This morning I rode my bicycle into the office just like every other morning. It is a five mile commute. As usual, it was hot and humid and I was dripping with sweat as I approached my office. For almost two years I have always arrived without a major incident—until today. I guess in the grand scheme of life, today’s problem wasn’t that traumatic, but it did disrupt my entire day. About two blocks from the office I was approaching a busy intersection when a bus, called a micro in Santa Cruz, sped past me and then dove to the curb to pick up a passenger. I had to break hard to avoid hitting his bumper. I managed to get ahead of him and then stopped at the intersection waiting until I could safely cross. The bus pulled up behind me and then I felt him nudge my back wheel with his bumper. The intersection cleared so I tried to pedal through it but my bicycle wouldn’t budge. My rear wheel had been crushed (what we cyclists call taco’ed) from the weight if his bumper. Of course I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. The back wheel was completely ruined and obviously unridable. I raised the bicycle up in front of the drivers window to show him what he had done. He kind of shrugged his shoulders and motioned for me to get up on the curb so he could pull his bus over to the side of the road. I said I wasn’t moving until the police came. I believed he would just drive away if I moved from the front of his bus. The intersection quickly became clogged with blocked vehicles and pedestrians standing around gawking at the gringo and his broken bicycle. Several men approached me and encouraged me not to move from the spot. One of them ran off to find a policeman. The crowd began taunting the driver and accusing him of basically being an idiot. Bus drivers in Santa Cruz are notoriously known for driving recklessly and for abusing the rights of pedestrians and fellow drivers alike. After about five minutes a police car came and two officers began to assess the situation, quickly interviewing the driver and myself. At the same time a man in street clothes thrust a radio receiver in my face and asked me to explain exactly what happened. It ignored him and tried to concentrate on the policemen’s questions. Later I learned that he was from the prensa, he was a news reporter from a local radio station.
The police put my bicycle in the micro and asked me to get in the patrol car and go with them down to transito, the traffic police station, to write up a formal report. The patrol car followed the micro and once at the station we all sat down together in a hot office where both the driver and I told our stories. We both told the same basic story. Edgar, the bus driver, said he was picking up a passenger, trying to make change, and had accidentally taken his foot off the brake. The intersection was slightly down hill and he accidentally rolled into my rear wheel. Edgar was quiet and polite and seemed nervous at the thought of what all of this was going to mean for the future of his family. There wasn’t much to the interview, the policeman wrote our names down in a notebook and scribbled a few notes describing the accident. He said that the micro would have to remain impounded until my bicycle was fixed. He said Edgar and I should go together to take care of the bicycle repair and that the bus could not leave the impound lot until I personally told the officer I was satisfied with the repair. I thought it was odd that after an accident the police would send the two parties off together to work things out without an intermediary. If the two parties disagreed who was at fault or had even the slightest bit of animosity toward each other, I could see how that arrangement could go south quickly.
Edgar did not have more than a dollar in his pocket and didn’t know how he was going to get the wheel fixed. He does not own the bus himself. He is only a substitute driver for the bus line, Linea 15. He takes the place of regular drivers whenever they can not make it into work. He said he usually works seven days a week from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM. For each 17 hour shift he is paid 50 bolivianos (about $6.00US). He has a wife and one child, a two month old daughter, but said he has hardly seen her because he is always gone from the house trying to earn a living. They live in a poor barrio with dirt streets that is over an hour from the bus line parking lot, so he is only home between 11 PM and 4 AM. I have always thought all bus drivers are rude and inattentive, but I never considered the fact that they work such long hours and must be mindlessly exhausted by the end of the day. Bus drivers are constantly distracted because they have to collect money from passengers and make change while they are driving. They are always in a hurry to stay on schedule while trying picking up as many passengers are possible. They constantly dive to the curb and then pull right back into traffic without paying any attention to other vehicles or pedestrians around them. Bus drivers are most offensive in the round-abouts where they stay on the outside to pick up passengers and then dive across three or four lanes of traffic in an attempt to make a left turn around the circle. If other drivers value their bumpers at all they have learned to stop and let the busses come on across.
It was odd getting to know Edgar on a personal level. We ended up spending the entire day together and we talked about our respective lives quite extensively. Previously I had only thought of bus drivers as a single class of individuals, all of whom I thought were selfish idiots. Bus drivers are simply the faceless enemies of commuting cyclists. I think you have to actually live in and drive in Santa Cruz to understand this battlefield. Micros are smallish Toyota busses that hold 30 passengers comfortably, and more commonly 50 or 60 when they are stuffed to the gills during peak commuting hours. The buses are small enough to squeeze into and between tight lanes of traffic. And they are quick, having much better acceleration than our lumbering diesel powered Nissan Patrol. Ninety-five percent of the citizens of Santa Cruz get around town by bus, and there are 1000’s and 1000’s of busses. They clog up every primary traffic artery in town. When I am on my bicycle it sometimes feels as if I am a minnow bumping and squeezing my way through a huge school of tuna. Micro drivers will sometimes respect another vehicle, but when they see a bicycle, they simply disregard it completely. Even if a cyclist has a green light or preferential right-of-way, a micro will often cut him off. I have to constantly be on the lookout for maniac bus drivers, my fingers always on the brake levers, ready to squeeze them hard.
Once out of his bus Edgar was a regular guy, he had a goofy insecure smile and seemed more worried about how he was going to get himself out of this mess than about running over innocent pedestrians and cyclists. He asked me about my family and my job, and we talked a bit about politics and religion. He is catholic but has a brother who is a Mormon. We both agreed Mormon’s have some screwed up theology. Edgar wanted to go to a market area called Alto San Pedro where he thought we could pick up another bicycle rim for about $5 dollars. I explained to him that my bicycle was imported from that U.S. and the rims were specifically made for rugged off-road cycling and that any old steel rim wasn’t going to work. The only shop in town that might have a suitable replacement was Bianchi way on the north side of town heading toward the airport. Edgar wanted to take a series of busses to get there, but that would have taken hours, so I suggested a taxi. He balked at the $1.25 a taxi driver wanted for the trip, but finally agreed on the bargained down price of $1.00. Once at the shop, the shop manager described to us the various options. The only suitable replacement was going to cost about $100 for a rear wheel that would have to be built from scratch, or $150 for a new pre-laced set of imported wheels. My old hub, which was not damaged could not be used because nowhere in Bolivia do they sell rims with 28 spoke holes. Edgar called the bus owner on my cell phone, explained that the bus had been impounded, and described his current predicament. Edgar did not have any means to pay for the wheel, so he was hoping the bus owner would bail him out. I thought about loaning him the money, but then that would have defeated the purpose of everything we were doing. Even from several yards away I could hear the bus owner on the phone yelling furiously at Edgar, who just smiled and told me the owner was pretty upset and was on his way down to the bike shop. I called Susana, a World Concern colleague, and asked her meet me at the bike shop with some cash. I offered to accept $75 for the rear wheel and I was going to put up another $75 so I could buy the pair (front and rear) of wheels, which the shop would only sell as a set. When the bus owner arrived he was furious with both Edgar and me. He said he would only pay for a rim and nothing more because that was all that was damaged. I explained how that was unacceptable because my hub was useless in Bolivia and I needed a whole rear wheel. He said he didn’t have to do anything for me and that he could go down to the station and pay a little bribe and get his bus out in half an hour if he wanted to. He finally calmed down and agreed to take this whole mess to his insurance office and see what they had to say.
Crediform, the bus owner’s insurance carrier, said we needed an official police report before they could process the claim. But because it was approaching lunch time, the negotiations ground to a halt. Everything in Santa Cruz closes between noon and three in the afternoon. At three we met each other again at the police station, but the officer said he would not give us a report until the bicycle was repaired. Finally after much explaining, he agreed to make a report that would be ready at 4:30, but still refused to let the bus out of the impound lot until the bicycle was fixed and I gave the okay. Back at Crediform with the report in hand, we still had problems because the police report had incorrectly reported the license plate number of the bus. Back to the police station to take a digital photo of the bus to prove its identity and to photograph the bicycle to prove it was the model I had declared. The insurance adjuster had a hard time believing that my Klein bicycle originally cost over $2000 or that a rear wheel would cost $100. He just kept saying that he could buy a whole new bicycle for $100. But after a quick internet search he verified the value of the bicycle and agreed print a check for $95. But he had to send someone from the insurance office with me back to the shop to purchase the wheel and bring back a receipt for the exact amount. I added $55 of my own money and bought the better wheel set. By the time everything of finalized and the micro was released from the impound lot it was after 7:00 PM. Edgar still had another three hours left on his shift and was eager to get back to work. Earlier in the day he said he was sure he would be fired over this incident. He said he had had one other small accident two years earlier and ever since then the bus syndicate president had not been nice to him. He assumed today’s problems would be the end of his job. Also, the police had confiscated his drivers license and would not give it back until he paid a $25 fine, an amount equal to five days wages, and more that he could possibly pay in the near future. I left Edgar with well wishes and a bid to be careful.
A one second lapse of attention had crushed my rear wheel (really just a minor inconvenience to me), but to Edgar it would probably mean the loss of steady employment and the creation of an economic hole that he will not be able to crawl out of for months. Vanessa wanted to help Edgar’s family by buying some clothes for their baby daughter, but I had already washed his cell phone number from my hand and don’t know how to contact him again. Maybe we will bump into each other again in the streets.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Thursday, January 05, 2006
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Beams Bytes -- January 2006
Dear friends,
So what New Year’s resolutions did you make this year? I made the usual resolutions: lose weight, get fit, and spend more time in Bible study and prayer.
These are all worthwhile goals, but most people in Bolivia have more basic goals such as: “grow enough food (or earn enough money) to insure the family has food on the table.” It amazes me how hard people in South America work for just pennies an hour. The average rural worker earns two to three dollars for a full days labor. Men are often gone from home for months at a time working on large ranches or plantations. Women usually stay home to take care of the children and the families own small farm. Our World Concern projects are designed to help families increase their income through teaching better agricultural practices and by using micro loans to give them a jump start with their own small businesses. It is our hope that by participating in these programs, families can stay together, improve their diets and living conditions, and their children can stay in school. We also share the good news if Christ with project participants. The gospel message shows the way toward purposeful living and provides hope for this present world and beyond. It is hard to change a repressive economic system from the top down, but by working with individuals and families, World Concern is helping from the bottom up, helping people change on the inside. As you begin to prioritize your time and resources for the coming year, think about how you can be involved in making a difference in the lives of poor people here in Bolivia. Of course we appreciate and need your continued financial support, but we also need consistent prayer. And please consider visiting us here in Bolivia so you can see first hand the hardships and how God is using his people affect change.
You may have heard in the news that Bolivia elected a new president on December 18th. Evo Morales, a socialist candidate with strong ties to Cuba and Venezuela, was overwhelmingly voted into office. He received about 55% of the votes—more than any president in the last 50 years. Morales, who does not even have a high school education, is the first indigenous leader elected as president. He is a coca farmer (cocaine is made from coca) and became a strong leader among the cocaleros (coca growers) in the 1990s. He is popular with the rural and Indian population because he has promised to relieve poverty and redistribute the wealth of the country through land reform (taking land away from the wealthy land owners and giving it to the landless Indians), and by nationalizing the oil and gas industry of Bolivia. He will also probably legalize coca production. Admittedly, his platform has made the U.S. government a bit nervous. He has taken a strong anti-American stance and has even threatened to kick American businesses and citizens out of the country. We certainly hope he moderates his stance on some of these issues. Pray for the Bolivia in the next couple of months as we make a transition to this new government. And pray for our family specifically that we will be able to continue our work here unhindered by national politics.
I had a fantastic trip to Puno and Abancay, Peru the first two weeks of December. World Concern would like to expand their work further in Peru, replicating several of our successful Bolivian projects. The poverty in Peru is tremendous, and there are fewer NGO’s and working in these areas of Peru than are working in Bolivia. Two local Christian NGO’s are working in Puno and Abancay that World Concern would like to become partners with. These organizations have a real heart and vision for relieving poverty and sharing the gospel, but they do not have the financial resources to implement effective projects. We will be seeking funding to finance micro-credit, agriculture, and water projects in Puno and Abancay—so keep this concern on your short prayer list as well.
Our family is doing well. We had a great three week visit with Nathaniel over the holidays, but now he is back in Lexington for the remainder of the school year. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support, we could not be here without your help.
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
So what New Year’s resolutions did you make this year? I made the usual resolutions: lose weight, get fit, and spend more time in Bible study and prayer.
These are all worthwhile goals, but most people in Bolivia have more basic goals such as: “grow enough food (or earn enough money) to insure the family has food on the table.” It amazes me how hard people in South America work for just pennies an hour. The average rural worker earns two to three dollars for a full days labor. Men are often gone from home for months at a time working on large ranches or plantations. Women usually stay home to take care of the children and the families own small farm. Our World Concern projects are designed to help families increase their income through teaching better agricultural practices and by using micro loans to give them a jump start with their own small businesses. It is our hope that by participating in these programs, families can stay together, improve their diets and living conditions, and their children can stay in school. We also share the good news if Christ with project participants. The gospel message shows the way toward purposeful living and provides hope for this present world and beyond. It is hard to change a repressive economic system from the top down, but by working with individuals and families, World Concern is helping from the bottom up, helping people change on the inside. As you begin to prioritize your time and resources for the coming year, think about how you can be involved in making a difference in the lives of poor people here in Bolivia. Of course we appreciate and need your continued financial support, but we also need consistent prayer. And please consider visiting us here in Bolivia so you can see first hand the hardships and how God is using his people affect change.
You may have heard in the news that Bolivia elected a new president on December 18th. Evo Morales, a socialist candidate with strong ties to Cuba and Venezuela, was overwhelmingly voted into office. He received about 55% of the votes—more than any president in the last 50 years. Morales, who does not even have a high school education, is the first indigenous leader elected as president. He is a coca farmer (cocaine is made from coca) and became a strong leader among the cocaleros (coca growers) in the 1990s. He is popular with the rural and Indian population because he has promised to relieve poverty and redistribute the wealth of the country through land reform (taking land away from the wealthy land owners and giving it to the landless Indians), and by nationalizing the oil and gas industry of Bolivia. He will also probably legalize coca production. Admittedly, his platform has made the U.S. government a bit nervous. He has taken a strong anti-American stance and has even threatened to kick American businesses and citizens out of the country. We certainly hope he moderates his stance on some of these issues. Pray for the Bolivia in the next couple of months as we make a transition to this new government. And pray for our family specifically that we will be able to continue our work here unhindered by national politics.
I had a fantastic trip to Puno and Abancay, Peru the first two weeks of December. World Concern would like to expand their work further in Peru, replicating several of our successful Bolivian projects. The poverty in Peru is tremendous, and there are fewer NGO’s and working in these areas of Peru than are working in Bolivia. Two local Christian NGO’s are working in Puno and Abancay that World Concern would like to become partners with. These organizations have a real heart and vision for relieving poverty and sharing the gospel, but they do not have the financial resources to implement effective projects. We will be seeking funding to finance micro-credit, agriculture, and water projects in Puno and Abancay—so keep this concern on your short prayer list as well.
Our family is doing well. We had a great three week visit with Nathaniel over the holidays, but now he is back in Lexington for the remainder of the school year. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support, we could not be here without your help.
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
Monday, December 05, 2005
Beams Bytes -- December 2005
Dear ones,
This is Vanessa writing this month. Wow! Christmas is here! It is hard to believe this will be our second Christmas in Bolivia. In a way this is a difficult time for us because this is when we used to be close to our family and friends (you all) and of course we start to miss a lot of the things we used to take for granted: such as: snow, oh the snow! The beautiful sky line and cozy times in and out with the people we love. But also this is a very good and alive time in our lives as we get to witness miracles in people’s lives.
I would love to share some of those miracles with you guys. The first one and a big one is that our friend Rob Free has miraculously survived a horrible car accident three weeks ago. Not even the doctors can believe or explain why he is alive! He is now home and getting ready to go to the US with his family for further medical evaluation. To all of those who prayed for Rob thank you very very much.
Another huge miracle is that our friends from Talita Cumi got a house as a gift from one of their supporters and will now be able to start the process of separating the boys from the girls.
One miracle all five of us are very happy about and thankful for is that this year we got to see many people whom we love and hadn’t seen in for ever, like Danny’s parents Ronnie and Carrol, my grandparents Elva and Julio (hadn’t spend time with them in 7 years), our friends Lynn and John from our home church Crossroads Christian, and last but not least we will go pick up Nathaniel from the airport on the 12th!!
Some new things going on. Danny is leaving to go to Peru again tomorrow morning to visit some already existing World Concern development projects in Puno and to start a new one up in Abancay one of the poorest areas of my country.
Also we will have a Christmas presentation on the 22nd for two of the children’s homes. I have a group of 7 very talented and eager young people learning to be puppeteers.
As always I have a long list of prayer requests, but also would like to tell you guys that we really appreciate your prayers. Because the Lord listens to you we are here and we are safe and sound.
Keep praying for our friend Rob Free, he is a pilot with South American Mission. Even though lots of healing and recovery has already taken place his eyes still need another miracle. He has lost control of movement and is having a hard time. Please pray for Rob, Mary Leah and their four kids as they get ready to go back for all the emotional trial that awaits them facing their unknown future and also for financial help as they will need it to travel and for medical bills. Although I remain calm and know the Lord is Lord and Rob was serving Him when he had his accident. Also pray for me as I will be missing Mary Leah a lot while she is gone.
Please pray for all the water drilling and alpaca projects Danny is involved in. Pray that all the people involved will see Jesus’ hand helping them and will feel blessed. Pray for Danny as he travels. Pray for all the airplanes and buses and cities to be safe and for the Lord to give him wisdom in all his actions. Pray for the kids and I that the Lord will protect us, as He has done every minute of our lives already.
Pray for Talita Cumi as they start the renovation process of part of the house they just got and for Christ is Coming Boys home as they start raising financial support to build their own place.
Pray for Bolivia as a country, pray the Lord Himself will choose the next president and that whoever that may be, we and other missionaries still will be free to share our faith and work safely in the name of Jesus.
Pray for Nathaniel and his mom, she will stay in the US while he flies by himself to come here to us. He will have several hours in Panama by himself. Please pray for protection and for safety.
Dear friends again thank you all for all your support and love this year of 2005. We love you and hope you all spend a wonderful Christmas time together with your family and other loved ones and that the Lord Jesus will use you to make his promises come true in people around you today.
Oh yes! And do not, I repeat DO NOT forget to throw some snow balls and make a bunch of snow angels and snowmen, and please think about us when you do, that will make us happy!
Vanessa, for all the Beams
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
This is Vanessa writing this month. Wow! Christmas is here! It is hard to believe this will be our second Christmas in Bolivia. In a way this is a difficult time for us because this is when we used to be close to our family and friends (you all) and of course we start to miss a lot of the things we used to take for granted: such as: snow, oh the snow! The beautiful sky line and cozy times in and out with the people we love. But also this is a very good and alive time in our lives as we get to witness miracles in people’s lives.
I would love to share some of those miracles with you guys. The first one and a big one is that our friend Rob Free has miraculously survived a horrible car accident three weeks ago. Not even the doctors can believe or explain why he is alive! He is now home and getting ready to go to the US with his family for further medical evaluation. To all of those who prayed for Rob thank you very very much.
Another huge miracle is that our friends from Talita Cumi got a house as a gift from one of their supporters and will now be able to start the process of separating the boys from the girls.
One miracle all five of us are very happy about and thankful for is that this year we got to see many people whom we love and hadn’t seen in for ever, like Danny’s parents Ronnie and Carrol, my grandparents Elva and Julio (hadn’t spend time with them in 7 years), our friends Lynn and John from our home church Crossroads Christian, and last but not least we will go pick up Nathaniel from the airport on the 12th!!
Some new things going on. Danny is leaving to go to Peru again tomorrow morning to visit some already existing World Concern development projects in Puno and to start a new one up in Abancay one of the poorest areas of my country.
Also we will have a Christmas presentation on the 22nd for two of the children’s homes. I have a group of 7 very talented and eager young people learning to be puppeteers.
As always I have a long list of prayer requests, but also would like to tell you guys that we really appreciate your prayers. Because the Lord listens to you we are here and we are safe and sound.
Keep praying for our friend Rob Free, he is a pilot with South American Mission. Even though lots of healing and recovery has already taken place his eyes still need another miracle. He has lost control of movement and is having a hard time. Please pray for Rob, Mary Leah and their four kids as they get ready to go back for all the emotional trial that awaits them facing their unknown future and also for financial help as they will need it to travel and for medical bills. Although I remain calm and know the Lord is Lord and Rob was serving Him when he had his accident. Also pray for me as I will be missing Mary Leah a lot while she is gone.
Please pray for all the water drilling and alpaca projects Danny is involved in. Pray that all the people involved will see Jesus’ hand helping them and will feel blessed. Pray for Danny as he travels. Pray for all the airplanes and buses and cities to be safe and for the Lord to give him wisdom in all his actions. Pray for the kids and I that the Lord will protect us, as He has done every minute of our lives already.
Pray for Talita Cumi as they start the renovation process of part of the house they just got and for Christ is Coming Boys home as they start raising financial support to build their own place.
Pray for Bolivia as a country, pray the Lord Himself will choose the next president and that whoever that may be, we and other missionaries still will be free to share our faith and work safely in the name of Jesus.
Pray for Nathaniel and his mom, she will stay in the US while he flies by himself to come here to us. He will have several hours in Panama by himself. Please pray for protection and for safety.
Dear friends again thank you all for all your support and love this year of 2005. We love you and hope you all spend a wonderful Christmas time together with your family and other loved ones and that the Lord Jesus will use you to make his promises come true in people around you today.
Oh yes! And do not, I repeat DO NOT forget to throw some snow balls and make a bunch of snow angels and snowmen, and please think about us when you do, that will make us happy!
Vanessa, for all the Beams
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
Beams Bytes – November 2005
Dear Friends and Family,
Have you ever ridden on a bus for over 100 hours on curvy gravel mountain roads, staying just ahead of washed out bridges and mud slides? I don’t necessarily recommend it. The scenery is beautiful, but the curves begin to get to you after a while.
I (Danny) just returned from an overland trip to Lima, Peru where I went to consult on a project for a SAM (South American Mission) missionary couple beginning a new ministry in Puerto Supe. Cesar and Grace Cubas were missionaries in Santa Cruz for over twenty years, but recently felt called to ministry in Cesar’s home town of Puerto Supe, which is a economically depressed fishing village on the desert coast of Peru, about four hours north of Lima. The Cubas’ feel called to begin a holistic ministry focusing on spiritual as well as physical needs. World Concern will be working closely with them as they develop their own small enterprise development and business training project.
On the way back through Lima, I picked up Vanessa’s grandparents, Julio and Elva (who live in Lima), and we took buses back to La Paz where we visited with Victor (Vanessa’s uncle and Elva’s son), who Elva had not seen in over 12 years. And then it was on to Santa Cruz on another overnight bus. Vanessa is super excited that her grandparens will spend about a month here with us.
Be praying for our plans to expand World Concern projects into new areas of Peru in the coming months. I will be taking another trip to Peru the first two weeks of December. Matthew Zoller, a World Concern collegue, and I will visit a World Concern project in Puno, Peru that helps llama and alpaca herders improve their production and market their products (hides and meat). Then we will be traveling through Cusco, and further north to Abancay, a small highland Peruvian town where we will meet with David and Heidi Coombs, who are Wycliff missionaries, and an association of quechua evangelical churches which is interested in partnering on some economic development projects.
We are also excited about a visit of several friends from our home church in Kentucky, Crossroads Christian, who are flying in tomorrow morning. We look forward to sharing out life and minsitry with them and hope that a larger mission team will be soon to follow.
Vanessa has begun a Bible study with several Bolivian ladies who are working their way through the “Purpose Driven Life” study. Pray that they will all make a commitment to follow Christ. As well, continue to pray for her puppet ministry and her involvement with several orphanages.
Are you asking yourself why I (or anyone in their right mind) would ride on a bus half way across a continent and back for 100 hours when I could have taken a plane from Santa Cruz to Lima in 2 ½ hours? It is because we are really strapped for cash. We are behind in our budget and do not have any funds for ministry expenses. We love you all and appreciate every prayer and every dime that you invest in our ministry. As the Christmas season (the giving season) approaches this year, prayerfully consider giving a special gift to the people of Bolivia and Peru through this ministry. Through World Concern projects, we are ministering to people in both “word and deed,” sharing the gospel message of Christ and attempting to relieve the physical suffering of poverty.
P.S. Those of you who know me well, know that a big reason I took a bus was because I love the adventure of travel and seeing new places and people. You also know that I love photography. I put up quite a few new pictures of La Paz and Puerto Supe on our website at: www.pbase.com/beamsclan.
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
Have you ever ridden on a bus for over 100 hours on curvy gravel mountain roads, staying just ahead of washed out bridges and mud slides? I don’t necessarily recommend it. The scenery is beautiful, but the curves begin to get to you after a while.
I (Danny) just returned from an overland trip to Lima, Peru where I went to consult on a project for a SAM (South American Mission) missionary couple beginning a new ministry in Puerto Supe. Cesar and Grace Cubas were missionaries in Santa Cruz for over twenty years, but recently felt called to ministry in Cesar’s home town of Puerto Supe, which is a economically depressed fishing village on the desert coast of Peru, about four hours north of Lima. The Cubas’ feel called to begin a holistic ministry focusing on spiritual as well as physical needs. World Concern will be working closely with them as they develop their own small enterprise development and business training project.
On the way back through Lima, I picked up Vanessa’s grandparents, Julio and Elva (who live in Lima), and we took buses back to La Paz where we visited with Victor (Vanessa’s uncle and Elva’s son), who Elva had not seen in over 12 years. And then it was on to Santa Cruz on another overnight bus. Vanessa is super excited that her grandparens will spend about a month here with us.
Be praying for our plans to expand World Concern projects into new areas of Peru in the coming months. I will be taking another trip to Peru the first two weeks of December. Matthew Zoller, a World Concern collegue, and I will visit a World Concern project in Puno, Peru that helps llama and alpaca herders improve their production and market their products (hides and meat). Then we will be traveling through Cusco, and further north to Abancay, a small highland Peruvian town where we will meet with David and Heidi Coombs, who are Wycliff missionaries, and an association of quechua evangelical churches which is interested in partnering on some economic development projects.
We are also excited about a visit of several friends from our home church in Kentucky, Crossroads Christian, who are flying in tomorrow morning. We look forward to sharing out life and minsitry with them and hope that a larger mission team will be soon to follow.
Vanessa has begun a Bible study with several Bolivian ladies who are working their way through the “Purpose Driven Life” study. Pray that they will all make a commitment to follow Christ. As well, continue to pray for her puppet ministry and her involvement with several orphanages.
Are you asking yourself why I (or anyone in their right mind) would ride on a bus half way across a continent and back for 100 hours when I could have taken a plane from Santa Cruz to Lima in 2 ½ hours? It is because we are really strapped for cash. We are behind in our budget and do not have any funds for ministry expenses. We love you all and appreciate every prayer and every dime that you invest in our ministry. As the Christmas season (the giving season) approaches this year, prayerfully consider giving a special gift to the people of Bolivia and Peru through this ministry. Through World Concern projects, we are ministering to people in both “word and deed,” sharing the gospel message of Christ and attempting to relieve the physical suffering of poverty.
P.S. Those of you who know me well, know that a big reason I took a bus was because I love the adventure of travel and seeing new places and people. You also know that I love photography. I put up quite a few new pictures of La Paz and Puerto Supe on our website at: www.pbase.com/beamsclan.
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
Monday, October 10, 2005
Beams Bytes – October 2005
Dear Friends and Family,
As Christ followers, we are called to be Christ’s “hands and feet” here on this earth, bearing witness to His love and helping the less fortunate. I’m sure your heart goes out to those in need, but it seems in these times there are more tragedies than we can possibly respond too. I’m sure everyone of you knows someone who was affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Tsunami, and now an earthquake in South Asia are tragedies too big to even comprehend mentally. I would encourage each one of you who receive our letters to think about how God has blessed your lives spiritually and financially and how you might be able to invest your blessings in the lives of people around the world who do not have even one percent of the income that we have in the United States.
While Bolivia may not have recently been hit by a colossal storm or earthquake, the majority of its citizens live in chronic poverty. The unequal distribution of wealth is extremely noticeable here. The upper and middle class who live in urban areas live a comfortable life. When you fly into Santa Cruz you see large houses, shopping malls, and new Land Rovers. You don’t see the poverty until you get out into the fringes of the city where families with six kids live in one small rented room. Where every time it rains their yards and streets fill with nasty flood water and trash. In rural communities children often do not go to school because it is too far to the nearest school and they do not have the extra money to buy shoes or school supplies. Bolivia has one of the highest levels of poverty and inequality in Latin America. The wealthiest 10% of people in Bolivia earn an average of 25 times more than the poorest 40% of the population. In rural communities, fully 60% of the population is categorized as “extremely poor,” meaning they do not earn enough money to meet their most basic needs of food and shelter. Most people working in rural areas earn less than $2 a day. And believe me, that is not enough money to feed a family. How would you like to eat only rice, beans, and noodles every day, or sometimes go completely without?
Vanessa and I have chosen to be God’s “hands and feet” here in Bolivia. We chose to work as missionaries with World Concern because World Concern focuses on integrated or holistic ministry, meaning that we share the love of Christ through “word and deed,” addressing the spiritual and physical needs of the most poor in Bolivia. While it may not be as glamorous as helping storm victims, the work does have a long term affect on the fight against poverty. If we can introduce a family the importance of living a healthy Christ-centered life and can help them begin to generate enough income to support their families, we can have a positive impact on their lives and their communities for generations to come. We want to show them that they are loved, and respected, and cared about as equals. Becoming educated, their children will have a hope and a vision for a better future that does not include chronic hunger and misery. Bolivia is not a basket case, there are opportunities here for financial progress and it is World Concern’s mission to help share Gods love and to help reduce poverty through long-term economic development projects that will help raise income in a sustainable fashion.
And we are asking you, our friends and family back home, to journey with us in this ministry and to invest in God’s work here in Bolivia. You can become God’s “hands and feet” here in Bolivia through investing in our ministry. I hate sounding like a broken record, but we are significantly behind in our support this year. Since the beginning of the fiscal year in July we are $4,400 behind our budget. We need to raise approximately $3,800 a month for living expenses, insurance, and ministry funds. So far this year we have raised an average of $2,300 a month. We are extremely grateful for the sacrifice many of you are making for this ministry. God is blessing your investment. For others, the enthusiasm of supporting a new missionary family may be wearing off. Our prayer is that many of you would make a new or renewed commitment to supporting our ministry on a monthly basis. If you would like to set up an automatic monthly payment that is debited from your bank account please let us know and we can arrange it with the central office. Even $10 or $25 a month would a tremendous blessing. If your church or someone else you know might be interested in supporting this ministry, please share our prayer letters and our website with them, or let us know their address and we will put them on our mailing list.
Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
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
As Christ followers, we are called to be Christ’s “hands and feet” here on this earth, bearing witness to His love and helping the less fortunate. I’m sure your heart goes out to those in need, but it seems in these times there are more tragedies than we can possibly respond too. I’m sure everyone of you knows someone who was affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Tsunami, and now an earthquake in South Asia are tragedies too big to even comprehend mentally. I would encourage each one of you who receive our letters to think about how God has blessed your lives spiritually and financially and how you might be able to invest your blessings in the lives of people around the world who do not have even one percent of the income that we have in the United States.
While Bolivia may not have recently been hit by a colossal storm or earthquake, the majority of its citizens live in chronic poverty. The unequal distribution of wealth is extremely noticeable here. The upper and middle class who live in urban areas live a comfortable life. When you fly into Santa Cruz you see large houses, shopping malls, and new Land Rovers. You don’t see the poverty until you get out into the fringes of the city where families with six kids live in one small rented room. Where every time it rains their yards and streets fill with nasty flood water and trash. In rural communities children often do not go to school because it is too far to the nearest school and they do not have the extra money to buy shoes or school supplies. Bolivia has one of the highest levels of poverty and inequality in Latin America. The wealthiest 10% of people in Bolivia earn an average of 25 times more than the poorest 40% of the population. In rural communities, fully 60% of the population is categorized as “extremely poor,” meaning they do not earn enough money to meet their most basic needs of food and shelter. Most people working in rural areas earn less than $2 a day. And believe me, that is not enough money to feed a family. How would you like to eat only rice, beans, and noodles every day, or sometimes go completely without?
Vanessa and I have chosen to be God’s “hands and feet” here in Bolivia. We chose to work as missionaries with World Concern because World Concern focuses on integrated or holistic ministry, meaning that we share the love of Christ through “word and deed,” addressing the spiritual and physical needs of the most poor in Bolivia. While it may not be as glamorous as helping storm victims, the work does have a long term affect on the fight against poverty. If we can introduce a family the importance of living a healthy Christ-centered life and can help them begin to generate enough income to support their families, we can have a positive impact on their lives and their communities for generations to come. We want to show them that they are loved, and respected, and cared about as equals. Becoming educated, their children will have a hope and a vision for a better future that does not include chronic hunger and misery. Bolivia is not a basket case, there are opportunities here for financial progress and it is World Concern’s mission to help share Gods love and to help reduce poverty through long-term economic development projects that will help raise income in a sustainable fashion.
And we are asking you, our friends and family back home, to journey with us in this ministry and to invest in God’s work here in Bolivia. You can become God’s “hands and feet” here in Bolivia through investing in our ministry. I hate sounding like a broken record, but we are significantly behind in our support this year. Since the beginning of the fiscal year in July we are $4,400 behind our budget. We need to raise approximately $3,800 a month for living expenses, insurance, and ministry funds. So far this year we have raised an average of $2,300 a month. We are extremely grateful for the sacrifice many of you are making for this ministry. God is blessing your investment. For others, the enthusiasm of supporting a new missionary family may be wearing off. Our prayer is that many of you would make a new or renewed commitment to supporting our ministry on a monthly basis. If you would like to set up an automatic monthly payment that is debited from your bank account please let us know and we can arrange it with the central office. Even $10 or $25 a month would a tremendous blessing. If your church or someone else you know might be interested in supporting this ministry, please share our prayer letters and our website with them, or let us know their address and we will put them on our mailing list.
Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
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
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Monkey Business
On Monday and Tuesday, Vanessa, Isaiah and I went up to Samaipata to help drill a water well. Drilling in the mountains is more difficult than down in the lowlands because of the variable terrian. We are trying to develop some new techniques that will make it easier to get through rocks. We were drilling at the home of a family with a small zoo. They have several kinds of monkeys, as well as parrots and some other exotic jungle creatures. Several of the monkeys are treated as members of the family and they have never met a stranger. This particular fellow, named Nunu, would not let go of Vanessa. He acted like a small child. Isaiah picked Vanessa a flower and then Nunu picked Vanessa a leaf. He handed the leaf to Vanessa and took Isaiah's flower away and ate it. Nunu loves to hang out in the trees and jump on your head as you walk by underneath the branches.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Beams Bytes – September 2005
Beloved Friends and Family,
It’s me, Vanessa. It has been a while since I have written the newsletter. We have been doing well. The other day a friend commented on how much better adjusted I am to Bolivia now compared to a year ago. I had two thoughts then. The first one was: “Wow! I’ve been in Bolivia over a year. Never thought I would make it! And the second one was: “Yeah! I am no longer afraid of everything, (at least not of most things)” It is so true, the Lord works in mysterious ways.
We have several praises to give to the Lord. Here they are: Our dear friend Meghan McFaden (Luciana’s teacher last year) and her husband, who were living in New Orleans, are safe after Hurricane Katrina. Also, I am starting a new puppet ministry with children of missionaries and orphan teenagers, and we will have our first presentation this coming Saturday.
Our three children are healthy and enjoying life, and although Nathaniel is far away from us right now we are able to talk to him every single week and keep up with his crazy adventures. Danny has had several successful trips to other towns to drill water wells and has also had the opportunity to share his faith with several young men. I have had the opportunity of being a substitute teacher at the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center and enjoyed the school atmosphere and the students’ good sense of humor and wonderful respectful behavior. We’ve also had another birthday party for the kids from Talita Cumi and celebrated 9 birthdays and it was the last birthday party for Mery (6) who got adopted by a wonderful missionary family together with her brother and sister, Praise the Lord!! Her new mom came to the party with her, it was just awesome to see the sparkle in her eyes as she proudly told me she has a new family. Our church, Trinity Christian has found a pastor. And what Nathaniel described as a miracle, I have started working out every morning at a nearby gym together with other missionary ladies and teenage girls from the Talita Cumi Orphan Home.
Thanks to the Owingsville Baptist WMU, we were also able to take Jhonny, a young boy from the Cristo Viene Boys Home, to the doctor to take care of a skin disease. Thank you guys and thank you Jesus for moving through your people.
Ok, as I am sure most of you dear ones know, there are tons of needs in this country. I mean needs so huge I can’t even begin to describe. But I am aware now that I in my whole life time will not even be able to solve all of them. But if by living here I can make a positive, encouraging and loving contribution to one person’s life that will enough.
I have been sharing Jesus with several people but I have three in mind right now who can really use some prayer for their salvation and lots of additional blessings in their lives. One of them is my hairdresser Lupe, she and her husband are having relationship problems. She is seeking God and would like to raise her children in a Christian home. Her husband claims to be a devout Catholic but acts in a rather abusive way. This week though they have both agreed to talk to Danny and I for some kind of counseling session. I can pretty much see your faces going: “Danny and Vanessa counseling…?” Well everything is possible with Jesus, right? I am just kidding I am very scared at the thought but I really want this guy to see another man just like him who is willing to take care of his children, cook, clean, and be supportive of his wife if necessary. By the way, Praise the Lord for my husband!!! And pray for us for good listening skills and good and patient responses.
Another person I would like you to pray for is my friend Sol, she has a baby girl and lives up in the mountains where there is no electricity or clean water. She has no husband. Pray that she will make a decision to accept Christ in her life and follow only Him. Finally, pray for my aunt Flor who lives in La Paz. She accepted Christ several months ago when she and her daughter Kira came to visit us in Santa Cruz. Pray for her husband Victor and his salvation and for a good supporting church for all three of them.
As always dear and missed friends and family please pray for us all. Pray for good health, protection and enough financial supporters so we can meet our yearly budget.
Please know that we love you, miss you, many times dream about you and will love seeing you all either here in Bolivia or where you are right now.
With lots of love,
Vanessa, for the Beams
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
It’s me, Vanessa. It has been a while since I have written the newsletter. We have been doing well. The other day a friend commented on how much better adjusted I am to Bolivia now compared to a year ago. I had two thoughts then. The first one was: “Wow! I’ve been in Bolivia over a year. Never thought I would make it! And the second one was: “Yeah! I am no longer afraid of everything, (at least not of most things)” It is so true, the Lord works in mysterious ways.
We have several praises to give to the Lord. Here they are: Our dear friend Meghan McFaden (Luciana’s teacher last year) and her husband, who were living in New Orleans, are safe after Hurricane Katrina. Also, I am starting a new puppet ministry with children of missionaries and orphan teenagers, and we will have our first presentation this coming Saturday.
Our three children are healthy and enjoying life, and although Nathaniel is far away from us right now we are able to talk to him every single week and keep up with his crazy adventures. Danny has had several successful trips to other towns to drill water wells and has also had the opportunity to share his faith with several young men. I have had the opportunity of being a substitute teacher at the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center and enjoyed the school atmosphere and the students’ good sense of humor and wonderful respectful behavior. We’ve also had another birthday party for the kids from Talita Cumi and celebrated 9 birthdays and it was the last birthday party for Mery (6) who got adopted by a wonderful missionary family together with her brother and sister, Praise the Lord!! Her new mom came to the party with her, it was just awesome to see the sparkle in her eyes as she proudly told me she has a new family. Our church, Trinity Christian has found a pastor. And what Nathaniel described as a miracle, I have started working out every morning at a nearby gym together with other missionary ladies and teenage girls from the Talita Cumi Orphan Home.
Thanks to the Owingsville Baptist WMU, we were also able to take Jhonny, a young boy from the Cristo Viene Boys Home, to the doctor to take care of a skin disease. Thank you guys and thank you Jesus for moving through your people.
Ok, as I am sure most of you dear ones know, there are tons of needs in this country. I mean needs so huge I can’t even begin to describe. But I am aware now that I in my whole life time will not even be able to solve all of them. But if by living here I can make a positive, encouraging and loving contribution to one person’s life that will enough.
I have been sharing Jesus with several people but I have three in mind right now who can really use some prayer for their salvation and lots of additional blessings in their lives. One of them is my hairdresser Lupe, she and her husband are having relationship problems. She is seeking God and would like to raise her children in a Christian home. Her husband claims to be a devout Catholic but acts in a rather abusive way. This week though they have both agreed to talk to Danny and I for some kind of counseling session. I can pretty much see your faces going: “Danny and Vanessa counseling…?” Well everything is possible with Jesus, right? I am just kidding I am very scared at the thought but I really want this guy to see another man just like him who is willing to take care of his children, cook, clean, and be supportive of his wife if necessary. By the way, Praise the Lord for my husband!!! And pray for us for good listening skills and good and patient responses.
Another person I would like you to pray for is my friend Sol, she has a baby girl and lives up in the mountains where there is no electricity or clean water. She has no husband. Pray that she will make a decision to accept Christ in her life and follow only Him. Finally, pray for my aunt Flor who lives in La Paz. She accepted Christ several months ago when she and her daughter Kira came to visit us in Santa Cruz. Pray for her husband Victor and his salvation and for a good supporting church for all three of them.
As always dear and missed friends and family please pray for us all. Pray for good health, protection and enough financial supporters so we can meet our yearly budget.
Please know that we love you, miss you, many times dream about you and will love seeing you all either here in Bolivia or where you are right now.
With lots of love,
Vanessa, for the Beams
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
Friday, August 26, 2005
Well Drilling School
Welcome to well drilling school. Ivo (pictured with Vanessa and Isaiah) found out about Terry Waller's well drilling technique from an internet search and came all the way from Cameroon, Africa to learn how to drill wells so he could return to his rural community and provide water for his family and community. This method of drilling wells is just as efficient but about 10 times less expensive than any other popular "low-tech" method. It is becoming well known in the development community and many people are contacting us to receive training in this method. After the well drilling class, Ivo became stranded in Santa Cruz with travel permit problems so we hosted him in our home for several days while he waited for things to get sorted out. We enjoyed his humor and polite personality and hearing about life in Cameroon.The following week I spent four days in the community of San Lorenzo, accompanying Terry on another well drilling class. Gary (in the gray hat and sun glasses) came from Texas to learn the technique. Gary hopes to teach volunteer teams the method in the U.S. so they can travel to other places around the world to teach local people the method. When communities provide their own labor they can dig a well and put in a hand pump, all with locally available materials, for about $2 a meter (or $100 for a 50 meter well). The man in the red hat is Carlos, a Colombian who is living in Bolivia. He wants to learn how to drill wells so he can help bring water to several communities in the mountains east of Santa Cruz. It is much harder to be sure of hitting water in the mountains, but Carlos is optimistic and wants to give it a shot.
Danny
Monday, August 08, 2005
Latest Family Photo
Here is our latest family photograph. It was taken at the local sand dunes a couple of weeks before Nathaniel went back to the States for the school year. We have quite a few new pictures up in our photo gallery. Just follow the link to the right. Enjoy.
Danny
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Saturday Morning
Vanessa and I are not doing much today. It is Bolivia's Independence Day so everything is closed. Vanessa and I rode our bicycles eleven miles this morning. We have a bike path down the middle of a highway to a nearby town called La Guardia. It is flat and not the most beautiful ride in the world, but it is convenient and a good place to get a work out. We would both like to lose a little weight (me more than her). I started going to a gym three mornings a week in June, but then I dislocated a finger wakeboarding, and then I had back trouble, so I haven't been back to the gym for a couple of weeks.
Luciana had a friend, Sierra, spend the night last night. Sierra fell off of her horse several weeks ago and cracked her pelvis. She is walking some now, but it still looks painful. Last night we took the kids to the movies to see the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Sierra's family is from the U.S. Her father bought a large farm here and is growing rice. They are also quite involved in church and mission activities. I hope some day soon to go out and visit his farm.
Danny
Luciana had a friend, Sierra, spend the night last night. Sierra fell off of her horse several weeks ago and cracked her pelvis. She is walking some now, but it still looks painful. Last night we took the kids to the movies to see the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Sierra's family is from the U.S. Her father bought a large farm here and is growing rice. They are also quite involved in church and mission activities. I hope some day soon to go out and visit his farm.
Danny
Thursday, August 04, 2005
New Shoes For Cristo Viene Boys Home
Yesterday Vanessa and I delivered the new shoes for 30 boys at Cristo Viene Boys Home that were purchased with a gift from the Owingsville Baptist Church WMU. Danny's parents visited the home on their recent visit to Santa Cruz and had a chance to meet the boys. I think for many of these boys these must be the first pair of new shoes they have ever had in their lives. Lorenzo, the home director, said that just days before he heard about the gift he had been praying for new shoes for the boys. He said all they had was rubber tire sandals and that they all need shoes so for school and church. Thanks Owingsville WMU for putting a smile and quickening the step of these beautiful children.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Beams Bytes -- August 2005
Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you so much for praying for Bolivia and the political crisis here. Things have calmed down considerable and we are awaiting national elections for a new president in December. We had a nice relaxing visit with Ronnie and Carrol Beams (Danny’s parents) in July. We traveled to see some of the nearby mountain communities and of course we did a good bit of eating and shopping around Santa Cruz. Their visit made us miss home and the good fellowship we had with all of our family and friends in the States. We are still adjusting to family life without Nathaniel. He went back to Kentucky with Danny’s folks and will be spending the coming school year with his mom in Lexington. Pray that he adjusts well to his new school and friends. Luciana will be starting the fifth grade at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center next week. Both she and Isaiah are healthy and smart.
Ronnie and Carrol also had a chance to visit the Cristo Viene Boys Home during their visit and brought with them a gift of new shoes for each of the 30 boys from the Owingsville Baptist WMU. Vanessa and I had the chance to deliver the shoes this last week. The boys were excited to have shoes for school and church. As you can see from the photographs, their faces were just beaming. We wanted to send a special thanks to the WMU for this beautiful gift.
Our ministries are continuing to be blessed by God, reaching many people for Christ and having a significant impact on family income. Vanessa continues to working with the children of the Talita Cumi Orphanage and with the Centro de Vida pregnancy crisis center. Vanessa is also gearing up for a puppet ministry thanks to the puppet donations and support of Betty Alexander, a good friend from Benbrook, Texas and a retired missionary from Chile. Danny is working on plans for expanding World Concern projects into Central America and Peru, and continues with his involvement in the micro credit, water, and appropriate technology programs in Bolivia.
We appreciate your continued support of this ministry and are sure that God will bless your investment in His work here in Latin America. I know many of you are already making a sacrifice to support this ministry, but if you are still thinking about making a monthly pledge, please go ahead and make the commitment. We are still a good bit under budget and need at least another $1000 a month in pledges to meet our expenses. Continue to pray for those whose lives we touch for new opportunities to bring the grace and hope of Christ to these people. We would love to hear news from home and from each of you are getting along. Please drop us an email if you have time.
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
Thank you so much for praying for Bolivia and the political crisis here. Things have calmed down considerable and we are awaiting national elections for a new president in December. We had a nice relaxing visit with Ronnie and Carrol Beams (Danny’s parents) in July. We traveled to see some of the nearby mountain communities and of course we did a good bit of eating and shopping around Santa Cruz. Their visit made us miss home and the good fellowship we had with all of our family and friends in the States. We are still adjusting to family life without Nathaniel. He went back to Kentucky with Danny’s folks and will be spending the coming school year with his mom in Lexington. Pray that he adjusts well to his new school and friends. Luciana will be starting the fifth grade at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center next week. Both she and Isaiah are healthy and smart.
Ronnie and Carrol also had a chance to visit the Cristo Viene Boys Home during their visit and brought with them a gift of new shoes for each of the 30 boys from the Owingsville Baptist WMU. Vanessa and I had the chance to deliver the shoes this last week. The boys were excited to have shoes for school and church. As you can see from the photographs, their faces were just beaming. We wanted to send a special thanks to the WMU for this beautiful gift.
Our ministries are continuing to be blessed by God, reaching many people for Christ and having a significant impact on family income. Vanessa continues to working with the children of the Talita Cumi Orphanage and with the Centro de Vida pregnancy crisis center. Vanessa is also gearing up for a puppet ministry thanks to the puppet donations and support of Betty Alexander, a good friend from Benbrook, Texas and a retired missionary from Chile. Danny is working on plans for expanding World Concern projects into Central America and Peru, and continues with his involvement in the micro credit, water, and appropriate technology programs in Bolivia.
We appreciate your continued support of this ministry and are sure that God will bless your investment in His work here in Latin America. I know many of you are already making a sacrifice to support this ministry, but if you are still thinking about making a monthly pledge, please go ahead and make the commitment. We are still a good bit under budget and need at least another $1000 a month in pledges to meet our expenses. Continue to pray for those whose lives we touch for new opportunities to bring the grace and hope of Christ to these people. We would love to hear news from home and from each of you are getting along. Please drop us an email if you have time.
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
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