NOVEMBER 2025 PRAYER LETTER
As we approach Thanksgiving, there is much to be grateful for. Although Bolivia may not officially observe this holiday, our family cherishes it as an opportunity to reflect on the blessings that God has shown us through the ministry here.
In October, Bolivia held a presidential runoff election for the top two candidates from the primary. Unfortunately, the candidate I hoped for did not win. I was concerned that the victor might be another socialist “in disguise”. His father had previously served as president and held socialist beliefs. However, since taking office, some of his statements have become clearer and seem more positive. He has reestablished relations with the USA, which had been strained for nearly 20 years. He has also reopened ties with Israel, which I greatly appreciate. Since his election, the economy has experienced significant fluctuations. Initially, there was a sense of despair, but now there seems to be a glimmer of hope for positive change. My concern would be that this good news may be short-lived, because once the new government settles in, they may find the country in a worse state than anticipated. Only time will tell, but for now, we choose to celebrate the positive developments.
In our previous letter, I mentioned our pastor's conference in October, where we encouraged pastors to bring their “Timothy” if they had one. One result of this was that Carlos, the “Timothy” from our third church plant, felt a calling to do more for the Lord. His desire is to establish a new children's Bible club with the hope of it eventually becoming a church. To support this initiative, we purchased chairs and a table to help them get started. We joined Carlos and his wife, Pastor Arturo, and a few others from the church, to invite the community for the first Bible club on Saturday. Regrettably, our family could not attend due to a scheduling conflict, but the reports indicated a good turnout of children and some parents. It has been a tremendous blessing for our family to witness one of our church plants begin to grow independently! For now, they are transporting chairs to a community park for their meeting place. Please join us in prayer that they can find a more suitable location within the community to establish their presence.
I would like to update you on our recent appointment as directors of South America by our mission board. I am currently on my way to Uruguay to visit a man and his family who I taught in Bible college in Bolivia. He and his family felt called to return to his homeland to reach his people. Uruguay is known as the most atheistic country in South America, making it challenging to connect with the local population. During this trip, I will preach at his church, but my primary goal is to support his family, as they have faced difficulties in getting started. I hope to identify any “tools” he may be missing to be able to fulfill the calling God has placed on his life and then establish some connections to help provide those needs as they arise. The cheapest Bible available to them is a paperback costing $35. We had previously shipped Bibles and Sunday School materials to him, but unfortunately none actually reached him. I am thankful for the new opportunity to reach other parts of South America while still serving in Bolivia where God has called us.
Lastly, I want to mention that we will be making a trip to the States. There are no significant or unexpected developments, but we do have some medical needs to attend to, particularly concerning Jessica’s knees. Our pastor had already asked us to participate in our church’s annual radio Share-A-Thon, so we decided to take advantage of the time for other needs while we are there. I believe this timing is aligned with the Lord’s plan, as our new outreach needs to build trust and establish itself in the community which only comes with time and faithfulness. David and his family will continue to move forward, and we are grateful for the Blackburn family, who have been co-laboring with us and will help supervise things in our absence. The Blackburns will also assist with VBS in three of our churches and the new outreach in January.
We feel blessed to be actively engaged in ministry here in Bolivia and are excited about the future opportunities for the sake of the gospel. Please continue to pray for us as we strive to fulfill God’s calling in our lives.
