January Newsletter!
What have we been up to this month? Here’s a nice little summary!
As always, it can be viewed here or you can click the link below for a larger version.
Enjoy!
If you would like to receive email updates each time we write on our blog, sign up in the upper left corner of the page.
The flight attendant in the bathroom with a Coca-Cola flavored lollypop!
BLESS is a volleyball team that is part of the sports ministry run by WorldVenture Bolivia. Currently there is a men’s and a women’s team, and this year there are plans for more!
For four days, 20 college students and 7 WorldVenture missionaries attended sports camp to worship together, hear from God, and (of course) play sports. It was a great week!
Murder. It happened at the BLESS Volleyball Camp we attended this week. And I (Lindsay), was involved. Gasp!
Criminal Profile
Two months into my freshman year of college, I auditioned for the Michigan Tech Troupe, an improv comedy ensemble, because my friend Matt asked me to. Not expecting to be accepted into the group, I agreed and had what I thought was a horrible audition. Little did I know, the group was excited about my audition and I was in.
The more I learned about improv, the more I grew to love it and Troupe playtimes soon became huge stress relievers during my crazy semesters. But as I continued Troupin’, I started to wonder if God wanted me to be part of the group. There were many opportunities I had to turn down with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship because I didn’t have the time, party because of my involvement in Troupe. I worried that I wasn’t being a good witness through the choices I made while improv-ing. I wondered if I had made a mistake when I joined the group. I hadn’t prayed about it, asked anyone about it… I had just done it…
The Plot Thickens
A moment from a MTU Troupe Show
The year after I graduated from Tech, I received a phone call from my close friend Christina, who told me Brandon (one of the guys with me in the Troupe) had just become a Christian! He later came up to me, gave me a huge hug, and thanked me for the example I had been while being part of the Troupe. I was stunned.
A few months later another member of the Troupe (one who joined after I had left the group) became a Christian, partly due to Brandon’s testimony. I began to wonder if I had missed the work God was doing in my life…
The Plot Thickens Even More
We moved to Bolivia as missionaries. I started having the desire to perform improv again; I didn’t really understand it, but wished we were still in the U.S. so I could start a Christian improv ministry. Then I started dreaming about using improv as a ministry tool right where I was, in Bolivia. But the dream died as I continued studying Spanish. I couldn’t speak well enough to teach Bolivian college students how to improv, could I?
Well… it turns out I can. At the BLESS camp, four students and I played Murder and God re-awoke the passion I used to have for improv.
My dream is to form BLESS Improv – a group of Christian college students that use improv as a way to share the gospel and to grow in their faith. I used to wonder why I was part of the Troupe and if I should continue with it. Now I’m excited to see what else comes from my experience!
Murder, She Wrote
For those who have not had the pleasure of attending an MTU Troupe show, here’s how the game of Murder works; it’s a lot like the game of telephone. One person knows what’s going on (specifically, where the murder occurs, the murderer’s occupation, and the murder weapon). This person conveys the information to a second person – but there’s a catch – no words are allowed, only gibberish. After the second person knows all of the information, he “kills” the first. This is repeated with a third person and the game ends when the third “kills” the second and each person reveals what they thought was the location, occupation, and weapon.
In my opinion, murder is one of the hardest improv games to play (in fact, I used to avoid playing it when part of the Troupe) but the students did a really good job – especially because they had never improv-ed before!
And yes, the murder was committed by a flight stewardess, in the bathroom of a gym, with a Coca-Cola flavored lollypop!
More Camp Photos
I mentioned earlier that the guys’ dorm at the jovenes camp in Tarija was a big convention building. Foam mattresses were brought in and lined the sides as beds, which left the middle of the building open for… soccer! The two barn-style doors on either end made great goals.
The following is an entry from my journal one night:
All the guys are in a conference center about the size of an ice rink, beds around the edges. Right now the guys are playing soccer in the middle. Occasionally two or three players run into the mattresses on the sides chasing the ball. I just stopped one with my hand. I saw one guy, while sitting on his mattress, head a ball coming in his direction. On one side of the building, a group from Cochabamba playing Uno ducks frequently because they’re sitting next to the goal (see picture below). Occasionally whistles and shouts are heard when a yellow card-worthy infraction occurs, often cheering louder than when one team scores.
Keeping with the sports theme, there was a movie night one evening; Facing the Giants was shown. I talked to a couple of guys about it; one had seen it three times, and the other five (he owns a copy of it). They don’t understand much (if anything) of the sport of (American) football, but they do really enjoy the movie.
Interestingly, the scene that grabbed the most attention was the Death Crawl.
Here’s a few more pictures from my week in Tarija:
They ran out of brooms during cleaning duty, so we made do with what we had.
Since the camp was at the fairgrounds, there were no showers, so they installed some temporary ones. Again, making do with what's available!
Everyone brings their own plates and cups to the camp - here, some creative campers reserve their place in line. I'm not sure how well it actually worked...
One speaker encouraged us that worshipping God isn't just with music - it's how we live day-to-day. It's a message we need to be reminded of often.
Jovenes Camp in Tarija
We were told to be at the seminary at 6pm to load up the bus. Since I’m beginning to understand the Bolivian concept of time, I figured we’d leave around 8. And so I was surprised when the 52-seat bus pulled away from Cochabamba, filled with 55 jovenes (roughly ages 18-28). The fact that there were three people without a seat for the 18 hour trip didn’t surprise me, but the fact that we left at 7:00 did.
Considering the bus we took to Fichicachi, this was a luxury bus. There were still some broken seats and other signs of wear, but it was a much more uneventful and comfortable ride (meaning, we didn’t have to get out and push the bus up a hill). I woke up to see an incredible 5:45 sunrise over the mountains, and I think I slept more after the sunrise than before. After a stop for breakfast, we started making our way from the altiplano (plains) up then back down th
e mountains, ending in the city of Tarija, settled in a valley similar to Cochabamba. Cochabamba is known for being a green city, with a lot of parks, trees, etc., and I was surprised at how much more green Tarija was. A beautiful city!
Tarija Vineyards
We spent a day in the city, with a trip out to see Tarija’s well-known vineyards and wineries, then were brought to the Tarija fairgrounds, where the Baptist Jovenes’ national camp was held. This is an annual five-day camp, with each of the nine departments in Bolivia rotating as hosts. Last year it was in Cochabamba, next year in Potosí.
Even though Tarija is one of the less-central locations in Bolivia, there were a record 450 in attendance, including two busses from Cochabamba and one from Argentina. My role was not to preach or lead any groups, but just to attend, observe, learn, and get to know some of the jovenes. And I would say I was successful in that.
A few observations:
There aren't the resources available to provide plates, cups, and silverware for everyone, so all campers are expected to bring their own.
Because it was at fairgrounds, there weren't dorms or cabins available. The guys were all put in a big convention room, with foam mattresses lining the walls. A very unique environment!
The excitement and energy that the jovenes have during worship surprised and encouraged me. They were running, jumping, dancing as they worshiped God. It's a form of expression that I believe many churches stifle, and this camp is one of the few places for them to be able worship freely.
Their energy also boiled over into the team competitions. After winning, the team would jump and cheer and chant. The teams made up their own cheers, like "Ole, ole, ole, ole, BLANCO, BLANCO" for the white team. It reminded me of pep band!
A direct contrast to the energetic activities was the three sermons a day. Yes, three! Well, one was technically a workshop, which meant it was in smaller groups (about 100), and the speakers asked a few questions to the group to make it semi-interactive. I was surprised, though, that at church when three jovenes who attended shared what they learned, they mentioned points from different sermons, from different people, on different days. So they may have gotten more out of the twelve sermons than I expected!
How to pray:
- One of the guys from Cochabamba that I’ve gotten to know lately came up to me a lot at the camp, with questions or just to talk. It’s exciting to see this relationship develop as he’s been confiding in me recently. Please pray that this relationship would continue to grow and be fruitful.
- I met with several of the the national jovenes leaders while in Tarija. Please pray for their ministry leading jovenes throughout Bolivia, especially as they try to unite a country that is so isolated by the terrain and poor roads. (To give you an idea of the challenge, Cochabamba is located in the middle of Bolivia, and it’s an 18 hour bus ride to Tarija. It’s just a 50 minute flight between the cities, but most can’t afford the $65 flight.)
- Dan, our supervisor, officially moved me from the orientation phase to the ministry phase. Praise God for how I have learned and adjusted to life in Bolivia. Pray for guidance as I begin more formal ministry, both with jovenes and our team’s administration and leadership, yet continue to improve my Spanish.
The Nybergs 