Life in Ecuador

2011-01-01T21:35:00.000-08:00

Our 1st Thanksgiving together

Happy 26th birthday Pablo!

Snorkling

At the beach

A Busy End of 2010

2011-01-01T20:18:00.001-08:00

Pablo and I are loving being married! We are having a lot of fun together and learning more about each other each day. Pablo has been very busy studying. He took 9 classes this past semester and got all A's! He plays music at an Italian restaurant on Thursdays and Fridays and at any other gigs that he can do when he has free time.
I have 17 students this year in my 3rd grade class. They keep me very busy because I have many students with special needs. It has been a tough year so far, but I know God placed each one in my class for a reason. I am continuing to work on my masters through online classes by SPU. It keeps me busy and up late. Pablo and I spend the evenings studying- but at least we are together!
We have taken some time to rest and be with friends amidst studying. We had a 4 day weekend at the beginning of November and went to the beach with our friends Christy and Marcos. We drove 11 ours to the coast of Ecuador, and when we got there it was overcast the whole time. It was nice to get out of the city though and be with good friends.
November 11th was Pablo's birthday and I threw him a party with all of our friends. During the party I had a surprise show up- a mariachi band! It got the dance party started! Afterwards we went bowling. It was a great weekend celebrating Pablo.
We cooked our first Thanksgiving meal together and invited Pablo's family and some friends over. 15 people- what were we thinking?! It was an adventure cooking for that many for the first time, but we had a lot of fun making memories together.
The Lord blessed us with the opportunity to come home and be with my family for Christmas. It was a true gift because we needed to take time to rest and be refreshed. We were also able to go to a good friend's wedding on New Year's Eve with all of my friends. It was a beautiful wedding and so fun to be with old friends.
It is a new year and we are back to Quito tomorrow. Please pray that God prepares our hearts to return and gives us energy and wisdom to finish this school year. We love you all and are very thankful for your friendship and support. God bless you!

A few summer pictures

2010-08-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

KIM FLORES!!!

2010-08-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

So much has happened since my last official update in April! As you know, the most exciting thing that has happened was my marriage to Pablo on July 10^th! Friends and my family came down to Quito the week before and we had a tourist week together. We went sightseeing in the city, shopping at the market, to the jungle, and to the middle of the earth equator museum. We had a lot of fun. The day before our wedding it was pouring down rain. Our wedding was outside. Many people prayed and God opened up the sky and blessed us with not only beautiful weather, but also a rainbow and sunset in the evening. For the ceremony, Pablo and I wrote our own vows. We both could not stop crying. It was a very blessed moment that I will never forget. At the reception, we had a lot of fun dancing with our friends and celebrating together. Our wedding was a dream come true. We are amazed at how God brought us together and has had His hand upon our lives. For our honeymoon, Pablo and I went to a resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It was also a dream come true…all-inclusive, white sand, turquoise waters…beautiful. We had a wonderful time there.

On July 22^nd we traveled to Gig Harbor and were there for 1 month. It was great to see many of you! We spent a lot of time on the water this summer. Pablo went swimming in a lake, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and tubing all for his first time this summer. We had a lot of fun building memories together. We went to a Mariners game with my family and spent time in Seattle with friends. We also celebrated our marriage with close friends and family. On August 15^th Pablo and I spoke for our first time together at Fox Island Alliance Church. I was so happy to not have to be up there by myself anymore! We shared about Mount of Olives Christian School in Santos Pamba and how Pablo will be involved in the ministry now. Check out the Santos Pamba blog for more information: www.santospamba.blogspot.com This week we are meeting with Pastor Pedro Pablo to organize last minute details for this school year and plan together.

Our time in Gig Harbor went by way too fast! We returned to Quito on Saturday night. This week we have been busy setting up our house together. We bought a bed and have been moving Pablo’s things in (we are living in my apartment for now). Pablo began classes in the University today. He is a sophomore and studying Contemporary Music. Tomorrow I am going to go to my classroom and start getting ready for the year. It will be strange to have a new name- Mrs. Flores! The students come on September 2^nd.

Please join us in prayer for the following:

Please pray that Pablo and I will adjust easily to married life, building routines together, and learning how to best love and serve each other. Pray that Christ will always be the center of our marriage.

Pray for my beginning of the school year- that God will help me be the best teacher for the students that are in my class this year and that they will learn to love Him.

For Pablo’s school year to go well.

Thank you so much for your love, prayers, and support! We are loving being married! May God bless you.

Love,

Kim and Pablo Flores

P.S. Praise God- my back does not hurt anymore! Thank you for praying. I am now in pilates class to strengthen the muscles.

April Update

2010-05-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Anita’s baby was born on April 6^th and is healthy. Thanks for praying for her. He is almost a month old now and growing more each day.

My mom was here for 3 weeks and we had a wonderful time together. One day we went with Pablo’s brother and his family to visit a crater lake named Quicocha and went on a boat ride. It was a beautiful day. My mom and I were able to celebrate Easter together for the first time in 5 years! Pablo and I invited some of our friends over and they were very excited to have an American Easter meal. My mom did a wonderful job and the food was delicious as always.

A couple of days we were able to visit Santos Pamba and spend time with the children. We observed how the Breakfast Program was going and saw how much the children appreciate the breakfast they get to eat each morning. Before they ate Pastor Pedro Pablo prayed with them and it was precious to hear them thank God for providing for them. I loved having my mom there and that she was able to spend time with the children that I love dearly.

As you know, while my mom was here, we got in another car accident. We were in a taxi and it went through a stop sign! Praise God we are both fine now. I am back to going to physical therapy every week, but do not have any more pain now. Thank you for praying! I have decided to walk everywhere now if it is possible! No more cars for me for a while. Please continue to pray for my recovery and that my fear of getting in cars will go away. Thank you.

My mom and I were also able to go visit her World Vision sponsored girl one day, which was a wonderful experience. This was my third time visiting her. She lives in a village, high up in the mountains, about 3 hours from Quito. We had a wonderful day with her and didn’t want to leave! (see picture above)

When we weren’t gone on outings, my mom spent time in my classroom at Alliance. My students loved having their teacher’s mom there. One day I was sick and she got to sub for me! They loved having her read aloud to them and receiving more 1-on-1 attention. I loved having her there too!

My mom, Pablo, and I got a lot of wedding planning done while she was here. It was a productive time and we feel blessed that she was able to be here with us and help us. Please continue to pray for Pablo and I as we continue in premarital counseling and preparing for the most important decision of our lives. We are getting excited!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. May God bless you all! Stay in touch!

Anita's Baby Shower

2010-03-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Playing a game to see who can guess how many
centimeters around is her baby belly using toilet paper!

Their son will be named Angel Gabriel Sevilla.

March Update

2010-03-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Thank you for praying for back! I have been able to work full-time now for the past month. I do not have pain anymore, and only have to go to the doctor every 2 weeks! Now I am working on strengthening the muscles in my lower back by going to pilates twice a week. Thank you for praying for my recovery.

Pablo and I have been busy wedding planning. My mom will be here on Monday and I'm excited to be able to plan things with her. :)

On Monday Pablo and I are going to begin premarital counseling. Please pray that it will be a productive and helpful time for us. Please pray that we will be able to keep our focus on Him during this busy planning time. We are looking forward to it. We will be meeting with a pastor and his wife, who is a counselor.

Things at Santos Pamba are going well- check out my blog: www.santospamba.blogspot.com for more details and pictures :) Last Saturday I hosted a baby shower for Anita, the 2nd grade teacher. It was a true cultural experience. The shower was to begin at 4pm.....guest arrived at 6pm. They ate everything I had on the table and didn't leave until late! Anita's baby is due this week! See pictures above.

On Thursday night a group from Fox Island Alliance Church arrived. Tonight I will be spending time with them. It is so refreshing to have people from "home" here. On Wednesday they will be going to Santos Pamba with me and I'm very excited to show them what God's been doing!

Thank you for your continued prayers. I feel them! May God bless you. I will write more soon.

Praising God!

2010-02-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

First of all, thank you to everyone for praying for my back. I am getting better! My new physical therapist is wonderful. In 8 sessions my pain has decreased and my muscles have relaxed. Now I am just doing daily back exercises and going to physically therapy once or twice a week. My lower back is weak and starts to ache after standing for long periods of time, so I am working on strengthening it. The past two weeks I only worked half days. This week I am going to try going back to work full-time. I hope I can make it. I miss my students! Please continue to pray for my recovery.

Speaking of my students, I have a HUGE PRAISE! On Friday morning, 2 of my students accepted Christ with me during Bible class!! It brings tears to my eyes just writing this news. They are students who come from non-Christian families. We have been learning about Jesus and how He died on the cross for us and He wants to be our best friend. My class was very excited when these 2 boys shared that they asked Jesus into their hearts and one boy said to me, “Miss Hughes, God and the angels are having a big party right now because they have 2 new friends!”…. precious. What an honor to serve the Lord here and share His love to others. This is why I am here in Ecuador and why they Lord placed specific children in my classroom. May I be an example of Christ to them daily. Please pray for Fernando and Erik as they begin their new relationship with Jesus and that God will give me wisdom as how to guide them.

During my time at home, I have been working on things for Santos Pamba. We are almost finished with a new website for the school. We also worked on a budget for the rest of the year, and much more. See my Santos Pamba blog for more exciting updates: www.santospamba.blogspot.com

Pablo and I have been busy wedding planning. We found the place where we are going to get married and are now working on scheduling meetings with photographers, florists, musicians, etc. It’s a lot of work planning a wedding and even more when you combine two cultures. Please pray for us that we won’t get stressed and will remember to celebrate during this exciting time of our lives. Thank you! Also pray for us as we do premarital counseling, that God will bless our times together.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. I appreciate each of you! May God continue to bless you. Keep in touch!

Back in Ecuador

2010-01-21T15:06:00.001-08:00

I had a wonderful time at home with family and friends. It was great to have Pablo at home with me again, and to celebrate our engagement with family and friends. I was able to do some wedding planning, and also fundraising for Santos Pamba Christian School. However, on December 26th we were in a car accident and taken to the ER! Pablo got whiplash and I sprained my neck and back. We stayed at home after that and recuperated. I started physical therapy, which I have continued here in Quito. I am still in pain and have not been able to work. My lower back has been too painful to go back to school and teach. I have been stuck at home and resting. I have been reading a lot and wedding planning, which is keeping me busy. I am also working on finishing up my online masters class. Pablo has been taking good care of me- even going grocery shopping for me! Friends have been visiting me everyday, which has been encouraging. It has been stressful leaving my class with a substitute for so long, but I know I need to focus on recovering.

Going to the doctor here has been quite a cultural experience for me. I was going to the hospital close to my house for physical therapy. My physical therapist was seeing 4 patients at the same time as me! It was very frustrating. I changed physical therapists this week because I felt she wasn't giving me quality care. I am very happy with my new physical therapist. She is encouraging and told me that in 10 sessions I should be feeling better! She is using different techniques and I can tell that my muscles are starting to relax more. I am hopeful! Please pray for me. I am hoping I can return to at least working half days next week. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for your prayers!

October/November Pictures

2009-12-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

Pastor Pedro Pablo and the Santa Maria choir

Santa Maria Church Inauguration

Pablo's 25th birthday!

Spirit Week Pajama Day with my class

Mark Shafer, Jon Sousley, and I in Otavalo

With students from Santos Pamba

Thanksgiving lunch on the roof of Laura and Jorge's house

Exciting News!

2009-12-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I am very thankful for each of you. Thank you for your support, love, and encouragement to me. I spent Thanksgiving with Pablo, my old roommate Laura and her husband, plus 30 other people. We had a delicious lunch together. On Friday I spent the day at Santos Pamba Christian School with the kids. It was a wonderful day. See the pictures!

Before I write more, I have exciting news…I’M ENGAGED! November 21st Pablo proposed in a very romantic way. We are very excited! We have decided to get married here in Quito on July 10, 2010. We will be coming to Seattle for Christmas on Dec. 19th- and are excited to see everyone.
Well, It’s about time that I did an update on what has been going on here in Quito.

SANTA MARIA CHURCH INAUGURATION

In October a team from Canada came, as well as Jon Sousley and Cy from Gig Harbor, came for Santa Maria Quichua Alliance Church's inauguration. For the past 2 years, the members of the church have been building their new church building, and other missionaries have been helping raise funds for the construction. It is a beautiful building and our prayer is that it will be filled with new members from the community. The inauguration celebration lasted 3 days. Pablo helped with the music. Pablo and I enjoyed spending time with the team from Canada, Jon, and Cy. It was very encouraging and refreshing to be with them.

SANTOS PAMBA FIELD TRIP

The first Santos Pamba Christian School Mission Trip with our 3rd graders went very well. Thank you for praying for us. We had 35 third graders and 55 students from Santos Pamba! Our third graders each got assigned two buddies who they spent the whole day with. I was very proud of this group. They didn’t complain or make faces because of different smells or sights for the first time. They loved their buddies just like they were their own little brothers and sisters. We sang songs with them, and then read them the story of “The Pumpkin Parable”. Afterwards the kids did a pumpkin art project with their buddies and played outside. We then all had lunch together and said our goodbyes. The day went by very fast! We had 8 mothers go with us on this trip. When we returned back to the Alliance Academy to talk about their experience. Many of the kids wrote in their journal about the new things that they saw (people making bricks, pigs and sheep everywhere, many kids without socks, how some dressed in indigenous clothing, etc. They begged for us to take them back again. That’s my desire. We are going to Santos Pamba on December 11th to have a Christmas party with our buddies! They students are going to act out the Nativity story and we are going to decorate Christmas cookies with them!

ELECTRICITY RATIONIONING AND GRADUATE CLASSES

I am almost finished with my first two graduate classes. They have been very difficult and time consuming, more than I thought it would be. It has been hard to balance school, working full time, ministry, and have a life. On top of finding time to do work, the government has been rationing the electricity for the past month. There has been no rain for a long time; therefore the hydroelectric plants can’t produce the electricity for the country. The government turns off the electricity for a period of time everyday in different parts of the city. My school has a generator, but it has been hard to do homework at home when there is no light. Many farmer’s crops and livestock have died due to this drought. Please pray for more rain for Ecuador!

I wanted to share with you that I do not have a roommate now. It did not work out with Hannah. I have decided to live on my own until I get married in July. Please pray that Lord will continue to provide what I need to pay bills, etc. He has been faithful and I know he will continue to be.

I look forward to seeing many of you SOON! Love you all and hope you are doing well. God bless you!

September update

2009-10-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
The school year started a month ago, and life has been busy! I have 16 students in my class this year and they are wonderful. I’m thanking God for them. I have 2 girls who don’t know very much English, but they are bright girls and are learning quickly. This group is much easier than my challenging group last year that had many special needs students. My friend Courtney is the other 3rd grade teacher and this is her first year. We are having a great time collaborating together and are working well together. We decided to try something new this year for 3rd grade- I would teach science to both classes and she would teach social studies. It is going very well. I’m loving being able to focus on my science lessons. We are planning to go to Santos Pamba every other month this year- our first trip with these new 3rd graders will be in a couple weeks and they are very excited about it. Courtney is too, which is a blessing. Every day at least one student asks me if it is time to go to Santos Pamba yet. I’m excited to be able to expose a new group of students to Santos Pamba and what it means to minister to others.

Besides teaching, I too have started back to school- GRADUATE SCHOOL! I decided to pursue a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. I am doing an online program through Seattle Pacific University. I am only taking two classes, but wow, it has been a hard adjustment. My whole schedule has changed. It is hard to be working full time, be in ministry, have a boyfriend, and be studying at the same time. Please pray that I will be able to balance my time wisely, and be able to handle my stress. I really need prayer right now.

Pablo has also started to study. He is studying Contemporary Music at the Universidad de San Francisco here in Quito. He is also adjusting to studying. His schedule is full time at school so he isn’t working at my school anymore as a guitar teacher. We hardly see each other now. It’s hard, but we are trying to take advantages of the few moments even if they are short. Please pray for us during this transition time.

I have a new roommate! Thank you for praying with me because God answered prayers. Her name is Hannah, and she is a study abroad student at the same university that Pablo is studying at. She is a Christian and is from Canada.

The rainy season is about to begin here in Quito, and many people are getting sick at school. Please pray that God protects my health…I’m starting to feel that I’m getting a cold.

Thank you for your faithful prayers, support and encouragement. God bless you!

Back to school soon

2009-08-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you so much for your prayers for my health. My cold is now gone and I have adjusted back to having to take allergy medicine and use eye drops often. My body does not like Quito, but I know God wants me here!

The past two weeks have gone by very fast. I have been catching up with friends here in Quito, and spending time with my friend from home, Lindsay Harkson, who has been here visiting. I have been able to invest a lot of time at Santos Pamba since I’ve been back, which I love. It has been nice to be back early before the school year starts. This summer I made a lot of ministry goals for the year, and I have already been working on them. I have been meeting with the new Santos Pamba teachers and helping prepare for the new school year. I now have a separate blog just for information and pictures of Santos Pamba. (www.santospamba.blogspot.com) I will now be posting information about Santos Pamba on that blog and this blog will be my personal blog.

Please continue to pray that God provides a roommate for me. It’s lonely living alone! I’m trusting His faithfulness and that He will provide someone soon.

On Friday I started work again at Alliance Academy. It was great to see colleagues again and meet the new staff. This whole next week we have a conference about Biblical Integration in Education. I’m looking forward to learning new things and applying what I learn to my teaching. I found out that I will be having 16 or 17 3^rd graders in my class this year. This week I’m working on getting my classroom set up and planning for the year. The first day of school is September 7^th. Please be praying that God prepares me for this school year and equips me to be the best teacher I can be for my students. Thank you very much!

The Lord has been reminding me about how I need to fall more in love with Him so that He is the one who overflows from me. I cannot do anything without Him. I am going to be starting a new Beth Moore Bible study soon with some women from school and am looking forward to it.

Thank you for your prayers and faithful support. Make sure to check out my Santos Pamba blog for more updates and pictures of my ministry. God bless you all!

Lindsay in Quito!

2009-08-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

With my friend from Gig Harbor, Lindsay Harkson.

Back in Ecuador

2009-08-16T14:54:00.001-07:00

I arrived back safely to Quito last Monday night. I loved seeing many of you when I was home. This summer went by too fast! I was able to relax, enjoy time with my family and friends, show Pablo more of the beautiful northwest, and be refreshed to return to Quito. I am excited for what God has in store for me this school year and for what He is going to do. Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement, and support. You are each very special to me. Please pray for me right now because on Tuesday morning when I woke up, I had a bad cold and my eyes are hurting. I'm back to the pollution and altitude...my body doesn't like Ecuador :( Please pray that the Lord heals my body quickly. Thank you. This week I will be spending time at Santos Pamba helping get the classrooms ready and planning for this school year. I will write again soon and send updated pictures. Blessings to you all!

Laura and Jorge's Wedding

2009-06-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Last Santos Pamba Trip Pictures

2009-06-23T08:12:00.001-07:00

This is what the school looks like now- we have windows!
We are hoping to raise money to paint the second level green
and also to make a sign for the school.

Singing songs with our buddies

Pablo led our worship time. My girls helped him.

Summer is here!

2009-06-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for praying for me. I have felt your support. Here's an update about what has been going on...

MY HEALTH
My eye infection is finally gone! Thank you for praying. I still have UV damage though that will never go away. I have to continue to use eye drops many times throughout the day. I have a cold right now that I got last week. Please pray that my cold will go away quickly and that I will be able to get needed rest.

VISA UPDATE
Last Monday I met with the visa lawyer and he said that I should get my visa back TOMORROW! Please pray that the process will go quickly and the authorities will give me 2 years.

ALLIANCE ACADEMY UPDATE
Two weeks ago I finished our school year- my third year of teaching at Alliance! Time has gone by fast. We had a fun last week together as a class. On Monday I took my class for the last time to say goodbye to their amiguitos at Santos Pamba. We had a wonderful time together. We sang songs- I told them to sing as loud as they could so Jesus could hear them in heaven- it was precious to watch them all sing their hearts out to God together. We then turned the cafeteria into a movie theater and watched a Veggie Tales movie about loving your neighbor. The Santos Pamba kids loved the Veggie Tales movie. Afterwards we made puppets and then played games outside. The mothers from Santos Pamba made a special cake for my students to thank them for being amiguitos. My kids ate every bite and were very thankful to them- I've trained them well :) We then ended by having lunch together and then my students prayed for their amiguitos. I love how my student's hearts have fallen in love with their little buddies and how they desire to help them know that Jesus loves them. It is what makes my heart beat- my passion and reason for being here. I am so glad that the Alliance Academy lets me be a bridge between the rich and the poor and allows me to take my students to Santos Pamba. It is a life learning experience that I hope they will never forget. Many of the parents have thanked me for the experience and said that it is their child's favorite thing about 3rd grade!
On Friday I had my students over to my house for a pancake breakfast together and a time of closure. I will miss them, but I'm glad summer is here! Next year I will have a new partner teacher in the other 3rd grade class. Her name is Courtney and it will be her first year as a classroom teacher. This year she taught ESL and we became good friends. We are excited to work together next year.

THE SANTOS PAMBA SCHOOL UPDATE
I was great to be with the Santos Pamba kids last week. I love every time that I can spend with them. They have grown so much this year and every one of them can read now! Parents are already lining up to register their children for next year! How exciting! Thank you for your prayers and support for our little school.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote up a project proposal for the Ministry of Education for Ecuador about our school becoming legalized, which we turned in on Monday. Right now Santos Pamba is still not an approved school by the government. They have so much paperwork and requirements to meet that it is a long process. This was one of their requirements and now we are working on the next requirements. Please pray for this process and that it will go quickly. Pray that God leads us to the right connections and that they will fall in love with Santos Pamba and help us be approved quickly.

Right now we are in need of 3 new teachers for next year (1 preschool, 1 kindergarten, and 1 1st grade!) Please pray that God provides 3 wonderful Godly, qualified teachers for next year. He has been faithful in the past, and I know He will continue to be, however I get worried often and just need to rest in Him and trust Him. A couple of weeks ago I interviewed a possible teacher for the preschool class next year. She has her degree in Early Childhood and was very professional, friendly, etc., however when I asked her about her faith she said she didn't know what she believed. I asked her more questions and she was very open. I told her that the main priority of our school is that the students learn about the Lord and receive Bible class daily. She told me that she would be open to do anything we wanted her to do, and would love to learn along with the students. I was impressed with her openness and honestly. I left feeling burdened for her and have been praying for her- her name is Esperanza, which means hope. My prayer is that she will come to know the only True One that can give her the hope she is looking for. Please join me in praying for her. I need prayer that God will give me wisdom about whether or not to have her be a teacher in our school. Is the Lord leading her to Santos Pamba so that she comes to know Him? Do I need to present the Gospel to her? Pray that the Lord gives me wisdom about Esperanza. Also, please pray for Pastor Pedro Pablo and I as we meet with Mari to tell her that we are not hiring her back next year. Pray that she receives the news well.

Pastor Pedro Pablo, the Pastor of Santos Pamba and Director of the school was hopitalized last week. He almost had a heart attack due to high blood pressure and stress. Please pray for him as he is at home recovering now, that he will rest and that I will know how to best support him.

I am very excited to share with you that this summer's VBS at Fox Island Alliance Church has chosen to help fundraise for The Santos Pamba Schoool! I will be sharing with the kids about the school on July 20th and hope to get them excited about helping other kids in Ecuador.

OTHER THINGS...
My roommate Laura got married on Saturday! Our home was wedding crazy the past month, but very exciting. Pablo and I helped entertain her guests from out of town this past week. Their wedding was like a dream wedding- it was beautiful. I was an honorary bridesmaid. I will post pictures soon.
Please pray that God will connect me with a new roommate by September. I am trusting His faithfulness because I really don't want to live alone.

I am coming back to Gig Harbor on THURSDAY and will be there until August 10th. I hope to see many of you! Please give me a call if you would like to get together (253-853-3829) Thank you for your constant support, prayers, and encouraging emails. I appreciate each of you!

God bless you!

May Update

2009-05-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't written sooner! Life has been very busy the past month, and it is getting even busier now with the school year coming to an end. Here is a recap of what has been going on lately:

Trip to the coast with Mark and Cheryl:
The beginning of May, I drove with Mark and Cheryl to Portoviejo, which is on the coast of Ecuador. We left at 6 am on Friday and arrived there around 1pm. It was a long, bumpy ride, but Mark did a great job driving. It was a beautiful drive through the mountains, then flat farmland, and then into the humid coastal jungle. We stayed in the home of a family that is good friends with Mark and Cheryl.
On Saturday morning the phone rang to say that their grandmother had passed away. The rest of the weekend the family was at the memorial and funeral service. Our trips purpose quickly changed. We spent time comforting them and spending time with them at the memorial. On Sunday we went to visit a small church in the outskirts of town. Cheryl and I helped with Sunday School and I taught the kids some songs. Sunday night we went to an amazing church service at a church named El Shaddai. Meylin (the Nicaraguan missionary living/working with the Shafers) preached and did an incredible job. At the end of her sermon she asked youth who want to serve the Lord to come forward and many came! We had a time of special pray for them. On Monday morning we drove back to Quito.

Santos Pamba School/Bank Update:
Praise God! The money transfer finally arrived to Quito. Thank you for praying! I had to have a check sent to the US Embassy here, which took a long time. The block on Ecuadorian banks is still on, so this summer I have to work on another way to get donations to Ecuador besides wiring it. Any ideas??
Today I had the teachers over for lunch and we had a nice time together. Many of the kids are doing very well and are still loving school. Their school year will end the end of June. There are only 5 kids who are struggling and still not reading, but that has to do with not having support at home. The teachers shared with me today that in the Santos Pamba neighboorhood the level of physical abuse (men to women, and parents to children- beating, hitting with belts/cords) is increasing. 3 of the students at school come from abusive homes and there is nothing you can do in Ecuador to intervene. Please pray that God's protects the precious children in Santos Pamba from harm. Mari's heart is still hardened against Christianity (the teacher who became a Mormon). Please pray that her heart will be softened and she will return to Jesus. Please also pray for Pastor Pedro Pablo and I as we plan for next year. On Tuesday, I am interviewing a possible teacher for next year. We need 2 or 3 new teachers. We are not going to renew Mari's contract because she is not a Christian, and also does not have an University degree, which the government is requiring now. Please pray for wisdom for when to talk to Mari and that she will respond well and not be angry. I am taking my 3rd grade class to Santos Pamba on June 8th for our last time this year, and a time to say goodbye to their buddies. I will be sure to post pictures!

Health Update:
I went to the eye doctor again a week ago because my eyes are still red and infected. I was prescribed the strongest antibiotic eye drops to use 3 times a day, plus having to wash out my eyes every night. My vision has not been affected, thank God. I have an appointment again this Wednesday to see if the infection is better. I think they are less red now. Please continue to pray that they heal completely! I'll let you know what the doc says on Wednesday.

My roommate, Laura, is getting married to an Ecuadorian on June 20th. Wedding craziness will begin soon. Her first guest arrives next Saturday! I am helping her entertian/translate for her guests from the U.S. I am sad that Laura will be leaving me, but am very happy for her and Jorge. Please pray that God will provide a new roommate for me by September. It is difficult right now because there are not very many new missionaries coming to Ecuador now, and Ecuadorian girls live with their parents until they get married. I am trusting that God will be faithful.

Thank you for your support and prayers! May God bless all of you. I am coming back to Gig Harbor on June 25th and hope to see many of you!! Muchos abrazos.

Easter Pictures

2009-04-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

Santos Pamba Easter Mission Trip with my 3rd graders

Egg Hunt!

The Resurrection Egg Story

Pablo and his student Ignacio

Hiking in Mindo at the Cloud Rainforest

Happy Belated Easter!

2009-04-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Happy belated Easter! He is risen, praise the Lord! I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating with friends and family on Sunday. You won't believe what I did- I sang at my church in the Easter choir. We had to sing for 3 services and finished at 2:30pm. After church we had lunch with Pablo's family. Here at Easter time they make a special soup called Fanesca. It is a soup made with 12 grains (1 for each disciple), milk, and fish. It is delicious! Thank you so much for your prayers and continued support. I thank God for each of you. Here is an update of what has been going on for the past month:

School:
My student teacher has finished her time in my classroom. We had a goodbye party for her last week. I'm excited to have my classroom back and be able to teach again. I missed teaching! Things are going well at school. We just had our spring break vacation, which was very relaxing. Pablo and I went to the cloud rainforest and went hiking to 5 different waterfalls. They were beautiful! We had a wonderful day together, but it rained on the way back and we got soaking wet!

Santos Pamba Mission Trip:
On April 8th my class went to Santos Pamba to celebrate Easter with the students at the Santos Pamba School. It was a precious day. We arrived and they reunited with their little buddies. Smiles were on everyone's faces. We then had a time of worship led by Pablo, and 2 of his guitar students who are from my class (see the pictures). We then broke into small groups and my students used the Resurection Eggs to teach the Easter story to the Santos Pamba kids. The Resurrection Eggs is a kit of 12 plastic eggs, and inside each egg is small toy to symbolize the Easter story. The first egg is a donkey and then the last egg is empty because Jesus rose from the tomb! The Santos Pamba kids loved opening the eggs. My students explained each egg and did such a great job. I was very proud of them! Afterwards, we had a chocolate Easter egg hunt outside! The Santos Pamba kids loved this American tradition and went home with baskets of eggs.

Please continue to pray for the Santos Pamba teacher, Mari, that her heart will be soften and she will come back to Jesus.

Ministry Update:
Thank you for praying for my talk with the Bible study girls. It was one of the hardest things I have had to do. The Holy Spirit gave me the words to say. Thank you for your prayers! I had to speak the harsh truth and confront them, and now I am trusting that God's will will be done in them. They have heard the truth, and now they have to choose to respond.

Health Update:
Thank you for your prayers for my eyes. I went to the eye doctor yesterday. Ahhh! So many things are wrong with my eyes. He said that I have very sensitive eyes and that the yellow spots are damage from the high UV rays here. Also, my eyes have been very red and watery, which is due to a viral infection in my eyes, and clogged tear ducts, as well as small growths in the bottom of my eyes due to pollution! I have medicine for the infection, and he had to numb my eyes and open my tear ducts. Please pray that my eyes heal quickly.

Please continue to pray for the bank issue with RCE. There is still a block and no money in our account. Thank you for joining me in prayer about this issue. I hope that it will be resolved soon!

Thank you very much for your continuous support, encouragement, and friendship. I miss you all and hope you are doing well. Let me know how YOU are doing! God bless you all!

More March Santos Pamba pics

2009-03-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

God is Good

2009-03-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

Santos Pamba Update:
Last Thursday all of the students at the Santos Pamba School went to the doctor and dentist. A team from the United States was here and they saw every student! They each received parasite medicine and lots of vitamins, as well as any other medicine they needed. No one cried, yeah!
The windows are now all installed! The classrooms are much warmer now. I will post a picture soon of the windows.

Please continue to pray for Mari. Please pray that the Holy Spirit works in her heart and that she comes back to the Lord.

BIG PRAYER REQUEST-
The bank that my organization (RCE) works with has put a block on wiring money to Ecuadorian banks. This means that the donations in my RCE account for the Santos Pamba School cannot be wired to the bank account here. Please pray for this situation to be resolved quickly! RCE is working on a solution. This affects me being able to pay the final payment to the window man, as well as purchasing the desks, and paying the teachers. Thank you for praying!

School Update:
My student teacher has 2 weeks left. I get to start teaching again full-time next week! I’m very excited. I have missed teaching and am looking forward to having my class back. We are planning an Easter trip to visit our amiguitos at Santos Pamba on April 8th!

My Health:
Thank you for praying for me. My cold is gone now, but I am having problems with my eyes. I have yellow spots in the whites of my eyes and they are constantly watering. I am going to make an appointment with the eye doctor. I am hoping it is just allergies. Please pray for healing for my eyes. Thank you.

Ministry Update:
Last Sunday, Pablo and I went with the Shafer's to visit Santa Maria Alliance Church. We had a wonderful visit. Pablo played the guitar for worship, while the Quichua women led (the music was on key thanks to Pablo!) Cheryl sang a beautiful song for the special. Mark didn't know it, but he was going to preach that morning! He did a wonderful job. I led Sunday School for the children. I taught about Joseph- they had never heard the story of Joseph and the colorful coat!

I continue to lead a Bible study for the new teachers. We just started a new Beth Moore study called Believing God. Please pray for our group. Many of the women are dealing with baggage and Satan is attacking hard. The issues have begun to affect our study time. This Sunday I am going to address the issues and challenge each one to examine their hearts with God. Please pray that the Lord will give me the right words to say. I'm learning that being a leader isn't always easy!

Thank you for your constant support and prayers. May God bless you!

March Pictures from Santos Pamba School

2009-03-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

More pictures to come!

God' Faithfulness

2009-03-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Thank you for your continued prayer and support. I praise God because the exact amount of money was donated from a faithful sponsor to purchase the desks and chairs! Praise God! God continues to surprise me with His faithfulness. We are now in the process of getting the desks made. Yeah! The windows are almost done being put in also! I will send pictures when they are finished.

Last Thursday I took the day off of school and spent the day at the Santos Pamba School. I had a wonderful day. I was able to spend one-on-one time with each student, which was very special. Many of the kindergarteners are reading now, which was exciting to see and hear. Everyone can write their names and are advancing well. I am impressed. I played with all of the kids at recess and read a book to each class, which was special. The day went by very fast. At the end of the day when I was saying goodbye to each student, a group of them came and hugged me and told me to stay and be their teacher and never leave. That touched my heart :) Above are many pictures from my day at the Santos Pamba School.
When I was there, I observed a child who the teachers have been concerned about. He is new this year and is in kindergarten. This little guy is very aggresive and unwilling to work. He refuses hugs and never makes eye contact. He comes from an abusive household. Please pray for Diego Querido. I am going to talk to the psychologist at my school to see if he can talk with him sometime.
After school I took the three teachers out for lunch and we began to talk about how their families are doing, what God is teaching them, etc. It was then that something very unexpected happened. Mari told me that she had become a Mormon. She was very defensive and told me not to say anything about it to her and that she was proud of her decision. My heart broke. The only thing I did tell her was that I still loved her. My heart is burdened for her. Please join me in praying for Mari, that the Holy Spirit will convict her and show her the truth. Please pray that God gives me wisdom for my next conversation with her. Prayer is powerful. Help me surround her in prayer!

Please also continue to pray for the legalization of the school and that the process will go quickly. It is taking longer than we expected. We continue to be in prayer for the personnel for running the Compassion International project. Thank you for joining us in prayer also.

Please pray for my health because I continue to get sick. Thank you for your constant support, friendship, and prayers. May God bless each one of you.

February Pictures

2009-02-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

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 :)

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

2009-02-18T16:39:00.000-08:00

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

Home for Christmas

2009-01-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful time at home for Christmas with Pablo. I'm very happy that many of you were able to meet him. We were busy touring Seattle and seeing all the sights, as well as playing in the snow! Pablo saw snow for the first time. We also celebrated my birthday with friends and family. For New Year's Eve we went to see the fireworks at the Space Needle. Tomorrow we are returning to Quito. I look forward to seeing you again this summer. God bless you and Happy New Year!!

Compassion International update

2009-01-02T20:04:00.000-08:00

On December 6th Pastor Pedro Pablo and I had a meeting with Compassion International. Pablo came with also. A representative for Compassion came to visit Santos Pamba and evaluate our site. Our building was approved, however we do not have the personnel to run the program. Compassion requires 10 personnel who have graduated from high school, and the Director needs to be graduated from college. They need to be from the community and be members of the church. Of the Santos Pamba church, there are only a few people who have graduated from high school. Many have not even completed elementary school because they have had to work instead. We were very discouraged when we received this news, however we are trusting that this is in the Lord's hands and in His timing Compassion will begin. In the meantime, all we can do is pray. I ask you to join with us and pray for these specific needs:

- 1 Director (gradute from college, passion for children)
-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 joining us in prayer. Your prayers are powerful!

December Santos Pamba pics

2009-01-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

Class Misison Trip to Santos Pamba School

2008-12-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you for your prayers last Friday when I took my class on the mission trip to the Santos Pamba School! God heard them. We had a wonderful time. My students had been praying all week that it would be sunny and not rain. It didn’t rain until we were in the bus on our way home! I had been praying that this first visit to Santos Pamba would be an eye-opening experience for my students and that they would walk away changed. Prayers were answered!
We had 15 adults go with us, including my new Principal and his wife, as well as my Director’s wife, and many parents. Pablo also went with us. When we arrived I assigned each student with an “amiguito” from Santos Pamba to be buddies for the day. We then sang songs (Pablo played the guitar). My class presented the Christmas story play and we talked about how Jesus is the best Christmas gift ever. Afterwards we did a Christmas art project with them and then went to play games outside. We brought balls and big parachutes to play with. We then had lunch all together. The day went by quickly and soon it was time to leave. My students gave their amiguitos little Christmas candy bags and hugged them goodbye. Many of my girls cried because they didn’t want to leave their amiguitas. When we returned to school I had them journal and write about what they observed that day and learned from our trip. These were some of their precious comments:

“I observed that my buddies’ shoes were ripped and many of the kids were not wearing socks. Thank you God that I always have socks.”

“I was nervous to meet the kids because they are poor and I knew that my heart would be sad for them, but God helped me not be nervous and comforted my heart. I love my new friends and hope we can keep visiting them.”

“We need to love poor people like the kids at Santos Pamba because God loves them just as much as He loves us.”

“The gift that my buddy gave me (a paper angel) is the best Christmas gift ever because I know he made it with his heart. He doesn’t have very much, but he spent time making me a special gift.”

These are just some of their comments. My purpose of the trip was accomplished, Praise God! My students feel in love with the kids at Santos Pamba, and most importantly, they learned to love those who are unlike them. They are eagerly awaiting the next trip we will have to Santos Pamba.

Thank you for your prayers and constant support! Above are some pictures from our mission trip.

November pictures

2008-11-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

The Santos Pamba School teachers: Amanda, Mary, and Soledad

Last weekend at Rancho de los Pinos

Pablo singing at Santa Maria Quichua Alliance Church

At Santa Maria Quichua Alliance Church

My little Native Americans and Pilgrims

3rd Grade Class Picture (with Amy their ESL teacher)

November update

2008-11-26T16:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” Phil. 1:3

That is true! Thank you for your constant encouragement, support, and prayers for me. You are each a vital part to my ministry here. I could not be here without your prayer and support backing me. Thank you very much!

It has been a long time since my last update. So much has happened that I don’t know where to begin! First of all I want to thank all of you for your prayers for my health. I found out that I have allergies now here. I have to take medicine daily, but I’m feeling a lot better. Thank you for your kind emails and many prayers.

School Update:
As I wrote last time, I have a very challenging class this year (see my class picture above). Every day I have to seek the Lord for patience and wisdom on how to be the best teacher for each of them. I have a PRAISE- my new boy who is ADD accepted Jesus a couple of weeks ago! Praise God! That is the reason I am teaching at the Alliance Academy. I pray that the Lord will continue to use me as He wants there. For Thanksgiving my class has the tradition of hosting a Thanksgiving Feast for the Ecuadorian maintenance workers at our school. The purpose is that the students get a chance to thank them and appreciate those that serve them daily. They each made cards and all of the parents brought food. We had our feast on Tuesday. My students also did a play about the first Thanksgiving. (see pictures) I can’t believe November is coming to a close and that Monday will be December! On December 5th it is Independence Day for Quito, Ecuador. There are many cultural traditional events that will take place over the weekend- including bullfights! We are having a special celebration at our school for the kids. A couple of weeks ago I was asked to have a student teacher in January who is from Cedarville University. It seems like just yesterday that I was a student teacher!

I continue to have the Bible study with the new teachers. We are doing a Beth Moore study about the Tabernacle. It has been incredible! Everyone is enjoying the time of fellowship and growth together. This weekend we are all going to the beach together for Thanksgiving vacation!

On a personal note: Many of you already know this, but I have been dating an Ecuadorian named Pablo Flores. We met at my school. He teaches guitar. Pablo is a very gifted musician. He leads worship at his church, which I go to every other week. He is a wonderful man of God and is passionate about my ministry also. When I go to the Quichua churches he joins me and is able to share his gift of music with them, which has been a blessing. It has been wonderful to serve the Lord together. When my family was here this summer they met Pablo. He will be coming home with me for Christmas so I hope many of you can meet him!

My roommate Laura got engaged in October! She will be getting married here in Quito on June 20th. It has been very special to be a part of her life during this time. My dear friend Cheryl (who lived here in Quito and moved back to Canada) came with a team and stayed an extra week with me! It was God’s perfect timing. She was such an encouragement to me and our time together was very refreshing. It was just what I needed.

Safety: The crime in Quito has been increasing a lot lately. There have been many crimes and threats happening to people I know. Please pray for my safety and that the Lord will continue to protect me as He has and that I won’t live with fear.

Ministry Update:
I have been visiting different Quichua Alliance Churches with the Shafers and Pablo. My friend Cheryl brought a team here from Canada and we were able to work with them at Santa Maria and El Tejar church (above are some pictures). Pablo and I have also been helping with a new church plant that his church has in the south of Quito. Pablo has been helping with worship. There are only 15-20 people at the church right now, so we have been going to encourage them. This past weekend Pablo and I went to visit a Quichua church that is in a very poor and dangerous neighborhood (Rancho de los Pinos). This church has been struggling for members because the people have very hard hearts. Many are alcoholics, in gangs, are robbers, etc. There were only 2 adults, Pastor Juan, and 12 kids at church. Pastor Juan asked Pablo and I to do a children’s service since there were mainly kids. Pablo played the guitar and we taught them Bible songs. I then taught a Bible story about how God is always with us and we don’t have to be afraid. I had brought toothbrushes, shirts, and mittens with me that had been donated. The children were so happy to receive gifts. We had a wonderful morning together. (see picture above) After the service Pablo and I had a time of prayer with Pastor Juan and the church leaders. It was a very special time.

Santos Pamba Update: The school year has gotten off to a great start. The students are all loving school and never want to go home! I haven’t been able to visit the students during the school day yet, but I have been meeting with the teachers. Every other week I have them over to my house for coffee and a time to share teaching ideas with them and pray together. (see picture of them) We now have purchased doors thanks to donations and are working on getting windows now. Last week Pedro Pablo had a meeting with Compassion International. Sadly, they denied our site until January. They had 10 applicants and could only choose 2 for October. We are trusting that this is God’s will and will continue to pray and prepare for January. I am planning on bringing my new class on a field trip/mission trip to Santos Pamba in a couple of weeks. Please continue to pray for the ministry at Santos Pamba and for the children.

Quick Summary:
Praises: health, student accepted Christ, school year at Santos Pamba going well, spiritual growth occurring during Bible study with teachers, God is continuing to use me here daily and open the doors for ministry

Prayer Requests: patience and wisdom with my students, ministry at Santos Pamba and the children, be able to purchase windows soon, safety

Thank you for your support! I love and appreciate each of you! May God continue to bless you.

2008-10-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

Downtown Quito with my family

Santos Pamba School building

My mom and Ken playing duck duck goose with the Santos Pamba kids

Activity with the kids at Santos Pamba

The kids with their new wool hats that my mom made

My roommate Laura's birthday party at our apartment

At Santos Pamba church service with the teachers

My good friend Pablo playing a special worship song
for the Santos Pamba church service

New School Year!

2008-10-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have been back in Quito now for 2 months! Forgive me for not writing an update sooner. Life has been very busy. I returned the beginning of August- with my family! They stayed for two weeks. It was wonderful to be able to show them around Ecuador, introduce them to the people, and visit churches that I have been working with. I loved having them here with me. They left on August 19th and I had one week to get my classroom ready for school to begin again at the Alliance Academy International. I lost my voice that week and sent an email out asking for prayer. God answered prayers because my voice came back the day before school started! However, I continue to be sick. Right now I have a sinus infection that won’t go away. Please pray for my health and that the Lord will restore it quickly.

Here are more details about what has been going on:

Alliance Academy: I am teaching 3rd grade again this year. This year I have 15 students, of which 4 are American, 2 are Korean, 1 is Chinese, and 8 are Ecuadorian. I have a more challenging class this year. I have one student who does not speak English, one student who is extremely ADD, and one special needs student who is at a 1st grade level. God is testing my patience daily, but I know He has put each student in my class and will give me the wisdom to be the best teacher for them. Please pray for me!

This year I started a Bible study, along with my friend Cherie, for the new young single women who work at Alliance. There are 9 of us. We meet on Sunday nights for dinner and then Bible study. It has been wonderful to build a community and be in the Word together. Please pray for us, and that they Lord will teach us and lead us during our time together.

Santos Pamba School: Thank you to everyone who has sponsored a child’s education. School started September 2nd. We have a new kindergarten teacher named Soledad who is wonderful. Soledad is a senior in college and studies in the afternoons. She is working with Amanda and Mary. I am meeting with the teachers every other week to give them ideas, and encourage them. There are 12 kindergarten students, and 30 preschoolers this year. I am in the process of taking their individual pictures. They each received a new backpack for school (thanks to a sponsor!), new uniforms (thanks to a sponsor!), warm hats (made by my mom), and a toothbrush (thanks to Dr. Kadzik in Gig Harbor!). We were able to purchase all of their textbooks using money from sponsors. The moms and dads are very grateful. Thank you for investing in the future of these children, and most importantly, joining me in prayer for them.

God’s faithfulness and provision never ceases to amaze me! We are finishing the 2nd level of the school still. The classrooms have been moved to the 2nd level because the rooms are bigger, however they are not finished yet. There are no doors or windows. The students are cold from the wind that enters. We brought this need before God and WOW He provided again! The next day I received a donation from a sponsor! God is so good! We also need to buy/have made 15 desks and chairs for the kindergarten classroom, and tables for another room, which is used for tutoring. I am working on getting these things done.

Compassion International Update for Santos Pamba: Pastor Pedro Pablo and I are on a waiting list to have a meeting with the Director of Compassion here in Ecuador. It’s October now- when they promised we could get the paperwork started for the site. Please pray that we will have a meeting soon.

Quick summary:
Prayer requests:
-wisdom for leading Bible study for new young single women
-health restored 100%!
-meeting with Compassion International for Santos Pamba site
-wisdom and guidance to be the best teacher for my class
-balance in my life with school, friends, the Bible study, Santos Pamba- that I will say no to things that I don’t have time for

Praises:
-God’s continued faithfulness and provision
-new teacher Soledad for kindergarten at Santos Pamba
-many new young single teachers at Alliance

Thank you for your continued support and prayers for me. I feel them! Above are some new pictures. I will post more soon. God bless you all!

June Pictures

2008-06-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

My students with their amiguitos

Precious kids

My students leading the Bible story time

Eating with amigos

Playing Duck-Duck-Goose

My class at the Alliance- end of the year picture

Look how much the house has grown!

Me, Amanda, Margie Snodgrass, Mary, and Pastor Pedro Pablo

June Update

2008-06-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

God is continuing to move here in Ecuador! It is exciting to be a part of it. Here is an update about what has been going on the past month:

MINISTRY:
In May a group of dentists came from Washington, along with Margie Snodgrass. The Lord used them to help many people with dental needs and through that they saw many people come to the Lord! I was going to travel with them for 4 days, but plans changed and I stayed in Quito with one of the team members. I was able to spend a day with Margie (my Pastor’s wife), which was very special and encouraging.
Two interns arrived in May to work with Mark and Cheryl Shafer. Jonathan, 23, is from Idaho and is here until October. Meylin, 22, is from Nicaragua and is here for a year! Our team is growing! They are very excited about serving the indigenous communities here. Jon is learning Spanish right now. Meylin has been preaching in many of the churches and encouraging pastors. We have become very good friends. I am excited to work more with them when I return in August.

SCHOOL (ALLIANCE):
I have now finished my 2nd year of teaching at the Alliance Academy! I can’t believe it! This school year seemed to have gone by very fast. My last week of school was very busy!
I took my students to Santos Pamba for our last mission trip on June 6th. My students planned everything- they sang songs, had snack, watched a Veggie Tales about how God is always with us, shared Bible verses, lead a time of games, a craft, and ate lunch together. My students bought lunch for their amiguitos. My students did everything! I was very proud of them! We have now begun a tradition of Elementary Mission Trips! You are never too young to serve the Lord and my students are a testimony to that! I praise God for using me to connect my school (upper class) with the Ecuadorian community. When it came time to say goodbye, my kids were crying. They didn’t want to leave their amiguitos. They begged me to take them next year. Two mothers told me that they want to organize trips with the kids on Saturday next year with me. All of the students cheered and were excited about that idea. I love that they have built relationships with the kids at Santos Pamba and want to continue! May the Lord continue to use me as His instrument.

We had a Father’s Day breakfast on June 9th- I made cinnamon rolls from scratch for the first time! We then had a 3rd grade end of the year field trip, where we went ice skating. The last day of school I had my class over to my house for a pancake breakfast and time of closure. It was very special. We had a time of reflection about our year together and they shared their favorite things. Guess what they all said first?? Our mission trips to Santos Pamba and becoming friends with the preschoolers. I cried. My goal and my prayer came true-my students were impacted by those experiences and learned to love those who are different from them. I pray that they will never forget the lessons learned through going to Santos Pamba.

We have a new Elementary Principal now! I look forward to meeting him in August and trust that he is an answer to our many prayers for a new Godly and qualified principal. Thank you for praying. I already found out that I have 15 students next year. Two new students that don’t speak English!

SANTOS PAMBA:
The FIRST school year will end on July 4th. I met with the teachers yesterday. I am so proud of them for all the work they have done this year to get the school started. Next year they want to have Pre-K, 1st, and 2nd grade! (what we call Pre-preschool, Preschool, and K). We are in the process of looking for 2 more teachers. We need a Pre-K teacher and a 2nd grade teacher. PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR CHRISTIAN TEACHERS! There are many parents in the community who have heard about our school and want to send their kids their next year. Praise God! Many of the families are non-Christians! There are already 20 students registered for 1st grade next year, which Amanda and Mary will continue to teach together. I am in the process of interviewing a Pre-K teacher right now and thinking to only start with 8-10 students. Our goal is to have the kids enter in Pre-K and continue in the school for the next grades. This way the school will continue to grow. Many of the students this year are staying for 2nd grade next year. With new students entering the school, I am in need of new sponsors! Please let me know if you are interested in helping a child go to school next year, for only $100.

Construction continues! The second floor is almost finished. (see pictures) This week a church team from Atlanta is coming to help finish the rooms and paint. These rooms will be used for classrooms next year for the school, and also for the Compassion tutoring program which will begin in October.

I met with Pastor Pedro Pablo and an accountant today about hiring a bookkeeper to manage the finances of the church, school, and future Compassion program. The accountant is a strong Christian and his ministry is to help pastors administer their churches well. He is going to have his intern, Rosio, be the bookkeeper of Santos Pamba and work alongside her to train her well. This is a huge answer to my prayers! I will now not have to worry about managing the bank accounts of the church and school. Praise God! Ramiro is an answer to prayer and he is excited to be a part of our team, along with Rosio.

I am returning to Gig Harbor on Tuesday, June 24th. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you and reconnecting. I have plans to visit my grandparents, but other than that, I will be around Gig Harbor! I would love to see each of you! I will be in the US until August 5th.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. You are each a blessing to me and to many here in Ecuador!

Quick Santos Pamba update

2008-05-20T18:06:00.001-07:00

Today I had a meeting with Pastor Pedro Pablo and Amanda, one of the teachers. They told me that over the weekend the parents painted the cafeteria and kitchen! Yeah! I will send pictures soon. They have begun construction on the second floor. The last day of classes will be July 4th. Also, another blessing- UNICEF donated food to Santos Pamba and now they are feeding the preschoolers 3 times a week! :) God is faithful and continues to provide!

May Pictures

2008-05-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Brunch in my classroom at the Alliance

Choir at Santa Maria

Visiting in Quitocucho

Kid's Choir at Santa Maria

Karlita- in her new wheelchair!

The indigenous gringa translating at El Tejar Alliance Church

May Update

2008-05-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

The last month has been very busy. I am finally having time to write an update. Here’s what has been happening lately…..

COMPASSION approval for Santos Pamba!
Pastor Pedro Pablo and I met with the Director of Compassion International for Ecuador in the beginning of May. He told us that in October they will begin a project at Santos Pamba!! Praise God! Thank you for your constant prayers and support. God has heard your prayers!
In the meantime, we have to find over 100 kids to be a part of the project and have to finish the construction of the house (cafeteria and kitchen). We still need to install lights, and paint the cafeteria. The kitchen needs to be furnished and plumbing/sinks installed. Tables and benches also need to be made for the cafeteria. The rain is beginning to slow down finally. We are going to begin construction on the retaining wall by the church. There is still a lot to do, but God keeps providing and we are trusting in Him! Let me know if you want to be a part of finishing this project. It’s exciting! God has big plans for Santos Pamba, and this is just the beginning.

Preschool update:
ALL of the preschoolers are now sponsored! Praise God! Thank you to those who are joining me in prayer for the preschoolers and investing in their lives.
We have just been approved by the Ministry of Education as an official school in Ecuador! They encouraged us to find a Quichua teacher so that the students will learn their native language, as well as Spanish and hopefully English. Pastor Pedro Pablo is in the process of looking for a Quichua teacher for next year.
I had the two Preschool teachers to my home for dinner a couple of weeks ago. Mary, the teacher’s assistant, has not graduated from high school. She comes from a poor indigenous family. I’ve been encouraging her to go back to school so that she can be a role model for others. She always tells me no. However, GOOD NEWS! She decided to go back to school and get her GED! Mary does not have the resources to pay for this. She has 5 children in school, and is in her late 40’s. If you would be interested in helping Mary finish high school, please let me know.
The first school year at the Santos Pamba Preschool is ending soon. It is amazing how much the kids have learned with Amanda and Mary. They are wonderful teachers and truly dedicated to teaching these kids and most importantly, sharing God’s love with them. Many parents want to continue for next year- but we need another teacher! Please join us in prayer that God will provide another teacher for the next level (called 2nd grade here, but really more like kindergarten/1st grade).

Ministry Update:
At the beginning of May, Dave and Marilyn Shaw, with their daughter Becky, came to work with Santa Maria Quichua Alliance Church. I was able to spend 4 days with them. I worked with them last year when they were here in October. We did home visits in Santa Maria and encouraged the brothers and sisters. I was their translator. It was very humbling to see the homes and receive their hospitality. They fed us in every home, even though they do not have the means to provide for themselves. We went to be a blessing to them, but left being more blessed. We also took a road trip to Quitocucho where I lived for a week last summer. We visited the church members and had cafecito with them. For their last weekend, Dave preached at El Tejar Alliance Church which is the main Quichua church in Quito. I translated for him! It was in front of over 100 people. I was shaking in the pew before I had to go on stage. As soon as I stepped on the stage, I stopped shaking and had a complete peace from the Lord.
Margie Snodgrass and some dentists from Washington are here working in small villages named San Miguel and Cajabamba. They will be here until May 31st. On Thursday night I am going to travel south and spend 4 days with them. I will be returning Sunday evening. I will let you know how our time goes.

School (Alliance) update:
I am quickly finishing up my second year of teaching. It has flown by! I have a wonderful class this year, just like last year. It will be hard to let them go to 4th grade! We are going to go to have a day with their preschool “amiguitos” one last time on June 6th. My students don’t want to go to 4th grade because they want to keep going to the preschool! I love how they have fallen in love with them. I thank God for the opportunity I have had to expose these kids to poverty, the indigenous culture, and life outside their comfort zone. They have learned to love everyone just like Jesus. My last day of school is June 13th.
I had my last children’s hospital visit with the high school students on Wednesday. I decided that I am not going to be a part of that ministry next year. I feel that the Lord is leading me in other directions. There are many new young teachers coming to teach at the Alliance next year! I’m excited! I am the “big sister” to 2 of them and will be helping them get settled here. I have been asked to lead a Bible study next year for the young, single woman staff at my school. I am praying about this. Please pray for wisdom for me. I feel honored to be asked, but am not sure if it is what God wants me to do. Another change at my school is that we are getting a new Elementary principal. Please join us in prayer that the Lord will provide a qualified and Godly new leader for our Elementary.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers! May God bless you.

Want to help me go to school?

2008-04-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

My name is Jonathan and I am 5 years old.

Falling Wall

2008-04-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

A wall by church, where the kids play during recess, is collapsing! The rain has caused the dirt to become very loose. It is a HUGE danger. The home that you see at the top of the wall is in danger of falling. To build a retaining wall will cost around $5,000. Please pray for the rain to stop so that the construction can begin and that God will provide the finances and workers.

New Preschooler Photos

2008-04-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went to Santos Pamba and got to see the preschoolers. We sang songs and played games. They also each received a toy from a donor. We had a great morning together. I love being with them! Praise God it didn't rain. Tomorrow I am having a meeting with the teachers at my house. Please continue to pray for the preschool and that God will provide for the needs. Thank you! ONLY 1 MORE PRESCHOOLER NEEDS A SPONSOR!! Are you interested?

2008-04-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

My friend Cheryl (above) is moving back to Canada on Friday.

She has become a very special friend and I'm going to miss her!

Rain, rain go away!

2008-04-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

God is good, all the time. He never ceases to amaze me daily here in Quito. What a privilege it is to be a part of God’s work here. Here’s an update of what happened in March:

Santos Pamba Compassion Project Update: With the donated money, we are working on finishing painting the Compassion International house and are ordering tables to be made for the cafeteria. This Saturday the 5th I am going to Santos Pamba with the Architect and his team of workers. They are going to install donated kitchen cabinets, two toilets, and two sinks. They are also going to help finish painting! Pedro Pablo recently talked to the Compassion International representative about our site and said that they are going to visit within the next two weeks! Be praying! There are still many things to do before the program can run smoothly- buying utensils for the kitchen to cook the food, plates, etc., getting chairs and tables in all of the rooms for homework help centers, building shelves for a pantry, etc. The congregation of Santos Pamba church is very dedicated to this project, and knows that with the support of Compassion International, the future generation of children in this community will be impacted for Christ! Please continue to pray for the work in Santos Pamba and the Compassion International visit.

Preschool Update: Things are going very in the preschool. The teachers, Amanda and Mari, continue to be very dedicated to teaching and being examples of Christ to the 21 preschoolers. Finances are tight daily, but God is providing. I am still in need of 5 MORE SPONSORS for the education of 5 preschoolers this year. Please let me know if you are interested. Many of the preschoolers have been sick with colds, bronchitis, and pneumonia due to the cold, rainy weather right now. Please pray for health for them.

Karlita Update: Sadly, I have no update on Karlita. I have no way of communicating with her family because they do not have a phone in their home, and their cell phones were robbed. I have no idea what happened with the debt they owed to the hospital from her care in February. The social worker from the hospital that has been working with me can not get in touch with her family either. Please continue to pray for Karlita’s health and her family.

Ecuador update: The weather has been very harsh here. It will not stop raining. On the coast, there is flooding. Many people have lost everything they own, crops have been destroyed, and now sicknesses are spreading due to standing water. Here in Quito, the rain has caused landslides and rivers to overflow. On Monday a river overflowed and caused a main road to collapse. School has been cancelled for the past two days. Please pray for the rain to stop and for the many lives that have been affected by this weather. Thank you!

Quick summary of praises and prayer requests:

Praises:
-God's continued provision and faithfulness
-Health- my voice is back and cold is gone!

Prayer Requests:
-Compassion International visit to Santos Pamba
-Rain to stop and quick recovery
-for 5 more sponsors for the preschoolers

Thank you for your constant support and prayers. I appreciate them very much. Thank you for being a part of my ministry here and for joining with me. May the Lord continue to bless each of you!

February Pictures

2008-02-16T16:31:00.000-08:00

CLASS MISSION TRIP: VALENTINE'S PARTY

AT SANTOS PAMBA PRESCHOOL

JUNGLE TRIP WITH HIGH SCHOOL

CONSTRUCTION ON SANTOS PAMBA

God's Continued Faithfulness

2008-02-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

So much has happened in the past few weeks! Are you ready to hear?

Jungle Trip with High Schoolers: (see pictures)
February 2nd – 5th I went on a mission trip with the high school students from my school. Thank you to those who prayed for us! We had an incredible trip. Nothing went wrong! I was so proud of the high schoolers. They put on a children’s program with clowns, puppets, songs, a Bible story, crafts, and games. We went to three small jungle villages: Pano, Campana Cocha, and Achidona. We saw over 400 children! For many of the high schoolers, this was their first exposure to the jungle and poverty. We had to bathe in the muddy river, sleep on the floor, etc. It made me think back to the many mission trips I went on in high school and how they changed my life. I pray that this trip changed their lives also.

Santos Pamba Preschool Update: (see pictures)
As I shared in my last update, the architect Antonio Naranjo sent 3 of his workers with me on January 26th to work on the Compassion House. They put in the electricity, and painted 2 of the classrooms! Antonio also was able to get come kitchen supplies donated. Praise God for this connection. He wants to continue to help. Next weekend, he is sending a team with me to finish painting, start building the retaining wall, and to install 2 bathrooms! God has been providing!!
The Lord is SOOOO good! Remember the retaining wall and how it is an emergency because the wall is collapsing? The Lord responded to this need and moved in the heart of a Foundation. They donated money to build the wall and help finish the house for Compassion to come!! PRAISE GOD! When I shared this wonderful news with the Pastor, his response was, “God is faithful. When we come before Him and submit to Him, He provides if it is His will.” This is confirmation again that the Lord has BIG plans for this ministry in Santos Pamba. God is going to do BIG things once the Compassion International house/program gets started! I’m excited to watch how lives will be changed for Christ!
The cafeteria and kitchen are almost finished being built in the Compassion House. With the donated money, I am going to work on getting tables made, and buying supplies for the kitchen. It has been amazing to watch how dedicated the members of Santos Pamba church are to this ministry. In March, Compassion International will be coming to see our site again and we’ll see if we get the final approval. Be praying!!
I am working on getting each preschooler’s education sponsored. I only need 5 more sponsors!! If you are interested in supporting a preschooler and helping them go to school, please let me know!

Preschooler update:
A couple of weeks ago I took one of the preschoolers to the doctor because the teachers were concerned about her. A bad smell was coming from her nose. I took her to the father of a teacher at my school- connections! He recommended us to other doctors. The first doctor was a nose doctor who looked up Diana’s nose and pulled out something an inch and a half! Yuck!
Then, we went to a pediatrician. He did a physical on her and told me that she is not the correct size for her age. Her head, hands, and height are not correct for her age. I have to take her to some further exams next week. Please be praying for Diana.

Karlita update:
Remember my little Karlita who we got the wheelchair for? I just got back in touch with her family. I had been trying to call them, but their cell phone was robbed. Karlita is in the hospital! On Monday night her mother called me and told me that Karlita was in the emergency room. She has severely advanced pneumonia and is malnourished. She is still in the hospital. Please pray for her. The doctors said it is pretty serious. If you would like to donate towards her medical bill expenses, please let me know. They need support!

School: (see pictures)
Things are going very well at the Alliance. I just finished a fundraiser for Socks with Love. We filled 3 big barrels full of socks for kids. I am going to give the socks to Mark and Cheryl to bring to villages in the south that are up in the mountains (Quitocucho, San Bartolo, Cajabamba, etc).
On Valentine’s Day my class went on a “mission trip” to the Santos Pamba preschool. It was a wonderful day! My students led the whole program- singing, games, an art project, decorating heart cookies, and a drama about loving others. I was so proud of them! God has given me the opportunity to mold my students to love others and become future leaders. My students have truly fallen in love with their amiguitos at the preschool. Everyone was excited to see each other again. I thank God for the opportunity to work at the Alliance Academy and bridge the gap between two classes/worlds. I love that they support my desire to involve my class in my ministry. My class is already begging to plan another trip for March!

Summary:
Praises:
-God’s provision for Santos Pamba
-my wonderful school and the opportunity to mold my students to love and serve others
-new sponsors for preschoolers

Prayer Requests:
-for Karlita and Diana
-for sponsors for the preschoolers
-my health: I have lost my voice and can’t talk at all! Pray that my voice comes back soon!!

Thank you for your constant support and prayers. May the Lord continue to bless you!

Santos Pamba Preschool Pictures

2008-01-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

Because of a 1st Grader

2008-01-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

It has been great to be back in Quito. It truly feels like my second home. My wonderful and supportive roommate, Laura, is back now also, which I am VERY happy about. She is a constant support and encouragement to me.
The past 18 days that I have been back, the Lord has reconfirmed to me in numerous ways that this is where He wants me and that He has truly called me to be a voice for those who do not have a voice. God has been doing incredible things these past few weeks. Are you ready to hear what?!

Preschool Update: On Wednesday I took the day off of school and went to the Preschool for the day. My students begged to come with me and were jealous I got to go to Santos Pamba. I love how they have fallen in love with the preschoolers also!
My day was wonderful! The kids were all dressed in their new uniforms (thanks to a supporter) and clobbered me with hugs when I got there. I observed the teachers teach. They did an excellent job. The kids were having fun and loving school. They all wanted me to sit by them so they could should me what they know. I loved it! I taught an English lesson to them and also Bible. At the end of the day they lined up and gave me a kiss and hug goodbye. Many asked me, “Can you come everyday?” It was precious. I loved it. It made me reflect upon how in the future maybe I’ll just teach at Santos Pamba? We will see where God leads. After school I met with the teachers and gave them feedback on what I saw and shared some ideas with them. I loved it! They are so excited to learn as teachers and their hearts are 100% dedicated to these kids. Please continue to pray for Amanda and Mary- that God will give them wisdom and strength each day to be the best teachers for these kids. The kids were freezing cold in the cement church. Please pray for money to purchase a space heater or gloves for the kids. Thank you! Make sure to see my email about sponsoring the education of a preschooler! I am in NEED OF 12 MORE SPONSORS! Let me know if you have any questions!

Santos Pamba Update: Are you ready to hear how AMAZING God is?!! A 1st grader at my school heard me speak at our elementary chapel and share pictures of Santos Pamba and the Preschool. Every since then, she has been telling her dad, an architect, that he needs to help by building something for the preschoolers. His heart was touched by the stories his little girl went home and told him. AND, on Saturday he took his whole family and we went to Santos Pamba. He was able to see all of the needs and meet with Pastor Pedro Pablo and the men who have been working on the house for the future Compassion site. He shared his ideas and suggestions with them. After seeing the many needs this is how he responded:
He is sending 3 of his workers on Saturday- 1 electrician to wire the house, and 2 workers to paint and help where needed! (and will provide the supplies!) The preschoolers will be able to move into the house for their classroom as soon as these are done! Plus, he is getting sinks and cabinets donated for the kitchen! AND, he is going to design the blueprint plans for the Santos Pamba ministry site! Isn’t God amazing! Because of a 1st grader who heard, God brought this architect to Santos Pamba! The Lord keeps providing…it is confirmation that God has big plans for the ministry at Santos Pamba Alliance Church. Please continue to keep Santos Pamba in your prayers! Please pray that the Lord will provide $1000 ASAP to build a retaining wall by the church before the dirt cliff collapses! This is an emergency request! Thank you for your prayers and support for Santos Pamba. God’s faithfulness never ceases to amaze me!

School: Things are going great in my class. We have a busy week- a Reader’s Theater of Pecos Bill, and a Career Day with guest speakers. I am planning another trip to Santos Pamba. They want to do a Valentine’s Day party with the preschoolers.

Summary of Praises and Prayer Requests:
PRAISES:
-God’s faithfulness and provision for Santos Pamba
-My wonderful roommate is back!

PRAYER REQUESTS:
- for $1000 to build the retaining wall at Santos Pamba
- that I will continue to be in the Word daily- I’m almost done reading through the whole New Testament!
- that God will give me wisdom and strength each day

Thank you for your prayers and support! I appreciate each of you!

Pictures of Class Mission Trip

2007-12-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

Class Mission Trip

2007-12-17T03:30:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday Dec. 11th I took my 3rd grade class on our school’s first elementary mission trip! We went to the Santos Pamba Alliance Church and did a Christmas program for the preschoolers. My students helped plan our day. They were each assigned a preschool “amigito” for the day (that was their favorite part!). We had a clown come (she is a secretary at my school and has a Christian clown ministry). The kids loved here! She presented the Christmas story to the kids in a fun way. We did an art project, had snack, and played some games with them. The time went by very fast! I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time we were there. My dream of connecting my two worlds (Alliance and Quichua churches) had come true! The eyes of my students were opened up. They smelled smells they are not used to, saw things they haven’t seen before, and experienced true poverty, however; they didn’t want to leave. They fell in love with their new little friends. When it was time to leave, they were all very sad and begged to stay longer. As we were leaving, my students noticed that the little preschoolers were walking home all by themselves. They asked me, “Miss Hughes, what if they fall down and get hurt, no one will be there to help them. Can I walk them home? Miss Hughes, what if they get robbed, no one will know…what if, what if…” The experience and time at Santos Pamba truly impacted them. I pray that they will never forget that day and that it won’t be the last, but the first of many more mission trips. My students are already begging to go back after Christmas! Not only were my students impacted, but the mothers who went with us also. They couldn’t stop crying the whole time we were there! They each want to support a preschool to be able to go to school! Praise God! Thank you for your prayers for us on Tuesday. I felt them!

Today I met with the preschool teachers (all day!) and we organized the supplies that have been donated from my school. It was a cultural experience! Let’s just say that my way of organizing things is much different than theirs. Tomorrow they are going to begin using the supplies that have been donated. I wish I could be there to see the look on the preschoolers faces when they see what God has blessed them with!

Please continue to pray for the ministry at Santos Pamba and that the Lord will continue to provide for the needs (finishing the construction of the cafeteria and kitchen for Compassion, and $1500 for the house). Thank you!

Last Wednesday I took the high school students to the children’s hospital and we brought Christmas to the kids there. We gave gifts to each child and homemade Christmas cookies. We also went around singing Christmas carols for them. When we arrived the nurses told me about a little 3 year old boy whose mother had abandoned him. They couldn’t get him to eat or stop crying. I immediately went to his room…he was there all by himself, just sitting on his bed staring out the window crying. I went in with a gift for him and a balloon. I started talking to him and playing with the balloon with him and he stopped crying. I then got him to eat by playing airplane with the spoon and he ate all of his food! The nurses came in and were very surprised! They begged me to take him home L I played with him for most of the evening. When it came time for me to leave, he grabbed on to my leg and would not let me leave. He started crying again and said don’t leave my like my mommy did. Oh my gosh, it broke my heart! I wish I could take all of the abandoned kids home with me, but I can’t. Maybe someday God will use me to open an orphanage? Please pray for little Anthony, that he will have a home for Christmas.

May we remember that Jesus is the reason we celebrate this season…blessings to you all and I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.

2007-11-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving pictures with my class:

Presenting the money from the Nickel Drive to

Pastor Pedro Pablo at our Elementary Chapel:

Many things to be thankful for….

2007-11-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

First of all, I’m thankful to God for bringing me here to this beautiful country and allowing me to serve Him here and be a part of what He is doing. I’m also thankful for each of you who are a constant encouragement and support to me. Thank you!

Santos Pamba Preschool Update:
Last Tuesday I invited Pastor Pedro Pablo to our Elementary chapel. I told him I wanted him to share with our kids about his ministries and the preschool…but, he had no idea what the real reason was! The kids presented to him a paper check with the final amount they had raised in the Nickel Drive. They raised almost $1,800! (see the pic below) Our 3rd grade class raised over $500! We are working on purchasing different supplies for the preschool such as small tables, whiteboards, books, and much more! Pastor Pedro Pablo was in shock. He almost started to cry. He thanked the children for giving to those in need and then prayed for them. My favorite part though was that after the chapel, he came to my classroom to spend some special time with my students. My students asked him all kinds of questions about Santos Pamba, how the kids live, their family life, how to say things in Quichua, etc. They were in shock when they heard things such as: the kids go home after school and are by themselves until late at night when their parents get home from work. They don’t have anyone to cook them dinner or snacks. Many kids don’t do their homework because there is no one at home to help them with it. Three or four people sleep in one bed. Many kids have to go work after school to help earn money for their families….these facts really impacted my students. We ended with a time of prayer together for Santos Pamba. It was very special. (see pic)

I was unable to meet with Amanda and Mari 2 weeks ago, but we are working on rescheduling a time as soon as possible.

Compassion International Update!
Compassion unexpectedly visited last week and examined the Santos Pamba site. We were under the impression that we had met the requirements, however they have added more. The said that the church needs to build a cafeteria space and a big kitchen. They have started, but are out of money to be able to finish. Please pray that God will provide the finances to be able to finish the construction and invite Compassion International back to examine the site.

Bible Study Group:
Last week, a new guy who has been coming to our small group at church accepted Christ! Please pray for Marco.

I had one of the girls over from my church for dinner the other night. She had called me and told me she needed to talk to me and wanted counsel. That night she told me that she was pregnant and that the father of the baby has disappeared. This broke my heart! She told me she is ashamed to tell her family and friends, and that she doesn’t even want the baby. I spent hours with her, listening to her, and giving her some advice. She has decided to keep the baby and is now in the process of telling her family. Please pray for Narda and this precious baby. I thank God for the opportunity to minister to my friends here and that they see me as someone they can come to.

School:
Things have been busy at school. We had our 3rd grade Thanksgiving Feast with the maintenance workers at our school. My class dressed up as Native Americans- (it’s a tradition…not my choice- so strange to do that in Ecuador!)
The next day my students put on a reader’s theater called “The ABC’s of Thanksgiving”. Our classroom was packed! All the parents came, as well as other classes.

The Beach:
After that busy week I was ready for a vacation! On Wednesday I went to the beach with my friend Cheryl. It was great to be out of the polluted, noisy, busy city of Quito. There was no one at the beach because it wasn’t an Ecuadorian vacation time. It was perfect, just what we wanted! We had the pool and sauna at our hostel all to ourselves! We laid on the beach, read, and relaxed. The weather was beautiful, as well as the beach. It was a wonderful time. We flew back to Quito on Sunday. Christmas is just around the corner now….I’m looking forward to coming home for a bit and seeing many of you.

Praises and Prayer Requests:
Praises:
1. Thank you God for all the people You have put in my life who are an encouragement and support to me.
2. For the money the students at my school donated to help buy supplies for the preschool!
3. Marco accepted Christ

Prayer Requests:
1. For my health- I’m really sick right now with a sinus infection/cold
2. That the Lord will continue to provide the finances needed at Santos Pamba for construction.
3. For my friend Narda and her baby
4. That I will continue to be in the Word daily! I am reading through the gospels now.
5. For my uncle Peter, who is in the hospital.

Thank you for your prayers and support! I hope to hear from you too! I miss you and love you all!

2007-11-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

Finally a long overdue update:

School: I have 2 new boys in my class now that got switched from the other class to mine. They have transitioned well to my class and are doing great. I now only have 11 students. Please continue to pray for me that God will help me be the best teacher for my students and be Jesus to them each day.
My class is getting ready for the 3rd grade tradition of putting on a Thanksgiving Feast for the maintenance workers at our school. We have been busy preparing a skit, decorations, and cards for each worker. We have a 3 day Thanksgiving break and I’m going to the beach with two friends!
I continue to go to the children’s hospital on Wednesdays with the high school students. I have to share a story about a visit I had a couple of weeks ago: I entered into a room and started talking with a woman who was there staying with her nephew. When I asked her how she was, she started crying and shared with me that her sister was in labor in another hospital (the mother of the boy in the hospital), and that her 5 year old niece had been missing for 2 hours. She was outside playing and then disappeared. I was speechless. I just hugged this woman and she cried in my arms. I then prayed for her family, and that the little girl would return home safe. About 5 minutes later, the phone rang!! Guess what?! The little girl had been found! This woman burst out into tears again and said to me, “Your prayers were answered! Your God hears you. I want to know more.” I then was able to share with her about the Lord and give her a Bible. God is good. I am so proud of the students that go every week. They bring many smiles to the parents and children there. I am on the Broken Bones floor this year again.

Santos Pamba Preschool update: As you know, Compassion International will now be visiting on December 5th. In the meantime, they are continuing to prepare the house. We still need $1000 to pay back the loan on the house. Please pray that the Lord will provide the money needed.
Remember how I met with the Director of my school and went through the “old” preschool things to get donations for Santos Pamba? Last week I cleaned up all of the toys and furniture and boxed everything up. We completely filled 2 trucks full and haven’t finished yet! Next weekend I am meeting with the teachers to explain the different materials and help them set up centers. I then am having them over for lunch. Please pray for this time with Amanda and Mari. I’m really excited about it! I praise God for the doors He keeps opening for ministry and feel this is just the beginning!
This is the last week of the Nickel Drive that I am doing at my school for Santos Pamba preschool- the kids have raised over $1200! This money will be used to buy school supplies and furniture needed in the school. On Nov. 20th I will be presenting this gift to Pastor Pedro Pablo at our Elementary chapel! It is a surprise and I can’t wait to share this blessing with them. I’m working on planning a field trip to take my class to the Santos Pamba preschool to play with the kids.
Fox Island Alliance Church just finished their Mission Conference and there was a table for Santos Pamba. Did you see it? We are praying that God provides the finances to buy a school uniform for each student (only $31) and working on getting each student sponsored. Please let me know if you are interested or have any questions.

Karlita: Do you remember my little Karlita? The girl we got a wheelchair for last year? I FINALLY saw her! I had been calling since I returned in August and finally they called me back. I was able to go to a doctor’s appointment with Manuela (her mom), Karlita, and her brother Sabastian. It was wonderful to see them again. Karlita has grown a lot! They are using the wheelchair, but unfortunately cannot use it when traveling because the buses don’t help her load the wheelchair. Can you believe that? They just pass her. Karlita just started physical therapy. She has been given 20 free sessions, and then the rest are half price. The physical therapy will help with developing her muscles. Please pray that the therapy will help her. After the appointment I took them to lunch and bought shoes and socks for Sabastian, who is 7. He probably tried on 30 pairs of shoes. They had never been to a shoe store before. He was so excited that he hugged the cashier, the lady who helped us, and then me, and went skipping down the mall. Something so small made his day. It is a blessing to be able to bless others. I will keep you updated on Karlita.

I went to the Cloud Rainforest last weekend with a couple from my church. I got to hold one of the big exotic blue butterflies on my finger! I also saw lots of colorful hummingbirds. It was great to get out of the city for a day. Last Sunday I went to visit the Santa Maria church where I visited a lot last year. It was great to be back with the kids there. I missed them. I am planning on going there once a month at least.
Please continue to pray for me with my roommate situation, and that I will continue to spend time in the Word daily and seek God’s direction in the ministries that I do here. Also, my uncle Peter is in the hospital with cancer and doesn't have much time left to live. Please pray for him and that he will come to know the Lord.
Thank you for your prayers and support. God bless you all!

1 Year Anniversary of Santos Pamba

2007-10-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

I spent all day today at Santos Pamba. The preschoolers and their parents were there, along with members of the church, and people from the neighborhood. The preschoolers sang 3 songs at the service. (see the picture below) It was adorable! I spent the afternoon helping serve lunch to everyone, and playing with the preschoolers. I also got to spend time with the teachers, Amanda and Mari. The kids are loving going to preschool. We are planning to take all of the preschoolers to a park to play and have a picnic soon! I wish you could all be here to meet these precious kids.

Pictures of the Preschoolers

2007-10-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

Santos Pamba Pictures

2007-10-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Pastor Pedro Pablo, and the preschool teachers Amanda and Mari

Working on the roof and prepping for a second floor.

Second story- new! They had the first church service here last week.

All the neighboors were watching and curious about what was going on.

Working on the new house. It is now plastered inside and has cement outside.

The part to the right is where the dining area will be for the children.

Santos Pamba Church- the new house is the cement house to the right

SANTOS PAMBA PRESCHOOL UPDATE

2007-10-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

God has been providing! It brings tears to my eyes just being able to share with you how much has been going on. The home next to the church is almost paid off! Only about $1000 more is needed. The house is bought, but through a loan. Thank you so much to those who have donated! On behalf of the church and preschoolers…thank you. When I told Pastor Pedro Pablo how much has been donated, he started to cry and thank God. This dream for a Compassion Center would be impossible if it weren’t for people donating and praying like you. Thank you very much. May God bless you.

The members of the church have started construction on the house. Another missionary here has donated money for this construction. It was just cinderblock and now they are putting plaster, stairs, and have built 2 classrooms, a kitchen, and are working on building the dining area for the kids. (see pictures above) It’s been amazing to see the change. They are very excited about this home being a ministry to their neighbors. Compassion International will be coming to visit the site on November 5th. Please be praying for this day, that Compassion will agree to finally start a site at Santos Pamba! I will keep you posted on what happens.

The Lord has been using me at my school to be a voice for Santos Pamba also. I am on the Ecuadorian Outreach Committee for the Elementary. We are doing outreach projects each quarter. Since Thanksgiving is coming up in November, we decided to do a Thanksgiving Nickel Drive and donate the money somewhere. Guess where we decided to donate the money? To Santos Pamba Preschool! I took pictures of all of the kids and have them hung up all around the school. Each classroom has a jar with a picture of one of the preschool students on it. We are having a competition between each grade level to see who can raise the most. I’m in charge of this fundraiser. I made a PowerPoint presentation of the preschoolers and comparing their “school” with our school. It’s been amazing to see how passionate these Elementary kids are to help others. The money is coming in quickly! Parents wrote me and asked for it to be school wide instead of just the Elementary, and now it is! Parents who are doctors have contacted me and want to donate medicines, others have donated clothes, and just on Friday an aunt of a student called me and wants to donate a bunch of children’s books and school supplies! Daily I am in awe of God and how He is moving in the hearts of people at my school to reach out. I’m not finished yet- there’s more! Our school has a storage room full of old things that no one is using anymore (old furniture, toys, and books). I met with our Director on Friday morning to talk to him about donating those items instead of taking up storage space. God has blessed our school with many things, and I told him that we need to in turn give and bless others in need around us. Guess what? Those things are now going to be donated and I’m in charge of it! J God is so good.

Tomorrow I’m going to the 1 year anniversary of the Santos Pamba church and I’m the honored guest. I’ll let you know how it went. Thank you again to everyone who has been praying and supporting Santos Pamba. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing here in Ecuador. God is moving! Praise Him!

2007-10-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

Weekend Trip Pictures

2007-10-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

Abram, Raquel, and I

Pastor Manuel, Mark Shafter, and un hermano

San Bartolo Seminary

Chacapungo Christian Missionary Alliance Church

Pastor Ipolito's family in Chacapungo

Pastor Ipolito and his wife

Weekend Trip to Visit Churches

2007-10-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to visit 4 different Quichua Alliance churches south of Quito with Mark and Cheryl Shafer. It was an amazing weekend. We went with the purpose to encourage those in the churches, and be a blessing to them, but I returned 10 times more blessed and encouraged by them!
On Friday we drove 4 hours up into the mountains and farm land to visit a church in the village Chacapungo. There we went to the home of the Pastor Ipolito and had lunch with them (no guinea pig! Thanks God!) What a beautiful family (see the picture above). We visited with them and then continued on to visit a church in San Bartolo. The Fox Island mission team helped build a seminary there this summer. It was amazing to see the progress they have made on the seminary since then (see picture). It was freezing cold in San Bartolo because it is on top of a hill! We spent time with Pastor Manuel, his wife, and some of the members of the church. During our time there, I met two little precious kids who I got to read some stories to (see the picture)

On Saturday we went to Quitocucho, where I spent a week this summer- a community way up in the hills, with corn and onion fields everywhere….donkeys, pigs, and chickens roam the streets. Kids came running down the dirt roads calling my name when they saw me. It was wonderful to be back and see the kids that we worked with this summer, and the families from the church. While there, we went to visit another remote church nearby in San Rafael. This summer I went there to encourage the church members. While I was there in July, I was asked to counsel and pray with a couple who was having marriage problems and difficulties in their home. They were able to reconcile after my time with them. The Lord gave me the words to say! Guess who was waiting for me at the San Rafael church that afternoon?! Abram and Raquel! They were smiling and told me that things are going a lot better in their marriage, that they are going to church every Sunday, and that the Lord used me that day I prayed with them! Wow! God is good! It was such an encouragement to me to see fruit of ministry. It made my day! We spent the night in the home of the family I stayed with this summer and then went to the church on Sunday. The church has grown since July! My pew was full of kids! We returned to Quito Sunday afternoon. It was a wonderful weekend away. Thank you God for bringing me to Ecuador.

Classroom pictures

2007-10-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

2007-09-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

God is so good. Everyday I stand in awe of how He is working here in Quito and the privilege it is to be a part of His ministry here. I truly love it here. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. Your prayers are vital and I feel them! Thank you.

I have been in school now for a month. My class is wonderful! (see our class picture below, as well as pictures of my school) This past week we had Spiritual Emphasis Week. A team from North Carolina came and taught chapel everyday. They focused on how God’s Word has a purpose in our lives. They wrote in their chapel journals everyday about what they learned or what God spoke to them about and then we had a time of sharing. The Lord really touched the hearts of many of my students and spoke to them. Please continue to pray for me, that I will be a light to these students and be Jesus to them each day. Many of my students come from non-Christian families.

Last weekend we had a staff retreat. Our school took EVERYONE (even the guards and custodians) to a fancy hotel here in Quito. It was a wonderful time of fellowship as staff and a time to relax together. We have a new Director this year who is incredible. He has Godly desires and dreams for our school. He spoke to us about how the most important thing in our school is our individual walks with the Lord, and then everything follows that. We had a very special time of worship and communion together. It was a wonderful way to start off the school year. I felt refreshed and encouraged.

Thank you to those who have been praying for Santos Pamba! God heard our prayers for a teacher! There are now 22 students, and 2 teachers. The new teacher’s name is Amanda and she has 15 years of experience, plus a degree in Early Education! She will be working along with the other teacher named Mari. They are meeting in the church until the house next door is bought. They have class everyday from 8am until 1pm. The teachers are teaching basic skills for preschoolers, as well as basics from the Bible. Here is the house update: we have to buy the house as soon as possible. The owner is getting impatient. We still need $5,500 in order to buy the house. If you feel led to give, even $1, PLEASE contact me! Anything will help. Compassion International is coming to see Santos Pamba the middle of October. Our goal is to have the house bought, and be all set for Compassion to come start a center! PLEAE PRAY! THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT PRAYER! God has been faithful so far and I know He will continue to be.

Last Monday I started the mentorship program with the high school students, Peer Helpers. They are a quality group of students and I’m excited to get to know them as we meet together this year.

Summary of praises and prayers:
Praises:
1. For the new teacher, Amanda, at Santos Pamba preschool
2. For my wonderful class and new friends at school
3. I have been reading through the Bible faithfully and the Word is coming alive to me in a new way

Prayer requests:
1. For $5,500 to buy the house for Santos Pamba
2. That I will learn to balance my time well and take time for myself
3. My roommate situation
4. That I will continue to be faithful to reading the Word daily and God will give me new insights, and speak to me

Thank you so much for your faithful prayer support and encouraging emails. May God bless you!

Picture of my school from my roof

2007-09-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

My 3rd Grade Class

2007-09-24T16:02:00.001-07:00

Pictures of the Indigenous Gringa

2007-09-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

Pastor Pedro Pablo Morocho and I at Santos Pamba Quichua Alliance Church

They had me sing with them in the women's choir! Wow, do I stand out!

The Indigenous Gringa

2007-09-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

I arrived back in Quito on August 16th, and time has flown by fast! Here’s a quick update on what has been going on since then:

Santos Pamba home/preschool update:
As many of you know, I spoke at church about the need for support for helping buy a home in Santos Pamba next to the Santos Pamba Alliance Church. Once this home is bought, Compassion International will partner with the church to open a center there, which will change the quality of life for many children who live in Santos Pamba. This home is also to be the site of the preschool that they want to begin also. The Lord has been providing support and most importantly prayer support for Santos Pamba. I met with the pastor, Pedro Pablo, to share with him about how brothers and sisters in the Washington are praying for Santos Pamba and that many want to support financially. He couldn’t stop saying “Gracias a Dios” and had tears in his eyes. While I was gone, he met with Compassion International and they said they had to do four things before they would partner with Santos Pamba.
They need to:
1. Buy the home (which costs $10,000)
2. Build a bathroom
3. Build an office room
4. Create an administration team
I’m excited to report that they have done everything on their own except buying the house! Pedro Pablo is in the process of talking with the owner and finalizing the price. Please pray that this process will go smoothly and that the Lord will provide the rest of the finances. If you feel led to give towards this, please contact me.

Last Sunday, I went to Santos Pamba for church. When I arrived, Pedro Pablo greeted me with a hug and told me to follow him. He took me into a room where all the women of the church were waiting for me. He had shared with the congregation how I had spoke on behalf of Santos Pamba in the States and asked people to pray for them. Before I knew it, the women were dressing me in their traditional dress! I had a group of 5 women dressing me! The pastor’s wife then told me that on behalf of the church, this outfit was a gift from them to thank me for being a prayer warrior for them. Tears rolled down my face as I was overwhelmed with their gesture of love. Below are some pictures of me as an indigenous gringa J
They are hoping to start the preschool soon, but are still in need of many things. Please pray that the Lord will provide. Also, they are looking for a teacher who has a college degree.

School:
School began on August 30th. I have 10 beautiful third graders. My class is made up of 2 Koreans, 1 Chinese, 3 Ecuadorians, and 4 from the U.S. (3 missionary kids, and 1 whose dad works in the oil industry here). I am excited about this year. They are very well behaved and excited about learning. Please pray that the Lord will give me discernment about where they are with God and that each day I will be an example of Jesus to my students. I am now in charge of leading chapel worship for the 3rd through 6th graders. Please pray that God will give me insight into how to best lead them in worship. Also, I will be starting up helping lead the hospital ministry again with the highschoolers each Wednesday. I have also been asked to be a mentor in a program called Peer Helpers. It is a small group mentoring program where you disciple the students spiritually and also teach them how to reach out to their peers who they see struggling spiritually or emotionally. I’m excited about this new opportunity. It is an honor to be asked. Two of the highschool girls that I built relationships with last year are going to be in my group. Please pray for me as I begin this ministry.
There are 2 new young single teachers at my school this year that I’ve become good friends with already. It’s great to have more single friends my age at my school. I’ve been taking them around Quito and helping them get used to the culture here. We’ve been having a lot of fun together.
You won’t believe where I went yesterday?! The teachers at my school were invited to lunch at the US Ambassador’s house! It was incredible. It took up a whole block and the food was amazing! Check out the pictures.

Roommate situation:
My wonderful roommate Laura, who is like a sister to me, went back to the US for 4 months to raise more support. She will be coming back in January. In the meantime, I have another roommate who is a new teacher this year. PLEASE PRAY FOR ME. We are complete opposites and it has been difficult. It has been a huge adjustment for me, and quite frustrating. I know the Lord has a reason for her living with me for this time. I know I am going to be able to teach her things, and that God is going to teach me things through this experience also. Please pray that God will give me understanding and patience with her, and love for her. This is a huge prayer need for me right now.

Quick summary:
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Financial provision for Santos Pamba and also a preschool teacher
2. Wisdom and discernment for me as I lead chapel, and start the new mentoring program Peer Helpers
3. That God will give me patience and understanding with my new roommate, and love for her.
4. That I will stay devoted to taking time each day to be with the Lord and renew and refresh myself. I am reading through the Bible this school year. Pray that I will stay dedicated to that and that God will speak to me.
5. That the Lord will bless my new class and help me be the best teacher that I can be for them.

PRAISES:
1. For the numerous ministry opportunities the Lord has given me
2. For new friends at school
3. For how God is moving in Santos Pamba and the faith of the brothers and sisters there
4. For a wonderful new class of third graders

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. I feel them! May God bless each of you.

Guinea pig anyone?

2007-07-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true...that is a roasted guinea pig that I'm holding in that plastic bag. It was my parting gift from one of the churches. Anyone want to try it?