Season #4: “The Making of the Saints and Martyrs of the IEMB”

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S4 E0: Introduction to Season 4: “The Making of Saints”

This is the introduction and background information for the upcoming  season of Weaving the Blanket: “The Saints and Martyrs of the IEMB”. But be sure to listen to MY definition of saint and learn about the early lives of these every day people, who showed extraordinary faith, commitment and willingness to sacrifice their lives to do God’s work.

S4 E1: Tom & Sarah Corson: Missionaries Who Got It Right

Tells of the early lives of Ken & Sarah Corson who live, as much as possible, AS the poor in several countries. They are then invited, not be GBGM to go to Bolivia as U.S. missionaries, but by the IEMB to come to Bolivia as IEMB pastors, serving under the IEMB leadership and living on IEMB pastor’s wages of $80/month. It also tells of GBGM’s attempts to stop them from doing that. 

S4 E2: “The Corsons Life in Sapecho on $80 – $160 a month”

Tells of the Corsons life in Sapecho living on the typical salary for an IEMB pastor of $80 a month, and later having Sarah also pastor a church so they could received $160 a month. Finding protein to eat was difficult, the bamboo hut was — ummm difficult. Imagine living with 4 children on that salary in that place.

S4 E3: “The Early Life of Benjamin Paredes and early Interaction with the Corsons”

Tells of the first Encounter between the Corsons and the anti-American communist Benjamin Paredes, known as Benjo. And how they decide to work together to make the community of Sapecho better.

S4 E4: “Benjo’s Conversion and work with the Corsons on the Brick and the Fish Projects”

Tells the powerful story of Benjo’s conversion from being a communist to becoming a Methodist Christian. It also shows Benjo’s and the Corsons development of the Fish and Brick projects, which highlights the Corson/SIFAT mode of development, which is much slower, but more organic and longer lasting than methods used by most Western develop agencies.

S4 E5 “Orphans Adopting an Orphan Where Ken, Sarah & Benjo were on July 16,1980

Tells of how a family of three teenage orphan siblings ended up adopting an infant whose parents died overnight. And then we find out where Benjo, Ken and Sarah Corson were on the fateful night of July 16,1980.

S4 E6 Eugenio Poma Part A The Hacienda System through the eyes of an 8 year old

Listen to what the Hacienda/Patron/Peon form of indentured servitude was like for an 8 year old peon: Eugenio Poma. Hear the very basic living conditions, the injustice and and the hardships on his family.

S4 E7 Eugenio Poma Part B: “A 9-year-old’s Decision – Education & ‘Our Place Is With Our People'”

The 9 year-old Eugenio Poma makes a life-altering decision. Eugenio gets educated in Bolivia and the United States. Could have stayed in the U.S. but declares to his family: “Our place is with our people”; and where Eugenio was on the fateful night of Wednesday July 16, 1980

S4 E8 Dr German Crespo Part A: “Education in Bolivia & MD from Europe – Advent Decision to return to Bolivia – IEMB & Human Rights Commission'”

German Crespo, a Mestizo graduate of the American Institute gets in trouble with the authorities, moves to Europe and gets his M.D., makes an Advent Decision to return to Bolivia, works for the IEMB and the Bolivian Human Rights Commission.