The Kansas Team

Ray, Madeline, Ann, Lyle, and Justin from Kansas!

 Toward the middle of July a team came down from Kansas to help Richard and Gladys Scoggins with building a play structure for the Horita Feliz and also giving out clothes, food and sharing the gospel in the neighborhood. What we did not know, was that this team would also change our lives! It is hard to put it into words, but this team came and for whatever reason they shone light on how important our ministry was here in Bolivia. They also told us several times that they all were praying that we would return to Bolivia to continue the ministries that God had given us there. Well, long story short between their prayers and lots of other things God has done we have decided to use our return tickets scheduled for October and return to Bolivia...more about all of that later though!

Working on the play structure

 Our boys were able to help out each day with building the play structure!

The Kansas team warming up for Horita Feliz

We all went to lunch at some friends house one of the days. We had a really fun time speaking Spanglish and translating for some of the team! This particular family has some really decent English speakers also, so that helped too!

The highlight for our family during the time the Team was here was the night the Scoggins had a local gospel band come and play music for us. They play music native to Bolivia and they were amazing. I could not stop smiling it was so wonderful. They played the Charrango (kinda like a mandolin) and Zamponyas of all sizes (the flute things). Like all Bolivian music it was nice and loud, but so great to listen to that we didn't mind!

Bolivian Music at its Best!

Zamponya on steriods!!

While the team was here the ladies went out and gave out food and clothes to a lot of families in our local neighborhood. They also shared the good new of the Gospel and many were saved! The teams efforts had been a big success.
The only bummer thing that happened when the Team was with us in Coch was that Richard had an accident while working on the play structure. He fractured his collar bone and broke his jaw. As I am writing this toward the end of Sept he is all healed up, but it was a long road to recovery for him with surgeries and having his jaw wired shut for at least a three weeks. While he suffered in the hospital he  wanted Gladys to continue on with the things that they had planned for us. One of those things included a super sweet time of saying goodbye to our friends at the Km. O church that we had attended over the past two years. We also shared this time with saying goodbye to the Kansas team. They had us each share something including each of our children. We also played a Bolivian rendition of spin the bottle. When the bottle pointed to you, you had to share a verse, song or some type of blessing, ect.  It was a lot of fun and very memorable for sure!!

Rudi saying a few profound words!!

Spinning the big glass coke bottle!

Some of our fellow Oregonians singing a song for all of us!

Thank you, Kansas team for coming and sharing your time and lives for a short time with us and Bolivia. We are so blessed by your efforts and the impact you had on our lives.