Seeing More

Hearing from home has been awesome, it turns out that since we´ve left everyone has decided their gonna get married. This must have been the most romantic Christmas holidays ever. Maybe it was a little something like this Latin culture we are seeing; in the parks, the restaurants, back streets, front streets. They let everyone know they´ve found romance. "It´s not wrong it´s just different." That is something Ken has reminded us of often, usually when we are in traffic or paying more then their advertised price. (ALWAYS... probably cause we´re white) Right now the boys from the home are at camp for the week, and Ken has taken us to Cochabamba, to show us this very beautiful city. It was a 9 hour drive through incredible mountain scenery. The road varied from smooth pavement curves, that you would simply love to drive a sport bike through, to a wash out with rocks and mud and no pavement. We had a nail pop into a tire when we were near a summit (far from anywhere) that we had to hurry to some village to find a tire guy before we got flat. When we finally did stop to fix the tire, we had it fixed with a plug and were charged $1.50 and Ken also gave him his coke. These mountain people are very often poor, working very hard for very little. They have a short stature often with round wind burnt faces. Many of these women come to the cities to beg on the streets with their children. Unlike Canada, there are no government social programs for these people to get money. It seems that instead of welfare we are all faced in person by the people that we should all contribute to. This poverty is very unavoidable and forces to you ask yourself if you will give to the poor, and how much. A very difficult challenge day to day. This lack of money seems to disprove the old saying `money is nothing´ for these people the importance of money is very real, and quite sad. Because I find that with the constant worry of having enough money, and it having such an importance, other valuable and important things are lost. Some have lost joy, hope, and their faith is tested. Some of these people need to find someone to lift them up. I have prayed that they would receive the hand of God in their lives, and bless them, with faith, hope, and love. God may want to do this through people that are able and I also pray that we would all respond to our calls. Jesus´ life example and message of the `The Kingdom of God´ is much more than a personal message of how I should live. It should also apply to how we should all work together as a church, community, province or country to live that example. Perhaps greater than ourselves, we may have a calling as church, town, country that is very real and not to be ignored. Lets pray for these people. - Kenton- (Feel free to comment more on this more.)

Feliz Ano Nuevo

Well it is the new year. I can hardly believe that 2006 has slipped through our fingers so incredibly fast. I can remember back to the beginning when I was thinking about the fact of going back to school. It was a very exciting time, where I did not know what to expect or how things would go. But that semester went like a flash, from getting my sweet dorm room with an incredible balcony that overlooked a sea of openness. To the excitement of ditchboarding behind Mavis' truck and the epic feeling of graduation. Then there was the summer of working different jobs and dreading work until I was taken under the wing of Daryl Bueckert. All of a sudden waking up in the morning and going to work was a chance to go be with some of my closest friends. A place of encouragement, somewhere that made time speed by from day to day. And soon after we were moved out of our place in saskatoon and prepping for this trip. This journey has been a blur of latin culture. People that speak from their hearts, and are filled with life giving energy. These past two months on the road have humbled me and taught me the love of Christ. A love that stretches to all people and needs to be shown by us the body in practical expressions. I have seen the need for father figures, financial aid, political changes, social programs and more importantly a church that lives out their convictions. I have seen how beautiful she looks in places and I have seen nothing in places. In all I am so grateful for the experiences of this past year. They have developed a depth of character in each one of us that excites me and will hopefully have prepared us for whatever lies ahead. Lehmann

Green Christmas

We finally made our destination. It feels so good to be staying in a home and to be far away from buses. I haven't ridden in a bus or a taxi for almost a week and it feels almost heavenly. Since we got to town we have been helping a mission in the city of Santa Cruz who is feeding 4500 homeless people for Christmas. We are the delivery boys I guess you could say, hauling ovens and an entire cow, in parts of course. Last night we went to the streets and began to hand out meals to the homeless and we literally saw people crawl out of the sewers to come have a meal. Once again I am humbled, I have learnt that I need a lot of this whole humbling thing in order for God to use me. When I look at what we have done for work in the past week, month I can´t list too many things and it frustrates me sometimes cause I am a real doer, I like to see physical accomplishment. But all three of us can quickly agree that their has been a dynamic work in progress and it has been in our hearts, in our character, the way we treat one another, our attitude towards the frustrations of cultures and the list carries on. I am beginning to grasp the concept that God will always be stretching our character and causing us to grow for as long as we all live. It is marvelous really to think that the God of all the earth takes delight in us and is not content to leave us where we are. Christmas is a heartbreaking time for us and we cannot help but think of home. When you really love people I think you really can actually hurt to not be with them. The missing home changes from memories to a pain in ones heart that makes you want to do anything to take your mind off of home. I love my family, I love them more than words can describe and I cannot help but image them at home today surrounded by all the beautiful snow. Bolivia is a different world at Christmas, there are lights everywhere and loud music to celebrate. Traditionally here the Christmas starts tonight and goes all night with loud music, lots of food and lots of family and friends. We will spend our Christmas eve at the home for homeless boys. It is where we are spending our next month. Hanging our with boys ages 10-19 who have literally come to the home straight from the streets. Tonight we will celebrate the Lords birth with them. It is truly a time to celebrate as we can see the redemptive power of Jesus in the lives of these youth. So as we are missing home in our hearts we will celebrate with our Latin brothers and sisters a green Christmas here in Bolivia! Daniel