A Little About Sean

Traveling abroad for the first time in my life and doing it solo...that's where I found myself in May of 2012 during my first missions trip to Bolivia. Back then, I knew little about this big world in which we live. I knew little about Bolivia and hardly anything about the people of Bolivia. I knew I served a great God, but I did not quite understand how great and good and beautiful and perfect He and His eternal purposes were.

Fast forward two years, and I am writing a blog post less than 10 days away from my THIRD trip to Bolivia! Through missions trips to Bolivia in 2012 and 2013, not only have I learned a great deal about the culture and land of Bolivia and South America, but I have developed a great love for the people of this nation and continent. The words and stories of many South American brothers and sisters in Christ have challenged and encouraged me in my walk with the Lord, and the beautiful thing is that the sharpening is mutual. My perspective of God's mission among the nations has grown wider and higher than I ever imagined two years ago, and I find myself praying often about what burdens God has placed on my heart for global missions and how I can be a part of His purposes across the world.

As this summer approached, my initial plans were not necessarily to return to Bolivia. I had been praying about going on another missions trip - perhaps to Asia or Africa - so that I could get a glimpse of what God was doing there and prayerfully consider how He might be calling me among the people of those nations. But, as with everyone on this year's team, God had other plans. If you ask anyone on our team about how they got to the point of committing to follow God to Bolivia this summer, you'll hear the same story: "I had planned I would likely be doing something else, but certain things happened, and God put this trip on my heart." I do not know what God is wanting to do through each of us, individually and collectively, but I do know that He has wonderful plans and that He is able to do immeasurably more than all that we can even ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21).  

As I embark upon my third trip to Bolivia on the Fourth of July, 2014, your prayers would be incredibly appreciated. Please pray that our group would experience a level of boldness, love and unity that can only be explained by the Holy Spirit's working among us. Please pray that all barriers (whether language, age, culture, etc.) that exist between the tutors (the North Americans) and the students (the South Americans) would be destroyed in Jesus's Name! Please pray that EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. at English Village would be granted eyes to see others the way that He sees them and that our hearts would beat for the same burdens that God's heart beats for. Please pray that every person would return home shining brighter, having encountered God in a clear and personal way during the trip - that truly we would return with a loftier perspective and purer vision of God and His eternal purposes. 

Personally, please pray that I would gain further clarity of how God has formed me and that I would more fully surrender to His will in all areas of life...I want more than anything in life to be a vessel, willing to be molded by the perfect hands of an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God. Please pray that all distractions of things back home would fade to the wayside...I want to see Jesus and the clear ways He answers prayers. We serve a mighty God, and it is a joy to come alongside you all in prayer for what He would have us to learn and pass on!

April Miller

Never would I have thought I would be leaving America on the best day to be American, July fourth. But here I am. And I could not be more excited about it. So how did this happen? It goes back to this past year at college, where I felt the call of duty that every child of God has to go out and spread the gospel. I had my own idea of what this would look like this summer, but God quickly closed that door. I knew He had planted a seed in my heart for evangalizing, it was just going to be His plans--not mine. So when the opportunity arose shortly afterwards for this Bolivia trip, I was excited. I don't know what I'm entirely getting myself into but I know the Lord knows and that makes me all the more thrilled.

For those of you who don't know me, I was born and raised in Waxhaw, NC and have grown up at Calvary Church. My best friends are Craig and Sharon, Stephen, and Crystal Miller--all of who also double as my family, as well as Stephen's fiancé, Abby. I'm a rising sophomore Interior Design and Architecture major at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, which has become my well loved home away from home. There in Birmingham, I have met many wonderful people, made great friends, joined the sisterhood of Phi Mu Sorority, and have gotten involved in Shades Mountain Baptist Church. In a perfect world, my ideal day would consist of crafting, baking, spending time with my family and friends, eating good food, laughing, and dancing.

Going into this trip, my prayer is that The Lord would reveal Himself to me in new ways-- that I would see Him in ways I never imagined and that I grow closer to Him in ways I did not know possible. I pray that He will break down the barriers that I consciously and subconsciously put up, taking complete reign over my body and my life.

We serve a big God and I cannot wait to see what he is doing down in Bolivia.
Thanks for all the prayer and support as we prepare and head down!

Getting to Know Riah

Two weeks ago I thought I'd be spending my July vacationing on a beach in Savannah, GA. As I was considering how much to budget for the trip, I was reminded of a mission trip I'd heard of and how I'd brushed it off without even praying God would provide a way for me to go. I stopped right then and prayed...and here I am!

It's all happened really quickly; however, I couldn't be more excited about serving in Bolivia with this awesome team. They're funny, quirky and fully committed to Christ. In my opinion, that's the best combination.

For those who don't know me, I grew up in Peru with my two older brothers as a missionary kid of Peter and Carol Lawry, missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators. We lived in Yarina, just outside of Pucallpa, until 2000 when we moved back to the states and eventually relocated to JAARS in Waxhaw, NC. After high school, I went to Asbury University in Kentucky and graduated with degrees in journalism and media communication. Currently, I'm living in Charlotte and working at a marketing and technology company called Red Ventures.

Now that you "know" me and we're past the boring stuff, here are some fun facts. =)

• Riah's favorite foods are (in order of importance): rice, avocado, papaya, tea, apples and chocolate.
• You will never see Riah eating winter squash. Never. It's not physically possible.
• Her Toyota is named Beatrice. It's appropriate.
• To Riah camping is better than a five-star hotel. 
• Riah has gotten sick in the following countries: Peru, Mexico, Guinea-Bissau and Turkey. She managed to stay healthy in the Netherlands, Kenya, Senegal and the United Kingdom. Hopefully Bolivia falls in the latter.
• Riah is a recent Crossfit convert. 
• Her two older brothers pretty much (emphasis on "pretty much") inoculated her against most reptiles and insects. Ticks are in a whole other class. Don't even mention them around her.
• Jesus is the best!

Thanks for reading my little bio. Please be praying for me and my team as we prepare to head down to Bolivia for English Village. I could use prayer that I'd get finances figured out and that I'd be spiritually prepared. Thanks!

A Glimpse of Bolivia

Please take a few minutes to view the following video to get a glimpse into the people and places we will be serving in the eastern lowlands of Bolivia!

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."  - Luke 10:2