This is Josh. I don’t usually blog, but I thought I’d just share my heart with a few of you via this medium. Thank you in advance for being there.

This is the line that I started to get in to wait for gas yesterday. These people were standing out in the rain hoping that a truck might come and they could exchange their bottle of gas. I left when I saw men starting to fight and several talk about rushing the nearby highway to blockade. They wanted to make a spectacle to show their disapproval! What is sad is that Bolivia is rich in Natural Gas; they just don’t know how to distribute it.

Things like the above make life here a bit difficult. We have to have this gas for our stove, dryer, hot water heater, and heaters. It is even more difficult for people without a vehicle. Those in line had either to walk a good ways with their canister or pay a taxi with money that they really didn’t have for such an expense.

This month Julie and I have had a “Bolivian Month.”
• She had her purse stolen out of her cart while at the nicest grocery store in town. Unfortunately she had three weeks of grocery money with her ($300)
• Gas has been in short supply for the whole month. Even the Chessers visiting from Austin Ave got to help us chase down a gas truck.
• Eliana and I have gone through several antibiotic treatments to treat Giardia and Amoebas.
• Our house is now for sale by the owner. We could have months or years left, we don’t know. Meanwhile we’ll have to show the house and hope it doesn’t sell while we are on furlough.
• We received a negative and blaming letter from one of the families who lost their daughters. I know they are just hurting, but it’s depressing when they accuse and state that they will not be coming back to the church; we who have helped them so much.
• And to top it all off, thieves broke into our yard two nights ago while we were sleeping and clipped the chain link fence and took most everything out of my shed. All of my tools, power tools, lawnmower and weed eater. Over $1200 in tools lost…Just makes me sick

I’ve always made fun of people talk about “suffering on the foreign fields.” And I know we are not suffering but sometimes it starts to get to you. I do ask that you pray for us…for me, that we’d not be discouraged but “continue to run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

God is also doing amazing things at the same time:
• We are preparing for an Evangelism Training seminar this Saturday for the members. How awesome to equip new members to be conduits for the Lord!
• We celebrated our “official” three year anniversary two weeks ago with over 100 in attendance.
• We have more people wanting God’s word than we can even keep up with.
• We are alive, Julie and I love each other, we have three precious daughters and a rewarding mission to which God has entrusted us.

My desire is to allow these horizons dictate my level of joy. I want to count all things lost for the sake of knowing my Redeemer. I thank God for family in Christ in whom we can confide and share our struggles. Thank you for your prayers, support, and for loving us though we are far away. God bless you!