Dear Family and Friends,
Hello! Boy have I miss you guys a lot lately. Recently in Bolivia there have been times when I just wanted to run away! It was partly due to the political situation, and partly because I am chicken when it comes to serious situations like that. But, I also want all of you to know that after the worst night or worrying for me I prayed a lot and I think there must been a lot of people praying for us too because the next morning the fear was gone! I decided I had to keep living and making our home a happy place for our kids. Surely this is a miracle because I usually don’t work like that I really believe the Spirit over took me!
Thank you to our dear family and friends who were constantly praying and thinking about us! I want you know that the Lord not only protected us from harm but he also protected our eyes from even seeing anything bad. I know some things happened even here in our own city but the Lord kept us and our children safe and for that we are grateful. Please continue to pray for those here who have lost dear ones, for all those moms and dads and children. Pray that more and more people will come to the Lord, will receive his forgiveness and grace, and that more and more adults will have the courage to live out their faith.
Last week, Danny and a team of men from our mission went back to the Yuqui village to drill another water well. I think you all know Danny, he is tall and handsome and strong. Yet the realities of this country, especially of the Yuqui village tend to break his heart. Lots of children are living in absolute filth and neglect. We meet little girls whose parents sell them into prostitution in order to earn money for medication or food. Praise the Lord that even in some of the world’s saddest situations, He raises his most loving, bravest people to show His love to those who desperately need it—I am talking about a Bolivian couple, Mariano and Leonarda, who have lived among the Yuqui for 28 years. They have 9 children of their own. Their three youngest (11, 18 and 20) live by themselves here in Santa Cruz, so they can go to school. This couple not only takes care of our teams when they go there but have saved the lives of so many children throughout the years by providing food and care for them when their parents practically abandon them. Leonarda, encourages the parents to be good parents and when all her efforts to educate them fail she encourages them to leave the children at the village when they go into town to beg, seek medical help or find some work. In that way, the children are better off, she says, at least they won’t be sold into prostitution if they are here with me.
I don’t know how you feel about this, but there are days when it all just seems so overwhelming to me! Every way we look here in Bolivia there are children being abused, sacrificed and robbed of life. A life that was give by the Almighty Lord! Dear friends, please pray for this country, help us to pray for all of these children, pray for more workers of the Lord to raise and go, for more safe places for them, for forgiveness and healing of relationships!
I am thankful I have the freedom to talk about these things with you and the trust that you guys will all pray with us! I am grateful we have such an amazing support system. I am grateful that the Lord put us in your lives and you in ours! Please don’t think for one second that there is nothing you can do! If you are reading this letter and your thoughts are lifting these people up to God, you are already a warrior of His in action! Thank you.
Danny is leaving on a three week trip with a bunch of other missionary friends. They are going into the most distant and beautiful parts of Bolivia to see them and to discover new places where new projects can be started. Please pray the Lord will protect them and bless them with amazing sights and people they will encounter along the way. Also pray there will be enough fuel for their motorcycles and truck. And last but not least pray for all of us moms and wives who stay behind raising our children!
Some friends and I want to start a halfway house-refuge. There is a wonderful opportunity for us to partner up with some guys who are starting a big ministry called “El Candelero” which will involve a coffee house, a counselling center, a pregnancy crisis center, a conference center and a half way house/ refuge place! They are in the process of raising money and so far I feel like this would be ideal! The thing is, it would take about 2 years to raise all the money for this. Danny and I feel that the need for a half way house is now! So, while he is gone on his trip, I will be meeting with this couple, the Friths (the ones starting El Candelero, which means the light holder), and they are going to help me put the proposal together! Please support us with prayer during this time. So that the Lord will appoint the right people for this ministry, such as: board members and house coordinators. Also pray that we will be able to find someone who will be willing to celebrate birthdays for the Talita Cumi children since I will be pulling out of all the other ministries so that I can continue to be a wife and mom (#1 ministry).
Our children are doing great! We are very excited because Nathaniel is coming here for Christmas and we are all just dying to see him. He has been homeschooling and riding his bicycle all over Lexington, not interested in buying a car at all! Luciana is doing great at school and at home, she is so grown up and beautiful. She has also become a really good soccer player, she is very fast we are trying to convince her to run track but she won’t do it! Isaiah is reading a lot! And he is still very cute! It is so hard to see our children as growing up human beings and not as babies any more. Isaiah is extremely laid back just like his dad!
Danny and I are doing great (doesn’t mean perfect!) We try to keep our time with each other a priority and I am so very much in love with him. I am trying to focus on health rather than worrying so I exercise regularly and rest enough. I recently read “The Shack” and although I found it very difficult to read and understand sometimes. There are lots of things in it that have made me long for time with God alone! I just want to be held by Him!
I miss you so much I pray that we will be able to see you again soon. Until then I pray the Lord will protect your heart and your life. That He will heal you and show you grace!
Lots of love,
Vanessa (for all the Beams)
Daniel and Vanessa Beams
EFCCM -- Casilla 3740 -- Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Email: beamsclan@yahoo.com
Bolivia Telephone: 011-591-3351-1087
Blogs: www.beamsclan.blogspot.com, www.simplewatersolutions.blogspot.com
Photo Gallery: www.pbase.com/beamsclan
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