Bolivia Trip 2014

In August of 2014 a team made up of members of Blythwood Road Baptist, Weston Park Baptist, and Lorne Park Baptist travelled to Bolivia for two weeks.  This was a short-term mission opportunity carried out in partnership with Canadian Baptist Ministries.  Blythwood was happy to be able to go back as it had been five years since our last visit.

Our first week was spent in Mizque, a town located in the valley of the Mizque River. There, we worked on renovating homes to protect families from Chagas.  Chagas is a disease born by insects which get into the home through adobe walls, thatched roofs, and dirt floors.  Our job was to plaster the interior walls and lay down a concrete floor to prevent insects from getting inside.  It was all done manually and was a lot of hard work!  It was all so worthwhile as we completed four homes, and had the chance to spend time with the families as we worked.

The second week was spent in La Paz.  There we connected with David and Suzanna Nacho, Blythwood’s mission partners in Bolivia.  One of the most profound experiences of the trip came when we had the chance to spend a day with a group of “lustrabotas.”  These are young people who live on or very close to the street and make a living shining shoes.  One of the young people from a local church had been serving with these kids, and introduced us to them.  We spent the morning sitting and working alongside them, finding out something of what their lives are like, and sharing with them what things are like in Canada. 

The remainder of our time in La Paz was spent visiting local churches, and working at the Centre for Integral Mission.  There we took part in a children’s daycare program, did some painting, and shared in some training for the local youth sports ministry.

We thank everyone who supported us during our experience in Bolivia.  Please continue to pray with us for what God is doing in that great country.  We hope, God willing, to return before too long!

Blessings

Pastor David