A New Dawn!

That is what it feels like for our family and
our ministry. So many changes are taking
place in our lives and we are excited to
report the changes are good! The big news
is we are moving to Florida.

For those of you who receive our news via
email, you know we asked for prayer and
advice as we looked to the future. We are
happy to say God used you, your prayers
and advice to help us come to a decision.

What does all this mean? What kind of
ministry will the Gills have in Florida? We
know these questions are running through
your heads! First we want to stress that the
ministry with Chimane will continue. Loren
will make regular trips from Florida to Bolivia
where he will be able to continue to
encourage and be involved with the
church leaders.

In Florida, Loren will be a part of New Tribes
Mission’s tax team. Missionary taxes have
many unique challenges. By providing this
service, we will be helping to keep remote
missionaries ministering on the field. Osa will
have numerous opportunities to serve,
encouraging missionary ladies as well as
those in the local community.

We praise God for how He has led in this
decision making process! We welcome
questions! Please call or email we can’t
wait to hear from you!

The BIG trip!

So much to do and so little time! We are
packing up our apartment in our beloved
Oconomowoc, and getting ready to visit
the great Northwest. By the beginning of
June we will be off to see Montana,
Oregon, Idaho and Washington! We will be
in a new location and a different church
every week for the next couple of months,
as we share what God has been doing and
have opportunity to connect with so many
of you dear people! Our minivan will be
jam packed with the traveling Gills! Of
course this trip will end with us arriving in
Florida in our new home. It is going to be
an adventure, and you all know how much
we love adventures! We thank you for your
prayers, love and support!

Your Advice and Prayer Needed

Dear Friends,

Following God is always an adventure, and lately it has been no different for us. We are facing a decision that will affect our future ministry. You who are our partners through prayer and giving need to be included in this decision making process, and so we turn to you for advice. (Prov 15:22) We are opening ourselves to your valuable input.

As we have been here in Wisconsin, God has been stirring in Osa a desire to use her gifting of encouragement and speaking to women more fully. At the same time she has expressed that she does not feel called to return to Bolivia.

On the other hand I still feel called to Bolivia, especially to work among the Chimane people. There is an ongoing ministry and much left to be done. If I leave them, then I feel I have broken my word to them.

We have been in much prayer, especially over the past month, that God would reveal His plan to us. While we have not made any decision, two options seem possible.

One option would be to return to Bolivia. Loren could continue his work, and we would look for more opportunities for Osa to use her gifting there. The downside of this is that Osa does not feel a calling there and does not desire to return.

A second option would be to get involved with a ministry based here in the USA where Osa will have much more opportunity to use her gifting, and Loren could still make regular trips down to the Chimane People. The downside to this option, is the ministry we have been involved with would have to be scaled back.

As a couple we feel that it is important that we are in unity in our decisions and that whatever decision we make is honoring to the Lord.

Please pray for us to find peace and make wise choices
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Please email, call, or write us with your thoughts, advice and suggestions.

email: loren_gill@ntm.org Loren cell: 262-434-0925 Osa cell: 262-434-0924

We thank you for all your love, prayers and support!

Loren and Osa Gill

The Last Days...of San Borja

The morning seesion with the guys yesterday, we finished up revising the Mature Church Model. This is a pamphelet which helps church leaders recognize what area of their church are lacking growth, understanding and maturity; and gives them ideas on how to improve those areas once identified.

In the afternoon Steve introduced them to puppets! They thought this was a riot! There is an overall lack of ministry aimed at children, so we hope to give them some tools to include children more. In the late afternoon they took their turn at doing the puppet show. They quickly decided that they needed more practice before performing in public.

For a last hurrah, we moved tables chairs and benches outside and had an outdoor banquet for the radio guys, their families, and the single Bolivian missionary who works there. The menu consisted of marinated steaks, sauteed onions, fried plantains, rice, Damico carrots, bread and red-corn kool-aid. Rarely do the Chimane wives get told ¨Honey, there is no need to cook, we are going out to dinner.¨ A wonderful time was had by all and it was a wonderful way to honor all those who work so hard to build the church among the Chimane people.

So, Today we were to have a semi-liesurely day. We started by cooking breakfast and doing the laundry, then took off for a tour of Paul Black´s jungle farm. He picked us up on his four wheeler and we were soon off for a fast and furious ride. Arriving at the farm, we were both covered in dust. Without stopping we were taken on a tour of the fields and jungle. We were shown two giant trees, one with a Swiss-Family Robinson treehouse planned for its future. We had a good time there looking around and all was calm we were not to fly out of San Borja until 6 pm this evening.

Well, as we were just beginning to return, Paul Black´s daughter met us saying that our flight had been moved up. We had thought our trip out had been fast and furious, but Paul managed to give new meaning to that. While riding on the four wheeler, we made a call to the airport and we were told that they were holding the plane on the runway for us. When we arrived back at the radio station, we packed hurriedly while leaving last minute instructions and attempting to accomplish all that had been planned for the next 7 hours in 10 minutes. Goodbyes were said and we were off to the airport.

It was true they had the plane waiting on the runway for us, but we still did not board for another hour. No explanation was given for the hurryup and wait. But here we are now in the Trinidad airport with hours to kill and little to do...maybe we should blog?

Journey to the end of the road...

Down a freshly made road we traveled right up to the village of Limoncito. Limoncito is a village that we traveled to with some of the Chimane leaders to encourage a believer who is a cripple. Guiller, in spite of his handicap is the most faithful believer there. During the days he studies his Bible and then he teaches the other villagers.

While we were there, he took out his Bible and began asking the leaders who had come along with us some questions about passages he did not understand. In this culture, the handicapped are often treated poorly, and Guiller is no exception. As he is unable to help provide for the family he is looked at as a liability. Thankfully his family has been supportive of him, especially now as he is able to help contribute to the spiritual well-being of the village.

Guiller travels trom place to place and to other villages in a wheel chair which my dad provided for him five years ago. When we arrived today, the front wheel bearing was completely gone. This was a job for ¨Rob Ronco¨. So Steve got right on the job fashioning a fix out of epoxy, ingenuity, and prayer. When we left, it appeared that a succesful fix had been accomplished.

While we were there, each of us who had come shared some time with Guiller. Steve shared the hardships of some dear friends of his who deal with multiple handicaps within the family. This was to show that others no matter where in the world also face similar hardships, but with the grace of God they are able to continue to live joyfully.

The leaders we were with expressed their thankfulness to Guiller and his faithfulness to the Lord in spite of his hardship. They wanted him to understand that we are all his brothers in
Christ no matter where we are. They have really taken to the idea that we as Christians are a family and have on identity in Christ no matter our backgrounds or where we live.

Guiller of course asked for the guys to come back and give their village more teaching. This happens everywhere they go. While this is a good thing that people desire teaching, it puts a lot of pressure on them as they try to keep everyone happy. These are the same guys who run the radio station, and so are stretched thin already. It was encouraging to hear them explain why they were concentrating their efforts on the village of Tacuaral to build up a mature church with the hope of more leaders eventually being able to help with outreaches to other locations. They explained this rather than just promising they would return. They did give him some hope by saying they would try to stop by again on some Sundays.

To Tacuaral and Back

We praise the Lord for great weather and good roads. Typical 3 hour trip only took one and a half hours. We were warmly greeted by all including the head of a tapir smoking over the fire. Gee,I wonder what´s for dinner?

We were able to set up our tent under a leaf roof overhang providing us with shade. We were separated by a thin ¨wall¨ from our hosts and their crying, coughing baby...just like back home for Loren.

We were a part of many meetings with the local church and the Chimane missionaries who accompanied us. It was nice to see that they were actually thinking through strategies how to help support a Chimane missionary, Edgar. There was much discussion on the need for a larger church, and after much debating, it was decided they would rebuild at their current location rather than the center of the village where much partying, distractions etc. would be present.

We were impressed by the spirited singing and the many young men who helped lead it. The church apparently has a good base of attenders, but they lack teaching and leadership. We are excited to see what God will do through the church at Tacuaral.

Going off the Grid...


This is it, we are going off the grid in a couple of hours. Transportation has been arranged, food supplies purchased, and equipment checked.

Tacuaral is a Chimane village where we have had a focused outreach in the past, but as there has been no funding for making the trips, the guys have been unable to keep it up in recent times. We hope to be able to encourage the believers and also raise awareness of the need for giving in order to allow God´s servants to take the word of God to these remote locations.

On a personal note, Steve and I apparently consumed something that we should not have which has made the toilet a closer friend than desired. Please pray also for dry travel conditions, as a little rain can make for a treacherous journey.


In the town here we have been posing as under cover Italian soccer talent scouts. Guido and Franco wish Ann a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Steve was able to observe first-hand the discrimination against the Chimane as we took Rosauro along to help us shopping in town. Steve saw the looks and the quiet comments and sneers that were directed towards Rosauro. It seemed to be a morale boost for him to be along with us and treated as an equal. Loren was even able to teach Rosauro how to use his cell phone and how to load a phone card.

While Loren has been in meetings, Steve aka ¨Rob Ronco¨has been doing more plumbing this time fashioning his own fittings on a tricky valve job. Who isn´t glad to see the plumber?


What a privelege and honor it is to be among these humble Chimane leaders and to see them in action.

P. S. If you don´t hear from us by Tuesday night...send a search party.... HAHAHA

Live from the Blacks...internet cafe San Borja

Many thanks to the Black family we have internet in the middle of nowhere.

Meetings with the Chimane leaders continued today. It was good to hear from them as they shared from their hearts. Their successes and their trials. It showed the need to be here face to face with them letting them know that they were not forgotten. They thanked us many times for coming and remembering them, and not abandoning them. They have worked through many things since the missionaries have been gone and have had a chance to grow and learn on their own. This has also created many questions in their minds and we are able now to help them work through some of the things they are facing.

Since speaking with them, some of our plans have changed for the time that Steve and I will be here. Wishing to honor their leadership we will not be adding onto the church at Tacuaral at this time as they need to speak with the village first. We will still visit Tacuaral, but for a shorter time; still encouraging the believers there. This may allow us to additionally visit another village.

Our means of transportation here has been moto-taxi...no extra charge for the cheap thrills. For example riding at night with a headlight going on and off at will, and about being run over by one when crossing the street.

Tomorrow is supply buying and preparation for going to Tacuaral. Length of expected travel time... 3 hours to infinity. Please pray for dry roads.