Category Archives: Bolivia

One dollar – Day Five

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One dollar – Day five:
As you look at your one dollar, what food will you buy for you and your family? You have to be careful, because it needs to be both safe and nutritious. Your toilet paper and other essentials also come from that same one dollar. What if one dollar per person per day buys you only flour and grain, maybe rice and beans to cook over an open fire? One dollar might provide enough food to generate maybe 800 calories per person. You soon realize that at 800 calories a day you will lose 20-30 pounds in a month. You grin, thinking that maybe you could stand to lose some weight. But then you wonder, “What happens after that?”

 

Look at your one dollar and ask, “How will I keep going if I can only afford 800 calories of food?” I must have enough strength to work or my family will not survive!” You realize that you used to think of poor people as being lazy, but on 800 calories a day you find fatigue and lethargy to be constant companions. You learn that if you mash your beans and refry them in lard, you will increase your calories consumed per day. But on some days when there is not even a dollar, your children eat only salt and tortillas. In Bolivia, many children and parents chew on coca leaves to reduce the hunger pains. Usually they have smiles and like to play games. Days like these, they are too tired even to play.

 

I wonder if your one dollar looks different from how it looked just a few days ago. Mine does. I’m thinking more about the one dollars I spend that really change my life at all.  But I’m getting a better idea about how much one dollar COULD change the world for someone else.

 

 

One dollar

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You’re invited to take an adventure with me to a different world! Anyone can take this trip, whether you are young or old, healthy or sick, and whether you consider yourself rich or poor. You don’t need to buy a ticket, sell your house, or quit your job.

 

The journey you will take is across the paths of your mind and the recesses of your heart. But it’s not merely an intellectual exercise. For some of you, this adventure will catch you off guard. It will knock you off-balance until you find your footing again. If you invite God to go with you, it has the potential to transform the way you see your life and the world around you. It may cause you to question the way things are and compelled by how they could be. Along the way you might feel both humbled and blessed, impoverished and enriched at the same time. In the end, I think you’ll be thankful for having walked the path and find your heart strengthened.

 

Let’s start right now!

 

Day one:
Take a one dollar bill. Put it where you will see it throughout the day, every day, like the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, the TV or computer screen, wherever you will see it often.

 

Whenever you see this one dollar bill today, think about what that one dollar means to you. What could you buy with it? Start noticing how the transactions you make today. Plan to do this each day of this journey. When I first created this exercise for myself, I noticed the yogurt I ate for a snack cost me 50 cents, a tea bag 15 cents. I bought a pack of gum that cost nearly the whole dollar. A bottle of water, almost free at home, cost nearly two whole dollars at the convenience store. So did a can of pop and a candy bar. Don’t make judgments about your purchases. Simply take notice. Awareness is at the beginning of all change in the world, in our minds, and in our hearts.

 

Take a look at your checkbook and credit card statement for the last month. I’m not asking you to judge them, just take notice. Ponder how easy is it to get what you want when you have one dollar or a handful of dollars? How far do you have to travel to buy what you need or want? Is it readily available?

 

This may seem strange to you to think about one dollar and perhaps not much of an adventure. But ask yourself, “What if this one dollar was ALL I had to live on for one day, every day?” How would you feel if you lost your very last dollar? What would you do? Where would you turn for help?

 

At the end of the day, talk with God about what you’ve noticed about the one dollar in your life today. Ask Him to reveal more of Himself to you, even as you sleep.

 

Softening hardened hearts – Bolivia

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Samaritan’s Purse tells the story of Luis, a young boy living in Bolivia. His mother left him with his aunt when he was only three years old. After that, he was passed around from one relative to another, often being left alone while the adults worked, or looked for work. He ended up living on the streets when he was 12 where he found trouble with disreputable friends. His seemed to be a hopeless life, hardened by tough circumstances.

 

We saw this story played out a hundred fold when we were in Bolivia. Young children were left in the care of barely older siblings or left all alone while the mother worked and the father, if there was one around, was off for weeks at a time working in the coca fields.

 

imageWe had joined the CMA church’s outreach program in rural Las Lomas (Ushpa Ushpa). It was a place of dirt and rocks, adobe houses with tin roofs and straw stuck in rafters to keep out the wind. Clothes were set on the few bushes to dry. Water drums set outside the homes as the only source of water, and an outside adobe artisan oven, the source for cooking. Many homes had only curtains for doors. But through the darkness of hopelessness and despair, shines the light of hope, Jesus.
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The children we worked with were eager to practice their math, reading and writing skills in their outdoor ‘school.’ We communicated in our broken Spanish, but for many, the presence of a caring adult who cared for them communicated a special language of its own.

 

In addition to their academic work, the children sang bible songs, listened attentively to the bible stories.

 

And they prayed so fervently in their own words when we invited them to pray for their families and their future.

 

 

Luis was one of the fortunate ones whose life was touched by those who poured themselves into his life.  He says, “I didn’t have a relationship very near with God. Now I feel very close to God. I feel he lives in my heart.”

 

Will you take a moment to pray that Luis and the GLOW ministries with the other lost children of Bolivia will continue to pursue lives that honor Jesus, and not be hardened by harsh circumstances?  And will you pray also for our return to the Bolivian mission field this year?  Your prayers matter!

 

 

Thankful … for clean water!

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This morning – and any time I want – I turn on the faucet in the bathroom and retrieve a glass of clean water.  Likely, you did too. In fact, even the poorest of poor in our country have access to safe, clean water. That’s not the case across much of the world.

 

The month we lived in Bolivia, we were told the drinking water had to be filtered. We washed our fresh fruit and veggies and dishes in a mild bleach solution and then rinsed them with filtered water. You might think this a terrible and backward condition, but when we traveled just a few miles out of the city to visit friends we had met, we found most of the people did not have access to running water at all. No bathrooms or kitchen sinks. Just a rusty metal drum outside that is filled up with a hose from the water truck…if you had money to buy water.  Looking into the barrels, we quickly decided we would not want to drink from them. But many of the people we worked with suffered stomach ailments due to the parasites, germs and bacteria in their water supply. The truth is that safe water is a rare resource in many parts of the world.

 

I’m guessing you don’t know anyone who has suffered from dysentery, typhoid or cholera. And yet these are all common to families living in many parts of the world. Imagine a population more than twice the size of the United States. That is a low estimate of how many do not have access to clean water in the world. Here, I get a glass of clean water whenever I want, from my home or any public drinking fountain.

 

And so I find myself extremely thankful – for clean water. When you think about it, I imagine you are too.

 

Does being thankful make a difference? I think it does. Imagine saying a word of thanks every time you take a sip of refreshing, clean water. I think our hearts grow a size or two every time we give thanks. Giving thanks has a way of shutting down greedy and selfish thoughts. It breaks down negative thinking. Giving thanks puts us in a right relationship with God. Being thankful for one thing tends to lead us to give thanks for so much more, including each other.

 

Who knows? Being thankful for clean water may be the very thing that makes your New Year an especially rewarding one!

 

“For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” Mark 9:41

 

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14

 

 

Thank you!

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We want to thank those who have partnered with Go Light Our WorldTM to bring the light of Jesus to a dark world. Whether you gave a one-time or monthly gift of $10, $50, $100, or more, your generous gifts directly support vital gospel ministries in:

 

Bolivia
– Growing healthy families
– Providing literacy, nutrition, health, and worship outreach to children
– Vocational training for struggling moms
– (Marcia and I are preparing to join the Bolivian mission field in 2015!)

 

Bulgaria
– Literacy training for rural outcast children
– Abraham’s Flock provides milk and eggs for needy families
– Christian education for children

 

Greece
– Bringing gospel hope to the lost in Athens and Corinth

 

Scotland
– Bringing real hope and the power of Jesus to transform broken lives in the inner city housing projects

 

United States
– Supporting gospel church plants in New Orleans and San Diego
– Training and equipping college athletes to become Christian leaders and missionaries

 

Puerto Rico
– Raising up Christian leaders among college athletes

 

Kenya
– Supporting a young family bound for the mission field to bring the gospel to the unreached Digo people

 

There is still time to join our prayer and financial support team. Visit our giving page at www.GoLightOurWorld.org/giving to learn more.

 

Go Light Our WorldTM is a tax-exempt nonprofit ministry. There are no paid salaries so your donations go directly to the mission field. Thank you for living a life marked by giving to others. It matters!

 

 

Partner with GLOW in Bolivia

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Josias swim day lunch Go Light Our World (GLOW) is excited to support a vital gospel mission to the poorest of poor in Bolivia, South America. Our ministry brings the practical love of Jesus to those in need through programs in literacy, nutrition, and health. Those with emotional and spiritual needs are supported by caring counselors and friends.

 

Marco Young boys like Marco find reason for hope and opportunities to serve others. Marco cares for his own siblings and is a youth ambassador and leader to other youth. His growth as a godly leader is evidenced by the respect of his fellow youth.

 

bolivia 235Can see the joy and contentment in this little girl’s eyes? Children find love and hope when someone acknowledges and welcomes them in the name of Jesus. Marcia and I are excited at the prospects of returning to the Bolivia mission on a full-time basis next year as my health recovery progresses.

 

How about you? YOU too can make a difference in others’ lives by praying for the Bolivia mission, for children like Marco and families you won’t meet until you get to heaven. We believe nothing lasting happens without prayer. Will you partner with us to pray regularly for the GLOW ministries?

 

Another way to partner with GLOW is to make a one-time or monthly gift. Even $10-20-50 gifts go a long way in poverty-stricken Bolivia. We have no paid staff and our administrative costs are covered by one donor, so 100% of your tax-deductible donations go directly to the mission (See Giving page www.GoLightOurWorld.org).

 

You can also partner with us by spreading the word. Follow us on Facebook! ‘Share’ us on your Facebook page. Subscribe to the blog (it’s free), tell others about Go Light Our World.

 

Finally, you can partner with us by intentionally welcoming others in your own neighborhood and town, sharing with them the good news that offers hope and joy. Be a positive influence on our world!

 

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40

 

 

You are the light

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You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14

 

 

The message of the GLOW (Go Light Our World) ministry is to shine the light of Jesus into the world. We currently support gospel ministries to the unreached poorest of poor in Bolivia, Bulgaria, Greece, Scotland, and the United States.

 

When Jesus says “You are the light of the world” He intends for that light to shine wherever you go. He isn’t saying, “Look at how talented and smart you are; how much better you are than everyone else.” No, He is illustrating what happens when the power of an infinite and extraordinary God resides in the heart of an ordinary person who follows His Son. His message is, “When I live in you and when you remain in me, my light shines so brightly, the rest of the world will see and come to praise the Father.” (See Matthew 5:16)

 

He knows it’s tempting for us to keep the truth and joy of His love all to ourselves. When ministry becomes messy and often frustrating, sometimes we want to crawl under our basket and just bask in the light of God’s peace warming us. We think of the image of resting in His arms and long to remain in that quiet place. Pain and sorrow have ways of ravaging the body and the mind and wreak havoc and violence on our soul. In those times all you long for is peace and quiet, a release from what seems to be an ever-increasing grip on your life. God’s light is meant for such times. His Spirit speaks peace, truth, and hope to us in such desperately needed ways.

 

But His light isn’t meant to remain solely within us for our comfort only. It is meant to encourage others, meaning other believers as well as bringing the hope of the gospel to the rest of the world. Imagine if our message were health and fitness but we didn’t take care of your own bodies. Who would want to listen to us? In the same way we are called to take care of the body of Christ too, that is other believers. His amazing light is meant to pour over the darkness of our world and flow onto all those around us. The role of light is to disperse darkness.

 

What would it look like if your light shined into someone else’s darkness today? Maybe you’ll search your address book and write an encouraging note of hope to someone you’ve lost contact with. Tell someone else how much you appreciate who they are, not just what they do. Don’t be afraid to mention how good God is when others are around. Tell someone the reason for your faith. Show His mercy to someone who has no other reason to hope.

 

Be the light. Go light our world today.

 

 

Teenage Ambassador – Bolivia mission update

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marco 3MARCO is a born leader. The oldest of three children, 16-year-old Marco lives in an extremely poor community outside the metropolis of Cochabamba, Bolivia. He cares for his younger sisters, cooks for them and takes them to school. His mother and stepfather leave for work very early in the morning and they come back late at night. So Marco takes care of the house. He’s been having some difficulty in school due his caring for his siblings. Marco left school for four years and started working to earn a living due to the extreme poverty in his household.

Marco came to the Alliance Church’s Josias Project, sponsored by GLOW, three years ago. A sullen, quiet, observant, shy teen. He started to make friends and was notorious from the start his sense of solidarity towards the little ones and his willing to help around. He was elected leader a year and because he did it so well with many initiatives and ideas, he began to earn the respect of the older kids. He now is the leader of all of them, big and small. He has earned their respect. He is quiet and firm.

marco 1His capacity to serve and empathy has made him shine over the rest. He was elected Ambassador last year. He is very creative, dynamic and proactive. He has proven his commitment to the Lord. He attends a Church close to his home.

Praise to the Lord, he continues his studies at night school along with his mother, who has been encouraged to also finish her high school. He is doing very well and still has the desire to work for the kids at the Project and in his neighborhood, because he can see the need to have someone guide those children at risk. He sees himself reflected in them when he was a child.

LET US PRAY FOR GOD TO CONTINUE USING THIS TEEN TO BE AN INSTRUMENT TO SHOW HIS LOVE.

Isaiah 58:10 …and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

Finding goodness – Sharing goodness

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We are made for goodness just as we are made to breathe. – John Eldridge

 

The Cedar Rapids Gazette ran a recent article encouraging local folk to share what makes them proud of their city.

My sister shared wrote what happened on Valentine’s Day when our mother had car trouble on First Avenue in Cedar Rapids:
“Within minutes, not one, but two, kind citizens pulled over to help her, moved her car safely out of traffic, and stayed there with her until I could get to mom,” Elizabeth wrote. “They were such a comfort to her rattled nerves. This is a big SMALL town where strangers reach out to help, even during their busy morning commute. And even though it made them late to work. “I’ll take Cedar Rapids any day over a big city,” she wrote.

When we traveled to Bolivia, South America for a month, we lived in the mountain valley town of Cochabamba. With a metropolitan population of 1 million people, it was much noisier than our small town of 15,000. But we both were impressed that it was like coming home for the first time. I thought it funny when people at the local church referred to their sprawling metropolis as a small town. But when we both became so sick someone we hardly knew brought us homemade chicken soup. And when we moved on to Santa Cruz de la Sierra (2-3 million) for additional recuperation, a person we had met just once, also brought us homemade chicken soup and helped us get to an English-speaking doctor.

If you experience such compassion, you will not likely forget it. And if your heart is open, hopefully it encourages you to share that same goodness with others. Goodness is all around us. We only have to stop complaining to see it, exercise our grateful heart to grow, and share that same goodness with others.

There’s nothing quite like celebrating goodness. Let’s reach beyond ‘random’ acts of kindness. Let your actions be purposeful and deliberate. Let your compassion help someone up when they fall, forgive a mistake, and bring a light of truth and encouragement to a dark world.

In good times and tough ones, go light our world with goodness.
May it be said of you…”surely goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life.” Psalm 23:6