Vital and Necessary

The second day of vital and necesary of meeting in "Round Table" yesterday on listening to what is happeing in Bolivia. Today it is about what is happening in the partners of the Methodist Church Bolivia. So words such as strategic planning, budgets, priorities, reporting, basis for partnership and so on are often heard. It is important to stress that in all of this relationships are being strengthened. When we share that a friend in another part of the world has been gravely injured. When we share about our homes and families, from who we are all separated for a while. When we engage in an endless but fun round of thanksgiving and still not manage quite to repeat ourselves. In all these ways we are strengthening trust, confidence and assurance that we are bound together by a faith heritage. The Methodist Church, Bolivia. is an active church that works in a country where there are many ethnic groups, it has some 12,000 members, 240 churches and 40 presbyters. The impact of this church is on education though. Amongst all the Methodist Churches in the country it has 28,000 students, 12 clinics, and a small hospital. It is a church that is 90% dependent on overseas partners because it works to minister and support the poor. The photo is all of us gathered together outside for a change...