Never the Same

We find ourselves experiencing a flood of emotions as we come to the end of our time in Bolivia.  We are at peace and at the same time amazed, at what has taken place in the past year.  God has shown us what we thought might be possible and stretchedthat even beyond what we dared to dream.  We are blessed with two beautiful homes with a loving and sacrificial staff who serve our 35 children 24 hours a day, seven days a week continuallyreminding them through word and deed that they are in a safe place and have a perfect Heavenly Father who will “never leave or forsake them”.  

We have an incredible feeling of confidence as we have witnessed TJ trust and follow God’s leading by passionately carry out his role as Executive Director of Fundación Esperanza.  It has been a blessing to witness TJ doing the very thing that he loves and is passionate about.  This combined with an incrediblepartner in Lifesong for Orphans and a dedicated and passionate board of directors leads us to believe that God has BIG long lasting plans for the His mission in Bolivia.  

We are blessed and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve here in Bolivia; we will never be the same.  We are thankful for the prayers, encouragement and support that all of you so generously provided to us at just the right moments.  It was because of you that we were reminded in the valleys that“we will get through this” and on the mountain tops that we serve an incredible God.  Each of you played a tremendous role in our lives making what nearly a year ago seemed like absolute craziness become an unforgettable time of spiritual growth and reliance on God.

We are overwhelmed by the love, kindness and patience the Mitchell’s showered on us from the day we arrived.  It is not easy when 4 grown people invade your life, let alone your home for 3 weeks, when you are learning to adjust to 4 year old adopted twin daughters!  It is hard and frustrating enough just to open your life up to someone, but throw in cultural changes, homesickness and language barrier and it just starts tocompound.  From day one they have shown us a perfect example of love and grace.  We are so very thankful for their help, advice, friendship and example over the past year.  We are reallygoing to miss the Mitchell family!  We are going to miss; the games, the coffee, the Mango smoothies, the movies, the food (Tammy is an incredible cook), the laughs and their gift of hospitality.  We have always considered TJ & Tammy to be people of character and integrity.  Throughout our year together we have seen these characteristics on display continually.

Now the part we dread thinking about the most, let alone writing about……our hearts are being torn out of our chests thinking about leaving these 35 precious creations.  It literally feels like we are forgetting to bring something with us, something incredibly important to us, a part of us.  Oh how we will missthe daily interaction with each of these gifts.  They are all amazing and wonderfully made and if it was possible we would take every one of them home with us.  How we will miss the morning greetings, the smiling faces, kissing the tiniest hurts and their microscopic inspection to find more, rocking them to sleep, bottle feeding x 10, and the daily gift of God working in their lives to make them more and more comfortable which in turn slowly reveals their true endearing personalities.  What a treasure it is when one who has been abandoned, rejected, forgotten (whatever word you want to use) lets down their defenses and returns the love you give them.  We are not worthy of such love, but oh how grateful we all are for this, the greatest reward of our journey over the past year.  

So what’s next for the Simpson’s you might ask?  Well, we are headed off on another adventure.  Mike has accepted a CFO position with a company in Melbourne Australia.  The private equity firm that he has worked with since 1999 acquired a new business in Melbourne and commented that “if we could live in Bolivia, surely we could live in Australia!”  After much prayer and discussion as a family, we have all agreed to step out in faith and see what God has waiting for us in Australia.  Our plan is to depart in July and we will be in Texas for about the last 3 weeks of June.

I know many of you have been praying for Kim’s health.  I wanted to let you know that the doctors have officially diagnosed her with Multiple Sclerosis.  We are thankful that we finally have a diagnosis and she is now getting the proper medication to stop the recurring episodes.  Please keep her in your prayers as she continues to adjust to life with MS and pray that the medication will continue to be effective.

Although we will no longer be on the ground in Bolivia, we will continue to fulfill our roles as members of the board of Fundación Esperanza, with Mike continuing as board President.  He will also continue to provide financial services to the foundation.  Our primary focus is to advocate and raise sufficient funds to support the growing mission of Fundación Esperanza.  There are several ways you can get involved; financial contributions, child sponsorship, prayer support andopportunities to travel with us to Bolivia to meet our kids and encourage the Mitchell family.  We are also in prayer for those who God will lift up to serve in long term missions with our team.  The two best ways to find our more are to email me atmwsimpson13@gmail.com or visit the Lifesong web page at:www.lifesongfororphans.org/countries/bolivia.

We are grateful for your friendship and encouragement during our stay here in Bolivia. Our hope is that you will continue to partner with us as we witness God work through Fundación Esperanza forever changing the trajectory of children’s lives in Cochabamba Bolivia.  

Blessings,

Mike & Kim Simpson

May 18, 2014

Such A Time

Amazed is the best word I can use to describe it, simply amazed!  It is hard to believe that it has been four short months since Paolo, our first baby to arrive, came through the front door of the Baby House.  As of today, God has entrusted us with 30 kids; Twenty-one in the Baby House, seven in the Boy’s Home and two young ladies in our Transition Program.   We have 13 enrolled in school, nine in pre-K/elementary, two in middle school, one in high school and one in college.  We are blessed with a Christ centered and committed indigenous staff of caregivers, a psychologist, social worker and administrator.  The transformation is not limited to just numbers, we are also witnessing real LIFE change…

TJ received a call requesting shelter for a child with “special needs”.  The request was for us to keep her for a couple of weeks until room opened up at a home for disabled children.  She was about 18 months old when she entered our lives and we wondered what in the world we were supposed to do.  It was obvious she had been given little attention and she could not do much more than lie on the floor and cry, an 18 month old “newborn”.  She had had several brain surgeries and the scaring on her head was clearly visible.  So we set out to make the two weeks for her as comfortable as possible, but God had other plans.  It’s been four months and Yasil is still with us, but it is not the same Yasil.  This is the laughing, walking, smiling, feeding herself, playing, miracle Yasil.  They were exactly right in their choice of words.  She is so “special” and the “needs” she required most of all was love. 

Then there is Gabriel……He came to us at age 2 and has seen more evil in those two years than most of us will see in our lifetime.  His father’s choice of discipline was to hit Gabriel and it was obvious by his behavior that hitting was a regular occurrence.  He screamed at the top of his lungs most of the time and when you tried to get close to him or reach out and touch him he yelled “ouch” over and over.  His interaction with the other children also demonstrated his life experience as he would ball up his fist and raise it over his head as a warning to get away.  Four months later Gabriel is still with us, but it is not the same Gabriel.  This is the laughing, friendly, loving, cuddling, playing, miracle Gabriel.  The one who longs to sit in your lap, snuggle in and enjoy a good book or a big hug. 

Then there is Josie and Liz, the two young ladies who are participating in our Transition Program.  Your eighteenth birthday is supposed to be a memorable one as you have finally made it to adulthood.  For Josie and Liz it was a different kind of memory, a second abandonment.  To be abandoned once by your biological family is hard for most of us to imagine, but to relive this again by the very people who raised and cared for each of them most of their lives is unfathomable.  No warning and nowhere to go and know one to help…..well that is except for TJ.  Today they are both in School, Liz is a senior in high school with aspirations of getting her college degree in computer science, and Josie is a college freshman majoring in accounting.  Both are living in the quarters outside of the Baby House and working part-time with our kids at the Baby Home.   We invited both of them to our home to spend Christmas day with us, the Mitchells and the Wrights.  It was a memorable time, made unforgettable by Josie’s parting words “I thought that when I woke up this morning and hugged and wished my sister Merry Christmas that that was our gift, then we remembered that we were invited here.  You made Christmas special for us by making us a part of your family.”   

In all three of these transformational stories (and there are actually 30 amazing stories) there is one constant and powerful agent of change and that is…..LOVE.  The words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 move us in a new and profound way, especially verse 13, ^“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”  Amen and amen.

What an incredible four months it has been, watching God work in the lives of the 30 kids of Fundación Esperanza.  The story is actually much bigger than this, but that shouldn’t be a huge surprise as we serve an incredibly big God.  I am reminded of this when I think back to the very beginning and how our relationship with TJ and Tammy started.  How God used dv8, the high-risk kids program that Kim led in McKinney, to bring TJ and Tammy into our lives.  How we witnessed firsthand the gift that God blessed TJ with in his ability to work and speak into the lives of young people.  How inspired we were by the Mitchell’s willingness to leave everything comfortable and embrace a life of caring for children in Bolivia.  How He used the two trips to Bolivia to break our hearts and focus our attention on what He was doing there.   How He used the first 2 years the Mitchells spent in Bolivia, not only to train and equip them, but to reveal to them a dream of opening their own home.  His leading of TJ to volunteer his spare time at the BCM orphanage that was desperate for help and counsel, where Josie and Liz lived. The way He orchestrated the introduction to Lifesong for Orphans which has turned out to be an incredible partnership, full of wise advice and counsel.  When I think about the way that each of the members of the board entered our lives and how each brings a unique and incredible wealth of knowledge and experience, in addition to a deep commitment to advocating for all that God is doing through Fundación Esperanza.

Lastly, I am reminded of how you are connected into this story.  How thankful we are for your willingness to pray, lifting the children, staff, board, Lifesong and the missionary families of Fundación Esperanza to the Father.  How grateful we are for the “hands and feet” back home who tirelessly gathered much needed supplies that directly impacted the children.  How thankful we are to those of you who have, like Simon, answered the call to “come and see for yourself” what God is doing in the lives of children in our care.  All of your labor and love have richly blessed the children, but also blessed and confirmed us.  For those of you who have been able to contribute financially, we are deeply grateful.  All of these gifts, spiritual, physical and financial, impact the daily lives of our children.  All of us woven together in an effort to change the life of a single child, who with the love of Christ will change a generation.  I am reminded of Mordecai’s words to Esther, “……….who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”  Esther 4:14  Maybe not queen, but when you look at how God has truly orchestrated all of this, you can’t help but believe that we have all been brought together “for just such a time as this.” ...mike

Christmas in Bolivia (Mission Trip Info)!!

Bolivia Christmas Mission Trip!!

Purpose: Sharing the love of Christ with orphans and those who care for them daily, and encouraging our missionaries (Mitchell's & Simpson's) during the Christmas holiday.

Dates: December 26, 2013-January 3, 2014, (dates are tentative due to flights)

Location: Cochabamba, Bolivia

Team: Limited to 12 people for adults, teens and families

Contact: Team Lead Jeff Smith at jefsmith@mckinneyisd.net

INFORMATION MEETING THIS Sunday, October 6th at 8:30am,

in FBC McKinney Room 1211, upstairs behind the worship center.

Activities:

·       Fundación Esperanza – (the Mitchell's new orphanage) serve in the Baby House, loving on newborns and toddlers, possible light maintenance on house/yard. Provide a Christmas meal and gifts for the Tia's (child care staff).

·       Baby Washing at Plaza Principal on Saturday - providing a warm bath and a new set of clothes for approximately 40 children who live on the streets. Other activities include washing and combing hair, giving manicures (polish), worship music, skits, soccer, pass out bread and goodie-bags with tooth brush & snacks, etc.

·       Sister Orphanage BCM–Provide a Christmas meal and gifts for 22 children ages 4 yrs to 18 yrs. Organize a shoebox Christmas package that is personalized for each child and their care-takers.

·       Other possibilities depending on the Team: Provide a sports clinic for the older kids at BCM, serve kids at the prison, provide VBS style crafts and skits, hospital visit to hold premature and malnourished infants, and bring supplies from the US for the missionaries.

·       A chance to do a little sight-seeing at one of the world's largest open-air markets, 'La Cancha', visit the tallest de Christo over-looking Chochabamba, or a day trip to the jungle.

In the Silence

Mike and I had been on a quest all day! We were were stressed, lost at times, caught in traffic, and trying to do too much with too little time. We exchanged a few short phrases, and just focused on completing our frustrating quest with our limited Spanish. (The prize was printer ink cartridges for our apparently 'rare' Epson printer.)

Later that night as we climbed into bed, I was feeling heavy hearted. I was remembering when we first dated and couldn't wait to spend time together...it did not matter what we did, it was just about being together. The mundane task of going to check our mail boxes was a highlight of our day...if we were doing it together. Our relationship was central, not the task at hand. I was a little sad that our focus had shifted that day running errands. So I decided to sweetly mentioned my thoughts to Mike during pillow talk. And he sweetly agreed that we needed that reminder. And all felt right again. 

I rolled over to go to sleep with a feeling of peace and then, in the silence (even the pack of wild dogs out our window were quiet), I heard His voice in my heart. I clearly heard God say... that is how I feel about you...make me your center. Walk with me everywhere, just be WITH me and loving others will be the highlight of your day! Your relationship with Me is more important than the task (service) that you do in My Name. 

A common question asked by Christians is 'Do you have a relationship with Jesus?'  I know what it means to have a relationship with an imperfect man, to fall in love, and give my heart completely to him for 26 years and counting. Why should a relationship with my Creator, who gave His life for me, not engulf my heart for eternity? He is my treasure!

'For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.' Matt 6:21

Kim

(See our latest monthly Update on our web page.)

Did you hear the bell ring?

In the early morning hours we sit in bed listening for the sound of a faint bell ringing mixed in with the dogs barking. We think it rings on Tuesday's and Friday's...but not always. When we hear it, Mike springs out of bed, runs out of the house, jumps in our car and hunts for the truck with the little bell ringing. When he finds it, he unloads our trash with a huge sigh of relief. It is like a game of cat and mouse with the garbage man, and we are not very good at it yet!

This is one of the 3rd world 'challenges' that make us chuckle! We have had a huge first month...most of it exciting and fun with a lot of learning. Thank you for checking in on us, sending us short messages, and for praying for us! Click on UPDATES in the Menu Bar to read more about our first month and a list of our prayer requests. Kim

One moment...Or was it?

Looking out the window of the American Airline 757 as it climbed from Miami International with destination Bolivia I couldn't help but think back to that moment when we made the decision to listen for where God would lead and respond in faithful obedience. As the plane climbed and the last piece of the only world we knew faded out of sight thoughts of how we got here began to race. I thought of my grandmother, Nanny as we affectionately called her, and the example she continues to have on my life. It is through her example that I have a better understanding of the joy you can have in The Lord despite your circumstance.  I think of my parents and their tireless consistency of modeling Christ to me in spite of my youthful rebellion.  Then the blessing of Kim and the incredible influence she continues to have on my life. There is not a doubt in my mind that I am a better man because of her. I think of a minister who invited us to their neighborhood life group and then because his public speaking schedule started to take off asked me, all of 23 years and absolutlely no experience, to lead the bible study.  I can go on and on as so many have shaped and guided my life up to this point.  

As the title suggests, there was a moment when we put our yes on the table, but it has been a lifetime of God moments that have brought us to this point in our journey.  May God and only He be glorified as we take each step forward. 

Bolivia Day 1

Day 1= of our journey following the Lord out of our comfort zone in Bolivia!! Went to La Concha (market) and bought pillows and a hair dryer (very important purchases!), grocery store, BCM Orphanage, folded laundry from the clothes line, hand washed dishes, and a few extra trips to 'el baño' by all of us. It doesn't sound like much but everything takes longer. Boys are excited and having fun, they found a favorite drink already, Tampica. Our housing search has been a continual prayer. Today (Day 1) we found the perfect house! We can move in next Wednesday. Let the furniture hunt begin!! Mike was the chef tonight and cooked out on the grill and then we had game night! Loved laughing so hard!!! Really great to spend precious time with Madi, the Mitchell's and their sweet sweet girls! Can't believe we are here!! God is good! All the time!