Bolivians want us to be one in Christ
At a farewell dinner in Cochabama on Tuesday evening, Emigdio Veizaga, administrator of the Canadian Baptist Missions program that brought Laurier Heights to Bolivia thanked the Laurier team for having open hands, hearts and minds, and for being open to God leading us in our future together. (In the background is Tomas Gabriel Huiza, director of Jireh). A story about the farewell will be added to the blog in the future. This entry may mark the end of the entries written in Bolivia. Appreciation was shown by Laurier in the form of small gifts, including a drawing our church, an Alberta flag and other items. By the way, the Laurier team assures all viewers that the bottles in the photo are not beer.
Jireh is one of our focal points
Laurier visits Jireh program
The Jireh program for street children in Cochabamba is one of the two projects for children Laurier Heights Baptist Church is focussed on. A group of kids were happy to have their photograph taken with Jireh director, Tomas Gabriel Huiza, today (Tuesday).
Putting a sparkle on her shoes
Norma Whittle´s shoes received a makeover, thanks to Marcos, one of the street kids served by Jireh. Looking on is Juan Carlos.
Sharing love
Delia, one of the children Laurier met at Jireh, hugs an unnamed little girl.
Free Hands supports women and children in
San Sebastian prison
The Laurier team had their picture taken with women of the Free Hands Cooperative.
The Christian organization provides income for inmates and inmates recently released from jail. The income earned by the mothers supports many of the same children who attend the Casa De La Amistad.
Free Hands provides a complimentary service
Free Hands Cooperative is a complementary program to Casa De La Amistad, one of the two projects in Cochabamba which will be the focus of Laurier Heights Baptist Church´s partnership with the Bolivian Baptist Union.
Free Hands was started by Suzanne Windsor, a Welsh woman who came to Cochabamba with the intention of starting a program for children eight years ago. Instead, she took on a mission with women prisoners, realizing that any help she gave them would help children.
Laurier learned about the program from Alison Currie when it attended a service at First Baptist Church (Calama) in Cochabamba. Alison´s laugh and outgoing personality encouraged Laurier to visit the cooperative and purchase articles, knowing that by supporting Free Hands, the purchases were also supporting the children at Casa. Some of the handcrafted goods will available to Laurier members at future fund raisers.
Currie has been at Free Hands for about a year. She was born in Glascow, but calls London her permanent residence.
Free Hands has about 25 members. A story run earlier on the blog about San Sebastian prison for women mentioned there was a room with sewing machines. Currie says there are actually 15 machines. Not only are the machines used by members of the cooperative, other inmates use them when they take sewing lessons. The two hour lessons also include a five minute Bible dynamic, which Currie says is presented in simple terms.
The members of the cooperative may supply their own materials and have their products purchased by the cooperative, or more commonly, Free Hands supplies the material and pays the women for their work.
Currie says the intention of the missionaries is to train the women to take over the cooperative. The women need to acquire business skills, including the use of computers and learn a minimum of English.
Anyone wishing more details may check the internet at: http://www.freehandsbolivia.org/.
Products from PrisonSue Hunter and Norma Whittle pose outside the entrance to the Free Hands Cooperative in the photo at left. It will soon move a block away.
In the bottom left photo, Daniel Johns shares a joke with Alison Currie, volunteer and short term missionary to Free Hands, as well as a friend to CBM.
It is up to Steve Simala Grant to perform the most important task, spend money (bottom right).
2 comments:
Every morning for me has begun with spending time with this blog and thoughts and prayer for you and the people you are encountering. It does not seem possible that your time in Bolivia is drawing to a close. Praise God that it is not the end of our Mission, but a much more informed beginning.
We so look forward to your return and a series of stories yet untold.
Thanks is not enough.
Safe days, God's blessing,
Love
Cathy S.
Hello to all, this is my first attempt at responding to a blog, so I am hoping that this message will reach you. What an inspiration to see lives already being touched and God's work being done!
We are very much looking forward to your return and the many stories you will have to share with us. God bless you all!
Brenda Holmes
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