Christ Fellowship Missions

the way God moves...

Wow! This has been an awesome week! We continued a work that we began last year at the Good Samaritan Church we extended the floor. We were able to do VBS with 100 children and to show the Jesus film at night to many children and adults in that same community. Today, we completed the new work we began in Plan 3000. This community was a sister church for another work we began last year. God is multiplying the body of believers here and Bolivia. And We have had the priviledge to be apart of the work.

Once again I am amazed how God works. For MaryAnn Draghi, Eudaldo Cuello, and Janelle Sanchez this was their first time serving in missions in Bolivia. To be here in Bolivia spreading the Gospel and allowing the Holy Spirit to control is again another testament. If we just allow ourselves to be available to do God’s Will then he will do the rest. I tell you they were on fire for the Lord. Their love for the Lord and for lost people was evident. It’s amazing how the Lord works and how he works through us making his appeal as we are His ambassadors.

-vannick smith

dealing with the issues

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages... oh wait wrong blog!

Just kidding. Hey! I wanted to talk a little about day 2 from my P.O.V. (my last post actually was about saturday but i hit the post button around 1215am so, sorry for the mix up. it WILL happen again) monday we did alot of door to door witnessing in the neighborhood surrounding a church we're aiding in construction. we split our team up in two's and partnered with two bolivians per group.

it was good. we saw alot of people very curious about Christ and what it meant to have a relationship with God. I had a chance to talk to two guy on the side of the road we were walking down. I'll be honest, i was a little intimidated but why not access that spirit of power i've got right? right! Turns out they were both drunk and reeked of alcohol. weird, i actually wanted to talk to them more than some other people who we met at their doorsteps. good experience. one guy didn't really pay attention but the other really wanted to understand me. He asked alot of questions and made comments that pointed to an actual concern about his future. He didn't choose Christ that day, but i know his life was impacted.

One of the things that i'm noticing though in people (both in our city and in Santa cruz) is that yes, they want Christ as Lord and they ask Him to come into their life but, the valid life-transformation isn't occurring. I think, personally, that that is an issue we need to address when we witness. Sometimes we meet a person who says: yes, i prayed to receive Christ a month go, a year ago or an even longer time ago but, when you ask them "now how is your life different than before?" they don't really have much to say in support of the decision. We spoke to a lady and her whole family sunday night. Funny thing... right as we walk up to the house, they bring out a statue of a saint and light candles all around it. So we talk to her and she says: yes i need Jesus, I want to receive Christ. So one of the Bolivians pray with her, she repeats, she's saved.

really?

is that it. but here's where i felt i missed it. she said she wants to do anything to stop being apart from God. but she never outed that candle or put that old statue away. as we walked away i thought to myself: why do you still need that dusty old doll? what's she gonna do for you?" How are you gonna offer your WHOLE life to Christ but still pray to this -idol- to answer a few prayers every once in a while. God should be our everything. My challenge is to always challenge those i witness to; to truly give up the old ways.

dealing with the issues of man the sinner
-Berch

Transformation

Tuesday, July 15, 2007

I can't believe that this is the fourth year that I have been here in Bolivia. Each year, God continues to reveal Himself in a new and amazing way. Today we completed the floor of the church we planted last year. The name of the church is the Good Samaritan Church. What a fitting name as we are serving the community where the church is located. This afternoon during our VBS time we were able to share a skit that originated in the Way Station. A little bit of CF Kids in Santa Cruz! The children were entertained and encouraged to be obedient just as Noah was obedient. On another note, God strategically selected our team to come to Bolivia this year. It is awesome to see how God is using all of our spiritual gifts and talents to serve here in Bolivia. I love the way we truly represnt the body of Christ with all parts contributing to the work that God has called us to do here in Bolivia.

Thank you CF family for your prayers. I am certain that your prayers are giving us the stamina, energy, insight, and power to do what we are doing. Thank you CF for your heart for missions! Thank you CF family for your vision to win the world for Christ that none should perish! Thank you for everyone of you that supported us individually. God is going to honor your faithfulness and generosity.

God is at work, lives are being transformed, new leaders are being raised up. While each of us are serving, our lives are being transformed. Each morning we start our days with a team devotional and time of worship. Those moments are precious as we prepare our hearts to go out and win the lost for Christ. Transformation is happening in each of us. I look forward to tomorrow. Another day to be the hands and feet of Jesus! Dios te bendiga!

Cheryl K.

hugs and handshakes

Hey family! Today was our first full day here in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We arrived in the early hours due to delays back in Miami, but praise God we made it safe and in one piece. We were so excited to finally make it here and Ron Burgin and a few others were ready and waiting for us.

Today's task was to get ourselves logistically squared away. We needed to go through the final parts of our setup process, our sound system was left in miami,(we later got it back today) and we also had to meet the entire national team were partnering with. This evening we had a chance to worship, fellowship, pray and joke around together.

Tomorrow, we begin evangelizing in a neighborhood that surrounds a church we're going to. The whole team is in high spirits for what the week holds and for how will work through us. Thanks so much for your continual support and prayer. We'll be checking in later!

-Berch

Bolivia Update

    Hey everyone. Sorry it has taken us so long to write but we really haven’t had time. We hit the ground running when we got here Saturday night. Our plane was delayed 3 hours out of Miami.  We had to sit on the runway for that long, so needless to say we were a little late getting in.  The team has been awesome. We had to learn how to share the Four Spiritual Laws in Spanish and go door to door sharing the Gospel. Usually we go to the schools and do Taekwondo, drama, and testimonies, however; this time school is out so door to door it is. In a way it has been better for us because we have been able to reach more people than if we were just in the schools. I don’t have the numbers for tonight, but we have seen 5oo people come to know Christ! It is awesome to see how God works in and out of our lives. Tomorrow slows down a little bit for us; we are dedicating the Church we have been working with this week. I will try and send more later, but Praise God from whom all blessings flow.                   
-John Lee

Update from Bolivia

This email is from Brom Rector member of our Bolivia Mission Team. The team has seen over 400 Bolivians accept Christ. Everyone is well and safe.

I have a few minutes so I thought I’d tell you about something cool that happened yesterday.

There was this guy about my age that was one of the Bolivian missionaries on our team at the Vacation Bible School yesterday. He was playing songs on my guitar for the little kids, and of course it was just like 3 chord songs. But afterwards I asked him to get out his guitar and show me some stuff. He went to get his guitar and man, it could barely be called a guitar. it was like a really, really cheap plywood acoustic, the surface of it was entirely scratched up. I found out later that he found this guitar in a trash can there in Bolivia. It was in very poor condition. The bottom three strings were totally covered in rust, and the top three had been strung up with different gauges of fishing line. So then I ask the guy to play me something and dude, he was better than me! He was doing all this awesome classical finger picked stuff that was just incredible. It was mostly flamenco type songs. He had amazing technique. When I offered him a pick he said he didn’t know how to use one because he never had any. So bottom line is, now I feel like really bad because this guy had makeshift guitar, is self-taught and is just amazing at his instrument. He has a total passion for what he is doing. If I had brought my own guitar down here I would give it to him in a heartbeat. I’m so fortunate enough to be able to buy a new guitar, but he cant even get new strings or a pick. He has never had a formal lesson, just picking up things from different players and when he gets a chance to get on the Internet he looks up guitar tabs and lessons. He wants to major in music at the university but he doesn’t have money to go. Wow! I wish I could help more!