March 2008 Letter

Dear Friends,


You may have noticed in the news (although Bolivia doesn’t seem to make it into the international news much, even when it should) that we have been buffeted first by drought and now by rain and flooding. Estimates say that over 50,000 people are displaced in Eastern Bolivia and have lost everything. The Ayoré did not stand to lose much, materially speaking, although one village was temporarily evacuated. Even they, however, have lost crops and we have, in a sense, lost the time and money invested in the micro projects with them. This was particularly discouraging because the crops were moved to a new area considered safe from the flooding because it escaped last year’s flood. This is one more indication that perhaps we should be looking more toward a conservation project which rolls with nature’s punches rather than a major agricultural project which attempts to control nature. Our other area of focus, the Beni, is totally flooded, and we are wondering how this will affect our ministry there during this year.


The hardest thing for us over the past few months has not actually been physical, but what we perceive as an increase in spiritual warfare. We have become more aware of the cruelty and reality of Evil. We have seen many more people turning to witchdoctors. Entire families have left villages because of fear of being “hexed” or because they have been accused of doing the “hexing”. There have been violent fights over this. It affects the church, but it also affects the medical work.

One woman we had hospitalized with an extremely infected leg was suddenly removed from the hospital without our knowledge and without the hospital’s approval. We later found she had been taken to one of the urban squatters’ camps and was being visited daily by a witchdoctor from a different tribal group. Her leg had improved during her time in the hospital and she had received a shot of long acting penicillin upon leaving. This had, apparently, continued to help her, but the family attributed the improvement to the witchcraft. They claimed that she had been cursed and that had been her problem all along. The saddest thing is that this woman is the wife of one of the oldest believers, who came to Christ back before our time. The daughters also profess to be Christians.

We are not the only missionaries fighting this kind of thing. Last week, we were asked by other missionaries to intervene in a medical crisis they were facing. A young girl from an extremely closed, rural religious group had knocked over a kerosene lantern in a bathroom full of gallons of gasoline. It all blew up and she has what used to be called 2nd and 3rd degree burns (now called AB and B) over 95% of her body. She is only 10 years old. Her name is Maria. She was initially taken to the children’s hospital, where conditions are less than ideal, but where at least she was receiving treatment for pain and infection. Our team was called to see what could be done. We found that little could be done besides buying medication and helping with expenses. The other missionaries were very will to do this. Last week, under orders of the religious leaders and late at night to avoid resistance, her family removed her from the hospital and took her away to die. The religious leaders had decided that she just needs to die. The missionaries that work with these people managed to track her down and asked Placido to go and at least administer pain medication. When he returned he said he felt sick. He could hear the little girl crying in pain inside the house but the family absolutely refused to let him help. They said the leaders had told them that if they allowed her to receive medicine, she would not go to heaven when she died.

How can people be so cruel and stubborn and how can we go on working with them? I don’t really know. But I have clung to the words of an old hymn during these past few months:

This is my Father’s world,
Oh! Let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King
Let the heavens ring
God reigns, let the earth be glad.

Although it’s hard to believe sometimes, God is reigning. He is Sovereign. He is good. One of the other verses of the same hymn says, “Jesus who died will be satisfied.” Oh! I hope so. I believe so. Please pray for us. Pray for wisdom as we seek change in people’s heart of hearts. Pray for Maria. Pray for the village people who live in fear. Pray for Rodani, who is 8, has leukemia and who has a chance of living. Pray for the medical and evangelistic trips in March to the Beni (Lord and water levels permitting). Pray for Benial, the Ayoré missionary, who is once again in the hospital with lung and heart issues. Pray for his wife who told me she doesn’t know if she can go on being faithful to God if Benial is taken. Pray for faithful Dr. Sandra who just left for the States for two to five years of further specialization and intends to return to ministry. Pray for our team – that we might be faithful daily, keep doing the next right thing and cling to God’s sovereignty while not losing sight of our individual responsibility.