BCC Bolivia

Thursday, April 29, 2010

2010-04-29T18:58:00.002-04:00

Today, we went to a village called Colomi where a Christian camp is going to be the future site of four orphanages. We helped move bricks quite a ways in preparation of them breaking ground next week.

I will upload a video as soon as possible...

Videos from the Jungle

2010-04-29T18:44:00.002-04:00

We're back!

2010-04-28T21:36:00.001-04:00

We’re back! Sorry Pam, Lisa, and Denise- we were in the jungle the last two days and out of touch. No worries, everyone is safe, healthy, and doing well. Whoever has been praying about our health- please keep it up! No major issues at all! It actually seems a little miraculous!

As I mentioned, we were in the Chapare jungle the last two days. There are three orphanages there, two of which are still in the construction phase. The third is in Evo’s hometown- the current president of Bolivia. It is about a 5 or 6 hour bus ride to the Chapare region. There is a mountain that we cross where the climate completely changes from dry, arid, and desert like to lush, green, and jungle literally in the distance of a few miles. We drive from hot and humid jungle climate back to Cochabamba’s dry, cool climate in a short distance.

Our main project was to do some light construction project on one of the orphanages in construction. We varnished all of the interior walls and installed netting on the windows to keep bugs out.

Also while we were in the Chapare, we delivered some radio parts that John Bisset had obtained that will be used to support a Christian radio station that is broadcast from a local church to the surrounding communities.

On our way out, we spent an hour at a monkey reservation where monkeys live, and interact with visitors…

Thank you all for your prayers!

Baby Washing- Saturday, April 24, 2010

2010-04-25T14:06:00.003-04:00

As you will see in the video below, we participated in the baby washing ministry yesterday. The ministry was run for nine years by a man named Mickey who recently moved away. The Timmer's have inherited the ministry. It is a powerful experience!

Afterwards, some persecution came in the form of some folks gathered in the park who accused the ministry of exploiting the children. It is interesting that a ministry that is so close to Christ's heart cannot go forever without persecution!

We made it!

2010-04-24T13:57:00.002-04:00

We are here! We made it to Cochabamba with no issues whatsoever. We had some minor altitude issues, but nothing significant!

We got to see the Fruitillar children this morning and are gearing up for baby washing this afternoon. Most of us haven't had any sleep, but we're feeling good!

New Group, New Trip, New Adventure- Same Great Ministry!

2010-04-23T21:40:00.001-04:00

Another group from BCC is off to Bolivia! Craig, Mark, Darlene, Mark, Donna, Ronnie, Gayle, Kyle, Audrey, Sarah, and Adam are off to visit the Timmers in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

The group left the BCC parking lot around 2:00 PM and is currently in Miami awaiting our overnight flight to La Paz.

2009-07-18T12:18:00.003-04:00

Hey everybody, this is Rachel Poulin and we are just about to leave Cochabamba, Bolivia. After an amazing week experiencing God in countless ways and having the opportunity to spend time with some of the most amazing people, we had to say goodbye to the children at the Frutillar orphanage. As I am sure you have read, we were able to spend two full days with the eleven kids when we helped out at the orphanage, went to the park, and traveled up to the Inca ruins. I have never met such appreciative and joyful children. This morning the team walked down to the orphanage and were all greeted with hugs, smiles, and laughing. We were also able to give them some clothes and Beanie Babies- I have never seen children so happy over stuffed animals. It was unbelievable to see the gratitude of not only the kids, but also the house parents. Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye so we all lined up ready to give goodbye hugs and kisses. After getting to know the kids so well, saying goodbye took a lot out of everybody and there were also a lot of tears. Although difficult, we leave with a greater appreciation of the mission the Timmers will continue as we travel back to the states. Without their hard work and perseverance here in Bolivia, these kids might not have such a joyful life with loving house parents. Although we are excited to be heading home, there is even more excitement for future teams and work to be done here in Bolivia. Thanks so much for all of the prayers!

Update from July 16, 2009

2009-07-16T18:21:00.004-04:00

Hi y'all! It has been a few days since we filled you in on all the "Bolivia happenings!" We have three days to update you on. On Tuesday, the team spent the day at one of the government-run orphanages. While there, we assisted with getting a large plot of land ready for planting corn, or "maiz." It was back-breaking work as we dug rows and removed rocks, metal, plastic and other debris that is not considered part of a garden. As tiring as this day was, we were blessed as many of the children joined us eager to assist with the work. When we mentioned that we were ready for a "siesta," or nap, the children insisted that we continue to work, or "trabajar." They were an incredible witness and example for all of us. That night, the team went to Globo's - a restaurant that specialized in "pique macho," a Bolivian meat dish with french fries, olives, tomatoes, onions and gravy. After dinner, we were entertained by Pato, a young Bolivian who leads worship at a local church, and was a close friend of Craig's during his six month stint in Bolivia. Pato played the guitar and sang many of our familiar Christian songs - in ENGLISH! Another blessing to the US team!
On Wednesday, we visited Villa Israel, one of the orphanages that is in need of some remodeling and waiting to be filled with children and new house parents. While there, we cleaned up paint spots, moved the grass, repaired a leak in the upstairs bathroom and filled in some holes in the yard. From Villa Israel, we went to the Nutrition Center, where the team was able to feed babies and toddlers whose moms temporarily cannot provide them with the nutrition they require. Once healthy, these children will be returned to their families. We were thrilled! How amazing it is that we went there thinking that we would be a blessing, but instead, WE were the ones being blessed!!! The day ended with a tour of the Simon Patina House - Simon Patina is the man responsible for developing the Nutrition House and many other foundations. He was the richest man in Bolivia, but is recognized foremost for his generosity in giving back to Bolivia.
This brings us today, Thursday. The team jumped into the bus and headed to a Christian camp in Colomi where four more orphanages are in the plans. After a one and a half hour bus ride, we toured the grounds and had a wonderful picnic lunch with the directors of the camp. We then made an unplanned visit to a Quechua family who recently lost their mother/grandmother. The family consists of eight children and a mother, who is raising eight children on her own. To make ends meet, she weaves traditional Bolivian articles as she cares for her children and maintains a home garden. The team comforted the family with Bible verses and prayers. Also, several items were purchased to help the family financially. This could very well be one of the main reasons God lead this team to Bolivia.
On a personal note, as we begin to wind down our incredible Bolivian journey, I have to say that this has been a wonderful chance for my family to reunite with our BCC family. I praise God for sharing BCC with us! Lucie Poulin

Monday, July 13, 2009

2009-07-13T17:50:00.003-04:00

Well hey everyone from Cochabamba, Bolivia. Today was the first full day for most of us, and it was full of amazing goodness. Most of us woke up refreshed at around 7 or 8 to a beautiful Bolivian morning. It's actually pretty cold here during the night and in the early morning, probably around 40 degrees F. But the amazing calmness and beauty that accompanies the cold makes all of it worth it. We had a delicious breakfast and made our way to the orphanage around 9am.

The orphanage we went to is a property leased from a local baptist church to the Timmers, and since being there they have done a lot of work on it. When they first arrived, all that existed was a foundation and a small lower level that was used as a chapel. In the last five years, they have added a kitchen and an upstairs level, complete with three rooms and a patio area. All the workmanship is very well done, actually surprisingly so. There is still more work to be done, which we hope to help with this week, and which they hope to finish in the next five years.

Let me just say that for anyone who loves children, the orphanage is like heaven. The kids are so cute, and they just love talking and playing with us. They actually are teaching me Spanish, which is amazing and humbling. It is such a blessing to be able to spend time with these kids and just show them the love of Christ and also allow them to bless us with their smiles and hugs. The ages range from as young one to eleven or so. There are also house parents that are at the orphanage 24/7 and just love taking care of the kids. The house father, Marcelano, also sews many items such as bandanas, backpacks, book carrying-cases, and other such items, which help bring in a little money for the orphanage.

For most of the morning we worked on various small jobs around the orphanage. Some of us built trenches using random stones to divert water flow away from the river (which may I say was a complete work of engineering genius) while others cleared shrubbery and cut boards from a door frame. Others just played with the children and had a chance to love them and get to know them better. Oh, and our luggage arrived today as well! That was a welcome surprise considering we weren't expecting them until later in the week.

We had a chance to present the tools to the Timmers and to Marcelano. We gave them about 10 tools kits, which include a drill, charger, and two batteries, reciprocating saws, right angle drills, impacters, and lots of accessories. They were so happy to receive them. Marcelano called me his "very good friend," which was very special. I am excited to hear the stories about the use those tools go to hear in Bolivia.

The afternoon was equally amazing. Half of us went back to the orphanage to do work while the other half took the kids to the park. I was in the park group, and we had a great time playing with the kids there. We took them on a train ride and pushed them on the swings. We also had a chance to play soccer with some of the local Bolivian people at the park. A lot of the kids played on our team and most of them were quite good (no surprise). It was win and stay on and we actually got to play five games. So I guess you could say we did well. We then took the kids home so we could all shower and get ready for dinner, which we are eating now. Bonnie made tacos...speaking of which I need to go eat some of them cause everyone is saying how delicious they are.

Buenos noches, amigos!

Philip Gilde

Update Video From July 11, 2009

2009-07-12T16:31:00.002-04:00

The entire group has made it to Cochabamba! After a fun ride through La Paz (at 14,000 feet above sea level!) we made it! We are lacking sleep, but are full of excitement for what God will do this week. Here's our first video for your enjoyment:

Luggage

2009-07-11T08:44:00.002-04:00

Oh yeah, one more thing. Our luggage is missing. It might be in La Paz already, or it might be somewhere in the Miami airport with either American Airlines or LAN Airlines. However, no one can find it. We'd like it back! Please pray that it appears and is found...

Still in Miami...

2009-07-11T01:25:00.003-04:00

We did not make it out of Miami... Again! A little snafu on behalf of the airlines means we stay in Miami until Saturday at about 5:15 PM. We should make it to our destination (Boston to Miami to Lima to Chile to La Paz to Cochabamba) sometime on Sunday. It was a disappointing setback for the group to realize we would be delayed again, but we're making the best of it!

Please pray for continued traveling mercies.

STRANDED IN MIAMI!!

2009-07-09T23:41:00.002-04:00

We get to spend 24 hours in Miami! Our new plans are to be re-routed on a different airline leaving tomorrow night at 11:55 PM from Miami through Lima, Peru to La Paz. Then, we'll have to buy new Aerosur tickets to get from La Paz to Cochabamba. Think of us over the next 24 hours as we get stuck having to hang out in South Beach!

Landed

2009-07-09T23:09:00.002-04:00

Just landed in Miami- I think we missed our flight!

Delay...

2009-07-09T18:03:00.002-04:00

We might have a night in Miami! Our Boston to Miami flight is delayed 30+ minutes. We only HAD 45 minutes in between flights.... so, there is a decent chance we'll spend the night in Miami... Details later!

2009-07-09T18:03:00.001-04:00

In Good Shape

2009-07-09T17:33:00.001-04:00

The Boston crew all made it to the airport and got through security with no issues! My brother-in-law Aaron realized (when his wife called) that he still had the key to their car in his pocket! He decided to FedEx the key back...

We're all eating dinner and getting ready for our first leg to Miami to meet the Poulin clan from Raleigh-Durham!

Welcome!

2009-07-05T17:33:00.002-04:00

Welcome back to BCC's Bolivia Blog! Our next trip is about to leave on Thursday, July 9, 2009. Here is a list of trip participants:

Jennifer C.
Mark C.
Gayle D.
Melissa D.
Anna G.
Helen G.
Katherine G.
Walter G.
Philip G.
Benjamin G.
Alyssa J.
Gerry P.
Bekka P.
Lucie P.
Rachel P.
Adam S.
Aaron J.

Please pray for us as we travel to Cochabamba, Bolivia to continue our church's work with Mike Timmer's International Orphanage Ministry.

Check back for updates!

Goodbye until October!

2008-05-11T19:33:00.002-04:00

With the church service today at BCC, this chapter of our Bolivia ministry has come to a close, but only in one sense.

The hearts and minds of the eight who traveled to Bolivia are only just now beginning the process of answering the question- "So what now?"

It was interesting that so many of us who went on this trip came home with a passion for the future of Bolivia. Mike did not work us to the bone- as he could have. Instead of using our free labor, he gave us an opportunity to see what he sees in Bolivia: a chance for God's kingdom to be advanced. It worked. There are seeds in each of us that after two weeks of reflection, are starting to grow. What they will turn into is yet to be seen.

I know I speak for the group when I say THANK YOU to BCC! Between the money raised and the countless prayers and words of encouragement, we were all blessed with an opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you to each of you who prayed for us, asked us about our trip, and supported us in any way.

Prayerfully consider if you have a calling to the Bolivia ministry. There is a place for each type of person, with each type of gifts and abilities. There will be many opportunities to be involved.

God Bless to All- We'll see you in October!

Adam

Final Video

2008-05-11T18:02:00.001-04:00

Update on Status

2008-04-27T17:05:00.002-04:00

Hello All-

We got up around 6 am this morning to catch our 9:35 AM flight. Everything went well checking out of the hotel, dropping off the rental van, checking in, etc. However, at 9 AM, Delta discreetly changed the status of our flight from "On Time for 9:35" to "Delayed to 1:00 PM." Luckily, we got in line right away at the gate. Three hours later, we had our new flights for tomorrow, Monday.

Apparently, the door of the plane broke. The pilot told me that on the way to Miami from Atlanta, the latch that keeps the door closed (and the plane pressurized) started to open on its own. Sounds serious!

Because Miami is not a hub for Delta, they do not have any mechanics on site. The American Airlines mechanics attempted to fix the problem. The pilot believed they had fixed it, but the mechanics in Atlanta would not allow the plane to fly until they looked at it, which meant the flight still had not taken off the last I checked at 5:09 PM!

Better safe than sorry. Everything to the northeast was booked solid today being the end of April vacation for Mass. We tried everything- other airlines, other routes, other destinations, but nothing worked.

Actually, the Dore's got picked to take a different flight to Atlanta, but decided to stay with the group to the end. In the end, it means they will not get back to Boston until 8:30 PM tomorrow night. The rest of us will be back in Boston tomorrow (Monday) at 2:40 PM.

Sorry for the hassle! We'll see you all soon!

Adam

On our way...

2008-04-26T20:02:00.000-04:00

We're on our way! We're in Miami and will return home tomorrow (Sunday). Thanks to all for prayers. We really appreciate it. There will be another big update in a few days!

April 23, 2008

2008-04-24T09:03:00.001-04:00

Last Update for a Few Days

2008-04-24T08:31:00.002-04:00

I am working on posting an update from yesterday (Wednesday). It will most likely be our last update for a few days. Today, Thursday, we are going to visit a children's hospital and a garbage dump village. Tomorrow, we have a decent amount of work to do and then we are heading directly to the airport, so we probably will not have a chance to do any updates. Thanks to all who have been watching this blog and leaving comments. Every day, I read the comments on the blog to the group, and it is a big source of encouragement. It's really helpful knowing people are praying for us and supporting us. Thanks! We'll see you in a few days!

April 22, 2008

2008-04-23T09:13:00.001-04:00

April 21st, 2008 Recap

2008-04-22T09:56:00.001-04:00

April 20th, 2008 Recap

2008-04-21T17:17:00.000-04:00

From Marie and Sue

2008-04-21T17:16:00.000-04:00

Today we visited our first Orphanage (the second orphanage in southern Cochabamba, called Villa Israel). Who could have been prepared. The children greeted us with hugs and kisses. First Marie and myself (Sue C) brought the children to the park next to the school. There we played baseball with the 4 children who went to school in the afternoon. I can not express how monumental the experience was. They LOVED our attention and we were attentive to them. They would run from afar into our arms. Later we sat and read them a book about Noahs Ark. Several other children from around gathered too to listen. We then put out a large piece of paper and we drew Noah´s Ark and all the animals. I would draw a picture of an elephant on a scratch paper then they would draw it on the ark. They are very creative and their artwork was beautiful. We headed back for lunch and the kids eat their lunch and got ready for school. Then the other 4 children came back from school and were taken to the park with the other team. We then painting the childrens rooms inside the orphanage. Later we had a great water fight with all the children and the adults. During the course of the day a little neighbor girl came over, Laura, and she lives with her grandfather. Her father died last year in a car accident. She worked hard along side of me for a long time with frequent heart felt hugs inbetween. She had been an inspiration to the Timmers and comes to the house everyday, even a far back as the first day of ground breaking of the home. She is full of love and appreciation of the love and acceptance that she has received. Mike Timmer always gives her food. We gave her a jump rope as we were leaving. Saying good bye was almost unbearable. We prayed a blessing over the house mother then after many tears we bid farewell to the precious children. Laura chased after our landrover jumproping all the way. We waved until we could no longer see her.
Blessings to All, Sue C.

When the Timmers gave their testimony yesterday my heart just went out to the whole family. The Timmers believe God and have so much faith that this scripture describes them: Matthew 17:20 which states ¨Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ´move from here to there, ´ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you.¨ The Timmers are waiting for finalization of their paperwork for little Gracie (a blessing from heaven). May God grant them a blessed assurance that she is finally all theirs. Based on todays events seeing these children through God´s eyes has truly shown me that God has a special blessing for the poor. This scripture has been on my heart since being here, Matthew 19:23-24 ¨Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God¨ May you keep us in your prayers and the children of Bolivia. Blessings, Marie C.

Pictures from Day 2 and 3

2008-04-21T16:49:00.000-04:00

We Are Here!

2008-04-20T09:31:00.002-04:00

We made it! Sorry, we did not have Internet access until right now- Sunday morning at 9:30. Just called into the Church service. A couple of interesting observations so far:

1- Dogs everywhere. We have seen probably two dozen dogs so far roaming the streets. They're all wild dogs that scrounge the area for food. They seem to be nice- a few have come up and sniffed me, and then run away. I certainly am not inviting them over!

2- People here drive like Downtown Boston! Pedestrians are on their own!

3- The weather is beautiful. It's about 65 right now, not humid at all. We're up pretty high elevation wise, but it doesn't seem to be affecting any of us negatively.

We'll be back later- we're not going to have too many opportunities to blog while we're here, so don't be alarmed- we'll do our best!

In Miami

2008-04-19T12:20:00.001-04:00

Pictures from Day 1

2008-04-19T08:08:00.001-04:00

Lunch

2008-04-18T13:46:00.000-04:00

Flight from Boston to Baltimore

2008-04-18T13:25:00.000-04:00

We're Off!

2008-04-18T08:56:00.002-04:00

As of 8:52 AM, we are off on our way to the airport!

We met around 8:15 at the church, weighed our bags, had a group picture, prayed as a group, and left.

Marie's husband and AJ's wife volunteered to drive us to the airport- thanks! We are flying from Logan through Baltimore on to Miami. We are staying in a hotel tonight in Miami before heading to Bolivia in the morning. More updates to come... Leave a comment to let us know who's reading our blog!

Pictures of Cochabamba

2008-04-17T08:44:00.002-04:00

Home

2008-04-09T18:16:00.003-04:00

12 hours and 34 minutes after I left, and 514.3 miles later, I'm home with 8 approved visas!

We Have the Visas

2008-04-09T13:19:00.000-04:00

After about an hour of waiting, they gave me the visas! Now off to the Statue of Liberty!

Waiting for our visas...

2008-04-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

They have our money, our passports, and most of our info... Now, I'm waiting... Waiting... Waiting... They said it will be another 30 minutes...

At the Consulate

2008-04-09T11:12:00.000-04:00

We're here. We parked and rode the subway into mid-town and walked to the Consulate. The consulate is a small office in a large office building with a lot of other Consulates for other countries. Everyone speaks Spanish here, so we got enough English and Spanish out between us to say "I want visas, here is my stuff." They took it all in folders, and now I'm going to the bank to pay for the visas. They don't take the cash here- I'll be back...

2008-04-09T08:32:00.000-04:00

In NYC. 0952 hrs. 247.9 Miles.

2008-04-09T07:24:00.000-04:00

0725 hrs 108.9 Miles Entering CT

2008-04-09T06:21:00.000-04:00

On the highway 0628 hrs 32.9

2008-04-09T06:08:00.000-04:00

0609 hrs 24.9 Miles Left Work

Just Left

2008-04-09T05:27:00.000-04:00

0522 hrs. 0.0 Miles. Set out from our house with Danny on our way to NYC.

Shots! by Marie

2008-03-12T22:49:00.000-04:00

Wow what a day! Part of the Bolivia team members today took part in
an adventure that i'm sure we will talk about while we are in
Bolivia. Jim & Ann D, Jim W, Susan C, and Marie C
drove to South Portland Maine to a travel clinic.
Can you believe it? A two hour drive up and back. It was great for
team bonding as well as for special prayers & requests
made for our team. We all received our yellow fever shots. Some of
us received Hepatis A shot. Typhoid is a in a pill form
so luckily we did not have to do another shot! Here is my God Stops
moment that I wrote in my journal last night:

I feel God's presence in our Bolivia team. I can't describe every
detail but I feel warmth and and love for my brothers and sisters
in Christ. Each person is gifted with a blessing from God. I know
all things will be revealed to each and everyone of us when
we embark on our trip to Bolivia. I pray for wisdom and discernment
for each and everyone of us.

Blessings,
Marie

Welcome to the BCC Bolivia Blog!

2008-03-09T19:44:00.001-04:00

Introduction
The purpose of this blog is to keep those in the Church up to date on what's happening with the BCC Bolivia Missions group. Our next trip is April 18-27 where we will be meeting up with the Timmers to spend a week in and around Cochabomba, Bolivia.

For a calendar of events where you can keep track of the Bolivia mission trip, click here.

To find out more about BCC, go to http://www.bedfordcc.org.

To find out more about the Timmers and IOUBolivia, go to http://ioubolivia.org.

To find out more about the country of Bolivia, go to the World Fact Book at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bl.html.

Group
This trip is being put together by a number of people (last names are not listed):

Adam A. and Maggie: BCC Missions Ministry Leaders. They are doing a majority of the planning and setup work for this trip even though they are not going this time.

Adam S.: Trip Leader. Adam S. is one of the co-leaders of the Bolivia Missions Ministry with Adam A. and will be leading this trip.

Sue and Marie: Trip Administrators. Sue and Marie have the monumental task of organizing all of the details of the trip from vaccinations, to group meetings, visas, passports, ground transportation- all of that stuff!

Jim: Spiritual Leader. Jim will lead the group spiritually throughout our week.

The other people going on the trip are: AJ, Jim, Heath, and Ann.

Preparation
Preparing to go to Bolivia requires a ton of work. Each person needs a passport. Additionally, the country of Bolivia has begun requiring all visitors to obtain a visa ahead of time before entering the country. In addition to the $100 price tag, the visa application requires a lot of paperwork and requires mailing the Bolivian Consulate in Washington, D.C. our passports for them to affix the visa stamp. Each person also must receive a number of shots including tetanus, Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, and Rabies. Finally, each person is required to raise and/or pay $1400 in order to go on the trip.

Support
If you would like to financially support someone going on this trip, give that person a check directly made out to BCC with "Missions" in the Memo area of the check. Do NOT write the person's name on the check.

Our plan is to provide video updates to this blog while we are in Bolivia so that members of the Church, family, and friends can keep up to date with what we're doing and can live through the experience with us. So leave your comments to let us know what you think!