The Tuesday class that I'm giving on the Gospel according to Isaiah is going really well! (Let me give a lot of credit to my brother, Tim, for giving this series to the church he preaches at and for that church, Comanche Trail CofC, putting their worship services on YouTube.) It has been a blessing the conversations this group of ladies have had as we learn from the people of Israel during the time of Isaiah, see God's holiness, faithfulness and power, and talk about how these things are seen in our own lives, our own response to God and what He is calling us to. The ladies have gotten so excited from this class that I've heard they go home and talk to their husbands and brothers about it. They've asked me to send my notes to them so they can share it better and one guy comes to El Camino (our contact center) when I am there so that I can give the class to him. We are only on lesson 8 as those sermons are changed into one or two 1 1/2 hour classes, but I'm glad that we are able to take the time. I was hoping to finish the series before we travel to the States in December but that will not happen and I'm okay with that.
I'm also giving a class on zoom on the book: "The Emotionally Healthy Woman" by Geri Scazzero. I'm actually giving the class twice, once to a Spanish group with women from Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and even one lady lives in Brazil; the other class is a much more intimate group in English. The English group I've done for about 4 years and as we end certain sessions and start new ones, the group changes as ladies step in or out. These classes are between 1 1/2 to 2 hours long so it is a commitment and often people's schedules change season to season. Andrea Smith has been constant since the begging and she came into the group living in Alaska and since then she and her family moved to Albania to be missionaries there. It's been a blessing to see how her life has changed and how she and her family have presented themselves in every new and/or challenging aspect of this change. With both groups, we will finish the book this month and take a break for the summer months of December and January. I love being in groups where we can meet in person. Online classes will never give the same connection, but I also see the gift of being able to meet with women from across the world and be connected in a more global way. Online classes also helps me as a single parent be able to be home with my girls and get them to bed at a good hour and still be able to work this way.
This is a class I taught during our monthly women's tea. Lorie made these great charcuterie boards with fruits and vegetables and dips. These monthly teas are a great chance to invite women to spend some time with us in a fun way and to hear about God.
Our neighbor Natalia is coming more and more to church and classes. She is a very devout Catholic but over these past years is learning a lot about God. She and her two older kids, my teammates the Cabrera family and my family make up the families who live in one building. Natalia has always been very kind with us. She came up to my apartment the other day and told me she was going to the country side to visit her mom for a couple days and to ask me to check in with her 16 year old daughter while she was gone because she would be by herself. She also gave me keys to her house in case I needed it. Pilar said how she loves that we know the people in our building so well and how close we all are. Pilar and Cat sometimes go down to Natalia's house for tea or to visit and Natalia has taken care of our plants on occasion when we traveled. God has blessed us greatly with this place to live. Not only do we have great neighbors but there is a safety in this building because of the community we have and it has bank on the first floor. We inviter Natalia's daughter to have lunch with us every day (lunch is the main meal in Bolivia) and she came up to watch a movie with us on Friday night. Natalia was very thankful and had a lot more peace about having to leave.
Please pray that Natalia continues to learn more about God. Also prayer request for Godofredo and Elvira as they search for jobs. I am praying they find jobs here in Tarija but it has been hard for them and Elvira has been traveling weekly to another city to teach classes (but these classes are not constant) and Godofredo has traveled to the state of Beni to try and find work. The church here has been growing in numbers but we ask prayers that it also grows in understanding, love, maturity and commitment. Also pray for me and my girls as we travel to the States in December and January. We will be traveling a LOT this year as we have not visited churches and people for about 4 years. We are excited but the travel will be hard on the girls, especially Catalina. I have also found out that there is a problem in the system with my Bolivian ID. My ID needed to be renewed in November but I will have to wait until the problem is fixed which they are saying can take months. Thankfully it expires mid- November and I can still get the permission to travel from the court that I need for my girls to leave the country but the ID card you need for everything from getting money out of the bank to paying bills and rent to registering my girls for the new school year. I'm trying to think of all the things i need to do before this ID expires and I am without for a couple of months.
Thank you for taking the time to read our blogs, learn what's happening here and praying for us! You bless us with your support and encouragement. I look forward to seeing many of you soon.
Blessings.
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