February Pictures

My students with their Santos Pamba buddies.

Singing songs

Journal entry from a student. CLICK on it to enlarge
and read. Remember they are learning English :)

Journal entry from a student. CLICK on it to enlarge
and read. Remember they are learning English :)

Sunday School class at Rancho de los Pinos Church

Hugo, Solomon, Anita, Daniel, and Noemi
from Quitocucho

Quitocucho friends with their new wool hats

Pablo wants a guinea pig to eat!

Pablo leading worship for the church service

February Update

Dear Friends,
Thank you for your love, encouragement, and support. I appreciate each of you and hope that you are doing well! Here is an update about what has been going on lately:

Ministry:
Pablo and I went with Mark and Cheryl Shafer to visit one of my favorite churches in Quitocucho. Quitocucho is a very special place for me because I lived there with a family for a week and fell in love with my brothers and sisters there. We went to encourage them and have a time of prayer with them. It was a very special time. Pablo saw the guinea pig farm, but sadly he didn't get to eat one for lunch (lucky!) Over Christmas, my mom and some of her friends made wool hats for me to give to kids who live in the mountains. I was able to pass out the hats and they loved them! If anyone wants to make hats, contact my mom. :)

Last Sunday I went to visit some churches here in Quito with Mark and Cheryl. In the morning we went to one church in Rancho de los Pinos. This church is without a pastor right now and is really struggling. There are hardly any members. The church is mostly made up of children! This is why I went :) When we arrived there was only 1 little girl, but soon more and more children came and I had almost 20 by the end. I led a Sunday School lesson on the Good Samaritan and how we can love our neighbors. We sang songs, played games, and did a craft. It was a precious time with them (see the pictures above).

At the Alliance Academy:
I have a student teacher now. She is from Cedarville University in Ohio. She is teaching in my classroom until April. I feel like just yesterday I was a student teacher. It has been a great experience having a student teacher so far. I have needed the extra hand with my needy students.

For Valentine’s Day we went to the Santos Pamba School. (See the pictures!) Thank you for praying for us. My students planned a full day of activities to do with the students there. They led songs, did a drama about the Good Samaritan, taught them a Bible verse, did a Valentine’s craft, and played Valentine’s games. We then ate lunch together. My heart was so content watching my students interact and love their little buddies at the Santos Pamba School. I know that the Lord has me at the Alliance Academy so that I can continue to be the bridge between the rich and the poor, and to build future leaders who will love all, even if they are unlike them. When we returned to school I had them journal about their experience. I will post some of their entries soon for you to read. :)

Santos Pamba School:
We are currently working on getting windows installed on the 2nd floor of the school. We are also working on getting the school legalized this year and being an official school in the Ecuadorian government. Please pray that this process goes quickly! Our next project will be having 30 desks and chairs made for the kindergarten and next year’s 1st grade class.

*Please be praying that God provides the funding for having desks and chairs made ($1300)

Compassion International Update- Answer to prayer! We have been praying for God to provide the personnel needed to run the Compassion site. The main concern is finding a Director who has a University degree. God provided one! His name is Manuel. Manuel is going to be the new Assistant Pastor to Pedro Pablo and will be working with the youth and Sunday School program. He has agreed to be the Compassion Director also. Praise God! Manuel has studied Communications in the University, and also went to the Alliance Seminary here and has a degree in Theology. Thank you for praying! I am very excited for him to start working with us in Santos Pamba.
Please continue to pray for the following personnel to come:
*3 Tutors (graduated from high school)
*1 Health Director (graduated from high school and has basic first aid knowledge)
*1 Accountant (graduated from high school and studying accounting)
*1 Christian Education teacher (graduated from high school)

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Please pray for me because I have a bad cold right now and need to get better! Thanks!

God bless you,
Kim