CT/NY District Team Encounters Christ in Bolivia
Article and Pictures by Rod Wendt

When 16 clergy and lay people from the CT/NY District of the New York Annual Conference traveled as a Volunteer in Mission (VIM) team to Cochabamba, Bolivia in February, 2002, they thought their mission was building a sidewalk and a concrete floor for Iglesia Bethel, a Methodist church in downtown Cochabamba.

Indeed, the team did help the people of Iglesia Bethel build the sidewalk and lay the concrete floor – but that was just the beginning of their “encountering Christ” during their two weeks in Bolivia. They also helped teach Vacation Bible School to over 40 Iglesia Bethel youngsters, helped the Women’s Sewing Cooperative from Iglesia Emmanuel (another Methodist church) market their sewing crafts in the United States, witnessed a native Quechuan village being transformed by a lot of their own work and a little financial help from the North American Methodists, saw the birth of a new village transformation project, and had a rousing water balloon fight with their new Bolivian friends.
The secret to the team’s transforming experience was extensive district-to-district mission involvement beginning well BEFORE the team’s visit, which the team could then “see and touch” during their trip. The CT/NY District, under leadership of Rev. Jane Middleton, District Superintendent, had become involved from a distance in a variety of mission projects in the Cochabamba District after Rev. Middleton’s own visit to Cochabamba in 2000. These included supporting the Women’s Sewing Cooperative at Iglesia Emmanuel, supporting a comprehensive community health care initiative in mountain villages, supporting the endowment fund of Encounter with Christ in Latin America, and enabling construction of the Iglesia Bethel facility.

“The Team, from the very beginning, attracted people who not only wanted to DO mission work in Bolivia, but also wanted to SEE the work that others in our District were supporting,” said Rev. Middleton. “All of us came to help with the construction work on the walks and floors of Iglesia Bethel, and in our planning most of our focus was on that aspect of the trip. But one of the team members was in charge of selling Women’s Sewing Cooperative crafts in our churches – so she wanted to meet the women first hand. And several others came from churches that had generously supported the Community Health Care initiative – and they wanted to see what had been accomplished. Still others were very interested in connecting with the children in some way, and brought all their craft supplies and knowledge with them. And in the end, all of us got to be involved in everything, so all of us encountered Christ in so much richer and more varied ways than we ever dreamed possible.”
During the 13 days in Cochabamba, 7 were spent actually building the Iglesia Bethel walks and floors. “Because our work was spread out over 2 weeks and 2 weekends, we were able to really get to know and love our Bolivian brothers and sisters,” said Jay Hockenberry, the team’s “Construction Czar”. “We worked side-by-side, digging together, laying rock together, mixing cement together, sweating together, laughing together. Our approach was one of following their lead on what we should do and how we should do it. There was none of this, ‘gringos have all the answers’ stuff. By the end, we were close friends who had shared a lot of hard work together, were proud of what we had built together – and we had done it their way.”

But the CT/NY Methodists and the Bolivian Methodists also had time to sing together, pray together, worship together, break bread together. “In the end, it’s all about hearts connecting to one another”, said Rod Wendt, the team’s overall coordinator. “We took a Sunday to go on a 1-day retreat with our Bolivian brothers and sisters, worshipping outdoors, playing games, having a picnic, and even having a water balloon fight together. Young and old, male and female, clergy and lay, all got wet! Nothing bonds people together like a good old-fashioned water balloon fight!”
The close bonding of the North American and Bolivian Methodists was helped immeasurably by the Spanish language skills of team member Ken Falk, who found himself translating almost non-stop. “I taught Spanish years ago, but hadn’t used it for along time,” said Ken. “It’s amazing how quickly it comes back when you use it all day every day!”
For Rev. Marilyn Noble, coordinator of the CT/NY District’s effort to sell the crafts made by the Women’s Sewing Cooperative, the trip was a first-time opportunity to interact directly with the women whose wares she had been promoting. “Of course they appreciated the money we brought them for the goods we had sold, because this is their livelihood”, said Rev. Noble, “but the most powerful part was sharing ideas on how to sell more to North American Methodists, and being able to fine-tune their product ideas to the realities of North American sizes and tastes. And, since all 16 of us met these women and saw their work, I now have 15 new ‘disciples’ who will promote their crafts back in their own churches!” Over $8000 worth of hand made goods have already been sold through district and conference churches!
Ginny Stevenson, Carol Osgood, and Rene Rogers came determined to work with the children somehow. “After years of working in church camps, young people are my passion, and my craft supplies and music are never far away”, said Ginny. Hearing of Ginny, Carol, and Rene’s interest, Iglesia Bethel decided to have a first-ever Vacation Bible School right at the construction site, in a nearby room. “While others dug trenches and laid rock, we sang English songs in Spanish and Spanish songs in English, did all manner of crafts, and ended each day with a concert for the workers”, said Carol. “The bonds we have with those kids are beyond description. There were a lot of tears all around on the last day of Vacation Bible School!”
But for many, perhaps the most powerful single day was a visit to Chimboata, a rural Quechuan indigenous village about 3 hours from Cochabamba. “These are the marginalized of the marginalized of Bolivian society”, said Rev. Middleton. “Their thatched roof houses harbor insects that cause incurable Chagas’ disease, which I can only describe as heartworm for humans. Our CT/NY churches had donated supplies for 40 new houses with metal roofs – at an incredibly low $500 per house – and over 30 are completed. When combined with health care initiatives like vaccinations and prenatal care, and improved farming techniques and safer water supplies, the lives of these Quechuan people have been literally transformed. And, because THEY organized themselves to plan and do the work, and WE simply helped with a little money for supplies, they are justifiably proud of what they have done for themselves. This is Christ’s work at it’s most powerful best – and all 16 of us saw the results and are now passionate about doing more of the same in more villages nearby!”
In selecting projects for the district-to-district mission effort, Rev. Middleton was aided and guided by Rev. Wilson Boots and his wife Nora, who reside in Cochabamba, Cochabamba District Coordinator Emilio Altuzarra, and pastors Rev. Policarpio Chambi of Iglesia Bethel and Rev. Juan Covarrubias of Iglesia Emmanuel. “Making the connection at the district level is so important”, said Rev. Boots. “Church-to-church is a bit too small and can run into continuity and resource limitations, while conference-to-conference is too big and unwieldy. But district-to-district is big enough to make a real difference yet small enough to be nimble and action-oriented.”
Others who were part of the team were Jack Middleton, Bob Stevenson, Rev. Evelyn McDonald, Patty Trippel, Rev. Marty Morrison, Rev. Doug Osgood, Ellie Ver Nooy and Rev. David Ver Nooy.
As the CT/NY team returned to their own district and churches in mid-February, they knew they had built a lot more than just sidewalks and a floor. “We encountered Christ in so many Bolivian faces, so many different ways, ways we never expected”, said team coordinator Rod Wendt. “I think this was a whole new kind of team. It was not just a construction team – although we did construction with our friends at Iglesia Bethel. It was not just an economic empowerment team – although we helped empower the women of the Sewing Cooperative. It was not just a teaching team – although we taught Vacation Bible School. It was not just a health team – although we saw the difference those incredible $500 houses are making in people’s health outlook. I think the right term for what we were was an Encounter Christ Team – and that has changed all of our lives forever.”