Tim & Kallie in Bolivia - Blog

The Final Frontier

27/2/2019

Our work in Bolivia has taken us pretty much everywhere nationally. We’ve been up mountains, over high plains, deep in the jungle and through valleys. Until this February however, there was still one of the 9 departments (provinces) of Bolivia that we hadn’t explored: Pando.

Pando is a sparsely populated region in the very north of the country bordering Brazil and Peru. This month, the first Bolivian Baptist church-plant in Pando’s capital city of Cobija celebrated its two-

year anniversary. We were invited by the denomination to provide a workshop, preach, encourage the church and participate in their festivities.

A couple of things to know about Cobija:

The city, while the capital of the region, is still very rural.
There are almost no cars: most transportation consists of motorbikes.
It’s HOT. Being in the middle of the Amazon rain forest, Cobija is humid with temperatures regularly surpassing 30 Celsius.
Bananas, plantains and fish abound.

We were really refreshed over the time we spent with this neat church community. They participated with vigor in our workshop, church members offered to zip us all over, a widow and her son opened their home for us to stay in, and we were invited to share meals in many homes. We were made to feel part of the church family and given the opportunity to learn and celebrate side-by-side. Pray for Emanuel Church in Pando as they begin their 3rd year of ministry and seek ways to be light in Cobija.

She Can Laugh at the Days to Come

21/1/2019

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
~ Proverbs 31:25

Yacuiba is a small Bolivian city that sits 3 km from Argentina. This dry, hot border town was the site of this year’s national Baptist women’s convention. We often speak of the importance of building relationships in mission work and the convention is a perfect opportunity for just that. Nothing bonds a group of 150+ women together more than sleeping like sardines on the floor in a cramped room and sharing a few select bathrooms!

But in all seriousness, getting to spend this time with women from across the country has helped me understand their world just a little bit more. We joked around and laughed and encouraged one another. Being in a safe place among friends, we disclosed some of our struggles with each other and let ourselves be vulnerable. They shared stories of coming to know the Lord and their journey with Him, of loss and grief, and of domestic violence and recovery. I continue to be blessed by their honesty and openness and have gleaned so much wisdom from these sage ladies.

Having this time with women from all corners of the country also gave me the opportunity to share about CBM’s work and ministry to a wide reaching audience. One of our goals is to partner closer with local churches, so the convention facilitated an opportunity to invite our Bolivian Baptist sisters into deeper relationship with us and our ministries. Please pray for this partnership as we continue to build bridges and strengthen ties.

Round Trip #CrossCanada

26/11/2018

We spent three months traveling around Canada, visiting partners and sharing about our work in Bolivia. Here's a video recap highlighting some of the amazing churches we serve along side. We were able to share a Spanish version with our church here in Bolivia sending them your greetings. If you came out to see us, try to spot yourself!

A Brush of Fresh Air

26/8/2018

Over the past year Kallie took up an old hobby: painting!

This has been a great outlet for her to relieve stress and challenge herself artistically.What’s more, she’s found it to be a creative way to express some of CBM’s ministries through a more unconventional medium.

Less than a year ago, CBM also undertook its own creative adventure and launched the 323 Collective, an online store featuring global craft makers and entrepreneurs willing to contribute their handiwork in service of those who need a hand-up. All proceeds from purchases on this site go directly towards people in need worldwide.

This initiative motivated Kallie to begin selling a few of her original paintings through the 323 Collective website.She connected with Bolivian artist Manuel Tinta, who custom made frames for her inspired by each piece.CBM’s Brenda Halk suggested that they also make a series of notecards which can be shared with friends and family.

Have a look at Kallie’s work by visiting her page here.100% of the proceeds from her artwork go directly towards CBM projects in Bolivia.

Deck her out in spring showers, fill the God-River with living water. Paint the wheat fields golden. Creation was made for this! ~Psalm 65:9 (The Message)

All Packed & Ready For Takeoff!

6/7/2018

We’re all packed and ready for takeoff! We’re looking forward to stepping back into Canada and meeting with a lot of great people over the next few months. This begins our first week, which is spent in the CBM office catching up with colleagues. Hope to see you soon!

*No cats were packed in the writing of this blog (unfortunately)

Praxis

31/5/2018

This past month we had the privilege of hosting the Praxis team once again. Praxis is an incredible scholarship offered through CBM that’s available to those studying in Baptist Seminaries at the graduate level. This Course allows students to learn about missions by experiencing the field first hand. They learn about how CBM works, visit projects, experience cross-cultural ministry, and focus in on a chosen theme. This year's focus was the intersection of our faith and care for the environment.

This is the second year our Bolivian team has had the opportunity to host this dynamic program representing Masters Students from the West to East coasts. To help facilitate cross-cultural learning, several Bolivian Baptist leaders from four distinct regions of their country, were selected to join the Canadian for the duration of the trip. The diversity of this group allowed for lively discussion and a lot of laughs as we learned together.

While we had regular class lectures and public symposiums, we also had the chance to get our hands dirty. We partnered with a local church called Nueva Esperanza, and together with its members we walked through their neighbour-hood picking up garbage. We finally congregated at an arid plaza nearby the church and planted trees and bushes. For sometime this congregation had been planning to undertake an urban gardening initiative and bless their neighbours. When we heard of their plans to start creating a green space, we thought it would be a great opportunity to work alongside the local church in creation care.

There was also an opportunity to travel to La Paz and connect with RedMonica, an initiative that works with municipalities around Bolivia to monitor air quality. We were able to see their lab, have them explain the different ways they measure pollution, and also learn what factors most affect the quality of the air we breathe. The data from this project has helped push cities in Bolivia to rethink legislation around issues causing air contamination. Factory regulations, vehicle emissions, and forms of transportation are all becoming more actively discussed amongst citizens.

For many, this is where their faith has begun to intersect with today’s environmental realities. They hold both a passion for Christ and desire to care for His good earth. Please pray that the Praxis experience continues to be a catalyst for both Bolivians and Canadians who are committed to reconciling environmental stewardship as an integral part of obedience to the Gospel.

Three Baptisms and a Wedding

30/4/2018

There are two events that always make me cry: weddings and baptisms. There is something so beautiful about people standing up in front of friends and family, declaring their love and commitment, and starting a new life. This month we had the joy of watching three friends make a commitment to follow Jesus through the waters of baptism.

These baptisms are also a powerful testimony to the life altering impact of CBM’s projects as all three were connected to Jireh—one of our vulnerable children & youth projects. Belen is a teenage beneficiary, Carlos’ is the father of beneficiaries, and Betzi is on staff. Here are their stories.

Betzi and Belen

Belen has been a part of Jireh for three years and is currently in her last year of high school. A complicated family situation forced her to leave her parents and move to Cochabamba to live with her single grandmother. From the very beginning Belen felt as though the project adopted her as part of their family, sighting how they all call the staff “aunty and uncle”. While she knew who Jesus was when we she came to Jireh, she shared that she was nowhere ready for baptism at that time, partly because she didn’t feel she deserved God’s love. Over the past three years however, she recognizes how she’s been discipled through Jireh and the church it’s based out of. Belen says she now understands that she doesn’t need to be perfect, only willing and committed to follow Jesus.

Carlos and his wife VIki

Carlos is the father of three children who each attend Jireh. He shared with us how he came to know Christ largely through his family. His children first became Christians through the Jireh project, then his wife made a commitment, and eventually this led him to his own relationship with Jesus.

The two of us have had the opportunity to slowly watch Christ transform this

family over time. When his family first joined the project, Carlos was often absent from home and his wife was left to try and support their three kids on her own.They’ve shared how Jireh was critical for their children during this time and helped them get stable. The couple slowly integrated into the local church, becoming regular members and receiving discipleship from the congregation. This lead them to make a commitment to Christ as well as to work through their family struggles. Recently Carlos and his wife set a date to be officially married later this year. His decision to be baptized is his public witness of a changed life and commitment to follow Jesus.

Betzi recently came on as staff at Jireh, but she first got involved with the project two years ago as part of an internship for her psychology degree. She shared that for a while she had been curious about Christianity but was too intimidated to go to a church and ask questions. As she volunteered as an intern, she heard about Jesus during devotion time with the kids, she saw the love the Christians around her were showing to the vulnerable, and she started to experience church community. Betzi said it was like a hunger in her heart to know and understand; everyday she came to the project eager to learn more. After a few months she started to offer to run devotions so she could teach herself as she prepared.

The two of us remember the excitement within the church when this university intern started to attend Sundays. Eventually through the close relationships she formed with a staff named Vanessa, the pastor, and other church members, Betzi made a commitment to Christ. A few months ago a position on staff became available and she was a great fit. Betzi’s testimony is another example of how lives can change by hearing, seeing, and experiencing the good news of God’s kingdom.

One Stitch at a Time

29/3/2018

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
~Isaiah 40:31

We’re excited to announce a new CBM project in Bolivia: ADA. Short for Alas De Aguilas (Eagle’s Wings). This new initiative works with a select group of mothers whose children are in the Casa de La Amistad project. This is in large part thanks to support from the Canadian Baptist Women's Comittee (CBWOQ, ABW and Women in Focus).

Casa de La Amistad is a ministry with more than two decades of experience supporting children who currently have a parent living in prison—some of whom live there themselves. Slowly honing its expertise serving this specific population, this ministry has received praise from prison officials, local government, and other NGOs for its unique service in this area, helping to shape the reputation of the Bolivian Baptist Church.

While an independent project, ADA can be seen as an extension of Casa de La Amistad which focuses on supporting a select group of mothers with children in the Casa project. ADA has three components—training in sewing, life skills workshops, and devotionals. Together this provides holistic care.

In conjunction with local social workers, staff offer the moms regular workshops on themes relevant to their situation. This includes parenting techniques, communication, physical health, and domestic violence. Additionally, the staff lead weekly Bible studies with the mother’s. Currently they are using material that explores the stories of women in the New Testament.

Lastly, the central part of the project is a practical component: sewing. This aspect grew out of a request from the mothers themselves who had asked for technical training and expressed an interest in sewing. The hope is that this skill will allow them to begin earning a bit extra for their families and eventually lead to greater financial stability in the long-term.

Now armed with an arsenal of sewing machines, the mothers rotate class days with a sewing instructor and work through a curriculum. Their first projects focused on making school uniforms for their children, as well as official ADA uniforms for themselves. They are currently looking to break into the Bolivian market, having already taken on one local order outside of class.

In many ways the women in this project are marginalized within their society. They have suffered discrimination because of their lack of formal education, their indigenous heritage, and their connection to the prisons. Many of them are survivors of violence and have gone through a lot with very little support. Through ADA however, they are no longer individuals fighting alone; rather they have found new strength in their community.

Isabel, whose husband is serving time for abusing her and her children, put it this way: “I worry a lot. I worry about my children. What will happen tomorrow? But when I come to sewing class it distracts me a little. I forget about my worries. I’m just there laughing with my friends.”

We look forward to walking alongside these moms as they realize their potential and grow in faith.