La Paz is a large, hurting city in the second poorest country in our hemisphere, with only Haiti rivaling its poverty. If you are like me, who for years lived miles away, you know little about this city or about the country of Bolivia. Tonight I am feeling an intense need to tell the story, to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute...defend the rights of the poor and needy". Provide 31: 8-9.Editor’s Note: Over the next few months we will be posting a blog from one of our editors, Lin Beaty, who, along with her daughter and a team of disciples, is serving the community of La Paz, Bolivia. Posts will include entries from the other team members. Prayerfully, these posts will be a voice for the children who can’t speak for themselves. Please keep the team in your prayers.
La Paz is a city where 30,000 children walk and work the streets, a city where, as I write this, thousands of children have made their beds for the night on benches, in parks, under bridges or even in empty cemetery plots, hungry and cold, lonely and empty. I know that I cannot begin to understand or describe the pain and hurts of their hearts, the hopelessness and helplessness that only magnifies itself daily. But, I can see it in their hollow eyes and hear it in their voices. Ivelisse Cardona, one of our team members came home in tears on her first day at the orphanage when one of the young girls asked her to adopt her. She told her that she had always longed for someone like her to adopt her and take her home. What do you say to that? How do you begin to respond? Hearing their desperate pleas can break your heart long before you even know their story. And everyone has a story. For most of these kids the story is one of shattered dreams, abuse, deep hurt, abandonment and lack of love..."harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd". It is a story that would tear our hearts apart. It is so easy to get overwhelmed and shut down, to not want to see their hurt or feel their pain. It makes me so grateful that God chose to record the story of Jesus for us and that we can look into His heart, into His eyes of compassion and see His sacrificial life and learn from Him. We came to La Paz as a team desperately longing to bring the heart of Jesus to the people but after one week here, it is so obvious to us that we have so much to learn, so much to grow, and so much to change. We are so far from being what they need..."who is equal to such a task?" And yet we are convinced that we were sent by God and that "His Power is made perfect in weakness". We are the perfect team for God to manifest His power in, weak in every way and yet honored to be called to serve Him in this great city.
We hit the ground running. God provided us with the perfect apartment in a great part of the city that reminds me of my New York days. We are without a car but in walking distance to grocery stores, restaurants and shopping. There are so many things about this city that remind me of NYC but it is Spanish and with great coffee. How good can it get?
Noelle, Ivelisse, Brie and Jordyn have busied themselves visiting the orphanages and the social programs. All of them have worked hard, giving their hearts away. Their enthusiasm and instant love has been evident to all. Today they walked into one of the pre-schools and the kids swarmed them as if they were long, lost friends. Many of the mothers of the kids in this pre-school are teen prostitutes that at one time took their kids in the room with them when they "went to work". Now these children are in school daily being loved and taught. Each year it is estimated that 10-15 of the mothers step out of their lives of prostitution and with the help of ArcoIris begin living healthy, productive lives.
Kevin, Gwen and I head to Hospital ArcoIris early every morning. The work is long and tiring but we are absolutely loving working together and doing what we are doing. The work of this hospital for the hurting is unbelievably impressive. Each day we uncover another layer of pain in this city and learn about another impressive program ArcoIris has in place to meet it. Did you know that in Bolivia when an adult is convicted of a crime and sent to prison many of them have no place to send their children? The prisons are filled with children living with their parents for the entire duration of their parents’ sentence. Can you imagine the horror and danger of innocent children living in the midst of convicted criminals!!! I was appalled and overwhelmed at the thought. Arco Iris sends their mobile clinic into the prisons weekly to care for the children. On Monday, our medical team will have our first visit of the prison to work with a group of 150 children. ArcoIris is also starting a project to serve the most isolated and primitive tribes in the Bolivian Amazon. We will bring our mobile clinic but since the Amazon is about a day's drive away, we will be airlifted into the jungle. I am so excited about getting to visit and feeling a bit like Indiana Jones on this one.
Had our first service in the park on Sunday and got there early to invite the whole park to join us. It was awesome!!! A bank manager with his three kids came and was very interested in coming back. Noelle and Gwen even in their broken Spanish won the hearts of some older women who asked them to come to their neighborhood and start a Bible Study to teach them the Bible. Edson and Theresa that lead the church here are wonderful and have a great love for God and His people. They have, however, been bombarded as of recent with many life challenges. We are so grateful to be here to love them, serve them and hold their arms up.
Yesterday we met with the single and campus girls and had a great time together talking about having a fiery passion for God. We talked about committing ourselves to wholeheartedly doing our part to help heal this great city!
Probably my favorite thing is sharing this unforgettable time with Jordyn. Watching her pour her heart into people warms my heart and I feel like Mary who "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart". Tonight we had a wonderful mother daughter dinner and just poured our hearts out to each other. These are the moments that we as moms live for. I know that the rest of our lives we will relive these memories.
I love my life in La Paz! Everything in me feels like I am exactly where God wants me to be doing exactly what He wants me to do.
Thank you for your love, support, encouragement and prayers. We need your prayers desperately every moment of every day. Pray for us. Pray for La Paz. Pray that God will bring the "peace that passes understanding" to this great city and that the children of our city will know the "Father to the fatherless" and truly experience His great love for them.
