Friday June 18th
Day 6

Our final day in Bolivia began with our quiet time and devotion focusing on the word “finish” from Acts 20:22-25. We discussed how our work is not finished. We must continue the work for God when we return home.

We worked at the girl’s home all day today. We finished pouring concrete and hauling rocks, by hand, as well as building up and leveling the edges of the basketball court. I am so proud of our team. We were beyond exhausted today but we finished what we started. We chose the entire team as our start performers today. They all worked so hard!

We finished the night by taking the girls from the home out for a very nice steak dinner. They don’t get to go out much at all so they were all very excited. After dinner we were presented with a plaque from Larry and Patty, thanking us for all of our ministry this week. Each girl also came up and thanked us letting us know how much they loved us and would be praying for us. What a blessing. We head out early in the morning. We should arrive in Miami around 4:30pm and Charlotte around 11:00 pm. We will miss it here terribly but we are looking forward to seeing our family and friends so we can share our wonderful experience with you.

On a personal note it has been an honor to lead and minister with this group. I have been humbled by their love of God and people. I pray that God allows my kids to grow up and have the character and heart of the young men and young women that I spent this week with. I love them and I pray God continues to use them to change this world. Thank you parents for allowing me this opportunity. See everyone on Sunday!

Blessings,

Greg

Thursday June 17th
Day Five

The days just keep getting better. We started our devotion and quiet time with a devotion from Matthew 6:25 – 34. Our key word was “seek.” We all discussed what we would be seeking today. Would we seek our fears, our fatigue, or maybe our worldly desires or would it be God’s mighty hand at work?

We left for the girls home in the morning to work on some projects. We divided up into four teams to move rock, level dirt, paint fence posts and paint basketball goals. After finishing these projects we mixed concrete, dumped it into wheel barrels and poured footing for the fence. It was an amazing moment to watch the team work in record time together to finish the work that had to be done. It was not easy work but everyone did an awesome job. The best part of the day was watching Ashlyn, Jenny and Bella push full wheel barrels of cement without one ounce of complaining and kept coming back for more. The most frustrating part for me is that I cannot get anyone to take a break. People are fighting over the right to shovel dirt, clean up after lunch and pour concrete. Parents please know these kids can work! Our start performers today were Madison and Ashlyn. They have been consistent workers and leaders this week. I am so proud of them both.

We left the girls home for our last visit to the boy’s home. This was another truly amazing evening. As Abigial, Corrie, Bella, Hayden, Jenny and the gang sang worship songs in English, the boys sang the same songs in Spanish all around one picnic table with one guitar and a beat on the table. I managed to capture some on video. I will be posting it on Facebook. We had a birthday party for one of the boys and then it was time to say goodbye. The boys, however, had other ideas. We spent the better part of an hour saying goodbye to the boys as they gave us gifts, sang us songs and stayed on our bus almost refusing to let us go. Some of the boys gave speeches saying how much our visit meant to them. They wished us well and reminded us to continue to follow God’s lead in our life. Excuse me, who is supposed to be doing the ministry here? Needless to say not a dry eye in the house. One boy, who has been at the home for 3 years, told us we were his favorite group ever and in fact he had never spoken in front of a group before. We were his first! As we drove off the boys chased us to the road yelling, “año que vien” (next year). We came to rock Bolivia and it has ended up rocking us! Truly an amazing day!

Blessings,

Greg

Wednesday June 16th

Day Three

WHAT A DAY!!! I knew from my past trips here that today had the potential to be the most impactful so far. It did not disappoint. There are so many things that I could say but there is not enough time or room. We began our day with our quiet time and devotion focused on the word “devotion.” Our reading was from Acts 2:42-47. Each of us were to look at this day and strive to be devoted to making sure one thing happened in someone’s life.

We left for the boys home this morning. Our plan was to hang out with the boys and than participate in their church service in the evening. We played soccer (Hayden Bates scored 3 goals), basketball (David Benitez and Jimmy Bennett dominated) and played music with the boys. For me personally it was a very emotional day. I was able to see many of the boys I have built relationships with over my past trips here and I was able to hear about the great things God is doing in their lives. As well as meeting one new boy who remembered me from 3 years ago when I met him while he was still on the streets. I also was able to observe the most giving, loving, caring and fearless bunch of high school kids I have ever been around. If you parents would let me I would adopt every one of these kids. It was a long day but so fruitful.

During the service our youth choir preformed one of their songs and did a drama. Karaline and Jenny both shared their stories about how God was at the center of the healing process they are both going through, there was not a dry eye in the place. The Bolivian boys worship band led worship for the first time in the history of the home tonight and the Spirit of God was so present. There was a lot of dancing, singing, hugging and crying, a truly awesome experience.

Finally our star of the day was David Benitez. David shared his story with some of the boys today. He was brave, open and authentic. The boys were glued to him. In fact the boys wanted him to sleep there tonight so they cold spend more time with him. The truly amazing thing that happened is one of the boys, who was always too ashamed to tell his story publically, turns 18 tomorrow and he wants to tell everyone his story in hopes that he can help people as David did for him. David Benitez was a hero tonight and we are better people for having him here. (The picture above is David with the boys he shared with today). Thank you for your prayer and support. Hard to believe we have only two more days.

Blessings,

Greg

Tuesday June 15th

Day Three

We started day three with our devotional and quiet time. Our phrase today was “change agent.” We looked at the Great Commission Jesus gave to his disciples and talked about how we are not only called to change the outer world but we are called to allow God to change our inner world, who we are. The students were given a challenge to think of one way in which they could be a change agent for the day.

We then boarded the bus and headed to the streets to minister to the kids. We found one canal, pictured above, where some kids were living. The drop into the canal was about 8’ – 9’. Larry, our missionary, entered first and each one of our kids’s followed directly behind him, with the absence of fear. Justin Amundrud led the charge. After they entered the canal, the amazing thing was t hat each one of our kids entered the underground sewers. It was truly amazing! I was so proud of each and every one of our team members. They went in and brought the kids out. We talked them into coming to play soccer with us.

These boys and girls are some of the hardest cases on the streets; heavy drugs, gangs, prostitution and other hardships but our team interacted with them as if they were our neighbors who lived next door, playing soccer, taking pictures and listening to their stories. Jenny Coram won our top performer of the day award today.

After this amazing adventure, we headed out to visit the home the kids first go to when they are rescued of the streets. From there we visited the next home and then we had dinner at the home where 5 boys currently reside who started on the street and now, through the grace of God, live on their own and attend college. The kids got to see the beginning of the process all the way to the hope the kids can receive. We head for a long day tomorrow at the boys home. We are building a fence, playing soccer, giving testimonies and leading worship for their church service tomorrow night. Please keep us in your prayers.

Blessings,

Greg

Monday June 14th

Day Two

We started our day today talking about what it means to be a good neighbor. Our devotion and quiet time was taken from the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. The goal was to focus more on being a good neighbor and less on who are neighbors are. And let me tell you, our group did just that! What a wonderful group of neighbors they were today.

We worked at the girls home. Our team had to dig, by hand, a 200 yard ditch, 2’ x 2’. Everyone did a great job and we finished the job in one day that has taken other teams 2 days to complete. Our students rocked! They did a great job interacting and playing with the kids. Brendan Cothran and David Benitez were rock stars with the little kids today. Abigail Hewins was a pick ax machine. Jimmy Bennett was our leader of the day, the guy never stops. Justin Amundrud did a great job leading our brick location project. Mary Dews had here eternal smile as she was covered in dirt and digging for her life. The trio of Ward, Lupoli and Bates were unstoppable. They would not put their shovels down and after lunch they snuck off to start working again. With that said Hayden Bates won our top performer award today. She participated in everything with a great attitude, work ethic and passion.

Finally, our team was treated with so much love and hospitality from the girls we were there to serve. We were all humbled by the fact that they wanted to take care of us. We are truly blessed.

We are heading out to do street ministry in the morning and then off to the boys home in the afternoon. Thank you for your prayers and support. I am so proud of our students! God is soooooo good!!

Blessings,

Greg