Teaching and tying up loose ends:

For the past few months we have been working relentlessly to prepare the people of the church for the time we will be on furlough. In June we will be coming to the end of our first term here in Bolivia. It is amazing to think that almost four years have passed since we arrived here and started our ministry. During those four years the Lord has worked greatly in our lives and church. We have seen many come to know Christ as their Savior and have been working to train and prepare them for the ministry. We have been forming groups of leaders and workers that will be taking responsibility for many of the different ministries in the church like teaching the children’s classes and our Kid’s Club on Wednesday night, visitation, our ushers and many others. On a regular basis, we are meeting with them planning and preparing them for the time that we will be away. We also have started the first of a series of classes called “Christian Growth Classes”. Every Sunday night after church, there is a group of 20 to 25 people that stay an hour for the class. The first class is to prepare people to be members of the church and is actually required for anyone that is interested in being a member. We cover the basic doctrines and practices of the church along with what is expected of someone that wants to be a member. Since this is the first time we have offered the class we have some participating that are already members even though close to ten are not. The following class, after they have completed the first one, will touch on areas like service in the church. Before completing the class those participating will be expected to be involved in at least one ministry. Although this time has been a challenge for both them and us, it has been amazing to see the excitement and enthusiasm to have a part in God’s work. In light of the fact that we will soon be back in the states for our furlough, we are officially announcing it and would like to let you know that if you are interested in us visiting the church to give an update on what God is doing in Bolivia please contact us by phone at 336-499-2585 or by Email at kwhite@mwbm.org.

Fixing Teeth:

There are many children in our church that come from very difficult home lives. Some are very poor and many of their parents are almost not involved in their lives. The times we go to visit them, their parents are either not home or too drunk to talk to us. Many of them have even been affected greatly in their social and physical development. There are two, brother and sister, three and five that can barley be understood when they talk. One supposedly fell on his head as a baby, and his sister was given corn whisky from the time she was an infant. One of the ladies of our church has taken it upon herself to try and do something special for these children. There is a dentist school here that offers free or reduced rate treatment for the children that go. Around 15 children have had everything from their teeth cleaned to reconstructive surgery with one winning a scholarship to have his teeth fixed and braces put on. Our goal though is not only to help them have better teeth, but also to reach them and their families with the gospel. Please pray for these children that we can share the love of God with them. To see pictures go to kevinwhite.wordpress.com.

Mending Homes:

This past month we started once again our meeting for married couples. It has been a while since we have met but kind of happened naturally. Several of the couples in the church started getting together once every couple of weeks and many times ending up talking about marriage issues. We decided that this would be a great opportunity to begin meeting together again on a formal basis. We meet on Friday every two weeks in one of their homes. We have some snacks and good fellowship followed up with a game or two to break the ice. Afterwards, we have an informal lesson about how to have a better marriage. In the first class we looked what is the real purpose of marriage. They were surprised to learn that it was something that most of their marriages were lacking, companionship and communion. Please pray for these families.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for our upcoming furlough starting in June.
Pray for those taking leadership positions in the church.
Pray for our upcoming couples retreat in March.
Pray that the Lord will work in the lives of those in the government here in Bolivia.

Get all the information here:

Last night the Surgeon said she could have tea! That’s hot tea, and for our American friends we do that here in South Africa no matter how hot the weather is. Julie still cannot eat solids, but the tea thing is a big boost for one’s spirit (if you like the stuff). To date there has been no infection whatsoever. Praise the Lord, as this is the major concern. Tentatively, Julie may be moved to a normal ward on Wednesday, and then released on Saturday. It would be great to have her home the end of the week-a home with only two boys and a dad quickly becomes a lonely (and disorganized) place.

Mark and Natasha are missionaries out of our church on their way to China. I do not know of a finer couple of Christian servants any where in the world. They are hurting deeply today! Please pray for them:

Please Pray for Our Baby and Family

This is one of the hardest posts for me to write. Today, we went to the Doctor to find out about our baby that we are expecting in 19 weeks. Because this pregnancy hasn’t gone as smoothly as our first one, we were a little worried going into the appointment, especially since we had been given no new information at our last appointment. Well, we finally received some answers today.

We were able to hear the baby’s heart beat and see it’s profile (got a picture). We were excited! Then the ultrasound technician had to get the doctor and the doctor came in to look at the rest of the baby’s body. After she was done, she took us into a different room and explained the condition of our little baby.

Our baby has what is known as “Body Stalk Anomaly.” Basically, all the organs from the mid-chest down have developed outside the body and have attached themselves to the wall of the placenta. This condition makes the baby incapable of living outside the womb. The baby has a 5% percent chance of living. If the baby does make it full term it will only live for a minute or two.

With that being said, please be in prayer for the baby, my wife, and our family. The baby is currently living, and Natasha will continue to carry the baby as long as it lives. We know the Lord is in control, and we will continue as normal to see what the Lord does. If the baby passes away before it is full term then Natasha will be induced and give labor to the baby. This could happen at anytime, so we will be going to the doctor at least every other week to check up on it.

We will love this baby as long as it lives. We will tell it of it’s Creator and the love He has for us. We will tell it how it could soon be meeting Him.

We are thankful that the Lord has given us this child. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away; blessed be the name of the LORD. As the baby lives we will praise the Lord for everyday He has allowed us to have it, and once it passes on, we will continue to praise the Lord!

Thank your for your prayers and concern!