Day 2 - The bus ride to end all bus rides and God at work in the villages.

Day 2 found the team eating breakfast with the other hotel guests, a local soccer team. We were treated to local reporters running around getting interviews and the police who showed up to escort them. Our missionary hosts arrived and filled us in on the work for the day. We were scheduled to depart at 10 for a village about an hour away. However, as missionaries know, time in other countries has a tendency to stall and it did this morning when our bus died causing a scramble for a replacement. When it finally arrived we had missed the morning sharing time so it was off to the missys house for some fellowship with the national Christians and lunch. Oh yeah, Rob made peanut butter and banana sandwiches for our new friends. They said they were good. We were treated to a special tea that helps with overcoming effects from the altitude.
Lunch ended and we were finally off to Chiquicha. This small farming village is located an hour away but the road to get there is better suited for donkeys and mules. The scenary was awesome and the views several hundred feet straight down proves that only God could create this planet. Maybe I should not report this but there were a few times we met oncoming traffic and they had to back up to let our bus pass. That's how tight the road was.
The plan was to divide into 3 teams with several of our team, teaming with several nationals to go house to house leading Bible studies that would last less than 30 minutes. The nationals would lead it while we participated with prayers and testimonies. We dropped off Rob, Lindsey and Zak at the first house in town and continued to the middle of town where we split into 2 other teams. Our team started off down the dusty road and soon turned onto a path that led past fields of corn, tree tomatos and pigs until we stopped at a house where a woman, 2 kids, 2 loud dogs and a few chickens were outside. Our national friends started their Bible study with the woman and the six of us (Claire, Elizabeth, myself, Katherine, Byron and Marcelo). Soon 5 or 6 others came walking through the fields and took part in our study. After the study, we shared the bead bracelets made for us by Winfree's senior adults. They had some fun questions for us about life in the States and soon we said chou (bye because adios means I'm never coming back). We then turned and walked along one of a drainage/sewer trough and up a hill to the house of a single mother and her teenage son. We again shared the story for today, the Prodigal Son. We were amazed at her understanding and application of the story. I must stop and tell you that many of the people in this village had been ministered to by a missionary they all call Uncle David. The legacy of his work goes deep in this village so the prodigal son might have made a previous visit there.
Our last stop found us sharing with an 18 year old girl who was home alone. We started to share the Bible story with her and then right in the middle our interpreter turned to us and said the Bilma wanted to ask Jesus into her heart. Katherine then ignored us and started into a one on one witness time that ended with Bilma praying for Jesus to come into her heart. We didn't need interpretation during this exchange. It was very plain and moving to us that the Holy Spirit was at work in this village on a dusty part of her front stoop. Claire and Elizabeth surrounded her while I was invited to pray for her decision. This was by far the highlight of the day. Neither the fun bus ride, nor the beautiful mountains, nor the delicious hamburger and chocolate milkshake I had for dinner could match the excitement of that one decision by Bilma. As we said our chous to her, her family walked up and we saw her immediately start telling them what happened and showing them her scriptures we had given her.
After another harrowing bus ride and wonderful dinner and time of sharing with our national friends, we find ourselves back in the hotel exhausted and eager for tomorrow. By the way, we have a change of plans for tomorrow that includes a trip to minister to children in a village at 12,000 feet on the side of an active volcano.
Pray for safe travel on Monday and pray for Bilma and her new faith in Jesus and pray we can find the Holy Spirit already at work in the marketplace and the village tomorrow. Chou!!