Dear friends and family,
Language school classes have been in full swing and we are sensing that our ability to communicate is slowly improving. We still can’t express our deep desires and fears, but each day we feel a little more confident. What a blessing this time is for us, though! We are so happy to be able to lay this foundation for building future relationships in El Alto. The ministry approach of Word Made Flesh is pretty relational and we can’t build relationships without being able to communicate. So we are doing our best to study when we’re not in classes and talk about all kinds of things with our host family (we’re not aloud to speak English in our home, by request of the language institute). We are striving to be patient as the learning process is slow and are encouraged to know we still have time to improve.
Our language institute, Maryknoll, has some connections with local ministries. We recently had the opportunity to visit a few of these places. We are currently in the process of deciding which ministry to become a part of during our time here. We know our assistance will be minimal because of the duration of time we are here, but there are a few ministries that simply need extra hands and bodies. The majority of ministries here are either orphanages, safe houses for women and children who are victims of abuse, or homes for street children. I hope to volunteer in an orphanage. There are babies brought to this orphanage just a couple of days after birth and they need hands to hold these babies. What a simple act. Holding a child takes very little talent, and yet the majority of these places are almost always short-handed.
We are excited to share that we have encountered a great church community here. This was one of our prayer concerns because we felt that it would be important for both our spiritual development and our language development to build relationships with those in the church community. The church is Anglican, composed mostly of Bolivians, but includes several foreigners, as well. We have gone each Sunday that we are here in Cochabamba and have begun to acquaint ourselves with some of the members. I recently went to a women’s group that meets monthly and felt thoroughly uplifted by the experience. There were 30 or so women, some were visitors, (which tells me the church is proactive in inviting others) and we celebrated the birthday of a member. What was encouraging to me was that I understood almost all of the scripture lesson, discussion, and prayer that circulated! We have hopes that this church will be a good support for us during our time here in Cochabamba.
May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,
– Becky (and Adam) Thada
Prayer Requests:
*The employee (maid) in our household is not always treated with kindness. May God love her richly through our presence here.
*There are many organizations working with women and children. We pray God would bless each one and show us our role among those working to love others here in Cochabamba.
*The growth of relationships is important for both language acquisition and spreading the love of Jesus.