Greetings!
2024 has been a busy year so far with travel around Bolivia and South America. From strategic planning with partners and colleagues, to engaging theological education and parenting a very active toddler, our days have been full.
Team Retreat
We’re a part of CBM’s Latin America team, although being spread out across several countries, we don’t often get to meet in person. In February our regional team was able to gather together, along with some colleagues from the Canadian office. We met in Bogota, Colombia to collaborate, plan, and encourage. Our time together involved detailed overviews of life, challenges, and opportunities in Bolivia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, with attention to the diverse ministry and programing approaches of our various partners. We were blessed to be able to contemplate how God is moving and mobilizing churches across Latin America, and to consider how we might engage in supportive collaboration with our CBM colleagues.
Thesis Support
In Canada, an undergrad degree is usually four years. In most of Latin America, however, a degree is five years with the final year being dedicated to an original thesis project. We often have the opportunity to participate in this process either as a thesis supervisor or by serving on a defense panel.
The role of a supervisor involves accompanying a student throughout their thesis year, helping them to structure, plan, research, and revise early drafts. All of this is with the goal of creating a work ready to be presented to a defence committee. Members of the defence panel would then review the proposed document, providing further feedback. When deemed ready, the panel receives a presentation from the student followed by a time for questions.
Tim recently participated on a panel culminating in a defence in March, while Kallie just accepted an invitation to serve as the supervisor for a student whose thesis focuses on the understanding of mission in Bolivian churches across three denominations.
Preaching and Teaching
We often have the opportunity to speak at interesting events and these past months were no exception.
One of our favourite groups to work with are Jovenes (college and career age youth). Every January a national camp is organized and this year it was held in Tarija, in the far south of the country, with attendance of about 250 young adults. We tagged along to run workshops. The mornings and evenings were filled with games and dynamic activities, while the afternoons were dedicated to digging deeper into the word of God. We were invited to provide workshops focused on Matthew 6:19- 21, and what it means to live in the Kingdom of God here and now.
It’s exciting to see these young adults ask hard questions about their faith and encourage one another to continue growing in community. March brought us back to Tarija, this time for the national Baptist convention. Here too, Kallie had the privilege to serve as one of the keynote speakers and offer encouragement to this national gathering of leaders.
Prayer Requests
- Praise God that Malena’s citizenship process is moving forward and pray that we are able to obtain a passport.
- Pray for CBM’s Latin American team as we work together to strengthen and encourage our partners.
- Pray for our Bolivian partners who in March elected new leadership during their national assembly.
- Pray for our upcoming SENT teams from Ontario and Saskatchewan who will be engaging diverse ministries and connecting with partners eager to receive them.
Blessings,
Tim & Kallie
