Dearest Friends and Family,
We are writing you from Romania (!), where Word Made Flesh ministers among street kids and at-risk children. It has been so good to fellowship with the greater “Fleshy” community and learn from their ministry and experience here.
It has also been good to take a break from life in Bolivia. Recently we have experienced some disappointments and have been feeling overwhelmed. So it has been good to distance ourselves a bit and regain perspective, remembering once again how much we love our life, friends and work in the Alto.
Ministry in Bolivia is undergoing some changes. So we met to redefine our possibilities for the year and decided that at this point, we can only maintain the relationships and ministry we currently have. That means focusing our time and energy on a handful of people, who we'd like to introduce you to, so you can be praying for them specifically:
Marioli , or Diana, has been our dear friend since our first visits to the streets two years ago. We have watched her tough exterior disappear as she slowly opened her heart to us. Then one afternoon, after sobering up at our house, she also opened her heart to the Lord. She has suffered abuse at every level, so although she is moving ahead, she is struggling to leave behind the only life she's known. Please pray that the Lord would heal her past, so that she can fulfill her hopes for the future.
Mari is beautiful and young, who began prostituting to put herself through college. But now she is trapped and no longer studying. She has communicated a desire to return to school, and we are hoping to help her, by possibly sponsoring her education. Pray that she would open her heart to trust the Lord and that her dreams to study would also be fulfilled.
Amelia , we met through a letter she wrote and left at the Center. It was a cry for help and a cry to know the Lord. She invited us to her home to teach her about the Lord, so we accepted, and she is faithfully attending church with her whole family. However, she feels trapped in prostitution, with few other economic options. We are hoping to help her begin a small business. So pray that we would have wisdom in knowing how to best support her transition off the streets.
Lidia now has her new prosthesis, her own home, and her children are attending a private Christian school. Thank you to all who made that happen!! Although she has been off the streets for months now, it is a struggle to walk with her as she learns to live responsibly and independently. Since she does not yet have a steady job, it is so tempting for her to return to the easy money of the streets. Please pray that she would secure a good job, and that we would have patience and wisdom as we continue to guide her.
Vicente & Berta have been off the streets for over a year now. We had lost contact with them for about 6 months and feared they had returned to their lives of dependency on the streets. However, they surprised us with a visit, sharing about their jobs, new home and recent baptism! We are so pleased to report that your prayers are sustaining them!
Rafael & Elizabeth are our two faithful volunteers. They are maintaining the ministry in Bolivia as the U.S.A. staff travel this summer. Rafael is finishing a degree in Engineering and has a real gift for teaching and evangelism. Elizabeth is expecting her second child (a baby girl) and is unofficially the Director of the drop-in center. Please pray that the Lord would bless them for their commitment to serve, and show them more and more of Himself in the process.
Thank you so much for your prayers for Bolivia. These people are very dear to our hearts, and it means so much to us that you would join us in serving them.
Well, soon we'll be able to catch up with many of you. We'll be traveling through the States in May and June to the following destinations: Destin, FL; Atlanta, GA; Ashville, NC; Lexington, KY; OH, Bradford, PA; Dallas, TX; Seattle, WA and San Diego/L.A., CA. We hope to meet with as many of you as possible, so please let us know if that is a possibility. We're also open to sharing with your church or small group, etc.
In closing, we'll update you on our favorite person. Elias is almost a year and a half old! He continues to be our greatest challenge and our greatest joy. He waddles all over the house, jabbering up a storm, busily moving items from one place to another. (I now find toys in the kitchen cabinets, bike tools in the dresser and toilet paper rolls in the living room). He loves to play with balls, loves people and is a gentle, happy kid. We love, love, love him!!
And we love you all too!! Thank you for loving us and sharing a part of our lives in Bolivia.
Peace and grace to you,
The Bakers ~
Andy, Andrea & Elias