tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11186247869864245272024-03-05T11:28:23.433-05:00The Warden FamilyServing in Sucre, BoliviaThe Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-61478592214575858372012-09-05T18:59:00.000-04:002012-09-05T18:59:46.440-04:00New Job!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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After several months of transition a routine is starting to
emerge!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On August 1, John started
his new position with Food for the Hungry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John’s new position is Program Director for the Luke 2:52
project and Director of US Church Engagement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(That is the name we are using now, although the title is
subject to change as the position becomes more clarified.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John will begin his job focusing on
organizing and launching the expansion of the Luke 2:52 program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The Bible verse, Luke 2:52 talks about the wholistic growth
of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These four areas
(mental, physical, spiritual and social) provide the framework for all
development strategies used in the FH fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Luke 2:52 program is a project that seeks to
encourage and strengthen local indigenous churches through wholistic ministry
principles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By taking churches
through a 10-module training, over the course of 5 years the program seeks to
reveal God’s intentions for the local church and its role in overcoming all
forms of poverty within its people and the community for which it is
located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The Luke 2:52 program has existed and been running for over
10 years in several Southeast Asian countries and has produced incredible
results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By empowering local
churches through ideas and principles rather than finances and material
resources the program is changing the way local Christians think, which is in
turn changing the communities they live in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the past ten years 1,000 churches have been trained
through this program and several hundred have declared their local communities
as having been lifted from severe poverty through this project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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John’s connection to this program is as follows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the past 3 years in Bolivia John
has been working to implement this program among local churches around
Sucre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through training up 3
Bolivian pastors as project leaders, the project has slowly “taken off’ in
Sucre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though only a few of our
churches in Sucre have officially graduated the program, much positive fruit
has been observed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we have
witnessed the churches walking in obedience to God we have seen God be faithful
in providing for them in numerous ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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Around 6 months ago, John started the process of handing
over this project to several key pastors and leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This transition has happened in order for John to take his
current position, which is overseeing the expansion of this
church-strengthening project globally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As this project looks to expand into other countries and regions John
will be in charge of organizing and launching these programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John will spend a great deal of time
developing new training curriculum and organizing manuals for teachers and
students alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Along with the Luke 2:52 project John will also be working
with a variety of churches and organizations here in the US to train and implement
Missions education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John will
teach and train in various lessons dealing with poverty, worldview, and the
role of the local church. </div>
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We are very excited about this new role and look forward to
sharing more as his position grows! </div>
<!--EndFragment-->The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-15768526013867790712012-09-05T18:57:00.001-04:002012-09-05T18:57:26.946-04:00DebriefingIn mid July three of us (John, Jennie and Ella) took off for Colorado Springs to attend missionary debriefing and renewal (DAR) with an organization called MTI (Missionary Training International). We spent a week at a retreat center call <i>The Hideaway </i>with 16 other families that were also moving back to the US from various countries all over the world. The main topics we touched on were stress, transition, and soul care. Most importantly it was a time to share with each other the good, the bad and the ugly, and to discover that what we are feeling is completely normal! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPpk4iC_Ey7A6TyNRYJeCfnb5jY2VuVgHOdEvq0BMEG5mpZAoko_w3Uf0MPRjK0NdW1qzRnoXgLNnknzClsXvpFuIN7uBCroQCHB9fICRlCFshXTXq-7UYo2_eI4O1crjSEB4gNy8Hnc/s1600/DAR+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPpk4iC_Ey7A6TyNRYJeCfnb5jY2VuVgHOdEvq0BMEG5mpZAoko_w3Uf0MPRjK0NdW1qzRnoXgLNnknzClsXvpFuIN7uBCroQCHB9fICRlCFshXTXq-7UYo2_eI4O1crjSEB4gNy8Hnc/s320/DAR+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Hideaway</span></td></tr>
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Ella had her own "class" of 5-6 year olds. Everyday she also talked and played with kids that were in the same position as she was. Her amazing teacher, Sandy, helped these kids to learn how to figure out how they were feeling and helped them to put words to those feelings. We as parents learned invaluable strategies to work with Ella in helping her grieve in a positive way and adjust to a new culture. We learned a lot about how this transition is different for her than it is for us. We left Bolivia and came back to something familiar. For Ella, Bolivia was what was familiar and more "home" to her than the US. <br />
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We can't speak highly enough of this amazing opportunity to attend DAR. We met incredible people and cherished the chance to take a break from our crazy life-in-transition- to really process what we were going through emotionally. We learned wonderful coping skills and made great friendships as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMJ8rPBGm0AkO4NZCUsmYCXkaz4GORsOtt3YXz19ayqbno3kzJ346TfPjzd9g84ymRU8zUCWJfpKl0J6ADTedgVKoPZ34ZW7NAJEnrtSDrcwlsXitzCKWyoQxRuBY2WlJ0qi2Lr4P4LE/s1600/DAR+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMJ8rPBGm0AkO4NZCUsmYCXkaz4GORsOtt3YXz19ayqbno3kzJ346TfPjzd9g84ymRU8zUCWJfpKl0J6ADTedgVKoPZ34ZW7NAJEnrtSDrcwlsXitzCKWyoQxRuBY2WlJ0qi2Lr4P4LE/s320/DAR+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The beautiful view of Pikes Peak we woke up to every morning.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMx8UFfhy2K9OqZLhu5lF4HyzOTGsnveiTpOYW-LLOMsIKHvMRDELdTsRWGgXWmDb663jlEcTuiDJKvrqkq_upjS4OIEO05b8nPc6dbcfM-WxJSNfc_H38GGp2Qh4z7zXz2QopA5DMVQ/s1600/DAR+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMx8UFfhy2K9OqZLhu5lF4HyzOTGsnveiTpOYW-LLOMsIKHvMRDELdTsRWGgXWmDb663jlEcTuiDJKvrqkq_upjS4OIEO05b8nPc6dbcfM-WxJSNfc_H38GGp2Qh4z7zXz2QopA5DMVQ/s320/DAR+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ella's class</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2xkzaZpArNiJ57A4CKNlTWnvb1RU3NWA92dwA9vZEsesOYZP-QwrmoYV-eoJ2kagRQY7UmLVNfZrZRxj7GeMOeEbkapT27fvfS1P4ZoA13Db0jyjW_LLD66I42guIT0xfHmGqDCoGas/s1600/DAR+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2xkzaZpArNiJ57A4CKNlTWnvb1RU3NWA92dwA9vZEsesOYZP-QwrmoYV-eoJ2kagRQY7UmLVNfZrZRxj7GeMOeEbkapT27fvfS1P4ZoA13Db0jyjW_LLD66I42guIT0xfHmGqDCoGas/s320/DAR+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DAR debriefing group, July 2012</span></td></tr>
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<br />The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-74086086711908311182012-09-05T18:55:00.000-04:002012-09-05T18:55:04.594-04:00July: Still on the Move<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After 2 great weeks we said our final good-byes to friends and family in Cincinnati. Sunday afternoon June 24th Jennie and the girls took a flight from Columbus, OH to Sioux City, IA and then on to Yankton, SD by car. John took off with the moving truck the next morning. He stopped in Indy to pick up our good friend Bill Fisher, who graciously offered to accompany John on the 15 hour drive to South Dakota. It certainly made those 15 hours fly by and we are so grateful for Bill's willingness to come. </div>
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For the month of July, Yankton was our home and Jennie's parents let us "move in". We can't thank them enough for making their home our home and helping out with the girls as we took on the task of transitioning our lives back to the US. Our list was big and at times very overwhelming: house, cars, insurance, cell phones (surprisingly the most stressful decision!) schooling for Ella, etc. Jennie's parents were pactient with us as we slowly made progress and the Lord was so good in providing for our needs. It was indeed a very special time to live with parents/grandparents. One that doesn't happen often, but we really had a great time and enjoyed our late evenings of pinochle.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Enjoying the "beach" at Lewis and Clark Lake, Yankton SD</span><br />
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One of the amazing ways the Lord provided for us was in our housing arrangements. We knew we would have to start out renting, as getting a mortgage without having lived in the US for several years was going to be impossible. We really wanted to find a house (rather than apartment or condo) to rent since John was going to be working from home and needing an extra bedroom for an office. We were really struggling to find something in our price range that was in a decent neighborhood. We discovered that good homes were renting really fast. So Jennie made several appointments to see a few rentals and we headed up to Sioux Falls one weekend. The very first home we went through had been foreclosed and stood empty for 2 years. A couple purchased the home and were in the process of redoing everything...so it was in rough shape. But the potential was awesome and it was in our price range. We filled out an application that same day but were bummed to learn that 3 others had filled out an application that same day as well. The only thing we could do was to sit and wait. Two days later, we received a phone call from the landlords saying they wanted to rent their home to us! Just one day of house hunting and 2 days later we were able to cross off a huge item from our list. <br />
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Moving day was three weeks later. We went back to the storage unit in Sioux Falls where we had unloaded all of our things a month earlier. A big thanks to my family for helping us move in. (Uncle Dean, Dan-O, Cousin Riley, Uncle Dave, Cousin Matt, Dad and Mom for watching the kiddos!) We've moved that stuff into and out of storage units quite a few times in the past 2 months, and all the help really made it all seem pretty easy! <br />
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The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-84179017032393404262012-08-21T22:21:00.000-04:002012-08-21T22:21:29.620-04:00Back to the States!We officially left Sucre on June 8th. After spending a few days in Santa Cruz, we got on our 2:30 am flight to Orlando, Florida via Panama City, Panama. (Thanks Ces for finding us a place to stay!) Despite the early hour, everything went without a hitch. We were excited to get through the flight and on to our little mini family vacation in Florida. After spending 3 days at Clearwater beach we flew into Columbus, Ohio where we were received by our family, signs and wonderful smiling faces! <br />
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We spent the following 3 weeks in Cincinnati. The best way to tell you about our time there is to thank everyone who did so much to help us in our first transition back to the States.<br />
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<b>Thank-you</b> to the Angstadt family for hosting us! We <i>invaded</i> their home with our 2 young energetic children and over 10 pieces of luggage. They fed us, played with our kids and let us do loads of laundry.<br />
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<b>Thank-you</b> to the Kendall family for letting us borrow their car for three weeks! It was an invaluable gift to us.<br />
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<b>Thank-you</b> to the Hope Missions committee for taking us out to eat, and listening with open hearts as we shared about our time in Bolivia and the next steps God has laid out for us. Your continued support means so much! <br />
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<b>Thank-you</b> to the Journey and Empty Nesters communities, and the kids ministry of Hope Church for allowing us to share about our journey home and sharing in our excitement for our new ministry.<br />
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<b>Thank-you</b> to the Jensen family, for the awesome welcome home basket that was waiting for us a the Angstadt home. For the fun night out on the town, great pool afternoons, for taking our family for a fun day to King's Island, and for your amazing friendship!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCD44BttbsJIWEuPYaaifHa1hd0u-evJCF-10ahQQwrYsqVh4XB7jkDOmS8Q507dmXNv9Xju2louNdtYkWbZU9QZKAAO7AmkJkZRMT-x45Ghc65KRszkQ4f7DNsj6CHeVhAitOmHZR-A/s1600/KI+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCD44BttbsJIWEuPYaaifHa1hd0u-evJCF-10ahQQwrYsqVh4XB7jkDOmS8Q507dmXNv9Xju2louNdtYkWbZU9QZKAAO7AmkJkZRMT-x45Ghc65KRszkQ4f7DNsj6CHeVhAitOmHZR-A/s320/KI+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Thank-you</b> to Erin for driving down to Cincinnati to spend the afternoon with Jennie. It was great to have a heart to heart with a great friend.<br />
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<b>Thank-you</b> to Collin for helping to organizing a troop of people to help us pack up our moving truck. And of course for everyone that showed up to help us move! (Denny, Steve, Joe and Lori, Lee, Melvin, Jeff, Rob, Collin, and Greg) We couldn't believe you all showed up and how quickly we were able to get it all done. <br />
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<b>Thank-you</b> to Matt Jensen for coming over for "ice cream" which turned into a 3 hour-repacking of our 24 foot truck to fit in a few last minute things. (Can you see Matt in the picture below...way back in the truck on top of everything?)<br />
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<b>Thank-you</b> to the Pinkston and the Dowling family for storing some of our things for 3 years (!) in their basement! <br />
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Last but not least a big <b>thank you</b> to the Warden/Dowling family. For welcoming us home with open arms, watching our kids, all the fun sleepovers with cousins, and showering our kids with gifts and special outings. We love you and appreciate your support. <br />
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The danger of starting a list like this is that it's impossible to record everyone and everything that was done for us while we were home. There is probably people who were doing things in preparation of our return that we aren't even aware of. So...for those of you not on the list, for all the dinners and lunches, and encouraging words shared with us, <b>THANK YOU</b>!<br />
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<br />The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-52374059461077098952012-07-07T20:53:00.000-04:002012-07-07T20:53:40.479-04:00May: Selling, Packing, Good-byes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
To begin to explain the craziness of May, we really have to preface the month by explaining what happened a few months earlier as we were planning our trip back to the US. We knew we were going to have a LOT of luggage. We also knew that American Airlines (the only US airline that flies to Bolivia) just reduced their baggage allowance to only one bag per person, with the second back being $70. With this in mind, we were going to fly on Aerosur Airlines, a Bolivian airline and the only other airline besides American Airlines that flights nonstop to the US. They just started flying into Washington, DC, which was perfect for us, because we could fly Southwest from there to Columbus and avoid any kind of luggage fee. When we went to purchase our Aerosur tickets in March, we found out that just the day before Aerosur had suspended all their international flights. It was the beginning of a huge mess, including bankruptcy, which the airline was and is going through. It's a long tale of corruption and government involvement that I won't get into in this blog, but basically...it really fouled up our plans. Eventually we would find out that we couldn't even fly Aerosur domestically, which in and of itself opened up it's own can of worms. We were left with 2 options. Either the expensive American Airlines ticket or another South American carrier that would stop for a layover somewhere in South America. We decided to try COPA airlines which stopped in Panama City and eventually continued on to Orlando, FL. The flight was super cheap, which was wonderful, but there was one big downside...the flight left at 2:30am in the morning! </div>
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By the time May arrived we had most of the departure details figured out, now it was time to sell our stuff! And boy did we have stuff to sell. We moved to Bolivia with just 6 big duffle bags and 3 small carry-on bags. Months later we moved into an apartment that had NO furnishings...not even appliances. We had to purchase all those things on our own, so now it was time to sell them. We made a list of all the things we had for sale and started to circulate them around to everyone we knew. (Craigslist hasn't made it to Sucre yet!) Much to our surprise, we had a LOT of interest in our things and sold most of the major items by the end of April. To sell the rest of our things we decided to have a garage sale, despite the horror stories we had heard from other missionaries. We thought the best way to avoid many of the problems others had was to be super organized. So we worked for several weeks, pricing everything and groupings like items together. The hardest part of the garage sale was doing all of this with 2 children underfoot. Anything we wanted to put out for the sale would quickly be undone by our 1 year old. And our 5 year old was not happy to keep finding price tags on her toys! We really couldn't set anything out until the night of the sale. We were up until nearly 2am getting everything ready, but everything went really well during the day of the sale, and we were able to sell most of our things. </div>
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Once we sold the things we weren't taking with us, the next task was packing up everything we were taking with us. We couldn't fit everything into our suitcases, and ended up packing up 7 boxes to ship. We took a couple of weeks to carefully pack the boxes, trying to select items that took up space yet weren't very heavy. We were happy to finally seal up the boxes and take them, via taxi, to the post office. </div>
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You may have looked ahead at the picture below to see open boxes. No, we did not put the pictures out of order. When we arrived to the post office we found out, much to our dismay, that the process for shipping boxes to the US had changed. We were going to have to use boxes issued by the post office, and each and every item would have to be individually weighted on a little tiny scale. UGGGG. So our 20 minute trip to the post office to drop off our boxes turned into a 3 hour ordeal. </div>
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With all the crazy details of physically moving we also had a lot of goodbyes to go through. John was doing one last staff training before leaving, and before his training session the office surprised him with a 15 min time of appreciation and farewell. </div>
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While our days were full, we tried to make sure we took time to have a few last visits to our favorite places and last dinners with friends. It was especially important for us that Ella have good good-byes with her friends. She had spent more of her life in Bolivia than in the US, and it had really become home to her. She is doing a lot of blogging about her experience that you can read about on her <a href="http://www.ellainbolivia.blogspot.com/">blog</a> if you are interested. </div>
<br />The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-43100341743830091352012-07-06T15:54:00.000-04:002012-07-06T15:54:55.827-04:00Where HAVEN'T we been?Well...the past few months have been a whirlwind adventure for our family. We have learned that moving internationally is not for the faint at heart. We can definitely say that we have walked through the most stressful and overwhelming time of our lives and are glad to have many moments behind us!<br />
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Here is a brief timeline summarizing our last few weeks:<br />
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June 3rd Flight from Sucre, Bolivia to Santa Cruz, Bolivia<br />
June 5th 2:30am flight from Santa Cruz to Orlando, Fl, with one stop in Panama City<br />
June 5th - June 8th - Family vacation in Tampa, Florida to recharge our batteries<br />
June 8th flight from Orlando to Columbus, OH<br />
June 8th - June 24th Cincinnati, OH, spending time with family and friends, touching base with supporters about our new ministry position. Packing up the moving truck with our things from Cincinnati.<br />
June 24th - Jennie and the girls fly from Columbus to Sioux City and drive to Yankton SD to Jennie's parents.<br />
June 25th - John and our friend Bill Fisher leave in the moving truck for the long drive to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.<br />
June 26th - unpack the truck in a storage unit in Sioux Falls, look at several rental home options (we found one that day!) and test drive minivans<br />
June 28th - present - We are currently staying with my parents and slowly getting back on our feet. We are working on a million details, new cell phones, health/car/rental insurance, enrolling Ella in school, etc, etc, etc.<br />
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While there were days where it seemed nothing could go our way, God has been so faithful throughout our journey and has blessed and guided us along the way. He has used so many of YOU to bless and encourage us and for that we say THANK YOU. We will try to chronicle our adventures in the next few blog posts. Now that some time has passed we can now look back and laugh at the funny stories that added to the craziness of our adventure...hopefully they will bring a few laughs for you as well!The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-69565806629203925732012-04-08T17:43:00.001-04:002012-04-08T17:43:00.721-04:00The Three Amigos!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-BNiCNqaBfvgJLxlMkt8vRG51Rxo2SFhzBLz9vtSE1ILBFCrTvFfrnkEU6oJSGfvIfu0gd-Y3z-KIiNTmqR8DESllRWnaeulu1ygkhw-z6GLziXlOM5oNimR3lZ1WFXHP8x8e4CcAw0/s1600/three+amigos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-BNiCNqaBfvgJLxlMkt8vRG51Rxo2SFhzBLz9vtSE1ILBFCrTvFfrnkEU6oJSGfvIfu0gd-Y3z-KIiNTmqR8DESllRWnaeulu1ygkhw-z6GLziXlOM5oNimR3lZ1WFXHP8x8e4CcAw0/s320/three+amigos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Over the past 3 years John has been working with a great staff of FH workers.<span> </span>With that said, we would like to introduce you to 2 very special FH friends who have blessed us and been a significant part of our ministry and family during this time.<span> </span>Both Luis and Marcelo are pastors and have been a part of John’s church strengthening team over the past 3 years.<span> </span>Both of them are very gifted and talented and have an incredible heart to see the local church growing in thriving in its role of transformation in the community.<span> </span>John has learned so much from these 2 friends and he credits the success of their project with churches to the prayerful heart and passion of Luis and Marcelo.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Marcelo Lazo is the country director of church strengthening for Bolivia.<span> </span>John first met Marcelo the first week he was in Bolivia.<span> </span>Two months later John and Marcelo traveled to Lima Peru for a church strengthening and worldview conference and God has continued to shape their friendship ever since.<span> </span>Marcelo has a great sense of humor and has been a huge support of John over the past 3 years.<span> </span>Each time Marcelo visits Sucre from La Paz he joins us for a dinner or lunch and we as a family have enjoyed getting to know Marcelo.<span> </span>Ella has especially become a good friend of Marcelo’s. <span> </span>John has found it a privilege to support Marcelo in his efforts to reshape the philosophy of working with churches and they have become great friends through the challenges, obstacles and difficulties of working with churches.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Luis Negron, is John’s co-worker in Sucre.<span> </span>Luis joined the church strengthening staff about 2 years ago.<span> </span>God could not have provided a better fit for John in the work he has been doing here in Sucre.<span> </span>Luis is an incredible man of God and has such a humble and joyful spirit.<span> </span>Luis and John have been working with over 20 churches the past 2 years and John is blessed to be sharing this responsibility with a pastor who has such a passionate heart and is so gifted to do this work well.<span> </span>Luis has an incredible testimony of transformation and God has used his story to touch and relate to so many pastors, families, and youth in Sucre.<span> </span>John looks forward to working time with Luis each day and together they make a great team!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Both Luis and Marcelo have been such a blessing to us here in Sucre.<span> </span>Our work with churches has grown due to the amazing spirit and heart that both of these men have.<span> </span>John has learned so much from both of these individuals and is thankful for the unique friendship that has been fostered over the past 3 years.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Thanks Luis and Marcelo for making our ministry and time here in Bolivia such a joy!<span> </span></div>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-50550544414412832702012-04-05T17:43:00.000-04:002012-04-05T17:43:00.446-04:00Poverty Part 3<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>832</o:Words> <o:Characters>4745</o:Characters> <o:Company>Home</o:Company> <o:Lines>39</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>9</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>5827</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">EMPOWERING THE LOCAL CHURCH<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">The moment Adam rebelled against God in the Garden everything God created became corrupt. Since that moment God has been redeeming the carnage that began with Adam, resolving the brokenness and restoring all things to himself. By following the Apostle Paul’s dialogue in Ephesians chapters 1-3 one realizes the important role of the church. Ephesians 1:22-23 states “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in everyway.” As believers in Christ, the church (local and global, individual and corporate) should be a representative of God’s fullness in everything and in every way. The church should be the most compelling poverty alleviation advocate that exists! The church will never be perfect, but this is God’s intention as revealed to Believers through the apostle Paul. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">Paul continues this thought in Ephesians 3:10, “His intent was that now through the church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.” The Oxford Dictionary defines “manifold” as: “many and various, having many different forms or elements.” The wisdom of God is multi-dimensional, expansive and seeks to include the restoration of all that was broken in the fall. As the church obeys Christ’s purpose, it administers his agenda and declares the manifold wisdom of God. This results in some major ecclesiastical implications! I believe the scriptures are clear, that God desires to accomplish His redemptive purposes through using the church (local and global, individual and corporate). <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">Since the local church is composed of sinful people, it is not without flaws. However, one should realize that this is the agent that God has utilized to demonstrate and carry out His intentions. As Christians seek to eliminate and combat poverty, they should also realize the important role the church has in this process. Whether it is a group of local believers united together to make a difference or an organized structured church established in the vulnerable area, these indigenous groups can and should be a strong ally for Christian relief and transformation. Not only will the church have the opportunities to make lasting relations with those being served (which should be an open door for working on the roots of reconciliation) but the church also has important ownership in making this change to better their community. A local church that grasps its role in holistic transformation can work at the roots of the problem much more effectively and more quickly than outside organizations because of its prior relationships and knowledge of the culture. Though often times limited in material resources, a local church with a heart for transformation can still have a profound impact on a congregation that trusts in God’s multiplying power while living out his manifold wisdom. Empowering indigenous people and the local church to transform their own communities is the most effective weapon against global poverty. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">Sometimes limitations and circumstances may arise when the resources of the local church are not enough to serve the needs or crisis of the community. When this happens it is often necessary to enlist the services of other outside resources. Whenever possible, it is important to encourage the local church to implement a poverty alleviation plan. Reaching and encouraging the local church to grasp this responsibility can be filled with a multitude of challenges. Nevertheless, incredible rewards await when the church is empowered and equipped to be the agent and leader of poverty alleviation and transformation in their community. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">The issue that faces Christians today is not whether money should be given to alleviate poverty. In fact, one could argue that more money could and should be given. </span></i><i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;">Rather the question is, are the resources given being used to fight poverty while also working at the root of the problem to bring long-term sustainable transformation.</span></i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;">Helping the poor and poverty alleviation are two distinctive duties</span></i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">. </span></i><i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;">Christians are clearly called to help the poor, that is an undisputable biblical mandate for those who follow and claim Jesus as Lord, but they are also called, as well, to have a deeper impact on the effects of poverty. </span></i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"> Poverty alleviation begins with the reconciliation power of Jesus. </span></i><i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;">A redeemed life should result in a biblical value system, which establishes Godly behaviors and ultimately results in positive consequences.</span></i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;">The poverty of man is a profound and multi-dimensional issue, so any effort to truly alleviate poverty should also be multi-faceted and diverse.</span></i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;">There are a multitude of ways Christians can give money to be cost effective, which is important and valuable, but seeking impact effectiveness and transformation should be the goal. </span></i><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">Partnering with organizations or local churches that see poverty not from the secularist worldview of solely material resources, but rather from a biblical worldview rooted in the brokenness of our fundamental relationships could result in an eternal investment that is immeasurable. I believe the biblical method of poverty alleviation is partnering with groups and churches that seek to care for the needy while at the same time connecting the individual to the greater need of reconciliation with God. The task is not easy and the results may not be immediate, but the calling is clear. Christians should not be distracted from the target, but rather compelled to be God’s agents of reconciliation seeking to alleviate poverty and to encourage others to live in healthy relationships with God, others, themselves and all of creation. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div><!--EndFragment-->The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-60768781760918520432012-03-08T10:15:00.025-05:002012-03-08T10:27:48.654-05:00Poverty - part 2 - At the Roots<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When discussing the term poverty, it is vital for Christians to approach </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the dialogue from a biblical perspective. Though our American cultural </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">has told us that poverty is the result of the lack of material resources, I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">believe the Bible sees poverty as a deeper issue. Human beings, God’s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">crown jewel of creation, have profound potential and value. The place </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this potential often falls short is through the fallen nature of man first </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">brought about through the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of Eden. With the entrance of sin came the reality of spiritual, emotional </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and physical poverty, a complex and devastating result that continues to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">afflict the world today. The poverty of man is grounded in the brokenness </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of his four key relationships established by God from the beginning. The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">most obvious and detrimental broken relationship is man’s separation from</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God. Separation from God and brokenness in this primary relationship has </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">both severe current and eternal consequences. Next is man’s brokenness </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with others, himself, and all of God’s creation. These four relationships </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">are characteristic of all humans, each made in the image of their Creator. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore, poverty as defined by Bryant Myers in Walking with the Poor </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(pg 86) is “<i>a result of relationships that do not work (are broken), that are </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable.</i>” The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">consequence of this holistic brokenness manifests itself in a multifaceted </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">poverty that can cause pain and grief in all aspects of individual, family, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and societal life. Many of the examples of poverty that exist in the world </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">today (hunger, enslavement, sickness) are a direct result of broken </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">relationships that have brought about corruption or oppression, therefore, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">resulting in severe poverty.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the flip side, when viewing poverty from a biblical perspective one </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">recognizes that material wealth does not bring holistic poverty alleviation. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The secularist worldview that promotes the stockpiling of money and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">material resources may provide for physical necessities, but it does</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not reconcile our broken relationships. Some of the wealthiest people </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in the world are suffering from severe spiritual and social poverties. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The brokenness they are experiencing from being separated from God </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">has lead to a life without purpose, wrecked marriages and shattered </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">relationships. The decay is there and is often masked by material wealth </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and worldly recognition. The reality is this. Without the reconciliation </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">power of Jesus Christ, man continues to live in a spiraling state of spiritual, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">emotional, and physical poverty.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hope is not lost. Christians believe that the blood of Jesus was shed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to redeem mankind and “reconcile to himself all things, whether things </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on earth or things in heaven” (Col. 1:20). When a person submits his </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">life to the Lordship of Jesus a restoration process begins. Hope for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the brokenness of his relationships in all capacities is restored. What </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christians must also realize is that poverty is a deep rooted issue in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cultural and societal worldviews. For this reason, the immediate impact </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on physical poverty is many times not apparent. Poverty, in many cases</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is a generational issue, re-enforced through lies that have destroyed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and debilitated one’s ability to grow and develop his potential. Many of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">those living in severe material poverty have developed a fatalistic mindset </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that breeds hopelessness for any sort of change or cure to their current </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">condition. They live with little optimism of things being any different than </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the way they have always been. Therefore, Christians who toil at the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">deepest levels of poverty alleviation must be advised that overcoming </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">physical poverty takes time, effort and great intentionality. However, in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the midst of these obstacles is recognition of God’s life- changing power. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The faith of a Christian is rooted in the assurance that as man submits, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God restores, promise returns, behaviors are changed and poverty (from a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">biblical perspective) can slowly be alleviated.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>POVERTY ALLEVIATION</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not all physical poverty is equal. The child dying of starvation, the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">widow desperate for medicine or care, or the family displaced by famine, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hurricane or earthquake is in need of immediate action. Christians must </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not wait. Christians must react with due diligence and passion to serve </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and care for the immediate physical needs of these individuals. With each </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bowl of rice served, and every dose of medicine given, Christians must </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">realize that a greater message is being spoken. This is a message of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hope and reconciliation. A message that declares that all men have been </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">made in the image of God and have infinite value, dignity and purpose. As </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christians serve they must also connect. The Christian aspiration should </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">be to not only connect the individual to the love of Jesus but also connect </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">them to an entity that can walk with them through the hardships of life and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">disciple them in the promise offered through Jesus Christ on the cross.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enter the local church.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The final section of this article and next post will focus on the power of the local</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">church and the Christian response.</span></b>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-51794217462964154382012-03-06T14:22:00.000-05:002012-03-06T14:22:25.772-05:00Poverty - part 1<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:r><w:t xml:space="preserve">Last year we featured a few blogs discussing more in-depthly what our actual ministry is here in Bolivia on a day-to-day basis. Many times when you mention you are doing church strengthening it comes with a respond like, “great, so what exactly are you doing?” A legitimate question to say the least. As explained last year John has spent the last 2 years training Bolivian pastors in a variety of biblical principles such as worldview, ethics, and holistic ministries values. This training is part of a three phase process that John and his co-worker Luis have initiated and been walking with pastors through for the past few years. </w:t></w:r></w:p><w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:r><w:t>Over the months we have been greatly encouraged by the results of this work and the impact it has had on many Bolivian families living in extreme poverty. </w:t></w:r></w:p></w:p><br />
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<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:r><w:t>As expected, changing worldviews and alleviating poverty is a very long process. That is part of the reason the whole project that John is apart of is focused on training Bolivian pastors to catch the values and principles being taught</w:t></w:r><w:r w:rsidr="003271A2"><w:t xml:space="preserve">. </w:t></w:r><w:r><w:t xml:space="preserve"></w:t></w:r><w:r w:rsidr="003271A2"><w:t xml:space="preserve">The goal would then be that these pastors </w:t></w:r><w:r><w:t xml:space="preserve">replicate the ideas in their own churches as well as with </w:t></w:r><w:r w:rsidr="003271A2"><w:t xml:space="preserve">trainings to </w:t></w:r><w:r><w:t>other colleagues and leaders in the ministry. Raising up new leaders who gr</w:t></w:r><w:r w:rsidr="003271A2"><w:t>asp the biblical perspectives of the</w:t></w:r><w:r><w:t xml:space="preserve"> role of the church is the key to transforming families, communities, and a nation. </w:t></w:r><w:r w:rsidr="003271A2"><w:t xml:space="preserve">In order to explain this idea of poverty alleviation and its connection to the local church, we would like to post an article written by John on this idea. We will separate the article into a variety of different blog posts, in order to keep it manageable. We hope this explains even more about what we do in Bolivia and why our focus is on the local church. </w:t></w:r></w:p></w:p><br />
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<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:ppr><w:widowcontrol w:val="0"><w:autospacede w:val="0"><w:autospacedn w:val="0"><w:adjustrightind w:val="0"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"><w:u w:val="single"></w:u></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr></w:adjustrightind></w:autospacedn></w:autospacede></w:widowcontrol></w:ppr><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"><w:u w:val="single"></w:u></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t>Poverty Alleviation from the Roots</w:t></w:r></w:p><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:ppr><w:widowcontrol w:val="0"><w:autospacede w:val="0"><w:autospacedn w:val="0"><w:adjustrightind w:val="0"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr></w:adjustrightind></w:autospacedn></w:autospacede></w:widowcontrol></w:ppr><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t> </w:t></w:r></w:p></w:p></w:p><br />
<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:ppr><w:widowcontrol w:val="0"><w:autospacede w:val="0"><w:autospacedn w:val="0"><w:adjustrightind w:val="0"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr></w:adjustrightind></w:autospacedn></w:autospacede></w:widowcontrol></w:ppr><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t>A buzz phrase among many evangelicals and within the Christian Church today is the expression “poverty alleviation”. For many Christians this topic elicits a plethora of thoughts, ideas and actions that are often associated with the command to reach out and care for the “least of these” (Mat. 25:40). Many Christians are well aware of the over 400 verses in the Bible that identify God’s concern for the poor. Christians understand that God is a Father to the Fatherless (Psalm 68:5), a deliverer of the needy and the afflicted (Psalm 72:12), and a God who secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy (Psalm 140:12). The God of the Bible is an active, protective, fatherly God who sees the poor as precious in his sight (Psalm 72:14). So how do Christians live out these commands and help the poor to embrace God’s plan for their life? What actions can Christians take to combat poverty and empower the poor to change and reach their potential? </w:t></w:r></w:p><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:ppr><w:widowcontrol w:val="0"><w:autospacede w:val="0"><w:autospacedn w:val="0"><w:adjustrightind w:val="0"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr></w:adjustrightind></w:autospacedn></w:autospacede></w:widowcontrol></w:ppr><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t> </w:t></w:r></w:p></w:p></w:p><br />
<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:t xml:space="preserve"><br />
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<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:ppr><w:widowcontrol w:val="0"><w:autospacede w:val="0"><w:autospacedn w:val="0"><w:adjustrightind w:val="0"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr></w:adjustrightind></w:autospacedn></w:autospacede></w:widowcontrol></w:ppr><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t xml:space="preserve">In the February 2012 issue of </w:t></w:r><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:b><w:bcs><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:bcs></w:b></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t>Christianity Today</w:t></w:r><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t>, an informative article entitled “Cost-Effective Compassion: The 10 Most Popular Strategies for Helping the Poor” points out some very succinct ways to be cost effective in outreach and service to the poor. Not only does this article help enlighten Christians on how to be well-informed when giving money to poverty alleviation efforts, but it also re-enforces the very important and biblical concept of stewardship. With that said, I would like to take a moment to dive deeper into this concept from a little different angle. Not only should Christians seek to care and serve the poor in their immediate circumstances, but there should also be an emphasis on creating a long-term sustainable answer that will change the poor for generations to come. </w:t></w:r></w:p><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:ppr><w:widowcontrol w:val="0"><w:autospacede w:val="0"><w:autospacedn w:val="0"><w:adjustrightind w:val="0"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr></w:adjustrightind></w:autospacedn></w:autospacede></w:widowcontrol></w:ppr><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t> </w:t></w:r></w:p></w:p></w:p><br />
<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:t><br />
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<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:ppr><w:widowcontrol w:val="0"><w:autospacede w:val="0"><w:autospacedn w:val="0"><w:adjustrightind w:val="0"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr></w:adjustrightind></w:autospacedn></w:autospacede></w:widowcontrol></w:ppr><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t>PRODUCTS OF OUR CULTURE</w:t></w:r></w:p></w:p></w:p><br />
<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:ppr><w:rpr><w:i></w:i></w:rpr></w:ppr><w:r w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:rfonts w:ascii="Arial" w:cs="Arial" w:hansi="Arial"><w:i><w:color w:val="222222"><w:sz w:val="26"><w:szcs w:val="26"></w:szcs></w:sz></w:color></w:i></w:rfonts></w:rpr><w:t>As citizens of the United States and a product of a very secularist culture, many U.S. Christians struggle with a materialistic worldview. Materialism rests on the presumption that the universe is comprised of one substance and one substance only – physical matter. Thus, a materialistic worldview perspective focuses on the physical world and brings a heightened emphasis towards material resources such as money, technology and natural resources. Such a paradigm puts great emphasis on development strategies that garner the transfer of material resources as the answer to poverty alleviation. This perspective often leads to such ideas as “the most effective way to eliminate poverty is to give the poor enough money or material resources so they won’t be poor anymore.” Simply stated, poverty alleviation or development efforts with a materialistic worldview focus on the transfer of wealth, resources, technology and know how from the more well-off to the less well-off. This philosophy in many ways has become the unconscious focal point of current day poverty efforts. Accompany this culturally bred concept with the need for emotional gratification (another weakness of the U.S. culture) and the result is millions of dollars being given yearly, by well-intentioned Christians, towards poverty efforts that exclusively deal with the consequences and not the roots of poverty. The reality is there are millions of hungry, sick, and abandoned people in the world and Christians have a responsibility to reach them. The challenge for current day churches, organizations and individuals is how to do this in the most effective manner that utilizes a biblical worldview to create long-term transformation. </w:t></w:r><w:r w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:rpr><w:i></w:i></w:rpr><w:t xml:space="preserve"> </w:t></w:r></w:p></w:p></w:p><br />
<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00BC17A1" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:r><w:t><br />
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<w:p w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00187618"><w:p w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00DD4DA5" w:rsidrdefault="00DD4DA5"><w:ppr><w:rpr><w:i></w:i></w:rpr></w:ppr></w:p><w:p w:rsidp="00DD4DA5" w:rsidr="00187618" w:rsidrdefault="00BC17A1" w:rsidrpr="00DD4DA5"><w:r><w:t>The next post</w:t></w:r><w:r w:rsidr="00DD4DA5"><w:t xml:space="preserve"> will </w:t></w:r><w:r><w:t xml:space="preserve">continue this idea and narrow in on the roots of poverty and poverty alleviation.</w:t></w:r></w:p></w:p></w:p>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-42296838652282318082012-02-07T09:50:00.000-05:002012-02-07T09:50:24.665-05:00Visitors to Sucre<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>269</o:Words> <o:Characters>1534</o:Characters> <o:Company>Home</o:Company> <o:Lines>12</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>3</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>1883</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">One of the blessings of working in Bolivia is the opportunity to host missions’ teams or visitors from the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FH Sucre doesn’t receive a bunch of international teams but we seem to have groups come every 2 or 3 months on average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This past week we had the privilege of hosting 4 special visitors to Sucre for 3 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Through the Food for the Hungry artist program professional singer/song writer Kerrie Roberts came to Sucre to visit and share her vocal talents and wisdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kerrie shared at several venues her passion for music and desire to honor God with the talents and gifts she has been given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FH also scheduled multiple opportunities for Kerrie and her team to see and experience the ministry of FH and learn about our desire to transform realities and raise up a new generation of leaders focused on honoring God in every area of society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kerrie and her team came with a huge heart to serve and it was a privilege to see the youth of Bolivia excited to develop their talents and use them for the glory of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hosted a question and answer session one evening, where Kerrie shared her testimony and the youth asked questions about worship leading etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing the youth’s desire to grow in their abilities to lead worship, and mature in there understanding of God centered worship was an encouragement to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe Kerrie was able to give great advice that will shape a generation of worship leaders in Sucre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I (John) as her translator enjoyed getting to meet Kerrie and her team, and was blessed by our conversations and ministry activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always it was wonderful to make some new friends and spend some time learning and growing from their experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Kerrie will be touring with Big Daddy Weave this spring or summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she is near your location you should check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a very talented artist who loves the Lord!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegJ8r7tQZr4f9L9moN7MJvFQq07laY1DCX93gmwRHMwKZNSsvINQBQ49hzmTu1zU668hGJt5UrOzGXHjax3hhkqMjJyua046XqgB4tYZbq9vqpI5czls120n8sA0Luc5zm0vRb0udugg/s1600/kerrie+with+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegJ8r7tQZr4f9L9moN7MJvFQq07laY1DCX93gmwRHMwKZNSsvINQBQ49hzmTu1zU668hGJt5UrOzGXHjax3hhkqMjJyua046XqgB4tYZbq9vqpI5czls120n8sA0Luc5zm0vRb0udugg/s320/kerrie+with+kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Kerrie sharing with kids about music and singing</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDHN20OvnNnimN1eH8QhIFxumNj97rjDXGlPFY0VpYKSAMBth-v22CGLwpuyOuSKXVNcCjOR-VmhAB56EbOwXv_LllgW4ftgit5suqXI4U5a4V_M_FF-rf9ffujyh5YCYY5eA70Av4M4/s1600/home+visit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDHN20OvnNnimN1eH8QhIFxumNj97rjDXGlPFY0VpYKSAMBth-v22CGLwpuyOuSKXVNcCjOR-VmhAB56EbOwXv_LllgW4ftgit5suqXI4U5a4V_M_FF-rf9ffujyh5YCYY5eA70Av4M4/s320/home+visit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Home visit</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDAUamaxwVF7XMsTIW4yITfsGULxj3Iy4D0NLBcIaUU6908YSSuNax1BF_RYXrjNQcJ0wL1PKDf-ji0n2G3S_FQNQB4jhWsEHMJaOIuEeFQ9GT9mMME0nFxXDV8mqJnNEE807FYuNdJM/s1600/team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDAUamaxwVF7XMsTIW4yITfsGULxj3Iy4D0NLBcIaUU6908YSSuNax1BF_RYXrjNQcJ0wL1PKDf-ji0n2G3S_FQNQB4jhWsEHMJaOIuEeFQ9GT9mMME0nFxXDV8mqJnNEE807FYuNdJM/s320/team.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The team. (Ben - photographer, Jenni - Kerrie's manager, Crystal - FH employee, <br />
Kerrie, John and Jennie)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FNELy7NlNFCnuQdh0lR0s5NaIw9Q9bU5YgECNbAPQ6ILktuNTnNc4nsripZEHnOCcxNYKeluPxLBIo5wsFxO5S_jZNYGCzj6-Q6jo_WCEl1KCv2U4PM83p1eKHF6r2wFhYZu2oKB7BY/s1600/john:kerrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FNELy7NlNFCnuQdh0lR0s5NaIw9Q9bU5YgECNbAPQ6ILktuNTnNc4nsripZEHnOCcxNYKeluPxLBIo5wsFxO5S_jZNYGCzj6-Q6jo_WCEl1KCv2U4PM83p1eKHF6r2wFhYZu2oKB7BY/s320/john:kerrie.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ella and John with Kerrie</span></td></tr>
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</div><!--EndFragment-->The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-4705218376893265092012-01-24T11:52:00.000-05:002012-01-24T11:52:00.174-05:00Minnesota...and finally snow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent the last week of our furlough in Minneapolis with my brother and his family. We had a wonderful time with them, and enjoyed all the fun things they had planned for us to do. Probably the most special part of our visit was getting to know our new nephew/cousin Colton Ray. He is the cutest laid-back baby you could imagine with the most kissable cheeks! Dan and Kate were wonderful hosts and absolutely spoiled us with fun trips to the Mall of America, Eagles Nest, fun lunches out, a date night for John and I, and bowling! We also had time to just relax and hang-out too which was great. Thanks for everything Dan and Kate!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSqJLv8p1x6xCGoGc1t5DiGTZEGVn-PWtR5Vmp2HN_N13aKpFPnHG0ef7tWeLOTSBIdagmrLxmgNPUOaLjQgTJbGj0TrIfLsgHarFd9H4rXkp52E1MBOQ8NSKJQ0Y5f1ArysRBNFQwTw/s1600/MN+-+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSqJLv8p1x6xCGoGc1t5DiGTZEGVn-PWtR5Vmp2HN_N13aKpFPnHG0ef7tWeLOTSBIdagmrLxmgNPUOaLjQgTJbGj0TrIfLsgHarFd9H4rXkp52E1MBOQ8NSKJQ0Y5f1ArysRBNFQwTw/s320/MN+-+snow.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There was snow! Ella finally got to use her new snow gear!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8wrpHlhmpR0lxL6pjopW6t30qQy7kWPMHehyAbyIgb6V7XqAZ159_s6gFjGodWoJuN0Atv_dJY690_3WLbe0IbWBYfahk0LWxmVspiT7goAiI31BUW25qNLSCatvSRHZ5cJv6rP8F5g/s1600/MN+dano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8wrpHlhmpR0lxL6pjopW6t30qQy7kWPMHehyAbyIgb6V7XqAZ159_s6gFjGodWoJuN0Atv_dJY690_3WLbe0IbWBYfahk0LWxmVspiT7goAiI31BUW25qNLSCatvSRHZ5cJv6rP8F5g/s320/MN+dano.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Uncle Dan got to use his snow gear too!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWKNB3xW4yz9bIwL_dbD22MdPsvLjzWjutKGg1MTperWn4al_wOUJEktsnV1qmpMiAPS78mnCxtABu-yYxt_SiCw1wWJVg5w4bh_NyCF2NpvqsSEfqrfii9ERfUV2_MVphi3aD4pCj0E/s1600/MN+snow+angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWKNB3xW4yz9bIwL_dbD22MdPsvLjzWjutKGg1MTperWn4al_wOUJEktsnV1qmpMiAPS78mnCxtABu-yYxt_SiCw1wWJVg5w4bh_NyCF2NpvqsSEfqrfii9ERfUV2_MVphi3aD4pCj0E/s320/MN+snow+angel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ella's first snow angel. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBNMN30i1eBYiVgbarf137msTZ78_NTHgsp5cWHxdSz-TQfd9E9bK2EYofOIuQU33oU8R2Imz9_sdVQIOzwK_XbjSaCL6HaGjiVFlva_FDFyxlmOusvqr1w_odeWH4rrezHUhWDt1OpI/s1600/MN+-+lydia+and+colton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBNMN30i1eBYiVgbarf137msTZ78_NTHgsp5cWHxdSz-TQfd9E9bK2EYofOIuQU33oU8R2Imz9_sdVQIOzwK_XbjSaCL6HaGjiVFlva_FDFyxlmOusvqr1w_odeWH4rrezHUhWDt1OpI/s320/MN+-+lydia+and+colton.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Colton and Lydia did great as we went from place to place.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwABwhyKOSF9VWaZi09L5NjmuEbxCNMyuF9dC00DFDlrIAoggGdq09WGBYMlF2iyK-5OZ4rM1lF1Vp0z_DlZZ0DTCWoHyxkYU_8dRBmoiqqLtw4rhbBqhbG-wvV2n181KEJo-b0LTlnnE/s1600/MN+colton+and+Lydia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwABwhyKOSF9VWaZi09L5NjmuEbxCNMyuF9dC00DFDlrIAoggGdq09WGBYMlF2iyK-5OZ4rM1lF1Vp0z_DlZZ0DTCWoHyxkYU_8dRBmoiqqLtw4rhbBqhbG-wvV2n181KEJo-b0LTlnnE/s320/MN+colton+and+Lydia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ikhh8XhZ0FsubBIa_Unx8YGeyOqkAYLWQHGUy07pGGv5I6Xe2WAUwld-nVHtV2DBnVGvbZOvO6b4oMZPJSgyStu-syAWiOHyHzOePPkFDnGIrmVJ6nnTLHtxlwSRpmqLja_AuzlYSOY/s1600/MN+play+ella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ikhh8XhZ0FsubBIa_Unx8YGeyOqkAYLWQHGUy07pGGv5I6Xe2WAUwld-nVHtV2DBnVGvbZOvO6b4oMZPJSgyStu-syAWiOHyHzOePPkFDnGIrmVJ6nnTLHtxlwSRpmqLja_AuzlYSOY/s320/MN+play+ella.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The big slide at Eagle Nest, an indoor kids park.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheBGGJngpTKPUXDTcl-YWj6GdLmdq_kkumKbVRQFmWRgdSsBnMGCv9zjvvCiW6EQGwDDQ0KG5v6riKPvWZlFruc1D7AjlDNA6y0TeT94PYE1CSBR1Fq0sFBj7Srf99slEcsY4QIbSyi0/s1600/MN+play+inside+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheBGGJngpTKPUXDTcl-YWj6GdLmdq_kkumKbVRQFmWRgdSsBnMGCv9zjvvCiW6EQGwDDQ0KG5v6riKPvWZlFruc1D7AjlDNA6y0TeT94PYE1CSBR1Fq0sFBj7Srf99slEcsY4QIbSyi0/s320/MN+play+inside+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-J3aDycEDM0KgIPu4natATe1uh4Cxc_140hyphenhyphenOx9ODBP_rujeqnEVk5nXJbSt7J70IQ6mRjPoXuI0xuGGmSKUvWEd7soIY5d61rtBKOkANz-I33NLxdm4pDN_WIlktjMnbqWgjzGCWycM/s1600/For+Katie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-J3aDycEDM0KgIPu4natATe1uh4Cxc_140hyphenhyphenOx9ODBP_rujeqnEVk5nXJbSt7J70IQ6mRjPoXuI0xuGGmSKUvWEd7soIY5d61rtBKOkANz-I33NLxdm4pDN_WIlktjMnbqWgjzGCWycM/s320/For+Katie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN5JKWyjbX8joYp5RRX7EBIH4qddCBuK914C-m0w9hgJX4ekzQeZCTzZvfcg-FUOP8F_qrIeeG01LIOpIpxRnYZQG1jzxCtCwCQZZ5AhwQ4lpr4s7nfO6F61oGcDYHL9GjVyrGHCkvbA/s1600/MN+dan+and+ella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN5JKWyjbX8joYp5RRX7EBIH4qddCBuK914C-m0w9hgJX4ekzQeZCTzZvfcg-FUOP8F_qrIeeG01LIOpIpxRnYZQG1jzxCtCwCQZZ5AhwQ4lpr4s7nfO6F61oGcDYHL9GjVyrGHCkvbA/s320/MN+dan+and+ella.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ella and Uncle Dan at the Mall of America Aquarium</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uuMM67R7e164QOiK_6QXJvDe81qG5AorE4AY7ZBOpfMJQUsyeW_1fHNHz9qcqZXMGxxuRH7TjBFTFuIL9TpkW8bza5NxqlbTViIIfYG86y9tsHnavWcqk0BgfAbz7itjaWxSM6YD8g4/s1600/MN+rides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uuMM67R7e164QOiK_6QXJvDe81qG5AorE4AY7ZBOpfMJQUsyeW_1fHNHz9qcqZXMGxxuRH7TjBFTFuIL9TpkW8bza5NxqlbTViIIfYG86y9tsHnavWcqk0BgfAbz7itjaWxSM6YD8g4/s320/MN+rides.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We rode rides at the Mall of America for most of the day.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjBQJaZgOsvsAznitgdPRZ0x11WYpYcBRlj36Jq1AKT5XrAsm7pH6lOCWMv38_U6PC51vtI4CEstd2hCotm6K-RGHkCQ6FMVhqKrKz7xezdBsAsUynwwKsR-eHilt7jB_r4QI-haEvHs/s1600/MN+bowling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjBQJaZgOsvsAznitgdPRZ0x11WYpYcBRlj36Jq1AKT5XrAsm7pH6lOCWMv38_U6PC51vtI4CEstd2hCotm6K-RGHkCQ6FMVhqKrKz7xezdBsAsUynwwKsR-eHilt7jB_r4QI-haEvHs/s320/MN+bowling.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ella's first time bowling. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77mQ6WJDxCCfL_cRguKWvtciRZTATuYASwNB3c2noean8pvqEZ230afrV3kzkKx4QvyiPf3qYSerQMgtgsoCR0B3OjN_rj_LKrfPKBOxMYHD5PU0iVctxDm84rmHXGzEYR2vlyKD9Cv8/s1600/MN+lydia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77mQ6WJDxCCfL_cRguKWvtciRZTATuYASwNB3c2noean8pvqEZ230afrV3kzkKx4QvyiPf3qYSerQMgtgsoCR0B3OjN_rj_LKrfPKBOxMYHD5PU0iVctxDm84rmHXGzEYR2vlyKD9Cv8/s320/MN+lydia.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hangin' Out</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-28179461976589176172012-01-21T09:48:00.000-05:002012-01-21T09:48:46.023-05:00Another Plane Ride...Another Destination. South Dakota!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3xdtpRuX26mvDnAGwM95FFPYn42WS2T7Z8yr9qN1GJSxSrAP040W888u4DMg0U-FmMkmuHjQPbOeYRpl4bBdvVbxdoWNJVkAJylR3msuh6NGUkDjaUXso_s3nwTng9UkCMWgIa3uChE/s1600/SD+girls+at+airport+waiting+for+plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3xdtpRuX26mvDnAGwM95FFPYn42WS2T7Z8yr9qN1GJSxSrAP040W888u4DMg0U-FmMkmuHjQPbOeYRpl4bBdvVbxdoWNJVkAJylR3msuh6NGUkDjaUXso_s3nwTng9UkCMWgIa3uChE/s320/SD+girls+at+airport+waiting+for+plane.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">December 9th found us at the airport again. The girls are getting used to airports by now and enjoy roaming around and watching the planes. We left balmy Phoenix and flew into Omaha, Nebraska and then made the trek up to Yankton, South Dakota by car. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had been preparing Ella for the cold weather in South Dakota, and had promised sledding, snow angels, snowmen building, and snowball fights. But instead, we found NO SNOW and weather that was sometimes in the 50's! Can't believe that after three Christmas living away where there is no snow, we return to the South Dakota tundra for a snowless Christmas. Nevertheless, just being with family was enough to get us in the Christmas spirit and we had a wonderful time. We had the opportunity to see many of my (Jennie's) extended family and the girls got a lot of Grandpa and Grandma time. John was also given the opportunity to do his Mission's Seminar at Calvary Baptist, one of our supporting churches. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Below are some picture highlights of our 3 weeks in South Dakota. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPe03o_O3V_WhEADAoGh2WkjIDA8yA-cyUgDNd8LH-0Y22P4UD2Q2d8DMOFn9JGKhCxjgWjQbGKMe9Z_SnBke4h6TT2Tm2UviFII_QAMKcPUvc5WnxGRstk0ehJ5K2BYioP-tYMmCQEA/s1600/SD+-+play+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPe03o_O3V_WhEADAoGh2WkjIDA8yA-cyUgDNd8LH-0Y22P4UD2Q2d8DMOFn9JGKhCxjgWjQbGKMe9Z_SnBke4h6TT2Tm2UviFII_QAMKcPUvc5WnxGRstk0ehJ5K2BYioP-tYMmCQEA/s320/SD+-+play+time.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lot's of playtime with Grandpa and Grandma</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYi1cwOtrxKOw9xGCwwtwNveQ1gUqauOdvx8U4eNoa06iWawqU8XL929tmyacVRm1V5BUmHmQn5G7t1jWOwnrLTOOYrJ2wZJPJV3OEiOEGbsi6rkswYh-veXPIm2aNEg-6HfZ_dMiKII/s1600/SD+staying+warm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYi1cwOtrxKOw9xGCwwtwNveQ1gUqauOdvx8U4eNoa06iWawqU8XL929tmyacVRm1V5BUmHmQn5G7t1jWOwnrLTOOYrJ2wZJPJV3OEiOEGbsi6rkswYh-veXPIm2aNEg-6HfZ_dMiKII/s320/SD+staying+warm.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Staying warm! (We did have a few cold days...)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaC4kZz6JbOedW9isBI4udwqHoQuitMzSF6Iy2v8n72g-2tCD816HpDBAbvJZ0tG30Qd9v51s9C-hfboUIVXd9GIYNC8J2vcklqOGSaRvfRJ3X9KvuSR3baawtAzJJP-AG_pyDX3Bgd2I/s1600/SD+-+piano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaC4kZz6JbOedW9isBI4udwqHoQuitMzSF6Iy2v8n72g-2tCD816HpDBAbvJZ0tG30Qd9v51s9C-hfboUIVXd9GIYNC8J2vcklqOGSaRvfRJ3X9KvuSR3baawtAzJJP-AG_pyDX3Bgd2I/s320/SD+-+piano.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The piano...one of the best toys at Grandma's house!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBDvLCnp5zrEBtWgTHIwcF4MTf3d_xJRqzFCYUl_10xmK8Mxp1iftb3pdIeYd7GoJ-HeZQXnzqVhOR3G8YVIvpHyWRMxN3y9s82afucETlZgfb0-SXW4I6ABnloXyU5Xn5GRdvzI63c8/s1600/SD+-+aunt+amy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBDvLCnp5zrEBtWgTHIwcF4MTf3d_xJRqzFCYUl_10xmK8Mxp1iftb3pdIeYd7GoJ-HeZQXnzqVhOR3G8YVIvpHyWRMxN3y9s82afucETlZgfb0-SXW4I6ABnloXyU5Xn5GRdvzI63c8/s320/SD+-+aunt+amy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Christmas celebration at the Barr's house in Sioux Falls. The girls had a great time with Great Aunt Amy and her kids.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_obMM8rnl-SzDpXr0h6PvYvI5oo2kO1QgAIOnqZavQPiQyvlsTQFDeH6X50_KfuXPSmEXvXvgiFt9yKjyMSda_sZEb8bD6GNyqy50T_wsXssy_anbJFhpAT0xoqN93pWZmtsXGlKhjc/s1600/SD+-+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_obMM8rnl-SzDpXr0h6PvYvI5oo2kO1QgAIOnqZavQPiQyvlsTQFDeH6X50_KfuXPSmEXvXvgiFt9yKjyMSda_sZEb8bD6GNyqy50T_wsXssy_anbJFhpAT0xoqN93pWZmtsXGlKhjc/s320/SD+-+christmas.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Bows! A highlight for Lydia.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3gdAtr9r1tAVf8BvoajpTmro_JqyfxVv2yrUXS6W4Yo1oX9xF6rw5BFwacvXNcTuI9gHEppVO8GEZXsWI3ihZjfzu4fKP64VBvGMetKJdLnEy6BE6sW7BbQwA-h_zylRXq1s7_Vutdc/s1600/SD+-+golfing+in+December.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3gdAtr9r1tAVf8BvoajpTmro_JqyfxVv2yrUXS6W4Yo1oX9xF6rw5BFwacvXNcTuI9gHEppVO8GEZXsWI3ihZjfzu4fKP64VBvGMetKJdLnEy6BE6sW7BbQwA-h_zylRXq1s7_Vutdc/s320/SD+-+golfing+in+December.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Golfing on Christmas Day in South Dakota!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlPSBVFRlKq00wbkIRp81NsVy7FLahbOyLYobtIk8y3EhJ3V0pBQV_3E2vLvXRPG7FuNK9-F5fU_QyLbSqBEshV9mTS-z4jY6ByJ8x5xzHdX1yNMz8veG2gByws4Ix2BkOuISkrz6dfo/s1600/SD+-+jeffer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlPSBVFRlKq00wbkIRp81NsVy7FLahbOyLYobtIk8y3EhJ3V0pBQV_3E2vLvXRPG7FuNK9-F5fU_QyLbSqBEshV9mTS-z4jY6ByJ8x5xzHdX1yNMz8veG2gByws4Ix2BkOuISkrz6dfo/s320/SD+-+jeffer.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ella fell in love with Jeff, the neighborhood cat.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPZVwcNk755BFL8QkGa_yORmpQjnszLqMgO4cONZSiQn3A9ojS6qCilTiqV8CoPjGEJZb4tfyyCfZLjA4sXUpzVceXIo-nxFmrm1Dez215FAXldIqUTYBbktYZWuFu8YZN4k5BVq-CnE/s1600/SD+ella+and+colton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPZVwcNk755BFL8QkGa_yORmpQjnszLqMgO4cONZSiQn3A9ojS6qCilTiqV8CoPjGEJZb4tfyyCfZLjA4sXUpzVceXIo-nxFmrm1Dez215FAXldIqUTYBbktYZWuFu8YZN4k5BVq-CnE/s320/SD+ella+and+colton.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Meeting our new cousin Colton for the first time!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHi4Q-TbhGMFVtZEdl1iDgCnYBjihO3h2KzfTGENevw-g33wwhbVF8IP6WJfekZNHjiPf9GLE4fp31s2kHpfg3kDJ4k0Og1WXKpagZ727vSiifvFdK3Vy8GjsM0-nQXpzDl5y_QRBBRw/s1600/SD+-+children%2527s+museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHi4Q-TbhGMFVtZEdl1iDgCnYBjihO3h2KzfTGENevw-g33wwhbVF8IP6WJfekZNHjiPf9GLE4fp31s2kHpfg3kDJ4k0Og1WXKpagZ727vSiifvFdK3Vy8GjsM0-nQXpzDl5y_QRBBRw/s320/SD+-+children%2527s+museum.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Playing at the Children's Museum in Brookings. (Highly recommended! Great place!)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgxGdlnJNgt1tSXeaK43bSE-q9JbqUhEg2EjvKkmUURR1rNbgLtl8Tadhj1o9Lz4qGylLdMZcHCupAsdrVeZNAHUwLnZ7RMDL7oaehDcbD7UB4s-fPNc2ZeHCxejBQEByvtsxIndYlCo/s1600/SD+wee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgxGdlnJNgt1tSXeaK43bSE-q9JbqUhEg2EjvKkmUURR1rNbgLtl8Tadhj1o9Lz4qGylLdMZcHCupAsdrVeZNAHUwLnZ7RMDL7oaehDcbD7UB4s-fPNc2ZeHCxejBQEByvtsxIndYlCo/s320/SD+wee.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Learning to play the Wii. Ella was a pro by the end of our trip.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHTWd_YfbaTvq559HS-A6scx1t4Iaezs6vNVIjmr6-g9JlElotAdmhZ-McR_Ctc-UHpkQ9un74wkqYHPsx56_01uB3akuCR6cL-2CjCeJUWFb6FvcrxaIPJ-kOUVMG2CiuR9_kDTlveU/s1600/GGwith+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHTWd_YfbaTvq559HS-A6scx1t4Iaezs6vNVIjmr6-g9JlElotAdmhZ-McR_Ctc-UHpkQ9un74wkqYHPsx56_01uB3akuCR6cL-2CjCeJUWFb6FvcrxaIPJ-kOUVMG2CiuR9_kDTlveU/s320/GGwith+kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Being with family...it doesn't get much better.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-35369270584291251972012-01-19T10:23:00.000-05:002012-01-19T10:23:07.075-05:00Albuquerque!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSXao20ylfZ5Ev6uCzIKyPFh0l5T3YDy8b3qIYoTh3lF9lQz3FXLHFO7-s0xN3EM4C53TKa_rdxf0CY_Ap2tcGuUV47nhlcHxg_QdvF8YK963sEnbKEJngKUVqo7whWVVhGMJXl4rJ4Y/s1600/MC+Church+logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSXao20ylfZ5Ev6uCzIKyPFh0l5T3YDy8b3qIYoTh3lF9lQz3FXLHFO7-s0xN3EM4C53TKa_rdxf0CY_Ap2tcGuUV47nhlcHxg_QdvF8YK963sEnbKEJngKUVqo7whWVVhGMJXl4rJ4Y/s320/MC+Church+logo.gif" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">While we were staying in Phoenix, we took a weekend trip over to New Mexico to visit Mountain Christian Church (MCC), in the East Mountains of Albuquerque. We had never been to Albuquerque before and had no idea how beautiful this city, surrounded by mountains was....or how much it reminded us of the mountains of Bolivia. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">MCC has a special place in our hearts, as we have been a part of receiving short term teams from this church here in Bolivia several times. Over the past two years we have gotten to know many people from this congregation. So even though we have never visited Albuquerque or MCC before, it still felt like visiting some place warm and familiar. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">We were able to visit with many past team members, and John also did a Saturday morning seminar, teaching on several topics, including worldview, poverty, and resources. We had an amazing time, and also enjoyed our first "glimpse" of snow during our furlough home. Actually we were apart of a "winter storm" but stayed warm and cozy with Marvin and Barb Proctor, who hosted us in their home, while we watched several inches of snow accumulate. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Thank you MCC for inviting us to come and share with you all, and for loving on us while we were with you!</span></span>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-64512207719217468982011-12-19T16:06:00.001-05:002011-12-19T16:08:06.501-05:00PhoenixWe are amazed at how fast the weeks are clipping by. As I sit to blog about our time in Phoenix, we are already hundreds of miles and states away! We had a wonderful time visiting John's parents, John and Roseann and enjoying the beautiful Arizona weather. Since Food for the Hungry's headquarters is also in Phoenix, we were able to have several meetings with various people. It was nice to meet face to face with individuals that we had only knew via e-mail and skype up until this trip. <br />
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Some of the highlights:<br />
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<ul><li>Visiting the Wildlife Center</li>
<li>Trip to the Grand Canyon</li>
<li>Phoenix Children's museum</li>
<li>Thanksgiving</li>
<li>Celebrating Christmas in November</li>
<li>John leading chapel at the Food for the Hungry office</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNJtT9YBcJ-DIfeduF6Jx_BIx4hoSUoRn6WzUlitoK1u9_u1Y8jsXVTThb6Glp5YlAAdLxX6QzpYXPUS7JpbGoYK5sQAxH_XEroCcW6ehjn7wAUXsQmtikQNvfOL55rbmVxHf4eEm4a8/s1600/GC+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNJtT9YBcJ-DIfeduF6Jx_BIx4hoSUoRn6WzUlitoK1u9_u1Y8jsXVTThb6Glp5YlAAdLxX6QzpYXPUS7JpbGoYK5sQAxH_XEroCcW6ehjn7wAUXsQmtikQNvfOL55rbmVxHf4eEm4a8/s320/GC+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ella and a Grand Canyon Ranger</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the Canyon at Sunset</td></tr>
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</div><div>The girls have more pictures of our trip to Phoenix over on their <a href="http://www.ellainbolivia.blogspot.com/">blog</a>.</div>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-11715270228195060152011-11-17T19:36:00.000-05:002011-11-17T19:36:32.239-05:00Good-bye Cincinnati!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's hard to believe that our time in Cincinnati is already over! We had a wonderful time sharing with supporters, spending time with friends and family, and presenting our ministry with various groups. Here is a list of all we did while we were there:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>Met with the Missions Board of Hope Church</li>
<li>Participated in the Hope Church weekly Staff meeting</li>
<li>Were able to be apart of our Community's Oct event</li>
<li>Shared with the Empty Nester's Community, Journey Community and the Kid's Ministry</li>
<li>One on One Meetings with 10 different supporters</li>
<li>Lots of time with friends and family</li>
</ul><div>Our church community welcomed us back with open arms and it was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces again. </div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_un9X6jcU2n8A896cJuC80QRoTzhA5Ad3FwJXBG8gqM_c6KdUdtn-nHL7bXX2aNeuJHqBkX6TWJ1UXhJYZHYv0atuOfTmyqKZ-OX5KclX7Rp8cAYVTr1S7HiU6iA3zpZt505yEEJ9Bi4/s1600/Hope+church+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_un9X6jcU2n8A896cJuC80QRoTzhA5Ad3FwJXBG8gqM_c6KdUdtn-nHL7bXX2aNeuJHqBkX6TWJ1UXhJYZHYv0atuOfTmyqKZ-OX5KclX7Rp8cAYVTr1S7HiU6iA3zpZt505yEEJ9Bi4/s320/Hope+church+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sharing with the preschool class at Hope Church. They raised over $1000 for a church in Bolivia this summer.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVA_qCo8dqpbSTbydB4N601QJ0PNsgPUQq8p0Bp1RaIGPCTnPuanPo6TC7rqw094Q0Bxy0vNGF66t2wH7BeVier5aBjcO8tW_7_qJhnjNEr2wru-_RqSz27b0RSs-gXuWukrgpCR03kY/s1600/Hope+Church+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVA_qCo8dqpbSTbydB4N601QJ0PNsgPUQq8p0Bp1RaIGPCTnPuanPo6TC7rqw094Q0Bxy0vNGF66t2wH7BeVier5aBjcO8tW_7_qJhnjNEr2wru-_RqSz27b0RSs-gXuWukrgpCR03kY/s320/Hope+Church+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sharing with the grade schoolers at Hope Church.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIEeRimOtcCwKC_gvlLgW7tXdYAihC3JUMt54NeAIYIGV0vxr-nh8uCgLH_ilx68V8g25QXn3RMqZz3pH7-VIeHUeGg5u6Oi91VeEgkJiMxE-tqlqSv8clxQX4h6-L8Amzu8zIpCgOmA/s1600/Hope+church+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIEeRimOtcCwKC_gvlLgW7tXdYAihC3JUMt54NeAIYIGV0vxr-nh8uCgLH_ilx68V8g25QXn3RMqZz3pH7-VIeHUeGg5u6Oi91VeEgkJiMxE-tqlqSv8clxQX4h6-L8Amzu8zIpCgOmA/s320/Hope+church+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Demonstrating how the Bolivians carry just about anything on their backs using Aguayo Blankets.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-12151560624963854172011-11-17T19:18:00.000-05:002011-11-17T19:18:17.672-05:00Family Fall Fun Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4m69Fqivh_IDpPAvkvHij6lACeX3le6Cjv901CTYs-NiLCnRuGfF_JkLXFPlpLOngRkzHViiIO7ZYv2I1i4Jsi870BkKLZEXS9IAmkhYCcKO4ipMROQXK83SHhpY8G6FEYoqBoG_CNI/s1600/Family+Fruit+Farm+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4m69Fqivh_IDpPAvkvHij6lACeX3le6Cjv901CTYs-NiLCnRuGfF_JkLXFPlpLOngRkzHViiIO7ZYv2I1i4Jsi870BkKLZEXS9IAmkhYCcKO4ipMROQXK83SHhpY8G6FEYoqBoG_CNI/s320/Family+Fruit+Farm+8.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have been staying busy in Cincinnati visiting with supporters and speaking at churches. The weather has been beautiful and we were able to spend a nice day together as a family at one of our favorite places. We have been going to Iron's Fruit Farm every fall since before Ella was born in 2007. (Except for when we have been living in Bolivia!) It was great to go back, see the animals and pick out some apples and apple cider donuts! We had a wonderful day, enjoyed the weather and made new family memories. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysAzG7UiIgIavmAc9AnxK2Ebr01TVODnBSrYkUVN59f5GrpBtqpal2LGyPBJGeU5S11Cb_ZNCThVk_6EJpS8v2KJ0O2cc2ixis4VapHI45IkW5skQKCKRxMu6dEagQKztudafn3iTEaA/s1600/Ella+fruit+farm+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysAzG7UiIgIavmAc9AnxK2Ebr01TVODnBSrYkUVN59f5GrpBtqpal2LGyPBJGeU5S11Cb_ZNCThVk_6EJpS8v2KJ0O2cc2ixis4VapHI45IkW5skQKCKRxMu6dEagQKztudafn3iTEaA/s320/Ella+fruit+farm+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ella - 2007, 5 months</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_VyA8xRpsll2W02RJl-wBc4pgFKJpB6184NYcAJd3rms5gaC0zglJWuCe-w6dXR0jYltLbpuPBM-5oRfAXdqduA7tYwTj2yICmDo2zsx_qilzOs1VurGpi0NqEcI6XF_pb7Q6otV9so/s1600/Ella+fruit+farm+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_VyA8xRpsll2W02RJl-wBc4pgFKJpB6184NYcAJd3rms5gaC0zglJWuCe-w6dXR0jYltLbpuPBM-5oRfAXdqduA7tYwTj2yICmDo2zsx_qilzOs1VurGpi0NqEcI6XF_pb7Q6otV9so/s320/Ella+fruit+farm+2.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ella - 2008, 17 months</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjpzJflKGJtnB-eE-qcZGrzsb_4Q2XJc8VtXQ6fOtUdRJw9qKL2m3PoADxZwFRqU7W9Hk1-zEv5CCl2H1XCRjRu7hea5hs3xk6p-SPJMhb0VHFFAlS1m5_NvVh7hVmCfo0KvYfbS2jNY/s1600/Family+fall+fun+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjpzJflKGJtnB-eE-qcZGrzsb_4Q2XJc8VtXQ6fOtUdRJw9qKL2m3PoADxZwFRqU7W9Hk1-zEv5CCl2H1XCRjRu7hea5hs3xk6p-SPJMhb0VHFFAlS1m5_NvVh7hVmCfo0KvYfbS2jNY/s320/Family+fall+fun+11.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Family of three 2008</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViPrdqNXZ-3K00rV4q5G-uMSPekt726SSBLfy0CdkAkveZ5cHBKMUaEswkqnCdjtGtgLMhk87LGUWj7ScGa_MZvZOk7RkTG44thyWpxQWIe-HCVXyB-L49ksULaVgOg_r2NwqRSnrSjs/s1600/Family+Fall+day+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViPrdqNXZ-3K00rV4q5G-uMSPekt726SSBLfy0CdkAkveZ5cHBKMUaEswkqnCdjtGtgLMhk87LGUWj7ScGa_MZvZOk7RkTG44thyWpxQWIe-HCVXyB-L49ksULaVgOg_r2NwqRSnrSjs/s320/Family+Fall+day+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dFPaitNLFLqVov5Qx8JJpR_Et3Wz4i3cF_F9rh4MwspxGJKID1g88QnnNQI10aVuOn9L3ob_GDCTSdKQE-3CQbCCXvq5zKcrhkBIf8Ie89iq_5QuM0l2Oqz-qLG4DibHrZ2A0dB8ENA/s1600/Family+Fall+day+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dFPaitNLFLqVov5Qx8JJpR_Et3Wz4i3cF_F9rh4MwspxGJKID1g88QnnNQI10aVuOn9L3ob_GDCTSdKQE-3CQbCCXvq5zKcrhkBIf8Ie89iq_5QuM0l2Oqz-qLG4DibHrZ2A0dB8ENA/s320/Family+Fall+day+9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-45257990707406968042011-11-03T07:00:00.003-04:002011-11-07T23:06:25.328-05:00Horsing around...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ella's cousins, Emma and Olivia, have been taking horse back ridding lessons for several years. This year they got their very own horse named Dream. Ella got to go with them to their ridding lessons and even got to ride the horse herself! It was a beautiful fall day and we all enjoyed watching the girls ride!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">First, the girls did some basic grooming before the lessons.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiaAJCwFFlGzm27VeqD9Yzgn6ieOooBO-b6WARcPWMgALojMV7_Gw4uuKtE19fvZSKdK5Nve1CWc5eUWpSJNiwGpH96UI8w3W9AyLrBKdzArqumE75Swv8oEHOLmseXbwg0HzNKyM6eI/s1600/Dream+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiaAJCwFFlGzm27VeqD9Yzgn6ieOooBO-b6WARcPWMgALojMV7_Gw4uuKtE19fvZSKdK5Nve1CWc5eUWpSJNiwGpH96UI8w3W9AyLrBKdzArqumE75Swv8oEHOLmseXbwg0HzNKyM6eI/s320/Dream+2.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After patiently watching Emma and Olivia ride, it was Ella's turn!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNU4eY440TGf1iphmnunW8pcAlgHuz96UfBV0271Qc9spjUqIZ8YZDdzlqFPqhaJ4Pvzy-vcCqjxXA2UiiacR1BkMzBJCQKjzKy_-dxhEDyFlUv6GgX4c5f_ZGYqXKZqI4Vlde4E76Ffo/s1600/Dream+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNU4eY440TGf1iphmnunW8pcAlgHuz96UfBV0271Qc9spjUqIZ8YZDdzlqFPqhaJ4Pvzy-vcCqjxXA2UiiacR1BkMzBJCQKjzKy_-dxhEDyFlUv6GgX4c5f_ZGYqXKZqI4Vlde4E76Ffo/s320/Dream+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">She was pretty excited!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeQCEsaUka0nlI9cvoav0uI9Z5a8XhgAI-JZrQ6ZCoq1NbBiOxWgq-nCl4xp3HlQjKiXqjX-njkp0j9sbVVlDN_OmxYUY98CYSDm0gg0L3XeEDlTZ9QV8PSQv73v-UEQmkCFPpZSgEyA/s1600/Dream+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeQCEsaUka0nlI9cvoav0uI9Z5a8XhgAI-JZrQ6ZCoq1NbBiOxWgq-nCl4xp3HlQjKiXqjX-njkp0j9sbVVlDN_OmxYUY98CYSDm0gg0L3XeEDlTZ9QV8PSQv73v-UEQmkCFPpZSgEyA/s320/Dream+4.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Emma and Olivia took turns guiding Dream around with Ella on top!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10eB4sW98GPoaOFcBNcpAsdY4XTO054WuzlIE23gZJgHUyHh5geyAS13ZbUcpYIcihjit2vOHPq1ZtmAvxuofkFeZt9xxtosuqXicWiKq-MCOeSnORmonSTmnOGRTt_b0xilMfVePeXM/s1600/Dream+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10eB4sW98GPoaOFcBNcpAsdY4XTO054WuzlIE23gZJgHUyHh5geyAS13ZbUcpYIcihjit2vOHPq1ZtmAvxuofkFeZt9xxtosuqXicWiKq-MCOeSnORmonSTmnOGRTt_b0xilMfVePeXM/s320/Dream+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I think she made a new friend.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-51374162937527210922011-11-02T20:27:00.000-04:002011-11-02T20:27:53.866-04:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPOEBRZ9zcXOF391L-jLjEQvkwzj25E7aqxqhbNS2PYMTjsPAbXSeXVHLb8eX4bj_q0kXzFcXEHOhXn-fX45Q21olKwPglOnImjtUAHmnP30SLwX8UwnB2ysD6xMvP2lKlmh0B0W5eLo/s1600/Halloween+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPOEBRZ9zcXOF391L-jLjEQvkwzj25E7aqxqhbNS2PYMTjsPAbXSeXVHLb8eX4bj_q0kXzFcXEHOhXn-fX45Q21olKwPglOnImjtUAHmnP30SLwX8UwnB2ysD6xMvP2lKlmh0B0W5eLo/s320/Halloween+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were excited that we would be in the US for Halloween this year. Ella had never been trick or treating before, and her cousin's Emma and Olivia invited her to go trick-or-treating with them. They all planned on being Disney Princesses, which was right up Ella's ally. We did have to explain the concept to Ella, and she was pretty much sold on the idea once she heard that she could wear a princess dress and get candy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Princesses Tiana, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBbJW9oaCPnbY6jWeiLgtO_j8HE1M1VX06ObxRsx_LLv0NXnem8zAvBXeUszBYuuKYDYO7v4PAzuE1CEskp5L42BZ04YWcTIFHA3GgEJGHEWB0z6vKZ5kx_qlxKdCRIs47HhKAGNYHu0/s1600/Halloween+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBbJW9oaCPnbY6jWeiLgtO_j8HE1M1VX06ObxRsx_LLv0NXnem8zAvBXeUszBYuuKYDYO7v4PAzuE1CEskp5L42BZ04YWcTIFHA3GgEJGHEWB0z6vKZ5kx_qlxKdCRIs47HhKAGNYHu0/s320/Halloween+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Off they go!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIZiKgo2pPpnHQI9ql4-PK8fgvTTYeZVSPTZFiqq8QFc3AwsgYsrY-yOgw1CobRvvGKKoS77ly3hEn8X3IIC0FQJXdQtIBNYiaOQE7tn1nhPF94oi_Ocy-VJH7IqgPA7KcQxMsl2I8tA/s1600/Halloween+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIZiKgo2pPpnHQI9ql4-PK8fgvTTYeZVSPTZFiqq8QFc3AwsgYsrY-yOgw1CobRvvGKKoS77ly3hEn8X3IIC0FQJXdQtIBNYiaOQE7tn1nhPF94oi_Ocy-VJH7IqgPA7KcQxMsl2I8tA/s320/Halloween+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They found two other princess along the way.</span></td></tr>
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Ella had a great time with her cousins and a wonderful experience trick-or-treating. She can't wait for next year!The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-81209342122289768152011-11-02T17:17:00.000-04:002011-11-02T17:17:03.648-04:00Cousins!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After spending four wonderful days in Indiana, it was time to drive down to Cincinnati. We got all settled in with the Volkman's, our host family for the next 3 weeks. After unloading our stuff, we were back in the car again over to see Aunt Amy, Uncle Greg, and the cousins! Ella was SO excited to see her cousins Emma and Olivia, and we were all excited to meet our new nephew/cousin Grant. (And introduce them to Lydia too!) It was a fun and loud reunion, and we are looking forward to lots of fun times together over the next few weeks! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDwcopctGcNGS7M0daxCW2_Z4zxW4qTAL6-cH08H1hugw3DHGVL31NJcBn1yiefQkAKd8G5Fu8bM5KadACKUnaPiDrA4ACcXn3zTkP9wAQK348Lg1c9j0GQYx8dyh7Ov0tl2jThE8ZAg/s1600/Cousins+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDwcopctGcNGS7M0daxCW2_Z4zxW4qTAL6-cH08H1hugw3DHGVL31NJcBn1yiefQkAKd8G5Fu8bM5KadACKUnaPiDrA4ACcXn3zTkP9wAQK348Lg1c9j0GQYx8dyh7Ov0tl2jThE8ZAg/s320/Cousins+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">New cousins! Hard to believe that Lydia is actually the eldest by one month!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfVBPb2BJViu7P4hwGe8xBtKHMLtnMOXOl5a91ceYCwtZzf3kWADiryRWrGWoY3CM6MlkOdeP_z8gxCTJWxKyK3Jf3hzEmVyU0LxWUPmsm8x2nydx_Bl04hDIzIGdYD6QnlbK4FUe5-0/s1600/Cousins+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfVBPb2BJViu7P4hwGe8xBtKHMLtnMOXOl5a91ceYCwtZzf3kWADiryRWrGWoY3CM6MlkOdeP_z8gxCTJWxKyK3Jf3hzEmVyU0LxWUPmsm8x2nydx_Bl04hDIzIGdYD6QnlbK4FUe5-0/s320/Cousins+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lydia with her Aunt Amy</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Uyb6YVz9XeAwNdVqlprgWqy6j4xFNuMRl4diLNlWzITaxgUCdaqPlUGxyRaUd-r6UteiD-Kan7N9f8A8qYltgEYNsEWkThv87avKBV0IsqARYsp4AD2WZNrUq_dKkum1Pc7m4xO1CdA/s1600/Cousins+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Uyb6YVz9XeAwNdVqlprgWqy6j4xFNuMRl4diLNlWzITaxgUCdaqPlUGxyRaUd-r6UteiD-Kan7N9f8A8qYltgEYNsEWkThv87avKBV0IsqARYsp4AD2WZNrUq_dKkum1Pc7m4xO1CdA/s640/Cousins+3.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Emma, Olivia, and Ella...inseparable!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-9345550825400031872011-11-02T17:07:00.000-04:002011-11-02T17:07:43.675-04:00Fun with the Fishers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9GL3V-XzNsWy1XMWhNZc5HLqdg5Is5D0TEWXlBB4akseVju-a6aSlK5G1ZG-mv04NQ7xIExnKsr2wkL7PzhTpVyK1JnGnxcJPhqHlZTI0i-QWRk0Imhz4I9LCkQ3CbqQbii1h2MaEpc/s1600/Fishers+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9GL3V-XzNsWy1XMWhNZc5HLqdg5Is5D0TEWXlBB4akseVju-a6aSlK5G1ZG-mv04NQ7xIExnKsr2wkL7PzhTpVyK1JnGnxcJPhqHlZTI0i-QWRk0Imhz4I9LCkQ3CbqQbii1h2MaEpc/s320/Fishers+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By the time we rolled into the Fisher's driveway in Roanoke, we were ready to unwind...and that we did! Bill and Ramona Fisher have been long time friends of Jennie's family. Jennie actually attended their wedding when she was just 3 years old...and we had the privilege of having Bill marry us at our wedding. Through the years Bill and Ramona have become dear friends of ours and have opened their home for us to retreat to several times over the past 8 years. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just like in times past, we enjoyed the tranquility of their farm-like neighborhood, long talks lasting late into the night, wise counsel, and lots of laughs. Bill and Ramona invested their time into our kids and as you can see by the pictures they soaked it in. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WE9aqeR8SSw5nr2slNrLZgSJ-WhADFMKKjJZzXYe_vdb7yo_1x1lZ00p2pHYS5WmCXA6pqbYqmOADR5mSNLwMeT2S-KKtkqbAw8USy_Jx0rLm8vUXrAN20o9v13pIt40T5bu4tcS-sw/s1600/Fishers+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WE9aqeR8SSw5nr2slNrLZgSJ-WhADFMKKjJZzXYe_vdb7yo_1x1lZ00p2pHYS5WmCXA6pqbYqmOADR5mSNLwMeT2S-KKtkqbAw8USy_Jx0rLm8vUXrAN20o9v13pIt40T5bu4tcS-sw/s320/Fishers+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJCsjzKXtH7-TYEZQxb8l0s8Qkf9-gqA78PH0JxnY-gFkw-ocbjEMniOf3Dfbo0fpTaD5vFPv0NzShwa8JrVZEex3z8dQ1uJfN1zpBdGjwfgC9stN-fbWWtW2_jwJFqgubUR4mTDF2G4/s1600/Fishers+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJCsjzKXtH7-TYEZQxb8l0s8Qkf9-gqA78PH0JxnY-gFkw-ocbjEMniOf3Dfbo0fpTaD5vFPv0NzShwa8JrVZEex3z8dQ1uJfN1zpBdGjwfgC9stN-fbWWtW2_jwJFqgubUR4mTDF2G4/s320/Fishers+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>We also really enjoyed sharing at their church (First Baptist Church) of Warren Indiana. As always the fellowship was great and the time was a blessing for our family. Thanks Bill and Ramona for your friendship and a great few days of relaxation and fellowship.The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-25756002985305183262011-10-25T14:34:00.000-04:002011-10-25T14:34:00.585-04:00Hit the ground running...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...we certainly did! We landed in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday around noon. Our good friends Erin and Jason Hughes were our hosts and they graciously picked up us (and our 6 suitcases). About an hour after arriving in Columbus, John's friend Cam picked him up and the two of them headed up to Bluffton, Ohio to prepare for Cam's wedding. Meanwhile, Jennie and the girls stayed behind in Columbus to visit with the Hughes family. She and Erin had a great time catching up...and wrangling 5 children and a dog!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv50TOntNbdeGY2wy9qinc3HFpPKvuG7Svw59W089muQOSzRhULzh0hdLq9ocyfAUU6bbzBizhoGztJFehYQUENyBQPfHHpp5WcuWOdgTZKjtdNGyzkTchEAM3L9iYm_dJ5OocXsm84k4/s1600/Hit+the+ground+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv50TOntNbdeGY2wy9qinc3HFpPKvuG7Svw59W089muQOSzRhULzh0hdLq9ocyfAUU6bbzBizhoGztJFehYQUENyBQPfHHpp5WcuWOdgTZKjtdNGyzkTchEAM3L9iYm_dJ5OocXsm84k4/s320/Hit+the+ground+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning, John's parents came through Columbus to pick up Jennie and the girls and they all headed to Upper Sandusky for Cam and Emily's wedding. Ella and Lydia were excited to see their grandparents again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5VaTrLWyVY5hDMGulYkS8kjts6sZaMN40DaBh_HlVm8K1L1hceODE4rnx4IYOKkQDEDoAj9OxKLUP_fzIlUwhUDil_1wJsVs2jH15ep3rXCWejFEm2UkaX69oyG76g557sDtB2CPRu0/s1600/Hit+the+ground+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5VaTrLWyVY5hDMGulYkS8kjts6sZaMN40DaBh_HlVm8K1L1hceODE4rnx4IYOKkQDEDoAj9OxKLUP_fzIlUwhUDil_1wJsVs2jH15ep3rXCWejFEm2UkaX69oyG76g557sDtB2CPRu0/s320/Hit+the+ground+4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday morning we enjoyed celebrating Cam and Emily's wedding. It was a beautiful fall day and a wonderful ceremony. There were several other friends there and we enjoyed catching up with everyone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOJiaDQFUlKvf1W7DFoUeI4rPVC-Z7DnrM2iWcwxXZ6689coJlepN_0bXCS60XxGWh-GsK7sSJJp9YniU9HAlraaRTrBDf-0EypVn01ff1jfTVSE1JNUEYYYUitERWSNugtW1Z879kFc/s1600/Hit+the+ground+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOJiaDQFUlKvf1W7DFoUeI4rPVC-Z7DnrM2iWcwxXZ6689coJlepN_0bXCS60XxGWh-GsK7sSJJp9YniU9HAlraaRTrBDf-0EypVn01ff1jfTVSE1JNUEYYYUitERWSNugtW1Z879kFc/s320/Hit+the+ground+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5MbEQhuVNGXhMNhB0KRdtHoK9TKkEIP298oLdqYue35PCSLWvGDIe-ixKBJ_6S6-QZb8YA8dJKjZIp-3vgftgPea9NJwQDg6SjIex5IkY7fF8FY4FWXszIt-DSscebxFJ6S5OUZZbAk/s1600/Hit+the+ground+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5MbEQhuVNGXhMNhB0KRdtHoK9TKkEIP298oLdqYue35PCSLWvGDIe-ixKBJ_6S6-QZb8YA8dJKjZIp-3vgftgPea9NJwQDg6SjIex5IkY7fF8FY4FWXszIt-DSscebxFJ6S5OUZZbAk/s320/Hit+the+ground+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the wedding we were on the road again! We spent 5 nights in a row, each in a different city and in a different bed. We were thrilled to finally arrive in Roanoke, IN to the welcoming arms of our hosts, Bill and Ramona Fisher. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_oXRiwsYeF-iZJqONUC1I3lXXKJr-NabQpUoZMv55xLZE7Hd8zIW2xvRGOT24UB1O7gvT58hC___ErDuWZUzy-0vwl8AyhAEF4miHnGyO1Y5ZeSRBC-1Y1OQ8IRnPeAPGIUSDHVtNiM/s1600/Hit+the+ground+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_oXRiwsYeF-iZJqONUC1I3lXXKJr-NabQpUoZMv55xLZE7Hd8zIW2xvRGOT24UB1O7gvT58hC___ErDuWZUzy-0vwl8AyhAEF4miHnGyO1Y5ZeSRBC-1Y1OQ8IRnPeAPGIUSDHVtNiM/s320/Hit+the+ground+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stay tuned for more of our adventures!</div>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-68537323253991517542011-10-24T14:32:00.001-04:002011-10-24T15:32:03.530-04:00We Made It!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It took several days but we finally made it back to the US for our furlough! We left Sucre for Santa Cruz on Monday the 17th. Because Sucre has such a small airport, and no radar, flights get canceled all the time. So if you have an important international flight to catch, you really need to allow 2 days to make it. Our flight left on time Monday, and we arrived in Santa Cruz in the early afternoon. We settled into our hotel and made our plans for the following day in Santa Cruz. To help pass the time, the Mozombite family who serves in Santa Cruz, came over with their kids to swim in the hotel pool. We had a great time catching up with them...and you can tell by the pictures below, the kids certainly had a blast together as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkxP3SHEpAzI-Rc5RZvtJCWiMh3Ea97XNEwcRLDpZvNGB9dSaOYAE4ND1X55gAlfaiBkV6TmEJLrqNuJKgOLWS7qZNkSB8bDsOJI0jXMx3gBMn5hudyr_T3WAWUIJzW4DKsd3CEmJT_o/s1600/furlough+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkxP3SHEpAzI-Rc5RZvtJCWiMh3Ea97XNEwcRLDpZvNGB9dSaOYAE4ND1X55gAlfaiBkV6TmEJLrqNuJKgOLWS7qZNkSB8bDsOJI0jXMx3gBMn5hudyr_T3WAWUIJzW4DKsd3CEmJT_o/s320/furlough+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizI2WTxFzgB5ybG-uFV05AJXifjE4tKlPLVOcji1WqmkJ7K_FsksdIGclGSh29kdfOl9aa5eiOc_UMM9zbjzyVRC0iwLu7ym1QieQPctVbQHt5VSs4uF_w5Jpk6B9BUa4u2I1MJCRnMf0/s1600/furlough+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizI2WTxFzgB5ybG-uFV05AJXifjE4tKlPLVOcji1WqmkJ7K_FsksdIGclGSh29kdfOl9aa5eiOc_UMM9zbjzyVRC0iwLu7ym1QieQPctVbQHt5VSs4uF_w5Jpk6B9BUa4u2I1MJCRnMf0/s320/furlough+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We woke up early on Wed morning to catch our 9am flight from Santa Cruz to Miami. Everything went well and we arrived at the airport by 6:20 am. Once we made our way up to the ticket counter, we found out that our flight was delayed until 12:30pm and that we wouldn't make our connection in Miami. So, we had a 6 hour wait in the airport before getting on our 6 hour airplane ride to the States. American Airlines did put us up in a hotel and we had meal vouchers for lunch in Santa Cruz, dinner and breakfast in Miami. On the plus side, our plane was only half full, so we were able to spread out and the kids were able to nap well during the flight. Luckily the delay didn't cause us to miss any important events...we just had to shave off some time we had planned to spend with friends. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are thankful to have arrived safely and appreciate all of your prayers. </div>The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-80213217135226966802011-10-10T12:51:00.001-04:002011-10-10T12:51:00.619-04:00Faces of Bolivia<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCUrs9SaYNiFkmcXsP7QLuAYP3pJlEsbAXtyGaZmMtHKT-9I9sJwQpJGN8KGfTBX7MXTNxndC3sZzlBMn9YGoTla_8eQl6Dm5jMwvZflU-5kjuZ2sQZ9oRq6YVzu25FFBgpCIaiRJAxg/s1600/Adelia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCUrs9SaYNiFkmcXsP7QLuAYP3pJlEsbAXtyGaZmMtHKT-9I9sJwQpJGN8KGfTBX7MXTNxndC3sZzlBMn9YGoTla_8eQl6Dm5jMwvZflU-5kjuZ2sQZ9oRq6YVzu25FFBgpCIaiRJAxg/s320/Adelia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are times in life when God really challenges you through other people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it is a conversation or act of service by another person, or just the way they live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have certainly been several of those occasions while living here in Bolivia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One person I would like to share with you is Adelia Chumacero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adelia may be one of the best examples of passionate, sacrificial service for the kingdom of God I have ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adelia is a pastor in a rural village called Ravelo, which is located about 2 hours outside of Sucre in the Andes Mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many years Adelia has been working in the rural areas of Bolivia planting churches, sharing about the Bible, and serving the Quecha people group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What many people do not realize about Bolivia is that the Andes Mountains are some of the most rugged mountains in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mountains are literally impassable in certain areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of this there is a section of the country about 200 square miles wide where the Gospel has not been shared or introduced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no roads to this area and no evangelical churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The habitants in this area are very tied to the ancient Inca Indian religious rituals and worship many of the Inca Gods and spirits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is Bolivia’s own “10-40 window” of unreached people groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life in this area is very harsh with climate, conditions and resources being very sporadic and challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is amazing is that Adelia a single women in a male dominated culture has embraced these peoples and started a ministry in several of the small villages tucked back in this region. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Adelia for several years has had a vision to start a seminary in Ravelo that would train and equip indigenous Quecha speaking pastors to plant churches and embrace a ministry among these unreached Quecha people groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in the mean time Adelia has taken it upon herself to reach out to this region of people and share the hope of the gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I (John) talked to Adelia in March of this year she shared with me that she had been walking 13 miles off of the nearest road to the area, to a village several Sundays a month for the previous 3 months preaching and serving the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was excited to share that the previous week she had baptized two new believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adelia has also spent many days hiking further back </div><div class="MsoNormal">into the regions sharing about God and the message of hope He brings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this conversation I was humbled by her incredible dedication to these people and the passion she had to try to touch every one of them with the gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Adelia also has developed a radio ministry to the Quecha people, started a kids ministry in Ravelo, and been a vibrant part of our pastor training program over the past year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only has Adelia been a leader in her community but she has been a model of faith and love to the Quecha people. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A few months ago we hosted a pastors meeting in the village of Ravelo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this quarterly meeting we gave each pastor a chance to share about their ministry and what struggles they are facing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again I was struck with God’s amazing work through Adelia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adelia shared about the various villages she had been visiting and the ways that God had been moving in the hearts of the people she had been ministering to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She shared an incredible story of how she had been struck by the car of a drunk driver and God had protected her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She shared how God healed a woman who had been a paraplegic for some 40 years through a seed project of service and prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also shared how she had been blessed by several faith conversions through her radio ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adelia then paused for a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With tears in her eyes she then shared with us that she also had recently been diagnosed with Chargas disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Chargas disease is caused by a parasite transmitted through a beetle-like bug found mostly in Latin and South American regions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These bugs live within the cracks of mud huts and bite their victims during the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once bitten, the parasite enters the blood stream and this incurable disease is contracted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chargas over time ultimately affects the nervous and digestive system, as well as causes a deterioration of the heart, leading to cardiac damage and eventual death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This of course is devastating information for any person to hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s amazing about the situation is that Adelia’s first response was not about a fear she had about the disease or the unknowns and struggles she would face in the future living with this condition, or even a anger or disappointment that she most likely contracted this condition while living and serving in the severe conditions of this region; no, her first response was of fear that as her heart deteriorated that she would not be able to continue her ministry to these unreached people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a heart condition it would not be possible for her to walk the distance needed in order to get to these areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A heart sold out for the gospel and its transformational impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A servant sacrificing MUCH for the spreading of the kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thanks Adelia for your model of sacrificial ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have been an example and challenge for me and many others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well done faithful servant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><!--EndFragment-->The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118624786986424527.post-3075084823497522252011-10-04T07:00:00.004-04:002011-10-04T07:00:05.235-04:00Soccer Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This past week our office decided to participate in a seed project for a neighborhood in Horna C'Kasa. This is a slum region just outside the city of Sucre. The FH office has worked in Horna C'Kasa for about 6 years and with the help of a US based church has started a soccer school for youth. With the goal of helping develop the God given gifts and talents of soccer in these boys the school has really been a blessing to the neighborhood. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A challenge for many of the boys in the school is finding shoes to wear at soccer practice. Many come from broken families who have little to no money to invest in soccer cleats. Thus, they try to practice in sandals or bare-feet. Our office decided as a seed project that we would purchase a pair of new soccer cleats for each child in the school. This past week we shared a few testimonies of some Christian soccer professionals, talked to them about perseverance and dreams, and presented a pair of cleats to each boy. A smile is worth a thousand words. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp44rC0BXsb1bETB6NAxwExIiQb5LtumnFlhM2kSm-3KYtTb853uJmdxNqnDcO2v2_5rqwtlDdPZGCthkdM8VKeb5RR7lbAkEWxlcKLirow-l8CWFjlRIC1xrvzdFW28DoXB3cTk9Wx84/s1600/prayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp44rC0BXsb1bETB6NAxwExIiQb5LtumnFlhM2kSm-3KYtTb853uJmdxNqnDcO2v2_5rqwtlDdPZGCthkdM8VKeb5RR7lbAkEWxlcKLirow-l8CWFjlRIC1xrvzdFW28DoXB3cTk9Wx84/s320/prayer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Prayer time. Thanking God for what he has provided</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKVp39RMhMexTAIVUV0Qx21BLydnnMXwNJML1KppQ3h-6k31HnBLnd22Sm1wLLTbxOU8zJObU00yVWzZugsM-znThL4CazUzUsy2o0o10P0yHAxdhDXqqrgPSOpkdc0gKuvX7nLIW8Ig/s1600/boy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKVp39RMhMexTAIVUV0Qx21BLydnnMXwNJML1KppQ3h-6k31HnBLnd22Sm1wLLTbxOU8zJObU00yVWzZugsM-znThL4CazUzUsy2o0o10P0yHAxdhDXqqrgPSOpkdc0gKuvX7nLIW8Ig/s320/boy1.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtn5lABHNKaYa_RgQmeZLdNx66IIpDo-_EPW4gNSw2fV1UeR6eO3r3guvKeLod6ExDyMZAeoNy7FthdjSzN_sNe95TNAo1JCbH9cz5xMhyrrATxp8bZY-XHCuVm8gmh2KYbg-SH92cnY/s1600/size.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtn5lABHNKaYa_RgQmeZLdNx66IIpDo-_EPW4gNSw2fV1UeR6eO3r3guvKeLod6ExDyMZAeoNy7FthdjSzN_sNe95TNAo1JCbH9cz5xMhyrrATxp8bZY-XHCuVm8gmh2KYbg-SH92cnY/s320/size.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Trying on for size</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFqzj-S4xC-HM5CppYvZMboIZ2Fd9yXpaWIXmBriHMyW49A7aEfLV8b2ZJnocpWMpdL63X_8ci01de-V27eTeYuSYcWX3rDXsZB-K5aj6n63xYYYCnF_Zsk2OgZYTdfbHKkI3LzdP0PY/s1600/John.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFqzj-S4xC-HM5CppYvZMboIZ2Fd9yXpaWIXmBriHMyW49A7aEfLV8b2ZJnocpWMpdL63X_8ci01de-V27eTeYuSYcWX3rDXsZB-K5aj6n63xYYYCnF_Zsk2OgZYTdfbHKkI3LzdP0PY/s320/John.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8doHDW5OfZLaH0y6waVxV8B8lU04epzjJFbv0T2k3kcRRWkMiQA-lBNgpQKCVLf36cg2HXnjeN0vTknz3hotmqudrH0ppGL4KozdFr3v9kWq_r6f3HZw-8MGaF-ndft_l1_VVv7LFAvU/s1600/group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8doHDW5OfZLaH0y6waVxV8B8lU04epzjJFbv0T2k3kcRRWkMiQA-lBNgpQKCVLf36cg2HXnjeN0vTknz3hotmqudrH0ppGL4KozdFr3v9kWq_r6f3HZw-8MGaF-ndft_l1_VVv7LFAvU/s320/group.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our group for the office and the boys</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> The Warden Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688706234721483286noreply@blogger.com1