Oruro, Bolivia

Gloria Dios! (Glory to God)

2009-10-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

We thank God for the outpouring of His sweet spirit on our team this past week in Oruro, Bolivia. 403 precious souls came to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Please continue to pray for these folks. Some were hesitant to go to second base in their relationship. We tried very hard to disciple them by going back into their homes each day.
The national pastors and church leaders all made promises that they will continue this ministry by doing in home discipleship and holding cell group Bible studies at least once a week.
Oruro is a dark place spiritually. Satan is worshipped by many. Your prayer for these people is desperately needed.

Peer Pressure

2009-10-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Anne and I had the privilege to speak to a 13 year old boy. I had asked if we could speak with him for just a few minutes. He had some friends that were motioning him to come and be with them. He was very polite and seemed genuinely interested in what we had to say. He even became emotional as we continued telling him the old old story. It was evident that the Holy Spirit took over. He accepts Christ and even asked if someone from the local church could come to his home and tell him more about Jesus.
Posted by Eddie and Anne McClain

News from a ROOKIE

2009-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

On Monday we met an elderly woman that was a Christian and she asked us to come into the house to pray for her and her home. Her roof was about to fall in and everything she owned got wet everytime it rained. She did not ask for assistance but only our prayers. We prayed in earnest for her health and her home.
I was so broken that a fellow believer could not get help. Kelly and I got Pastor Enzo involved and wanted to remain anonymous. This godly woman showed up at our cell group meeting and danced with all of us. What a blessing!

Another story, We led a young man to Christ on Monday. He told us that his mom was in the house intoxicated. Tuesday we returned to disciple this young man. His mom answered our knock and was led to Christ while her son was being discipled. This woman has attended cell group meetings Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

One last story, Brother Sam had given his evangecuge to one of the front desk workers at the hotel. He asked if I wanted to talk with her Monday night. I sat and talked with Rose Monday night, last night and will also tonight and tomorrow night. She has been a blessing to me and I have help her in some small way, I pray. I know I have a new friend named Rose.

Waiting Patiently

2009-10-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

The nationals, my translator and myself went out to disciple. Went down the same area knocking on doors. We found no one at home and as we walked down the street we found a little boy sitting on a wall patiently waiting as he watched us. The translator spoke to our nationals and suggested that we speak to the little boy. The national used the cube and told the story of Jesus and salvation. The boy did receive Jesus as his Savior. As we pulled out the first lesson, we told him that we wanted to show him what the scripture had to say about salvation. After anwering some questions, he said, "I want to finish the lesson, I want to know more about Jesus". I then showed him my braclet and expained the different colors. He understood and told me what the colors meant. I gave him my bracelet and a Bible and we prayed.
posted by Kathy Oakes

Training pays off

2009-10-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

Today we headed out to follow up with discipleship with a lady that was saved on Monday. However after several minutes of knocking with no response the nationals asked if they could go evangelize. I told them that it was fine but I told them that they would have to do the evangelism because I was leaving and it was my job to train them. They were very excited for this opportunity. They went to a house on the corner and found a husband and wife working at home. They began to share the gospel. The man stood listening and the wife continued to work. By the time they reached the end of the gospel presentation, the wife came and stood next to her husband. They both accepted the Lord. Then we were invited into the house, the nationals went through the entire first discipleship lesson and I gave them both a new Bible which they asked me to sign for them. This was a great experience. I feel very confident when I leave here that I have trained them properly.
posted by Matt Wilkins

Vilma

2009-10-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

So today I met with Vilma again. Vilma is a young girl about 13 and she has a lot of problems at school. She wants so much to follow God, but the school is right beside the satanic idol that the catholic church worships at. She has so much on her but she has such a light that only comes from the love of Jesus.
If I only came for one reason I honestly feel it was to come for her, to pray for her and speak love to her. She was so happy to see us again this morning and she asked me when I would be coming back to Oruro. I to;d her that if God wills it one day, but if not I would see her in heaven. The people I have met are so kind and loving. I will miss the ones I have met this week.
Posted by Ashley Robertson

Does a church HAVE to own a building?

2009-10-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

I believe that we have it all wrong in the US. We think that we MUST have a building in order to have a church. This week in Oruro, we are helping to establish 8 new "cell group" churches. In just three days of ministry there are well over 200 new believers and all are meeting in homes, play grounds and scoccer fields.
The church I am helping is meeting in the basement of a house. The family that own the home are very strong Catholics but were very happy to allow the new group of believers to meet in her basement. We put up a small sign to ackowlege where we are meeting.
Plese pray for the folks at this little new church "Ministry of Faith, God is Love" as they reach a community of several thousand people where there is no evangelical church.
posted by Sam Neugent

New Believer...New Evangelist

2009-10-06T19:27:00.001-07:00

Today one of our nationals, Dora, lead a mother and a daughter to the Lord. Tonight they both came to the cell group Bible study. After the Bible study was complete Bassillia came to me and asked if I would teach her how to use an evangecube. My question was why because many times people ask for one. She said that she had many family members who did not know this good news. She wanted to learn how to lead her own family to the Lord. This morning she came to salvation in Christ... tonight, she feels lead of the Lord to be an evangelist to her own family. Gloria Dios! (Glory to God)
posted by Sam Neugent

GO AND TELL

2009-10-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

What problems to have ... To have too many nationals to try and train. My team has 18 nationals on my team. That is our church members who want to be trained to go out and evangelize. Last year when I went with e3 to Romania - my whole team had 2 or 3 nationals the whole week. I prayed that we would have nationals eager to go out - I guess that goes to what you always hear - be careful what you pray for.....because you just might get it. Today we went out into two groups and my nationsls have "caught the vision" of how to share the gospel and they are on fire. God is so good!! I think I am going to start praying for that vision for back home - that we would have people so eager to go out and share the gospel of Christ - I think we all have forgotten that this was not a request from Christ in Matt. 28:19-20 it was a COMMAND - go and make disciples - He did not ASK us - we all seem to forget that.

Posted by Dawn Hunt

Just One More Lord

2009-10-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the owner of a store who said he had never heard of Jesus Christ. We shared the gospel with him using the evangecube. He accpeted Christ. As Kathy was presenting, I was in the background praying and thanking God for all those who accepted today and asked God for just one more. After he finished praying one of the nationals grabbed me and said the little girl that was standing nearby and listening also wanted to accept Christ. After she received Christ it was time for the cell group, but God gave us one more person to talk with. She was a teenage girl watching us from across the street. I shared the cube with her and she too accepted Christ. This was a great day. Gloria Dios.

posted by Matt Wilkins and Kathy Oakes

Curious Passer By

2009-10-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today we had the privilege to speak to Maria. She was walking down the street where we were doing evangelism. She stopped and was watching so we decided to speak to her. When we told her about Jesus, she became emotional and started to cry, especially when we talked about God making a place for her in Heaven.
This really restored my joy because I was down. It was worth coming on this trip just to watch Maria accept Christ.

posted by Ashley McClain

Just One More

2009-10-05T19:13:00.000-07:00

We thought we were through evangelizing for the day, but God had other plans. Our team was going back to the meeting place for the Bible Study that night. However, the door was locked and we were unable to set up early. God gave us an opportunity to go and share with one more. His name is Jhonny Cruz. When Jhonny saw us coming he hurried to get his kids inside and looked as if he was running from us. I thought he was going to duck out of sight but he stayed and just stared at me. I introduced myself and asked if I could share a story with him that changed my life.
He agreed and when I began sharing my testimony his eyes lit up and there was no more thought of running away. He prayed to receive Christ and agreed to be discipled. I look forward to sharing more with him as the week progresses. We have 4 more days to begin the discipleship process with Jhonny. Praise God for “just one more.”
Posted by Jeff Fortenberry

Watching seeds grow

2009-10-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we spoke with a woman who didn’t want anything to do with God or Jesus. She felt that God had abandoned her. She said, “If God were a just God, there would be no rich or poor.” Before leaving, we were able to pray with her. Today, we went back to her house. She was not home but her 17 year old daughter was there with her baby. She told us that she heard us at the door the day before and she wanted to hear what we had to say. We shared with her and she prayed to receive Christ!

posted by Anne McClain

Sunday, October 4

2009-02-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

The team arrived safely in LaPaz early on Saturday morning. We took a bus to Oruro and were warmly meet by our pastors and church leaders. We are working in eight different locations around the city. Today many of our team members had to step out of their comfort zone and preach and lead worship for the first time in their lives. God was good to us. After worship services all teams were able to train and most of them had time to go out and do some evangelism. We praise God that today, a day that we train the local believers, we had a number of people come to Christ.
Please check back frequently as we will be posting. Hopefully our internet connection at the hotel will be better tomorrow.
posted by Sam Neugent