A warm hello to all of you who faithfully pray for CBM’s ministry. We are Bill and Janice Dyck. I (Bill) serve in the role of Latin America, Discipleship and Theological Education Specialist, and I (Janice) continue to support a ministry to children in the red-light district of Cochabamba, Bolivia. We are currently based out of Calgary, but our ministry focus continues to be in Latin America. So we would like to give you a bit of an update on Bolivia, Guatemala, and El Salvador as seen through our involvements.
As in Canada, restrictions related to Covid are being lifted and churches and schools are resuming in-person meetings. The Bolivian Baptist Union recently held their annual assembly meetings, in person, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. I (Bill) have been involved in helping the denomination set up discipleship and support groups for pastors. I am happy that they have now included this program in their 5-year plan. This can be a vehicle for spiritual support for pastors and even church growth.
As schools open up, children can go back to school, but many have fallen behind from where they should be, families have been disrupted, and there is the risk of youth with a lot of potential falling through the cracks as they try to transition from high school to university. Keeping track of and helping youth from the Foundation has been a real challenge for Goretty and the other Foundation staff.
Thankfully, travel is opening up. We are planning a trip to Bolivia this coming November. It will be nice to meet and encourage the rising leaders of DPP in Bolivia and the kids and staff at the Foundation. At the end of June, I (Bill) will be taking a ministry trip to Guatemala and El Salvador. Plans are underway for speaking engagements, three training events aimed at starting new DPP groups, theological education consultations with educators, and an evaluation of Marketplace Ministries’ curriculum.
Please pray for Latin America as it recovers from and continues to cope with Covid and all of the challenges that exist around health, food and income, education, and the running of organizations.
Thank you so much for your continued prayer support for Latin America and CBM. As we lift up our prayers to a God who is loving and able to do more than we can ask or imagine, we know that He will work all things for the good of His people.
Prayer Points:
Please pray:
- Pray for protection for students, teachers, churches, denominations, and individuals as they return to in-person meetings, and resume travel, after the lifting of restrictions but in a changing world with ongoing health threats.
- Pray that God will continue to guide Bolivian leadership as they resume in-person leadership meetings and use resources like Discipleship and Pastoring of Pastors (DPP) in their ongoing support for pastors and growth as an organization. Pray that they will reflect Christ faithfully, both inside of the church and in the community.
- Pray for a group of leaders from Central America and Bolivia, who are learning about and reflecting on the importance of integrating faith and daily work, through marketplace ministries training.
- Pray for a group of pastors in Guatemala who are participating in a pastoral support group and for upcoming training events that will multiply such groups and continue to bless leaders who serve their church and community.
- Pray for Goretty, the Emmanuel Foundation, and all who work with vulnerable children and the unstable and unsafe families they come from. Pray especially for the children’s education, which bears fruit for a lifetime. Pray for strength. Pray for wisdom. Pray for protection for the children. Pray that the older children and those leaving the protection of the Foundation’s guidance make good decisions. Pray for similar CBM ministries like La Casa de la Amistad and Jireh in Bolivia, and Mount Sinai Comprehensive Support Program for Children in Guatemala.
