David at home in La Paz, celebrating the sun shining on Mount Illimani after days of his mountain being hidden in the clouds!
Cochabamba, Bolivia | August 15- September 3, 2023
PURPOSES FOR THIS TRIP:
This trip is based in Cochabamba, Bolivia with a comfortable altitude of 8,000 feet. Our purpose is to facilitate two excellent five-day D4D (Discipling for Development) Foundations Seminars. The first week will focus on Food for the Hungry – Bolivia including the organization’s leaders and three-four local practitioner dream-team implementers. The second week will focus on two-thirds participants from Compassion International – Bolivia along with some local pastors and leaders from a few interested church groups (mostly from La Paz and Santa Cruz), including two Friends groups. Our D4D Foundations Seminar introduces participants to the biblical basis, empowerment perspective, and an overview of some basic development tools, along with our D4D approach to whole-life discipleship and community transformation. This introduction will allow us a common language and basis on which to continue building. We will also be in dialogue with our local partners setting the stage for the ongoing coaching needed for their organizations’ transformation in the next few years.
PRAISES AND PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Praise God for this amazing opportunity to work with two well-known and successful Christian development organizations, Food for the Hungry International-Bolivia, and Compassion International-Bolivia. These two groups rose to the surface out of our exploratory and vision-casting trips this last year. They both express a dissatisfaction with the results they are seeing as they work with local churches and communities across the country. These churches are not gaining a strong enough sense of ownership and empowerment in effectively reaching out to their own communities long-term after their partnership with these development organizations ends. They are inviting us to walk alongside them in the process of improving their organizations and methodologies to more effectively see the kingdom of God expand through their work throughout Bolivia. What a privilege!
- Join me in praying/declaring Isaiah 61:1-4 and Ephesians 2:10 over them and over all of us over these next three weeks! Jesus wants to shine his light brightly through them, through the many churches and denominations they work with in Bolivia, and especially through Christ’s bride, his body, and his church spread throughout Bolivia! Christ/we/they are anointed by Holy Spirit to declare the good news, to proclaim freedom, to set captives free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Jubilee) to push back the darkness, to comfort those who morn, to see people and their communities flourish with beauty instead of ashes, joy instead of mourning, and praise instead of heaviness, they will be oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, and the places long devastated! These organizations and the churches they represent are the Almighty’s masterpiece, his amazing poem being written new (made new) in Christ Jesus, that they move into doing the good works planned long ago for them to do, walking with Holy Spirit the paths he’s prepared for them. I’m praying this over everyone individually to become all God has created them to be, and also over these organizations and the churches they influence. It is amazing to be offered the privilege of walking this path with them for the next few years!
- Pray for our Navigator facilitators coming from Mexico and Chile, to catch on quickly and enjoy the facilitation process, and to also learn from D4D and to catch a vision for how our whole-life discipleship could benefit the Navigators working across Latin America. Here is our team on this trip!
- Gary and Merri Lee Hipp (American missionaries who coached our Rwanda D4D team. They are an amazing team who have led D4D for many years. Gary is our team leader. They are learning Spanish, but won’t facilitate very many lessons).
- David Thomas (Evangelical Friends Missionary blessed to partner with Navigators D4D in this new work in Bolivia. Also, a former missionary kid to/from Bolivia)
- Judy Camp (American Navigator ministry with Hispanic ladies in Los Angeles for many years)
- Bruce Hook (American Navigator working with American Navigator missionaries and Latin American Navigators in member care)
- Sergio and Mónica are with Latin American Navigators working in Mexico.
- Marcia and Carlos are with Latin American Navigators in Chile.
- Ninfa Apaza is a Bolivian leader with Compassion Bolivia, who will facilitate for the first time with us.
- Pray for God’s favor, blessing, and grace to rest on us! Pray for wisdom and the Holy Spirit’s insight as we walk alongside these organizations. Pray for health, strength, energy, excellent Spanish, and excellent communication with all those participating in our two, five-day seminars. Pray for safety in travel for all those coming a day’s drive from La Paz and Santa Cruz. Pray for the health of everyone during the two weeks of seminars. Pray for me. I have a strong sense of confidence going into this assignment. I am learning to be continually centered, grounded, and rooted in Christ’s love. I know that I am his “beloved ‘huios’ (son, heir, family representative), that Papa is pleased with me, (that he trusts me), that his delight rests on me.” (Luke 3:22) Pray for these truths to be deeply rooted in me, in who I am.
- Pray also for me to be continually aware of Holy Spirit’s presence and nudging, to find a good rhythm of rest alongside the times of intense focus in facilitating and listening to others facilitate. Pray for growth in my emotional intelligence and awareness of everything and everyone around me. Pray for God’s favor to rest on me!
Dear friends, I am still in a friend-raising, fundraising mode seeking new partners that want to join me as prayer partners, and also as monthly financial partners. I am currently supported at around 66% of my budget needed to take these coaching trips. Thank you in advance for asking Holy Spirit if he would encourage you to join my team! There are four ways to give:
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Thank you in advance for partnering with us in prayer for this trip!
David Thomas
English (United States) 
Spanish