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.
