1.   Bolivia is still facing a lot of political tension, and a lot of tension between Bolivia and the US right now.  Our ambassador has been called to the States, and many of the USaid workers are also being pulled out of the country under threats by cocaleros.  These are GOVERNMENT workers, not missionaries.  But still please pray for the situation.  Also, President Morales is drawing some serious lines in the sand right now. .  . speaking out against America, leading much of the Bolivians in ritualistic Aymara sacrifices, promoting a lot of really vile and destructive things.  Please keep praying for Bolivia--and for President Morales and the cocaleros and animists.

2. Pray for taxi drivers Raul, Pedro, Donald and Julio, as well as for foreigners Jenny, Alicia, Gabi, Geoff  and Katie.

3. Pray for Mary and her cousin Daniel--both with physical/ mental impairments.  I haven't seen them in about two months.

4. Please continue to pray over the plans for a teen girls conference and Bible study and for a boys' conference.  They are planned for Sept-Nov.  Also, please pray for VBS, in English, the end of July.

 5.   No new news on Bella, but please continue to pray for her family and town.  

6. Please keep praying for Beba!  Her family re-enrolled her in school, which was so great!  But then, they changed their minds and pulled her out after only about a month and a half.  Please pray that Beba would not lose hope or lose trust in us.  Pray for her to be able to learn and not to get into trouble.  She is trying to be patient and serve God in a home where she is often abused--emotionally, mentally and physically--and where she was not able to attend school for over a year.  Please pray for this precious child.  Pray that she will be able to come to church--I have seen one of her brothers in church lately, but not her.  A care home offered to take her this week, but it is a home very much in crisis right now, with many of the girls running away/ dating married men/ pregnant/ etc..  I am concerned putting her there would be even more detrimental right now than leaving her where she's at.   

7.  Please continue to pray for the little girls I (Janine) took to social services last year after their dad severely beat his girlfriend, and then abandoned them.  He was gone four months, then returned the very same day I took them to social services! Even though he had left them so destitute they were climbing trees looking for fruit to eat, he was still awarded custody with no fight or discussion at all.  I am extremely concerned for them--he is an alcoholic with little care for the girls, and they are very much at risk.  Please pray for them and thousands more like them.

8.  PLEASE PRAY for continued safety and protection in Tom's very vital and important ministry here--for all the guys on the team, and their passengers. Thanks for your prayers for all of them.

9.   Beth, Janine's teammate who had a bone infection for several years recently had surgery on both sides of her upper jaw to scrape the bone.  Afterwards, there was dramatic improvement, and she is hoping that this will solve the problem she has wrestled with for so long.  She is currently having IV antibiotic administered near her heart every 6 hours, and I'm not sure how many days that will take place, but it is being administered at home.  They are hoping it will soon be every 12 hours instead.  Her husband, who had intestinal surgery just before Beth's surgery, is doing much better, had his stitches removed and is driving again.  This has been a tough time for them, but things are improving--Thanks so much for your prayers.

10.  PLEASE PRAY for our boys.  They have really had a difficult time this term.

11.  Please pray for work teams here over the next few weeks.  One team just arrived, and another is getting ready to leave. . . then there are several more on their way.  Also, please pray for the missionaries leading the teams.  

12.  Pray for strength and wisdom for us as we try to balance personal, family, and ministry goals.  We would like to take a short family trip (in Bolivia) in a couple weeks for our anniversary.  Please pray for wisdom about that, and that if it's God's will that we could do that.

13.  Praise God for a great trip to Chicago for Janine and her teammate Jenny.

14.  We've been in dengue season again. . . a friend's relative died, and one of the missionaries had to be airlifted back to the city after four days of fevers.  Recently, another friend had it as well, although a relatively mild case.  We are so grateful God kept His hand on us when we suffered through dengue last year.  Please pray for continued protection for all of us.

15.  Good news about Philip!  We asked you to pray for him, as he was having stomach and back aches that we couldn't seem to figure out.  We did a lot of testing, but didn't find answers.  We asked a friend of ours, a Christian chiropractor who specializes in children and nutrition issues, to look at him when she was giving free adjustments at our base one day.  She is a North American missionary who works in numerous children's homes.  Anyway, it turns out that Philip's back was out--and in a spot near nerves that led to his stomach.  She gave him an adjustment, and months of pain were stopped.   It's been about two or three weeks now, and he bent down to touch the floor today and said there was no pain at ALL in his back or stomach.  He can finally feel the natural, normal pull in leg muscles that occur when someone bends to touch their toes . . . that was all overshadowed by serious pain in his back when he bent over before.  He used to only be able to reach to about his knees.  She also gave some dietary tips that seem to be helping a lot with other issues he had--like toxins in his intestines (we thought he had parasites, but tests showed he didn't) and low blood sugar.  So, we are SO RELIEVED AND HAPPY that Philip is feeling better!  (And she even adjusted his back for free!)  What a tremendous blessing. 

16.  PLEASE PRAY for your own lives and spiritual protection as you cover us in prayer as a part of this team. 

THANK YOU!

Us

Updated June 27, 2008