Blog Posts

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.

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Once Upon a Time

28/2/2018

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Life goes on at the Baptist Seminary in Cochabamba and I continue to provide support as best I can. Classes officially started mid-February so there’s a back-to-school atmosphere. Our little library team is currently focused on providing digital trainings to each of the grade levels to help them familiarize with online research, databases, and our digital catalog.

A new Master of Theological Studies program has been launched for the first time by International Ministries in conjunction with Palmer Seminary based out of the U.S. Bolivian Baptists have long struggled to access graduate level training and this new initiative aims to educate a cohort of eager students, many of whom have years of ministry experience. One of these students is Pastor Febe, who received a scholarship through CBM in partnership with the Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec.

As part of their orientation, I had the opportunity to join this group for a day to explore how the library can support them over the next two years. It’s amusing to see students process the extent to which things have changed in recent years, and to watch them process how much academic material is now available—for free—thanks to the open access movement. I was also tasked with covering citation purpose and style (which I love) and plagiarism (no one wants this one).

Beyond the main seminary site there are also four satellite campuses throughout the country. While there are virtually no books at these locations, the school has worked to creatively set up an interlibrary loans system. Students can now search the online catalog, request titles, and have them delivered by bus to their location.

Slowly we’ve seen progress in the quality of education provided to our theologically minded Bolivian friends and it continues to be a pleasure to see the role the library can played in this.

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Planting Hope

29/1/2018

Blessed is the one…
    whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither--
    whatever they do prospers.
             Psalms 1

We planted some trees… but first let me explain why. In recent years CBM has more actively explored how faith and environmental care relate to each other at both a personal and global level (for instance, see here, here, and here). Together with our partners in Bolivia, we are slowly growing in
our understanding of the environ-mental realities we live in, as well as our responsibility as Christian communities to demonstrate a concern for ecology which stems from scripture.

Largely due to operating in rural—and therefore more natural—areas, CBM’s Chagas project has become more attune to the ecological situation within Bolivia. For many of the communities partnering with the Chagas project, a slight change in rainfall or the price of produce can have a significant impact on their quality of life. Recognizing this, the project has worked to incorporate agricultural initiatives, such as community gardens, in the past.

The Chagas project offers a myriad of workshops over the course of the year to each of the communities it partners with and December’s theme was environmentalism. This covers the importance of this issue from a Christian worldview, as well as practical training relevant to the local area. So it was exciting to reinforce this training by sharing that each family would receive trees that they would be responsible to care for and guidance on how to do this most effectively.

A local community member was contracted to raise mango and passion fruit trees that would be ready for transplantation during the country’s rainy season (Dec-March). This past month we distributed the trees and the community members organized themselves for planting. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that the many animals that wander freely would be unable to eat the trees before they could take off. This requires setting up makeshift fencing around each of the seedlings.

Not only is the hope that these trees will have a positive impact on water retention and the local environment but also that the fruit they produce will benefit the families economically. Hope, like a seedling, starts small, but it grows.

Looking Back on Seventeen

30/11/2017

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2017 is coming to a close. It's been a year full of lessons, accomplishments, challenges and joys. Here's a snap shot of what we've been up to over the past 12 months.

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Church On a Mission

30/10/2017

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This past week we held our national IMI retreat. Integral Mission Initiatives (IMI) is a relatively new project for CBM Bolivia, so you may not have heard of it. It's a collaborative effort between several of our Bolivian partners—the Baptist Seminary, the Center for Integral Mission, and OBADES. Together, CBM alongside the directors of these institutions, work to empower and train churches to actively identify and serve needs within their communities.

IMI specifically supports a select group of churches across the country who have started projects that reach out to their neighbours in practical and necessary ways. Sometimes it’s caring for the elderly or children who suffer neglect, other times it’s investing in at-risk teens or vulnerable women. There are even some churches who are working proactively to care for the environment!

The team mentioned above collaborates to provide participating churches with technical and theological training throughout the year. Our biggest event however, is a retreat which brings together leaders from each of the projects. This two day event strives to help church leaders acquire new skills and gain tools to strengthen their programing. There is also a strong focus on Biblical study as participants listen to speakers and explore the theological basis for serving as a missional church.

Many churches that step out and take on this kind of initiative can end up feeling alone and discouraged. With this in mind, leaders had formal and informal time to talk about their challenges, solutions, resources and overall experience throughout the weekend. One of the central goals of the event was to facilitate conversation between participants, particularly those running similar projects, that could allow to encouragement.

Sara, who runs a project on the boarder of Argentina for preschool children from vulnerable families shared: “I had no idea so many other churches were doing stuff! Our project just started this year and I’ve been able to learn so much from people here with more experience. I have a network of people I can now go to for help and advice.”

Mildred, who runs a sports camp for at-risk teenagers said: “Before this retreat, I had never really considered the impact that our project can have on the volunteers who come to help. By treating our volunteers with appreciation and recognizing their participation as an opportunity to disciple them, I think we can make our project more sustainable.”

Freddy, a pastor from Santa Cruz whose project we talked about in a previous blog said: “I thought that the only resources we had were in our own church, but after getting ideas from other projects, I was able to recognize some opportunities for support that I had never considered before. For example, we can invite people from other churches close by to come volunteer with us!”

Leaving the retreat, the leaders expressed feeling empowered in their work and encouraged to know that they have a network of friends around the country they can call on. They felt united in their mission to share the Gospel in Bolivia through word and deed.

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Keep Calm and Go to Camp

28/9/2017

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Recently the department of Santa Cruz held their “jovenes” camp. “Jovenes” technically means “young people” but the lines are blurry as to who that includes. The core group of over 100 youth tended to be between 18-28, but there were fringe participants from 12 to 35 years old!

Tim and I were asked to be camp speakers and had a blast working with this group of young adults. Aside from our responsibilities as speakers, we played field games, joined group competitions, enjoyed times of worship, made lots of new friends and got very very little sleep—some parts of camp are the same no matter where you are.

During the camp, pastors and leaders throughout the department of Santa Cruz periodically dropped in. This was great because it’s an easy way to connect with a whole lot of people at once. We enjoy these events because we get to hear from numerous people, helping us grow in our understanding of the unique cultures in different regions of the country.

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City on a Hill

30/8/2017

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CBM’s mission is to partner with local churches around the world to bring hope, healing and reconciliation through word and deed. This month we experienced this happening in a beautiful way. Vida Nueva (New Life) is a church in the city of Santa Cruz who has stepped out in faith to serve their community and CBM was able to encourage their leap of faith through its Integral Mission Initiative program.

Vida Nueva church was growing concerned about the increasing level of vandalism, crime and unemployment in their neighbourhood and recognized a correlation with the high number of teenagers dropping out of school. Vida Nueva desired a way to speak into the lives of these struggling teens. After building relationships with the principals of two high schools in the area, it was agreed that each school would send 40 students with the lowest grades to participate in an academic support program based out of the church.

With a rotating schedule of volunteers with various strengths, the church has committed to tutoring these students to help them raise their marks, stay in school and realize their potential. The program also provides lunch as good nutrition is key to learning. Knowing that many of these teens have other personal issues, Vida Nueva is also working to provide mentorship as they walk alongside them in their day-to-day.

A small team of professional social workers and phycologists from within the church are also providing a drop-in counseling service each Friday afternoon to support parents around themes such as marriage, parenting techniques, work stress, etc.

Overall, the hope is that as relationships are established, not only will grades improve, but when families in the neighbourhood face challenges or crisis, they will see their local church as a safe place to receive holistic support.

Bolivia is a country that loves celebration so what better way to launch a project than with an over the top inauguration ceremony. On the night of the launch, the church filled up with project volunteers, church members, students, parents, teachers, and even reps. from the municipality. Seeing members of the community filtering through the front doors of the church to celebrate an exciting opportunity for their teens was reminiscent of a portion of the Sermon on the Mount:

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. ~Matthew 5:16

At one point in the evening, a teacher from one of the high schools stood up to share a few words. She shared that while she grew up in the church, she hadn’t set foot in one for 8 years. You could tell there was a long story and deep hurt behind her statement. She went on to acknowledge that what brought her back to the church that night was witnessing this selfless act of love towards her students and she thanked God for the work being done through the church. Seeing the care and concern the church had for these kids whom she herself cared deeply for, reminded her of Christ’s love; she saw good deeds and glorified her Father in heaven.

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Casa: Behind The Scenes

31/7/2017

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Carla, Kallie, Tim

One of our favorite projects here is the Casa de la Amistad (Friendship House). The Casa works with vulnerable children whose parents live in prison. Working with these kids is no easy task; not only do many of them have behavioural issues, but most come with heartbreaking stories. Carla and Fabiola—who have become two of our personal heroes— have both been working at the Casa for well over a decade. Carla, a trained psychologist, is celebrating her 20th year and Fabiola, who teaches the youngest age group, is in her 16th year. We recently interviewed them both to hear a little from these two amazing and inspiring women.

What has kept you here so long?

Carla: I love the kids! I’m happy here because I know we're making a difference in their lives. The kids know they’re loved here and many of them don’t feel loved at home or get the attention they need.

Fabiola: Yes, the kids keep you coming back day after day and year after year. We do this work to show them God’s love, so it’s worth it even though it’s hard.

What is the best thing about working at the Casa?

Fabiola & Kallie

Fabiola: One of my favourite things about working with kids is that moment when you’re able to capture their attention and inspire their imaginations. With the little kids especially, I love telling Bible stories. Many times when you try to teach children they get distracted or don’t
want to pay attention, but when they get

pulled in by a good story, you can tell they are processing and really learning about God’s word or other important material.

Carla: My favorite thing is getting visits from ex-beneficiaries. Of course not all of them are thriving, but I would say close to 90% have left and are living good lives. Many have gone to school, found stable jobs and are making an honest living. We’ve helped them break the cycle. We’ve seen a real change in their lives.

What are some changes you’ve seen over the years?

Carla: We have less staff now. We’re trying to fill in the spaces with volunteers, but it’s a struggle. Some kids need more help and attention than others and it’s hard to balance all the work. But for my kids, I don’t mind working hard.

Fabiola: Yes, now we have less staff and a heavier workload. This can affect the level of attention we are able to give to the kids. Carla used to be a full time psychologist and was able to work closely with the kids to counsel them and build up different capacities. Now because of staff cuts, she has to be in the class room as one of the teacher’s full time while still trying to offer counseling when she can get volunteers to cover. We’ve also had to take on many more administrative tasks than previously. It’s been a learning curve.

What’s the hardest thing about working at the Casa?

Carla: The kids come with a lot of trauma. Many of the kids have suffered abuse or violation, they come with a dark past. They’re used to a negative family structure and it’s very hard to break down those barriers both with the children and the parents. We’ve seen success and changes but it’s a process. Often times we do workshops with the moms or the kids around a certain issue we’ve noticed, but its hard to create long-term change.

Sometimes it feels like we’re taking one step forward and two steps back. Everyday we’re fighting to make lasting change.

Fabiola: For me it’s difficult to not be able to give the kids everything I know they need. Even the simple things, for example, I would love to be able to bring the kids to a park and give them a place where they could run and have fun and be kids, but being in the center of the city, there aren’t many green spaces around. You always wish you could do more to make their lives better.

What do you do to take care of yourself?

Carla: We support one another as a team. It affects us to see the suffering of the kids, but when we meet together as staff, we share what we’re going through and help one another as much as we can.

Fabiola: We also receive great support through different professional development workshops that our program manager Marcia organizes. This includes external support from a network we've grown over the years.

What would you like to share with churches in Canada?

Carla: Thank you so much for the support you’ve given us. You’ve helped hundreds of families, and the kids and parents who have come through Casa have been forever changed. You’ve played a big part the in the transformation of their lives. Please keep supporting us.

Fabiola: Please remember all of us at the Casa! Your prayers and support over the years have made an immeasurable difference in so many lives.

Any prayer requests?

Fabiola: Pray with us for the kids we have with us now, but also the children who have had to leave the program. Over the years, there are those who come from such difficult circumstances and touch your heart, but because of instability in their lives they quit coming to the project. I always think about them and pray that they are alright. I pray that wherever they are, God is with them and protecting them.

Carla: We just had three little girls ages 5, 6 and 7 taken into protective custody last week because they were violated in the prison. Their younger 2 year old sister was also found to be suffering from malnutrition. Please pray for them.

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One Stitch at a Time

Once Upon a Time

Planting Hope

Looking Back on Seventeen

Church On a Mission

Keep Calm and Go to Camp

City on a Hill

Casa: Behind The Scenes

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