Continuing on the Path

There are roughly 11 days left in the semester, and the past month and a half has gone by quite quickly for us, not calmly necessarily, but quickly. As we continue on this path that the Lord has laid out for us, we continue to stay mindful of the big picture and the little things that the Lord does with each day. The path is not always smooth, but that is not what the Lord promises to us while we are here on this Earth. The past month and a half has seen Audrey in a sling, an unstoppable bloody nose for Mark that required a visit to the hospital, a pulled hamstring that Mark sustained during soccer, and some upset stomachs. Although a lot of physical pain has been accompanying us through this time, we are counting our blessings and seeing the Lord bring growth on this journey. A major growth that we have seen this semester has been through our community.

Our community at Highlands has steadily improved, along with various church and Christian centered groups. These have kept us encouraged as we take on the day-to-day. We thoroughly enjoyed our Thanksgiving break because not only did we get a chance to rest and travel, but we also got to enjoy it with another couple from the school, the Stameys. Mark and Mark were roommates in their first year at the school, and took a trip to Copacabana to see Lake Titicaca during their first Thanksgiving break in Bolivia.

What a blessing it was to come back two Thanksgivings later and enjoy it together again but this time with their wives. It was an enjoyable and reflective time of counting blessings and thinking about the path that the Lord has orchestrated. It was also a much needed rest and break that we all needed before the home stretch of the semester. Another form of encouragement has been through a men's group that Mark attends once a month with other local missionaries and teachers from the school. This group, while only meeting once a month, has brought encouragement and a reminder of the focus that is needed to pour into the Lord's mission here in La Paz. Many school barbecues and holiday parties have also helped ease the stress of a long semester.

One major focus of the semester has been the school. Highlands is our mission field, and our goal is to share and show the love of God with the students and the community here. It is easy to get caught up in the day to day busyness of our job and classes, but the Lord has been bringing reminders of the fruit of our ministry, and that has encouraged us as we continue on this path here in La Paz. We have signed on for another year and are fully committed to being here and serving the Lord in Bolivia according to His will. Sadly the turnover rate is somewhat high at Highlands and many people leave after their 1-2 year contract is up.

Mark, now in his third year, is starting to see fruit in his relationships with the students by showing them he is committed to the school and to them. His discipleship group with the junior boys is going well, as they seem to be just as goofy as he can be. Before a hamstring injury, Mark was playing soccer with the students every Friday and enjoying the community and relationships that can come with an outside of classroom setting. Please continue to pray for our ministry to the students and to the Highlands community. The days add up to months, and months add up to semesters, and those semesters add up to years, and through the years we are hoping our time invested in the students and the community will point others to Christ and open up the door for God to move mightily. Mark will be speaking in chapel this week, and it is opportunities like these that we know the Lord can use. We acknowledge that everything we do is meaningless without Him, and we know we need daily strength and endurance to run this race well. We are very thankful to be here and that we this opportunity to serve the Lord in the way and in La Paz. This path is not always easy, but we remain thankful as we pursue this path regardless of the hurdles, knowing full well the Lord is always in control.

We are excited about returning to the United States for Christmas break (December 17th-January 8th). We are so thankful for the support and encouragement we receive, and we ask that you continue to support us through prayer. We are committed to the long term path that the Lord has for us, but we must rest in Him and look to Him often in prayer for the daily strength to represent Him well every chance we get.