his fingernails.

Alejandro has just finished a week with us at El Toborochi (our reception house for street kids) & is currently spending his 1st weekend at the boys' home. Please pray for him & his adjustment to new life at the home. We are very happy to have him & know the Lord's going to bring much needed healing to his life. He accepted Christ as his saviour while at the reception house & is excited to make new friends at the home!

HELP! - Rescue Mission

2011-05-04T12:01:00.002-04:00

This is a picture of young Daniel, pictured above, shaking hands on a promise to LEAVE the STREETS 2 weeks ago. Dirty, malnourished & very vulnerable to abuse from older kids, Daniel WAS optimistic about leaving the streets & his glue-sniffing addiction, but renegged on his decision to come off or even speak to us these past 2 weeks.

Daniel needs your prayers. HE'S CLOSE, but hasn't fully come around to taking the 1st step towards recovery & freedom. As you can see he's very young, probably 12 years old, & has already been the victim of abuse & is addicted to at least one substance. His future can be bright & we want to ask for your prayers that the Holy Spirit would indeed him to decide to embrace a new start to life & God's work of redemption & restoration.

Raul Lazarte (Junior) & Luis Miguel go under . . .

2011-04-11T08:13:00.003-04:00

. . . & come back up!

Yes, these two guys from our restoration home, 'El Camino,' were baptized yesterday at the local church where they've been attending here in Santa Cruz. Both Luis Miguel & Raul have come a loooooonnngg way since 1st joining us. We've known Luis Miguel for close to 7 years. He came & left the home several times before coming back for good nearly 4 years ago now. Luis Miguel graduates high school this year & plans to attend college afterwards. He's a bright kid. 2 of his interests include philosophy & hip-hop/reggaeton music, & as many of you know he even writes & performs his own songs. God has taken him through a long maturation process he's still going through. We have high expectations & believe the Lord has great plans for his life.

Raul 1st came to us 5 years ago. He was much smaller back then, and attended Patty & I's wedding! He left shortly after & went back to the streets, & returned about 1 1/2 later with renewed vigor & determination to get his life back on track & finish his studies. At the home, Raul came to know the Lord and has been growing significantly over the last 3 1/2 years. Raul has a big personality & loves being the life of the party. He's one of the guys of influence at the home. I've personally seen him encourage & give words of wisdom to kids who're struggling or thinking about going back to the streets, & literally seen them change their minds and stay on the right path because of his words. Raul's in 9th grade this year & has also been instrumental in encouraging his younger brother, Angel, to leave the street life. Angel is currently locked up in a youth detention center, but will be released later this year & plans to join us at El Camino following his release!

Praise God for both of these young men, & for His hand & work in their lives. They're both truly a testament to how God can cause a total 360 in someone's life & then turn around & use them as agents of change in the lives of others!

Roger's b-day @ El Camino

2011-04-11T08:12:00.005-04:00

Yep, the big guy celebrated another birthday in Bolivia this April, and we were all present to honor him, thank him, feast on his behalf, and of course smash his face partly into some cake! 21 years ago, Roger & Isha Hulford left their native England & came out to Santa Cruz, Bolivia to launch the ministry we serve in, Operation Restoration, with Youth With a Mission. Although he'll tell you it's taken quite a bit longer than he'd planned for, God has used Roger to bless countless lives and restore hope to many who have been utterly lost. All of his who form part of the team here, stand on his broad shoulders who courageously had the vision, took the risk & answered the call to, 'GO,' before there were any homes or restored lives or any manuals of how God was going to do all this.

Roger's party was legendary. The girls danced, Luis Miguel rapped, the food was great & oh yes there was quite a large pinata that Roger got to bust open. All & all twas' a grand ole time and we got to sing happy birthday in Spanish, Portugese, English & Dutch - complete with the whole hip-hip-hooray chants and everything. Thanks Roger for many faithful years of service!

Darlene & Angela - Summer of Missions!

2011-02-20T21:51:00.003-05:00

Darlene & Angela (pictured above w/ Patty) from the girls' restoration home, 'El Alfarero,' just finished up their summer of missions course at the YWAM base while taking a break from school! They both graduate in November of 2011, and along w/ Ninoska, will be our 1st girls to ever graduate the girls' home!

The summer of missions course is basically a mini-DTS, spanning 4 1/2 weeks, 2 weeks classes & 2 weeks in ministry outreach. The course was a huge blessing for both the girls, who were absolutely radiant when we went by to congratulate them just before their graduation night of the course. They are the 1st girls to participate in the program, & all the feedback we got from the base was overwhelmingly positive. We very proud of them & excited about what the Lord's going to do with their lives post-El Alfarero!

Abel ties the knot!

2011-02-11T18:17:00.007-05:00

Ok so we didn't exactly spot this one coming a long way off . . . but Abel formerly of El Camino & the reintegration house has become our 1st boy to get married! He & new bride Mariela, decided to get married after 4 months of dating. They met at Abel's place of work, fell in love & decided to not waste any time.

They were wed in a simple ceremony with close friends & family in attendance. Abel & Mariela are both now working during the day & pursuing their studies in the evening, living in a small apt. in the city.

PAOLA Returns

2011-02-11T18:17:00.004-05:00

Above is 17 year old Paola, who's joined us for her 2nd stint at the girls' restoration home. She is ultra vivacious, full of personality, knows what she wants and brings a lot of life, energy & fun to the girls' home.

Paola 1st came to us at the end of last year & had been doing well battling her addiction to heavy drugs; but instability in 2 of the other girls (who wound up leaving the home), also influenced her to leave the home.

She is back with us now though, w/ new determination and a strong drive to be reunited w/ her 3 year old daughter who lives w/ the child's paternal grandmother currently. Please help us to pray for Paola's continued victory over drug, stability, new challenges in going back to school and for a continued surrender to the Lord's will for her life.

Latest on Raul O.

2011-01-08T12:40:00.003-05:00

Raul Ocana (pictured left) came to have dinner at our apt. the other week. Raul is part of the 1st graduating class from the "El Camino," boys' restoration home now 3 years ago. He had some big news to share w/ us, that he is now dating a girl from his church! As a true gentleman does here, he asked the girl's parents for permission to go out w/ her, is being mentored at church & has also brought his girlfriend to meet the family at the reintegration house. Raul is very happy & well on his way to a successful future.

Raul just finished up the theoretical & practical portions of his coursework in printing & development. He is working part time at a local printing press - in order to study graphic design this year & add more skills to his skill set.

Nestor Arrives!

2011-01-08T12:30:00.004-05:00

Mr. Nestor Ramirez (pictured middle, flanked by Dona & Ingrid to the left & Patty & Larry to the right) ladies & gentlemen - came to us from a rural, coca (& subsequently cocaine) producing area of the country. He is Juan & Francisco's (of the reintegration house) nephew and is 18 years old. Nestor's story is unique in that he doesn't hail from a big city here, but wound up deep in cocaine & on the streets after attempting to kick his habit & start afresh in a new town. Nestor, like many youths from the coca growing region where he's from, got pulled into the drug trade & actually for many years helped produce Bolivian cocaine from the abundant coca leaf crops. He eventually wound up being shot at and chased by police on one occasion, where he & another friend narrowly escaped. Despite his eventful past, Nestor is quiet, hard-working, eager to study & has a good heart. He accepted the Lord as his personal Savior at the reception house & we'd like to ask you to please help us pray for his complete restoration; as we PRAISE GOD THAT THERE'S NOW 1 LESS DRUG PRODUCER here in Bolivia!

The Hike

2011-01-02T16:31:00.003-05:00

Charging up the lush, green mountains - in the amazon basin area of Bolivia w/ 9 of our bravest boys from the 'El Camino,' boys' restoration home was absolutely exhilirating. We took a bus about an hour south of the boys' home & began our hike shortly after lunch. Our path followed a mountain creek bed & was full of phenomenal sights, vegetation, rock structure & critters along the way. It took several hours to make it to the top, but the scenery from above made it well worth it.

On our way back down, Luis Enrique sliced my hand w/ the machete as he was chopping at Lord knows what - lesson learned: Never walk in front of the guy w/ the machete.

As we got to the bottom, the guys jumped into the river & it soon began to pour the rain. We had to jump into the back of a rock loaded truck as it was becoming dark & raining. Shortly after we were fully drenched, a bus came near & we all leaped off & boarded the bus back to the home. It had been an unforgettable weekend adventure.

Cristian's big day!

2010-12-23T19:29:00.003-05:00

What a night! Christian graduated 2 weeks after his brother Michael & Roly did, & is the 1st graduate we've had from the public school 'Limoncito.' It was a wonderful evening for Christian as, together w/ his brother Michael & Marcelino, got to lead his entire class in a few different songs they'd rehearsed. He also was paid a rare visit from his mother & brother, and the whole evening was one he'll not surely forget. Congrats Chris! And God bless as you pursue your dream of studying Systems Engineering!

Titus at Aposento

2010-12-15T14:06:00.004-05:00

Just before Christmas we were honored to have half of a bible school come and teach members of our church how to study God's Word. The team took us through the inductive study method over the course of an entire week, examining the Bible as a whole & then diving into the book of Philemon to unlock just a wealth of life lessons. Thanks to YWAM - Montana for sending the team to turn not only Aposento on to God's Word, but several other local churches & the YWAM Bolivia training base as well.

2010 GRADS!!! Micheal, Roly & Christian

2010-12-04T18:33:00.006-05:00

Alright! We are back safe & sound from Haiti now, from a short term missions trip we took to Port-au-prince. It was a great trip & you can read all about it if you like on another blog we've written w/ pics from the trip at:

http://boliviatohaiti2010.blogspot.com

Things in Bolivia haven't slowed down a bit. There's a number of exciting things that've happened over the past couple of weeks & we're thrilled to be able to share some of them with you here.

We'll dedicate this post to our 2010 Graduates - Micheal, Roly & Christian who have wrapped up their high school requirements & 2 (Micheal & Roly) had their graduation ceremony last week! Christian will officially graduate from his school on Saturday.

Micheal & Christian are brothers and have been with us for 3 & 2 years respectively. While Roly has been with us for 4 years!

All 3 of these boys are really remarkable young men in their own right, & have overcome great obstacles, adversity & trauma really to have achieved this step in their lives. Micheal & Christian have both turned into annointed worship leaders & are continually fine tuning their musical abilities to bless & minister to others. Micheal was asked to lead his graduating class in 2 musical numbers on graduation night. Christian will do the same at his graduation next Saturday.

Roly was also asked to speak at his graduation, & chosen by his peers to honor one of the schools faculty members with a gift from the graduating class. Roly is a leader & has been at the home for several years now. He has fulfilled his military service dutifully & has been an example to the other boys at El Camino in his time there.

All of us would like to thank you for your prayers for these young men, & ask you to continue to pray for God's direction in their lives. Only Christian is certain of what he wants to study - electing the field of Business Administration. He along with the other 2 boys, will be preparing these next several to give their college entrance exam in January & then will be moving out of El Camino & into the reintegration house with the rest of the high school grads/college men.

Still a Ways to Go

2010-09-24T17:21:00.003-04:00

Our street team is hitting the pavement once again.

This week we uncovered a new group of street kids in a completely different canal in another part of the city. It's a huge canal, underneath one of the main roundabouts in the city. We met new boys Pacho, Carlos, & Christian; and some old friends we hadn't seen in a while like Jorge, Epson, Shirley, Michel, Jose & Freddy. Although their 'sleeping quarters' are a bit more spacious, & there's no bullying from the police as of yet here - the plight of these kids & their blindness to their own destruction just breaks your heart. Surrounded by trash, human feses, rats, & drugs - what begins as a Huck Finn like adventurous existence quickly becomes addiction, disease & even death.

Jorge, a boy we've known for several years, who's now 19, upon waking up, let us know it was his birthday the other day. No sooner had he gotten the words out of his mouth, & another kid piped up & said, 'yeah, this sissy tried to hang himself on his birthday, had it not been for some little kid who found him in a noose & brought him down, he would've killed himself.' Jorge responded w/ silence, head hung low & ashamed. It's a dark reality & a lonely existence. We urged Jorge to let us take him to a rehab center for young adults that morning, and he just was not interested. Pray for him, his salvation & also for Jose, Pacho, Carlos, Christian & the other kids mentioned above. Time is NOT on their side, but God longs to do a redemptive work in them!

Celebrating w/ Darlene!

2010-09-24T16:47:00.002-04:00

Darlene (pictured above w/ son Alex) has come a long way. Since coming to the home almost 3 years ago she has given her life to the Lord, had major reconstructive skull surgery, gotten back on track w/ her education & taken on the responsibility of raising her 5 year old son Alex, who up until last year was in the care of his grandmother. Darlene is developing into a fine mother & is also a wonderful cook. She celebrated her birthday this Monday, with all of the gang at the girls' home. Keep her in your prayers that she would continue along the right path & achieve the highest dreams God has for her!

Yolanda - 14 year old Princess!

2010-09-24T16:02:00.002-04:00

Yolanda (seated 2nd from left), just celebrated her 14th birthday on Friday! Patty's 4 sisters (2 of them pictured above, Isset far left & Cinthia 3rd from left) & nephew were among several guests who came to wish Yolanda the happiest of birthdays on Saturday. Yoli will be going into private school next year & is growing up fast. Her older sister Lupe is also at the home & for her birthday Yoli's aunt & cousin came to wish her well!

Luis Fernando

2010-09-24T15:03:00.002-04:00

15 year-old, Luis Fernando (picture above,) from the boys' restoration home, 'El Camino' last week, went through some pretty serious ear surgery to repair his ruptured, left ear drum. The surgery went well according to the ear, nose & throat specialist and Luis Fernando is back recovering at El Camino.

It was revealed to us after a routine check-up, that Luis had lost quite a bit of his hearing in his left ear earlier in the year. Apparently earlier in his childhood, he had suffered some trauma in the inner-ear which caused the ear drum to tear. The doctor recommended that he be operated on for the situation not to deteriorate any more. Please pray, as Luis Fernando continues to recover, & that God would heal his hearing through the surgery.

VIVA Network - City-wide Day of Principles & Values

2010-09-24T14:15:00.003-04:00

The organization Patty helped to get up & running here, Viva Network (formerly called Red Viva), just recently helped get a municipal ordinance passed & funded that declared an official Day of Recognition of Values & Principles here in Santa Cruz! Viva has been partnering w/ the municipality to educate thousands of youth in schools across the city about abstinence, the dangers & realities of drug & alcohol abuse, maintaining one's integrity & other topics related to preserving Christ-centered values & principles for the past 3 years. The day of celebration of values & principles culminated w/ a concert of Christian artists & a ceremony honoring individuals who give their lives to defend principles & values. The event was a attended by a great number of people in the main town square.

Viva Network has worked for years to network Christian organizations together who work with children at risk in many nations around the world. The organization has helped to train, equip, organize & unite Christian organizations working in favor of children - in order to extend God's Kingdom more effectively & collaboratively. Viva also promotes Christ-centered values particularly among kids & teens, in secular & Christian schools throughout the city & country. Overall it was a wonderful event where the attention of the entire city was directed & reminded of our need to preserve a Godly standard w/i society.

WILMA TOO!

2010-09-18T18:54:00.002-04:00

So everyone this is our latest girl, her name is Wilma (pictured above, planting flowers outside the reception house 'El Toborochi')! She came to us last week from the government child protection services, with a court order to come to the home. Wilma is 17, and hails from a small town called Comarapa, about 3 hours outside of Santa Cruz.

In an all too familiar story, Wilma was abandoned by her family & as a teenager got in deep with the wrong crowd. This year, she dropped out of school and was living on her own, bouncing around from house to house when she could. Wilma is excited about being with us & asks for prayer help in helping to overcome an alcohol addiction that she admittedly could no longer control. Please pray for her, as she gets acclimated to life at the girls' home. She is a sweet girl, wants to be a doctor when she's older & indeed has a bright future ahead of her.

Luis Enrique!!!

2010-09-18T18:24:00.004-04:00

Luis Enrique (on the streets above, after coming to the home below), is our newest boy at the boys' restoration home, El Camino. He is Lidia's, from the girls' home, brother hailing from the south of Bolivia, from a city called Tarija. Luis Enrique arrived to us on the day of the World Cup Finals and his time with us so far has been a blessing.

He is 12 years' old, was abandoned by his father, & basically totally neglected by his alcoholic mother as well. Left to raise himself, running amuck in the markets & stealing to buy food to survive, Luis E. was taken out of school at a very young age. He is adjusting well to life at the home & has made friends with several of the boys. He is participating in classes w/ the tutor at the home learning to read & write, so that next January, he will go back to school. Pray for Luis Enrique, as he's got some serious wounds from childhood & probably stemming from that, tends to sometimes react aggressively. Learning new habits, everything from personal hygiene, to daily school work, to helping out at the home, Luis has shown a lot of courage & we know he will continue to grow, as he allows God to work in his life.

Renaissance Ladies!

2010-09-15T16:58:00.003-04:00

Pictured above is our newly opened art studio, led by local artist Yovana Mamani (pictured far left), who also attends our church Aposento Alto. Yovana has been a delightful addition to our ministry, recently coming on to serve full-time in the ministry, after having graduated from University with her art degree. Some of her students are pictured above Lupe, Ninoska & Luz.

She is currently teaching the girls basic pottery skills, which only makes sense w/ the name of the the girls' home being 'El Alfarero' (The Potter's house). Pottery classes in addition to being a great stress reliever for the girls, also equips them with another skill they'll have before leaving the home. We want to thank CBC Highlands in particular for help getting the art project up & running by donating the equipment (art table, stools, some supplies) for the studio.

Blowing the Roof Off The Place !!!

2010-09-15T16:17:00.004-04:00

Stunning! Wow! HOO-WAH!

One of the highlights of this year for me by far, has to be having participated in a worship service led by our boys from the boys' home El Camino, in celebration of YWAM's 50 year anniversary. A packed house got to witness redemption in action, as our boys well on they're way to being restored from a past on the streets; once timid & shy about worship - just let er' rip for one spectacular night!

Gifted musically & standing as a living testimony of God's grace - the guys belted out song after song declaring Christ as their saviour & His love as the answer for their lives. It was high-energy, loud & from the heart, setting the tone for an awesome evening of gratitude & praise for God's faithfulness over the last 50 years.

Sarah back in Bolivia

2010-09-04T16:39:00.005-04:00

Wrapping up a season of remarkable guests, we recently had the privilege of welcoming the always lovely, insightful & fun - SARAH LANIER - to Bolivia for the 1st time in 17 years. It was an honor to have Sarah with us for our National Conference, 50 year YWAM anniversary, ministering to our street kids' ministry Op. Restoration team & at the training base as well. Gifted & renowned for her work in the areas of leadership, team dynamics & conflict resolution in multi-cultural teams, debriefing crisis situations, & helping missionaries finish well - Sarah brought the whole spectrum of light in a number of different areas to our team here. Sought after around the world and bombarded by requests for a piece of her time - it means the world to us here that she would take the time to come & serve us wholeheartedly. Thanks Sarah!

Update on Abel!

2010-09-03T15:29:00.003-04:00

From the streets, to the boys' restoration home, to high school graduation, and now college and a job; God's redemptive work is exemplified well in Abel's (pictured above) life!

Abel was part of our 1st graduating class from the boys' restoration home, 'El Camino.' Since graduation he has completed the Discipleship Training School with YWAM and is half-way through his accounting degree at university. Abel has also become the 1st boy to officially join the work force, taking a job as a cashier at the local supermarket chain, Fidalga. He is working 40 hours a week and taking a full load of classes. Abel is the 1st in what's to be a long line of victorious lives embracing a new destiny & the life God has for them. Thanks for remembering him in your prayers.

Mt. Paran CORE Final Team

2010-08-06T14:07:00.001-04:00

And just like that it's over...

What an amazing summer we had w/ all the folks from CORE! Team 3 was just as exceptional as the previous 2 and we just wanted to thank you all for such a spectacular week. I don't know when I've laughed as much over 8 days, and this team left us & our kids with some wonderful memories to be cherished. Anna Beth had her sweet 15 here, and was a great sport about the ole Bolivia b-day customs. Malik was hilarious, hard-working & insightful. Javon worked his tail off & never tired of giving piggy-back rides at the girls' home or going up for coconuts. Ken & Angie shared the Word & together w/ Wayne were the even keel for the group. Michelle, Kim & Anna Beth were all tremendously graceful, loving & diligent at every task we threw their way. Grace, Raluca, Sierra & Roxana made us proud staying on for 2 trips, helping out at the girls' home, tie-dying away, sprekining espanol, giving away pics & constantly writing notes for the kids, cleaning chickens, varnishing posts - not to mention that Sierra made an entire fence... practically by herself. Thanks you dear, dear friends. We miss all of you & wait anxiously for your return!

Mt. Paran CORE Team #2

2010-08-06T14:05:00.006-04:00

Near freezing cold temps, unseasonal rain & some wicked air in La Paz made the 2nd team's mission a bit more of a challenge; but there's no doubt this was indeed a VERY special team. Made up of a nice mix of Bolivia veterans such as: Amain B, Grace, Sierra, the Ispai, Elaina V. & Annie G.; and 1st timers P James, Tiffany, Pablo Clayton, Will, Anna, Misgana, Karina, Libby, Rebecca, Sophie & Natalie - team 2 worked AND played hard all week. The team got to experience World Cup fever in S. America, dug a trench, made a ton of fence, took time to pray & minister to each one of our boys, went racing, shared the good news & helped bandage up the sick on the streets & kept the Man-swim trad. alive @ the Cortez. It was really momentous to have Amain & Grace back for the 4th year in a row - not to mention all of the Ispai on one team! The team really got after it and were a great witness & light all week in the homes, at church and on the streets! Thanks guys!

Highlands Bring Joy to Bolivia !

2010-06-26T19:50:00.004-04:00

'The River' Youth from Community Bible Church of Highlands has gone international! Bringing a huge heart to serve & love, they came to Bolivia & held nothing back. Lead by Pastors Greg S. & Jimmy B., along w/ the uber-talented Steve & Corrie and pilot/developer/father of the trip J.B.; this was needless to say, a well rounded group. They were warriors in the trench at the girls' home, shared their life stories & a wonderful time of worship w/ the boys, went into nasty sewers to bring street kids into the light of day & encourage them to come off of the streets, taught us about the ways of 'ninja,' & were always looking for what else they could do to help. We were all really impressed w/ their up for anything attitudes, promptness & overall witness. We miss them & hope they'll be back soon. Thanks guys!

Mount Paran Returns to Bolivia 2010 !

2010-06-26T19:29:00.004-04:00

Coconut harvesting, fence making, Bolivian soccer, street ministry, sanding, varnishing, C B Otts music, Collin & Micayla's drum & bass, Felicia's O Happy Day, concrete mixing ... and that was just the 1st couple of days I think! Wow, what an amazing week w/ the 1st CORE team of 2010. Andrew, Austin, Felicia, Esosa, Micayla, Rashida, Colin, Chelsea, Danielle, Mason, Olivia, Heidi, Silvana, & Jim it was an honor to host you guys; thank you so much. This was a team of extraordinary energy, talent, joy, love & determination. Thanks for making us laugh, dance, sing, bowl, dig deep & spin faster . You helped make our home a safer place, gave our tables & playground a new shine, helped update our kids' wardrobes & left an indelible impact on all of our lives. We had a blast w/ all of you & hope you can all come back next year!

Missions @ Aposento

2010-05-22T20:10:00.003-04:00

Bolivia is expanding its vision for the Nations!

At the beginning of the year, our pastor at Aposento Alto, Dilmar Carrasco, announced he wanted our church to host a missions conference at the church sometime in May of 2010. This was new for the church, but we were very excited that Dilmar was now ahead of the charge in stirring up the local church's heart for the Nations!

The 1st ever Missions Conference at Aposento Alto was held during May 14-16, Friday - Sunday. We invited every church we had contact w/ & also talked it up on the Christian radio. Speakers were invited from Uruguay, the U.S., Ecuador & Bolivia to help infuse Christ's passion for the lost & hurting. Our good friend Susan, from N. Point Church in Alpharettta, GA, even came to share her missions' experience w/ us on Saturday. The focus was to be on 1) Local missions 2) International missions 3) and the church's role in Social Justice issues. Local missions organizations CET, CEC, Viva Network, Crown Financial, Campus Crusade for Christ & YWAM were also invited to set up stands & promote missions efforts in their respective organizations. The Aposento missions' team throughout the conference raised money for the 2010 missions trip effort to Haiti, by selling t-shirts & key chains. Even had a Bolivian folk band the last evening, who led us in a time of worship that roared through the neighborhood.

The Aposento team did an incredible job, decorating rooms in the church to remember God's faithfulness in all the different short-term trips the church had taken over the past 6 years. Patty & her team organized an extraordinary Sunday morning tour of the Nations for the 200 kids who participated, complete w/ passports & a time of intercession for the countries around the world.

Many young folks came forward to make a commitment to 'Go' during a Saturday night youth service. Scores of children's minds were opened to the need, not just in Bolivia, but around the world. And a few brave souls from different churches took the step to turn in their applications for the Haiti trip. Overall, we were very happy w/ the 1st ever Aposento Alto Missions Conference, & we feel confident that many seeds were sown that God is going to grow in years to come!

Do YOU have a Winston Churchill in your home?

2010-05-21T16:52:00.004-04:00

Yeah I didn't think so. Well . . . we do.

Yes, the newest member of El Camino is quite the character. WInston Churchill Vaca is 16 years old, & lives every bit up to of his name. Doesn't quite have the bulldog face. Jolly good chap though seriously. Fresh off the streets, lots of energy, trying to fit in & find his place at the home, so keep him in your prayers please!

Joel ... Keep em' comin'

2010-05-21T16:51:00.005-04:00

Alright, this is Joel. He's 17 and is the brother of the ever popular Luis Miguel (for those of you who've visited the boys' home here). Joel came to us out of desperation. He'd been kicked out of his house, kicked out of the nice neighbor lady's house, kicked out of his nice friend's house, of his other friend's house, & was now on the streets. I couldn't believe his step-dad wouldn't take him back into his house, so I went with him to 'sort it all out.' Well . . . let's just say there was a lot of profanity & Joel was basically crushed by the end of the conversation, & we were asked to leave.

I won't get into too many details, but the quick version is this is now Joel's past life.

As you've probably figure out already, he's with us now at El Camino (our boys' restoration home), & is basically kicking butt. Really great kid, studying hard to get back into school, super-helpful around the home, respectful - guess he just really needed a fresh start. His dream is to be a physician in order to help folks. Anyway, the honeymoon always wares, & at some point changing our lives always opens up some nasty wounds - so a new face for your prayer list.

Angel

2010-04-11T23:52:00.003-04:00

So this is our friend Angel Lazarte. He is the younger brother of one of our guys at the boys' restoration home 'El Camino.'

Raul's in great shape. Angel as you can tell by the photo is not. Angel's 12 years old now, & strongly addicted to a form of smokeable cocaine ('pasta base'). He lives underneath a bridge in the city w/ some other 'friends,' who share the same problem. He's extremely malnourished, a runt for his age & is heading nowhere fast. We want to enlist everyone who reads our blog to pray for Angel, that he'd come off the streets, give his young life to the Lord & develop a repulsion to drugs. There's a group of 7 of these young guys trapped in serious drug use. We've managed to get one of them (Mauricio, posted in a previous blog), off the streets & he's doing well, hasn't looked back - so it is possible. Help us to pray Angel off the streets. We've gotten him as far as the reception house, but he stayed on a day or 2. We've also shown him filmed messages from his brother at the home in great shape, but so far naught. If you have any other creative suggestions drop us a line? We believe God CAN resurrect his life, EVEN after having been buried in the ashes of a crack pipe.

Carlos Andres

2010-04-11T21:39:00.005-04:00

Carlos Andres is 17. He was put in an orphanage with his younger brother after his parent's split up at age 8. After having to defend his brother from getting picked on by the older kids, he left the orphanage and wound up on the streets, where he would spend the great majority of the next 9 YEARS. We have known and worked w/ Carlos for nearly 6 years on the streets.

Nevertheless, it was only after, Carlos Andres was hit by a car late one night during one of our recent street visits, that he decided to come off the streets.

He'd hit his head pretty hard & his bottom lip was totally busted. Iris, our volunteer doctor, stitched up his lip & we invited him to come back to the reception house, where if he wanted to he could stay. The following morning he DID INDEED choose to stay and turn his back to the streets. He spent the rest of the week at the reception house, where we were getting him ready to go to El Camino (the boys' home), & embark on his new life free of drugs & crime. The best news of the week is that Carlos Andres accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord & Saviour on Good Friday and will never again fight his battles alone!

Carlos is now at the boys' home, where he's adjusting to an academic routine, 3 square meals, lots of soccer, morning devotionals, household chores, new friends, and a healthy life.

Carlos Andres needs your prayers. It's not easy to change habits that've been ingrained in him for the past 9 years (most of his life). He's shown a great heart, an affinity for soccer, good work ethic & is loads of fun to be around. Pray that the Lord will continue to heal his whole person, that he would plant deep roots at the boys' home, for good influences to help encourage him, & just a total renewal of his mind, heart & soul by the Holy Spirit.

Baptism of Juan

2010-04-11T21:04:00.003-04:00

Another one of our college boys got baptized last week. Juan, who's in his 2nd year at University studying electro-mechanical engineering, chose to profess his faith in Jesus Christ publicly on Good Friday. Juan graduated high school at 16, and has taken huge steps in his walk with the Lord since then. He attends the same church as Raul, Humberto and his brother Francisco, where there's a really vibrant group of youth passionate about the Lord. We're praying that God would continue to use Juan as salt & light at his university & beyond.

Juan has a great future ahead, & look forward to keeping you posted.

Concert in the Plaza

2010-03-05T11:04:00.004-05:00

The worship team from the boys' home was recently invited to minister in the main plaza of the local town of El Torno, which is the largest town near the home. Luis Yerson plays bass, Severino plays drums, and while & while we're trying to integrate other boys to play guitar & sing, for now Larry & Patty are helping out w/ guitar & vocals. The concert was held to reach out to the local youth from the area, on a weeknight night when many would have otherwise gone to clubs or gotten drunk w/ their friends. The boys' home worship team ministered along w/ other local church groups. The event also included a evangelistic, drama performance from a YWAM missions team from Barbados who was visiting. The night was a tremendous hit & the boys were complemented by everyone involved. Their confidence is growing & they are seeing how 1st hand God can use them & their gifts to bless & reach out to others!

5 Guys

2010-02-24T07:02:00.002-05:00

Ok so we're not really calling it that, but the boys @ the reintegration house ARE becoming micro-business owners (see 2 of the 5 boys pictured above Raul, left, & Humberto, right). Now at the end of their (South American) 'summer' break, we came up with a plan together w/ the boys to hopefully empower them a bit more economically & help them take another step towards integrating back into society as mature, restored, responsible young men.

The 5 boys: Raul, Abel, Francisco, Juan, & Humberto have agreed to start their own small lawncare company in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We've helped w/ the initial investment & contacting potential clientele, but now they are in charge & will handle all the accounting, client management, scheduling & maintenance.

So why lawncare? Well . . . it's rainy season in Bolivia, the grass is growing like crazy, we know several families who pay for this service already, & (unlike a normal 8 - 5 job) it allows for flexible work hours for when they need to study extra for exams, or have classes in the a.m. & the late evening. The goal is to help generate income to help cut expenses at the reintegration house where they live, while at the same time empowering them to pay for some of their own living expenses & teach them responsibility, team-work, time management (of work, school & household chores), as well as how to handle their own money.

We're excited. They're excited. And we know that it'll in time be a blessing, a great learning experience, & help to lessen the financial burden at the house.

Purpose

2010-02-24T06:38:00.003-05:00

(Pictured above, part of our small group of older boys, at the boys' restoration home 'El Camino').

2 years ago, at the boys' home El Camino, we saw the need to deepen & improve discipleship with the guys, and felt like a small group format was the right step to help achieve that. So now we've divided the boys into 3 groups at the home basically by age. Patty is over the youngest boys, (under 13); our friend & ministry partner Roberto works w/ the middle-aged boys (13-16); and Larry ministers to the older boys (17-21).

Tuesday nights are our small group nights, & overall it's been a tremendous success. The smaller audience groups the boys w/ peers their own age, & enables them to talk about & go to what the bible says about real issues, problems, & insecurities they're dealing with everyday. Years of having to survive on the streets, has hardened the boys & many have expressed feelings of great loneliness, despite being around caretakers & other kids 24/7. Part of the idea of the small groups is to create (or restore) TRUE community & friendship within the home. We've begun by trying to shed light on 'normal' teenage issues, going against the internal notion that most harbor, that they're the ONLY ONES feeling what they're feeling, struggling w/ what they're struggling w/ etc. The goal is to inspire the guys to follow Jesus from a young age. Part of that is linked to them releasing & being honest about some of the intense inner conflict that almost all of us feel during adolescence, & allowing their roommates/peers the space to do the same. So far we've been able to tackle issues ranging from honesty to sexuality to decision-making and now . . . Purpose.

We're using Rick Warren's, 'Purpose Driven Life,' as a tool to look at what God's Word says to questions about who we are? & what we're created for? The older boys just finished the little over 7 week/40 day study & it's been a wonderful eye opener for all of us. The boys are maturing & asking great questions, beginning to see their lives past, present & future from a more Godly perspective; & are being challenged to rethink a lot of what they believe about themselves, God, His world & His plans for their future.

Welcoming Ruth!

2010-02-01T21:37:00.005-05:00

Above is Adela Ruth Alvarez, 15 years of age. Ruth was taken to the girls' restoration home yesterday after spending nearly a week at the Reception house.

Ruth was born in Bolivia, but came to us from the streets of Argentina. Long story short, Ruth's mom sent her off w/ her uncle to Argentina to 'work' illegally, & Ruth within a short time wound up on the streets, into drugs & in with the wrong crowd.

Ruth is definitely a sweetheart, has recommitted her life to the Lord while at the reception house and has stated that she dreams of being a teacher one day. She also loves to sing and enjoys dancing. Help us pray for Ruth that she will make friends quickly at the girls' home, continue to seek the Lord and know Him more, and also make the most of school and different vocational activities for the girls there.

HAITI . . . Confirmed

2010-01-13T15:56:00.005-05:00

We have shared w/ many folks our desire to have this year's Bolivian missions team go to Haiti. Looks like that's 100% confirmed. We just saw in the news that there's over 100,000 presumed dead in the capital after a major earthquake rocked the capital. The presidential palace is ruined, the legislative building is destroyed, the main cathedral is was also damaged and so are many hospitals & schools.

Please pray for the nature & timing of our trip - & for God's direction in the best way He could use us to help restore hope & aid those in need.

Helping Pastor Dilmar

2010-01-01T21:18:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone, Happy New Year! Wanted to send along best wishes & Happy New Year from Pastor Dilmar and his family from Aposento Alto Church here in Santa Cruz. He & his wife Silenny have just had their 3rd child, a 10lb baby girls at birth - Valentina!

Silenny is already back finishing up her degree in Social Work, and for most of last year was doing her practicum with our 2 homes for ex-street kids. She did a great job & we are hoping to keep her on this year as well.

Dilmar is also doing well leading the church, overseeing the Compassion program at Aposento & counseling married couples, single adults & youth from church; all in addition to trying to grow & maintain the church as a beacon in the community.

We want to ask for your prayers &, for those who'd like to bless Dilmar & his family, your support. They are signing another lease on their house, that's 2 blocks from church, knowing that their church salary minus new baby expenses won't be able to cover the rent.

As some of you will recall, they lived at the Compassion center at the church for their 1st 4 years at Aposento, w/ over 400 kids right outside their door all week-long. Unhealthy, & a recipe for family disaster really, together w/ a 2007 short-term missions team, we decided to help them rent a place of their own 2 years ago & have committed to personally help them raise money for their rent last year & again this year as well.

Rent on the house is $150 a month, which is very reasonable given the area & condition of the house. We're hoping to raise this for them this year & also are praying at some point in the future to be able to buy the house as a residence for the church pastor, so any donations that come in on top of the what's needed for this year will go towards a future purchase. We're confident that A Healthy Pastor leads to a Healthy Church.

If you'd like to help Dilmar & his family out w/ a tax deductible gift, please let us know via e-mail: larrywmorehead2@yahoo.com

& we will communicate to you details on how to do that. Thanks & Happy New Year!

Kids Games - Sta Cruz 2009!

2009-12-24T20:25:00.003-05:00

KIDS GAMES SANTA CRUZ 2009 has just wrapped up & this year was another outstanding experience for all the kids involved! This is the 4th year Kids' Games has sought to mobilize the church into getting into the community - using sports to have fun, evangelize, & impart biblical truths - in reaching out to kids whom many would otherwise never accept an invitation to come to church.

This year, 4 local churches (including 1 new church who'd never participated before), 1 orphanage (who'd also never competed before), and our 2 restoration homes El Camino & El Alfarero came together to make the event happen.

During the week, close to 300 kids, many non-believers, heard the gospel & received teachings on topics pertaining to this year's focus 'Living Life to the Fullest,' such as: No Small Significance: The Value Jesus Places on Kids, Trusting in God in order to Triumph, Kindness & Helping Others. Enjoy the photos!

Francisco - to Peru & back

2009-12-24T19:21:00.006-05:00

This is Francisco from the Reintegration house (& one of the 1st 4 grads from our boys' home). One year & 1/2 into his Engineering degree, Francisco decided to take a semester & deepen his walk w/ the Lord, responding to a desire in his heart to know God more, & enlist in the YWAM Discipleship Training School (or DTS).

He is now on the verge of wrapping up his 5 month DTS. The 3-month lecture phase has been completed. Francisco & his fellow students were then sent to Peru to evangelize & serve in the local church there. Now he & his team are back in Bolivia, he will be heading off to evangelize & minister in a little town out in the country in Eastern Bolivia.

Francisco has received generous donations to pay for his entire school & outreach abroad to Peru. Thanks for your prayers & support of him!

Mauricio Moves: part 3 - Back Home

2009-12-24T18:26:00.005-05:00

After deciding to leave the streets, Mauricio came w/ us to the Reception house, where he'd been twice before. The 1st time w/ us he didn't even last one week. His addiction overcame him, & he demanded to leave & go back to the streets, which was very sad for all of us - & was actually one of the only times a kid hasn't made it through the 1st week w/ us at the Reception House. The 2nd time Mauricio completed his week at the Reception house, went to our boys' restoration home, was doing great & then again went back to the streets & drug abuse after 1 1/2 weeks at the home.

Mauricio, this time has come through the Reception house, & has been at the boys home 3 weeks now - already a great victory for him! He was well underweight, malnourished, and had every parasite known to man in his belly. He's been treated for that, & is also getting treated for a fungal rash on his arm - but is gradually recuperating strength, energy & motivation to live & fight for his life.

Please help us pray for him, that Mauricio would allow the Lord to be his true saviour, help him live out real freedom, & triumph over drugs once & for all! Mauricio is super likeable, all the kids at the home love him & want to see him succeed. Last week he participated in & helped the home win several medals at the annual Kids' Games athletic competition. Pray that God's purposes would be fulfilled in his life, that he would come to know Jesus intimately & profoundly, that he would take his place at the home, & just for a continued release from the bondage of drug use. Our God is Mighty to Save! Merry Christmas Everyone!

Mauricio Moves: part 2 - Decision Time

2009-12-24T18:07:00.002-05:00

Mauricio flanked from left to right by Larry, superstar Rob Garrison, & Roberto. This was the last time we saw Mauricio on the streets & he made the decision to leave the streets.

Mauricio Moves

2009-12-24T17:39:00.002-05:00

This is a photo of Mauricio, who's 13 year's old & has lived like this, under a bridge, & addicted to a smokeable form of cocaine for most of the last 3 1/2 years.

More Grads!

2009-12-14T20:48:00.002-05:00

The boys home, 'El Camino' ('The Way') has produced 2 more high school grads! Congratulations to Enrique (left) & Humberto (right), who graduated high school the Saturday after Thanksgiving of 2009. We're very proud of both of these guys, as they've given their lives to the Lord, shown great resilience, developed discipline, been good role models at the home, kicked drugs, & are dreaming big dreams for their future.

They will be moving into the reintegration house early next year, and in the interim will be taking classes at a local technical institute, to become more proficient w/ using the computer & Microsoft Office programs. They will also have to take their college entrance exams at the end of December so pray for them, as they prepare for the next big step in their lives. Enrique wants to study law & go into politics, & Humberto desires to pursue communications.

Reintegrating

2009-12-14T20:10:00.005-05:00

Hey, wanted to write a quick update on our boys from the Reintegration house. Again, these are the guys who've come off of the streets, spent years restoring their lives at 'El Camino,' have graduated high school, and are now preparing to become independent young men integrating back into society.

Juan (2nd from left), is finishing up his 1st year at university studying Electro-mechanical engineering. Abel (middle, w/ white shirt), is taking a heavy load in his 2nd year pursuing his Accounting degree. Raul (far right), is finishing up his technical degree in computer operation & & basic programming; and is also taking classes towards a Computer Engineering degree at university. Francisco (not pitcured) put his college career on hold for a semester, in order to do a Discipleship Training School with Youth With a Mission. He is currently on outreach in Peru w/ the rest of his classmates from the school.

Please pray for these guys as they continue their studies & walking in God's plan for their lives. We'd also like to ask your prayers for us as well, as we're looking at exit strategies & time tables for when the right time is for them to move out on their own.

Training em' up & sendin' em' out

2009-11-29T14:28:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Patty Morehead has been on the move the past few weeks. She has just been part of a 3 day training workshop, with a ministry called the International Sports Coalition here just outside of Santa Cruz.

The vision of this ministry is to use sports as a means of spreading the gospel & extending the Kingdom of God. Patty helped give some of the training herself, but also invited speakers from Argentina & Columbia to help kick-start the ministry here in Bolivia & prepare other national leaders with a heart for this ministry. Representatives from churches, from all over the country came to receive the workshops, to later apply them in their communities. Some of the themes taught were: 'Athletics & the Bible,' 'Forming Effective Teams,' & 'Explaining the Gospel.'

The 2nd week of December we will be putting on the 4th annual Kids' Games competition between churches, orphanages, & restorative homes here in Santa Cruz. This event has been a huge success here in the past, enabling hundreds of kids to hear about God's redemptive plan for their life, and really think about how they compete & why God has given us this desire to strive for excellence, persevere, work in a team, overcome obstacles & triumph!

Let the Games Begin!

2009-11-21T14:41:00.005-05:00

Patty has recently returned from Sucre (the official capital of Bolivia), where she & a few colleagues were helping to plant a new ministry that uses sports ministry to evangelize & teach Kingdom principles. The idea of sports ministry is to mobilize the local church in using athletics as a bridge to reach out to children & youth who wouldn't accept an invitation to attend church but would participate in an athletic competition if invited. How many kids do you know that love sports?

Partnering with the local church, the competitive events are combined w/ biblical teachings and testimonies from Christian athletes. The ministry also helps teach the local church how to work as a team, have fun, get more involved in the community, be around unbelievers, think outside the box about evangelism & extend the Kingdom. There is actually a global coalition of sports ministries which uses sports around the world to evangelize & disciple. In Bolivia so far, we have held yearly events such as Kids Games, Teen Games & as of last year Family Games in Santa Cruz. For the 1st time now, in the city of Sucre, the Kids Games event was held this year & looks to continue inviting more churches to participate in the coming year! Pics above are from the event.

The Kids' Games event coincided with the South American championships, the Bolivarian Games, which this year was held in Sucre. The Sports ministry team took the chance to street evangelize near the stadium & hand out tracks to spectators.

Military men ... almost out the door

2009-11-21T11:58:00.002-05:00

Enrique (left) & Humberto (right), our 2 oldest boys from the boys' restoration home 'El Camino,' have now finished their military service to the nation of Bolivia & are about to graduate high school! It has been a long journey for both of them, they've both been at the home for over 5 years now, & are now getting ready to move on to another phase of life.

Enrique is one of the boys who's blessed & challenged us the most in his time at the home. He is one of the boys that few forget when they meet him. Jesus Christ has done an amazing work of redemption & transformation in his life & he has impacted & helped encourage many a struggling lad at the home over the years. His testimony will blow you away, but unfortunately is a bit long to tell here. Personable, charming, & endearing, visitors to the home have mistaken him for staff on occasion. His heart is to study political science & go into politics - SO HE FOR SURE NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS.

Humberto has always been one of the more quiet boys at the home. He hails from northern Bolivia in the Beni province. Humberto has had to work harder at school than most, but in that has developed a healthy determination that's helped him overcome drugs & many other obstacles in his life. Humberto is not sure what he wants to do with the rest of his life or what he wants to study, so please pray the Lord will guide the direction of his life.

Back from Uruguay!

2009-11-07T20:12:00.003-05:00

Patty & the missions team from Aposento Alto church here in Bolivia got back a few days ago from their 09' missions trip to the country of Uruguay! In Uruguay, the team partnered w/ a Mennonite church of about 150 members (a large congregation for Uruguayan evangelical standards) .

Upon arrival, they jumped right into some pretty intense ministry right off the bat, ministering to women & teens battling depression & even suicide. God impressed upon the team that a common thread w/ many of the women & teens was the need to forgive & were able to help many take steps of forgiveness in letting go of hurts from the past.

The team also engaged in prayer walks in the neighborhoods close to the church, organized an alternative halloween event w/ sports, games & prizes w/ the kids, & shared dynamic bible teachings w/ the kids.

As in pretty much all previous trips the team also greatly encouraged the church to accept it's part in the Great Commission and to get involved in what God's doing not only in their community but around the world. Through the seeds that were planted, the church began praying about taking a team to Africa in the future.

The trip ended w/ a Sunday night invitation for those who wanted to give their lives in service to missions & several folks, young & old offered their lives to serve in missions - so we'll see how the Lord uses Uruguay to bless the Nations in the coming months & years!

JONATHAN !!!

2009-10-23T17:37:00.005-04:00

Another young life decided to leave a the darkness of the streets and begin a new life to our boys' restoration home 'El Camino.' Above is Jonathan (above in orange shirt, flanked by Mt. Paran men's team), who is 14 years old & has just left our reception house to begin his new life at the boys' home. Jonathan had been on the streets for 2 years, having to steal to survive & being subjected to regular beatings by the police. He is excited, and knows several of the boys at the home from the streets. Please pray for him as he adjusts to his new life at the home, that he will turn his life, will & future over to Christ and choose to walk w/ the Lord daily.

Thank You Mt. Paran Men!

2009-10-23T17:25:00.004-04:00

Wow what a week! Blood, sweat, tears, toilet duty, demolition, hip-hop joy, new kids in the Kingdom and that was just like the first 3 days!

We are so very grateful to the Mt. Paran Men's team who came down and really blew our minds with their hard work & incredible love shown to us, our kids, our ministry team, & our church. In the short time they were here they preached the gospel & ministered to those in need at church, loved on the girls at the girls' home & helped make the home safer by installing outdoor lighting, helped revolutionize the bathroom at the boys' home, helped bring a young man off of the streets, started a birthday cake fight & shared the gospel through hip-hop to the young people. Thanks Reg, Scott, David, Ray, David, Ken, Chuck & Ronnie! Love you guys enjoy the pics above.

Answered Prayers

2009-10-03T11:53:00.003-04:00

For a while we've been praying for more staff, & married couples in particular to complement our ministry team here in Bolivia. We want to thank you for helping us to pray for this need, & would like to share w/ you that God has been responding in a big way! Above are Gualberto & Fausta, a Bolivian couple who've come on board w/ us & are currently training at both the boys' & girls' restoration homes to see where they might best fit in. They are considering taking on the role of house parents @ one of the homes - & we know this is a huge decision/commitment so please pray for them & for discernment in knowing where the best fit for them is. We are looking for at least 1 couple who would live-in at the girls' home & 2 couples to live at the boys' home.

Launch of the Mobile Medical Post!

2009-10-03T10:35:00.004-04:00

It's been a long time coming, but the good news can now be confirmed - we now have a Mobile Medical vehicle for our street work up & running! We have a nurse (Rick from the U.S.) & a doctor (Iris - from Holland) volunteering with us on street visits to attend to the vast array of health needs we see on the streets. The vehicle is a van that's been equipped w/ a dental chair (that's doubling as an examination table), an air compressor & a generator - which gives us the capacity to do dental work (once we find a volunteer dentist : ).

Last week we were able to take Roberto (pictured above) to the hospital to get an x-ray on his broken leg (fractured when he was run over by a motorcycle). Overall, the van is allowing us much greater mobility in the streets to visit more kids & attend to urgent health needs the kids have. We are very grateful & excited to have this new outreach facility - thanks to all who've helped to make it a functioning reality!

Together Again At Last

2009-09-25T14:38:00.007-04:00

After having been apart for the last 4 years, Alex who was living w/ his grandmother in the north of Bolivia, is now back with his mom Darlene at the girls' restoration home 'El Alfarero!' Alex is Darlene's only child & was born at a time in Darlene's life when she really wasn't ready to be a loving, nurturing mother - at which time she made really the wise decision, to let her mom step in & help raise little Alex. Darlene has come a long way since then & several months ago expressed her desire to be reunited with her son. Since his arrival, Alex has taken well to life at the home and is a happy, energetic, guitar pickin' little boy!

Please pray for Darlene as she is really just now learning to be a mother, but is so far doing a great job.

Aposento Missions- to Uruguay

2009-09-22T22:17:00.007-04:00

This is part of the 2009 Aposento Alto missions team that will be heading to Uruguay next month! As most of you already know, this will be the 5th consecutive year our Bolivian church has sent a short-term missions team out to minister internationally.

So why Uruguay?

Uruguay, unlike its catholic neighbors, is by far & away the most atheistic nation in South America. Uruguay is a small country, made up of largely european immigrants & descendants who for the most part esteem logic, intellectualism, individualism & humanism over faith or a relationship w/ Jesus Christ. And while there is a church presence in Uruguay, the mainstream culture feels they have 'moved on' from professing a belief in or a need for Jesus Christ, and in the last decade have been quite unwelcoming to the gospel.

Uruguay needs Jesus Christ

The 2009 trip will have as its focus community service - ministering & lending a hand in areas of much need. The team will be partnering with YWAM Uruguay & the local church in Montevideo (the capital city). The team also plans to visit hospitals, pray for the sick and serve in retirement homes for the elderly & in children's orphanages - sharing the gospel through art & drama, helping w/ service projects, & organizing fun activities for kids & the elderly many of whom are seldom visited.

The team is currently raising funds to be able to go by bus, a 2 day trip, and minister in Uruguay. If you'd like to partner financially w/ the team, you can deposit a gift into Patty's account in the U.S.

Wachovia - Checking Acct. #1010199456033

Please pray for the team & the folks they're going to minister to as they prepare for the trip next month!

Went fishing the other day . . .

2009-09-15T22:27:00.004-04:00

& hooked a big one.

Say hello to Ivan.

Ivan is 15 & is our newest boy @ the boys' home!

One of the greatest thrills in working w/ street kids is seeing them decide to come off the streets & literally see the light return to their eyes.

Such was the case w/ Ivan, who already has come a long way since coming off the streets & arriving at our boys' home 2 weeks ago. After spending the last 4 years of his life on the streets & addicted to drugs - & having listened to years of prompting & prayers from many folks leading up to one decisive moment - Ivan made the decision to come off of the streets 2 weeks ago & is fitting in nicely at the boys' home, 'El Camino.' Ivan during his time on the streets developed a very serious drug habit, & has struggled a bit w/ withdrawal symptoms - but so far has overcome the urge to go back to life on the streets. Please join us in praying for Ivan that he would continue to persevere, will choose to give his heart to the Lord, & embrace the Life that Christ longs for each of us to have.

Severino GETS DUNKED!

2009-08-25T17:21:00.009-04:00

Happy Days! After having received the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal saviour & Lord & 3 months of baptismal classes at the local church - Severino WAS BAPTIZED this Saturday! It was a marvelous day for he & his grandparents who came to the ceremony.

Severino is a young man of many talents. He's the drummer for our worship band at the boys' home, a straight-'A' student at the local private school close to the boys home, and the goal-keeper for the soccer team @ the home. Severino has made remarkable strides since coming off of the streets almost 3 years ago. He's committed to following the Lord & is a great influence on the other boys at the home, many of whom themselves are now interested in getting baptized!

Where our kids come from. . .

2009-08-25T17:13:00.003-04:00

The homeless children & teen population here in Bolivia continues to grow. It's startling to see how many young kids, in Santa Cruz alone roam the streets filthy, high, hurting, hungry & hopeless. Most of these kids come from broken homes where many times parents have substance abuse problems themselves & will often send their kids out to help bring home extra income for the household. The great majority of the kids at our homes & those who're still on the streets come from backgrounds of physical, sexual & psychological abuse - & have sometimes been abandoned all together. They turn to the streets as a method of survival and it's there where older kids teach them how to steal, introduce them to drugs, and lead girls into prostitution. What does the government do? Not much really. Police regularly beat & extort the kids, and there really is no concerted effort to solve the problem. Street kids are for the most part looked as a nuisance to society, and from time to time are 'rounded up,' & dropped off somewhere outside the city, only to find their way back the following day.

The men folk

2009-08-12T11:55:00.003-04:00

These are the guys from our Boys' Restoration Home for ex-street kids, 'El Camino' (The Way). At present there are 25 boys who've left a life of drug abuse, petty theft, misery, rejection & self-destruction on the streets to start a new life at the home. We're very proud of all of our boys who've shown a unparalleled resilience & determination despite all the pain & trauma they've been through.

At the boys' home the boys are

Meet All of our precious GIRLS !

2009-08-11T13:05:00.006-04:00

Above are pictures of all of our girls at our Restoration Home, El Alfarero (The Potter's House) for ex-street girls.

After having come from backgrounds of neglect, sexual & physical abuse, drug addiction, and even prostitution from living on the streets - at the home the girls are given love & guidance as they gradually allow God to restore their lives & experience a new beginning. Hopeful that their lives can & will change, girls are counseled & nurtured by staff, are given the opportunity to go back & finish school, & those who are young mothers are instructed & supported as they care for their babies.

BIENVENIDOS! (WELCOME!)

2009-08-11T10:56:00.002-04:00

L & P

Hello! Welcome to our Bolivia blog, where our intent is to keep everyone (who might be interested) better informed in what's going on in our lives & ministry while in Bolivia. We've found that a quarterly newsletter really isn't enough to keep everyone abreast, & really there's so much that happens in 4 months time that it's tough to cram into a tiny newsletter. Thanks for visiting. Bookmark us & come back as often as you like.