Holy Week 2011 - La Paz

Palm Sunday 10 AM- Hosanna to the Son of David
Pastor Julio led us in a study of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He did not come as a earthly king, he had something much greater to accomplish.




Maunday Thursday 7 PM - Do this in Remembrance of Me
Pastor Julio reminded us of the three communions that occur when we participate in the Lord's Supper. The communion of the elements, the communion of the participants with their Savior, the communion of all the participants with each other.





Good Friday 3PM - Despised and Rejected
In a service of the seven words from the cross, the congregation was reminded of our Savior's great love for us. He "set his face to go to Jerusalem" to complete the work of salvation for all sinners. He bore the physical pain inflicted on his body and the spiritual pain of hell so we could be free from the condemnation that our sins deserve.







Easter 6AM - He Lives!
In a sunrise service, we sang Aleluya, as the message reminded the congregation that our Savior's work has been accepted by the Father. The tomb is empty and eventhough our bodies will grow old and die we will live again with glorified bodied with our Savior in heaven.
He lives! He lives!

Protests

These past two weeks have been tumultuous in La Paz as the government paid union workers have been on strike. Health workers, teachers and miners have been taking turns protesting in different areas of the city. The strikes started out calm and relatively quiet and have been building in intensity.

For the most part, the protesters march in the downtown area and around the main government buildings. This past Wednesday we needed to get downtown to meet with the lawyer to work on our resident visas. We could only get fairly close to the downtown and then had to walk the rest of the way into the downtown area. We were able to meet with the lawyer and get the paperwork done, but when we came out of the office, ALL the traffic in and out of the downtown area had been blocked off. We had to walk around until we got past the blockade in order to get transportation back to the apartment.

Since the government is not conceding to the strikers, the union workers have decided to spread their protests to other parts of the city. The past couple of days we have been awakened by the sound of dynamite exploding two blocks from the apartment. The miners bring in explosive charges from their mines and use them in their protests. They start very early in the morning, (5:30) and try to block as many roads as possible so people cannot get to their workplaces. Since the government is not giving in to their demand of a 15% raise, they have decided to blockade all the main roads in the city and those that connect La Paz with the rest of the country. Large rocks are put in the street or the people simply sit down on the road so cars and buses cannot pass.

Neither side is backing down, so it looks like the protests will continue on Monday until some kind of agreement can be reached. The government says they cannot pay a 15% raise because it would break the treasury (they have agreed to give 10%). The union workers contend that the government is "hiding" the money. In the meantime, children are not going to school, hospitals are not attending patients and the city is in chaos. People are beginning to lose their patience. Fighting is breaking out bewtween police and protesters. Parents are asking that teachers be fired if they want to protest instead of teaching.

Where will it all end? Who will blink first?
Foto: Pagina Siete, La Paz

Bolivia has been given the designation as the poorest country in South America. There are still many indigenous tribes that are trying to maintain their culture outside the big cities. The data states that there are 36 ethnic groups still active in Bolivia. We see many indigenous people in the city every day. They are coming into the bigger cities to earn a living since they can no longer support their families just from the produce of the land.

This past week we enjoyed a parade of indigenous groups. They dress in bright colors and most of them wear hats and lovely, floor-length shawls. Here is a short video of the parade. Hope you enjoy it.

Blessings from Hardship

At the end of February we were busy selling and packing things in anticipation of our move to La Paz. The movers came the first week of March and packed up everything and took it to the dock in Haina, Dominican Republic.

At the same time, Francisco Tarifa in Capalla, Bolivia was also packing up his things - but for a different reason. The heavy rains of the month of February caused a mega-landslide that destroyed an entire neighborhood. Francisco's house was one of the homes affected, sliding off it's foundation and leaving huge cracks in the walls. Francisco and his family packed up what could be salvaged and were invited by congregation members to stay in an empty room of El Redentor church. He has gone back several times to see the remains of his home but he and his family are planning to stay at the church for at least a year while the authorities sort out the paperwork and relocation of the families. (Foto: El Diario, La Paz)

In the meantime, Francisco is without a home and without work. When we arrived and began our many errands for acquiring a resident visa and finding an apartment, Francisco became our official "helper". He accompanies us on all our outings: to the lawyers office, to obtain documents from the police station and the health apartment, and on our search for an apartment. As we go about these trips, Francisco points out places of historical interest in the city, bus routes, where to pay bills, shopping areas and gives tips on where it would not be safe for us to go. His help has been invaluable and we have appreciated his willingness to accompany us.

At the same time, we have had many opportunities to converse and share things about our past. Francisco has shared with us the story of his spiritual journey. He is very thankful for the classes he received from Larry Retberg and looks forward to learning more about confessional Lutheran teachings. Francisco and Philip have had several long conversations about spiritual topics. Each time, his focus turns more and more to the work the Savior has done and less and less to his own personal efforts or changes. The Holy Spirit is strengthening his faith.

It was hard for us to leave Santiago, DR and leave behind so many dear friends. It was hard for Francisco to leave his home and move his family after the disaster. Out of these hard times, the Lord has brought much blessing. He has brought us together and we have found mutual blessings in the help we receive from Francisco and the spiritual guidance he receives from his conversations with Philip. What started as a difficult situation for both has resulted in blessing for all.

"Many, O Lord my God are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare". Ps. 40:5