Hello to all!

Once again I have missed a week in our weekly email.  I do apologize, but I cannot promise that it will never happen again.

The last two weeks have been full and we are always able to see ways in which the Lord is moving here.  One of our greatest prayer requests this week is for one of our 10th graders, Mathias Ranft (Yes, his family is German!).  This last Sunday Mattias was returning from dropping off his sibling at the airport and was in a serious car accident.  He is currently in the hospital and drifts between unconsciousness and a sleep-like state.  Scans have shown blood on his brain and the doctors are saying that it could be anywhere between one to four weeks before his body can reabsorb this blood.  They are not sure if there is any permanent brain damage at this time.  Neither Mathias or his family are believers in Christ, but have been very thankful for the school community who have reached out to them in this time of need.  Rick has developed a relationship with Mathias this year, and has enjoyed having him in a chapel small group.  Please pray for his recovery, as well as a continued interest and understanding of Truth for him and his family.

The senior that I mentioned in my last email, Nathan Marshall is recovering well from his surgery to re-set his cheek bone.  His black eye is almost gone and he is back in school.  We are so thankful that his injuries were not worse and that he is making a full recovery..

Due to several, relatively minor, symptoms I went in to the doctors this last week.  They ran some tests on my thryoid, which all came back fine.  They still don’t know what is causing the symptoms (hair loss and enlarged thyroid), and have suggested that I wait 3-6 months and then have the tests done again.  Please pray that God will either stop the symptoms or help me find out some answers soon.

This next weekend is the Junior/Senior Banquet (AAI’s version of prom).  Rick and I have been invited to attend (he will be one of the photographers), and we have also been invited to attend the After-Party.  The After Party will start with  chiva-party bus from the banquet to Calacali (a rustic campground spot outside of town) where the students will stay up all night, watch movies, play games, and roast hotdogs around a campfire.  It will be a lot of fun and a great blessing to spend that time with them!  It is also quite an honor that the students chose us to help chaperone.

This year the Chaplains at AAI have created a small coffee house venue on campus.  Once a month they offer an open-mic night.  Students are encouraged to participate and perform, as well as some staff.  This month, they asked Rick if he would put together a group to head-line the event, which he was thrilled to do.  All went really well, the students and parents loved it, and Rick got to be a rock-star for the evening.  Hopefully some video clips will be available soon (either on facebook or youtube).

Both Rick and I are starting to feel the stressors of the end of the school year.  There are many loose ends that will need to be taken care of, obligations to complete, and relationships to strengthen over the next four weeks.  As always, please pray that God would grant us health, wisdom, and safety as we do His will in Quito.

We cherish any communication and updates from you and pray that you are doing well.  Thank you for all of your prayers and for your support.

Rachel Sams

Hello, dear friends and family!

As we draw closer and closer to the end of the school year, I find that I have less and less free time and am becoming more and  more forgetful of what needs to  be done.  Thus, I forgot to send out an email last weekend. :P  I extend a sincere apology to any who were waiting for it and will try to make those moments of forgetfulness less frequent in the future.

One week ago, Saturday through Sunday, Rick and I were able to go camping with a group of friends in Cotopaxi National Park.  When we first got to our campsite the weather was cold and rainy.  Our moods were pretty somber as we set up our tents, and there was some talk of going home early.  But then the rain stopped and the temperature rose a little, and we all settled around the campfire for dinner.  Our campsite ran right alongside streams that run off the side of the mountain (volcano), so everything around us was green and beautiful  The valley had been cut out by glaciers, and the landscape is full of sharp angles and giant boulders that lay by themselves in the middle of a flat valley.  It was was yet another awe-inspiring display of God’s work.

As always, the last two weeks have been filled with ministry opportunities for both Rick and for me.  Rick’s relationships with different high school boys continue to grow, and they continue to seek him out for advice on friendship, dating, family, etc.  I, too, have seen my relationships with different high school girls begin to deepen and I relish every chance to sow into their lives.

Over the last school year Alliance Academy, along with some of the parents of students, has begun a program named Centro de Apoyo Familiar (Center for Family Support).  This program provided basic counseling, spiritual guidance, and support for any student or parent of student at AAI.  It has been my pleasure to work with this group over the last year, as they have provided parenting seminars and marriage seminars. They have been instrumental in the mending of several marriages this last year.  Through their love and guidance several others have come to know the Lord.  I was honored to attend a dinner this last Friday, offered by administration of AAI, as a thanks for their hard work and love for our shared ministry.  I wa asked to offer the closing prayer, which I did haltingly in Spanish. 

Our greatest praise and prayer request for this week is for one of our senior boys, Nate, who lives in the AAI dorms and is one of the boys that Rick is close to.  Over the weekend he fell down a flight of cement stairs, on his face, with another boy having fallen on his back.  He slid down the stairs about 20 feet.  He has significant scratches on his arms and side, but most of damage is to his left cheek.  He had significant fractures to his cheek bone and to his eye socket , both of which were set with metal plates and pins during surgery this morning.  He is doing well and should be released from the hospital this Tuesday.  Please pray that his recovery will be without incident.  Also, please pray for his parents who are in another country (Uruguay) as missionaries , and are having to trust others to care for their son during this time.

As you have probably deduced by now, Rick and I feel very strongly that, while we work at AAI for teaching and counseling, our ministry here is predominantly one of relationships.  God has been faithful in giving us these relationships, both with students and with adults.  We have been ministered to by many of our peers, and have been able to be there for several of them, too.

Finally, I would like to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to each and every woman/mother that receives this email.  God’s gift of family is a wonderful thing, indeed!

May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel Sams

Hello to all!  I hope that this last week has been good for you all, and filled with many blessings.

For us, this week marked the end of the third quarter of school.  Students spent the week taking quarter exams, finding out their grades and (if their grades were low) attending Parent/Teacher/Student conferences this last Friday.  I am thrilled to report that the student who tutors with Rick has raised his grades significantly and is very encouraged.  I am hopeful that he will end this school year very, very improved from where he was at before.

One of our eight grade teachers, Kim Thomas, had surgery this last week to remove a tumor from her brain.  I am so thankful to be able to report that the surgery went well and the tumor was benign!  She will need six to eight weeks of recovery time, so she probably will not return to Quito before the end of this school year. We are looking forward to seeing her next year.

Rob Quiring (high school literature and English teacher, drama director, and many other talents) has just returned from visiting his parents in the States.  His father has been diagnosed with cancer and has had a severe reaction to the chemotherapy.  They have decided to discontinue the chemo at this time.  Please pray for the family as they prepare for this loss, and as they plan to return to the States as soon as school is through, to be able to spend as much time as possible together.

While this last week has brought some sadnesses, it has also brought some joys.  Rick and I were able to assist one of our friends (and chaplains), Dave Gardeen, in proposing to his girlfriend, Linsey Kunes.  They plan to be married this August in Colorado, but will have a reception here in Quito for those of us who can’t make it to the wedding.  It is wonderful to watch as God leads them into the next stage in their relationship!

Rick and I have found a new way to entertain guests at our place.  We have purchased a small fire pit / grill and we have been able to put it on the roof top / patio of our buidling.  Bundles of fire wood are inexpensive and easy to come by , as fire places are very common here  We spent this last Friday night sitting on blankets with friends, enjoying the warmth of the fire and watching the stars.  Someone  in the neighborhood must have been celebrating something, because we were able to enjoy a significant fireworks show, too!

AAI’s chaplains continue to host a monthly coffee shop / open mic night on campus.  This month Rick and a few friends (Luke Owesley, Amanda McKeen, Dave Gardeen, and Lauren Green) performed ‘We Are Not As Strong’ by Rich Mullins.  There were 16 different performances total (with groups made up of both students and staff) and a large number of students attended.  I am thrilled to see it becoming a healthy and safe venue for our students to enjoy!

Next weekend will be a long weekend (a half day on Thursday and all day off on Friday).  We are helping to put together an overnight camping trip (probably Saturdy night to Sunday) for a group of our friends.  Please pray that it will be a time of fellowship and rest for us all, and that the beautiful landscapes of Ecuador would remind us even more of our Lord’s glory and power.

As always, thank you foryour prayers and your support for us here in Quito.  I am often humbled when I see how He is using us here.

May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel Sams

Dear friends and family,

This last week has been a busy one.  As the school year starts to wind down (last week was the end of our third quarter), everyone’s levels of stress seem to go up.  Students and staff alike all seem to be a little more easily overwhelmed, as we all strive to reach our goals over the next 12 weeks. 

Over the last week I have had several different parent meetings (initiated by the parents) in an effort to best support and encourage their children.  Many families seem to be dealing with family health issues, grief, financial concerns, marital issues, etc,  I have been blessed to be able to get to meet with and get to know some of the parents a little better over this last year, and count it a true blessing to be able to participate in the life of their kids.

Rick has also felt the press, as time lines for yearbook and senior events begin to draw near.  He has agreed to take senior pictures of a few of his students, and has really enjoyed getting to spend that time with them.  It is amazing how God has opened the doors for Rick to sow into their lives (and they into his).
This last Friday Rick invited a group of the high school boys over for another Guy’s Night.  Sixteen boys came over, and nine of them ended up spending the night.  Between the spare bedroom, an inflatable mattress, Rick’s camping mats, and our living room rug, everyone seemed to find a place to rest.

I took advantage of the opportunity to attend a Girl’s Night at a friend’s house (Leslie Foster) who lives a block away.  I am finding that I rarely make time to spend with friends, and seem to gravitate more towards relaxing at home.  Even so, I desperately need female friendships and am happy to say that God is providing those for me.  It is always a bittersweet challenge, making friends in a world as transitory as this one.  Some of them will be here for several years longer.  Some will leave in a few months.  I often find myself wondering if it is all worth it, but always come to the conclusion that it most definitely is.

Please continue to keep us, other AAI staff, and our students in your prayers.  We truly are a multi-cultural community,and the ties to Quito and AAI reached all over the world.  I know that our ministry here has an impact in countries throughout Latin America, Australia, Germany, Russia, China, Japan, Korea, and many more.  Please pray that God would continue to give us the words to say and the wisdom to share, as we sow into the lives of others.

As always, thank you for your prayers and your support.  A special thanks to our friends at Oak Hills Presbyterian for the Easter postcards that you sent.  They were a wonderful reminder of how much we are loved by our church family in Kansas.

May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel Sams

Hello, dear friends and family!

I pray that this email finds you all doing well.

We are getting closer and closer to the end of the school year here at AAI, so senioritis (in students and staff alike) seems to be on the rise.  Next week marks the end of the third quarter, so there is some stress related to grades, as well.  Despite all of that, things seem to be going quite smoothly.

Over the last week, we have had two different groups of students traveling and we are thankful that they have all returned safely.  One group was the Close Up group, made up of students who have taken US Government and American History classes.  They traveled to Washington DC to learn more about how the goverment of the US works.  This opportunity occurs once every two years, so students only have the opportunity to go one time during high school.  The second group that traveled was our AP Biology class (two adults and five students) who traveled to the Galapagos Islands.  In addition to seeing all of the items and animals of scientific significance there, they also were able to snorkle with sea lions, sun bath with penguins, and interact with giant tortoises.  Definitely the experience of a lifetime!

Several of our teachers have recently learned of significant health issues, either for themselves or for their loved ones.  Please keep them in your prayers, and they seek God’s healing.  One of our eighth grade teachers will have surgery this next week for a brain tumor (she is in the US now) that is causing pressure on her occular nerve.  Please pray that the sugery is successful, and that the tumor is benign.

Rick has begun the count-down for this year’s yearbook (last years is done and at the printer.  Hooray!).  His class this year has proven to be both talented and hard working.  I am excited to see what the final outcome will look like.

We have received quite a bit of rain in Quito over the last few weeks.  We no longer have the scheduled power outages, and the landscape is getting greener all the time.  I have even noticed a greater number of birds in our back yard (black birds called Mirlos, with bright orange feet, beaks, and rings around their eyes).  Our hummingbirds coninue to come faithfully to the feeder, also.

Please keep us (and the others who minister with us here in Quito) in your prayers.  We thank you for your prayers and your support.

Blessings,
Rachel

Hola, friends and family!

I pray that this last week has been one filled with blessings and growth for all of you.  I also pray that this email finds you healthy and content. Let me start by voicing a heart-felt ‘Hallelujah’, for the school yearbook from last year is finally done!  Rick has contacted the printer, and hopefully the books will be ready for students soon.  Also, he is very grateful that this-year’s yearbook students are very reliable and work hard, so that this year’s yearbook will be done on time!

Another reason for praise is the school drama departments production of Antigone, performed this last week.  Students, directors, and crew have all been working very hard over the last couple of weeks to prepare this production.  They did an amazing job and are now ready for a well-deserved rest!

Friday night we celebrated Craig Black’s birthday.  A group of about 15 of us joined Craig and Amanda at a local Indian food restaurant.  Since Craig is not one to be the center of attention, the only mention of his birthday was when we sang “Happy Birthday”, followed by a rousing rendition of “Skip around the room. Skip around the room.  We won’t shut up ’til you skip around the room.”  This seemed only fair, as Craig was the one who introduced us to this birthday tradition in the first place.  Craig complied and skipped around the restaurant, much to the confusion of the other diners.

UV levels have been very high over the last few weeks, and our elementary students have been required to have all PE classes and recesses under the covered basketball court (instead of on the playground and soccer field).  On Friday it was announced that the UV levels have finally dropped, and they will be able to return to their regular locations for PE and recess time.  Even so, PE teachers and parents are trying to make sure that sun screen is readily available to them whenever they are outside.

This last week has seen fewer crises amongst the students and families at AAI.  Rick and I continue to seek out opportunities to sow into their lives, and are grateful for any opportunity that God allows us to be a part of.  I have seen many of our students begin to ask very good, theological questions and begin to seek out what their purpose is in life.  I pray that God will continue to lead them to His answers and his Truth.

One of the challenges, when moving to a new place, is finding out where different businesses and services are.  I am happy to say that Rick and I have found a very good dentist, just a few doors down from our apartment building.  Her prices are very low, which is wonderful, since we have no dental insurance.  She repaired Rick’s broken tooth and filled two cavities, all for $50!  Rick has another appointment for next week, since he has a few more teeth that need attention.

As always, thank you for your prayer and support.  We know that God has sent us to Ecuador, and we relish the ministry of which He has allowed us to be a part.  He is truly good, and He is truly God!

Sincerely,
Rachel Sams

We’ve taken down the weekly update for this Sunday, March 21st.  It was a great re-cap of the week, but on further reflection, we realized that it had a lot of information about student-specific situations at the school.  The last thing we would want to do is to embarrass any of the kids with whom we live and work.  If you aren’t on the list to receive the email version, please send us a message and we’ll forward a copy to you.  Thanks for your understanding.

Hello, once again, to all of you!

I thank the Lord daily for all of you, and the role that you play in our ministry here in Quito.  It is wonderful for us to see how God is using us to reach out to staff, students, and families here at Alliance Academy.

First of all, a quick follow up (and praise) from last week’s update, regarding the family with suspected child abuse.  A meeting was scheduled on Monday with the parents, two school counselor’s, a teacher, and the elementary principal.  The school counselors began the meeting by letting the parents know how much we care about their family and their children, and that we were concerned about changes we had witnessed recently in their kids.  The teacher talked with the parents about a recent journal entry, written by one of the sons, that talked about family conflict, physical aggression, and feelings of despair and worthlessness.  Much to our surprise, and relief, the parents immediately recognized the conflicts that were happening in the home, the father immediately accepted responsibility for the incident which left a mark on on son’s face, and then they told us that they were already seeing a counselor outside of school to address these issues. They were more than willing to work with the school to make sure that their children were doing well, and that they were able to improve the family situation.  Praise God for his work in this situation!
For those of you that have been praying for Rick, you will be happy to know that he passed his kidney stone on Tuesday without excessive pain (although considerable discomfort for several days).  We never even had to go to the doctor or the emergency room, for which we are very thankful!

Friday was the Teachers Teaching Teachers conference at another international school (Cotopaxi).  All of the staff from AAI attended, along with the staff from several other international schools locally (Colegio Menor, Americano, The British School, Cotopaxi, and Albert Einstein).  Each person attended four different seminars of their choice throughout the day.  It was a wonderful opportunity to meet other people who do what we do!  While AAI was the only school present with a Christian philosophy, many of the staff from the other schools are also professing believers.  It was a chance for the staff of AAI to minister to others and to be examples of Christ to other schools.  The day was amazingly well planned, and all of the seminars appear to have gone very well.
Yesterday was AAI’s Quito Cup, which is a soccer tournament hosted by the junior class every year.  This year there were 10 teams (teachers, seniors, sophomores, Youth World, Extreme Response, and even a “Rejects” team made up of h.s. students for whom soccer isn’t exactly a “first” sport … the Rejects were a fan favorite all day long, even long after they were disqualified).  The games went from 7am to about 3pm.  Rick was present most of the day, taking pictures for the school yearbook.  I was there for a few hours in the afternoon.  It is a wonderful opportunity for students and parents to spend time with one another, outside of the academic setting.  Rick spent several weeks putting together a playlist of approved music, so that the students who were manning the sound booth would have an easier time finding music that was appropriate for the day (this is often a challenge, and no small point of contention between students and staff at times).  Rick and I are both a little sunburned, despite our use of sunscreen and shade.

Yesterday was also a birthday party for our friend, Stephanie Taylor.  At her request, we had a picture scavenger hunt, which had groups of four (each group armed with a camera) running around a mall and a park taking pictures of ourselves (and total strangers) doing silly things.  Mine and Rick’s team got the most points for the picture of us playing Duck, Duck, Goose with a group of strangers (they were preparing to play soccer when we showed up and asked if they would pose for a picture with us… ).  All in all, it was a lot of fun and a great way to celebrate a friend.

Last night Rick and I purchased my plane ticket to visit my parents and grandparents this summer for two weeks.  I am sad to say that we will not be able to visit our friends in KS, MO, or CO this summer.  Rick will stay in Ecuador and travel with different ministries groups throughout the summer.  I will try to join him on some of these trips, once I return from my trip to FL (and PA and TN).  The ministry trips will allow us to see more of Ecuador, outside of our regular ‘bubble’ (which is pretty Americanized).
Tomorrow, Rick has promised to give a student (the one that he tutors) a mohawk.  (He was careful to get permission from anyone who might care.)  I am sure that pictures will surface on facebook, for those that want to see.

One prayer request … we’ve mentioned that over the last  couple of months, our monthly support has dropped.  The current numbers are a little discouraging.  So far, for the year, we’re a couple hundred dollars a month below last year’s averages (which were already not as high as we’d really like to see them).  Our continued ministry here is dependent on the generosity of our supporters.  We know that God has resources we can’t begin to imagine, and that He has a plan for us.  Please help us pray.

Thank you all for your prayers and support.  We look forward to hearing from you.
Blessings,
Rachel Sams

Hello to all!

I hope that this email finds you all well and preparing for another week of adventures.

This last week was Elementary Spiritual Emphasis Week at Alliance Academy.  The special speakers were Tim and Kate Carpenter, parents of one of our high school math teachers (Teri Newburn).  Despite some personal health issues, the Carpenters had a great time ministering to our younger kids.  While Spiritual Emphasis Week does cause the change of the elementary student’s daily schedules (which can be a little rough on some), it was all well worth it, and many of the kids (and parents) were touched by the message of our Lord.

I found out last week that one of our school counselors, due to family needs, will have to cut back on her weekly hours.  Thankfully, the school has approved for one of the other school counselors to pick up those extra hours (as she has been hoping to move closer to full time).  This change will actually make it possible for us to provide more testing/assessment opportunities for our elementary students (such as testing for attention issues, depression or anxiety, etc.).  Please pray for all of the counselors at AAI.  This year has been very challenging, as we strive to meet the needs of many hurting families.

Along those same lines, I ask that you keep me in your prayers over the next few days.  Tomorrow morning I have a meeting with parents, due to suspected child abuse in the home.  While the laws for child abuse in Ecuador are good, and still improving, they are different than in the US, and I am still learning what my legal and ethical responsibilities are.  Please pray that the parents of these three siblings will recognize their need for help, and that their family will be strengthened by our intervention.  Please pray for our staff and teachers, as we struggle with the task of protecting the children with the task of loving the parents.

Tomorrow afternoon will be the memorial service for the Ladines family (who passed away a few weeks ago in a car accident) at 4pm.  Many people from Alliance Academy, as well as from the missionary community in Quito, will attend.  Alejandra Ladines (the surviving daughter) may attend the service, also.  Please keep her, her classmates, and all those affected by the death of her parents and brother in your prayers.

Friday will be a day of conferences (Teachers Teaching Teachers) at a sister school, Cotopaxi.  I will be leading a seminar on Depression in Teens, spotting the symptoms and seeking to help.  Many of the other Alliance staff will also be presenting seminars, as will the staff from several other schools.  Please pray that the AAI staff will have opportunities to minister to others, to be light and salt to all those present.

Rick and I are both finding ourselves consistently very busy at work.  Please pray that God will give us focus, patience, and persistence to complete the tasks which He has set out for us.

As always, we thank you for your prayers and your support.  We think of you often and thank God for the part that you play in our lives.
May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel Sams

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

Another week has passed here in Quito.  It really is hard for me to believe that we are already done with February, and moving on into March!  The school year will be over before we know it.  As I stated in last weeks email, I am trying to write our weekly email on Sundays now, in hopes of being a little more consistent in sending them out.

Thursday was our friend, Luke Owsley’s, 24th birthday.  We celebrated on Tuesday night with the regular pizza crowd (Rick made a yummy, peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake!).  On Friday night a few of us took Luke out for dinner and dessert, to celebrate again.  I have found that the AAI community seems to do a good job of celebrating birthdays together, which is so important when we are far away from our family and friends back home.  I think that we were successful in helping Luke make his birthday a memorable one.

The student that was deported last week, Kay Jang, arrived safely in Korea with her mother.  She is already posting again on facebook, and sending notes and messages to friends.  Please continue to keep her in your prayers, as she adjusts to living once again in Korea.

There will be a memorial service at AAI for the Ladines family on March 8th.  It will be open to staff, faculty, and others in the community who wish to come and pay their respects.  The school is also taking up a collection to help defray the cost of funeral expenses, autopsies, and medical costs due to the accident.

Over the last few weeks (since the beginning of this semester), Rick has been praying about how to help one of the high school students named Travis.  Travis lives in the dorms this year, since his parents were moved to Colombia (due to his father’s work).  Academics are not easy for Travis, and his grades have declined steadily throughout the last semester.  Due to this, it is a very real possibility that Travis will not be able to return to AAI next year.  Rick has agreed to tutor him several days a week, and Travis has agreed to put more effort into his work.  We are really thankful for the opportunity to sow into Travis’ life, not only academically, but also spiritually.  He and Rick already have a good relationship (and he has stayed with us on two occasions when the dorms were closed), so we are hopeful that we will be able to be Christ’s hands and feet in his life.

I have begun a small Pilates group (yoga-like exercise, lots of stretching, no impact) with a few ladies at the school.  I have been surprised to find out that quite a few women here have fibromyagia, which limits them in many ways, especially when it comes to exercise.  While I am no expert in the matter, I do own a dvd, so we are all working our way through the dvd together.

Saturday was Elementary Fun Day, which is a day that the Seniors sponsor for the elementary students.  They set up different fun booths on the school soccer field (dunking booth, bouncy castle, relay races, etc.) and the kids purchase tickets/tokens to spend at each booth.  The event went from 10am-3pm and proceeds will go towards the senior class trip.  I am not sure what the final sum was, but by 1pm they had already raised over $2000!  Elementary Fun Day (in addition to being a great fund raiser) is a great way for the parents of our students to get to know one another and to build community.
Rick spent Saturday night and Sunday with a group of the high school boys, watching all three Lord of the Rings movies at the dorms.  The original plan was to watch them all on Saturday (all 11 hours of them), but by about midnight they decided it was time to sleep, so they finished them up on Sunday morning.  After the movies ended this afternoon (and since the lot of them had skipped church to finish them up) Rick and Luke had a short LOTR-themed devotional for them, talking about the themes of the movie like sacrifice, honor, loyalty.  Here’s a short excerpt from their discussion pulled from Rick’s Facebook status today:

Rick: “what makes the heroes in this story so compelling?”

one of the guys: “because we want to be like them.”

Rick: “why do we want so badly to be like them?”
one of the guys: “because we’re not.”

It really impacted Rick that these juniors and seniors are beginning to think and wrestle with things like this.  It is amazing to see teenage boys slowly turning into men.  The questions that they ask, and the insights that they have into their own lives (and the lives of others) are amazing.  Something tells me that we will continue to see them grow and flourish over the years to come.

Some of you may be wondering if the earthquake in Chile has had any effect on us here.  At this time it has not, although there may be some of our students with family there.  I am sure we will find out more tomorrow, if that is the case.

Finally, I ask that you keep us in your prayers in financial matters.  I know that many of you, like us, have been affected by the recent hits to the economy, and that times are tough.  Due to this, our monthly support has declined significantly over the last several months and we are praying that God will provide the means for this to change.  We are learning a lot about managing our money well, as well as valuing the things that we have.
Well, that is the week in a nutshell.  As always, thank you for your prayers and support.  We love receiving letters, emails, and facebook messages from you all.

May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel Sams