Brief Job Description:

Mission Interpreter of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Methodist Ayllu:

1. Proclaim the Gospel as developed and understood by a poor, martyred, oppressed, illiterate Methodist Church to the rich, powerful, contented, Methodist Church in the U.S. through:

• Sharing the story and the faith of the IEMB, promoting interaction and sharing of the faith of the poor, sharing the importance of working with the poor in our spiritual development, raising the awareness of the vast wealth of all Oklahoma Methodists and their need to share that wealth in gratitude toward God and encouraging Missions of all types.
• Preaching in Oklahoma Churches (14 since June 6^th , 2011)
• “Spiritualizing” VIM teams to Bolivia (Currently writing the booklet “Encountering Christ in the Andes” for spiritual preparation and follow up for VIM teams coming to Bolivia.)
• Developing opportunities for the Bolivian Methodist Church to share its spirituality with Okla. (Bolivian Pastor’s 40-hour Fast April 12-14 had 300 Bolivians, & 50 Okies including Cabinet)

2. Coordinate and facilitate the work of the Jilakata (Council of Elders) of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Methodist Ayllu (Community/Family).

• Coordinating work with the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en Bolivia and Oklahoma and other US Annual Conferences
• Raising financial and other support for the IEMB including: Bolivian Pastor’s Endowment Fund at the Oklahoma UM Foundation, Children’s Christian Education materials, Evangelism, a new Home for the Elders, Women’s work, sale of Methodist Women Handicrafts, vehicles, Pastor Continuing education, Seminary training for pastors, and development of the Juan Wesley Center, Methodist Rural Medical Health Clinics, Church construction, and other priorities as set by the IEMB.
• Promoting interaction between the two Conferences by encouraging VIM teams, Women’s Encounter Teams, and facilitating bringing IEMB pastor/leaders to Oklahoma

 3. Executive Director of Engineers In Action

• Develop the non-profit (in Oklahoma) and non-governmental foundation (in Bolivia) EIA.
• Develop an independent Board of Directors and structure
• Hires Bolivian Engineers to develop, coordinate and sustain infrastructure projects in Bolivia.
• Hires, supervises Bolivian staff and hold weekly staff meetings via web conferencing.
• Fund raising for EIA, including grants

 Accountability

-  Appointed by Bishop Hayes. Report directly to Jeremy Basset of the VIM office.  

-  The Jilakata of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Methodist Ayllu provides oversight of the Church work 

-  Engineers In Action Board of Directors provides oversight of the engineering work 

-  Reports regularly to the Executive Committee of the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en Bolivia

 Funding

• Zero funding from Apportionments of the Oklahoma Annual Conference,
• Salary, health insurance, benefits, business expenses, office expenses all raised from donations 
• Salary $49,825; Housing $13,400; utilities $2,400; Medical $11,733 = $77,358.

To donate online, click button

Business/Office Expenses ($800/mo) = $9,600        Total Cost $86,958

David’s work in 2010/2011

 Bolivia’s Mission TO Oklahoma:

• Initiated and helped coordinate the 40-hour fast organized by the Bolivian Methodist Pastors and the International worship service webcast from La Paz and Oklahoma City.
• Began writing “Encountering Christ in the Andes: A Guide for Spiritual Preparation, Encounters and Assimilation on VIM Trips to Bolivia”.
• Coordinating cross-cultural prayer partners before, during and after VIM trips.
• Working with Pastor Modesto of the IEMB on Orientation and spiritual formation of VIM teams from Oklahoma

Bolivian Pastor’s Endowment Fund: Permanent Fund whose investments help pay for Bolivian Methodist Pastors salaries. Bishop Hayes has set a goal of $1 million before he retires in 5 years.

• Added $28,700 in donations to the Fund
• Corpus went from $175,430 Jan 1 to $214,786, Dec. 31
• Sent $11,752 through the Advance to support Bolivian Pastor’s Salaries
• Received a $1/4 million matching grant from the Woodworth Estates to match all donations to the Fund over the next 5 years
• Was accepted as a General Advance Special (#3021291) and local churches will get credit
• Will be able to raise funds nationally through the Advance.
• Fast to raise funds for the Endowment set for April 12-14
• Goal for 2011: Raise $50,000 for Endowment; Send $15,000 for salaries

 Methodist Rural Health Clinics: Funding/Upgrading the 7 Clinics and salaries/training for the staff

• Received a $25,000 grant from the Brannin Family Foundation (Boston Avenue UMC)  to purchase equipment, mopeds for nurses, continuing education, and doctor at El Alto.
• Organized the first ever National meeting of Bolivian Methodist Health Clinic Nurses for planning and coordination with their national leadership and members of the Jilakata (Jan 28-29, 2011)
• Raised over $2,000 for Bolivian Rural Health Clinic Nurse’s Salary support (approaching $2,000)
• Goal for 2011: Raise $10,000 for salaries; $30,000 for equipment and training of nurses

 Home for the Elders: Constructing one of the first Nursing Homes in all of Bolivia

• Obtained a $20,000 matching grant from the Petree Foundation to build. Construction begins in June.
• Goal for 2011: Find Nursing Home Administrator to help the IEMB; Develop a plan to fund the on-going operation of the Nursing Home

John Wesley Center: Converting an old historic hotel in downtown La Paz into a Methodist Hostel for poor Methodists who are coming to La Paz and VIMers to stay and to be used as a hotel to raise funds for pastor’s salaries.

• January 28-Feb. 1 2011 sent an Assessment Team of plumbers, electricians and engineers did a thorough Assessment of the Building and its needs
• Goal for 2011: Develop a plan for renovation and raise $7,500 for a matching gift toward the bringing hot water to one floor.

 Women’s Center in El Alto

• Worked with FeFeMe on their goal of building a Women’s Center in El Alto
• Goal for 2011: Begin fund raising toward the $50,000 goal

  Sale of FeFeMe Crafts:

• Sold over $20,000 in FeFeMe crafts (more than all of the US combined)
• Goal for 2011: Sale $30,000

 Women’s Encounter

• Held a 6-day Women’s Encounter in La Paz, Bolivia between 14 Oklahoma women and 20 Bolivian women.
• Goal for 2012 do it again.

 Children’s Sunday School Curriculum: Creating their own children’s Sunday School materials and printing one copy for every Bolivian Methodist Church

• Held the third Annual Children’s Sunday School Curriculum Training and Writing Workshop on January 2-10, 2010 in La Paz, Bolivia.
• Held the fourth Annual Children’s Sunday School Curriculum Training and Writing Workshop on January 2-10, 2011 in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
• Raised a mere $1,639 for materials. Provided Children’s Sunday School materials for every Bolivian Methodist Church
• Goal for 2011: Raised $10,000

 Volunteers In Mission Teams:

• 2010 3 Teams

1. Stillwater Medical Team to Colqueamaya, Bolivia January 2010
2. Chapel Hill Church Construction Team to Manantial de Vida, El Alto – May, 2010
3. Women’s Encounter to La Paz – September 2010

• Scheduled for 2011 – 10 teams

 Conflict Mediation: David has been invited and is mediating a dispute between pastors from different regions of Bolivia because of the trust that he has built up within the IEMB and because he doesn’t live there and is considered neutral and fair by all sides.

Accomplishments of Engineers In Action in 2010

 Engineers In Action is a non-profit corporation in Oklahoma and a non-governmental foundation in Bolivia. It was created out of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Ayllu in 2007 but is now an autonomous, secular organization because it works with US Universities who cannot work with religious groups.

 Engineers In Action hires Bolivian engineers to work in Bolivia to develop partnerships to bring potable water, sanitation, irrigation, and/or bridge construction to remote poor indigenous villages in Bolivia. EIA doesn’t build the water wells, we create the projects and develop the partnerships that build the wells. We then are responsible for the on-going maintenance and operation of the system upon completion. We are in Partnership with 10 Engineers Without Borders US chapters; 2 Engineers Without Borders German chapters; Over 60 US, Canadian and Bolivian Rotary Clubs; Habitat for Humanity Bolivia; Center for the Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds at the University of Oklahoma; UMCOR; Japanese International Cooperation Agency; the German/Dutch International Development Agency; and multiple county and state governments in Bolivia.

 David Stephenson is the founder and Executive Director of EIA. He provides oversight and direction to the office with weekly staff meetings via skype with the La Paz office of EIA. He is also the chief fund-raiser. EIA has a Board of Directors of 15 persons, mostly engineers from across the country.

 Impact

• EIA projects are providing water, sanitation, and/or irrigation to over 30,000 persons!
• Utilizing UN & Bolivian government statistics, we can estimate that EIA is currently saving between 50-60 children from dying from water borne diseases each year.
• The Bolivian Government now trusts us and has asked us to join in their Program to Eradicate Childhood Malnutrition within 5 years. We may be playing a crucial role in that program.

Staff:

• Grew from 4 engineers in Bolivia to 5 Engineers, a Water Technician and a part-time accountant in 2010
• Had 2 US engineering interns: one for 6 months and one for a year
• Goal for 2011: Add one more engineer and 3 more interns

 Budget

• Operating Budget that we needed to raise funds for grew from $52,000 in 2009 to $109,000 in 2010
• Budget for 2011 is $124,000
• Our partners will raise about $365,000 in cash to purchase materials and/or contract labor for direct developmental aid to these communities in 2011.
• Our partners will also provide approximately $605,000 in ‘in-kind’ aid including labor, free engineering design, and heavy equipment by the Potosi (State) government to move limestone for the Kumurana Mine reclamation project.
• This means that for every dollar given to EIA to hire an engineer, $8 of aid goes into a community in Bolivia

Goals of Engineers In Action in 2011

• Reach 1% of the total population of Bolivia (90,000 people) by 2014
• Add 3 to 5 more engineers by 2014
• Add 4 more EWB/EIA projects: Marquirivi, San Antonio Lomerio, Yarvicoya, Chiriwapi in 2011
• Bolivian Government Commission on Eradicating Childhood Malnutrition

The Bolivian Government and EIA are in negotiations on bringing EIA into this worthy campaign. If so, we could add as many as 20-30 water projects very quickly if we can find the staff.

• Operating Budget for EIA for 2011 is $124,000
• Our “Partners” will be putting in $403,000 in developmental aid directly into communities
• Our “Partners” will put an estimated $687,800 in in-kind engineering and labor into communities for development work.