Some Pictures...

Here are some pictures of the children at two of the orphanages where we will be working. There are also some pictures of kids at the drop-in center for children in Cochabamba, Bolivia where we will be spending some of our time. Hope they bring a smile to your face!

So what are you doing in Bolivia???

This is a question we hear a lot these days.

We have an answer yet we don't at the same time. We are going to be living in the third largest city in Bolivia. It is also the city with the most indigenous population in Bolivia. This makes for an interesting blend of European descent and native Bolivian descent people which definitely influences the culture and language. So we will be learning Spanish with some Quechua(indigenous language)along the way.

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and because of this many kids are left behind. Children and adolescents make up almost half of the population and so 2.5 million children live in poverty.

We will be working on a team that builds, supports, staffs and works at orphanages. We will help with administration, supporting the staff that are building the orphanages, supporting the house parents (and stepping in when they need a break), leading groups that come down to help the ministry and working on small businesses that will sustain the orphanages. Each orphanage will have around ten children and will be head by a Christian Bolivian couple that will connect the orphanage to the local church. Each orphanage is meant to be like a home where the kids can really feel like they belong. The kids come from many different circumstances but all from difficult situations.

A missionary from Cochabamba, Bolivia that we just met heard we were working at an orphanage there and responded, "Well then don't bring your heart!". I know that it will be hard to hear the stories that these children carry with them but I cannot wait to just hug them and show them that they still have a Father that loves them immensely.

Taking Ernie for a ride

You can check out more about International Teams at

www.iteams.org

It's worth checking out. They're pretty cool.

We now have a blog! You can see what we are up to in Chicago and when we move to Bolivia. Right now we are living in Elgin, IL in training. We are going to be serving with International Teams for two years (at least at first) in Cochabamba, Bolivia. We will be joining an orphanage ministry that provides homes for the at risk and forgotten children of Bolivia. I will post more information on that ministry in the future.
We are learning so much here. We love it so far. Its just great to be surrounded by such a great community and God is teaching us so much.