Dr. Charles "Chuck" Ramsey - Leaving a Legacy

Written by Tim Ramsey, son of Chuck Ramsey

Over 60 years ago, on July 4, 1953, Chuck and Jean Ramsey stepped on to a plane and left the U.S. They felt they had been called by God to spend their lives among the people of Bolivia. Just 24 hours ago, the last of that intrepid duo embarked on a new journey. At 10:43 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, Chuck breathed his last and stepped into eternity. He was preceded by Jean three years earlier.

What happened between 1953 and 2013 could fill volumes of books. Such books would share stories of adventures of living by faith among a once-violent people group, the Ayoré. It would tell of lives poured out for the Gospel in remote settings, as well as in the growing cities of Bolivia. It would tell of failures, yes; my parents were human, but there were also victories. Most of all, it would be about those changed for eternity as a result of the choices Chuck and Jean made. 

At LATCOM, we have files and files of material, tens of thousands of photos, and miles of videotape that document Chuck and Jean’s lives and ministries. It will be my responsibility and honor, along with my four siblings, to weed through some of these mementos and cull out the essence of Chuck and Jean. Yet the task will not be too difficult, for we all know that our Dad and Mom chose to go to Bolivia for one reason: to tell others the Good News about Jesus Christ. 

It is a fact worth saying that God used Chuck and Jean as His vessels to shine His light into the homes and lives of many, many people. 

You know, missionaries are not “saints”. They are merely ordinary Christians with an extraordinary calling, given strength by an extraordinary God. God is the hero of this story – not Chuck, not Jean, and certainly not LATCOM. It is God Who called and used my parents as ambassadors. It is God Who gave them focus and strength and comfort in the jungles. It is God Who caused them to teach His Word, Who helped them provide medical and dental care to others, and Who compelled them to begin so many ministries (medical and dental; video ministry to high schoolers; the first Evangelical University in Bolivia; radio stations;  and programs, to name just a few). 

I think there are only three things we can touch and know in our earthly journey that have eternal value: Jesus, God’s Word, and people. All the rest is temporary at best. My Dad’s legacy to me is an awareness of these three things. Let me elaborate.

Jesus: The first and most important thing in the world that has eternal value is Jesus Christ. Death cannot hold Him. It is only through Him that we have eternal life and any measure of hope. Chuck and Jean lived their lives with a realization of this value, and they would want you to know that the most important decision one can make is whether or not to accept Jesus as Lord. Accepting Jesus enables one to give up his fierce commitment to making life work and to yield to the guidance and leadership of a loving   Savior. Chuck and Jean’s example of doing just that is a challenge to all of us to do the same.

God’s Word: In her later years at Monte Blanco Camp, Jean spent hours every day pouring over her much-worn Bible. I wish you all could have known her in those final years, for all that time in God’s Word softened her, changed her, and drew her to love    others in new ways right up until the day she went to be with the Lord. Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s “word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”. We can trust God’s Word to guide our lives. The legacy we five siblings have is one of cherishing the Word of God, of memorizing it and seeking to apply it in our everyday lives. Jesus said to His disciples that “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away” (Matthew 24:35). This is because immersion in God’s Word changes hearts.

People: Finally, my parents taught us that people are what matter, not possessions or position. We kids saw our parents observe this principle every day as people came to the door seeking help or advice from them. Whether it was a shot of penicillin, a ride to town, or some money, our parents were ready to drop everything at a moment’s notice to tend to the needs of others. And in the process of tending others, Mom and Dad often shared the Gospel as the reason why they were so available. 

Chuck and Jean’s legacy to the world (and to their five children as well as more generations) was this: Love Jesus. Follow biblical teachings. Give to others. It is an eternal legacy. 

If Chuck or Jean Ramsey touched your life in some way, we’d love for you to share in honoring these faithful servants of Christ at a memorial service and lunch in their honor on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014. Full details are below and are also available at www.latcom.org. 

Additionally, online condolences may be offered at www.cunninghamfh.com.

Monte Blanco Camp in Concepción

LATCOM’s largest ministry to youth, Monte Blanco Christian Camp & Conference Center, went on the road to host a camp for over 200 youth from Concepción, the Lomerío region, and Zapocó.

The camp was held from Nov. 21-24 in Concepción and featured activities and recreation designed to enhance teambuilding, fellowship, and healthy ways to have fun. The youth spent 3 days enjoying food, fun, and fellowship. When asked if the teens would like to have another camp next year, all responded with a resounding “YES!” Nearly every teen also said they would bring friends, and 14 made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts.

Onésimo Rojas, one of our national missionaries, was thrilled at the turnout. He shared that it was a total team effort and was grateful to several local churches that participated.

Praise be to the Lord and for our donors, who made this camp possible!

LATCOM – Our Ministries and Where We Serve

Some of our donors and supporting churches are familiar with the areas we serve in Bolivia, but chances are you may be confused about the location of the towns we mention in our newsletters and update materials.

(credit: countryreports.org)

At LATCOM, we want you to know the names of important cities in Bolivia, as well as the towns where we have ministries at work through Jesus Christ. Knowing the names and locations will help you to pray more effectively. Secondly, you will be able to put the towns into context with one another. Thirdly, if you decide to go on a work trip with LATCOM, you will know where you are traveling and approximate distances between your stops.

About Bolivia

Bolivia is divided into 9 departments (similar to states in the United States):

Department, Capital

Pando, Cobija
La Paz, La Paz
Beni, Trinidad
Oruro, Oruro
Cochabamba, Cochabamba
Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Potosí, Potosí
Chuquisaca, Sucre
Tarija, Tarija

(credit: revivalinbolivia.org)

While Sucre is the official capital listed in Bolivia’s constitution, La Paz is the governmental capital. Santa Cruz de la Sierra is the largest city and the capital of the department of Santa Cruz. It is located in the lowlands of eastern Bolivia and is the educational and economic center of the country. Santa Cruz is the 15th fastest growing city in the world. It has an approximate population of 2 million, which is expected to double by 2020.

Santa Cruz

(View of the plaza in Santa Cruz)

When LATCOM was first founded in 1984, Santa Cruz was a very small city. It has exploded in recent years and now is the largest city in Bolivia. Santa Cruz is home to EPLABOL, our sister organization. Just like we have a Board of Directors for LATCOM in the U.S., EPLABOL has a Board of Directors as well. We provide funding to EPLABOL and communicate about ministry efforts in Bolivia and throughout Latin America.

LATCOM also has a Mission House in Santa Cruz. Among our full-time devoted employees are Omar and Ana Vasquez, who maintain our Mission House and prepare meals when we have people or mission teams staying there.

(EPLABOL Office in Santa Cruz)

Most of LATCOM’s ministries are located in the Department of Santa Cruz. Departments are divided into provinces – similar to counties in the United States. LATCOM has a significant ministry presence in the province of Ñuflo de Chavez.

Concepción

The town of Concepción is located in the department of Santa Cruz and is the capital of the province of Ñuflo de Chavez. It is about 155 miles northeast of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (about 5 ½ hours by car on paved roads).

Concepción, sometimes shortened to “Concé” in conversation, was founded in 1699 by the Jesuits. The town square, large cathedral, and general layout reflect its Jesuit mission heritage. The main economic focus is industry and cattle ranching. Tim Ramsey (current Executive Director of LATCOM) and his wife, Ceci, lived in Concepción for 4 years.

(View of the plaza in Concepción from www.trialx.com)

Lomerío

Our national missionaries (Onésimo and Elodia Rojas, and Pablo and Felicia Chuvé) live on the outskirts of Concepción and plant churches among the Chiquitano and Ayoré people, as well as the rural villages of the Lomerío. A large portion of their ministry efforts is in this region, an area encompassing 28 villages around Concepción. The community of Porvenir is one of the villages closest to Concepción.

One of our ministries to the Chiquitanos is the REDES Project, which provides for the physical and spiritual needs of area Christian leaders, empowering them to reach their own people.

The villages of the Lomerío range from 3-5 miles between one another. The roads leading from Concepción to these villages are unpaved and take several hours to traverse. Most of our short-term mission trip members love riding through the jungles from village to village, as they get to see one of the most rural areas in the world.

Of the 28 villages in the Lomerío region, Christian leaders have established evangelical Christian churches in:

• Porvenir – Evangelical Church of Maranatha
• Monterito – “Christ Is Coming” Evangelical Church
• Coloradillo – “The Light of Christ” Evangelical Church
• San Lorenzo – “Strong Tower” Evangelical Church
• Púquio – “Christ Is Alive” Evangelical Church
• Surusubí – “God is Love” Evangelical Church
• Palmira – “Christ is the Hope” Evangelical Church

Other communities we have begun to reach include Fátima, Florida, San Simón, and Santa Rosario. Our national missionaries and church leaders are working to reach all of the villages in the Lomerío area, as well as the other 46 villages surrounding Concepción.

Zapocó

Our national missionaries and REDES leaders also work closely with another village in this area, called Zapocó. It is home to the Ayorés, an indigenous tribal group. The Ayorés have a different language, history, and culture than the Chiquitanos. For that reason we typically mention them separately from the villages in the Lomerío. Zapocó is located approximately 40 miles southeast of Concepción and takes about 4 hours by truck on unpaved roads to get there. Chuck Ramsey (founder of LATCOM) and his wife, Jean, lived and worked in this isolated village for 23 years.

Monte Blanco Christian Camp & Conference Center

Our largest ministry to youth is Monte Blanco Christian Camp & Conference Center, which is located in the Andes Mountains. It is still in the Department of Santa Cruz, but is situated about 80 miles west of Santa Cruz – about halfway between Santa Cruz and the city of Cochabamba. Many teens and students travel from Santa Cruz to be campers at Monte Blanco throughout the year.

The road to Monte Blanco winds through the Andes and is partially paved. It is subject to landslides during the rainy season. A normal trip to Monte Blanco from the city of Santa Cruz takes about 5 hours.

Monte Blanco lies in a high desert area of 5,200 feet above sea level. Temperatures are moderate year-round, which makes it an ideal location for a camp. The area around Monte Blanco is primarily used for agriculture – especially vegetables and strawberries.

(Overhead shot of Monte Blanco Christian Camp & Conference Center)

We also have several other ministries, including secular and Christian leadership outreach, national missionary training, and more. 

Coming Soon: Watch for future blogs on the Chiquitano and Ayoré cultures!

An Update From the Mission Field

Our ministries are constantly at work in Bolivia and across Latin America, and we love sharing updates from the mission field with our stateside friends and supporters.

October was a very busy month for our national missionaries, REDES Project church leaders, Monte Blanco staff, and EPLABOL (our sister organization in Bolivia) leadership. Here are just a few updates to share:

• Our national missionaries and REDES leaders hosted its annual Women’s Conference in the Lomerío in October. They also held Vacation Bible School for the children of Concepción and six Lomerío communities – reaching over 800 children! 

• EPLABOL and Alteco continue to work with indigenous tribal leaders. Alteco will host a conference for indigenous tribal leaders in Bolivia and Brazil at Monte Blanco in February 2014.

• Monte Blanco welcomed youth from San Simón and Gloria schools in October, where they learned about the Lord through food, fun, and fellowship. Of the 251 teens who attended the camps, 216 made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts!

Additionally we are in the midst of planning our mission trips for 2014. We will be sending a work team to Monte Blanco in February (tentatively February 15-28). They will be will be continuing the process of upgrading the electrical wiring in several buildings, doing some carpentry projects, and making other needed repairs to camp facilities. A team will also travel to the Lomerío to help with a few construction projects, do outreach in unreached communities, and minister to the REDES churches from July 3-17. Stay tuned for more information coming soon, including full trip details and links to application forms.

Praise be to God for allowing us to continue to minister to the people of Bolivia and beyond. We pray that He will provide guidance and wisdom as we seek to do His will.

2013 Summer Mission Team – The Body of Christ in Bolivia

Written by John Lytle, Development Director

Member of the 2013 Summer Mission Team

At LATCOM, we like to say that we “are your heart, hands, and feet in Bolivia and Latin America”. We work daily with national missionaries – Christians ministering to their own people – and do everything in our power through the grace of God to share the Gospel.

One way we do that is by sending a mission team from the United States to Bolivia at least once every year. God has asked all of us to give of ourselves, and by choosing to go, our mission team members have answered the call. Upon returning home, most people will say that the trip was a bigger blessing to them than they ever could have blessed those who they were serving.

There were 21 members of the 2013 Summer Mission team. They came from different cities and different states. They have different life goals and backgrounds. They are followers of Jesus, but they have different gifts and talents. Each person was unique, but this group of individuals quickly united and served as a true reflection of the body of Christ.

Building a Pavilion

The team worked tirelessly to build a pavilion in the Lomerío region of Eastern Bolivia, which will be used as a church building in the village of Palmira. They removed stumps and moved dirt by using shovels, pick axes, digging irons, and wheel barrows. The team moved approximately 26 tons of dirt by hand!

Once the ground was level, the team set the posts, built the rafters, laid the foundation, and finished the roof. It was incredible to see the pavilion erected within one week! There is still work to do on the pavilion (brick pavers for the floor, adobe walls, electric lights, etc.) to make the pavilion complete, but it is usable as is and is a great improvement over a tarp held up on wooden poles.

On Sunday morning, the churches of these rural communities came together to dedicate the pavilion for the Lord’s work. It’s hard to imagine an atmosphere more filled with the Holy Spirit than during worship that morning, and it was a blessing to be able to construct a new place where community members can praise God and serve Him.

Sharing the Gospel

While one part of the team was working on the pavilion, other members of the team were sharing the Gospel with people in five of the unreached communities of the Lomerío. There are 29 communities in this region, but only 7 have evangelical churches. The REDESProject leaders hope to reach all of the communities in the future by ministering to the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of the people.

Team members shared the message of Jesus one-on-one with the adults, provided reading glasses, and also taught seminars on diet and hygiene. We formed relationships, talked, and prayed with them. Over 100 people decided to follow Jesus that week.

On the first day, a language barrier prevented us from being able to share the Gospel with the children. The Lord answered our prayers in miraculous ways, reassuring us of His constant provision. That evening, God provided another translator with experience in children’s ministry. One team member had brought pipe cleaners to use as bracelets along with beads in the Wordless Book colors, while another team member had some Wordless Book tracts with her.

Working through these people, we were able communicate with the children and share the love of Jesus Christ. The children were excited to hear about Vacation Bible School that will held in their community in September.

Building on a Legacy of Blessings

Our summer mission team trips are a highlight of our year. What’s even more remarkable is that these trips have led to new churches in the Lomerío. Several churches celebrate their anniversaries each summer – shortly after a mission team traveled to the community each respective year. You can visibly see how God has worked through the teams and the communities, and the blessings that followed.

With God’s help, we’re able to accomplish great things and enable people from the U.S. to take part in these important ministries in Bolivia. Praise the Lord for the 2013 Summer Mission Team!

If you’re interested in going on a mission trip with LATCOM, visit our website for more information.

First Trip to Bolivia – From Communications Editor Christine Spicuzza

“I’m going to be spending two weeks in Bolivia.” [pause] “Where is that?”

This is the response I got for the most part when I would tell people about my plans to travel with LATCOM.

I began working for LATCOM as the Communications Editor in the beginning of July. Basically, my job is to communicate, educate, and promote the mission’s efforts in the U.S. Since the mission uses national missionaries in Bolivia to minister to their own people, it was clear I needed to travel there and see everything firsthand.

I traveled with the Executive Director, Tim, his wife, and Steve Jeter, a videographer, conducting interviews with leaders, pastors, national missionaries, and shooting b-roll. I learned a lot while I was there. Some of the more light-hearted include:

·         Roosters crow all night long, not just at dawn. I woke up to a chorus of roosters crowing and donkeys “ee-aw-ing,” for lack of a better description.

·         If going through Security annoys you when flying in the U.S., know that Security in other countries can be much stricter.

·         Riding in a truck on unpaved roads is essentially like going on an ATV ride – bumpy!

·         The passion fruit juice in Bolivia is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted.

·         I’ve eaten yuca, but I prefer potatoes.

On a more important note…

The ministry that struck me most while I was there is called the REDES Project, which stands for Relationship, Evangelism, Discipleship, Empowering, and Service. The rural villages of Eastern Bolivia are building churches and literally transforming their communities in ways that are critical to them—clean drinking water, improving outhouses, raising chickens, teaching women how to make handbags to sell, etc. They invite people in the community to take part, and by doing so, form relationships that eventually lead others to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It’s a ministry that is incredibly powerful and is a reflection of how the church should function in the world: forming relationships and meeting the needs of the people in the name of Christ. This trip taught me that no matter where you follow Jesus in the world—whether it’s in Pittsburgh or Bolivia or Africa or even on your own street—it all starts with relationship.

Christians often have different viewpoints on how and where to serve. A few people told me they couldn’t understand why I would go elsewhere when there is so much to do in the U.S. I will be honest in saying that I never pictured myself working for a foreign mission. However, the opportunity to work for LATCOM found me, and I felt like God was calling me to help in any way I can. (I also have a passion for local mission. I’m a pastor’s wife, and ministry in our church and in our city is our way of life.)

Now that I’ve returned, I can honestly say this trip changed my life in the way that only traveling to a third-world country can. To see God at work in another part of the world – in the most remote jungle villages of Eastern Bolivia – it was incredible. It’s simply something you have to see firsthand, and I look forward to going with a mission team in the future.

10 Facts About Bolivia You May Not Know

Many people know that Bolivia is a Spanish-speaking country. They may even recall learning its location in geography class when they were younger, but a surprising amount know very little about this interesting and amazingly diverse country in South America.

We’ve compiled this list of 10 Facts You May Not Know About Bolivia. Enjoy!

1.  Lake Titicaca, which lies along the border of Peru and Bolivia, is the highest lake in the world that you can navigate. Located in the Andes Mountains, Lake Titicaca exists at 12,382.5 feet above sea level!
2. Bolivia has three official languages – Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. There are over 26 language groups, many of which are indigenous languages stemming from the Incan Empire.
3. Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay all border Bolivia, making it a landlocked country.
4. Bolivia is home to the world’s largest iron ore mine, called the Cerro Mutún.
5. Bolivia has one of the most diverse climates in the world! The western third of the country is in the cool, semi-arid Andes Mountains. Traveling to the eastern part of the country you will find warm and humid weather as you enter the Amazon Rain Forest basin. Farther south, you will encounter the lowlands, home to farmland, alpacas, and rural villages.
6.  Bolivia is home to 40% of the animal and plant life in the world. It ranks 7^th among countries with the most species of birds, and 4^th among countries with the most species of butterflies.
7. Bolivia is about three times the size of Montana.
8. There is a gem that you can’t find anywhere else in the world except Bolivia, called ‘bolivianita’ (ametrine). Bolivianita occurs when citrine and amethyst combine, resulting in a gem that is part yellow and part purple.
9. While we live in states, the people of Bolivia live departments. There are nine – Pando, La Paz, Beni, Oruro, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Potosí, Chuquisaca, and Tarija.
10. Bolivia celebrates its Independence Day on August 6, honoring the day it declared its independence from Spain in 1825.

Learn More About LATCOM

LATCOM is a non-profit mission that seeks to spread the Gospel in Bolivia and across Latin America by motivating, equipping, and training people within their own countries to become Christian leaders. A large portion of our work takes place in Bolivia, and we send teams down to work alongside these leaders. Visit our website to learn more about LATCOM, and be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook and ‘follow’ us on Twitter!

Project Sparks Church Growth

When LATCOM representatives arrived for a church service in the village of Coloradillo, they were amazed. Church members were crammed into the tiny adobe chapel, built 25 years earlier by missionary Mel Ferguson. In 2008, the congregation was almost dead. Four years later, the chapel couldn't hold everyone. How did this amazing transformation occur?

A foundation was begun for the Coloradillo church. The 

current chapel is seen in the background.

Extreme Makeover: Monte Blanco Edition

An update from Ceci Ramsey at Monte Blanco:

Busy... busy... busy…  That's the best way to describe to last two weeks… and rewarding--fun--awesome--a blessing. Some of the women worked hard to spackle, clean graffiti and paint the boys' dorm, which has 16 bedrooms, plus a living room, a long hallway and a bathroom. Each of the bedrooms had cream-colored walls, white ceiling, and one colored wall (blue, green, eggplant, orange, etc.). We made curtains to match the colored walls. The long hallway has a dark taupe bottom, a 2-3 inch deep red horizontal stripe, and the cream top with white ceilings.  The living room which you can see coming down the hallway has the same deep red for a wall around the fireplace. It looks lovely... if I do say so myself!

Team Member Blogs About Trip

The Monte Blanco electrical team is being blogged about here:

http://itecmonteblanco2013.blogspot.com/

Latins Minister Across Cultures

One of our values as a mission is to bridge the gap between North and South American Christians. Now, our national missionaries are bridging the gap between their own urban and rural congregations.

Above: Onesimo and Elodia Rojas (standing) distribute
reading glasses.

Hooking to the Grid: the Camp Gets Connected

LATCOM is hosting an electrical team at Monte Blanco. Here is part of a report sent from Monte Blanco from LATCOM missionary Ceci Ramsey:

I have been amazed at the amount of work this team hopes to accomplish… I did not realize the extent of it as I thought it was just a matter of putting in a few lines and connecting to the electrical grid.  Not so!  They have to consider the future plans of camp (how many campers/placement of pool/which lighting for which area) then put in poles, lines, new connections, etc.  Many of the walls in the buildings will have to be cut as new lines are installed... which means repair, painting, etc. The entire dining room and kitchen is to be redone, including the ceiling and light fixtures as well as most of the roof replaced. This is not to mention the sheer logistics of hosting such a large team.

Above: The quad of Monte Blanco. The electrical team
is working on connecting the camp to the Bolivian
electrical grid.