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

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

It has been two weeks since my last email; therefore, I think that it would be best if the Monday Memo became the Sunday Memo.  I hope that this is agreeable to all of our friends and family, and I hope that it will make me more consistent, even during vacation times and short school weeks.

As many of you know, this last Tuesday was ‘Fat Tuesday’, or the day before Lent.  In South America the four days prior to Lent are called Carnaval and are usually celebrated with a variety of parties and excess.  Thankfully, in Quito, the celebrations are limited to water balloons and cans of Silly String-like foam.  We did, however, have Friday, Monday, and Tuesday off of school (both for Carnaval and so that many of the student groups could participate in missions trips).  While Rick and I did not go on any missions trips, we were able to use the time off school to connect with many different friends.  We actually had a double-date with two of our students (a senior and a junior) for Valentine’s Day, too.  (Yes, we are actually allowed to do that here!)

Sadly, on Tuesday, one of our students was deported to Korea.  Kay Jang and her mother have been in Quito for several years, and were hoping to stay just long enough for Kay to graduate this year.  Unfortunately, due to complications with visas and some ill-will from former business partners of her father, Kay and her mother’s visas were canceled and they were unable to stay.  The school had a small graduation ceremony for Kay before she left, and a reception afterward. She was, not only a wonderful student, but a beautiful example of faith in Christ.  Rick and I went with a group of students to see Kay and her mother off at the airport on Tuesday.  It was a sad goodbye, but softened by the knowledge that God is in control and that Kay’s future in Korea is bright.

Over that same weekend, one of our former substitute teachers (Ana Ladines), her husband (Emilio), and her son (Asaf - second grade) were killed in a car accident.  Her daughter (Alejandra - fifth grade) survived the car accident, along with Ana’s father.  Alejandra will be living with her maternal grandparents in Guayaquil for the time being.  Ana and Emilio were Ecuadorian, but had served for several years as missionaries in Central Asia.  They returned to Ecuador 1 1/2 years ago to raise support, with the hopes of returning to the mission field soon.  They had just received word that they would return this coming June, and had taken the opportunity to move back to Guayaquil to be near Ana’s parents before they left.  We are grateful that the students at AAI had a chance to have goodbye parties for Asaf and Alejandra before they moved back to Guayaquil, which made the grief process of Asaf’s death a little easier.  Most of elementary was shaken by their deaths, and the chaplains and counselors spent most of this last week ministering to students and parents as they navigate the grief process.

The chaplains at AAI have instituted a monthly coffee shop, called BYOM 2 CHOM (bring-your-own-mug-2-coffee-house-open-mic).  Different students from middle school and high school sign up to perform, and the coffee flows freely.  This last Thursday was the most recent event, and Rick was able to perform a duet with one of his voice students (Josh Zook).  Many of our students have never heard Rick sing before, so it was a  very pleasant surprise.  He will also be involved in the BYOM 2 CHOM next month.  I will try to get some video clips and, perhaps, post links to them on our website.

This last Friday night was also eventful.  The dorm parents at AAI had evening plans, and asked if Rick and I would dorm sit for the evening.  We actually took it a step further…  Rick hosted a Guy’s Night at our house, which had 16 boys attend, and 8 spend the night.  I spent the evening at another teacher’s house (Stephanie Taylor), along with the elementary chaplain (Lauren Green…  not the guy from Bonanaza, but a wonderful young woman from the US), and all of the girls from the dorm.  The boys watched movies, ate popcorn, and other sorts of guy-stuff.  The girls made the largest chocolate chip cookie I have ever seen, and each of us got to decorate our part.  All of the girls in the dorm this year are Asian, and the ESL aspect of the evening was fun and enlightening.  I am especially grateful that Rick promised to clean our apartment once the boys left (a promise which he has definitely kept) so as not to leave me too much of a mess.  I am really loving the blossoming relationships that we are beginning to see with our students!

Well, that is all for now.  It is my hope in future weeks to keep the weekly emails brief (perhaps just a few bullet points), with one email per month that will be longer and more in depth.  We will try to keep many of you updated via our facebook sites, too.

May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel Sams

Well, it is 9:15 on a Monday night, and I am just now starting the Monday memo.  This might give you some indication as to the busyness of the last week.  I know that every week I say how busy we have been… Please don’t misunderstand me… Busy means that we have been doing all kinds of exciting and fun things!  This is, most definitely, not a complaint!

Since the hour is getting late, I will keep this week’s email brief.

1) The Counseling Summit was a success!  I have heard several good reports from staff and students alike.  One of our teachers led a seminar on Dating, talking about the Biblical guidelines of purity and respect.  His final conclusion was that students should not be dating (unless they are at a place in their lives where they are preparing for marriage…).  I was surprised at how many students were able to see his point of view.  Two students (both girls) have begun a Bible Study with this teacher before school starts weekly.  How awesome that they are seeking out God’s will for their lives and relationships!

2)  The parenting seminar on Saturday (KidUnique with Dan Webster) was amazing!  We had about 35 people (mostly parents, with a few chaplains and staff) attended.  We hope to bring the same presenter back in the future to lead a seminar for the teachers.
3)  Rick had a Guy’s Night at our place this last Friday.  Nine high school boys were here (plus Rick and our friend, Luke Owsley).  They watched movies, ate pizza, and did all the crazy things that large groups of boys do.  (I made myself scarce, hanging out in the bedroom watching movies and playing on the computer.)  Rick’s ministry to the high school boys is really growing in leaps and bounds.  He really has a gift for connecting, guiding, and encouraging them in life skills, as well as in their spiritual walks.

4) This week at Alliance Academy is Spiritual Emphasis Week.  This means that all of the middle schoolers and high schoolers will  have chapel daily this week.  Please pray that the ministry team is able to connect with the students and that God’s Truth will be understood at a heart level.  We have so many students who come from unchurched homes, who are just now beginning to hear about the Lord.

5)  We have half a day of school this Friday, and then we have Monday and Tuesday off for Carnaval.  As some of you may know, Carnaval is celebrated for 4-7 days, right before the beginning of Lent.  Traditionally, this is when you emptied the pantries of all of the rich food and drinks that you would not consume during Lent.  What this eventually translated into was great feasts and drunken parties right before beginning Lent.  Here what it translates into (not sure why) is days filled with water balloon throwing and silly string shooting. :)  Many of our Christian Service Outreach groups (students with a focus on ministering to the community) use this time to go on short-term missions trips into the jungle or the coast.  Please pray for their safety, and that they will not be tempted to ‘celebrate’ the holiday in ways that are unpleasing to God.
6) Since last week’s update, we had a meeting with the director regarding our proposal as to what our continued service at Alliance would look like.  The meeting was really almost a “best-case” scenario.  Not only has the administration accepted our counter-proposal to pay for the required continued education for Rick ourselves (thus allowing him to pursue the field of his choice and keeping us from more debt), but the director indicated that the school might be considering a policy change that would make it much more feasible for faculty to pursue advanced degrees with the school’s financial help.   Thanks much for your prayers in that regard.  It appears they’re being answered.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
Rachel Sams

Has it been a full week already?!  I pray this email (letter?) finds you all well and satisfied.

I suppose our biggest news this week is that we have told Alliance Academy International that we feel it is God’s will for us to stay here at least one more year.  We meet tomorrow with administration to see if there are any details that remain to hammer out.  We are both pretty excited about the fact that we won’t be going through the process of ’sell everything you own and relocate again’, and are committed to putting even more effort into seeing more of Ecuador and participating in different ministries while we are here.

Of course, this means that we will need to put even more effort into selling our car in Kansas, as we feel it would be very beneficial for us to have a vehicle here in Quito.  Not only would having a vehicle make it easier for us to get around town, it would also provide the chance for us to get out of town more often (which is much needed for those of us not used to the city-life).  It would also let us participate in several ministries here.

We are also starting to think about our plans for this summer.  I feel that it is important for me to spend a week or two in the States, as my grandparents (both maternal and paternal) are not doing well.  While I hope their health improves, I realize that this may be my last chance to see them.  I hope to fly to Tampa, FL where my parents live.  From there, they and I will drive to Tennessee and to Pennsylvania and back.  It should be a great way to spend time with my parents, as well as seeing my grandparents.

Rick is not sure at this point if he will go back to the States this summer or whether he will spend that time here in Ecuador, investing and volunteering with different ministries here.  While he would love to see friends and family in the US, he is also excited about the possibilities of really “owning” more of Ecuador during that time.  Here are a few of the opportunities he’s considering:

       There are possibilities of short-term mission trips into the jungle with our good friend Daniel Klassen (MK from Peru, raised in the AAI dorms, chaplain at AAI now, and all around mountain-climbing/jungle-hopping ninja).

One of the fathers of a student at AAI is heavily involved in a ministry in the men’s prison here. The prisons are very overcrowded (often 15-20 men per room, unless their families can pay extra money for a less crowded room).  Edwin Brown has helped begin Bible Studies, create a libray of Christian literature, and even acquired a computer and printer for the men to use.  Every Christmas, Mr. Brown and his supporters coordinate a Christmas party for the inmates and their families, including Christmas gifts (and school supplies) for their children.

Another ministry, here in Quito, is Extreme Response, who work with the poorest of Ecuador’s poor.  Among other things, they work heavily with the families that live in, near, or who make their living at the local garbage dump.  These families glean recyclables from the garbage and trade it in for small amounts of money.  Many of their homes are made from the cardboard, metal sheeting, etc. that they find in their scavenging.  Often their clothing and the toys their children have to play with come from the same place.  Extreme Response helps them with basic food supplies, as well as preschool and day care for the children.  We helped with their Christmas party this year.  You can see pictures elsewhere here on the site and on our Facebook pages.

Today was the Counseling Summit at Alliance Academy.  Both Middle School and High School students attended a number of seminars addressing issues of identity, where we learn what we learn about ourselves, our world, and our God.  The High School seminars focused on topics such as divorce, depression, pornography, relationships, and grief.  They helped the students think about how these topics affect how we see ourselves, our world, and our God.  I pray that each student left with greater insight into their value in the eyes of God, as well as with more questions about their Creator.  The responses that I have heard thus far have been positive. Rick helped out with a couple of the seminars by sitting on a panel of faculty and staff TCKs (Third Culture Kids), and helping direct a group discussion with many of the students from multi-cultural and multi-racial homes.  I am so thankful to each of our presenters, the teachers who allowed us to use their classrooms, and the other counselors who helped to organize the whole event.  That being said, I am also glad that it is done for the year!

We bring praises that our student, Kay Jang, and her mother were able to receive legal visas to stay in Quito until Kay graduates in June.  Immigration police have shown up  school on three or four occasions over the last month with orders to arrest Kay and deport her (since she is 18, she is legally an adult).  We are so grateful that Kay and her mother will be able to stay long enough for Kay to finish high school at AAI!  Kay’s testimony of faith and peace has been amazing throughout this whole ordeal!

Please keep our friend, Kyle Holloway in your prayers.  He (along with several other friends of ours) summitted the mountain Antisana on Saturday.  Unfortunately, Kyle’s sunglasses were not sufficient for the UV rays (not to mention the altitude and the sun’s reflection off of the snow).  He came down the moutain with snow blindness (due to sunburning of the retinas).  When we saw him on Sunday night, his eyes were still swollen shut and painful.  He had to return to Cuenca Sunday night (8-9 hours on bus).  We were thankful that another friend, Chad, was with him (since traveling on a bus while blind is a good way to get robbed or mugged).  Kyle had an appointment with an eye doctor today, and we are hoping that all is well.  While snow blindness seems to be a common, and not permanent, ailment for climbers here in Ecuador, it is still a potentially serious thing and we are praying that Kyle is better soon (and that he buys better glasses for his next climb!).

As always, please keep Rick and I in your prayers.  Now that we are sure of God’s call for us to stay in Quito a while longer, we are also aware of the many needs that there are here.  Daily, He shows us the hearts of the hurting around us, as well as our responsibility to love others well.  We will soon begin seeking out new ways to raise support for our time here.  We know that God provides for our needs in His time, and are trusting Him to lead us along the way.

May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel Sams

Dear Friends and Family,

This week has been a lot of fun.  Between camping trips (for Rick), girls night (for me) and a birthday party…  we have been pretty busy!

Rick went on a camping trip with a bunch of guy friends this last weekend.  They drove to Cotopaxi national park and then hiked into the park a ways.  They built a large campfire, ate amazing food, and took a bunch of pictures.  You can see some of their pictures here and here.
This last Sunday was the 25th birthday of our friend, Daniel Klassen.  (The primary organizer of the aforementioned camping trip.)  He grew up in the Alliance Academy dorms, while his parents served as missionaries in Peru.  He has grown up hiking, climbing mountains, ice climbing, and trekking through the jungle.  He is currently working (through Youth World) as a chaplain at AAI and he also helps head up the Climbing Club at the school.  He has studied photography extensively, as well as attending climbing school in Norway.  We have been so thankful to have him in our lives here in Quito.  Daniel has helped Rick teach his photography class on several occasions, and has also helped spearhead a few camping trips for Rick and the other guys.

While Rick and the guys were out camping, I organized a small girl’s night of my own.  A few friends came over, we ate yummy snacks, and watched the movie Hero.  It was so much fun to have a group of girls to hang out with!  I tend to be more of a couch potato and less of an extrovert, which means that I don’t often seek out opportunities for deeper friendships. God seems to be working on me in this area, and has provided several wonderful ladies that I am getting to know more and more all the time.

Rick and I continue to pray for direction regarding our staying here in Quito.  We continue to form closer friendships (both with adults and students) and continue to find things that we love about this country.  At the same time, we want to make sure that we are following God’s will in all that we do.  We must let the school know what our decision is by next week, so I am sure that the Monday Memo next week will also include that update.

Please continue to pray for the people to whom we minister.  I often feel that spiritual oppression is increasing (or maybe I am just more aware of it), and I see more and more people struggling with depression, anxiety, marital issues, drugs/alcohol, pornography addictions, etc.  There are days when my heart feels so heavy, and all I can do is pray that the Lords return is soon.  I am so thankful for the opportunity that He has given Rick and I to minister and love the people here.  I pray that God will continue to guide us as we tell (and show) His grace.

Thank you all, once again, for your prayers and support.  We look forward to hearing from you and welcome any visitors who might want to come and see us.

May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel

Hello Dear Friends!

Well, another Monday has come and gone.  As always, it was eventful (and good).

This last week has been full of crisis management issues, many of them requiring the involvement of the Counseling Department at AAI (so I have been pretty busy!).  In the last week we have dealt with issues of 1) Inappropriate touching amongst elementary students (events that occurred at one child’s house, while having a sleepover with peer) 2) bullying amongst middle school and high school students (one student had bruises on his arms and legs from where the other student was hitting him on the school bus) and 3) parents having melt downs in the high school office with threats to sue the school (ironically, but today, this parent was very calm and apologetic…).  This, in addition to daily set of “So and so was mean to me”, “My parents are getting a divorce”, “My boyfriend broke up with me”, etc. made for a lot of decion making and relationship building.  I believe that, with the Lords help, we have navigated each of these situations well, and have been able to maintain a healthy relationship with parents and students (even when disciplinary measures were required).

The Counseling Department (myself included) is in the final stages of planning the Counseling Summit, which will be a half day of seminars and trainings for the middle school and high school students.  We have ten different seminars lined up.  All of them will have the focus of “How does ________ affect the way that I see myself, my world, and God”.  Seminars will have topics like depression, divorce, relationships (friendship and dating), multi-cultural issues, etc.  I am pretty excited to see it all falling into place, and pray that the students will find it interesting and useful.

Rick is very, very close to finishing last years yearbook.  As many of you have heard, his students last year were not very good at meeting deadlines, and thus left him with the majority of the yearbook to finish even after the school year had ended.  He has been working on it during his spare time, weekends, and holidays.  He is hoping to be done by the end of this week.  His students this year are much more consistent, and he is giving them even stricter deadlines, so this year’s yearbook should be done by the end of the year.

This last weekend we were able to spend time with a group of fellow teachers, whom we have been getting to know better over the last month of so.  Dave is the Youth and Family pastor at our church (English Fellowship Church - EFC), Linsey works with the Counseling Department and also with the Skill Center at AAI (and she is dating Dave), and Amanda McKeen is the girls PE teacher.  Our friends, Amanda and Craig Black, were also in our weekend group.  We all signed out the school van (yes, the dreaded green van which has absolutely no power and is very slow going up mountains…  we were once passed by a family of four on a motorcyle, carrying a duck, while struggling up a hill.  They laughed at us as they passed!) and headed out to Papallacta.  (you can see pictures at http://www.termaspapallacta.com/galeria1.htm).

Papallacta is known for its thermal springs, which have been diverted to pour into different pools of different temperatures.  The pools that are closest to where to water comes out of the hot springs are very, very hot.  As the water flows down to other pools, it cools down, so some of them are quite cool.  Other of the pools are filled with fresh, spring water, which is very cold!  Rick and Dave got cheers and applause from some of the others when they jumped straight into the springs (and came back oh-so chilly!).  The entrance fee is only $7 a person, so it is quite affordable.  Overall, it was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday, and a great way to get to know our friends better.

On Sunday our paster at EFC, Len Kinzel, was preaching and ministering at the local Haitian church.  They are very much in need of prayer, as many of them have family and friends in Haiti that they are still trying to locate.  Our church will take up a love offering for them next week, and our elders have agreed to cover their church expenses for the next six months (so that the church members can have extra money to send to family and friends in need).

Rick and I are still praying about God’s will for us, here in Quito.  We have told the school that we will let them know by the end of this month, whether we will be staying or heading back to the US.  Please keep us in your prayers, as this is a very difficult decision for us to make.  We are trusting that God will show us His will, and that He will take care of our needs, whether in Quito or in the States.

As always, thank you all for your prayers and support.  We are often surprised and blessed by your generousity and kindness.

May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel Sams

Hello, friends and family!

‘Saludos’ from Quito, Ecuador!  I bet there are a whole bunch of you who never thought you would hear that in an email! 

As always, this has been a week full of adventure, challenges, and ministry.  School has been back in session for one week, since coming back from Christmas break.  For many, the joy of seeing friends again (after being gone for 10 days) has worn off, and the daily routine of school has returned.  Already I hear students complaining of schoolwork, projects, and tests that are due.  Project reports went out last week, so some are worried about their grades, too.

I am preparing for the Counselor’s Summit, which will happen on Feb. 1st.  It will be a half day of school, during which the middle school and high school students will have seminars (instead of class).  The focus of the seminars this year will be “What do you know?”.  The basic focus is what we believe to be true about ourselves, our world, and our God.  We will also address different topics that affect what we believe about ourselves/the world/God, such as abuse, disabilities, addictions, culture, music, etc.  I am still trying to find enough teachers and adults willing to lead seminars, as well as coordinating the whole event.  Please pray that our students (and parents) will learn and be ministered to through this event!

Quito continues to experience rolling blackouts which seem to last about two hours a day.  We are thankful for the rain that we are receiving, since the blackouts initially were lasting for about four hours a day.  Please continue to pray that God will send us rain, as this not only affects the electricity, but also the agriculture throughout the country.  Many farms and their animals are really suffering.

We have been blessed, over the last week, to have dinner with several different friends here.

On Thursday night we ate with the Douce family.  They have been in Quito for many years and work with a ministry called Casa Gabriel.  Their main ministry is to teenage and young adult boys who have grown up on the streets, but have now voiced a desire for a relationship with the Lord and a better way of living.  Rick has developed a relationship with several of the guys at Casa G (especially with Boris, shown below, who is getting married next month to a wonderful Christian girl).  Their children have all attended Alliance Academy and have been a real blessing to work with.  Their youngest son, Tully, is involved in Peer Helpers with Rick and I.

On Friday night we ate dinner with the Pickens.  Their oldest son, Noah (seen below in a picture of Rick’s yearbook class or ‘08.  Noah is the one in the middle in the grey shirt) was one of the first students that Rick really felt a connection with here.  He is currently studying at Wheaton college.  His younger brother and sister still attend AAI.  The Pickens have ministered in Colombia and Ecuador since Noah was an infant.

 

Tonight we ate dinner with the Hanlin family, who came to Ecuador one year after us. Rene teaches French and Brett teaches English at AAI.  Their daughters are in elementary and middle school.  They, like us, are in the process of praying to see if God wants them to continue on at AAI.
Rick was able to have a Guy’s Night with a group of the guys from the dorms last Friday night.  They spent several hours just hanging out at our place and watching movies.  He is really loving the opportunity to sow into their lives, as well as to get to know them better.  Many of them will graduate this year, so it is a wonderful opportunity to help prepare them for the life they will lead after high school  (The picture below is Rick and Nick, one of the dorm boys, and a friend to Rick).

As always, please continue to pray for the country of Ecuador.  There are always many political, socio-economical, and spiritual needs that are on our hearts.  No government is perfect and it is always difficult to trust that they have the people’s best interest at heart.  Our current president often voices his desire to help those of indigenous decent and those who struggle financially.  He has made some very positive changes in areas of schools for those in rural areas, as well as the children who live on the street.  Please pray that God continue to use him to help others, and that his political and spiritual beliefs will not impede the continue spreading of the Gospel throughout the country.

Thank you for keeping Rick and I in your prayers.  For me this has been a very challenging week, and the next few will be very busy as well.  Please pray that God will give me peace, as well as strength, to truly glorify Him as I work with students and their families.

May God bless and keep you all,
Rachel

Feliz Navidad and Happy New Year!

It has become quite apparent that, when I am not actively caught up in the school schedule, I am not very consistent with the Monday Memos.  :P  So, today’s memo should serve as a catcher-upper….

Let me start with the last two weeks (Christmas Break).  Over the break…
-  We had a Christmas party at our house (co-hosted by Rick, myself, and our friend Stephanie Taylor), inviting all of our regular Tuesday night pizza crowd (and then a few more).  We had a total of 24 people, most of whom brought large amounts of food to add to the copious amounts that we cooked.   Everyone left with a large plate of goodies for home, and we were still left with several plates more.  Thankfully, Rick agreed to take all that was left in to school the next day and to share it with his students!
- Rick and I spent Christmas Day with our friends the Saavedras, as well as with Dave Saavedra’s Mom and Dad, Leslie Foster, Kim Thomas and her boyfriend Fernando.  Much lasagna was made (and consumed), along with yummy side dishes and desserts.  We are so greatful for friends who are willing to share their home and their family with us during the holidays!
- We had about 10 friends over the Monday before Christmas for more lasagna.  Once again, we ate ourselves silly and enjoyed our time spent with people that we like.  Present were the Tutens, the Hanlins, Leslie Foster, Juan Pablo Tumipamba, and Dan Klassen.
-  We also spent New Year’s Eve at the Saavedra’s house, along with the Tutens, the Bryans, the Blacks, Leslie Foster and Dan Klassen.  We watched the firework displays from their rooftop at midnight, and then went down on the sidewalk to burn the effigy of the Old Man (the Old Year).  By about 1am the whole neighborhood was covered in smoke and fireworks, and we all went to bed happy.  :)  Please check out our facebooks for pictures taken by Rick of this great fun!  (I also want to reassure our mothers that we were very, very careful when setting things on fire… hee hee).
- Overall, we assisted in the feeding and entertaining of somewhere between 65 and 70 people over the last two weeks!
-  Our friends, and co-workers, Josh Brown and Sarah Sherrick celebrated their marriage on December 24th in Pennsylvania.  They flew back to Quito a few days later, and then headed straight to the coast and the beach for their honeymoon.  They were back at school as Mr. and Mrs. Brown today.
- Our friend, Luke Owsley, proposed to his girlfriend, Wendy, while visiting New York at Christmas.  His mother was able to fly in from China (where his parents are missionaries) to be there for the event.  He, too, was back in school today, and was smiling from ear to ear.  Wendy hopes to come to visit Quito in February, and we are axious to meet her.

Today…
- We started back to school today, so just about everyone looked a little sleepy and confused.  One student, sadly, was not able to return due to disciplinary issues right before the break.  The school made the decision to expell him due to these issues.  This was a student that Rick was beginning to form a relationship with, so it has been sad for us to see him return to the States.  Please keep him, his friends here, and his parents in your prayers as they work through these changes.  Disciplinary issues are never easy, and I pray that it will be a learning and growing experience for all involved.
-  Please continue to pray for the peer relationships amongst our students at Alliance Academy.  We continue to have many concerns regarding sexual harrassment and innappropriate behavior amongst some of our students.  While I realize that this is not an uncommon problem in most schools, it is my great desire that Alliance Academy be a place that is safe and free from harrassment and bullying.
-  Rick and I continue to pray and seek God’s will regarding our time here in Quito and at Alliance Academy.  Finances continue to be a worry, as I know they are for many people in these times.  We make about 1/4th of what we made in the States, and have been learning how to live on a budget that is a little tighter than we have been used to in the past.  As always, please help us pray that our car in Olathe will sell, as that would free us from the car payments and cost of insurance.

As always, we are so greatful for your thoughts, prayers, and support as we continue to serve God in our day-to-day lives.  We are truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends!  We welcome visits at any time, and would love to help coordinate any missions trips, too.
May God bless and keep you all,
Rachel Sams

Hello Dear Friends!

I apologize for the lack of Monday Memo last week.  It was a difficult week in many ways, and I am afraid that the memo just kind of got away from me.  So, I will try to catch up for the last two weeks in this memo.

We had school (half day) on Thursday, the day of Thanksgiving.  Due to mandates by the Minister of Education, we weren’t able to have as long of a Thanksgiving break as we usually do, but we got half day on Thursday and all day Friday off.  We celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday at the house of some friends (the Saavedras), along with several other friends.  Rick made an amazing turkey and stuffing.  Others brought other sides, like mashed potatoes and gravy, corn dressing, apple pies, etc.  It was wonderful to see everyone together, although I fear most of us were in food comas shortly after eating!

One of our friends, Luke, both teaches at the school and serves as a dorm parent in the Alliance Academy Dorms.  He took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday to spend time away from the dorms.  In order to do this, he spent the weekend with us. Rick loved having another musician in the house and they have begun recording their own rendition of “Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel” (along with some contributions from one of the seniors in the dorm).  We also got to meet Luke’s girlfriend and his family via Skype!

Rick and Luke pulled out all the Christmas decorations on Saturday and made the house look festive.  I contributed by finding our Christmas music and making sure the house sounded festive while they worked! :)  I think my job was the easiest one!  On Monday another friend (Chris Sylva) took Rick and I to buy a real Christmas tree at the park (the artificial ones here are very, very expensive).  It isn’t really a pine tree (it is a type of juniper bush, trimmed into the shape of a tree), but is smells nice and looks beautiful decorated.  We were very thankful to Chris for allowing us to use his driving and his car to bring the tree back to our place.  It is about 8 feet tall and almost touches our ceiling.  Rick says this is the first time he remembers having a real tree!  (Please check out our facebook pages for pictures of the tree!)

This last Friday was the school’s celebration of Quito Days, which is the celebration of the founding of the city of Quito.  The actual holiday is Dec. 6th, but, since that fell on a Sunday this year, we had a half day of school on Friday, December 4th.  The morning hours (for elementary grades) were spent in various games and activities.  My responsibilities were in watching the giant, inflatable castles/bouncy houses/slides and making sure no one fell out of them.  One boy did (rolled down the slide instead of actually sliding, and then rolled right over the edge…).  Thankfully, he landed on his feet and was fine!

Other games included the tomato dances (the couple dances with a tomato pressed between their foreheads, and is disqualified if their tomato is dropped or squished before the music ends), the waxed pole (the contestant has to shimmy up a waxed pole and collect a prize from the top), and sack races.  Rick’s responsibilities were in taking photographs for the yearbook of all the events.  Overall, the kids (and staff) were all exhausted, sunburnt, and pretty content by noon when they got to go home.

On Saturday Rick and I joined a large group of volunteers to help a ministry called Extreme Response with one of their large Christmas parties at a local garbage dump.  The name of the dump is Zambiza and there are many families who live in and/or around the dump, gleaning a living from the recyclables that they take from the trash.  When the wind blows in the right direction, the smell is quite astonishing.  While the city has tried to improve the conditions by forcing people to move their shacks and shanties further away from the dump itself, it is still a very difficult and meager living.  The Christmas party last year was first-come, first-served and they had to start turning people away after serving about 4,000.  This year, to help regulate a little better, they had the  ministry leaders in the neighborhood pass out special invites to the families that were most in need (3.000 invites total).  Only people with invites would be allowed to enter, as that was the amount that they had the resources to serve.  Even so, there were about 2,000 people without invites waiting outside the gates when we arrived, hoping they would be able to come in and receive gifts of food for their families and some small toys for their children.  It was heartbreaking to see them turned away.  Many of the hung around for several hours, and only left when the armed police guards showed up to make sure that things stayed peaceful.  Inside the gates the volunteers lead the kids and families in different games (with prizes of candy for all), face painting, fingernail painting, etc.  At the end of the day they helped to distribute the packages of food and toys to each family.  We left there a little more sunburnt, a little dustier, and very humbled in the knowledge of the many blessings we possess.

Please keep me and the school counselors in your prayers this week, as we begin to address the many issues of self respect, respecting others, appropriate/inappropriate touching, etc. in our middle school and high school.  This will start with a chapel this Wednesday, and will continue with open discussion in each of the Bible classes.  It is my hope that some of our students (those who are stronger in their faith and more mature) will become more intentional in setting a good example, as well as defending the rights of those around them.  Some of our students come from troubled homes and really don’t know how to ask for others to respect them, as they really don’t know how to respect themselves.  It is my hope, above all else, that they will receive a clearer view of how  Christ sees them and how valuable they are in His sight.  Please pray that their hearts and minds will be open to see this Truth!

This weekend we will caravan with a group of friends to Otavalo, one of the biggest artisan markets in South America.  It is about a two hour drive from Quito and is always a fun, cultural experience.  I am looking forward to stocking up on yarn (which is about 75 cents a skein there) and maybe finding a Christmas present or two.  Many of our friends will take advantage of the opportunity to get Christmas gifts for friends and family back ‘home’ (where ever that may be for them).

Once again, thank you all for your thoughts, prayer, and support as we minister here in Quito.  Please think of us often during this season, as we are sure to be missing home and family there.

May God bless and keep you all,
Rachel