COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA
Dear ones at who are keeping us here, Our time in Cochabamba is drawing to a close, and celebrating Resurrection Day Bolivian style today was very nice. I'm not sure how I will be able to adjust to the need for new clothes for Easter and a big dinner, and then Christmas decorations and gifts when those days come again. It sure is different here. We got up at 5:00 and walked to the Stadium, about 8 blocks away, for a sunrise service which was organized by the United Evangelical Churches. There was a band from the Salvation Army and another one that played together; there were three Christian High Schools well-represented, about 10 pastors on the podium, loud speakers that were far beyond adequate, and lots of "hermanos" greeting one another with a brotherly kiss. They truly praised the Lord together, in a rather "peppy" style, and there was no lack of response when the pastors would call out, "Who has risen?" "Who is Lord?" "Who is your redeemer?" It was rather chilly to start with until the sun began to reach us and the Quechuas were really wrapped up well, and we had heavy jackets and sweaters on. We had another invitation to attend a breakfast and morning service with our friend Tomás from the Bible Society, so unfortunately we had to leave the Stadium early. We just had time to spruce up a bit and get down to the lobby of the hostal when Tomás' father, the pastor of their church, was there to pick us up. They live in a new section of Cochabamba that doesn't have street names or public transportation, so they always have to pick us up in a taxi and call one to take us home when we visit them. Their neighborhood isn't even on the map! Good Friday is a national holiday here and about 12 men and women had spent both Friday and Saturday painting their church and getting electrical equipment in order, setting up for breakfast, and getting food ready. The church had had a complete face lift since we had been there 8 days earlier. And breakfast was very nice... not what any of you had for breakfast... And the service was based around Luke's account of the passion and resurrection, with lovely special music and different participants reading parts. Really good! We had heard them practicing on Wednesday evening at Tomás house, and when they invited us to join them, the decision was made! Among the evangelicals in Bolivia, Easter is definitely not an Easter egg-Easter basket day. On Good Friday, which as I said is a national holiday, the Director of Translations at the Bolivian Bible Society and his wife took us out for a day in the country. They picked us up at 7:30 in a 4 wheel drive Nissan, and we should have had an idea why... Miguel and his wife Isabet first took us to a place in the hills (Cochabamba is at about 8,000 feet to start with) where they were to leave Isabet's father for a 3 day retreat gathering of the Quechua believers. They were preparing 8 sheep for cooking and lots of potatoes when we arrived, and they served us manzanilla tea and wonderful right out of the oven whole wheat rolls. And such graciousness! We were so warmly welcomed. Miguel says that the Quechua believers really experience sharing all they have with other believers. Then we headed further on up in the altitude to where we were to have lunch, but had to come back and take another route because the road was too bad. Rivers don't have bridges, you just drive on through them. For some reason, the Bible Society car that Miguel was driving has a winch on the front! We were a little late in arriving but the folks we went to visit didn't seem to mind. We were served 12 plates of different foods, representative of the 12 Apostles, and everything was very good. Needless to say, lunch was very filling, and very good. After we had eaten, they took us for a walk through their wheat and potato fields and dug up some potatoes for Miguel and his wife to take home. Happily for me, everyone was very willing to let me take pictures, and I can send them a copy soon. Most of the Quechuas do not want to be photographed, but these folks we met yesterday were pleased to have me want their pictures. Miguel speaks 5 Quechua dialects and says he can talk with all the Quechuas. He has been a pastor and thus conference speaker for many years, and as the Director of Translation at the Bible Soc., he has many responsibilities among the Quechua community. A deeply committed man with a deeply committed family. They have a little store in their house to "make it" financially, and that is just life here. I took lots of pictures on Good Friday and the views were just spectacular. It was so nice to be able to stop whenever we wanted, and to have a "tour director" who really only wanted us to have a good time among his people. What an honor it was for us, and one we will never forget. We got back to his house at dark, had a supper of rice with milk, a roll and a cup of tea and then he took us home--back to our hostal. The end of a perfect day. After telling you all of that about the weekend, let me tell you about our New Testament, for that really is why we are here! We have finished the proofreading and the editor is looking it over now. He said it would take him four days in total and worked on it one day last week. When he is satisfied, we can be on our way. We are anticipating leaving next Monday, so we can go to Miguel's Quechua church with him on Sunday. We plan to go by bus to Lima, a long trip. We will be able to cross Lake Titicaca and then take a train to the lovely colonial city of Arequipa, and maybe spend a day there. I think there is a night bus to Lima. Then a couple days in Lima, including the weekend so we can go to the Church we always attend and see the Mission to the World folks there, and then off to the jungle again. The New Testament will be printed in Bolivia and sent on by road to Lima and then to the jungle, and we expect that we should have them by mid July or so. Being printed in Bolivia should cost us less, especially in that the Customs that are paid in shipments coming to Lima by boat or plane (from Korea) are 33% of their value and what is paid going by truck from here to Lima is 4%. And truck transportation is less than what it would be from Korea. It looks like we have just about enough to pay the total cost of printing, transportation and getting them out to the Kashinawas and some stored in Pucallpa. We rejoice greatly in this. After maybe two weeks in Pucallpa, we will be on our way to Nueva Luz and ready to begin the adaptation of the New Testament for the Brazilian Kashinawas. Please pray with us that we will have good workers coming from Brazil to help us. They need to be good readers and able to evaluate the need for any dialectical adaptations. Turning our own minds around to read the changed alphabet will be a challenge, for the alphabet is quite different. Contacts have been made with the Brazilian Bible Society regarding them publishing of the Brazilian edition of the NT. Please keep this in your prayers, also. As soon as this our work on this Brazilian edition is completed, it will also have to have manuscript work done. This will probably mean a trip to Brazil for us. After that we will begin full-speed ahead on doing as much translation of the Old Testament as we can before our anticipated departure from Peru in Dec. of 2006. Our vacation was Good Friday! We deeply appreciate your loving concern for us, your prayers and your financial support. Please continue to uphold us as we challenge Satan's realm every day. And pray for us and those who work with us as co-translators, that the Lord will encompass them and their families and us with His protecting angels. Most of you who receive our e-mails are in our at least weekly prayers. We try to be as faithful to you as we can and are happy to be a part of your lives and ministry, too. With our love in Christ, Sue for Dick and Sue Montag
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- April 14, 2004 |