We'd like to send you an update on what's going on with the Bowies and our ministry in the Limarí valley in northern Chile. Thanks for supporting us with mission offerings through your church, praying for us and God's work, and keeping us up to date with what's going on in your lives. It's always good to hear from family and friends.
Linda had a partial replacement on her left knee in February. The recovery has gone well and she can walk without using a cane now. She probably overdid it a little last week shooting a few hoops with the basketball volunteer team.
Ken has continued physical therapy after his fall in February when he broke two ribs. After a lot of testing, the neurologist determined that he has a type of epileptic disconnects--which explains several of his accidents in the past. He is also dealing with some pre-skin-cancer spots on his neck and arms.
We had a wonderful week June 16-20 with the basketball volunteer team from First Baptist, McKinney, TX, leading a basketball camp for 1500 students (K-12) at the Santa Maria Eufrasia Catholic school in Ovalle. The school administration (including the nuns), two PE teachers, other teachers, students, and parents rolled out the red carpet for us. In spite of cold weather and rain one day (which was very much needed for the agriculture); and a national teacher's strike, we were able to continue teaching every class, the 5-day camp for honors students, and the varsity. On Friday we watched teams from the camps play and the big varsity/volunteer game. The school had a big closing program with children dancing national folk dances and special gifts and diplomas for the volunteers. A big thanks to Cliff and Clayton Case for coming up from Santiago to help translate. We were thrilled that our son-in-law, David Wessel, (Marci's husband) was able to come with the team. Only God knows what fruit we will see after openly sharing testimonies with all the students and encouraging the reading of God's Word.
Here's part of Ken's report on Awe Star:
In the year 2006, God used the Awe Star team to crack open many doors that we who have the privilege of living and working in Chile have been walking through ever since. God has used the 2008 Awe Star team to blow those doors wide open this year and helped us to enter in to many other areas that it might have taken us years to enter without their help!
Over 17,000 people have heard the Good News of the Freedom that our Lord offers us through His son, Jesus Christ. We now have the oportunity to minister to students, parents, teachers, school administrators, community leaders and a host of people throughout those same communites. I do not have the totals regarding all of the decisión cards to date. Many of those cards are in the hands of pastors and church leaders. But I estímate that nearly 80 people have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior as a result of Awe Star’s ministry in Chile this year. I know that might not sound like impressive numbers considering that the message was presented to over 17,000 individuals in just less than 30 days. But 17,000 + seeds have been sown and nearly 80 have already sprouted and are begining to grow. That is 17,000 + more people who have heard the message that alone our churches would not have reached this year with our best efforts and that is nearly 80 people who now know Jesus in a personal way that may have never know Him but for the special presentation of the drama in schools, universities, parks, plazas, municipal auditóriums and prisons.
It has also been my privilege to see young men and women take giant steps toward becoming the leaders in our Lord’s great army. Some who have walked this path before knew before they came to Chile that God would change their lives. For those who have made this trek for the first time, they too now know that they are not nor can they be the same persons that they were before they answered God’s call of obedience to give Him their lives in Chile this summer. I am sure each student has discovered that they cannot out give God. With each valiant effort put forth by the team each day, God always seemed to pour out more blessings.
We were so saddened by the death in a bus wreck in Peru of the son of our friends, Greg and Elida Gomez. Son Gregory was serving as summer intern researching people groups in southern Peru. The volunteer team coming in August to Ovalle to lead a church planting seminar was to be led by Greg and will be postponed now. Pray for the Gomez family.
Pray for Ken and Linda as they organize follow-up on the contacts made during the basketball clinic and Awe Star presentations.
