Rick and Pam, along with their four daughters served as MTW missionaries in Bogota, Colombia between 1993 and 2001 where Rick was the team leader and church planter. During that time, by God's grace, reformed churches were constituted, a Colombian presbytery formed, and a national leadership training program established.
From 2001 to 2006 Rick and Pam moved to Mexico City, Mexico, where Rick served as the MTW Mexico country director. The summer of 2006, they returned to the US for home ministry assignment.
In 2007, Rick and Pam returned to Bogota, Colombia to serve the Colombian presbytery in the areas of church planting and theological training and Mission to the World as country director.
Please pray that the Lord will continue to grow and prosper His Church in Colombia, that He will raise up godly men to lead and teach others, that the culture will be transformed by the truth of the gospel and that Colombian believers will be sent out into all the world as a living testimony of Christ.
The Boxes have four grown daughters: Shannon (3/14/77), Tiffany (6/6/81), Jordan (10/25/83) and Hannah (11/14/87).
The Boxes March 2008 Prayer Letter:
Dear Fellow Pilgrims,
As I am writing there is a deafening whizzing beneath me, dust surrounding me and general disorder everywhere. We are having the wood flooring on the first floor of our rent house refurbished. The whizzing is coming from a gigantic sanding machine that looks much like a vacuum cleaner, but doesn’t do well in sucking in the noxious dust particles that have taken over; much to my dismay. Rick and I have had to wear nose and mouth covers for several days in order to be able to breathe. Hopefully, this job will be finished by the middle of next week, we will still have our lungs functioning and it will have all been worth the mess……hopefully.
Much has happened here since I wrote you last. We had an annual “Day without Cars”, which the Colombian government applauds as eco-friendly, supposedly reducing exhaust fumes in the air. This year, however, someone actually published the statistics and it made no difference at all. On this day, no one with a car, except diplomats and congressmen, of course, can drive anywhere in the city, so the entire population is forced to use public transportation, of which we can only use taxis. The buses are the main culprits of toxic exhaust, so with ALL of them on the roads the same day, well, you can imagine. Many people just take the day off and stay at home. Can you fathom someone suggesting this in the good ole USA?
We also had a national day of protest against the FARC and all the kidnappings and violence they perpetrate. That was also a day off for many people not only in Bogota, but in all the towns and cities in Colombia and in world-class cities around the world. We are told not to participate in any political protest as foreigners, so we went out to watch, but didn’t actually march. I sure wanted to, however! It was encouraging to see the millions of Colombians who took off work to march for peace. Of course, we know that true peace will only come through Jesus and not through political movements or marches, but it was encouraging to see so many seekers. And this is a good platform from which to talk to people about the Prince of Peace.
Easter at United Church of Bogota was wonderful! We were expecting a small turnout since many of our regulars were on vacation out of the country, but the sanctuary was full! We had kept the church devoid of ornamentation in observance of Lent, but on Resurrection Sunday, the church was bursting with color and life. In lieu of Sunday School, we had a brunch with food provided by the members. That can be a risky thing in Colombia where they have not a clue about our native “pot lucks”, but it went extremely well and we had many loaves left over and a few fish!
This coming Sunday, we will be traveling directly from United Church to Cristo Rey to be with them as they celebrate their 15th anniversary. They have been working on their history and have a big party planned with lots of good, Colombian food! We surely wouldn’t want to miss that! And then in just a week, I will be taking off for a vacation! A very generous couple from the United Church, have given both Rick and I miles for a trip to see our girls and grandkids.
Unfortunately, Rick is in the midst of leadership training at the church and can’t leave as early as I can, but he will be flying up a week later. It has been over a year since we have been at “home”, so this is so exciting for us and it will be the first time since we originally left for the field that we have been able to go to Texas just for a visit and not for itineration. I am counting down the days! Please pray for our time with our families and join us in giving thanks to God for this precious gift! I am sorry for the “newsiness” of this letter, but I have been remiss in writing and have so much to tell you.
Time and space escape me and I haven’t even mentioned Rick’s trip to Chile for the Latin American leaders meeting, or Cam Clausing’s visit during Easter week or how excited we are that we are having one of our supporting church groups coming down this summer! I hope it is evident, however, that God is good, all the time, and we can’t remember having so much fun in ministry! So, until the next time we pass this way together: May the God of peace calm your hearts no matter where you are, grant you much grace for the journey, sprinkle your path with joy so that you can skip along the way and bring you safely and securely home at last.
Skipping and jumping,
Pam
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