March 2006
Dear Friends,
It was great to see so many of you while we were in the States over Christmas. Even though it is now March, the memory of the times we had in your homes and churches made us feel loved and supported. Thanks for taking us in and for asking about our lives here. The way that many of you walk with us is amazing.
We returned to Bolivia in the middle of a cold rainy season. It was the first time Elias returned to the altitude since his encounter with HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) last July. We were also concerned about Andrea being pregnant. Looking back, it was our easiest transition to the altitude ever.
We would like to ask you to pray for our Bolivian staff. In January, our cook at La Casa de Esperanza, Flora Garcia, decided to return to her home in Cochabamba due to deteriorating health problems. So now we are in the process of hiring some new Bolivian staff. Lunches are a very important part of our ministry, as they allow us to visit with women and have conversations that we aren't able to have in the brothels. We have felt the burden to not just hire someone who can cook but who will also participate more deeply in the ministry. So please pray as we pull together a more solid team of ministry staff.
We continue to meet new girls and women in prostitution. One night in January, Heather and Andy met two women their first night in the brothels. Ten minutes later we met a minor working against her own will. Her older sister kept telling her it would be alright. We tried to speak with them but they quickly closed the door. Please pray that the Lord would continue to give us favor in some very dark places and that the women would respond to the love our Father has for them and bring them freedom.
In late March, Andy and our Bolivian Board President, Humberto, will be traveling to Sri Lanka for 3 weeks for a Field Forum. We covet your prayers for our travels as well as for our families. I will be leaving Andrea 7 months pregnant.
We want to share with you some exciting news. We feel we have found a school for Elias that is better than we could have ever imagined. He takes a school bus 20 minutes down into a small farming community off the altiplano. The school is dedicated to a Montessori education while maintaining diversity and equality. For about a month Elias has been going to school three mornings a week and loves it. Good schooling is always a concern for missionary parents, so we are blessed to have found such a great option.
Our next little joy is scheduled to arrive in early June. We are so excited and nervous too! We have chosen to stay in Bolivia again for the birth. Doctors tell us to expect a boy. We will most likely go to La Paz and not stay in El Alto this time around. Please pray for a healthy baby, quick delivery and a smooth transition for all of us.
With our families growing, the mission has been investigating group health insurance, which will provide us coverage in the States as well as overseas. The only down side to this new policy is that our premium will almost double to $437/month. As our family grows, our expenses are becoming more cumbersome. We are adding extra expenses, such as new health insurance, hospital costs, new school for Elias, diapers, etc. Thank you so much for your financial support, which is very much appreciated and needed as we continue serving here.
But saying thank you doesn't seem sufficient. After four and a half years on the field we are continually amazed by your generosity and creative ways of supporting us. Please continue to pray for our family and the ministry in the coming months.
All our love,
Andy, Andrea & Elias