Ministry Visits

   
     We are required to do at least two ministry visits a year.  Back in January I visited the mission radio station where they also have a studio to record music in Quechua.  It is an outreach to the less populated.  They also print Bibles and other books in Quechua.
    This past week was a more adventurous ministry visit.  We were supposed to leave Wednesday morning (June 1), but due to blockades that were spreading we stayed, so we would not get stuck in the middle of nowhere.  Thursday afternoon they lifted the blockade and within the hour we were on the road with high spirits and ready to meet the kids in the outskirts of San Ramon in the Santa Cruz region.  It is normally an 8-10 hour drive due to the mountains, not so much the distance.  The distance is kind of like from Atlanta, Ga to Charlotte, NC. 

     Kathy is amazing we were making amazing timing until we get about 4 hours from where we were going (we were ahead of schedule by more than an hour). A city that controls the bridge that is required to get where we were going started a new blockade.  We passed over 5 miles of trucks before we could go no further.  We turned around and drove back for about 30-40 minutes until we found a reasonable hostel.  We left Cochabamba around 2:15 and now it was about 11pm.   We slept a few hours and were on the road again before 8am. We found a backroad way to the next city.  It added about three hours to our trip, but we were getting around in the day light.  Again we were in good spirits despite the delay.  The road was all muddy due to the rains of the lower region weather, so we did spin out once, but it just added a little enjoyment to the long ride and Kathy is a pro.  She had no problem with it. 
    We get to the next town and it is even more jammed up.  We found a place for lunch and then we got as close as we could to the blockade.  To get on the move when they decided to move it.   Kathy talked to some locals and made it clear that she really wanted to find a way around. It didn't happen, so around 10pm we made ourselves as comfortable as we could get five people in a SUV to sleep.  Around 11:30 a man comes and knocks on our window saying there was an opportunity to get around unnoticed now.  I can honestly say I have never seen a road like this before.  It required a lot of prayer and helping Kathy in any way we could.  The road looked like a riverbed that was drying out.  We paid the woman that owned the land money to be allowed to pass through.  It was about three miles, but it took about an hour and half to get through.  We also had to pass over a plank bridge to be able to the main road. 

   Once we did, we discovered that the blockage had been lifted.  We didn't care we had survived and were on the move again.  However, that didn't last long because people had tried to pass each other to the point that no one could move.  Kathy being brilliant found a way after walking around.   She had a great 4 wheel drive and we were so grateful.  Finally, right before the sun came up we started moving again.  We get to the barge as the sun was rising.  We drive onto this man made boat and had four men push us to the other side of another river.  From there is was a smooth trip.  We get to Don and Doreen's place around 9 am.  Some took showers and some slept for a couple of hours.  Then we went out and learned about the people and what was going on there.  They are truly unreached for the most part.

     We stayed with them a couple of nights.  We also went to a Quechua church on Sunday.  It was an hour drive one way.  It was a nice visit and I enjoyed seeing something new and being out of the city for a while. Monday morning (June 6th) we drove three and half hours to the city Santa Cruz.  Santa Cruz is huge.  It has about 3 million people. I almost felt like I was in the states again.  There we visited a place like where I used to volunteer, but on a much larger scale.  They have stuff for abusers, the abused, education on an elite scale, and its own café.  I also was able to have Starbucks for the first time in about nine months.  I got to meet the assistant director for Bolivia and his family.  I also got to experience a VIP Theatre for the first time ever.  It had leather lounge chairs and the concession people bring the food to your seat. 
  

  It was nice, but Wednesday morning I was ready to go home. I got here yesterday, but so tired I
couldn't sleep or do anything productive.  It was a waste of a day.  However, last night I slept almost 12 hours.  I am hoping I will be more productive today.

^57" Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”  ⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”  Luke 9:57-58