Isaiah 43:1-3, 7, 10-13

But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior... Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.... “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”
Isaiah 43:1-3, 7, 10-13

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Is it Time Yet?


Josh recently wrote the following article for our team newsletter. About a week later, Miguel and his girlfriend Gabriella, both made the decision to put the Lord on in baptism. God is good! We are so excited to welcome this wonderful couple into the family of God. Please pray for the many more who are on the brink of making the same decision.

"The gestation period for chickens is 21 days. For rabbits it’s just ten days more than that. Growing up I remember waiting on each of these animals to bring new life into the world. One gets up in the morning wondering if today could be the day. JP our colt took us all by surprise because we didn’t know exactly when the mare had been sired. Usually though, one can know with pretty good precision when to expect the new little ones.
If only one’s birth in Christ were so easy to calculate. Many factors are at stake in determining one’s birth in Christ, namely cultural and familial influence, education and open-heartedness. The scale to calculate the growth and development of a soul is not an exact science but a discipline in waiting on the Lord.
We missionaries are waiting on edge with anticipation as several are on the verge of making a commitment to Christ. Their decision to put Christ on in baptism is neither an easy one nor one made lightly. Often their choice goes against their family’s upbringing and teaching. “Baptism?” the family asks. “But we baptized you on your first birthday.” However difficult the decision, C-section or inducement is not an option. We must rest on God’s time-table. They will be “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:13)
Recently, Butch went out and bought a foldable, PVC-framed baptistery. He actually spent above his budget because he got the next size up. His reasoning? “Well, I wasn’t sure if we were going to get Miguel covered in that other one,” He said. There are many like our large-framed Bolivian friend whom we hope to be “born anew” in the near future. Please be praying for their decision and our patience as we wake each morning with anticipation."

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

New Pictures

It has been a busy summer for us - and unfortunately, this mom hasn't been very good at taking pictures. But here are a few pictures of our summer events - thanks to one of our interns, Stephanie.

Our newest family picture. Michaela is 26 months, and Eliana is 9 months.


The Cochabamba ladies, Katie, Talia, and I (along with our 2 Harding interns, Rachel and Steph, who have been working with us the last 6 weeks), who went to the Santa Cruz ladies conference. It was encouraging to see many faithful Bolivian Christian ladies uplifting one another. Josh watched the girls at night so I could enjoy the lectures. What a great daddy!


Our VBS class during our gospel meeting. We were helped by the Aggies for Christ who were here for a week. They helping advertise for the campaign, did some service projects for the church, and put together a VBS for us.


Eliana and cousin Zion, enjoying time outside. Erik, Jenny and Zion visited us for a week over the weekend of our campaign.