The time spent in Bolivia just seemed to fly by! After taking a day to adjust to the high altitude (over 12,000 feet), Walton Padelford and I were kept busy all day, every day. We would typically have a nice breakfast at our hotel (included with a very reasonable rate) and then spend several hours polishing our teaching material. Around noon our hosts Andrea Guachalla or her brother, Pastor Alvaro, would pick us up and we would have a big lunch together. Then in the later afternoon, we would meet with several of the pastor trainees for a Q & A session. We would finish the day with the Living in Grace conference where each of us would teach for about an hour. Whew!
We had a wonderful time! It was encouraging to talk with and teach brothers and sisters who are so in love with Jesus Christ. They would listen attentively to the lessons and then ask good questions about the material. During the breaks, individuals would frequently seek us out for conversation and counseling. I had several long conversations with young people who just wanted to talk about their desire to serve Christ and who wanted the advice of an older brother in the Lord.
This was my first time teaching the Living in Grace material, but I was greatly blessed by the focus on the gospel of grace and its ongoing implications for the Christian life. After all, we are not just saved by faith, but we are called to live by faith. Preaching the gospel to ourselves daily is a big part of that faith-filled life. We are so prone toward focusing on our spiritual performance that we need to be reminded daily that we are righteous in Christ and not in ourselves.
The lessons on the gospel, dealing with sin, growing in our faith, living missionally, and forgiving were each received with serious consideration and joy by those attending. What a turnout! Over 200 people attended the conference and at the Saturday session we handed out 140 certificates to those who were there for at least four of the five meetings. We thank the Lord for such a warm response to his Truth.
Many of those attending the conference were young people in their teens and twenties, mostly unmarried, and still in school. This work that God is doing in Bolivia is being driven by younger people. Pastor Alvaro Guachalla himself is only 33, but he is leading a church-planting and pastor-training movement that is having a great impact for Christ’s Kingdom in Bolivia. Yet, he was clearly pleased to have a couple of older Christian brothers to ask questions. On our drives to various locations around La Paz, Alvaro was constantly asking deep questions about theology and ministry.
Even our offhand comments produced surprising responses. On the first day, I mentioned to Alvaro that in Ghana I always bring greetings from my wife, “the most beautiful woman in the world.” He came back later and confessed that he wanted to learn more about how to love his wife that way. He said there was a great need for teaching on the topic of marriage and asked me to change my Sunday sermon topic to marriage. So, the last Sunday morning I spent one and a half hours (with translation) teaching through Genesis 2 & 3 and Ephesians 5, doing a mini marriage seminar. God greatly used it; all glory to Him! (By the way, the length of the sermon wasn’t even an issue – they’re used to long sermons.)
Before we knew it, it was time for us to leave. Monday evening we rode the beautiful cable car system in La Paz, ate a hamburger and fries at 13,000 feet, and took some stunning mountain pictures. Then, at 3:20 am Tuesday we boarded our Avianca flight for the long trip home. After some interesting experiences, flight delays, and answers to prayer, I arrived home at 1:30 am on Wednesday. Despite such complications, I am very thankful to be traveling again!
Thank you for enabling me to engage in such a worthwhile ministry. Pastor Alvaro has invited me to return next year, and I’m seriously wondering whether I should begin to study Spanish since God seems to be opening a door for further work in Bolivia. Thank you also for praying for Walton and me as we taught. Your prayers were clearly felt and were appreciated.
