Bolivia Missions

This is an invitation to come down.  It seems Samaritan’s purse has 7,000 Christmas boxes yet to deliver. (They just arrived). They are at one church who does not have the man power or funds to deliver the boxes.  We are getting lists together for the communities around camp so the camp staff can deliver them.  Don’t know when all this will actually happen but hopefully in the next few months.

Hi, we are the Lizarazus.  We live in Bolivia, South America.  Emily first came to Bolivia in 1996.  Since ‘96 we’ve been in Bolivia, minus some time we had to stay in the states for paper work and medical treatments.  We work at a Christian Camp about 40 miles from the city of Cochabamba.  It takes us about 2 ½ hours to drive the 40 miles due to the mountain roads.   Enjoy the pictures!

First is our family - Our pride and joy!

Benjamin is 7, Lydia is 5, Ellie is 3 and Julia was 1 year old Feb 27th.

Our family took a few days off and we visited a place up in the mountains called Toro Toro.  There they have caves and dinosaur footprints.  Julia could sit just perfectly in the “Stegosaurus prints” on the mountain.  Eric was invited back by the national park service leaders to teach some out door skills (and creationism) to the teen guides.  He will consider taking some youth counselors with him when the University is on break this “summer.” (December-February)   The road is a bit exciting so he may double the trip as an adventure trip as well. 

 In conclusion:  2007 was a good year ministry-wise.  A scary year politically and  a great year with the family.  Thanks for praying for us.  Please keep us in your prayers.  We do miss hearing from you all.

The LORD is good, all the time!

Eric, Emily and the kids.

January 2008
Bolivia, South America
Camp Kewina
 
EL Senor fortalece a su puebl0:  El Senor bendice a su pueble con la paz.  Salmo 29:11
The Lord gives strength to his people:  The Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalms  29:11
 
We are in the midst of our busiest season of the year.  Camp is full all year around but the “summer break” has been especially busy, booked back to back to back.  There will have been 22 camps from November to February. 

There has been continued construction work and family things to be taken care of.  We are tired.  It is easy for bad feelings, discontentment, anger and the like to fill our hearts.  I have been trying to fill my heart with the words in 2nd Peter chapter 1:3…He has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him WHO CALLED US.  
 
The needs of this world are great.  Many people come to us who are in need.  We feel the weight of their burdens.   We are glad we can help (when we can help) but we get tired. 
 
Political problems are increasing.  More and more strikes are happening.  Road blocks, lies and threats. The news is full of angry people. 
 
We ask for your prayers.  Prayers for perseverance.  Prayers for wisdom.  Prayers for safety.  
 
There is great rejoicing though.  We are not walking depressed people.  Just tired soldiers.  The roof is up on the new mess hall and it can now hold 250 campers at one time. God held the rains back for us just as he did for Elijah.  It seems the day they finished the roofing, the rains came pouring down.  A bit later in the season than normal. 
 
I can’t hardly count the number of campers that have grown this year in their knowledge of the gospel.  Our team is holding together pretty well.  Our volunteer counselors are a more mature group this year and that makes things easier.  We are continuing to work with World Vision kids and are in the process of making a new contract with Compassion International.  There was the need to hold two children’s camps this year because the numbers were so large.  Adventure camp went well in spite of a broken down car.  All in all there was only two small mishaps at camp, one broken arm and one broken nose.  Not bad considering how many kids are running wild in the great outdoors.
 
Our work with World Vision touches 61 communities.  We work with 30 percent of the children in these communities.  That is around 2,000 or so children a year.  World Vision’s main focus is “justice’.  They receive the gospel only during their camps.  This is our fourth year working with these youngsters.
  
Family News:
Benji, 7, was a camper this year.  He only came to our room once for a change of clothes.  He spent all 4 nights away from Mom, and he loved it!

Lydia 5, is tall, for a Lizarazu, and pretty.  Her goal is to have her hair reach the floor when she sits down.  She learned to read small Spanish words and can’t wait to start Kindergarten in February.

Ellie, 3, our little Lizarazu, loves being little. She is 3 ½ and many 2 T clothes still fit her well.  She has the love of a Lab.  You can’t do anything without her climbing in your lap.

Julia, 11 mo., is a mess.  She watches her brother and sisters and tries to copy them.  Her favorite game is chase. We chase her while she screeches like a girl and tries to crawl away.  Her favorite toy is the garbage can. You can always find her looking for a nice sloppy treat.  When we try to pry the “treat” out of her hand she can really put up a fight.
 
Thanks for your prayers! 
I will be sending pictures out sometime or another.
Eric, Emily
Ben, Lydia, Ellie, and Julia Lizarazu
Serving in Cochabamba Bolivia

Oct 9, 2007 10:40 AM Evo, our president, flown in his new helicopter from Venezuela landed in Candalaria (a surprise visit).  We could hear his speech given from the loud speakers.  He called them to be on their guard from the unforgiving world power.  He needed them to arm themselves and arm themselves well and soon.  The rest of his speech is not worth repeating.  It was full of hate and anger.  His next stop was Colomi an already violent area.  We are saddened deeply from the hate and ways of manipulation with which he runs his country.  Pray for us and Bolivia.  Recently he made 27 (I do believe it was 27) contracts with Iran.  Of which some were ¨Chemical¨.Which kind of Chemical we do not know. All the funds for these contracts have been financed by Venezuela.  Eric, Emily, Benji, Lydia, Ellie & Julia Lizarazu

Eric and Emily Lizarazu
Ben 7, Lydia 4, Ellie 2, Julia 6mo
Cochabamba, Bolivia
South America
Sept. 2007Hi Everyone!
What a wonderful few months we have had.  Time has slipped away and I think this has been the fastest year of my life!  I will recap just a bit.  In April when we arrived, we got ready for a move.  We chose a house about 40 minutes out of town and in need of a paint job, plumbing and a bit more. It is a nice house with the bathroom in-doors and the kitchen in-doors too. (Our other house had these necessities outside on the patio. )  We lack a good phone and internet services out here though. May and June arrived and as the kids started school, we finished settling in our new house.  Eric was out at camp a lot taking supplies and getting the workers ready for the work teams to come.  We had 4 work teams back to back this year.  It felt like a wonderfully long family visit.  Most of the teams were from the same area.  They accomplished many tasks and encouraged us to work in areas that we ordinarily would not have ventured into due to our other duties.  We did a VBS, dental clinic outreach in a near village, tore down a building, started building new rooms at the village church, worked with the ladies group helping them to sell their weavings, taught them how to use some special looms, hauled cement, showed the Jesus film to 400 World Vision kids, constructed a new mess hall, visited Compassion projects, and and and…Then August arrived and we began September.  In the mean time, the extra land we hoped to buy sold.  We are looking at another piece but the logistics of just getting to it is our greatest problem.   The price is right.  The area beautiful but the road is on the iffy side, not to mention that it is a 2- hour iffy drive.  Our need is to purchase some land to have as over flow land to hold camps on.  Camp Kewina is full all year around now.  There are 2 and sometimes 3 camps on the property each week.
Bolivia and politics:  Read Isaiah 59:8.  The way of peace they do not know, there is no justice in their paths.  They have turned them into crooked roads: no one who walks in them will know peace. There is a vote to approve the new Constitution.  It is not a good one.  We
are in for some tough times!Blessings and Greetings from Bolivia!
The Lizarazu Family

I have been so busy, not to mention we don´t have easy access to internet.  But, I had a minute today to ask for special prayers.  My sisiter sent us some bank cards and Eric´s new Citizen ship card in June.  It has not arrived.  We can get mail from the states in one week to 6 weeks but this has gotten us worried.  I will sit down maybe next week and fill you in on the wonderful past few months of construction and visits. 

Ben is on winter break from school and we have several work teams down this
summer.  One team is almost 2 days late due to American Air breaking down in
North Carolina.  So, we are at the office celebrating 4th of July  with
Saltanas.  One of our favorite foods here that you eat for a 10 am snack.
It is somewhat similar to a pot pie but different.Ben learned how to ride a bike without training wheels and he grew two inches that same day.  He kind of had one of those growing experiences and now he is different.  Big.Lydia has grown lately too.  She is so sweet.  Ben knocked her clean up job down out of meanness.   She said, no worries, I will just do it again.  NO need to say your sorry.  I got it….Is she real???  Ellie can reach the microwave and thinks everything has to be microwaved but she confusses the microwave with the refridgerator.  She say, I have to put it in the micro to get cold.Julie still spits up like crazy but she can hold on to things and she arches her back to be picked up.  She still has a gray, hazel color to her eyes, sort of dark blue-brown. See you.  Thought I would catch you up.

Subject: Bolivia
Date: Wed, 30 May 2007 
 
We are moved in for the most part.  Our new house suits us so far.  Except for the spiders.  Last night I was tucking Ellie into my bed after she woke up crying with leg aches.  In the dark I could see my water bottle sitting on the bed rail.  It looked like a sleeping fly was on the mouth piece and I tried to shoo it away.  When it would not shoo, I picked up the bottle and took it into the light.  OOOOO, I wanted to scream.  What if I had picked it up at night, in my sleep,  and took a big swig out of the mouth hole?  It was an ugly spider too.We are continuing work at the camp on the new buildings.  It looks pretty so far. We can’t wait until August to see how it actually all looks. There are 3 camps this weekend so we will head out tomorrow or Friday morning to work with those groups.We are still praying for the money for the new camp lot.  The “overflow” camp spot.  We may have over half of the money for the lot coming from Sweden.  A former camp team member.  The wait and search is still on. Thanks for praying and considering helping us down here.We are somewhat in a rural area and we don’t have e mail.  We will check once or twice a week at the office in town for any updates.
Emily and Family

Eric went home in March & Emily has been home since the first week of April.  Her mom and cousin went along with her.  They have had a busy whirlwind time.  Much to adjust to. Possibly moving and everything that goes along with the plans for that, plus a new little person in the midst of everything!

Seems like there will be visa requirements for folks entering Bolivia.  Eric overheard some men talking on the plane and the requirments start in April.  That means two of my children and my mom who is flying with us.  We are counting on the fact that this is Bolivia and that delays are almost certain.  We are hoping that the delays will give us more time to figure out how their visa system will work.  We fly in 9 working days, so it would prove difficult to get a visa at this point.  Just a bit of stress. 

Eric made it home ok.  No problems in customs and he figured he would have to pay for some items he was carrying but they waved him through.  PTL.  Em