Blog Posts - Tim & Kallie in Bolivia

Expanding the Classroom

21/5/2019

Our world is becoming increasingly digital and Bolivia is no exception. Last year we helped the Seminary in Cochabamba launch their first ever fully online course which Kallie taught from Canada during our home assignment. After working out some kinks, we’ve been passing on knowledge regarding how to build and implement online and hybrid courses, helping the Seminary and its satellite schools expand their reach. This has also included providing integrated trainings on digital library resources.

Recently this took us to Santa Cruz, a tropical city with a small satellite seminary serving a very large region. Our three-day training allowed us to work closely with both students and professors and listen to their experience providing theological education. As in Canada, there are a significant number of lay leaders and young professionals throughout Bolivia who desire more formal theological training but who are unable to dedicate themselves to on campus study. Likewise, others are contemplating full-time study but are hesitant or unable to currently make such a commitment. The seminary’s hope is that by implementing a few select online classes they will be better able to serve their students and expand the overall reach of their ministry.

In tandem with online classes is a need for digital library resources and information access. Tim together with Wilson, our student librarian, have worked tirelessly to input thousands of books from the main campus library into an online catalogue. This has allowed students and professors to search the catalogue from a distance and arrange for inter-library loans. These two also provide regular training on how to access online academic journal databases, develop research skills, and make use of the plethora of digital resources growing available online every day.

As always, the opportunity to network and build relationships throughout Bolivia is certainly a highlight of serving with Canadian Baptist Ministries.

Treat the Earth as if Your Life Depends on it

22/4/2019

Just when you thought the kids at the Casa couldn’t get any more amazing, they set an example for all of us in caring for the environment. For Earth Day this year, the Casa de la Amistad invited churches to join them in cleaning up the plaza outside the men’s and women’s prisons. After getting a crash course in recycling, everyone hit the plaza in teams to collect garbage and litter, separating out what could be recycled.

Not only did members of churches, women’s groups and denominational leadership come to participate, kids and families walking through the plaza couldn’t help but join in on the fun as well. Here’s a few photos of the group celebrating Earth Day in style.

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.