The local people in the picture worked every day probably longer than we did! The building is two stories and will house about 32 residents. The 1st floor will have a large meeting area, a bathroom, a storage area and two rooms to house people that will be working in the building. The 2nd floor will have all of the bedrooms as well as bathroom facilities and a small meeting area.
The building behind us is the Home for the Elders. The people on our mission trip in the picture are: (bottom, left to right); Patrick Emperly, Jacque Emperly, Stephanie Coit, Polly Riddle. Middle row, Left to right – Marge Gilligan, Mike Heister, Matt Borum. Back row, left to right – Steven Luttenberg, Joe Emperly.
We went from 21st September 2012 to 30th September 2012. We are planning another trip this September; from the 20th to the 29th. The fees last year were $2165 per person for 10 people; the fees should be about the same as last year. The fees included round trip airfare, visa fees, and food. If you would like to participate in this year’s mission trip to Bolivia, please contact Joe Emperly at 664-1603, Jacque Emperly at 613-6053 or a member of the church staff.
Ayllu
Missions going Both Ways!
For too long Missions has been a one-way street: from the Developed World to the Developing World. It has come from a Spiritual/Theological self-righteousness by the Developed World, and a “Poor-me” attitude by the Developing World. Enter this website and learn about a new paradigm in Missions: Ayllu.
Ayllu is an Aymaran word that means something between ”community” and “extended family”. Once you are a part of the Ayllu, although you may move far away, you are ALWAYS a member of the Ayllu.
The Bolivia/Oklahoma Ayllu began in 1986 when the leadership of the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en Bolivia (IEMB) (Evangelical Methodist Church of Bolivia) felt a need to be in mission to another part of the world beyond the borders of Bolivia. And they believed (still do) that the place with the greatest need to be evangelized is the United States. Click here for more on this.
The Oklahoma Conference has benefitted dramatically from this Ayllu:
- Creation of Conference VIM office, largest in the country, suggested by an IEMB bishop in 1990
- Hundreds of lives transformed by the faith and witness of the Bolivian Methodists,
- Medical Teams returning from Bolivia deciding to start indigent Health clinics in several rural situations around Oklahoma
However, the greatest benefit has been a renewed commitment to serve Christ, who lives among the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, and the oppressed.
And now, the IEMB and the Oklahoma Annual Conference have jointly appointed the first-ever “Missionary-In-Reverse”: Rev. David Stephenson. David preaches and teaches about the significant theological differences between Bolivia and Oklahoma, and represents the IEMB in Oklahoma for fund-raising and support of IEMB projects.
At this site, you will receive news and information of the work of the Methodist church in Bolivia and of Oklahoma’s partnership in that work. Spend some time. Look around.
Join us in this historic partnership, bringing together Methodist people from two different continents to transform the world for Christ.
Thank you,
Rev. David Stephenson,
“Missionary-In-Reverse”
Executive Director of Engineers In Action and
Mission Interpreter of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Methodist Ayllu;
a ministry of the Oklahoma Volunteers In Mission