WE'VE MOVED!!!

We've Moved!!!

2009-12-19T18:40:00.006-05:00

Hi everybody.

Paola and I have launched a new blog.

I felt like this blog was more "my blog" and there is no doubt that God has used this space since October 10th of 2006 to allow me to share how I got here to Bolivia and how He has brought me to this moment in my life.

But I just felt like we needed a blog that felt more like "our blog" instead of "my blog" so we have launched a new and improved space at www.curtandpaola.com.

It is new and hopefully an improvement. I hope to continue to improve on it in the future but please update your bookmarks because I will no longer be posting updates here. I will be saving what I have written for the last three years thats for sure but all new updates will appear on our new site.

Not only will I be blogging on the new site but I have also convinced Paola to blog as well. So now you will get a chance to hear from both of us. Enjoy.

www.curtandpaola.com

Exciting Week

2009-12-07T12:16:00.002-05:00

It is going to be an exciting week. This Friday and Saturday is El Dia. A 24 hour prayer and worship event here in La Paz and other cities in Bolivia. Paola is singing with one of the worship teams. She will be singing 4 times throughout the 24 hour event. It is a great event that always brings the Body of Christ here together. We just get too separated in our denominations sometimes.

The bummer is that I am going to miss the event because I am traveling this week. I will be traveling to Santa Cruz for three or four days this weekend to start filming a video for the Anglican churches here in Bolivia.

The Bishop has asked me to help them create a video to communicate all that God is doing here in Bolivia through the Anglican churches. Also, to try to raise some awareness and some funds. The Bishop will be traveling to the US and England next year and this video will be a huge help.

So over the course of the next month I will be visiting Santa Cruz, Tarija and Cochabamba with one other person to film the cities and the ministries of the churches and to interview the pastors. I have to finish all my traveling by Feb. 1 because I don't want to be traveling in the vicinity of when my son might be born. Amen?

It will be a great project and a great opportunity to serve the Anglican churches here in Bolivia. The bummer is that the trip this week will be the first time that Paola and I have been separated since we got married....awwwwwwww.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Stream or River?

2009-11-25T21:31:00.002-05:00

Are you satisfied with just a little of God?
Do you have God right where you want Him?
Do you have just the right mix of God in your life?

I don’t know about you but I am tired of just settling for a little bit of God. Tired of settling for just a little bit of His spirit. Tired of just talking to Him in the morning when I wake up, in the evening before I go to bed and thanking Him before I stuff my face. Let’s face it. Most of us just want a little stream. We don’t want RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.

We don’t want to be drowned.

I am tired of watching from the window while people are worshipping Him inside. We are scared to get up close and personal because we don’t know what might happen. What if I raise BOTH hands? Or God forbid…what if I dance, kneel or lay on the floor in front of others? We are too reverent. We are too quiet because church has become just the “House of the Lord.” Shhhhh…be quiet…this is God’s house. Let me ask you...when we are in Heaven in God’s presence…do you think it will be quiet and reserved? Please.

Like Peter after he denied Jesus three times we are following Jesus but we are following Him AT A DISTANCE. (Matthew 26:58)

We are followers of Jesus sure.
But let’s admit it. We are DISTANT followers.

Check out 2 Samuel 6:16 and see what Michal does while David is dancing before the Lord and adoring Him. Are you like Michal? I ain’t gonna lie. I was just like Michal up until about a week ago but God has set me free.

Do you judge how other people worship God? Do you criticize them in your heart because they are different from you? Do you have a spirit of criticism and division in your heart?

It’s time for you and it’s time for me to come inside. God has given us too much time already. 2,000 years. It is time to kick it into gear. We need more urgency.

There is not enough time to just sit back in church and listen.

It is time to put our beliefs into practice and into action. We believe in Jesus…great. But what are we doing about it?

Are we just watching from the window?

Sorry...

2009-11-22T13:59:00.005-05:00

...for the lack of blogging.

Paola and I have been very busy lately and I just haven't made the time to keep you updated. Sorry about that.

All this past week we have been visiting ministries in El Alto which is a huge city right next to La Paz. We are helping out a project here by doing external verifications of various ministries. It has been great to go on site visits and see some of the needs here up close and personal.

Also, this past Friday night was the annual meeting at the church and Paola and I reported on all that God has done through the youth ministry this year. We also took the opportunity to tell the church here about the call that we have received to go serve at the House of Hope childrens' home in Caranavi next year and we told them that we will only be youth leaders until the end of this year.

Paola is having final rehearsals for the El Dia event on December 11. She is singing on one of the worship teams. This is a 24 hour event of prayer, worship and fasting.

Paola and the baby are both healthy and we are excited because she is about to start her final trimester. Just about three more months until we hold baby Jordan in our arms.

God is good.

How far...

2009-11-12T22:29:00.004-05:00

...would you be willing to go for God if you had no fear?

That is a question that is haunting me right now.

Let's face it. God wants to take all of us places. Different places but places. And sometimes the bridge that we have to cross to get there is called fear.

God wants to use us to do His will. But sometimes we get scared.
I heard a personal story recently from a pastor who was scared to pray to raise someone from the dead even though God told him that he wanted to use him to raise this person from the dead. Can you believe that? He said that he chickened out and that he did not hear the voice of God for one year.

I am not sure what you think about that. I am not even sure if you believe that people CAN be raised from the dead.

But the point is that this young pastor was left with this question burned into his mind...how far would I be willing to go for God if I had no fear?

And I am wondering the same thing.

We need to leave our comfort zones more and experience a little fear. I am convinced that that is where God shows up. I am reading "The Irresistible Revolution" right now by Shane Claiborne and it is rocking my world. I mean...he called up Mother Theresa in Calcutta and said that he wanted to come and visit.

Some people look at my move to Bolivia and say "Wow." I look at Shane calling up Mother Theresa in Calcutta to go and hang out with dying people and lepers and I say "Wow."

Where does it end. How far are we willing to go?

I don't know but I am convinced that the goal is not to just study Christianity but to actually live it. Let's start to put this radical love of Christ for our neighbor into practice.

Thank You!

2009-11-10T17:37:00.001-05:00

Charlie

2009-11-05T22:01:00.002-05:00

The Super Missionary Wonder Dog

We had been talking about it for a while and decided to make the leap.
A little parenting practice before Jordan joins us next year.

Back in La Paz

2009-10-28T20:07:00.003-05:00

Well...Paola, baby Jordan and I made it back to La Paz safe and sound early this morning. Praise God.

In the next few days I will post a recap with photos of our trip back home to Atlanta. It was such an overwhelming trip in so many ways. I know that it will be hard finding the words to describe it.

Just give me a few days to continue to process my thoughts and I will post our reflections for you.

But I just wanted to let you know that we made it home safely.

Oh and just fyi again, our new number at the house is 678.701.4823.

411

2009-10-22T19:44:00.002-05:00

So below I have pasted a modified version of the email blast that Paola and I just sent out to our contact list. If you didn't receive this update by email you can read it here. We sent this email out after praying and evaluating our current financial situation.

Paola and I have reviewed the financial state of our account over the last few days in an effort to evaluate why our account has been steadily decreasing. In fact, our account at SAMS is currently the lowest that it has ever been.

And the bottom line is that our expenses have increased this year and we are in need of about $300 more a month in donations to cover those increased expenses.

Our expenses have increased this year for a variety of reasons, all the way from increased documentation/visa fees and increased medical expenses to just the simple facts of getting married and expecting a baby.

Paola and I are currently looking at how we can cut back our expenses and we ask that you please continue to pray for us during this process. But we continue to give God praise because throughout this year He has been so faithful. He has always provided for us and we have no doubt that He will continue to do so in the future in He wants to. We are just using this time to depend on Him more.

While praying, if God lays it on your heart to financially help us build our account balance back up by making a one-time donation or to help us meet our $300 monthly shortfall through a recurring monthly donation, please click the “Ways to Donate” link on the right hand side of our blog to make a secure online donation.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

May God continue to bless you in your walk with Him.

Curt, Paola and Jordan

We made it

2009-10-01T09:38:00.002-05:00

Well...praise God that Paola and I made it safe and sound to Atlanta!

We have a temporary cell phone during our stay and here is the number:

678.983.2415

Give us a shout.

Adios La Paz

2009-09-28T13:28:00.004-05:00

Paola and I are packing the suitcases and getting ready to travel tomorrow. God-willing we will arrive in Atlanta tomorrow night around 9 p.m. We can't wait to be there.

And we have some very cool news to share...Paola had her ultrasound today and we found out that next February/March she will be giving birth to a baby BOY!

We are so excited and we can't wait to celebrate with you.
See you soon!

Prayer

2009-09-26T22:01:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning I will be preaching in Spanish at the church here in La Paz. I preached for the first time back in June so tomorrow is my second chance. I am excited and I just pray that God speaks through me and that He gives every person a spirit of revelation to hear a fresh word from Him.

Please lift me up tomorrow around 11:30 a.m.

I appreciate it.

It's a...

2009-09-25T15:25:00.001-05:00

????

Not sure yet. But Paola has an ultrasound scheduled for this coming Monday morning to try and find out the sex of our baby.

Will keep you posted.

T-minus one week...

2009-09-22T14:59:00.003-05:00

...until Paola and I touch down in Atlanta.

Are you and I still friends? I hope so.
It is just that distance does funny things to friendships doesn't it.
Some grow stronger and some grow weaker.

We can't wait to be there and hang with you to hear about what is going on in your life. God has blessed us so much this year and we can't wait to talk about that too.

Chick-fil-A, Zaxby's, Papa Johns, Krisy Kreme, Chili's, Starbucks, Sonny's and Babys-R-US are all in our sights...

So get ready.

New phone #

2009-09-18T09:30:00.002-05:00

So for various reasons I have decided to switch my internet phone provider. I am now going to use Skype instead of Vonage.

Which means from now on there is a new phone # for you to call to reach Paola and I in Bolivia.

Here is our new number.
Please update your contacts and use this number from now on.

678.701.4823

Thanks!

Closeness

2009-09-16T21:53:00.003-05:00

I am reading a book right now about Hudson Taylor. I have read one book about him before but this one talks about the growth of the China Inland Mission that he started.

He and his team were some of the first missionaries to venture into the inland parts of China to preach the gospel. They got started around the 1860s.

The book is beautiful. Oh to be a missionary 150 years ago. I know that I was born at the exact time that God wanted me to be born but there is something inside of me that longs to be a missionary from the 1800s.

Pioneers without MacBooks.

There are many truths and thoughts that are lodging themselves into my heart as I read this book but I just read a part that I feel compelled to share.

Referring to the missionary Hudson Taylor it reads...

"Nearness to Christ had been to him so real and blessed that any distance was unbearable. So deeply did he love that any clouding of the Master's face was felt, and felt at once with anguish of heart. It is the bride who mourns the absence of the bridegroom, not one who has been a stranger to His love."

Amen. I want that. Don't you?
I want to be so close in my relationship to Christ that any distance between us is unbearable. I want to mourn His absence. Paola and I were talking about this just this morning. We can't wait to be face to face with the creator of the universe. We can't imagine what that encounter will be like.

We don't want any distance between us and God.
And if there is, we want it be unbearable.

Open up and say...

2009-09-14T10:35:00.002-05:00

Paola and I are at the dentist's office right now.
Check ups, a few cavities and flouride treatment for her because she is pregnant.

It just makes me think about the big cultural difference between us when it comes to doctors and medicine. I am used to going when I have a problem and I am quick to medicate.

Paola, on the other hand, is not used to going to the doctor, even when she is sick. And she usually does not take medicine.

So, as you can imagine, this pregnancy process is a big eye-opener for her. Doctor's exams, lab tests, ultrasounds, dentist appointments, etc. It is hard for me to imagine what it is like to be in her shoes right now.

But it is a change for her in a good way I think. She is starting to appreciate the security of knowing that everything is alright. And that security is hard to replace.

Big News

2009-09-06T21:10:00.003-05:00

Ok. So here is our big news.

Below is a copy of the email that I just sent out to our monthly email list. It pretty much sums it all up.

Happy Labor Day. Paola and I are so happy to send you this update for the month of September. We are getting really excited because in just about three more weeks we will touch down in Atlanta, Georgia. We are so looking forward to spending four weeks with family and friends and sharing with you all the amazing things that God has done in our lives this year. Paola and the baby are doing great. Paola just finished her first trimester and we are so thankful that her health is good and that the baby is healthy as well. Through the grace and direction of God we were led to a new doctor here in La Paz and the attention that Paola has been receiving recently has been outstanding. We still don’t know if it is a boy or a girl yet but we are hoping to find out either right before our trip to the states or while we are back home visiting.

There are lots of changes for us right now and I wanted to share with you another change that we will be experiencing next year. God has called Paola and I to move to the “House of Hope” orphanage just outside of a town called Caranavi. Caranavi is six hours outside of La Paz in bus in one of the jungle areas of Bolivia. It is a small town of 15,000 and the orphanage is about twenty minutes outside of the town up on the side of a mountain. The ministry is currently home to sixty kids and counting. (They recently took in twin boys who were fifteen days old at the time.)

Paola lived and worked at this orphanage for a year in 2006 and I have visited the ministry about four times now. This past May while we were visiting the orphanage with the youth group from the church I felt a tremendous peace that God was calling us to live and serve at the orphanage as full-time volunteers. Paola and I both share the same calling to serve at-risk children. Orphans, abused and abandoned children. Being positive Christian role models in the lives of these kids is our passion and God has opened a door for us to go and serve these sixty kids. We want to help give them a chance in life. A true chance to grab hold of the plan that God has for them. They have not been given a real first chance in life and we want to help give them a second life, a new chance to be all that God wants them to be. That is our calling.

So there you have it. The future of my family for at least the next several years. There is so much more to share with you about this orphanage and we can’t wait to talk to you more about it in person during our visit in October. But no doubt it is a severe shift outside of my comfort zone. I have spent a lot of time thinking and praying about how sometime next year I will be taking my wife and my newborn baby to the side of a mountain in the jungle. But these are kids who need so much to feel daily the love of Christ. But the bottom line is that God called us so we go. Trusting that He will provide for us, care for us and protect us.

And I want to ask you to prayerfully consider helping us. Because we will have our baby and because this orphanage is outside of a very small town on the side of a mountain we have realized that we will be in need of a car. And we are hoping to start raising special funds to purchase this car. The good news is that our sending agency, SAMS, has agreed to accept these donations for us and 100% of the donations will be used for our car fund. If God places it on your heart to support our car fund, all you have to do is mail a check payable to SAMS with “Curt & Paola Little – CAR FUND” in the memo line to SAMS, P.O. Box 399, Ambridge, PA 15003, Attn: Denise Cox. We thank God every day for your prayers and support.

See you in three weeks,
Curt and Paola

Mission Trip

2009-09-05T20:46:00.007-05:00

This past weekend Paola and I took about 10 youth on a mission trip to Caranavi. Caranavi is six hours outside of La Paz in one of the jungle areas of Bolivia. The orphanage that we took the youth to is called “House of Hope.” Home to about 60 kids and counting.

It is a place that is near and dear to our hearts and we are building a very strong connection with this ministry. We have taken the youth from the church there on mission trips twice. Paola lived and worked there for a year in 2006. And I have visited with her about four times now.

This past weekend was the anniversary of the orphanage as well. For 17 years God has been working through them to provide love, shelter, protection and spiritual growth for orphaned and abandoned children. The youth prepared a special program for the kids with games, dramas and even a puppet show and we gave each child a basket with candy and gifts inside.

Also, through a generous donation from the mens’ group of our church back home, Holy Cross, we were able to purchase gifts for the kids, a huge amount of food for the orphanage and two large rolls of material that they can use to make new bed sheets for the kids.

Several new youth made the trip and we are excited that they had the chance to experience this service opportunity and experience the love of God in a new and different way. Paola and I continue to thank God everyday that He keeps using us in the lives of the youth at the church.

Although we see a new calling for us on the horizon (more on that in a few days) we are taking advantage of the time that God is giving us with the youth right now. Sometimes you and I might see a different ministry calling in the future but we have to remember that there is still ministry happening right in front of all of us all the time.

Here is a shot of all the food and supplies that we bought with the donation...

Here we are with some of the kids...

Some of the youth and kids after our "Body of Christ" skit. I am the nose on the far right...

Heartbeat

2009-09-02T17:12:00.002-05:00

Ok. So I need to update you on the mission trip that we had with the youth this past weekend. I am working on that.

But first I had to let you hear our baby's heartbeat. This past Monday we heard the heartbeat for the very first time. At 13 weeks.

Back to the Jungle

2009-08-25T10:13:00.003-05:00

We are heading back to the jungle this weekend.

Paola and I are taking 18 youth on a mission trip back to the "House of Hope" orphanage in the jungles outside of Caranavi. We took the youth there in May and they have been itching to go back.

So this weekend we will be taking a six hour bus ride outside of La Paz to share the love of Christ with about 80 kids. We are preparing a special program for them and also through a generous donation from the mens' group of our church back home we will be able to buy food and supplies for the orphanage and also material so that they can make new bed sheets for all the kids.

Paola and I continue to give God the glory for using us in the lives of the youth this year. It truly has been amazing and He is responsible for everything. Please keep us in your prayers this weekend as we travel and pray that these youth will have an experience with Christ that they have never had before. We don't want them to come back the same.

I will give you a recap next week when we get back.

northpoint online

2009-08-23T17:11:00.003-05:00

Buckhead Church, a church that I attended back in Atlanta, just recently started broadcasting their Sunday night 6 p.m. service live online.

Now. Wherever you are in the world you can tune in to great worship and an incredibly relevant message from the Bible every Sunday night.

I'm watching live right now. Will you join me?

http://northpointonline.tv/

He just might change your life.

Can't earn it

2009-08-22T16:12:00.002-05:00

We cannot earn God’s approval. We try. But we can’t.
And that’s the point.

I have been thinking these last few days about something that I thought about back when I was getting ready to move here to Bolivia as a missionary.

And the thought is that GOD IS NOT GOING TO LOVE ME MORE AND HE IS NOT GOING TO LOVE ME LESS.

Just let that sink in a little bit. There is nothing that you or I can do to make God love us more or love us less. His love for us is massive and it is constant and unchangeable.

I came face to face with this truth when I got on the plane to come to Bolivia as a missionary. I came here to serve God because I love Him and because of what He has done in my life. Not because He is going to love me more and give me a gold missionary star.

A lot of Christians are trying to “just be good enough” to win God’s favor. We try to pray enough, read the Bible enough, go to church enough and serve Him enough so that God will say, “Wow. Look at how good and disciplined they are.”

I am not saying that these things are bad. In fact that are essential for every Christian. I am just asking, “What is our motivation for reading, praying, going to church and serving?” Is it so God sees us and rewards us? Or is it because we love Him and we can’t help but do those things?

Sometimes we want to serve and accomplish things because we are selfish and egotistical. We want to say, “Look what I did.” We might not say it out loud but our spirit inside thinks it.

I am guilty of this. I wonder sometimes about my motivation for sharing with you all that we are doing here in Bolivia. Is it really to share the amazing things that God is doing in our lives or is it just a tool to raise more funds?

Again. Raising funds is not bad either. In fact, it is vital. What I am talking about here is our motivation.

Are we trying to DO things like read, pray, go to church and serve because we think that that is the formula to get into a relationship with God or do we DO all of those things BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY in relationship with Him.

Let’s just think about it…why do we do what we do? As a great movie quote from “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade” put it…is what you do for His glory or for Yours?

Service to God wherever we live and whatever we do should flow as a natural result of our love relationship with Him. We should love God so much and be so thankful and grateful for what He has done for us that we can’t help but serve Him.

Awwww

2009-08-19T18:48:00.003-05:00

I consider my wife Paola to be one of the most well-rounded women that I have ever met. For me, she is the total package.

And when she puts her mind to something she usually gets it done.

Her latest challenge...drum roll please...knitting.

That's right...knitting.

Our baby already has his or her first little sweater thanks to Paola.

Wisdom

2009-08-12T08:32:00.003-05:00

Every night this week Paola and I are attending classes at the church. We are studying and learning more about Paul's letters to the Romans and to the Galatians. Dr. Ford and his wife, Bible professors from the states, are here in La Paz teaching.

They are sharing alot of wisdom with us. In fact, God is really giving both Paola and I a desire to study the Bible more. How could studying the Bible more hurt? We are missionaries and more and more we are being placed in position to teach others.

So we are thinking about how we can study the Word more in order to be able to better teach those that God places in our path.

Speaking about Paul's battle between the flesh and the spirit last night Dr. Ford said, "Whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies."

Let's all think about what we need to feed and what we need to starve.

Books

2009-08-09T16:20:00.012-05:00

Paola and I are kinda on a book reading frenzy right now.
We have a thirst to read. Yeah, we are reading about the baby but we are also just reading more. I have finished two books recently and I am working on # 3.

First, I read one called "The Ten Commandments of Marriage" by Ed Young. Great book. My sister gave this book to Paola in Spanish and then I found an English version and we both read it together. Great Godly insight for us newlyweds.

I just finished reading "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge.
A pretty famous book among guys. I read it once back in the states but reading it again as a married missionary expecting a child here in La Paz, Bolivia was a completely different story.

Now I have in my hand "Through Gates of Splendor" by Elisabeth Elliot.
This is a true story of five missionaries who lost their lives in 1956 trying to take the Gospel to the Auca indians in Ecuador. The quote on the title page by Jim Elliot, one of the missionaries who lost his life, said it all for me as I opened this book...

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Amen.

Where's the fruit?

2009-08-05T10:18:00.002-05:00

Recently I was sent a daily devotional from Rick Warren that shared this info:

Noah waited 120 years from the time he started building the ark until it began to rain.
Abraham was told he would be the father of a great nation and didn’t have a child until he was 99.
God told Moses he would be the leader to lead his people out of 400 years of slavery, but then made him wait in the desert 40 years.
Joseph spent years in prison before God raised him up and he became the ruler God wanted him to be.
God had David anointed as king, but then David waited for years until he actually got to be king.

These guys had to wait. And sometimes you and I have to wait too.

Sometimes we get to see the blessings and fruit of serving God in our lives and sometimes we don't.

After sharing a great list of heroes of the faith, Hebrews 11:39 says...
"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised."

And it got me thinking...God does not owe us fruit. We are not guaranteed to see the fruits of our labors. Seeing the fruit is a blessing and we should give thanks to God. God has already allowed Paola and I to see some fruits of our labors for Him and I thank Him for that.

Many people in the Bible died without ever seeing the blessing that God promised them. Yet there faith in what God had promised them never wavered. They remained strong and firm in their beliefs.

I want to be the same way. I want to be a person of strong faith even though I never see the fruits of my labors, never see the blessings or if God never answers another one of my prayers.

What He has already done in history is sufficient for me. How about you?

More to lose

2009-08-03T18:15:00.004-05:00

I was thinking today and I realized that I think it gets harder for us to surrender to God the more that we have to lose. At least that is true in my case.

(Also, check out the case of the rich ruler in Luke 18:18-25)

For me, being single was one thing and then I got married. And I had to surrender the relationship with my wife to God. And then my wife got pregnant. And now I have to surrender the health of my child to God. Some people have more and more stuff and it gets harder and harder to let go and surrender our stuff to God because we have more to lose.

When we have more to lose it is harder to say "Ok God. You can have it ALL."

I didn't have as much too lose before but now that I have wife and a baby on the way I feel this "more to lose/surrender" tension like never before.

But when we do have more to lose and still decide to surrender to God then God just gets that much more glory. I forget sometimes that it all comes from Him anyway. He brought me to my wife. He blessed us with a baby. If He wants to take them away from me He can.

Surrendering gets easier when we realize that we are not responsible for our blessings and that everything we have comes from God.

Don't think twice

2009-07-29T11:34:00.005-05:00

Never miss a chance to give testimony.
Never miss a chance to talk about what God has done in your life.
If someone gives you an opportunity to preach...take it.
If someone gives you the opportunity to lead a bible study...do it.

Don't ever fall into the "I'm not prepared/I can't do it" trap.

And don't worry about numbers. If one person shows up that is sufficient. There is nothing like being used in the lives of others for Christ.

My friend Erlan is a pastor at a local church here in La Paz and he called me to invite me to come to their youth meeting tomorrow night and share my testimony.

"Of course," I replied without even thinking twice about it.

And I praise God that I didn't "think twice."
I used to think twice before saying "yes" to speaking opportunities.
Not anymore. If God gives me an opportunity to share what He has done in my life there is no need to think more than once.

So when God gives YOU an opportunity to share, speak or lead this week...Don't think twice.

IT'S OFFICIAL...I'm going to be a daddy!!!

2009-07-20T10:28:00.004-05:00

Paola and I are expecting a baby!!!
Praise God!!!

And here is our first baby picture...

Please pray for us (especially Paola and the baby) during this time.

I am trying to make the rounds to talk to everyone over the phone.
But all I can say is "Wow." We are in awe of how great God is.
We are so excited to welcome a new "little" missionary to the family next March! All life is a gift and blessing from God.

I can't wait to talk to everyone on the phone about this wonderful news!!!

Visitor

2009-07-17T08:47:00.002-05:00

For the past few days Paola and I have been hosting a guy from my church back home. Doug Cunnington is a retired firefighter and paramedic and is here in La Paz teaching CPR and first aid to people who work with children.

Tomorrow he heads to Cochabamba to work with a hospital there called Hospital of Hope. He will be training the staff there for two weeks and will also be instructing 200 police officers in the Cochabamba area.

This is the sixth time that Doug has made the trip to Bolivia. I told him yesterday, "Wow. I have only made three major trips to Bolivia...the third one has just lasted a little longer than the first two."

Hahaha.

Mrs. Whitekeys

2009-07-12T23:26:00.004-05:00

So here is Pao with her new YAMAHA digital keyboard.

This was her birthday present. We were traveling last month during her actual birthday so we were just able to get it a few days ago. Thank God for a little extra tax refund. She has wanted one of these all her life but never had one.

And I thought this girl played a mean guitar...that is until I heard her play the piano. God has really annointed her with a talent for music and for worship. She is a natural worship leader.

It is one of the best purchases that we have made because the praises and songs that are being lifted up in our home now for God are truly inspirational. We don't have to leave home to have church anymore.

Lukewarm

2009-07-10T11:57:00.002-05:00

“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16

The time for being lukewarm is over.

I have been guilty of being lukewarm. Maybe you too. And I don’t know what it would feel like to be spit out of the mouth of God…but I think I’ll pass.

We all know lukewarm Christians. Christians that are neither hot nor cold. They have a tendency to keep God reserved to just Sundays. Or they carry around what we call “backpack God.” They carry God where they want, when they think they need His help and leave Him in the backpack when they think that they can handle the situation or when they “don’t want Him to see.” They try to get God to “Sit. Stay. Heal.” God is not our pet and He is a little too big for a backpack. I am constantly amazed at how we try to get the God of the universe to do our bidding. Myself included.

I have been so guilty of being lukewarm in my past and I think that I have been guilty today too. But God has been sending both Pao and I this message lately…the time for being lukewarm is over. No more being a good Christian one day and acting like the world the next. Too many people live like the world and use the excuse that they are “being salt and light” when all they are really doing is living like the world. True Christians are not of this world and we shouldn’t feel like we belong. The world shouldn’t like us if we are on the right path. Yes, we have to reach out to this dying world with the life-saving message of Christ but we shouldn’t feel comfortable talking like they do and doing some of the things they do.

If you have one foot in each world I want to encourage you to move one of your feet…choose hot or cold because the time for being lukewarm is over.

The time for adjusting both the hot and cold knob to get the water just right in your world is over. Let’s get burned, scalded and on fire for this Savior that we say we love.

Never Say Never Again

2009-07-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

I think that is the title of a James Bond film actually. Not sure.
But that’s not what I am referring to here.

I am referring to what you can do for God.

All I am saying is that you should never say that you will never do ___________ (fill in the blank) for God. You and I have no idea. We have the problem of saying things like “I could never do that.” I am doing things right now that I never thought possible for me. Several years ago if you told me that I would be a missionary in Bolivia, married and doing the things that God is allowing me to do I would have said that you were crazy. I know we hear it all the time but it’s true…nothing is impossible for God.

I guess not only do we put God in a box sometimes but I think we put ourselves in a box sometimes too. The truth is we don’t really know our potential until we are stretched and challenged. If we don’t ever take risks and try new things how will we ever know.

I am not bragging and saying “wow, look at what I am doing.” I am just saying “take a risk” and give God the chance to do something new and different in your life. I am also not saying that “becoming a missionary like me” is the answer either. I am just saying don’t limit yourself, wherever you are and whatever you do.

NEVER say never again.

Project Helping Hands trip recap

2009-07-06T20:06:00.002-05:00

The two-week mission trip that Paola and I experienced was truly amazing. We praise God that we were able to leave our comfort zone and serve for two weeks. And out of our comfort zone it was. I was thinking that for some people coming to La Paz, Bolivia would probably be considered outside their comfort zone. Coming to La Paz used to be outside of my comfort zone. Not anymore. After living here in the city for a year and a half I have become….guess what…comfortable. Paola and I have to leave the city these days to feel uncomfortable.

Thank God for this mission trip. God gave us the opportunity to leave our comfort zone and feel dependence on Him. What happens is that I think most of us are too comfortable in our lives. In fact, I think most people try to get to the end of life in the safest and most comfortable way possible. Sometimes we are just too comfortable and too prepared for the things that are placed in our path. And some of the best experiences of my life have been when I have been uncomfortable and unprepared. In my experience when I am uncomfortable and unprepared I NEED God more. I need His help more. And in those moments we experience God’s faithfulness in ways like never before.

That was my experience on this mission trip. I was never much of what you might call a “camper.” I am not really someone who hears the letters "REI" and thinks...cool. I was just never really an “outdoors person.” And this trip challenged me in new and different ways. We camped. We hiked carrying backpacks and medical supplies in the jungle. We traveled down rivers in rafts and boats. We got out of the boat in the river to push sometimes because we were stuck. One of the rafts flipped over in the river. One of the doctors almost died from an ant bite because she was allergic. I ate whatever was on my plate without thinking twice. I received insect bites all over my legs and arms. The list goes on and on…it was basically the closest that my life has gotten to the show SURVIVOR I think.

We first traveled six hours in Land Cruisers to a small town called Charazani. There we sorted all of the meds that the doctors/nurses brought for the trip. Then we traveled a day and a half down the river in rafts to reach a village called Mapiri. (And when I say raft it is not what you think. It was wood with rubber tires underneath.) In Mapiri the team held a seminar for the healthcare workers in the area and I translated for the team for some of the breakout sessions.

After Mapiri the team of 30 split into two medical teams and we began traveling down the river again…this time in longboats with motors. Each team began visiting different villages to hold medical clinics. Paola worked with the kids in each village. Sometimes she had 10 kids and sometimes 80 kids. A huge job. She educated them on a wide variety of healthcare issues. I translated for the doctors/nurses at the clinics in each village. I saw a wide variety of health problems up close and personal like never before. All the way from cutting open and pulling a worm out of the scalp of a little boy to a 40 year old man with almost complete Cataracts in his eyes. I saw some other cases that are actually to graphic to describe here. I have much greater respect for doctors and nurses now that’s for sure. I think all in all we gave medical care to about 1,200 people.

After visiting all of the villages down the river we traveled to Caranavi to visit the “House of Hope” orphanage before finally heading back to La Paz. Bottom line…God changed our perspective again. We got to experience God’s love in new ways. We got to serve Him in new ways. We got to see poverty to a new level and we thank God for the blessings that He has given us.

We are on this earth to bless others. It’s not about accumulating stuff. It’s not about building a safe, comfortable castle to hole ourselves up in. It’s not about safety. It’s about leaving our comfort zones. It’s about serving others and telling them that the reason that you are serving them is because 2,000 years ago a man named Jesus came to this earth to serve ALL OF US like never before.

The last year and a half has been the most exciting experience of my life. Now I am married and I have a wife who shares the same calling and passion that I do. Paola and I have no idea where God is going to take us on this road. All we know is that we want more than anything to be on this road.

Thank you for supporting us.

Photos from mission trip

2009-07-02T11:16:00.001-05:00

I uploaded the photo album from our two-week medical mission trip.

Check it out.

We're Back

2009-07-01T12:11:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to break our blog radio silence to let you know that Paola and I arrived safely back into La Paz after our two-week medical mission trip. What a blessing it was to visit some remote villages in Bolivia and see the needs there.

I am working on uploading the photo album and very soon I hope to share that album with you and give you a recap of our trip.

Also, I just wanted to thank you for your prayers. Not only prayers for our trip but prayers for me this past Sunday. I feel like my sermon went well at the church and I thank God that He gave me the opportunity to share His word. I thank Him for speaking through me.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Radio Silence

2009-06-12T11:25:00.002-05:00

Ok. So Paola and I are officially going on blog "radio silence" for two weeks. Early tomorrow morning we leave to go on a two-week medical mission trip. We will be traveling with a team of doctors from the states and we will be visiting about seven remote villages in Bolivia. We start high in the mountains outside of La Paz and then travel by boat down into the jungle. Then we make our way back up the mountains to La Paz again. We are heading to places where I don't think cell phones and internet exist.

It promises to be a truly amazing experience. I am going as a translator and Paola will be helping me and working with kids. We thank God for this new and different opportunity to serve Him. We will have a chance to see parts of Bolivia that we have never seen and I will have the chance to see poverty like I have never seen.

I don't know what God has in store for us on this trip but I know that He is up to something. I doubt Paola and I will come back to La Paz the same.

As with all our trips and experiences I promise photos and videos after the trip. We should be back in La Paz around June 25th so I will let you know when we make it back.

Please pray for us during this trip. Pray for protection and pray for God to work through us in mighty ways. It will be very interesting to see how the people in the remote villages react to the modern medicine that the docs are bringing with them.

Should be a wild ride. Take care and God Bless you.
We will be out of pocket for two weeks but we will be in contact when we get back.

Peace.

Curt and Paola

P.S. Paola and I will celebrate some milestones while we are traveling...her birthday on Monday 6/15, the day we met last year on 6/23 and our first date last year on 6/25!

Bye Twitter

2009-06-10T17:19:00.002-05:00

Ok. So Twitter was just way too much for me.
Just one more reason for me to be sitting at my computer.

So I had to kick it to the curb.
Blog posts, phone calls and monthly email blasts are more my speed.

Bye Twitter.

In ALL Things

2009-06-10T11:23:00.003-05:00

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this is mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
Ephesians 6:18

Last week during small group one of the guys led us in a bible study. And the above verse was one that we read. And it really got me thinking.

Paul says "all” three times in the verse above.

And I just started the list in my head…what are all of the things in my life that I DON’T pray about?

I pray about things but I can’t honestly say that I am lifting up all of my worries, concerns, problems and praises to God. I selectively pray. Maybe I pray only when I want God to help me/heal me/guide me/protect me. And the worst is when I tell someone that I will pray for them and then never do. Have you ever been there?

The fact is that there are situations in my life that just fly by without any prayer. And they are probably the situations where I feel like I am in control and that I don’t need God. Because after all…if I am in control why pray? But I need to learn that I am hardly ever in control and that there is no situation too big or too small for God.

We shouldn’t just pray when the situation is totally out of control. That is normal. That is when most people turn to God, when they finally realize that they aren’t in control.

Let’s lift up “all things” to our Heavenly Father.

What are you NOT praying about?

Update

2009-06-04T10:48:00.002-05:00

On Monday we hosted a missionary from Maine for the day. She was on her way to Tarija in southern Bolivia to serve for three months and we took care of her for the brief time that she was in La Paz. On Tuesday we evaluated the Foundation Qhanawara. We spent most of the day with them reviewing and evaluating the work that they do. They have a center in El Alto where they provide after-school support to local kids.

Yesterday I went to immigration to complain again that they haven’t given me my visa yet and they put my name on the “urgent” list. I hope I get it soon. Paola and I need my passport so that we can get our marriage documents notarized with the Bolivian government and at the US Embassy. I have been waiting to get my visa for two months now.

We are also preparing for our upcoming mission trip. On June 13th we will be heading out on a two-week medical mission trip with a group of doctors from the states. We will be visiting about seven remote villages in Bolivia providing medical care to the people. I will be translating. We have some supplies that we need to purchase and I need to review medical Spanish terms. It should be a pretty rugged trip. We will be sleeping on floors most of the time and traveling by boat for several days.

And I am trying to get our study ready to distribute to the small group Monday night. When Paola and I get back from this mission trip I will be starting a seven-week study with the small group. Paola is also going to start having a small group with the girls on Monday nights as well.

God just keeps using us in new and different ways.

Whenever you say “Here I am Lord.” He always says “Cool.”

Accident

2009-05-25T16:27:00.002-05:00

So I had a close call yesterday. I already called my mom so she is not hearing about this for the first time on my Blog. The bottom line is that my angels were protecting me yesterday because if a few things had happened differently I just might not be here right now.

After church yesterday there was a group of us heading to play a soccer game. We were in my friend’s van and I was sitting next to the doors. The van has two doors that open outwardly…kind of like suicide doors.

Well...we did not secure the doors well and as we were heading down to the game downhill on a very curvy highway we took a curve and the two doors flew open and I flew out of the van too. I am not sure how fast we were going but it was downhill and it felt very fast.

I reacted and grabbed onto one of the doors so that I would not fall onto the highway. And praise God that Paola and my friend Ben sitting next to me reacted and grabbed me as well. I thank God that I did not fall out of the van onto the road because there was a lot of traffic and we were in the left lane so if I had fallen I would have been laying in the middle of the highway.

However, I didn’t come out of the accident without any injuries. I have a pretty bad asphalt burn right below my knee because although I didn’t fall out of the van completely my right leg dragged along the highway for a while before we could slow down and stop. I thank God that I was wearing jeans because the pavement burned holes in my jeans before it burned my leg. My right shoe was burned some and it even burned off my shoe laces.

The bottom line is that I had a close call yesterday. If we had all made a few different movements I might be in Heaven already. But Paola and I are both thankful that it was not my time. God is good and I know that He protected me yesterday. And I know that He has a plan for Paola and I...together.

I was not lucky. I was protected by my Heavenly Father.

Here is a pic of my leg…that black part is the asphalt still burned into my leg…ouch!

Youth trip recap

2009-05-20T12:03:00.002-05:00

Great mission trip this past weekend. We had about 15 youth on the trip and a few more folks to make us a group of about 20 people. Friday we left La Paz and arrived to Caranavi after a six hour bus ride. Caranavi is a town of 15,000 people in the jungles of Bolivia.

The orphanage that we visited "Casa de Esperanza" is above the town on the side of a mountain in the jungle. It is hotter and there are way more bugs. No hot water.

About 60 orphans live at the orphanage. On Saturday morning the youth worked with the kids while Paola and I headed down into town to buy food for the orphanage. When I was back home in December I received a donation from some kids at church to support the kids here in Bolivia. That donation along with a few others allowed us to buy the orphanage about $250 worth of badly needed food. As you can imagine, feeding 60 orphans every day is not cheap.

Saturday afternoon we had a program for the kids with singing, dancing, puppets, games and drama. It was great. And Saturday night the youth played more games with kids while Paola and I had a meeting with the directors to talk more about the pressing needs that they have.

On Sunday we went to church with the kids at their church in town. Then we enjoyed a little time in the pool before heading back to La Paz.

I was amazed once again by this orphanage. These kids have so much potential and all they need is an opportunity. Someone to give them a chance. All have been completely abandoned by their earthly families but NOT abandoned by their Heavenly Father. All of us left impacted and changed in some way. Paola and I thank God that He is using us in the lives of the youth right now and we thank Him that we got the chance this past weekend to share His love with kids who really need it.

I was just really reminded that our service to God is worship. Sometimes we think that worshiping on Sundays in church is our only worship. But not true. When we leave our comfort zone and serve God we ARE worshiping Him.

Enjoy this highlight video that I put together of the trip.

Heading out

2009-05-15T12:06:00.002-05:00

Well, the hour has arrived for us to leave on our mission trip with the youth.

Please pray for Paola and I, pray for the youth and pray for everyone going with us on our mission trip. We are about 20 people. We are heading to share the love of Christ with some kids who need to feel that love.

Please pray for protection as we travel and for protection against spiritual attack. Please pray that the hearts of the youth would be open to receive what God has planned for each and every one of them. Pray that our time with the orphans will be fruitful and that everything we say and do will be for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It is His spirit living inside of us that gives us the strength to go and serve.

And just pray for lives to be changed. There are some new youth going on the trip who need an experience with Christ so please pray for them specifically.

I promise stories and photos when we get back Sunday night.

Back to Caranavi

2009-05-13T20:46:00.002-05:00

Well, this Friday Paola and I are heading back to Caranavi. Leaving the mountains and heading back to the jungles of Bolivia. Heading back to Casa de Esperanza orphanage, home to about 60 orphans. I went last year with Pao and her family.

But this time we are heading back with about 15 youth.

How cool it is to see God use us. We are trying to help the youth here get out of their comfort zone. And this weekend we have the perfect opportunity to put into practice what we learn every time we open the Word. We have the chance to carry a substantial donation of food to the orphanage AND through words and actions share the love of Christ with a group of kids who thirst for that love so bad.

They eat it up. And Paola and I just thank and praise God not only for the chance to be used in the lives of the youth but in the lives of the children as well. When I was back home over the holidays I received a donation from some kids at Holy Cross Anglican Church and they asked me to use the donation to support the kids in Bolivia. Well this is the time. We are going to use that donation along with some more donations that I have to purchase food for the orphanage, things like rice, noodles, milk, sugar, etc…

Also, we will be working with the kids, singing with them, dancing with them, sharing puppet shows with them and just hanging out and playing with them. How can you look at the smile of a child and not see the face of God? Especially when the kids have no father and mother. God is their father.

Please pray for us on Friday as we travel to Caranavi and on Sunday as we head back to La Paz. And pray on Saturday and Sunday that all of us will be used by God in a mighty way in the lives of the kids there.

I will have digital camera and video camera in hand so I promise a nice recap when we get back in town next week.

Have a blessed weekend and thank you for following our Blog.

My Beloved

2009-05-11T10:34:00.006-05:00

So in my latest email blast to friends and family back home I mentioned that Paola and sang a duet at the all night vigil that we held with the youth at the church recently. Paola has sung and played guitar and piano for most of her life. I play the trumpet and sing only in the shower and while playing Guitar Hero World Tour. Well, Paola has given me the confidence to not just sing in the shower anymore.

Here is a video clip of us at home singing the duet that we sang at the vigil. This is the first time that I have ever sung and put the video on my blog. So I am a little nervous.

But enjoy Paola and I singing. The song is entitled "My Beloved" and although we are singing in Spanish you will find the words in English below the video. Enjoy.

"My Beloved"

How sweet is your love, how fresh are your kisses.
My Beloved
My soul cries out for you, my spirit is ensuring your return.
Come my Beloved let's spend the night in the villages.
Let's see if the vines have budded.

Chorus:
My Beloved, My Beloved
I need you, My Beloved
My Beloved, My Beloved
You are my master, My Beloved

My Beloved Jesus, My Beloved, My Beloved
I need you, My Beloved
My Beloved Jesus, My Beloved, My Beloved
You are my master, My Beloved

Vigil

2009-05-06T14:52:00.003-05:00

a. A watch kept during normal sleeping hours.
b. The act or a period of observing; surveillance.

Last Thursday night we held an all night vigil with the youth at the church. The goal was simple: To set aside time and listen to the Lord. And from 10 p.m. to about 7 a.m. the next morning we did just that.

It was a very blessed time. We had some fun but most importantly we worshiped and prayed and tried to listen to the voice of God in our lives. As I have said before God is really using us in the lives of the youth right now. They are very hungry to receive more from God.

At one point early in the morning after a time of worship we gave them the chance to share any words they received from God. And the overwhelming message from God was the same.

He was just happy. He was smiling.
And He said that it had been too long since we stopped.

God was happy that we set aside time on a Thursday night and Friday morning just to seek Him. He said that it is great to show up on Sundays but that is so routine. What is not as routine is to sacrifice a whole evening during the week to seek Him. And He was just happy that we did.

Setting aside time should be a way of life not an occasional thing. And we are all busy. I am struggling with this myself. For example, I thought it would be way easier for two people in love with Christ like Paola and I to set aside time for God. But it turns out that it is a lot harder than I thought. You think you are immune but life and busyness really do get in the way. Even for missionaries.

I guess I am just realizing that I am not yet the spiritual leader that I want to be in my home. Every day is a learning process. Every day God pours His grace and mercy on me hoping that I lean more and more on Him and less and less on my own strength.

Day Trip

2009-05-05T12:43:00.013-05:00

Our friends Erlan and Evelyn called us this past Saturday morning and invited us on a day trip. So we left the honking horns of La Paz and headed about two hours outside of the city to get an up close and personal look at one of Bolivia's highest peaks, Mt. Illimani. Paola and I rode in the back of the Land Cruiser the whole way and although the ride was a little uncomfortable at times the view when we finally arrived made it all worth while.

Here are a few pics for you...

Paola looking very Arabian...

Me very happy to be getting out of the city...

The view once we arrived...

The view with us in the photo...

My marketing photo...our ride with the mountain in the background...

The beautiful sunset as we headed home...

Excitement in General

2009-04-28T20:09:00.004-05:00

I am just excited this week about how God is using Paola and I. And I continue to be amazed at how God brings service opportunities your way when your heart is open and willing to serve. I think more and more that it is not knowledge and "being completely prepared" that God uses most of the time. I think what God uses most are willing hearts.

Anyway, I am just excited. On Monday night we had our first small group meeting with the guys at the house. It was great. As I mentioned in an earlier post some of the guys from the youth group expressed an interest in having a weekly "guys only" meeting to read a book or do a study together. How can I say no to that? We are looking for a book to study right now but in the meantime I took an idea from my old school group in Atlanta and each person is telling their "story" to the group. It helps so much to get to know the guys better before we dive into material. I shared my story with them on Monday and two of them shared their story too.

I don't know what God has in store for us but I can already see a difference this year. God is just using me in different ways. I am doing LESS yet I feel like I am doing MORE. More focus. More intentional time with people. More opportunities from God to speak. To share with others what He has taught me.

This new small group is one of those opportunities.

Also, tomorrow night we will be holding an all-night vigil with the youth at the church. It will be a time dedicated to hearing from God. A time dedicated to looking for God. A mix of worship and prayer. We will also watch a movie, play a few games and discuss a few messages from the Word. I have never been apart of anything like this so I have no idea what to expect. But I have no doubt that God will show up. Look for an update on Friday.

Bottom line: God just keeps using us. There is lots more to share with you but I will save it for another post.

I know a place

2009-04-23T14:47:00.004-05:00

My friend Chris back home has an amazing place in his house to get alone with God. He calls it the "prayer closet." It is a small closet built underneath the stairs in his basement.

Here is a little glimpse...

It is a great space for him to get alone to read the Bible and talk to God. And as you can see in the photo God is now leading him to write verses and thoughts on the wall with a sharpie. That is so rad. I told him that he was straight up like that old dude who was locked up in jail in the Count of Monte Cristo movie.

Anyway...what I love about this space is that nothing else happens in this space except intentional and focused time with God. And it reminds me that all of us need a place like that in our house. We need a closet, a guest bedroom or even a chair that becomes "our space for God." Yes, we need time with God and yes, we can talk to Him anywhere and at anytime. But I reminded that sometimes WHERE we spend that time is key.

We have to find places that help us shut out our loud and busy worlds.

Twitter

2009-04-22T08:18:00.002-05:00

"Because life happens between emails and blog posts."

That was the line that sold me on Twitter.
An online application that lets me post short updates to let my friends know what I am doing. So if you want to know what I am doing BETWEEN blog posts...keep your eyes on the Twitter Updates in the top right corner of my blog.

Just another way to share my life with you. Pretty cool.

The Split

2009-04-20T11:29:00.006-05:00

This past Saturday for our meeting with the youth we split the boys and girls up. I, of course, went with the boys and Paola went with the girls.
Sometimes this separation can be good, especially for guys, because we share more in groups when there are no girls around. I learned this lesson real well back home in my Buckhead Church small group of just single guys. There is definitely a benefit.

I had a great discussion with the guys on Saturday talking about guy issues. And I am sure that you can guess what those issues are without me telling you.

But one of the coolest things that came out of the meeting was that the guys shared that they want to begin to have a guys only Bible study every Monday night. It was just one of those God moments. It was all God and zero Curt. I had nothing to do with it. God put this idea in their hearts. And I praise Him for it.

So I don't know what God has in store but it looks like I might have the opportunity to be more involved in the lives of these guys on a weekly basis outside of the youth group.

Amen.

Listen and Learn

2009-04-16T14:25:00.003-05:00

Bottom Line…
WHO and WHAT you listen to WILL influence what you do.

A few questions to think about today:
WHO are you listening to?
Who do you need to QUIT listening to? Who do the people you love the most think that you need to quit listening to?
Who SHOULD you be listening to?
What do you not want to hear but NEED to?
Who’s advice are you AVOIDING because you just don’t like the person giving it?

Marinate on that.

Youth Group

2009-04-13T15:14:00.003-05:00

Well…here is our current youth group…

Minus one or two who were not at the last meeting. We are small but mighty. And as I have shared before…Paola and I are really excited and blessed. We have some great ideas for this group but our main goal is very simple: we want each and every one of them to be growing in their relationship with Christ. Growing. Getting Better. Getting Stronger. Not stagnant. We want them to grow in the Word and we want them to grow by serving others.

Paola and I want to be used in their lives by God… plain and simple.

The more and more I serve Christ the more and more I realize that I don’t think that there is a better feeling in this world than to be used by Christ in the life of another person.

And as I have said before with regards to the youth group, numbers are not our main goal but I will share that we already have two youth coming to the meetings who do not currently go to the church. Praise God.

This past week our good friend Pablo Molina shared with the youth about integrity. It was a great message and a great time. We try to have some fun during the meetings by doing activities but our main goal is not to just have fun with the youth. Our main hope is to share teachings from the Bible and to make those teachings relevant to someone between the ages of 15 and 21.

In all my 15 months as a missionary in Bolivia…I feel the MOST useful for God right at this very moment.

Thank you Jesus. You gave your life for me. The very least that I can do is give my life back to you in service. If I was worth dying for…then You are without a doubt worth living for.

We are the Champions

2009-04-09T10:34:00.001-05:00

As Christians we should never walk around defeated.
Because we know how this story ends.
We know that God wins.
God never promised us that bad things would not happen to us.
But He did promise us the mercy and grace to endure.

Whatever you are going through right now remember...
If you have placed your faith in Christ you can rest easy because...
God wins in the end and one day death, sorrow and sin will be done forever.

So keep your head up today.

Missed Opportunity

2009-04-06T15:02:00.002-05:00

I have talked recently about how great it is to be used by Christ in the lives of others.

But I have a new question for you.

When was the last time you MISSED an opportunity to be used by Christ?

Just this past Saturday I missed one. Paola and I were prepared for our youth group meeting on Saturday night. We were going to bring the youth to the house to watch the movie Fireproof. And I was going to teach on love and forgiveness.

We were all prepared and everything. We even cut out hearts to give to the youth which had the “one phrase” from the lesson on there that we did not want them to forget.

Our meetings are supposed to start at 5:30 p.m.
At 6:00 p.m. one person showed up.

I was a little frustrated. I won't lie. It is not like we are dealing with a large number of youth here but one person…come on. Well it turns out that most of the youth were involved in another activity for most of the day that Pao and I did not know about. Bad communication and a little frustrating.

But here is the missed opportunity.

Instead of taking the one youth who showed up to the house to watch the movie I decided to postpone the meeting. And as we were walking home it hit me…I really missed an opportunity.

I had prepared for MORE PEOPLE. Not just one person. Can you see the lesson I learned here? Numbers should never be our focus. It is not the amount of people that matter... it is the quality of time that you get to spend with people that matters. Maybe God wanted to use us on Saturday in just the life of ONE youth. And we missed it because I decided to postpone. When I realized what I had done I felt sick inside. And I repented.

I told God that never again will I let the number of people present influence whether I allow Him to use me or not. So I hope you learn this lesson that I learned on Saturday.

If there is just ONE PERSON standing in front of you with a heart open to growing more in Christ…never postpone. Never miss the opportunity.

Viva Bolivia!!!

2009-04-02T19:39:00.015-05:00

So yesterday Paola and I went to see the Bolivian national soccer team play Argentina here in La Paz. The game was part of the South American World Cup Qualifying league. If you don't know, 32 teams from all over the world qualify for the World Cup every four years and each area of the world has it's on league to determine what teams make it to the World Cup from that area of the world.

All the countries here in South America play each other twice to see which teams make it. Although I have much love in my heart for Bolivia for many reasons, they are not the greatest soccer team in South America. They are next to last in the World Cup qualifying league and Argentina WAS # 2 in the league. Bolivia usually does not perform very well so I did not have high expectations for the team. I wanted to support my adopted national team but secretly I wanted to see Argentina play. They are a powerhouse and they have some superstar players. Oh, and their new coach is Diego Maradona, one of the most famous soccer players ever.

Well, much to the surprise of everyone, Bolivia killed them by a score of 6 to 1. I have always been a huge soccer fan and to get to see a game of this caliber was a tremendous blessing and I give God the thanks.

Here are a few pics to mark the occasion...

The stage is set...

The happy couple sporting our green Bolivian headbands...

The teams...

A huge flag displayed during halftime...

Maradona looking worried...

Lionel Messi...one of the best in the world...

Final score...Bolivia 6 Argentina 1...ouch

My Comfort Zone Changed

2009-03-31T13:38:00.000-05:00

There is something I wish for you. I wish that you would periodically make sure that you get out of your comfort zone. We all have a comfort zone. And if all we do is live safely inside that zone…life becomes pretty boring.

Are you bored?

If so…my suggestion for you is: Get out of your comfort zone as much as possible. Feel scared and inadequate. Feel like you can’t do something UNLESS God shows up. If you feel prepared and comfortable with everything that you are doing right now, something needs to change. You need to accept a new service opportunity. You need to say “yes” to that thing that God keeps bringing you back to.

God wants us out of our comfort zone. But one of the cool things that God showed me yesterday is that our comfort zone changes and grows. It is not static. Case in point: coming to Bolivia for me USED to be out of my comfort zone. Now…it is not. I have to look for and find new opportunities to be uncomfortable. I am working as a youth leader here which scares me some so that is helping me. And I am about to start working more with people who live on the streets and I know that this opportunity is going to push me even further.

So my question to you is…are you TOO comfortable?

We have to get more uncomfortable in our lives. And I will tell you why. Because when we are completely scared and unprepared God shows up. We don’t need to be completely prepared to do something. We just need to bring God what we have. Just like the disciples brought Jesus the five pieces of bread and two fish so that HE could feed 5,000. They couldn’t feed 5,000 people but they brought Jesus what they had in their hands and He took over.

That’s what we have to do. Just bring God what you have in your hands and let Him take over. You do what you can do so that God can do what only HE can do.

Once you leave your comfort zone at first you are not comfortable…and then you become comfortable. So what God showed me yesterday is that we can’t just leave our comfort zone once. We have to keep leaving our zone and keep pushing ourselves further and allowing God to reveal His provision to us in new and amazing ways.

So don’t just leave your comfort zone once and say “whew…I did it.”

Leave it again.

Shout Out

2009-03-31T13:25:00.003-05:00

A big thanks to my friend Camaal Moten and his wife Shalanda.
Thanks to them I have a cool new banner design at the top of this blog.
I praise God for them.
And I continue to praise God that I have my wife Paola.
Someone to share this missionary journey with.
The banner now reads "Our Life" not "My Life".
And I love that.

“I really needed to hear that”

2009-03-29T13:41:00.006-05:00

I am more and more convinced that there is nothing better than being used by God in the life of another person. To share the Word with someone or with a group and to have someone tell you that they “really needed to hear that”, is a feeling that is hard to describe.

The feeling is a feeling of being used by God. Being an instrument. Being useful for God’s purposes. When was the last time you felt that feeling? I think that it has really sunk in that "being useful for God" is the job description that I will have for the rest of my life. And it is not just because I am a missionary. All of us, if you are a Christian, have the same job description - being used by God in the lives of others.

I felt it yesterday at our youth meeting. Paola and I have been absent from the youth meetings the last two Saturdays because of wedding activities for our friends Erlan and Eveyln. We left a great exercise for the youth to do one week and last week we invited a guest speaker to talk to the youth about distractions that youth experience when they are trying to walk with Christ.

So, we actually really began our time as youth leaders yesterday. We had been involved over the last few weeks but it is hard to be a leader if you are not present. Yesterday we were present. And for every Saturday in the near future we will be present. So our time with them has officially begun.

And this time it was my time to share. At first I was a little nervous and then I became very very excited. I got excited because God is using me. He is giving Paola and I the amazing privilege and opportunity to be used in the lives of the youth here. And as I thought about the time that I would have to share God’s word with them I seriously started getting excited inside.

And it was a sweet sweet time. It is more like a small group right now of between 8 – 10 youth. But if God wants…the group will grow. Paola and I invited some more youth to the meetings today. But Paola and I know that it is not just about numbers. The most important thing is being used by God in the lives of the youth who show.

But yesterday was sweet. During the week God placed in my heart to share with the youth the “Five Things God uses to Grow our Faith”. This sermon series from Andy Stanley has been on my mind lately and so I thought it would be a great topic to share with the youth. I would recommend the series to everyone. And if you are interested you can check it out HERE.

I shared the five things with the youth (I will let you go to the website to explore the list for yourself) and God showed up. I had my notes but when I stopped looking at my notes I really felt the Holy Spirit speaking through me to these youth. It was such a blessed, useful, rewarding feeling. And then Paola asked the youth to share the one thing that jumped out at them the most during the talk. The youth shared some great insight and then one girl was a little sad and said that she “really needed to hear these words at this moment in her life.” That's it. That's why I do this.

We talked about faith...so my rockstar wife, Paola, came up with a great activity where we blindfolded the youth and led them around to teach them more about what it feels like to trust and confide in Christ for everything. Here are a few photos…

The bottom line is that God let Paola and I feel really useful yesterday. And it was our first true meeting. He let us feel like instruments. And we left the meeting as newlywed missionaries, praising God and walking on air.

Watermelon Man

2009-03-25T11:44:00.006-05:00

Crazy story. A first for me.

Monday night Paola and I were sleeping and it was about 2 a.m.
All of the sudden we heard this really really loud noise. And we both woke up. Seriously it sounded like thunder or that something really really big crashed in the apartment above us. I got up to walk around our apartment to see if anything had fallen and everything was fine. So we decided to go back to sleep.

Well...I kinda forgot about the noise but when I was talking to the landlady yesterday and paying my rent she explained everything to me.

She had heard the noise as well and had gotten up and gone outside to check on her car but her car was fine. Turns out (and I promise I am not lying) that someone in the building next to us threw a whole watermelon at Paola and I's bedroom window and the watermelon exploded. The window did not break thank God but the watermelon exploded everywhere.

Had to be some crazy person in the building next to us.
Here is the view of the ledge where the throwing had to have taken place...

And here are the leftovers that were on our window ledge.
(No that is not blood...)

So just a lesson to all you out there. If you hear a really loud noise in the middle of the night that sounds like thunder right above you, check your windows for leftover watermelon.

Gospel in La Paz?

2009-03-22T11:58:00.003-05:00

So I was shocked to find out recently that there was going to be a free gospel concert here in La Paz. Gospel music in Bolivia? What? Well come to find out the US Embassy sponsored a group to come from a university in the states and the performance was this past Friday night.

And you know I couldn't miss this opportunity to get my praise on.

The concert was packed but Paola and I were lucky enough to find a friend outside who had two extra passes to get in. And it was a great time.

I won't lie, I was expecting more. I was expecting the full on gospel experience with the huge choir and band like so many are blessed with every week in Atlanta. There was a small choir of older white folks and about five soloists.

But although it wasn't what I expected...they could SING. And gospel music came to La Paz. It was a much needed taste of home. And I thank God for these moments.

Our Daily Bread

2009-03-20T14:02:00.002-05:00

So most days Paola and I are reading and sharing a devotional together. I won’t lie to you and say that it is everyday but I will say most days. Our goal is to have a Bible devotional together daily. And if we can’t pull it off at this point in our lives then we probably won’t ever pull it off. Because I heard life only gets busier. Can I get an AMEN?

But reading the Bible and praying together daily is our goal. We want Christ to be at the center of our relationship always. And we want to start yesterday.

To be honest I thought it would easier. Two people in love with Christ and in love with each other should be able to find time for God easily each day, right? But it turns out that is not the case. Life gets in the way for everyone. For businessmen on WallStreet and for missionaries in La Paz, Bolivia. Life is full of distractions. And if we don’t fight for our time with God we lose it. And when we lose time with God we slowly lose our relationship with Him. That is just how relationships work.

Well Paola and I want to fight for our relationship with God And that is why this daily devotional together is so key for us. And in several instances already God has used the devotional to really speak to us as a couple.

One instance I will mention was when we were trying to discern whether or not God wanted us to work with the youth of the church. As I think I mentioned in a previous post I was a little scared of this responsibility with the youth at first. I was timid and shy. I did not think that I was capable or ready for this service. But as I also mentioned in that post…God does not always wait for us to be completely ready to do something before He asks us to do said thing. That was the case for boatloads of people in the books of the Bible and that was the case with me.

The verse that was part of the devotional on the day when we were thinking about the youth was 2 Timothy 1:7. And as Ton Loc said… “And it goes a little something like this…”

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline.”

That verse seriously hit me hard. Because I am by nature a timid and shy person. Back home it was true and it is certainly true in a foreign country and culture. But I am convinced now more than ever that part of the reason God brought me here to Bolivia was to break me out of that shyness some. Through the experience of moving to Bolivia and now through the experience of trying to be the Godly head of my household, God is slowly taking my shyness and replacing it with boldness.

Take heart in this verse. Most of us have areas of our lives that our controlled by shyness and timidity and I think God wants to replace those areas with the boldness that only His spirit can bring. What is that calling or opportunity that you have on your plate right at this moment that’s got you on the ropes? Don’t forgot this wonderful promise and confidence booster from the Bible. Ask God to give you boldness in that specific area of your life and watch what His spirit can do.

Witnesses

2009-03-17T14:45:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday Paola and I were witnesses at our friends’ civil wedding ceremony. Erlan and Evelyn got married legally on Saturday and the church wedding ceremony is this coming Saturday. It was cool being an engaged couple alongside them and it will be even cooler to be a married couple alongside them.

Congrats Erlan and Evelyn!
May Jesus always be at the center of your marriage and may you always remember that you can do more for Him together than you can do separate.

My Baby Got Work

2009-03-11T20:40:00.005-05:00

Some nights Paola and I just sit at the dining room table.
We don't have cable which makes sitting at the table easier.

Sometimes we read.
Sometimes we just talk.
Sometimes we work.

Tonight she is preparing an activity for the youth group to do this Saturday. She's got her papers and books all spread out.

Wait a sec honey...I'll be right back

2009-03-09T22:46:00.004-05:00

Raise your hand all you out there who need a dictionary sometimes to communicate with your wife?

My hand is up...

Weekend

2009-03-09T15:13:00.006-05:00

Great weekend.

On Saturday Paola and I bought a wedding album for our printed photos and then we had lunch with her family at her mom's house. We also had our first meeting with the youth on Saturday night.

Things with the youth went great. Thanks for your prayers. 15 youth showed up and we took some time to get to know them better. Paola and I both gave brief testimonies about how we got to this moment in our life and we had the youth present themselves and ask questions.

As homework, we gave the youth a questionnaire that we created for them to take home and fill out this week. It is a very thorough survey with about 30 questions or so all designed to get to know the personality of each person better. We plan to put all of this info into a spreadsheet so that we can better minister to these youth that God has placed in our path. We are very excited to see how God uses us for His glory in the lives of these youth.

On Sunday we went to church and then in the afternoon Paola went to her friend Evelyn's bacholorette get together (well actually the bacholorette get together was on Saturday and on Sunday was the "welcome to being married" party). Pao went to the "welcome to being married party" because a little over a month ago she became an old married woman...hahaha.

I stayed at her brother's house and played Playstation 3. Some might know that I had a Playstation 3 before but what you might not know is that we just sold it to Paola's brother. And we didn't part ways with it because Paola was mad at how much I was playing thank you very much. She is actually worse than I am if you can believe that. I just felt that we needed to use that time for new and different things. I heard a sermon from Andy Stanley recently and he said that he personally does not buy something new that he would not happily loan to another person. And that hit a little close to home for me and the Play 3. My hands were a little tight around the system.

We are reading more and using more time for God and I know that getting rid of the gaming system was the "wise" move not just for me but for the both of us. And although we miss it, we are enjoying using those "gaming" moments for other things.

Busy little bees

2009-03-06T13:32:00.003-05:00

Paola and I are definitely keeping busy these days.

We are about a week away from having all of my paperwork ready to secure my visa for two more years. This has been a daily process but now we are just waiting on a few more documents and we can submit everything to immigration. This is very important because getting this visa allows me to stay in the country for two more years.

Every Monday - Friday from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Paola is in English class. She is taking classes at an institute here and she is improving everyday. We are talking more English at home and that has been good for both of us.

Our first meeting with the youth of the church is this Saturday. Please keep us in your prayers. We have accepted this responsibility to be youth pastors. It is going to be challenging but we are excited that we have this opportunity to minister and serve together so early in our married life.

Paola and I are also helping out another project here in La Paz. It is a project that trains, evaluates and validates organizations that work with children. The project validates the ministries and gives them international recognition for the quality of service that they offer which in turn opens doors for them and gives them opportunities and access to better relationships and more funds. Paola and I and two others are forming a team that will act as a third party and evaluate these organizations. All of these ministries work with children at-risk. And this should be a few month process.

Also, I am helping out my mission sending agency, SAMS, as a communications volunteer. They have developed a new communications plan for 2009 and I will be helping them by providing counsel and advice with regards to the plan. Trying to help them strengthen and improve their brand image and help them better communicate what God is doing through the organization.

These are the things keeping Paola and I busy right now.
Have a great weekend everyone!

More pics

2009-03-05T00:13:00.003-05:00

So I finally got the chance to finish uploading some long overdue photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/curt.little

I had already uploaded 100 photos from the wedding. But you will now find three new albums. Several more cool wedding photos taken by the videographer. Photos from our civil wedding ceremony that we had in my apartment the night before the church ceremony. (The civil ceremony is the actual legal ceremony in Bolivia.) And finally photos from our honeymoon in Jamaica. (Thanks Mom & Dad for making the trip possible)

Que disfruten. Enjoy.

It's On

2009-03-02T18:57:00.002-05:00

So yesterday in church our pastor introduced Paola and I as the new youth leaders of the church.

There was a big need for a restructuring in the area of youth and God called us to be a part of it. As I mentioned before at first I said NO WAY. But as Pao and I talked about it and prayed about it, we received confirmation that this is something God wants us to do right now.

God gave us yet another confirmation as we read our daily devotional together. Bottom line...God is all over this. And it is just how HE works sometimes. When we say "No". When we feel completely unprepared for something, sometimes that is exactly what God wants and needs us to dive in and do.

There is example after example of this in the Bible. You are going to find alot of unprepared people who God used to accomplish His will. And that is how I feel right now.

I don't feel really prepared to work with the youth. I feel like I won't get their jokes. I feel like I won't be able to break into their world and make a difference. I need God. Paola and I need His help. We need His guidance.

All I know is that we are available for God to use us.
And we have faith that He will.

We start this Saturday. We have formed a new youth group made up of youth from the ages of 15 - 21. We are going to have some fun. We are going to serve others in need. And we are going to all grow closer to Christ.

Pao and I just want to be used by God. We are going to share His word and let Him be in charge of the results.

Feb. 29

2009-02-27T13:54:00.002-05:00

That's the day my one year visa to Bolivia expires. It should be this Sunday but that day doesn't exist. Funny, huh? I guess when Bolivian immigration gave me my one year visa dates last year they didn't stop to check to see if the expiration date existed or not.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. I will officially be illegal in Bolivia this Sunday.

Paola is currently helping me run around the city and secure all the paperwork I need to renew my missionary visa for two more years. I was hoping to begin my permanent residency process since I am now married to a Bolivian citizen but it turns out that I need two years of residency in the country before I can apply for that.

So renewing my missionary visa is the current option. And it is normally not a difficult process but since my marital status has changed and I am now married I have to update various documents that I would not have to update otherwise.

I am hoping that Paola and I can pull together all the documents by next week but you never know. People don't move too fast here sometimes unless you pay them extra. I think you know what I mean.

But we don't want to do that so the timing is in God's hands right now. I will have to pay a little bit of a fine because I am going to turn in my paperwork AFTER my visa expiration date but other than that I should be legal in the next week or so to stay in the country for two more years.

I will probably begin the permanent residency process after one more year in the country. Paola and I know that we will be here for at least the next two years and then we don't know where God will send us, IF He sends us.

But if He sends us out of Bolivia it will make it much easier to visit Bolivia in the future if I have my permanent residency.

Day Trip

2009-02-25T22:12:00.003-05:00

Well, this past Tuesday marked the end of Carnaval here in Bolivia. Last year during Carnaval I traveled to Oruro, a city in Bolivia that boasts the second largest Carnaval celebration in South America. This year I took a day trip with Paola and her family to visit her cousin who lives about two hours outside of La Paz.

It was nice to get out of the city during this crazy time. Carnaval is alot of water balloon throwing, dancing and drinking. Last year it was a cool cultural experience that I was getting to know but this year I did not really want to have anything to do with it.

So on Monday I jumped at the chance to go with my wife and enjoy a BBQ with her family outside of the city. Her cousin is in the military and he serves at a base about two hours outside of La Paz. He invited the family to come enjoy a BBQ since Monday and Tuesday were holidays here in Bolivia. It was cool because it was my first visit to a military base here in Bolivia. A place that I would probably not be given access to as an American unless I was with my Bolivian wife and her family.

But all went smoothly. They just took our names and they didn't even check my backpack which I was sure that they would do. Anyway, we had a great day playing some games, eating some great food and playing a little volleyball as well.

We all arrived back into La Paz very tired later in the evening.

But it was just another cool experience in a long line of cool experiences that I have had here. And it is nice once again to walk the streets of La Paz and not worry about being pegged by a water balloon.

Wedding Photos

2009-02-22T16:10:00.001-05:00

Finally...I uploaded an online album of wedding photos.

Check them out HERE.

Enjoy.

Prayers Please

2009-02-18T16:05:00.002-05:00

Wow. Another post in just two days.

Could Curt actually be blogging again?

Hey y'all. I just wanted to send you a prayer request.
Sometimes God works in unexpected and mysterious ways.

Paola and I got called into a meeting with the pastor of the church we attend to talk to us about the possibility of being the youth leaders of the church. Very unexpected I must say. I thought we were just going to talk about how WE thought we might be able to serve the church. But it turns out that the pastor had something specific in mind. In the leadership meeting of the church our names came up as candidates because we are a young newly married couple and have a heart to serve.

I have to admit. At first, I said "No way."
I have never felt the call to work with youth. I have always felt a call to serve young kids. But I must tell you that as we talked more, the more I felt God speaking to me. And I realized in the meeting that in was during MY youth years when I turned away from God and went on my own path. And I have the scars and consequences to prove it. I felt God telling me that I have a testimony to give these kids.

I guess to put it simply: Paola and I have an opportunity here to influence some Bolivian youth. It would not be something that would occupy all of our time and we can still serve kids in Bolivia as well. In fact, we can serve kids in Bolivia WITH the youth from the church. We have the opportunity to serve as a couple and no doubt grow in Christ like never before.

I feel scared, nervous and unprepared for this. But sometimes that is right where God wants us. Paola and I have prayed for God to bring us something specific and we have asked Him for an opportunity to serve together.

So this just might be that opportunity.

Please pray that God will give us guidance and direction these next few days with regards to taking on this new and exciting responsibility.

Thanks so much.

Hi again.

2009-02-16T15:27:00.003-05:00

What an out of date blog. I was doing SO well. Then I fell in love. And then I got married. Then I went on a honeymoon. And then I get back and there is this hot girl in my house all the time and I have to decide…computer or girl? You know how it goes.

Well Paola and I are back in La Paz after a wonderful wedding and an amazing honeymoon in Jamaica. I praise God and thank my parents for sending us to Jamaica. There is no way that we could have made that trip if someone else had not covered the cost. So thanks mom and dad.

Paola and I have had a crazy few months. The trip to the states, followed by the wedding and honeymoon. I have pictures galore to show you but please bear with me. I am sorting through everything now and I hope to post some online albums in the next week or so. I want to post photos from our trip to the states and of course wedding/honeymoon photos.

Ok. So here are a few photos to hopefully tide you over…

One of the things that I am learning already is that it is much harder to find time for the computer now that I am married. I am not complaining because I love the changes that are going on in my life and spending time with Paola is one of the most important things for me right now. I think I am just realizing how attached I am to this laptop. I feel that urge constantly to be checking my email and working and it is just not as easy now that I am married. I have no doubt that this is normal and that all you married folks reading this are laughing right now.

All good changes for me though. I am a little too addicted to this laptop and taking some time away is definitely a good thing. But communicating with you is also very important to me too so now that we are back in La Paz and getting into more of a routine my hope is to blog more regularly. I certainly have things to share. Being married to a person from another culture certainly comes with some surprises and funny stories.

I will leave you with just one…last night we watched a movie and it was the first time that Paola had seen someone pop popcorn in the microwave. Can you believe that? Wow. She had never seen that before. But she made popcorn too last night. The way her grandmother taught her. She put kernels in a pot with some butter and made popcorn on the stove. What? That was a first for me.

So we are both learning new things. And that is the point. Not only are we going through the normal issues of living together and merging two lives into one but we have cultural differences as well on top of everything and that keeps things interesting. We have all the normal man/woman stuff going on but then we also have the cultural stuff too.

It is a HUGE change being married but I must say a very blessed and welcome change.

Married

2009-02-02T22:57:00.002-05:00

Well...this past weekend I officially became a married man.

And Paola and I leave tomorrow morning for our Honeymoon.

I promise pictures and stories when we get back.
Talk to you in about a week.

T-minus one week...

2009-01-24T10:16:00.004-05:00

One week from today will be my wedding day.
I can't believe it. Time just flies by.
I can't express how excited I am to be marrying Paola Ruth Aramayo Montenegro next Saturday here in La Paz.

I have no doubt that God wants us to be together. Although I am getting more and more nervous everyday thinking about the actual wedding ceremony, I feel a great peace in my heart knowing that I'm walking in God's plan for my life. It just makes you sleep a little easier at night when you know that you are walking in the path that He has set out for you.

Everyday the wedding planning continues but my goal for these final seven days is to keep the focus on the author of our wedding day, our Heavenly Father. It is His fault that I am here in Bolivia and it is His fault that Paola and I met. But as is the case in all our lives, there is always a temptation that the details and the stress of whatever we are dealing with will take the focus away from Him.

So my goal this week and during our actual wedding is to keep the focus on Him. To give Him the glory and thanks for bringing Paola and I together. To start our marriage off on the right foot by establishing God as the center of it all.

What is that thing in your life that you are tempted to take credit for when you know that the credit really belongs to God?

The Wedding Planner

2009-01-20T09:44:00.004-05:00

Just call me Jennifer Lopez because most of my days right now are filled with wedding planning. Or maybe you should call Paola J-Lo because she is the latin girl in this relationship.

With only about 10 days left, Paola and I are trying to finalize everything. This week we are visiting the church with the food/decorations company, contracting some speakers and a DJ, picking up our rings, buying the cake, delivering invitations and I am making sure that my suit fits.

Next week we finalize all the documents with the registro civil, buy flowers, finalize all the music and finalize the flow of the ceremony with the pastor.

We are going to have the civil ceremony (which is the legal ceremony here in Bolivia) on Friday night the 30th in my apartment. The church ceremony will be on Saturday, January the 31st here at one of the Anglican churches in La Paz.

I can tell that we are both starting to get more and more nervous each day. Things seem to be falling into place but we are still a little jittery. That's normal right?

Please keep us in your prayers on the 31st at 4 p.m. (3 p.m. your time) as we make this cross-cultural relationship official.

Have to go write my vows now...

"I promise to..."

Hi

2009-01-14T23:48:00.002-05:00

My name’s Curt.
Nice to meet you.
I used to have this blog that I wrote. And then I stopped. I stopped for about 20 days to be exact. I must apologize because once my fiancée Paola arrived to the states the schedule just got crazy and I rarely had time to check email or blog.

But my trip home is done and I am back in La Paz. And on the 31st of this month Paola and I will be getting married so these next two weeks should prove to be busy as well. But I don’t have a jam-packed agenda like I did when I was back home so I am hopeful of more frequent blog posts. And I promise an online album of all of the great photos we snapped during our US tour.

My five week visit to the states was a truly wonderful blessing. And there is just no way to list every possible blessing and experience here because there was just so many. But seeing my family and friends was awesome and a great energy boost for me. And the opportunity to share with people back home in person what God did this past year in my life was nothing short of a privilege and honor.

I was pretty burned out when I got on that plane and headed back home and although I can’t say that I sit here in La Paz well rested, I can say that I sit here in La Paz reminded of why I am here in the first place, reminded of why God called me here. And I have a re-energized call to serve His kingdom more this year.

The trip home did that. Seeing you did that.

And the cool thing about this new year is that I will not be alone in the calling. God has provided me with a helper. He is giving me a wife. A missionary partner in this journey. Someone who is daily helping me become a better man of God. Separate people can do great things for God but when God decides to bring two people together I really believe that the primary reason is so that these two people can do MORE for Him together than separate. That’s what I love about Paola.

Paola’s visit to my world was a success. I feel like she got along great with my family and friends. As Elvis said you just can’t help falling in love with her. Her spirit and her smile are powerful and I am so glad that she had the chance to meet my family and friends back home. Thanks to each and every one of you who met her, loved on her and made her feel so welcome and blessed to be there.

We are excited. We get married in 16 days. And then we get to work. This year should be interesting. We will definitely be investing time in building our relationship this year but we are also eager to serve the Lord in everything that we do. We both have a heart for kids and after the wedding festivities are over we are going to start searching and visiting as many childrens’ homes and orphanages as possible to see if God calls us to focus on a particular one.

I will continue my work with the Anglican churches and the Red Viva Network here in La Paz but with the realization that I can't say "yes" to everything this year or it could very well be my last year as a missionary. Pao and I don’t know exactly how God will use us in 2009 (who does?) but what we do know is that both our hearts break for orphans, abandoned and abused kids who have no role model of Christ in their life. And following that frustration together will be where we start.

Heya

2008-12-26T10:27:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I am excited because Paola comes to town THIS SUNDAY. I am flying to Miami to meet her. We will be spending two weeks together here in the states before heading back to La Paz on the 13th. Please pray that it will be a very fruitful time for us...seeing the city, meeting with family and friends and visiting the SAMS office.

We head back to Bolivia on the 13th and we get married in La Paz on the 31st.

Also...I was sorting through some old photos and came across this one below. Nice.

Keep on keeping on

2008-12-19T09:37:00.002-05:00

Sorry that I have not blogged in a week. I am not always in a place where there is internet. Also…I am just running around this city like a crazy man…

I am learning a lot during this trip about scheduling my time while visiting home. This is my first trip back home since leaving to be a missionary and I am just realizing how hard it is to see everyone. And I think I just booked way too much. I have been running around enjoying lunches and dinners with friends most days. And it is great. I love catching up with everyone.

But I haven’t left myself much downtime to just decompress. I think next time I make a visit I will be able to schedule things a little better. Lessons learned I guess.

I didn’t really consult any missionaries and ask them for advice on how to plan my visit home. Someone the other day asked me if I did that and I am wishing now that I had done that before coming home. It is a good idea.

I think I just started booking things and things got crazy. I guess I forgot how big this city is distance wise. But I love seeing everybody. No doubt about that.

I WAS able to get away on Wednesday and spend the day and evening at the Monastery in Conyers. It is a great retreat spot and I was able to rest and clear my head for a while. I pretty much have next week all clear so that I can just spend time with my family.

Then Paola arrives to US soil on Sunday the 28th and things get crazy again. We have my friend Warren’s wedding and a busy schedule showing her the city and letting her get to know my family and friends. We return to La Paz together on January 13th and then we have about two and a half weeks to make final preparations for our wedding on the 31st.

So right now I am just keeping on keeping on.

Please pray for me this Saturday morning because I will speaking to the brotherhood of the church to share my first year experience in Bolivia with them. I already had one presentation to the church and I learned a lot from that experience. I thought I would just be visiting and presenting but I think what I am learning during this trip is how to visit “well” and how to present “well.” Things that would be hard to know unless you experience them for the first time.

Paola and I will both be up in front of the congregation on Sunday the 4th to share our experiences and share where we are headed in the future as a missionary couple.

Making the rounds

2008-12-10T13:18:00.002-05:00

So it has been five days since I got home.

And I am slowly but surely starting to make the rounds. Some of you I have seen. Some of you I have talked to but not yet seen. And some of you I still need to call.

I am excited to be here but I am definitely experiencing some reverse culture shock right now. In some ways I have easily adapted back to life here. And in other ways it is so clear that I will never ever be the same person that I was when I left for Bolivia a year ago.

The presentation this past Sunday at church went very well.
Thanks for your prayers.

And today I stopped by the pre-school at the church because the kids there collected donations all this year and they wanted to present me with the funds. The funds will be directly spent on the kids in Bolivia. It was cool what the kids here did. They gave up their ice cream money lots of times this year and raised $100 for the kids in Bolivia. Awesome. I love to watch God work. And I think that it is great that the kids here get to, at such a young age, be a part of what God is doing all over this world.

It was a great blessing to spend time with the kids today. It was show and tell day so I got to show them some photos and talk to them about Bolivia.

Hey...I will take every opportunity that I can get.

Presentation Tonight

2008-12-07T14:14:00.002-05:00

So tonight at 5 p.m. I have a presentation at Holy Cross Anglican Church here in Loganville. I will be giving a little bit of a recap of my first year in Bolivia.

I welcome your prayers.

I pray that God speaks through me. That He says what He needs to say and says what the people need to hear. I am just a vehicle. But I hope I can accurately convey my extreme gratitude for all that He has done this year.

I am here

2008-12-06T21:38:00.004-05:00

In Atlanta. For like five weeks.

Lunch with my family was great today. Hanging out and watching football too. I have a presentation tomorrow night at the church...talking about my first year as a missionary in Bolivia. I pray I take every chance and opportunity during these five weeks to talk about how great God is. It is because of Him that I even went to Bolivia and it is because of Him that I can come back home and share my experiences.

But I tell you all that to tell you that I am in town.

Let's do lunch.

Bienvenido a Miami

2008-12-05T18:26:00.004-05:00

I am sitting in the Miami airport right now waiting on my flight to Atlanta. In just a few short hours I will be home.

I have already eaten a Pizza Hut personal pan pepperoni pizza and a Quiznos sub. And I am currently sipping on Starbucks.

And I seriously think I might puke. What am I doing? I step foot on US soil and I immediately begin stuffing my face. What is it about this place?

See you very soon.

This is it...

2008-12-04T07:49:00.003-05:00

My last day in La Paz for like six weeks.
I board a plane bound for Miami early tomorrow morning.
And tomorrow evening I arrive to Atlanta.
Saturday I eat BBQ, french fries and drink sweet tea.

Today will be a day of packing and a day to say goodbye.

I will miss La Paz for many reasons. But I really miss home too.
And I am so ready for this trip.

How to contact me while I am in Atlanta?
Here are several options...

# at my parents house - 770.972.5679
Temp. cell phone while I am visiting - 770.598.2835
(This is an AT&T Go Phone. So free mobile to mobile for you AT&T users)
# at my apartment in La Paz - 678.431.6810
(This # will be forwarded to my temp. cell phone)

One of these numbers should get me. I arrive late tomorrow night.
So Saturday the phone lines will be open for business.

See you in the good ole US of A!

Dry

2008-12-03T08:25:00.003-05:00

I am ready to come home.

As I keep pondering all that has gone down this year I continue to realize that I just simply tried to get involved in too much. When I was at my missionary training course last fall they told us to take it easy. They told us to focus on the language and the culture and not to get too overwhelmed with work during our first year.

They told us that it is a marathon not a sprint. They told us to make sure we take care of our soul first and foremost.

Looking back on this year I don't really think that I took their advice to heart.

And as a prepare to get on a plane this Friday I am definitely suffering the consequences. Don't hear me wrong. God has done some AMAZING things in my life this year. And I know I have been used by Him in a mighty way. And I am closer to Him.

But...because I got involved in so many different things I am suffering a little burnout right now. I got overwhelmed by all the needs I saw. Bottom line...I need this trip home. I need encouragement to know that what I am doing here really matters. I need to be refreshed and renewed.

I need to visit home to remember why I was called here to Bolivia in the first place.

I have realized that I am more frustrated than I thought. I have realized that I am more burned out than I thought. My heart is harder than it was when I arrived last December 29th. I used to walk these streets with so much love in my heart. Lately, I have found myself just wanting to push people out of my way on the streets. No joke.

I try to be honest with you on this blog. I try to give you a real picture of my experience here and not to just make my life as a missionary seem all rosy and nice. Sure there are extreme moments of love, joy and fulfillment. But there are moments of sadness, frustration and hate as well.

I think the spiritual weight and depression of this culture is winning right now.
I need this time away.
I need to fall in the love with my Savior again.
I need to see you and remember why I am here.

Yet through all this God is faithful. I keep going back to Him.
I have seen and experienced too much of His love and provision to leave Him know.

But at least now I know. I know what I feel like inside when I overcommit and try to do too much. I know what the contrast feels like. I know what I spirit overflowing with God's love feels like and I know what a completely dry spirit feels like. I know what it feels like to let God take you somewhere and then tell Him "I got it from here."

At least I know.

Twice Now...

2008-12-01T09:08:00.002-05:00

...I have told someone back home that I will "see you this weekend."

Wow. I can't believe the time is here.

I actually "WILL see some of you this weekend."

Nice.

Ciao

2008-11-29T09:00:00.003-05:00

Well...my flight back to Atlanta is next Friday morning.
Less than a week away.

And the goodbyes are starting here in La Paz.

Today I have a goodbye lunch with Paola and her family.
Sunday night some friends are getting together for a goodbye party.

I will only be gone six weeks but still...it will be a week of goodbyes here as a prepare to say hello to the United States of America next Friday.

The Verdict...

2008-11-28T21:47:00.004-05:00

...from last night is in.

I got my Thanksgiving on.

Amen.

So thankful

2008-11-27T12:49:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Thanksgiving doesn't really show up on the radar screen here in Bolivia but there is a group of us getting together tonight to eat and give thanks.

And I have so much to be thankful for. I wrote in a post a while back that I could spend all day long just thanking God for what He has done in my life and it still would not even come close to being enough.

And if I try to make a list of all the things that I am thankful for I won't be able to cover everything. So I will just say that I am thankful for a God who loves me, cares for me and who thought that I was worth dying for. A God who continues to have faith in me even when I stumble and fall.

Thanks Father. Everything I have is from you.

Mixin’ it up

2008-11-26T09:03:00.002-05:00

So with just about one week left before I board that plane heading back to Miami, it is starting to sink in that I will actually be leaving Bolivia behind for six weeks to come home.

I am feeling a real mix of emotions right now. On one hand I am so ready to come home. I have grown so much this year. I have experienced moments of success and true joy and moments of extreme failure and frustration.

And I just miss the predictability and comfort of home.

But on the other hand I am starting to really feel a weight of sadness in my heart. I am really going to miss La Paz. And it is not just because I will be separated from Paola for three weeks. It is for all the relationships and places that I will be leaving. The food that I have grown to love. The mountains and the clear blue skies. The fumes from the awful public transportation. The kids’ smiles. Savoring a Coke like never before in my life. Speaking Spanish all the time. Everything.

This country has really captured my heart. And although I know that I will only be away for six weeks it is still going to hurt. But I know that the sadness I am going to feel over the lack of La Paz in my heart will be cured by seeing you.

By seeing my family and my friends who I have not seen all this year. By seeing the Atlanta skyline. By eating at all my favorite restaurants. By driving. By speaking English. By sweet tea and southern BBQ. Everything.

There is so much to tell you in person.
No doubt I have changed and you have changed too.
Let’s hope it’s for the better.
I am skinnier that’s for sure.

I am so sappy right now (happy & sad). My days right not are pretty much consumed with preparations for my trip back home, telling people that I can’t help them until next year and planning for my wedding in January here in La Paz. I am almost at the point of opening the suitcases on the floor of my bedroom and starting.

But I just can’t quite do it yet.

EL DIA Recap

2008-11-24T08:41:00.002-05:00

EL DIA was truly amazing this past weekend. Thanks for your prayers.
I had been looking forward to this event all year.
I lasted for 19 hours.
We started around 8 p.m. on Friday night and I made it to 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon before I crashed.
19 hours of non-stop praise and worship.

I really needed this opportunity to just stop and worship God. And although my goal was to just praise Him and not ask for anything, God still gave me some pretty strong encouraging words during the event.

One cool thing was that He used other people to speak to both Paola and I and confirm that He has great plans for us as a couple. It was yet another confirmation for both of us that it is God’s will for us to be married. And it is His will that we serve Him as missionaries. It was great for us to get similar words of encouragement separately from different people. That was big for us.

Also, God gave me a very strong encouraging word personally. I felt Him speaking to me early on during the event, like during the first three songs.

I was just praising Him when I felt Him speak to me and say “Thank you Curt for this year in Bolivia. I really appreciate what you did. You left your life behind to come here and serve me and I want you to know that what you did this year did not go unnoticed. I saw.”

He said He knows that I stumbled and fell many times this year, which is so true. I had some serious low points here in Bolivia this year. But He also told me that He knows that I got up each time.

The issue is not whether we fall but how often we get back up. True failure would be to fall and not pick myself up. It is was a great word of encouragement that I received from God. And I’ll admit I broke down a little because I know that I can always do more. I know that I can always work harder.

But I felt God telling me that He appreciated what I did this year.
And it is just like God to do that. To tell me “thank you” and make me just want to give Him everything I got. It makes me want to serve Him so much more.

This event was a great bookend to my first year in Bolivia. Now I am preparing to come home, share what I have seen and experienced this year and then head back to Bolivia in January for year two.

Thanks Father for telling me “thanks.” It makes me happy to know that you are happy. I should be the one telling YOU “thanks.” You should not be the one telling me.

But “thanks” for telling me “thanks.”

EL DIA

2008-11-21T09:03:00.002-05:00

Today is the day.
Starting at 7 p.m. tonight.
24 hours of worship, prayer and fasting.
My plan is to not leave the event.
I want to praise God for 24 hours straight.
Not sure if I can make it...but He certainly deserves it.

I can't wait to see what God does.
I hope He rocks my world.
I could use a jolt or two.

Please pray for God to be glorified and for the body of Christ here in Bolivia to be transformed during this event. Pray for the walls of division between the churches here in Bolivia to be smashed in this 24 hour period.

I will give you a recap once it is all said and done.

Peace.

License to Wed

2008-11-18T09:01:00.003-05:00

First came love...then came Reverend Ronald.

So Paola and I have officially begun pre-marital classes with the pastor who is going to marry us here in La Paz. Pastor Ronald Irene and his wife Nicky are meeting with us to go through some material and just talk. They have a cross-cultural relationship too (He is from Bolivia. She is from England) so that is an added bonus for us.

We already had one session talking about the purpose of marriage in God's plan. And we have about 7-8 more sessions to go. The purpose is not really to finish the material and say, "Yes, now we can get married." The purpose is time together so we can learn more about each, prepare for this next step, and learn from people who have alot more experience.

It should be very eye-opening. We will have a few more sessions before I head back home to the states and more sessions when Paola and I return to La Paz in January.

I already have one book on my reading list...

Men are like Waffles. Women are like Spaghetti.

Anyone read it?
I just started it but it talks about and celebrates some basic differences between men and women. How we both communicate, process emotions, make decisions and learn differently. I am in the early chapters where it is talking about communication. The basic premise is that men process life in boxes and try to solve one issue at a time. But for women, every thought and issue is connected to every other thought and issue in some way.

I just started so I have a ways to go. But it has already given Pao and I a chance to have some good conversations. The book is in English so I am reading it and then we are talking about it in Spanish. She is also reading a book that we are going to discuss as well.

As promised...

2008-11-17T14:38:00.003-05:00

Here is a link to some photos of my new apartment in La Paz.
This is where I will be living for at least the next year.

Enjoy.

The date is set

2008-11-15T09:57:00.002-05:00

So the wedding date is officially set everyone.

On Saturday, January 31st here in La Paz, Bolivia I will be marrying Paola Ruth Aramayo Montenegro. Just about 77 days from now. She will be visiting the states at the end of Dec/start of Jan so she will have a chance to meet my family and friends before the wedding.

I am busy trying to plan her visit. She arrives on Dec. 28 and we head back together to La Paz on Jan. 13. And the wedding planning is underway. We are not thinking about anything really huge but something nice here in one of the Anglican churches in La Paz.

She already has her dress. And we are hoping to work on some invitations these next few weeks before I head back home to Georgia. We will be delivering some printed invitations to our guests here in Bolivia and anybody from the states who wants to make the trip for the wedding is more than welcome to. It is a costly trip to make so we plan on having a reception in Georgia sometime in the future for all the folks who can't make it down here to Bolivia.

We are very excited to see where God takes us as a missionary couple. We appreciate your prayers. I will post more details as the date gets closer.

And I look forward to sharing the details with you in person when I get back to Atlanta in about 20 days. I arrive on Dec. 5.

I want you back

2008-11-13T08:53:00.001-05:00

“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart.”

“Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.”

Joel 2:12 – 13

Some days I just want to go back to the beginning.

I miss 2005…the first year I truly walked with Christ.
I was on fire. I couldn’t spend enough time with Him.

Every night I was listening to sermons and soaking up His word like nobody’s business.

I wonder if God misses 2005 sometimes too.

Sure I am serving Him as a missionary now in another culture and I am sure He smiles and claps. But I wonder if He secretly wants 2005 back. A year when I was completely on fire.

I have heard that we change and mature as Christians. But I do not believe that the fire we feel during our first year with Christ should die.

Why do I let it die?

I love 2008 but I miss 2005. I want that fire back.

Excuse me…but I have to go look for a match…

Thank You

2008-11-12T09:19:00.004-05:00

My first year in La Paz is winding down (the countdown clock shows about three weeks left until I head back to Atlanta) and I am trying to reflect on what 2008 meant to me.

But one thing I keep coming back to is the overwhelming gratitude that I have for my family and friends back home who make this whole thing possible. I thank God because He is working in your hearts.

But I seriously would not be able to serve here in Bolivia as a missionary if I didn't have your prayers and your support. So...thank you, thank you, thank you.

And I look forward to telling you "gracias" in person when I get back to the states in December.

As I reviewed my most recent posts I realized that most of them are "What's going on with me" posts and not really "What God is speaking to me" posts. I think that's because I am not making enough one on one time with God. I am not giving Him enough chances to speak to me.

I know that there have been a few sermons and passages that have spoken to me recently but I guess not strongly enough for me to write about them. My lack of alone time with God makes me want to get sick sometimes.

I need Him now more than ever. Someone told me before I left last year for Bolivia that I needed at least an hour every day alone with God. It's not that I feel guilty and think God is checking off a list our cheering when I spend time with Him.

I just miss Him.

I wish I had followed their advice about the one hour each day.
Actually, I think right now I will.

I am going to talk and listen to God for the next hour instead of worshipping this laptop...

I'm back....

2008-11-09T09:04:00.003-05:00

Hey y'all.

I am back safe and sound in La Paz. I enjoyed a wonderful few days in Cochabamba attending a workshop talking about the mobilization of resources. It was heavily focused in marketing and fundraising and although not all of the info was new to me, I learned a great deal. And I made a great new contact with the guy who led the workshop. He is the Director of Communications for the Stromme Foundation, a large foundation based in Norway whose vision is a world free of poverty.

Check them out at www.stromme.org.

They mainly use education and microfinance loans as their tools.

But the whole experience just made we want more focus in my mission here in Bolivia. This past year I felt like I have helped a wide variety of ministries and organizations with marketing projects but I keep feeling in my heart that with some more time here God is going to give me more focus. I guess that is natural when you come to a new environment. You take it all in, see your options, pray and at some point God says..."this."

Well, I think I am just still waiting for the "this."

Something I do have is a fiance who shares the same missionary calling that I do. And I have no doubt that God has a plan for us as a couple. 2009 will be a big year for prayer for us. Praying for direction and guidance as a team. Something tells me in my heart that God is going to burden both Paola and I with a ministry or an orphanage or something...

We both know it is coming and we are waiting anxiously to know what it is that God needs us to do together.

The workshop this past weekend just made me crave that "one specific ministry" more. I want God to say "this" and I want to pour every ounce of marketing & communication creativity that He has given me into it.

God...just say "this" and I will say "ok."