Dear Friends,
In October we celebrated 5 years of being in Bolivia. As we looked back over that time we could see the ways in which God has used us. There have been many ups and downs during those 5 years and yet so much to be thankful for. As we look forward we are excited to see the possibilities of how God may use us in the future both within FH and outside of it.
Due to the nature of the culture here in Bolivia where immediate family ties are very strong, many people find themselves without any friends and are consequently very lonely. People don’t tend to have friends of a similar age with whom they can share experiences or troubles. Even within church it is difficult to form relationships as people arrive late to the service then make a quick exit as soon as it is over.
Just over a year ago we formed a ‘families group’ at our church, drawing together just a few select families from the congregation who had children of a similar age. The purpose of the group was to provide an opportunity for people to get to know one another and in time to form a network of support and encouragement.
Upon our return from the UK we were thrilled to see that this group of families was not only thriving but growing and developing with more families wanting to get involved. This has now put us in the position of looking at the ways in which the group can divide and grow. We recently met with two of the families who have leadership potential and were encouraged to hear their ideas as to how we can move forward and draw in more families and single parents.
From the onset we have only wanted to be facilitators of the idea so that the Bolivian families can take it and run with it, which they have been doing with much enthusiasm. As the groups grow and expand our hope is to oversee the groups and meet with the leaders on a regular basis in order to be a support and encouragement to them.
We feel that we are in a very privileged position where by we are here in Bolivia serving as a whole family unit, each of us has our own part to play to be used by God in some way or another. How exciting is that!
Thank God for:
- Provision of another new home
- Deeper relationships
Ask God for:
- An increase in our monthly income, as our costs are increasing and we shall be losing some regular supporters in the new year
- Planning and preparation for homeschooling Alana from January
- Wisdom for Ed as he moves forward with two major projects
With Love
Ed, Sarah, Alana, Isaiah & Lucas
