New (Year)s Letter

Happy New (-sletter) Year!  Well here it is; I am learning how to be a blogger! I'd heard of it before, but recently I learned that it is not actually cutting down trees in a bog, but making a sort of news letter thing that will allow other people to know what is going on in one's life. So here it comes from the middle of the Amazon basin rain forest in Bolivia, where I have been hiding from technology for the past 2 years plus. I realize the time has come to climb out of the jungle once in awhile and catch up on what is going on with the rest of humanity, and let you all know what is going on in my little world of rice and beans and bugs and teens, and jungle of green etc. This is also a good excuse to practice writing in English again, as my orthography has become full fledged Spanglish. This is my Technology learning get up... please bear with me! Well another year has escaped on us, one for me that was so chalk full of activity and learning that it flew by before I was ready for it to end. Volunteering as the Director of Education (like a principle) at an Adventist Technical Industrial Boarding school with 60 plus students will do that to you. Secondary boarding students and external primary students, all take 100% of your time and energy, and creep, wiggle and catapult into the closest place to your heart. The past 2 years have brought many challenges, some tears, lots of laughs , much learning and stretching on my part, but most important and beautiful of all, God has proven to me that he is alive and working in the lives of those who are willing to step out in faith and learn to trust Him with all. That includes career, health, family, finances, personal goals, dreams and desires, and even with the weekly menu. Yes that is a hard one.  Rice and beans are good for a person, but all things in moderation seriously :) We had a wonderful rice harvest that provided for all our rice needs for the entire year of feeding about 50-80 persons on a daily basis, plus the rice to replant for next years expected harvest of close to 2 hectares of rice. That in itself is a huge blessing!  . This coming school year we are looking at having close to 70 students already, with many more student applications than we have space or staff for. We already have 20 boys accepted with a large waiting list, and a boys dorm that is one open room with bunk beds lined up like sardines in a can. The applications are still coming in so we are in the process of praying for wisdom as to whom to accept.  We appreciate your prayers for this job as well, as it is really hard to decide who to accept and who to send home based on who appears to be most sincere in their desire to be a part of the learning of our school.  School will start in the middle of February ready or not... here it comes!   Not too sure how I feel about it...  I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of a small Mission retreat in Belize at a Missionary training school called M.O.V.E during the first few weeks of December. I was refreshed by the company and exchange of experiences of old friends and fellow missionaries, reminded of the huge support system we have in the work we have been given to do, and re-inspired by the training sessions that were presented by the directors of the project. It was the first time ever for me being away from Home for Christmas,(boo hoo). Somehow it just isn't a real Christmas without being home with my family and loved ones in the great white Canadian North! I have taken a rain check for a home Christmas for this next year:) Looking on the bright side, there are much worse things I could have been doing than visiting the "most beautiful country in the world" according to it's inhabitants, visiting the Caribbean sea, and meeting new and lovely people. They were all sooo good to me!  I am now back in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Hanging out with my Big Sister and brother-out-law, and my favorite nephew Timothy who is in the free air and my favorite 2nd nephew who is still swimming in the underworld till May or so:) I am SOOOOOO excited for a visit from My mommy when it is time for bumpkin no. 2 to arrive as well!  While I am here I am also helping 3 of our Boys from the school who have graduated to get their passports and visas to go to 2 different missionary training schools, one named VIDA International in Honduras, and the other the same MOVE in Belize. These young men have decided that they want to dedicate their lives to service of God and their fellow men, and I am really excited to be able to help them reach that goal in supporting them in their christian journey. Please help us pray for God's will to be done in their young lives, and for the the doors to be opened for them to receive what is necessary for them be able to make it to these Further training schools in good time and with experiences that will build their faith in the God that they have desire to serve. By name and face they are...  Kevin--graduated 2014 and volunteered 1 year at the school last year, a real trooper! wants to be a Doctor after he receives the health evangelism missionary training in VIDA. Brayan,( middle right)graduated 2015, one of my students that never let me forget I am alive and well, dreams of being a Nurse or Doctor and Mission Pilot after he studies health evangelism at VIDA International.  And Gonzalo,( boy on the middle left) also graduated this year, a real practical young man, good with people and with his hands, wants to be a missionary mechanic. MOVE's program has a practical mechanics course along with their evangelism training, which will help our boy to gain a good experience in the mechanic mission field. Please keep us in your prayers as you remember, for there is a big work to be done and a great controversy going on for the souls of these young people. Thank you all for always taking interest in our adventures and lives and for caring for us even when we are so far from home and when we seem to be lost in the Jungle. God Bless you all richly in this coming year, and may I see at least one of you in the jungle during this year.... you'd all love it eventually! I am planning to keep this Blog thing updated, so please keep your eyes peeled and fingers crossed and send me your e-mail address if you would like to follow it!  Blessings!  Sara:) Prayer requests:  Boys Dorm to be finished Plane tickets, Tuition fees, and quick, smooth paperwork process for our 3 graduate boy's furthering education, Staff for the new year including, but not limited to:  agriculture crew, a sewing teacher, a cook, girls dean, Teachers for Primary and Secondary all classes, Practical missionary minded people of all ages, sizes, and colors, (preferably with some men about the age of all us single missionary girls who don't have any good options out here in the deep jungle (with teeth is all we ask!)... lol joking... but seriously we are mostly girls out here) An accountant, Assistant director of education/ secretary.   Blessings: In the past year God has provided us with a pickup truck, a Beautiful tractor with a disk and mower, and a makeover job on the Old truck that was a sorry sight and that had  natural "air conditioning" from the floor boards of the cab that made me afraid of loosing a kid down the "vent".  We are also very thankful to the wonderful people who supported our school during the year with donations for food, for Gardening advancement, and for school materials.  A special thanks to all who participated in the fundraising event hosted by our favorite Mommy, and for the best tasting, organic, best selling Garlic in the North, straight from Mom's garden which she has dedicated the proceeds of the sales to helping out foreign missions, and from which we were able to enjoy a greater variety of food during this last year! You are all a huge blessing to us!    The "Richard Gates Industrial School", ("Unidad Educativo Tecnico Industrial de Richard Gates")  located near Guayaramerin, Bolivia, is a non- profit organization operated by all volunteer services along with donations.  If you are interested in volunteering at this project, please contact myself at farmgirlzsidekick@yahoo.ca, or go to this website: http://gospelministry.org/volunteer/. If you are interested in supporting this project financially, 100% of donations go directly to the project. You may make a tax deductible (US only) donation via: 1. PayPal (timt@gospelministry.org) 2.  Cheque: P.O. Box 506. Collegedale, TN 37315 For either method, please specify that funds be directed to the "Richard Gates Industrial School" project.  We are very thankful for your caring and  support in prayers!