please pray!

Dear Family – please pray for Marty & Susie Billau today.  They are meeting with a potential buyer for their business tonight at 7:00pm.  They asked me to share this with you all so you can ask for God’s will in this situation.

 

Thanks.

 

Pastor Bob

Steve's email

Some of you said you were not able to open the link to Steve’s blog.  Here’s a copy of his last two posts…

 

Transportation in 3rd world countries

 

 Wright on 4/6/2008

Yeah, it can be interesting. Interesting story number 1:
About three weeks we had our bus debacle, sending tidal waves into houses across Iquitos via the combo of bus and flood, with the outcome being the bus windows being whack in and to a lesser degree, my sandals lifted by the mob. Funny at first, scary at points, and all together an interesting story to tell later.

Interesting story number 2:
Yesterday we went off to another part of the rainforest (just the guys) to roof an orphanage. Things didn't work out, so we decided to go back to Cochabamba. About 10 hours later we arrived at the house. Those ten hours were really interesting.
First we take taxis to the next town where we can get a van for the long ride. Upon arriving, we find that there is some kind of obstruction in the road between Chapari (rainforest) and Cochabamba. We call Mike (contact for Bolivia), he says go anyways, cross the obstruction, and some type of transportation should be there. Okay this has never happened to me before but he is the expert so we go a pray.
On the ride to Coch, I'm sure we were all thinking about what could be in the way. I was thinking maybe a tree fell or something.
We are all just hanging out listening to music, talking, watching movies, whatever. Starts to rain, gets a little foggy, starts getting dark. We arrive at the construction. Hundreds of cars and trucks, buses, people in the middle of the street, crazy. Seriously reminds me of the movies.
The taxi driver says, "Aqui, no mas" (here, no more). Then changes his mind and drives further. "Aqui, no mas." changes his mind, drives some more. Then we finally get out. It is raining and dark and we have to hurry, we grab our bags and take off as a group. I didn't have time to grab my raincoat or my light. We walk about half a mile and come to the obstruction. This thing in the way isn't a large tree, it was a landslide, and as we walked across, which took a few minutes because of the length, we could hear rocks falling. Crazy.
So we finally make it across and realize we have burnt most of our bridges concerning transportation. We have two choices. We either pull our tents out and camp for the night, or we keep walking and hopefully find a taxi or some type of person willing to take money to drive us home, but we don't have luck for a few minutes, then all of the sudden some guy is telling us we have to get on the bus? What is going on?
All of the buses and trucks are facing one way, toward chapari, but this one is Facing Cochabamba, so we get on and ride the bus home. The bus ride was no piece of cake either. Let’s just say that that bus driver was skilled.

Looking back on it, I can see God's hand in providing for us the whole way. I doubted several times because of the thought a long walk back to Cochabamba.  I see so many parallels with my Christian walk.

 

Bolivia!

 

right on 3/292008

Hello Everyone!

    Thanks for all of your prayers, things are going really well.  I have my laptop and  camera, and have recently had a lot experiences and taken a lot of pictures.  Check them out.  I've gotten a new haircut (mini-dreads), spent time in La Paz (11,000 feet above sea level), seen some amazing mountains traveling from La Paz to Cochabamba, went inside the Christo Statue in Cochabamba, worked with a awesome ministry that works through orphanages, and went up the biggest mountain (17,000 feet) I have been on.
    So, my Laptop has been replaced. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, I really appreciate it.  I left my laptop in a taxi car in Lima, and never heard from that laptop again.  Praise God though, the laptop and everything in the bag was covered through insurance and I had everything and more replaced.  On top of that, I am finally not sick anymore.  I think my body has adjusted to traveling now.
    I got a new haircut mom and dad, hope you like it.  I'm going for the mini-dread look.  I got this haircut in La Paz, which is the biggest city in Bolivia (3 million).  We had a lot of fun in La Paz.  We were relaxing and having debrief time which is a time of talking about the last month and growing together as a community.  We stayed in a Hotel that was nice and Jake (missionary in La Paz) showed us to all of the hotspots in the city.  Some of us got real sick though.  Eli and Robbie stayed in La Paz due to parasite, altitude sickness combination and Eli actually went home at the recommendation of the doctor in La Paz, but hopefully we will see him New York when we connect to our South Africa flight.  
    After in La Paz for the week, we took a bus to Cochabamba.  The trip there was amazing, lots of mountains and real cool scenery.  We descended to about 7,000 feet.  When we got here we met the Timmers, a missionary couple here in Cochabamba.  The Timmers are real nice and hospitable.  Last night, we had this huge dinner of bbq chicken and so many other things, really good.
    The Timmers have taken a unique approach to the community here in Cochabamba (400,000).  Bolivia is the poorest country in South America because it is landlocked.  There are several families that can't care for the children and abandon them.  The Timmers have built houses that fit about eight to ten children and a couple that will take care of the children.  These houses are really nice. The idea of a small number of children to house is that these children will be taken care of and grow in an understand of Christ.  The couple that takes care of these children and given an access of money so that they can focus on helping the children grow, while at the same time they can dedicate themselves to discipleship in themselves.  It really is an effective ministry and the Timmers hope to branch out into other countries in the next couple of years.
    So, for the rest of this week, we will be here in Cochabamba working with the orphanages, painting and playing with kids.  For the next three weeks we will be working in the rainforest, I don't know too much about that yet, but I am excited at the opportunity.  Please pray for us in health, some of my teammates are still struggling.  Thanks for all of your prayers and check out the new pictures.  Check out my new video, I will be posting another video of our group climbing a mountain.

Oh yeah, for those who are tracking our location, here is where we have been

Peru (Jan 5 - March 15)
    Chincha (25,000)
    Los Gardines (150)
    Iquitos (400,000)
    Nauta (9,000)
    Lima (1,000,000)

Bolivia (March 16 - )
    La Paz (3,000,000)
    Cochabamba (400,000)

Current support: $8,800
total needed by April 16th: $9,600
Total needed: $13,800

prayer request & news

Hey folks – just wanted to let you know that we made it back from our trip to visit our son Phillip in Texas.  Hope you enjoyed the special speakers that ministered in our church while I was gone!  I’m looking forward to being back with you this Sunday.

 

Prayer Request - I got a call last night from Byron & Jean Gall.  Byron is going to the hospital this morning (Monday) for a surgical procedure to fix a heart arrhythmia that has been bothering him for awhile.  It’s an amazing process that in times past, used to require open heart surgery, but now can be done intravenously as an outpatient!  Anyway, he will be in St. Joe’s for most of the day today – please be praying for him!  They are expecting a full recovery.

 

Family Update - Debbie decided to stay in Texas for another week.  We have a nephew who is getting married to a Texas girl this coming weekend and some from my family are going to be attending.  My mom was recently bitten by a cat and needs some extra help in order to go.  So Debbie will be staying to help her and then coming home next Monday.  (She wasn’t really looking forward to the 20-hour drive home from Texas anyway J).

 

I feel “out of the loop” as far as things going on around here.  A week away really makes a difference!  If you would, please email me with what’s going on in your life so I can get back into things quickly! 

 

I have been praying for you all and am looking forward to seeing you all this week.  We had some interesting stories!

 

Pastor Bob

 

P.S.  Please pray for my son Steve.  His team has been working in the orphanages of Bolivia, South America.  If you get a chance, read his latest blog at www.stevewright.theworldrace.org.  It’s really something.  He’d love it if you gave him a reply (you can do it right on the blog).  He really appreciates feedback and prayer support.  As far as finances go, he needs to receive an additional $800 by April 16^th to continue on his World Race Missions Trip.  His team is getting ready to head to Africa.  He’ll be there the same time our daughter Anna is there (She’s planning on leaving on June 2^nd for a month with New Tribes Missions)!  We don’t know if they’ll be able to visit each other or not.

 

Have a great day!