Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Pray for Vanessa's Health

Please pray for Vanessa's health in these coming days. During a routine medical examine her doctor discovered several lumps in her breasts that have the potential of being cancerous. Because Vanessa's mom and aunt have had breast cancer, the doctor feels it would be prudent to go ahead and remove the lumps so they can be examined for cancer. We will probably be scheduling surgery in the next couple of weeks.

World Concern Contract not Being Renewed

Just wanted to let you know that our contract with World Concern will not be renewed for a new term. We had asked for a one year extention (which I thought was approved) to our two year contract. We were not planning on coming back to the U.S. until the summer of 2007, but because of a financial crisis in the home office and budget cuts, World Concern has decided to completely cut support for the Latin America area office (in which we are working). This has effectively eliminated our position here. The Bolivia office is also concurrently cutting positions for foreign missionaries so there is no longer a place for us to work in Latin America under World Concern. Our official duties with World Concern end on May 20th, but we will stay in Santa Cruz until June 30th in order to host several previously planned mission teams coming to work in local orphanages.
The current plan is to return to the U.S. in July to visit with friends and family and plan for our future. If feels like we are just getting settled in Santa Cruz and are beginning to find ways to effectively minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the people around us. We continue to feel called to missionary service in South America and will begin searching for another missionary sending organization that will allow us to continue serving the Lord here in Bolivia. We are saddened to sever ties with World Concern, but at the same time excited about new possibilities of service and we cannot wait to see how the Lord will bless us through these difficult days.
Thank you for your continued support of our ministry. Continue to lift up our family in your prayers.
Danny

Monday, April 03, 2006

Beams Bytes -- April 2006

Dear Friends and Family,

Thanks for your continued prayers and support of this ministry. We feel the hand of God working in Bolivia and are encouraged to continue serving here through our ministries with World Concern, and the orphanages and the crisis pregnancy center that Vanessa is working with. The political situation continues to be basically calm despite threats of instability. Continue to pray for the country as we head into a constitutional assembly in August. Things could get dicey as opposing political factions hash out a new constitution.

Both Terry Waller and Paul Closen have recovered from the serious illnesses they contracted in Nicaragua. I was a true miracle that Paul survived and no doubt a strong testimony for the power of prayer. We had a great visit with my brother Jason and his family, and with the team from his church. They were here with an evangelical team sharing the Gospel and working with new churches in the urban periphery of Santa Cruz.

Our biggest need this month is prayer for the future of World Concern in Bolivia and what role our family will play in the ministry here. The World Concern Latin American area office has closed because of funding cuts in Seattle home office and our work and expansion in other countries of Latin America has been postponed. We feel that God wants us to continue working in Bolivia. Pray for His will to be revealed and that some sticky transitional issues can be resolved quickly.

We appreciate our strong base of prayer warriors and supporters back home and we want you to know that the work we do here would not be possible without your faithful support of this ministry.

In His Grace,
Danny


Mailing address:

Daniel and Vanessa Beams
World Concern
Parapeti #146 -- Casilla 3681
Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Office Telephone: 011 591 3336 3664
Home Telephone: 011 591 3352 9156
Email: beamsclan@yahoo.com, danielb@worldconcern.org.bo
Website: www.beamsclan.blogspot.com