Sandoval Family

Blessed Harvest

2007-11-07T05:57:00.000-08:00

2007 has been a blessed year in Cochabamba. It all started with the baptism of Camila on the day of our inauguration back in January. Through the year the Good News of our Lord Jesus has been taught to many. Reaching out to them through our C.A.F.E groups, church activities and group studies at La Conexion Cristiana as well as our times of worship on Sundays as had an impact on many.

In July Miguel, Gabriela and Sonia were born again into the family of God.

Miguel has his office on the 4th floor of our apartment building. He had been attending our C.A.F.E. group on Thursdays, as well as our "Biblical Christianity" class at La Conexion Cristiana (our contact center).

Gabriela lives on the 6th floor of our apartment building, so, with the Forbesses on the 5th and us on the 7th...WE'VE GOT HER SURROUNDED. She has also been attending our C.A.F.E. group as well as our classes at La Conexion Cristiana.

Sonia walked in to our worship service one Sunday morning a year ago. Her observation was, "I was looking for different church. I walked in to the wrong church, but in the end, it turned out to be the right church. Sonia is the lady in the middle, drinking a cup of coffee at our C.A.F.E. group.

This last weekend we had a national family encampment and the Lord decided to increase our harvest even more. After the encampment was over, He blessed us with 7 others who were added to His body here in Bolivia.

Three members of the Chavez family, Pedro, Beatriz and Rebecca were baptized all together on the same day.

Rebecca met one of our interns last July, Stephanie Sanderson, who taught her English from the Gospel of Luke. She told her parents about the church and all of her family including her younger sister Veronica started attending Sunday worship. Since then, Pedro and Beatriz have been studying in different classes at La Conexion Cristiana with Josh and I.

Agustina and her 2 children Ronaldo and Leslie have been attending worship service for some time. Jeff and Katie have been studying with them, and the church has been very active in helping this family. We have helped her with groceries, setting up her beauty salon and installing a water line to her little house.

Gaston responded to an ad we put in the local newspaper last March advertising our class called "Biblical Christianity" taught at La Conexion Cristiana. He has also been attending our worship services and the C.A.F.E. group that meets in our home. He had been putting off his decision for some time now, and we are so glad he finally decided to put the "old" Gaston in the past and begin to live for Christ.

Roberto had been going to church together with his family in Santa Cruz for some time now. He surprised his whole family by deciding to follow Christ on Sunday. His wife and mother cried tears of joy when he was baptized.

Ernesto is a retired surgeon from Sucre. He had been attending church together with his wife in Sucre where the new mission team has been working for the past 7 months. Their children live in Cochabamba so we are hopeful we'll be able to meet and work with them.

We are excited about the increase God has brought to the church in Cochabamba. Please pray for us as help all these new babes in Christ to grow and become involved in the work of the local Body of Christ.

May the Glory always be His!

Butch and Trish

52 DAYS PART 2

2006-12-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

This is an open area on the second floor which will be able to be used for children's joint activities.

This is the access from the first to the second floor.

These are our new chairs, pulpit and projector stand.

Little by little things are starting to take shape.

Butch and Trish

OUR 52 DAYS ARE ALMOST UP!

2006-12-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

On Sunday mornings were are doing a brief study of the book of Nehemiah. As you know, Nehemiah is a book that describes the dedication of Nehemiah to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, renewing it's people and thus bringing honor back to God.

After arriving in the city of Jerusalem, observing it's deplorable condition and uniting the people, he set out to rebuild the city's walls. Amid much opposition and distractions, finally after 52 days the rebuilding was concluded.

Having completed the physical renewal of the city, both Nehemiah and Ezra set out to renew the people, and re-establish a covenant relationship, long time in "shambles", between them and God.

This is kind of the way I feel at this point. Our 52 days are almost up! Of course I am not talking about a literal 52 days, in our case, but that period of time we have dedicated to renewing the building which will house the church for the next few years.

We have bought chairs, built walls, painted, built cabinets and furniture, hung white boards and cork boards and lot of other little jobs during this process of "rebuilding our walls." Construction and furnishig is mostly done, and I will leave most of what is remaining for when I return at the end of the month (I have a very important engagement in Searcy...Denice and Daniel's wedding).

Here are some pics of some of what has gone on during these past "52 days".

Those of you who are familiar with dry wall will understand what is going on here. Walls were built with aluminum studs and 1/2" drywall to build 3 classrooms, a workroom, an office and a kitchen/cry room.

This is the Toddler's classroom. Trish will mostly be working with this age group.

This is the workroom, where our teachers will spend much of their time getting their class material ready.

This is one of the 2 other classrooms which will be used for our intermediate class (6 thru 13) and our teens.

Pray for us as we transition from doing a lot of "grunt" work to dedicating our time to the people of Cochabamba. Our church launch is just around the corner, and with that we will begin "officially" our evangelistic work here.

I will be posting some more of our "52 day" pics soon!

Chau and God bless!

Butch and Trish

PREACHING ON THE 50 YD LINE

2006-10-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

A phrase like that will usually catch the eye of football fans almost anywhere. Actually I did have the opportunity to preach but on the earth's 50yd line. That is right! This last Wednesday, October 18th, I arrived from a 10 day trip to Ecuador, where I was blessed to speak at the Annual International Men's Conference. Quito is right on the equator (that is where the country get's name from....duh!) and that is where the conference took place.

It all started on Monday, October 9th when I took my flight from Cochabamba to La Paz. When I arrived in La Paz (where I had to spend the night), there were blockades all over the city. The taxis were on strike and protesting that week. Therefore, I had to hop in one taxi, go as far as I could, then walk until I could find another. I did arrive safely at the Hotel, and that is where I stayed for the rest of the day.

On Tuesday, I beat the taxi drivers to the punch and made to the La Paz airport before they set up their blockades. I took my flight and arrived in Quito at 1 pm. I had a great time visiting the preaching school, church, getting to know students, faculty, staff, elders, deacons, etc. I also met up with Erik (from Vina del Mar) and his new wife Cecilia and took them to dinner. Kent and Sharla Marcum were wonderful hosts...Thanx!

The conference began on Thursday and ended on Saturday, where I spoke 6 times. The theme that was given to me was "Knowing More About the Holy Spirit". My main focus was "The Power of God Within Us", summarizing God's natured; His equipping of His servants throughout history; His work of redemtion with us; and His equipping of his servants today. I went over time on almost every ocassion (so what is new), but I believe everyone left encouraged.

On Sunday I was also blessed with the opportunity to preach at the North Quito church, where I also went over time. That afternoon I met with the mission team planning on coming to Sucre, Bolivia in January. It is made up of 2 families, 2 single men and one single woman. We met for about 4 hours talking about Bolivia and their team.

On Monday I spent most of the day with Erik and Cecilia. It was a blessed day! We reminisced, looked at pictures, ate and spent time with Cecilia's family. I finally got back to the Marcums about 9 pm.

On Tuesday I met with the faculty of the Escuela Quitena de Estudios Biblicos and elders of the North Quito church. They started arriving at about 10:30 a.m. I met with the wives with whom I shared a 15 minute devotional for about 30 minutes, and then met with the guys. We had a wonderful time. By 3 pm most everyone was gone, so about 3:15 pm Kent Marcum took me to the airport. I finally arrived home the following day about 11 a.m. Trish was waiting for me with a huge bear hug...I WAS GREAT TO BE HOME AGAIN!

I am so grateful to Kent Marcum, and the church in North Quito for inviting me this conference. It was an honor for me to share from God's word about His power within us to brethren from Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. I am also thankful to Austin Ave. and all of our supporters for providing the means for us to serve God here in Latin America. This was an awesome experience for me, just a small time servant in a tremendous mission field.

Please pray for all of the efforts that are going on in the countries I just mentioned. The school in Quito is doing a great job, preparing and sending harvesters into the fields. Please continue to pray for us here in Cochabamba, as we continue to make progress in our work here.

As Erik would say..."Your friend and brother in arms"

Butch and Trish

Picutres at a later date! They just won't load! :(
Please "clic" on the Flickr photos. Look at our family photos for new posts.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

2006-08-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

THE CHURCH IN COCHABAMBA HAS A MEETING PLACE!

That's right! As we make progress "Pisimanta Pisi", we have made a very important move and secured a place of worship and meeting for the church here in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Yesterday we signed the contract, and on Monday, August 7th, we will be getting the keys to the churches new place.
It is a two story store front just 1 1/2 blocks from Ave. Ayacucho, the main avenue which runs north to south in Cochabamba. It is also only 1 1/2 blocks from our apartment, which is very convenient. It has a total of around 2500 sq. ft., with room enough to seat close 200 people, and plenty of space for classrooms.

God has blessed us, and we are grateful to Him for this place.

Pray for us as we continue to lay foundations for our ministries here in Cochabamba.

Butch and Trish

PISIMANTA PISI

2006-08-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

I bet that title really caught your eye!!

It is a Qheshwa phrase that means "little by little". The point is, we are making progress in our "getting ready" phase, Pisimanta Pisi!

As you already know, we found a location where we will be operating our Contact Center out of. Well, pisimanta pisi, we have been working on it, getting it ready for...habitation. We have made quite a bit of progress on the remodeling, and we have recently finished the painting phase. Next we will be working on some electrical installations then getting the place furnished, which will include some cabinet building. Look at our previous post and compare the pics to the following pics taken about...30 minutes ago.

This is the main entrance to the Contact Center where our reception area will be located. There will be a reception desk, chairs and a stand where we can place tracts and other literature.Two offices and a reading room is the next section. The offices are small, but large enough for a desk and chair; just a place where we can work out of. The Reading Room is the largest of the three. Here we will have a table, chairs and a small couch, where people can come in and read some of the material available, or listen to tapes or watch a video. In the mezzanine we have remodeled, adding three more larger offices. You can see them in the following pics.Towards the back of the first floor we have our Classroom/Conference Room. We have room for 35 chairs, and this is where we met for worship last week.

Remember us in your prayers as we continue to make progress "Pisimanta Pisi."

Butch and Trish

ELECTION DAY

2006-07-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

For most of us, in the States, election day is like most other days, except for the fact that you make arrangements to take about 30 minutes out of your normal routine to go and vote, then you go home and maybe follow the progress of the "scrutiny."

In Bolivia this is not so! This last Sunday, elections were held for two reasons:

First of all, the people were voting for those who will be involved in the writing of the new constitution. By the way, for those of you who didn't know, the MAS party (movimiento al socialismo) won about 60% of the seats.

Secondly, they were voting YES or NO for departemental autonomy. Boliva, is divided up politically into departments, but unlike the U.S. they do not have autonomous governments, and are governed by the central government in La Paz. By the way, NO won.

Now that is not necessarily what impressed me about election day here. What impressed us the most was the actual election day. You see, on Friday we found out that on election day (Sunday the 2nd), no vehicles are allowed on the streets and everything is closed. On election day, Cochabamba is like a ghost town! It was amazing how quiet it was, except for the noise a some kids playing soccer in the middle of the street, or families riding by on their bikes. What a contrast to a normal day in Cochabamba. We are already ready for the next election day!

A normal day in front of our apartment.

Election day in front of our apartment. One of the main streets on election day.

Butch and Trish

MISSIONARY RECREATION

2006-07-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Atleast we look like golfers!

You might hear some missionaries mention how the golf course can be a mission field. Well, us guys here on the Cochabamba Mission Team have finally found that new mission field. Actually I guess I should be sincere about it, and call it what it really is...missionary recreation! Atleast that is what it is for now!

Las Saturday, July 1st, we all hopped in Josh's Land Rover and headed to "Campo de Amiraya". It is a golf course which is aspiring to someday become a country club, and for now are welcoming us to play any time, since they can really use our green fees.

Hole #1. "This is going to be great!"

It was great to get out of the city, enjoy some silence, and try shooting some of them birdies, which by the way never came around. We had a great time, and are looking forward to many other days of...heading to that mission field!

Oops!

SURVEYORS VISIT

2006-07-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

Every other year, Bill Richardson, former co-worker of ours in Santiago, Chile, organizes a survey group made up of students from Harding University. Their objective is to gather information about possible mission points of South America. As a matter of fact, one of his teams scouted out Cochabamba, Bolivia, and shared valuable information with the Austin Ave. church and the Cochabamba Mission Team not too long ago.

Well, as we all know, God works in mysterious ways, and now he returned to Cochabamba with a group of 11 to continue gathering information, but information offered by the team here. It was great to be on the other side of the table for a while, and be the ones answering questions (questions we actually had answers for) and not the ones asking them.

We had a great time, and enjoyed a couple of meals together. We are excited about the possibility of six of them returning to La Paz to work in that city. To one of their questions Drew answered, "we'll help you out if you choose to target La Paz!" It would be great to have yet another team of missionaries in Bolivia.

Please pray the God will continue to open doors for more laborers in this part of the world that has been neglected for such a long time. Thank all of you who make it possible for us to be a part of such a work!

Another exciting aspect of Bill's visit was to lay some groundwork for an internship program here in Cochabamba. Nothing has been set yet, but both the team and Bill are excited about the possibility of bringing summer interns to Cochabamba and helping them get excited about mission work in South America.

As a matter of fact, in a way we have already begun the program in a very informal manner. Lance Wiser, a Harding student, has decided to stay in Cochabamaba for 2 weeks to go through the Runa Wasi Language School homestay program. He enjoys his classes, the family he is staying with and hanging out with us, including JD.

Butch and Trish

25 YEARS

2006-07-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

On June 26th, Trish and I celebrated our 25th anniversary! We couldn't have asked for a better gift than to spend it with JD, Denice, Daniel and the whole Cochabamba Mission Team.

25 years seem like a long time when we consider that our oldest, Denice is 23 and JD 20; when we consider that we first arrived on the mission field in 1990; we met in June of 1978 (some of our team members weren't even born yet). For some people it is a whole life time. Yet these years have been wonderful and it really doesn't even seem that long. We are ready for the next 25! Thank you all for your prayers, notes, cards and gifts.

Usually you hear of people taking an exciting trip or an adventurous cruise for their 25th anniversary. For us is was a blessing to have the kids with us, and to be able to spend this special time with our team mates. To celebrate this special day we took then and the whole team to the Brazilian Rodizio Restaurant. We couldn't have had a more wonderful time than with those whom are the closest to us right now. We ate all kinds of meats, including the "utter" kind of meat, enjoyed all sorts of salads, vegetables and desserts. To top it off, Trish got diamond ring to replace the one she got for our wedding 25 years ago and was lost...somewhere, sometime in one of the many places we have lived.

We are grateful that, Denice, Jonathan, Daniel, Billie Gill, Gary, Laura, Nathan, Drew, Jamie, Josh, Julie, Michaela, Jeff, Katie and of course JuJu honored us with their presence.

25 years...what a blessing!

Butch and Trish

NEW CONTACT CENTER

2006-06-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

As we get closer to the end of the period of time we have dedicated to adjustment, we get closer and closer to the actual beginning of our evangelistic efforts in Cochabamba. One of tools we have decided to use in this area is a "CONTACT CENTER". We are excited to announce that we have secured a location where we will begin our work in the city from.

Through this contact center we will make ourselves very visible to the public while also offering a neutral place of contact where we can hold studies and meet with our contacts in a non-threatening environment. We will also have our personal offices at the contact center, where we will base most of our activities out of.

We were blessed in finding a store front on one of the main streets of Cochabamba, in an area of town that is well known to all Cochabambinos. It is located 1/2 block from the Plaza Colon, and right across the street from El Prado, one of the most important parks in the city.

We will be dividing it up into the following areas:

- Secretary/Reception
- Reading Room - open to the public where we will have a small library stocked with study material (audio/video, etc.)
- Conference/Classroom - a large room where we can have both public and private classes, as well as hold our team meetings.
- 5 Offices - these will be personal offices in the form of cubicles.
- Kithenette - this is where we will of course brew COFFEE among other refreshments.

Please pray for us as we begin the re-modeling process, and as we continue to make inroads into the city and people of Cochabamba.

We thank our Heavenly Father for having blessed us with location. We pray He will use it and us to make His name known throughout the city.

For some reason I can't post more pictures right now. I will do so....soon! Sowy!

ANXIOUSLY AWAITING!

2006-06-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Pisimanta Pisi!
This is a Qheshwa phrase that translates "little by little", and carries the idea of having patience. This is something we have been having to remind ourselves of since we have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of JD, Denice and Daniel.

This week is going to be an eventful one, and one we have been waiting for, for a long time. JD will be arriving from Brownwood on Wednesday the 7th, while Denice and Daniel will be arriving from a tour through Chile and Argentina on Friday.

We are so excited, and know that we will have a wonderful time together. There is much we need to talk about and catch up on with both Denice and JD.

Their arrival may very well coincide two other Statside shipments we have been waiting for:

First of all, in between the arrivals of JD, Denice and Daniel, Billie Gill, from Brownwood, Texas will be arriving on Thursday.
Secondly, the shipment of our goods which we have also been "anxiously awaiting", may also arrive. This would be great since it would be like Christmas, openning up all of our stuff and saying, "Why did I ever save this?"

Of course we will be reporting on these events and posting pictures in the near future. So...Stay tuned! This way we can all be "anxiously awaiting!"

Butch and Trish

My How Our Babies Grow!

2006-06-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

As we go about our lives in Cochabamba, we can't help but love on all the babies that are a part of our lives. It is so wonderful to watch them grow and mature, and my how fast they do so.

When we first arrived on the mission field in April, 1990, JD was 4 and Denice was 6. We have all gone through many changes, and so much has happened since then. There have been milestones and important events that have been crucial markers in our lives: when the kids started going to school, school plays and activities, sports events, baptisms, graduations, ACT, college, etc. The truth is they never stop! There will always be moments and events that make a mark in our lives, and which at the time remind us of how much we are...maturing!

Just a couple weeks ago we received a very important call from the U.S. This call again reminded us of how quickly our babies grow up. Daniel, Denice's boyfriend was on the other end, and after some uncomfortable "small talk" he asked us if he had our permission to take their relationship to a different level, and announced his intentions of wanting to marry Denice. of course, he counts with our blessing, and we tried to make sure that he understood how much we love and appreciate him.

The following night Daniel proposed to Denice, and of course she accepted! We are so happy for both of them, and pray that God will bless and use their relationship to help each other as well as many others grow closer to Him.

My, how our babies grow! Just a reminder of how quickly time passes and how much you can miss if we don't watch out.

Just a little bit of news for those of you who like to keep up with our family events! Please pray for Denice and Daniel as they make plans for their future. I am sure there will be more to report as time goes by. Thank all of you who play such an important part in our lives!

Butch and Trish

BACK TO NORMAL

2006-04-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

Usually the phrase, "We are back to normal" has a very positive connotation. It is one that expresses the "I am comfortable now" kind of message.

Many experts in missions will say, "On the mission field everything is just more difficult." We can attest to this, and also say, "Life is back to normal."

For example, in the States we are used to sitting down one evening with our calculator, check book, pen and a pile full of mail and writing out checks to pay the gas, phone, cable T.V., etc. Now for those who pay their bills online, the process is a little different, nevertheless it is still a one time a month deal usually without leaving the comfort of your home.

Not so in many countries like Bolivia and many others. You have to kind of build in a whole slew of unknown variables and could happens to the process.

For example, on Monday April 3rd I decided that I would get a jump on the bill paying process and do it early. Well, I set off to the phone company to pay our Cable, Phone and Internet services; I went to the closest ATM, popped my card in, waited a bit, and a slip came out stating, "Your transaction was cancelled." Oh well, there was another ATM 2 blocks away, so I went there, popped my card in, waited a bit and a slip came out stating, "You have already reached your maximum withdrawl for the day." This was impossible, since I hadn't taken anything out. So, I walked 3 more blocks to another ATM, and I got the same results. I decided to go home, get Trish's card and try it, and got the same results again.

Perplexed, I decided to go home, call the bank and ask what the problem was. I was told, "your first transaction of the morning went through and the money has been deducted from your account, and you have reached the maximum amount for the day." I explained the situation, and the bank did the favor of increasing the withdrawl amount so I could make the transaction and go a pay my bills. This was my mission for the day you know!

So I went back to the ATM, and hooray I was able to make the withdrawl. I arrived at the phone company to pay my bill; I stood in line just like everyone else; Finally got to the teller; Gave him my name and account information and was told, "You can't pay your bill until the 10th of the month." There went my whole morning, and I didn't even get anything done, except a bit of walking. As amatter of fact, trying to get a jump on paying my bills left me with more work than I started out with that morning since now I had to solve the Bank issue. Well, that's another story and I won't get into that one.

Well, a week later went to pay the same bills. I got to the ATM, popped my card in and time after time, and ATM after ATM kept telling me, "your PIN is wrong." I came home, got Trish's card (some people never learn) and got the same results. So I came home, got on the phone with the Bank, explained the situation and found that Denice had tried to make a withdrawl the previous evening and forgot the PIN and maxed it out, locking my account for 24 hours. Another morning of "Mission Unaccomplished!"

The phrase spoken by a very wise missionary to South America, "if you can get one thing done per day in South America, you are doing good" comforted me for a long time. During this week it didn't.

In a sense, this is "Back to Normal." Normal is good! It all depends on how you look at it. You see, the normal way of paying bills in the States might be pretty efficient, but it is boring. The normal way of paying bills here can be an adventure, and who doesn't like a good adventure?

By they way, I finally got my bills paid today!

Butch and Trish

By the way...notice the picture! You can either pop your ATM card in the machine or a coin in the train and get the same results. Both will give you a ride!

HOME SWEET HOME!

2006-04-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

While on our trip to Mendoza and Vina del Mar, we had a wonderful time, but in the back of our minds we were thinking, "I really want to get home!" I guess this is a pretty good indication of how comfortable we feel in Cochabamba in general, and more specifically in our apartment.

The truth is, God has been good to us, and we are grateful He led us to our apartment which we now call home. It all started just about a week after we arrived in Cochabamba. While our teammates were faithfully attending school (language school that is), we began searching the city for apartments and "stuff" to furnish it with. We weren't quite sure where we wanted to end up living, but we did want to live in an area which would be easily accessible, and close to those things we felt were important at the time (shopping, public offices, hospitals, etc.).

After only about a week of searching, we decided to rent an apartment which is only a few blocks from the hotel we were staying in when we first arrived, and in a part of town we felt very comfortable in. This apartment is now the place we call "Home Sweet Home."

We are located on one of the main downtown streets (Ayacucho 465), just a few blocks of the other intersecting main avenue of Cochabamba (Heroinas). The apartment is on the 7th floor and has a wonderful view of all of the city of Cocha. It is a 4 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with a large kitchen (something Trish has always wanted), and a small patio where our laundry room is.

You might be wondering, "What are they going to do with 4 bedrooms?" Well, we wondered the same thing before we decided to rent the place, but since then, we are glad to have the extra space. One bedroom is, of course for Trish and I, while one of the others will be reserved as a guest room. The third bedroom is where we have set up our home office, while the last one will be used as a family room/den, TV room, guest room.

God has blessed us with a wonderful home, one we pray He will use in mighty ways. Being centrally located during the first part of our stay in Cochabamba was one of our goals. Please pray for us as we continue to dream and make plans for our ministry to the people of Cochabamba.

In a nutshell... We feel at home..."Home Sweet Home!"

We love you all!

Butch and Trish

On The Road Again!

2006-03-29T07:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the brethren at Austin Ave. we have been, and will continue to be able to visit the church in Vina del Mar on a yearly basis. Recently, we were able to make this trip, and what a blessing!

South American Airline Blues

We had been planning this trip for some time, but when it came time to actually get our tickets, we were reminded, "Nothing difficult is ever easy!" The main Bolivian airlines LAB (Lloyd Aereo Boliviano) had been having some difficulties for a while, and just when we were about to make our trip, IT GOT WORSE!

First of all, we got bumped from Monday, February 20th to Tuesday the 21st; then from Tuesday to Thursday; then from Thursday to Saturday. Finally, on Friday, we were notified that LAB could not guarantee our flight back to Bolivia and that it would be best to change airlines. This meant total confusion! We did finally leave Cochabamba on Saturday at noon, but didn't arrive in Vina del Mar until Sunday at 9:30 pm. This was the longest 3 hour flight we have ever taken! We went from Cochabamba to La Paz (where we spent the night. See pic.) to Arica (Chile) to Iquique (Chile) to Santiago to Vina del Mar (by bus). As you can imagine, during this time we had "The South American Airline Blues."

Hopefully within the next few months or maybe years, who knows, the local airlines will solve it's problems. Until then, we are recommending to all, "When you come to Bolivia, fly American Airlines."

The Family Visit

While on this trip we took advantage and crossed The Andes (by bus) to visit family in Mendoza, Argentina (See pic of Mt. Aconcagua 23,000 asl). This was a very important trip we had to make since Trish wasn't able to return to Argentina when her father passed away last May. She was able to spend much time with her brothers and sisters, and specially with her mother, reminiscing over past times and some of the details of her father's passing on. This trip turned out being very encouraging for all, and helped to bring some closure for Trish.

The highlight of the trip was her being able to scatter her father's ashes from an airplane, over the foothills of The Andes. This came much to a surprise to her since her family hadn't told her about it until we got there. They waited all of this time so she could have a part in the family's final farewell of their father, grandfather and husband.

While in Mendoza we also got to enjoy one of our favorite passtimes, enjoying a cappuccino in a sidewalk cafe. Mendoza is a wonderful city to visit, and one that stays up pretty late. One night we went for a cup of coffee at 12:30 a.m., and there were still tons of people doing the exact same thing.

We would like to thank all of you who prayed for us while on this trip, and to those who helped make it possible!

An Encouraging Visit to Vina del Mar

During this trip we were blessed with being able to spend 10 wonderful days in our former hometown. It was great to see our brethren again, and we were encouraged by their faithfulness.

The church in Vina has been dealing with different situations, and problems which are typical for any congregation. It was great to see how they have grown and matured through these, and how close many of them have become.
While in Vina, we spent most of our time making the rounds, going from house to house, and enjoying the company and cooking of our brethren. We were able to spend quite a bit of time with:

Geoffrey, Maria Luisa, Macarena and Melanie. They are doing so good, and the girls have grown so much. We were encouraged by their steadfast cooperation with the work of the church and their closeness as a family. Macarena was recently baptized and is a very good influence for others her age.

Angel, Laura, Loreto and Roberto are always prepared to receive us with a wonderful meal and great conversation. Angel has especially been helpful in teaching the Thursday night Bible class.

Brenda and her five kids, Connie, Catalina, Julio, Barbara and Alvaro continue to struggle because of their family situation, but they are now in a new house (apartment), and so happy to be out of such a precarious living situation. We were encouraged how well they work together in order to function as a family and how faithful they are regardless of problems. Just to give you an idea, when Alvaro was born, Brenda was allowed to leave the hospital at 10:45 a.m. She was in church at 11:15, just 15 minutes late. We were also encouraged by how happy they are amid such a difficult life. Connie is now 15 and turning into a fine Christian young lady.

Igor, Miriam and their 2 boys, Victor and Bruno are doing very well. I was impressed with their attitude to work with the church regardless of some of the doctrinal differences they have. Victor was recently baptized, and has made some very important changes in his life. Bruno is on the same track.

Francisco and Magaly continue to serve the church in so many ways. They have such servant hearts, and are truly concerned for the wellbeing of the church. Their daughter Macarena continues to attend worship and Bible class, but still has not decided to put Christ on in baptism. We pray that the influence of her parents lives will lead her to make a decision soon.

Raul and Cruz have proven to be true servants and very hard workers. Raul has been working in Santiago for over a year. This has proven to be a heavy burden for them, none the less, he continues to work very hard with the church, making sure needs are met and serving as a counselor in so many ways. He leaves at 5:30 a.m., and doesn't get home until 10 p.m., yet manages to do so much for the church. He has been a tremendous example to me of "redeeming the time", taking advantage of every minute of the day. Their 2 children, Victoria and Emanuel are growing up so fast.

There are so many others who do so much behind the scenes. Bible teachers, preachers and those who spend time encouraging others. The truth is, we thought we were going to Vina to encourage the church, and we are the ones who have been encouraged. There are difficulties and problems they are dealing with, but that is the encouraging thing; They are dealing with them! Please pray for this wonderful congregation that is trying to do it's very best to represent Christ in Vina del Mar.

Roberto, Loreto, Carmen Gloria and Francisco.

Felix and Frescia

Alejandro (not present), Claudia and Camila

Jorge and Camila--->

SETTLING IN

2006-02-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how many things have happened within the past 6 weeks. It all began with a very emotional farwell with the Austin Ave. church of Christ in Brownwood, Texas. Many tears, hugs and kisses were shared on that day. It was a day we'll remember for a long time.
The following morning, January 9th the team departed from the Austin Ave. parking lot headed for DFW. Then came the hardest part, saying "Good-bye" to Denice and J.D. We shared our last hugs, kisses and "I love you's", and we were off.
We arrived Tuesday morning, January 10th, in Cochabamba to find that only part of the team's luggage made it. They assured us that it would get there, and sure enough it did just a couple days later.
Our first few days in Cochabamba were wonderful. Trish and I felt like ducks takin' to water. We were able to secure our post office box and get cell phones all in one day. I was amazed! We shared some good times with our teammates the first few days, knowing that soon things would change once language school started. The Bulls, Custers, Forbesses and Marcums left the hotel Saturday morning to move in with their host families, and that left Trish and I a bit lonely. It reminded us of the so called, "Empty nest syndrome!" all over again.
The loneliness soon went away when Monday arrived. That is when we began "THE SEARCH". This is the second step to "Settling In". Searching for an apartment, appliances, furniture, etc. God blessed us with an apartment right in the downtown area, close to virtually everything and very easy to get to. We moved in on February 1st, and have been enjoying our new home.
During that same week Trish and I began studying Qheshwa, the indigenous language of Cochabamba, which made the settling in process quite stressful.
We are now doing well, slowly getting into a daily routine; Trish has started to workout with Jamie and I have started to run again and am playing soccer twice a week with Drew and Gary.
Currently we are getting to leave to Vina del Mar, Chile and Mendoza, Argentina. We'll be leaving Saturday, February 25th. We are excited about our visit, and know that we will be encouraged by the church in Vina del Mar.
Well, so much for settling in...actually it is a process that takes quite a bit of time. Thank you all for remembering us in your prayers.

Butch and Trish

A Family Thanksgiving

2005-12-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

We know that a "Family Thanksgiving" is the usual for most. Being out of the country for 14 years, and living in a place where the Thanksgiving holiday is as foreign as the Soccer World Cup is for most Americans, has caused us to many times forget this holiday. Here and there we would "celebrate" this day with team members, but more times than not, in our home it was just a normal day.
This year Thanksgiving has been very special. Jonathan and Denice were home for Thanksgiving break, so we were blessed with being able to spend this day together, just the 4 of us, in family. It was "A Family Thanksgiving" in our home.
None of us know the details of what lay ahead in our lives, and being in Cochabamba, while Jonathan and Denice are in the U.S. will probably mean that we will miss spending some of these days together. That made this "Family Thanksgiving" in our home that much more special.
We trust you all were able to spend this time with your families also, and will be able to cherish this family time together, just as we did!
God bless you all!

Butch and Trish

The Finishing Touches!

2005-11-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

We are at the tail end of our internship, and soon all the members of the Cochabamba Mission Team will be....gone! :(

These past few months have been action packed, and we have all grown so much. We are grateful to all of our supporters for taking such an important role in this mission. All of what has been accomplished thus far is due to a joint effort of all of those involved.

Trish and I will be staying in Brownwood, while the others travel. They will be visiting family and supporters. In our case, JD and Denice will be coming to Texas to spend the holidays with us. We are looking forward to their visit.

Stay tuned as we continue to build this blog. We are learning so please be patient with us! We love you all!

Chau and God bless!

Butch and Trish