Pray
Posted on June 19, 2019 Pray for Barb and Dwight Bolick growing their ministry among the Mapuche of Chile and beyond.

Barb and Dwight minister among the Mapuche, an indigenous people group in Chile. The goals of their ministries with the Mapuche churches and communities are, first, recovery of identity as a people made in the image of God; and second, discovery of vocation as productive stewards of God’s creation.

They write – Though transitions are hard, they often bring exciting new opportunities. In August, we moved to College Station, Texas where Barbara entered a Ph.D. program in Youth Development at Texas A & M University. This is a tremendous opportunity that will equip her to expand and enhance the Girls’ Clubs project. Barbara’s mentor/professor is a leading scholar in the field of Positive Youth Development, which, along with our Christian traditions of spiritual and character development, forms the foundation of the Talita Cumi Girls’ Clubs Program. Barb is looking forward to a summer full of travel to meet with our partners to lay the groundwork for Talita Cumi in three new countries where they have established ministries with vulnerable children.

New Special Assignment – In order to meet [our son] William’s educational needs, and for Barb to complete a Ph.D. in Youth Development at Texas A & M University, we will be based in College Station, Texas for three years.

During this time, we both will remain connected with the projects in Chile — Girls’ Clubs, Beekeeping, Rainwater Harvesting, Men’s Volunteer Relief Network, and others.

Barb will introduce the Girls’ Clubs project to some of our partners in Latin America, providing mentor training, materials, and ongoing support. Dwight will work in help and consultation with partners and development projects, initially in Mexico and Nicaragua.

This development comes out of a long period of seeking God’s way, in prayer, and in consultation with our Area Director and our partners.

Our new assignment helps us meet a priority need for William’s education and growth, and at the same time enables us to respond to a call to enhance and expand the Girls’ Clubs project, and to strengthen ties of partnership in development and relief work.

“It’s really about…..people” That was the refrain we heard last summer at the Conference for Returning Missionaries as a missionary couple shared their reflections on their first term of service. They were sharing their amazement and gratitude that when it comes down to it, after all our plans and projects, what endures, and satisfies, are the relationships we build, and the grace and strength we share, with our partners in the country we serve. We realize the same thing even now after nearly twenty years of service.

In the coming months, we will tell you about some of those people in Chile, with whom we have shared and received the grace and strength of Jesus Christ, our co-workers in the Kingdom of God, who are becoming “oaks of righteousness.”

Visit Barb and Dwight’s home page on the IM website to read more journals – https://internationalministries.org/author/bd-bolick/