Introducing: Team 2012-2013!

LAURA V.

I'm 22 years old and this is my 4th year studying social education at a local university here in Cochabamba. I have 2 younger brothers and both of my parents are teachers. I love working with kids and teenagers, and am able to do that every Saturday afternoon with some neighborhood kids that come over to play during my family's Kids' Club. This will be my 3rd trip to Potosi and I CAN'T wait to go back and see what cool adventures the Lord has for us this time around! :)

Cristi C.

 Cristi is from Idaho.  She recently graduated from NTBI and is interning this year helping in the office and grading assignments.  She is my star Spanish student and is very excited to experience Bolivia.

KATIE S.

I've been living in Cochabamba for the last 4 and a half years, and am currently a teacher at The Friendship and Support Center, working with second graders.  Most of my family lives in Colorado, but my sweet little nephew Matias lives here in Cochabamba.  I have a passion for Quechua and the unreached people of Potosí and am really looking forward to my third return trip to the campo of Potosí!

Kristina T.

 Kristina is 21 years old and lives in Denmark.  She has lived in Bolivia volunteering at a preschool and then travelled through South america before returning to Denmark where she hopes to continue her education and pursue a career in the medical field.

Rachel H. 

My name is Rachel Holeman, and I was born in San Jose, Costa Rica while my parents were attending language school.  My parents then moved to Bolivia to be missionaries, and this is where I spent the first 6 years of my life.  God then called my parents back to the United States, and I have spent the majority of my life in South Carolina.  I have had the opportunity to attend church my whole life and also attend Christian school for a majority of my life, giving me a very strong Biblical foundation.  Jesus forgave my sins and made me a new person when I was 5 years old.  Since then, I have seen God work in my life through people and experiences to deepen my relationship with Him.  I have a deep passion for serving Him by loving His people.  

I am currently a senior pre-medical student at North Greenville University and plan to go on to medical school to become a pediatrician.  I hope to use my education in medical missions, showing God’s love to people by providing medical care.  My passions include serving people, playing softball, hiking, working as a camp counselor, and spending time with friends and family.  Two summers ago, I had the opportunity to return to Bolivia for 6 weeks, serving at a hospital, orphanages, and in a missionary family’s home.  I fell in love with the people and Bolivian culture!  When the opportunity arose to return to Bolivia this January, I was thrilled.  I am so excited to see what God will do through and amongst our team!

Kristen P.

This will be my 5th time to Bolivia.  I've been leading trips since 2009 and I'm humbled to be the person to introduce others to this lovely country and encouraging ministry.  I'm currently finishing my last year at New Tribes Bible Institute and hoping to continue training to be a missionary to unreached people groups after completing training with NTM.  

Katie P. 

Katie is my twin sister! This will be her first trip to Bolivia.  She works as a direct care staff with 160 mentally disabled people in Texas.  She hopes to continue her schooling to become a Nurse/Physicians Assistant.

**Not pictured: Mariel T.  Will correct with photo and bio asap. 

Your New Years Resolution:

We are gearing up for next year's mission trip to Potosi.  I'm copying an email that I sent out recently so you can know some basics about the trip (in case you're not on my email list...)
We would probably leave the end of December and return the beginning of January.  (Exact dates are still being confirmed).  If you are interested please let me know!

You will need:

About $2500 (if you already have a visa for Bolivia it will be $135 less)

A passport that is valid for over 6 months from the date of arrival in country

Hepatitis, Typhoid, and Tetanus (recommended) and Yellow Fever (required) immunizations.

Flexible attitude--because we never actually know what's going to happen next.  But, God has never left us in a mess He couldn't handle. ;)

physical stamina (you don't have to be in super physical shape, but we will be travelling to high altitudes, eating very different foods than you may be used to (think: llama meat, lots of potatoes, and very little other vegetables), and exposed to the elements (sun, dry air, little sanitation)

So this should give you some time to pray about it, talk it over with your church and family and get back to me.  I promise you that this is a mission trip that you will never forget--and I can guarantee that if you go into this with an attitude of humility and allowing God to work in and through you, that it will change your life forever.   You will see some of the neediest people in the world--both physically and spiritually and in partnering with brother Jorge and his ministry we hope to bring them hope in both areas.

"Living Dead" at 12,000 feet. [Memoirs of a short-term-mission-tripper].

I have a young friend who has a passion for the Quechua Indians in Bolivia. We had been on 4 other missions’ trips together and she approached me about this one. The photos looked a little more remote than the previous trips. No electricity (again), no showers (again), no bathrooms for who knows how long. Was I up to it? As I studied her photos the Lord allowed me to look at the faces. He gave me compassion and a deep desire to go. He miraculously provided the funds in 30 days and I found myself South America bound. Our purpose was to bring good news to the Quechuas, targeting the children. We had 2 professional clowns, a Doctor, and lots of donated items to give away. There were 14 team members, 4 men, 10 women. There were many challenges, but one stands out in my mind…It may be only once in a lifetime that you find yourself in a place where not only your body but your mind is also pushed to where it's never been. This is where I found myself on a mountaintop in the Altiplano of southern Bolivia. I lovingly called this “The Death Hike”…I didn't think I could walk one more step without falling over. We had been hiking uphill for 3 hours in 12,000 ft. +altitude. I could not take a deep breath. The tears flowed as I realized I couldn’t make it to the next village (Kollpa). It had been, by far, my hardest missions’ trip. I knew the Lord wanted me to come so why wouldn’t he allow me to go all the way to Kollpa? As I waited with 3 other women while our team disappeared over the next mountain I realized that All of my trust had to be in the Lord and in Him alone. Phil wasn't there for me and our guides and team leaders were gone. It would be another 3 to 4 hours before we would be reunited with our team again. It was surreal, as if I were on a TV show….However, God met me there in a way that He had never done in my 36 years of serving Him. He came with a strong presence and sweetness that I will never forget. All of my fear was gone (dying, being lost, freezing to death) and I was able to worship Him wholeheartedly in the midst of his glorious creation…He was calling me to deeper faith. It wasn’t just about protection from what one of our teammates called “A Survivor-type Extreme Missions Trip”. It was about my present and my future. He wanted to take me to a deeper level of trust. When I let go and placed myself in His hands His peace came like a gentle rain. The Comforter was there.Upon returning the Dr. told me in Spanish of the victories he felt that were just won. People in the region believe that Christians, worshiping God instead of Pachamama (the earth goddess) bring natural disasters upon their crops. In Kollpa, two years ago, a family converted and shortly after, a severe hailstorm destroyed the community's crops. The family was banished from the village and Kollpa has continued to be hostile towards believers ever since. A drunk man followed our team throwing football sized rocks and yelling “We don’t need the gospel here” at them. I had been the last one during the hike and with my luck might have been the one to be hit with a rock. I have to trust that the Lord kept me on that mountain to protect me. So many times we want to move forward and he says, “No, be still.” A deeper faith. A resting faith. A quieted Heart. This is his plan for me – not only on a mission’s trip but here at home too.

Annette graciously gave permission for me to share this devotional/testimony that she shared with her missions committee about some of the lessons learned in Bolivia.