BOLIVIAN POLITICS

Bolivia is a small landlocked country in South America. I have visited it often speaking to Missionaries and their children as well as local churches.

One year I was invited to speak to the graduates of a large Missionary kid School in the city of Cochabamba. The graduation was to be held in about the best hotel in this big city. Indeed a classy affair!

I still remember what I spoke on "Build a Good Foundation: The Wise and the Foolish Man."

After the ceremony, a rather charismatic young man met me at the door. It seemed that his daughter was in the graduating class and in good English he complimented me on the message. "Would you visit me in my home, he asked, I would like to talk with you?" I agreed and we set a day and time.

Later my missionary friends told me who the man was. "He’s running for president of Bolivia and is being predicted to be the winner." Banzar, the old president, has been there forever and the people want a change."

He and I met in the afternoon at his large and heavily guarded home. I had no idea what he wanted to talk about. He told me who he was and talked of his various plans for the country. Good plans; he seemed like an honest guy. Then he popped the question.

He asked me if I would join his team. Surprised? You bet! He said he liked my speaking style. I was a motivator, he liked that. Could he use me?

Of course this wasn’t realistic, and later I politely declined his offer. The start and finish of my very short political career.

As I look back at these little occasions, I’ve had a very interesting life! ... ahh! A presidential advisor!

ON AGAIN, OFF AGAIN, PROCEDURE

Francisco and his mother met us yesterday. The major operation of placing a made to fit plastic cap over a portion of his brain where there is no bone was postponed for another several weeks. Some technical reason.

You could tell Francisco was uneasy about this.

Hortensia took advantage of his fear by reinforcing the Gospel Francisco had heard when he was younger. My comment was simple ... "As long as God has spared your life, he must have a special purpose for you!" I followed up by asking him, "Do you have a Bible?" The question made him uncomfortable, first he said yes and then he said no, then it sort of all came out. He was ashamed to admit that the accident had taken away his ability to read and write. "The letters to make words just don't come together right" he said.

We'll get him a Bible and his mother said she will read it to him.

"Hortensia." He said, "I've wanted so bad to write a note to you and Von, thanking you for all the help you've been ... but I can't think the letters for words and I was ashamed to ask someone else to write the note." And he gave us each a long hug before we left. (His mother has written a long thank you note.)

Francisco's a brave kid facing the unknown, he needs our prayers that this whole thing will work out to really change this boy's life. For the Glory of God.