News > Latin America

Bolivia II UBF
March 25, 2014

Bolivia II UBF held a Bible conference on March 1-4, during the carnival time, near Santa Cruz., Twenty-three persons attended the conference. Each of them received one word. The main messages were from John 4 and 5. My wife, M. Ruth, and I shared our life testimonies on the first night of the conference.

One week before the conference our faithful Bible students didn’t come to Sunday worship service, so it was difficult to prepare the conference. But we decided to focus on pleasing the Lord by offering our five loaves and two fish, and the Lord showed to us clearly that this conference pleased him. One brother who couldn’t attend the conference himself saw that some brothers wanted to attend but couldn’t afford to go, so he decided to support them financially. Sister Roxana had studied the Bible with us faithfully for a year, then discontinued for a year. Thinking it might be the last time, we invited her. She came to the center to tell us that this time it was difficult to go. But I could speak to her father and with his permission she could attend the conference and received much grace. She restored Bible study and attending Sunday service.

Brother Santiago is 12 years old but has been attending Sunday service faithfully and shared a short, but most graceful testimony and encouraged everyone. Through John 4 he confessed that Play Station games couldn’t satisfy his spiritual thirst.

Brother Martin has been working eight to ten hours from Monday through Saturday for the last 15 years to support his children. He was an exemplary father. But since his wife passed away five years ago, he provided well for his children economically, but his relationship with them was not good. While he was struggling with doubtful thoughts about his life, his friend invited him to Bible study and to attend the conference. He was very much blessed through the conference. Before he looked dark and serious, but now his face shines like a young man. He said the happiness of his life has been restored.

God also led us to a peaceful and scenic conference site and prepared in advance for us a wonderful environment with delicious meals. We experienced God who prepares everything ahead of us. All of the attendants said that the conference was too short.

What I learned through serving this conference is the attitude toward the cross. At one point, I thought it was not time to hold a conference yet because leaders were not raised. I wondered if we should hold off the conference until next year. But my coworker, M. Ruth, said that we must have the conference this year. After some time of struggle, I too decided to hold it this year. I wanted to raise a few brothers as messengers, but they were not ready. Eventually, my coworker and I had to serve the messages and the group Bible studies. Before and during the conference, I slept only three or four hours each night due to much work to prepare the environment and programs. But our merciful Lord saw our hearts and poured out his grace on each of the sheep sufficiently as he saw fit. I pray to love the cross of message preparation all the more. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Our prayer topic is to have 15 1:1 Bible studies weekly, 30 Sunday worship attendants, and the work of God through the study of the Book of Genesis.

by M. Marcos Shin, Bolivia UBF II