Boots on the Ground!!!

How you respond to circumstances is a good reflection of your foundation...of how you view the world around you and your place in it.  We have learned that over the past 48 hours, as we have experienced less than ideal situations in arriving to Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

• Friday, July 4th @ 11:30 a.m. - Arrived at Charlotte.  The ticket machine would not print our boarding or luggage tags, so they had to be done manually.
• Friday, July 4th @ 1:45 p.m. - Arrived to our gate to find that our 2:25 flight had been delayed until 3:30 p.m., meaning we would miss our connecting flight in Miami
• Friday, July 4th @ 4:00 p.m. - Took off from Charlotte for Miami
• Friday, July 4th @ 6:00 p.m. - Landed in Miami after a very bumpy descent (we basically figured we got free tickets to Carowinds with as much excitement as we got :))
• Friday, July 4th @ 11:45 p.m. - Having boarded our plane in Miami, we were informed that the window wipers were non-functional and that we would need to board another plane
• Saturday, July 5th @ 2:00 a.m. - Took off from Miami for Lima, Peru
• Saturday, July 5th @ 7:30 a.m. - Arrived in Lima after a fairly smooth overnight flight
• Saturday, July 5th @ 10:20 a.m. - Took off from Lima for our final destination of Santa Cruz, Bolivia
• Saturday, July 5th @ 1:30 p.m. - More than 24 hours after meet as a team in Charlotte, we put boots on the ground in Bolivia for the first time
• Saturday, July 5th @ 3:00 p.m. - After going through Customs, we found out that our luggage did not make it with us to Santa Cruz.  We still have heard no word on our luggage.  Please pray that we will receive our luggage in a timely manner.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why our team could be disappointed and at wit's end.  However, as we have been discussing as a group, we are choosing joy.  We are choosing contentment.  We are choosing to believe, as Paul so eloquently stated, that His strength is made perfect in weakness.  Though we are all physically exhausted and without 7 pieces of luggage, God is still reigning...He is still in control...He is still good!  He can be nothing besides!

After leaving Viru Viru International, we had the pleasure of eating some traditional Bolivia food, including sonsos (fried yucca and cheese), yucca and potato chips, and empanadas at the Base (SO GOOD!!!).  At 6:00 p.m. this evening our group headed to a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting in which we had the opportunity to worship, give an encouraging message (Dan), lead worship (Riah and Bethany), and share testimonies (Riah and Bethany).  Each of us had opportunities to mingle with the approximately 30 Bolivian students who came out for the special night.  Dan and I had the blessed opportunity of seeing some students from last year's English Village (Marcos, Antonio O (single Antonio :)), and Betty).  Though Marcos has moved on to serve as a leader for CRU in Trinidad, Bolivia, it was so encouraging to see three young men stepping up to the plate in leadership within the Santa Cruz CRU program.  To speak with other brothers and sisters in Christ from Bolivia was a mutual encouragement as well, and we also pray that much seed was scatter on fertile soil there tonight...that the CRU leaders and others would till and water the soil, and that God would produce the growth!

It has been a wonderful start to the GO Bolivia 2014 trip thus far (including even the above-mentioned issues, as they have shown to prove our weaknesses and reliance upon God).  We will have the opportunity to attend a local Bolivian church tomorrow morning, followed by a delicious lunch at the well-known Casa del Camba (an authentic Bolivia family style restaurant).  Registration for English Village also begins tomorrow afternoon.  Please be praying for all of the travel, for logistics, for health, against spiritual warfare, for unity, and above all else, that Jesus would be honored!  We appreciate your prayers and thank God for you!