April finds Bolivia in a “national health emergency” with a forced “lock down” in an attempt to slow the wave of coronavirus that could very quickly overwhelm our health system. Although “quarantine” in Bolivia sounds equivalent to lots of extra time, somehow with Keiden and Marlee keeping up with the schoolwork their teachers send, just regular life (cooking and cleaning) and trying to coordinate/communicate with our El Jordan family, time flies by…
We are healthy (Marlee had dengue for a week but is better now) and able to buy what we need… This crisis is not isolated to our corner of the world, and our hearts are heavy for so many fighting this battle, remembering that each patient, doctor, nurse, victim… has a NAME, a FAMILY, and is not just a number that pops up on a screen.
Please pray with us as we search for ways that God would have us respond and reach out to our people in the midst of this crisis.
Life has been so IRREGULAR for most of the last year… which has found me “log rolling” to keep up and keep adjusting… In the next weeks I will work on catching you up on the highs and lows of that time… Thank you for your faithfulness in praying and being a part of the ministry here in Bolivia in spite of my negligence in proper communication. I would like to encourage you to join our WhatsApp “El Jordan News Group” by downloading WhatsApp for free on a smart phone… and sending me your phone number so I can add you. This way you can receive snippets of news and up to date prayer requests and answers!
I am going to send you a letter that I started, but never finished to start getting you caught up…
October 26, 2019
I spent part of June and July in Canada with Keiden and Marlee, travelling and visiting family, friends and churches! Thank you for each one of you who helped make that possible!!! …who welcomed us so kindly and who gave us the opportunity to share about what God is doing in Bolivia… Lots of good memories!!
A little extra tidbit: I travelled for two weeks to New Jersey and Virginia in October to visit supporting churches and dear friends… It was such a special opportunity to share my heart and reconnect with many… (Praying for that area that has been so hard hit by COVID-19…)
(Back to my October letter.) We got back to Bolivia just in time for FRIENDSHIP ON THE STREETS (July). Over the course of a week, we prepare one special meal a day to be able to spend a more personal time with as many different groups of street people as possible…
A few highlights from the week: As I walked with Keiden and Marlee through the market, they remembered our experience a year before, “Oh, and over THERE we met that blind lady, Flora!” (I didn’t even remember her name!) “Oh, and mom! I remember we went to that place where there was a red wall…. And we talked to that boy who had been on the streets since he was 6 years old!!!” “Oh!!! And what was the name of that old man we met over there?” “And THIS is where that man whose brother died sat and ate his food and read his (Bible) book!!”
It warms my heart to see my children understanding that street kids are PEOPLE…. with names…. Each one with their story…. Each one special to God…. This year Keiden and Marlee met up with some people they already knew, like Gary… and got to know others like Julio Cesar – 19 years old… who met the Lord in a rehab center, but gave in to temptations and was on the streets again…
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If success equals numbers, Wednesday morning of FRIENDSHIP on the STREETS was a failure… My group took breakfast to a park where the last few years there have been 15 or 20 street people…
This year, the park was abandoned… except for one very drunk man, sleeping on a park bench… He woke up for breakfast… but conversation was impossible… Then we saw an older man walking towards the park… obviously a street person… limping… all alone… holding onto a jacket (blanket, pillow, whatever it might have been for him!) We invited him to come for breakfast…
We found out his name was Carlos… Surprisingly, he was completely sober… and was waiting for an opportunity to leave the streets!!!
El Jordán’s student, Laura (more than 20 years on the streets), shared her testimony and told Carlos that if he REALLY wanted to leave the streets, she´d come back with someone from a rehab center to pick him up…
Late that night, Laura went back… Carlos was still waiting… He has had quite a few problems with sores on his feet… most centers aren’t set up to provide or pay for medical care… Laura, a single mom who struggles to keep her family afloat, has been checking in on him, making sure he doesn’t lack shampoo, soap or toothpaste… encouraging him along the way…
Carlos is still off the streets and doing well… In spite of discouragements, ups and downs, he is determined to keep walking the Narrow Road he chose to follow… Please take a moment to pray for Carlos!
Thank you, God, for REJOICING over the ONE lost soul who repents…
UPDATE ON CARLOS: He is doing well!!!! He is still in a rehabilitation center where he is growing in his faith and love of the Lord, praying for El Jordan and learning how to live a life free from the addictions which had chained him for so many years. His greatest desire is to be able to get glasses so he can read the Bible for himself. He lives outside of the city, so we are still trying to coordinate how we can help make this possible…. Please continue praying for CARLOS, especially as he prepares to take that necessary steps of reconnecting with family and figuring out how to be able to survive in society.
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(Back to my October letter.) We have TARGETED three GROUPS of prostitutes as our guests for three CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION EVENTS (replacing CHRISTMAS ON THE STREETS) where we will be focusing our efforts and resources on women who are potential “new students” for El Jordan…
So, FRIENDSHIP ON THE STREETS was a “prelude” to these Christmas events… However, in one of these areas, we’ve always struggled with being overwhelmed by a swarm of shoe shiners, drug addicts, street ladies AND crowds of street making it almost impossible for any relationship building…
This year, MARIA, one of street ladies I have known for over 20 years, arranged with one of the local “motels” that we could use their garage area and very quietly (so no one else would know!!!) invite only the “ladies” for a special lunch….
It was everything we had asked God for, and more… We had the opportunity to focus just on these ladies…. To get to know them and their stories a bit more… to BUILD BRIDGES… and drop hints that we want to take them to El Jordan at Christmas time - for something JUST FOR THEM….
Thank the LORD for going ahead of us…. For confirming in our hearts these changes we are making to CHRISTMAS ON THE STREETS… and pray that God´s Holy Spirit will be softening their hearts, preparing them to hear Truth… prodding them to come back as our “students” this coming year…
…and that is as far as I got… sigh… Please remember to send me your phone number if you have WhatsApp and want to join the El Jordan News group!!!
Today we received an amazing answer to prayer… El Jordan was given 2 passes to be able to drive during quarantine (the pass is only good until April 14th!)… which will give us the possibility of buying food supplies in bulk and getting them to our families who normally live day to day…. Many are in desperate situations… Many can testify of God´s faithful hand providing their “daily bread”… We are living in amazing, incredible, desperate times…
May our situation today send us to HIS FEET… to learn and love Him more… “so that [we] may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then [we] will shine among them like stars in the sky… Philippians 2:15
Because HE is faithful, Corina (for Marco, Keiden and Marlee)
Marco & Corina Clements Soria
WhatsApp: 591-776-90452
El Jordan: www.KidsInBolivia.org