Dear Family & Friends,
Greetings from Taperillas, Bolivia! Today is the first day of our third "cursillo"
teaching the first phase of the chronological Bible teachings. In this cursillo,
the students will complete the Old Testament overview from the ten commandments
to the end of the OT, and will complete the first nine or ten lessons of the New
Testament. They will see how the Old Testament prophecies were all fulfilled in
the Savior, Jesus Christ!
As of 4:00 am today, twenty-eight students had arrived from six different
communities! Although the cursillos were designed for the same students to come
each time so that all would receive the teachings from beginning to end, we have
at least a dozen new students this time. This necessitates extra review, but
there is no way the review can be as comprehensive as were the first two
cursillos. Please pray that these new students will quickly grasp the basic
foundational concepts of the Old Testament, and that the teachers will have
wisdom in how to present the new material with sufficient review so that the new
students will be able to understand.
This cursillo there are only two teachers, Bill and Felix, as our co-worker,
Jack Russell, had to return to the States. As Felix lacks a good grasp of some
of the lessons, Bill will be doing the majority of the teaching. Please pray
for Bill, especially as both he and I have been fighting sore throats
lately.....that his voice and health would stay strong through the four days of
the cursillo. The cursillo lasts until Sunday. In the past ten days, we have
had visitors in the tribe continually: four men from our mission for a
church-planting seminar here; two consultants to do a translation check on the
Old Testament scriptures we're using in the cursillo; and, a team of eight
adults from the States here for a tribal visit. As a result, we're entering this
cursillo somewhat tired--please pray we'll have supernatural energy!
Bill & I will also be continuing (as in the other cursillos) to teach one hour
of literacy each afternoon. This will also be more difficult this cursillo,
with the new students having missed the introductory lessons. Please pray these
lessons will be effective, so that the students will be able to read the Bible
lesson booklets they take home with them.
More than anything, we pray the students will have open hearts to the truths of
God's Word....many will be hearing these truths for the first time in their
language!
Next week, we will need to travel to Santa Cruz for a required seminar for all
missionaries on safety issues in this country. We're glad it's in Santa
Cruz....it will be good to visit Josh there again!
Once again, thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf and on behalf of
the ministry to the Simba. Please forgive the lateness of this update....we
were having some trouble with our radio email system. It's good the Lord is
aware of our needs, even when we can't communicate them.
In His Love,
(Bill &) Kathleen Mann