Over a year ago, we started going out for Sunday afternoon drives… exploring the small communities across the river where my great grandfather settled after the Chaco war…  In just over half an hour, we’d be far from the pressures, humidity and the rat race of the city... (and the cell phone) ...enjoying God’s creation - the palm trees flowing in the breeze (okay... wind)... the birds singing... the multiple shades of greens... The dogs were free to chase around wildly after bugs...  we’d come back feeling refreshed... like we had gone on a mini vacation... but without having spent any money except on gas...  (Anyone want to come and visit?)

I think in any job, ministry or even family situation... the pressures of dealing with people, expectations, over-crowded scheduling or instant messaging/communication can overpower our life... extinguishing (or at least dampening) the joys of  quiet... solitude... peace...

I think missionaries (the ones I know anyhow...) have a harder time taking time away... or spending any money on something that isn’t ministry oriented... because we can feel guilty... “we were sent here to serve” ... “other people are sacrificing their money so we can be involved in ministry... not pleasure...”  There are always needs around us... always something that needs to be done... always some demands on our time or lives...

But is over extending ourselves, working ourselves frenetically (is that a word in English?) towards a nervous breakdown in some crazy way more “spiritual”?  Is that what is expected from us?  It can’t be... I think it was my grandpa who used to say,  “You can’t serve the Lord dead!”

Well... out of our relaxing Sunday afternoon drives grew a dream... “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little place where we could go...”   We started looking at land for sale... but it was more expensive than what our savings could handle...

Something that you need to know about Marco... he sometimes looks a bit serious... and he thinks strongly about certain things... like if you call yourself a Christian you need to live/show it – not just talk about it or preach it... but on the other hand, he is friendly to anyone... chatting and laughing with the guy at the hardware store... honking the horn and saying hi to the neighbourhood drunk... or just anyone he meets in his daily life... He is terrible at remembering names but he knows everyone... 

In chatting with some little man in one of these communities he found out that an older couple wanted to sell their property in the country... their kids had grown up, gone their ways and never ventured out to enjoy the property... so they just wanted to get rid of it... They were trying to get a hold of someone else who had been interested in buying in the past...  Well... Marco jumped at the amazing deal (it was about a third of the price other properties with fruit trees were going for) and we bought the 3 hectares of land... 20 kilometers from the city...

On a terribly hot and stuffy day... under our huge mango trees is cool and refreshing... We have a wide variety of other fruit trees as well... Being the highest property in the area gives it a great view almost any way you look... We are so thankful for our gift from God... there isn’t a better place in the area... and yet we were able to find it... and afford it...  It was definitely neglected and overgrown... but that can be (and has been) solved! 

It has been cleared, we have a thatched roof to meet under, bathrooms, water and lights for more commodity, a few animals to make it more interesting and a natural “ravine” adapted into a pond... It already has fulfilled our wish to bring so much joy and refreshment to many families and individuals... Marco’s boys have gone out quite a few times... once even for a weekend... El Jordan volunteers, missionaries and friends – have enjoyed the beauty and refreshment of “The Pilgrim’s Refuge”...  (the name we thought encapsulated our desire/dream)...

Marco wanted to do something special for the children of the community (VERY catholic and closed to the gospel... the Catholic church in Bolivia is very tied to Mary worship and animistic beliefs and practices) ... so we decided to take advantage of “Wisemen day” – the 6th of January – the day they think the wisemen showed up with their gifts for baby Jesus...

The day before, Marco went around to handful of houses inviting the kids under 12 years old to come to the “Pilgrim’s Refuge”... because there were going to be clowns... hot chocolate and surprises... On Wednesday we went out early with some friends... to have lunch... and get ready...  We thought maybe 20 or 30 kids might come... we heard later that the Catholic church had invited the kids at 1 p.m. the same day... We prepared for 50... or 60 just in case...

I got brave and made a huge batch of cuñapés (you’ll have to try them one day... they are really good...) in our mud oven... Fortunately I had help...because it seemed like we were making little balls of dough forever... We joked about going out and selling the extra ones...

Well... at 2:15 (the invitation was for 3) there were already about 20 kids outside our gate... so our clowns rushed off to get ready... By three there were probably 80 people there... and in the end we had at least 120!!!!  No cuñupés to sell... instead of two each we had to serve 1 each... and cut the cake in smaller portions... use the powdered milk that I brought “just in case” to add to our other milk... (We found out later that some people came from neighbouring communities!!!  A few kids had started out walking from 6 kilometers away... until a truck picked them up and brought them closer!!!)

The clowns did a great job... and the kids (that ranged from 0 to 75) had fun laughing, playing... and then they heard the gospel as well...  they had their refreshments... and then their gifts (made up with the extras from Christmas on the Streets... plus a pencil, notebook and toothbrush...)...  Fortunately we brought extras... and had a bag of knitted dolls for the youngest ones... and we made things stretch so everyone went home happy... and not a crumb left over!!!

You could hear the kids opening their gift bags... and excited comments...  “Look!!!  I got a pencil!!!”

We had a great day... and its fun to see the property being used.... and most importantly, be a light to the community...  Maybe we will make it an annual event...

I’m attaching some pictures of our day... Can you guess who our clowns are?  There is Renato (our first administrator from El Jordán), Marco, Laura (volunteer from El Jordan) and another friend...

Anyhow... we just wanted to share that day with you...

Thanks so much for listening!!!  ...and have a wonderful day... as you share the gifts God has given you... with others...  Its great fun!!!

Lots of love,

Corina for Marco and Keiden