Hello friends, family, and everyone else who might happen to read this!

This week had enough content for at least a month, if not more! 

As I said in my last email, Sunday was Baccalaureate.  Everything went smoothly, we got lots of pictures of the graduating seniors, including our friend David La Rosa.

Monday was the Kindergarten graduation.  I have some very cute pictures (and a video clip) that I will try to post on our blog eventually.  The pictures are already on facebook, for those of you who want to look there.

Tuesday was our last pizza party for this school year.  We had 19 people present, 8 pizzas and 3 bottles of pop were consumed, and a general air of chaos prevailed.  Again, there are plenty of pictures on facebook.  It was to be our last pizza night with several of our friends.  The Flemmings are moving to Thailand to minister with Wycliffe Bible Translators next.  Cherie DeRieux is moving back to Texas to continue her degree in Physical Education.  Joey Swenson is moving to Colorado to attend Bible college.  We hope to see both Cherie and Joey back in Ecuador eventually.  Cherie has promised to come back for Rick’s birthday in October.  We will miss them all greatly!  We hope to see everyone else back at the end of the summer!

On Thursday evening Rick attended the wedding rehearsal for our friends, Bethany and Santiago.  Many of Santi’s family members are not believers, and it was the couple’s wish that in addition to the rehearsal, there be an hour or so of worship music, and a short talk from our pastor.  Rick got the chance to sing with a group of musicians and vocalists that he really enjoys.  It was also a chance for him to practice the song he would sing at the wedding, which made Leslie Foster (who was singing with him) quite happy.  Their practice went off without a hitch, but the wedding rehearsal itself, as per latin custom, didn’t start until at least an hour late.  I was not in the wedding (just a guest), so I didn’t have to attend.  Rick was not required to remain for the actual wedding rehearsal, so he happily came home after his song rehearsal and the worship set was done.

Friday night was graduation.  I know that attending graduations is rarely a ‘fun’ thing…  The ceremonies are long.  The chairs in the gym are not super comfortable.  I don’t know half the people there.  Etc. At the same time, it is exciting and amazing to watch each of these students as they complete their high school careers and step out into the next stage of their lives.  Some will go to the United States, some to Canada, some to Europe, and some to Asia.  Please keep them all in your prayers, as they leave the protective environment of Alliance Academy International, and step out into a bigger world.  Please pray that their faith would continue to be strong, that they would maintain their focus on the Lord, and that they would continue to find their identity in Him.

Saturday we attended the aforementioned wedding of Bethany and Santiago.  We went to the school at 10 am to meet up with others who would be attending (musicians, vocalists, and a few of us who were just tagging along for the ride).  We found out, shortly into the ride, that there was construction on the road and the traffic was backed up for miles.  Since this meant that all those attending would also be late, there wasn’t much else that we could do but wait.  Rick called the groom and tried to get him to start the wedding anyway (since the bride, groom, and preacher were already there), but they opted to wait for all of the rest of us.  Instead of starting at 12pm, we started at 1:30pm.  The sun came out of the clouds right before the wedding started, and the bride walked down a beautiful path of rose petals to stand under an archway of flowers.  The whole event was beautiful, and it is always awe inspiring to see a young couple dedicate their lives, their relationship, and their marriage to the Lord. 
The reception was held in a tent on the lawn of the same hacienda.  The food was amazing.  The dance floor was always full (lots of salsa and merengue music!).  The company was great.  Suffice to say, fun was had by all!

Sunday found us helping our friend, Leslie Foster, move into her new apartment (the apartment that is being vacated by the Flemmings).  This means that she will live closer to us, have her own space (no roommates), and more able to attend our pizza nights (if she wants to).  :)  She is very organized, so the move went off without a hitch.  Many people pitched in and the whole thing only took a few hours (including lunch from Papa John’s who, with my help, now know that her name is ‘Leslie Foster’ and not ‘Gringa Gringa’).

Today, Monday, found us back at the school for the final ‘closing up shop’.  My TA (teacher’s assistant), a junior at Alliance Academy, came in for an hour or two just to spend time with me.  She has been such a blessing, and I am looking forward to having her as a TA next year too.  I can’t say that we get a lot of work done, but we do a lot of crafts, which I usually turn around and do with some of the other students in a therapeutic way.  Somehow, it is a good thing.
My office is now officially closed for the summer.  Everything is covered in plastic tarps, the cabinets are locked, and the coffee pot has been put away.  It is rather lonely looking, but encouraging that I can actually get all my ‘junk’ to fit in the cabinets somehow!  Rick will continue to go in for a few hours a day over the next few days.  They yearbook still has some work to be done, so he will wrap it all up and take what he needs to with him to the States to work on over the summer break.

I hope to continue the Monday Memo over the next five weeks when we are in the States.  I hope that you will all enjoy reading about the people and places we will see while we are there, as well as knowing how to pray for us when we travel.  We will fly out of Quito this coming Friday (the 19th) at 6:30am.  Please keep us in your prayers as we travel (all the usual things… no lost luggage, no flight delays, etc.).

We love you all and look forward to seeing you soon!
Blessings,
Rachel Sams

Dear friends and family,

The time continues to pass quickly, and we are counting down the days until school is through for the year and we are headed back to visit you all.  As always, there is much to do.  Rick’s hands are full with creating brochures, posters, announcements, etc. as well as teaching his classes.  I have been busy wrapping up paperwork and helping students manage the stress of finals.  We are truly looking forward to a few weeks of vacation, spent with people that we love.

Our friends, the La Rosa family (Dad - Sergio, Mom - Susan, Daughter - Jessica, and Son - David) arrived from Peru on Tuesday.  David was a student at AAI last year, has completed his senior year via correspondence, and will walk with the seniors at graduation here.  Rick was David’s tutor last year, which spawned a good friendship between two musicians and artists.  It has been wonderful to have them staying with us, and we hope to visit them in Trujillo, Peru some day in the near future.

Saturday was Baccalaureate at Alliance Academy.  There was a brief ceremony in which each of the graduates told what brought their family to Ecuador and what they were planning to do after graduation.  It was surprising to me how many of them will go to Europe, as well as to North America or South America.  Many will study international business or foreign affairs.
After the ceremony there was a time to take pictures with the graduates in their caps and gowns.  Then we moved into the gym for the baccalaureate ceremony.  There were speeches, some music, and lots of cameras.  Please feel free to check out website (www.rnrsams.com) or facebooks for pictures.

Over the last week, Rick has been having a lot of pain in his right foot.  His big toe is swollen and very painful.  After talking with the school nurse, several friends, the pharmacist, and research online…  the unofficial diagnosis is that he has gout.  There isn’t much for him to ammend in his diet, so we are hopeful that the medicine sold her for ‘la gota’ will do the trick.  He has been taking it for about two days, and says he already feels a great deal of relief.  All we can do at this point is try to avoid any future flare ups.

I was blessed to attend the kindergartener’s graduation ceremony today.  They sang two songs (”I’m bringing home a baby bumble bee”, and “I’m in the Lord’s army”), received their diplomas/certificates, and said their A,B,C’s.  It was so cute to see them and their parents.  They were so proud!  I knew several of the kids due to adjustment issues in pre-kinder, so it was especially nostalgic to see them doing so well, and preparing to move on into first grade.

Please keep us, and other staff at the school in your prayers over the next week.  We are all tired, stressed, and ready to be done for the year.  Please pray that we will be humble and patient with one another for just a few more days.

We head out for the States on June 19th!  Just a few more days!

Blessings,
Rachel Sams

‘Hello’ to all of you!

For no truly good reason, I have dawdled a day and the Monday memo is arriving to you on Tuesday.  Senior-itis?  Perchance! 

As always, the week has been full and has had many enjoyable moments.  I look back each week on the calendar, and am surprised at the many events we pack into a mere seven days.  Between ministry, work, and just-plain-fun… we stay pretty busy.

This last Wednesday, the counseling department (organized by our very own Mari Hernandez-Tuten) hosted a Mother/Daughter Event at the school).  There was a ‘Funky Fashion Show’ in which each contestant was required to create and/or decorate their fashion outfits with crepe paper, newspaper, and other recycled materials.  One contestant even had a purse crocheted from plastic, grocery store bags!  There were manicure/pedicure stations set up, thanks to one of our teachers who also runs a salon near by.  Each mother and daughter were able to sign up for manicures or pedicures for only $5 a piece.  We also had a few booths selling snacks, jewelry, and children’s clothing.  Over all, it was great fun.  One mother told Mari, “I wasn’t able to stay long enough for a manicure, but it was so fun to get to know and spend time with other women from the school!”.

Thursday we had a bridal shower for Bethany Meekins, a friend and teacher.  She and her fiance, Santiago, will be married in two weeks. Rick, along with our friend Leslie, will sing at their wedding.  The bridal shower, of course, was only for girls.  We played many traditional bridal shower games, ate cake, and drank punch.  It is fun to see how different teachers can act when they aren’t corralling a large group of children from one subject to another!

On Friday I celebrated an early birthday, along with my friend Amanda (who also had a birthday this month).  A group of the girls took us out for dinner, and then we returned to Mari’s new apartment (can you tell that she is our girl’s events planner?), since she now has a heated, in-door pool.  Leslie made both cake and cake-balls (which I have never eaten before Quito, but am quite fond of!).  It was a great girl’s night!

Also on Friday night, our friends Josh and Josh Greer had to rush their two-month old daughter, Isabella, to the Emergency Room.  She was not breathing or moving.  Joy administered CPR all the way to the hospital, where they suctioned out Isabella’s lungs and hooked her up to several IVs.  The doctors think she must have aspirated some mucous, due to a cold, but they are not sure.  She is now home and doing well, but the doctors are recommending a battery of tests over the next week or so, just to make sure that everything is OK.  We praise God that Josh and Joy are such attentive parents, and that they heard Isabella coughing when they did.  Please continue to pray for them over the next few weeks, as they make sure that Isabella continues to stay healthy.

Saturday morning found us back at the school, and then on to Calacali with the Opción de Vida boys, for a day out of the city.  There were eight boys from Opción de Vida, Pastor Marcelo (who runs the ministry) and his wife and son, about 10 students from Alliance Academy, and about 6 adults from Alliance Academy.  The day started with different games to help us remember names, then some relay races outside.  Of course, there was time set aside for soccer and volleyball (Ecua-volley… which has it’s own set of rules).  Lois Wells baked a turkey (at the request of the Opción boys), which we served with mashed potatoes and gravy.  Tommy Bowen led a devotional, and several of the Alliance students led worship.  It has been wonderful for me to see the growth in the Opción de Vida boys over the last few months.  Since the ministry is now able to provide beds for them to sleep in (up to eight boys), they have been given a level/point system to earn the right to sleep at the ministry (instead of on the streets).  As they work their way up the levels, they show an increasing amount of respect for each other and for others, as well as an increased ability to tolerate frustration.  This is huge for boys who have been living on the street and have had no rules to follow other that to survive.

Saturday night was the Junior/Senior Banquet, which is Alliance Academy’s version of prom.  Rick, being the school photographer, attended and took all of the couple’s pictures.  The event took place at a beautiful hacienda, outdoors, with party tents and soft lighting.  Several groups of students gave musical performances and a few teachers spoke.  There was a video presentation of the seniors, coordinated by the junior class.  As the dinner portion of the evening wound down, Rick decided to head home.  Shortly after he left, I was told, the dance floor opened up.  Men dressed as court jesters handed out crazy hats, headbands with springy antennas, etc. and a conga line ensued.  The party continued until about midnight, at which point most of the adults went home, and the students headed off to different houses where the parties continued until dawn.  Needless to say, most of them were not in church on Sunday.

Sunday was my birthday!  Thanks to all of you who sent birthday greetings via email, facebook, or phone.  It was a wonderful day, with a good sermon on Sunday morning, lunch at a local chifa (Chinese) restaurant, and then dinner at a local Irish pub called Finn McCool’s.  Their shepherd’s pie is wonderful, as is the Irish stew and the fish ‘n chips.  Many of our friends joined us (I think there were 10 or 12 total), including our pastor, Len Kinzel and his wife Beth.  Len and Beth pointed out their glee that the current school counselor has tattoos, which was once one of reasons why students were sent to counseling in the first place.

May the Lord bless you all on this Monday evening!

Once again, this has been a very busy week.  I think that  the next few weeks will continue to be ‘full speed’, as the school year winds down.

Last Wednesday was our last Opcion de Vida meeting for the year.    Some of the Alliance Academy students brought guitars and a conga drum, and the Opcion de Vida boys really enjoyed the opportunity to sing and praise the Lord.  Our students had prepared four different worship songs, and I think we sang each of them at least five times!  I don’t know why we didn’t try this earlier this year! We will definitely do it again in the following school year.  At this point there are eight boys sleeping at the Opcion de Vida building each night.  They earn this priviledge by working up a point/level system based on their ability to follow directions and show respect to others.  Their goal is to be in a house set up by September, which will be able to house many more boys.  We have seen a significant improvement in the way the boys treat one another and adults over the last month.  There is a lot less arguing and yelling, not to mention a decrease the amount of pushing and shoving eachother when they are upset.  Pastor Marcelo (who runs the ministry) has requested that the Alliance Academy group help him put together some photographs of the boys, so that they can put them over their beds and really make the building their ‘home’.

This next Saturday will be our second time to take the Opcion de Vida boys to Calacali.  Many of these boys have never been out of the city before, and really enjoy going to a farm type environment and spending the day outdoors.  Please keep us in your prayers this Saturday, as we lead them in devotions and worship, as well as many games.  For boys on the street, when you have little to no possessions, the most important thing in your life is your relationships.  They notice when we miss, and ask us why we weren’t there!  I pray that they will continue to know that we care, even during the summer months when we are not around.

We have a new visitor to our back yard…    Along with the hummingbirds, the doves, and the Mirlos (strange, black birds with bright orange beaks and feet), we now have what I think is a Plain Breasted Hawk.  We hear him screaming every morning and night, although we have only seen him once.  I hope that he doesn’t scare off the other birds, but it is fun to have some variety around.

Sunday was our goodbye party for our friends, Joey Swenson and Cherie DeRieux.  Joey is a former graduate of AAI who has been working with Youth World for a few years.  He is easily the most affectionate and genuine person that I have known, although we often tease that he has not personal space to speak of (although he is respectful of other people’s personal space, when appropraite).  He is returning to the States to attend seminary.  It is his hope to return in the future, and we hope to see him back, too.  Cherie has been at AAI about as long as we have (2 years) teaching girls PE and Health classes.  She is returning home to Texas, but has promised to return in October for Rick’s birthday.  We have loved her sense of humor combined with a wonderful sense of cynicism.

This week is the Senior Trip, which means that all of the seniors (and a few lucky staff) are all at the beach.  Rick’s classes are missing about 50% of the students (since they are seniors), and many classes seem to be spending a lot of time in the library, working on projects.  We hope that they will all return, safe/sound/tanned in time for the Junior/Senior Banquet this Saturday.  We also pray that they will enjoy the banquet and the after parties in a safe and healthy manner.

I actually have two birthday parties lined up for this weekend.  Amanda Black and I will celebrate our birthdays together this Friday, as we got out with all the girls to a local cafe.  Plans are still up in the air, but there is talk of cake and a ‘chick flick’ at Mari Hernandez-Tuten’s house afterwards.  Rick is also planning a birthday get-together on Sunday (for guys and gals) at my favorite restaurant in Quito, Uncle Hos (I promise I like it for the food, and not for the name… although it does amuse me!).

Thank you all for you prayers and support.  The next few weeks should be very busy, and we need all the energy, patience, and organization that we can get!

May God bless and keep you all,
Rachel Sams

Hello friends and family!

This week finds us both healthy and happy.  As always, it has been a week full of activity, but mostly enjoyable.

Our weekly pizza night (Tuesdays is two-for-one pizza at all the local pizza joints) found our apartment filled with fifteen friends.  Most were from Alliance Academy, one was the friend of a friend who was visiting from Cuenca, and another was a friend from a local ministry.  It is loud, the food was good, several people enjoyed bouncing about on our exercise ball (or falling off of it), and one of the pizzas came with choclo (white, feed corn) on it!  It was memorable!
Wednesday was our second-to-last time at Opcion de Vida, the ministry for street boys where we are involved.  We played a version of Hollywood Squares, and most of the questions were focused on listening/understanding/responding in English.  The boys seemed to enjoy it, and we were all pleasantly surprised by how much of the information they had retained from this year.  Several of the Alliance students have also stepped forward and are very good at leading the devotionals and the teaching times.  This week will be our last time to meet with them this year.  Rick is leading the devotional portion, with translation assistance from one of the students.  Several of our boys have agreed to help with worship, too.

Saturday was a soccer tournament at Alliance Academy, organized by another local ministry for street boys called Casa Gabriel (Casa G, for short.  Their website is http://www.youthworld.org.ec/street.htm if you would like to know more).  A few months ago, thieves broke into their home, tied them all up, held them at gun point, and stole all the money they had in their safe (approximately $4000).  They also took their watches, any cell phones, etc.  This was a huge set back for many of the boys and for the home.  God’s mercy and humour can be seen in the fact that, several days after the robbery, many of the boys were critiquing the robber’s style (ie “they didn’t tie those knots right” “When I was doing that type of thing, I wouldn’t have come in the front door, but come thru the back” etc.)

The soccer tournament this Saturday saw a wonderful turn out, with 16 different teams signed up.  All of the concession stand items were donated, as well.  At the end of the day, Casa G had raised $3000!  One of the boys took advantage of the event to share his testimony, along with an amazing rap about how God has changed his life.  It was truly amazing.

Rick continues to sing on the worship team at EFC.  They have hired a music director, Roberto Vivanco, who has a wonderful talent and a heart for the Lord.  Rick says that they work well together, and Rick is also getting a little more experience in singing some of the worship songs in Spanish, too.

Today was our last Peer Helpers meeting of the year.  We used the time to review the topics we have covered this year.  The students all seemed to have enjoyed it and seem to have remembered a lot of what we taught.  I pray that they will continue to sow into the lives of others, both at Alliance Academy and elsewhere.  About half of our group are seniors, which means they will be in several different countries soon.  We plan to meet one more time, in two weeks, for a final dinner to celebrate our group this year.

Our friend, Patty Uscategue, has returned to work after the death of her son.  She has asked us to convey her thanks for all of those who have held her up in prayer over the last few weeks.  Thank you for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.

We are truly looking forward to the summer months and the chance to see many of you.  We may be a little frazzled when we first get there, but the time with friends will quickly remedy that.

May God bless and keep you always,
Rachel Sams

Hello and ’saludos’ to you all!

I pray that this email finds you all well, and content in the life that God has given you.

Wow, it seems like not much has happened this week, but there are always so many little things to share.

The social skills group for the 3rd and 4th graders continues to grow, and so far the kids seem to be having fun. We play a lot of games that focus on following cues and remember peoples names, as well as different craft activities to promote following directions and working with others.  This Friday we will start going into each of the elementary classes to lead brief lessons on healthy touch, bullying, etc.  The teachers are very excited about it, and have been very gracious in providing time for us to meet with their classes.  We hope to get at least one lesson per classroom done, and maybe a second, before the end of the school year.

Saturday was the final, couple’s event (offered to parents of students at Alliance Academy).  The couples joined together at a local ministry (through Youth World) and, together, worked through several different ropes/obstacle courses.  The activities encouraged and promoted communication skills, team work, leadership, and patience.  Several of the couples have stated that they came away from the event with sore stomach muscles from laughing so hard.  We are so greatful that we are able to provide this type of marriage building activities for the parents of our students!

Thanks to the blessing of our Vonage line, Rick and I were able to call our mothers on Mother’s Day.  While we would like to be closer to them on their special day, we are happy to be able to talk with them on the phone, and both feel very blessed to have such wonderful, godly women in our lives.

I led two seminars for the seniors today on the topic of addiction.  Since they are all preparing for graduation and all the transitions that come with that, this seemed like a good topic for them to think about.  While they all seem to be suffering from ’senioritis’, and attention spans are short, the classes were respectful and moderately attentive.  Overall, it was fun.

Rick and I wanted to voice our thanks to all of our supporters who reached out in prayer and/or financial support to our friend Patti Uscategui and her family during their time of grief.  The funeral costs were around $1000, plus the cost of the plane ticket to bring her youngest son back to Quito from Germany (where he is studying).  The family is strong in their faith, and have a wonderful support structure through their church, as well as through Alliance Academy.  Patty hopes to return to work by next Monday.  Thank you for keeping them all in your prayers as they navigate the grief process.

Rick and I will land in Kansas City, KS in 39 days!  We are so looking forward to seeing many of you, either in KS, MO, CO, or FL.  Rick is starting to schedule lunch/dinner/etc. dates for us, so feel free to email him if you want to book a specific time or day.

May God bless and keep you all, as you continue to serve and minister in His kingdom.

Rachel Sams

Hola, friends and family!

I am proud to announce that Rick and I have now eaten at Chili’s in Quito, at their highest (altitude-wise) location in the world. They opened their restaurant here a few weeks ago, and eating there on a Sunday afternoon reminded us of the many wonderful Sunday lunches at Chilis in Olathe with the Millers and other Oak Hill’s friends. Rick was delighted to learn that the Chili’s here has sweet corn, and not the traditional ‘choclo’ (white, feed corn… similar to hominy).  It was a taste of home.

A brief update on the Uscategi family.  Their son, Daniel, was 22 years old, and had been diagnosed with tachycardia a few years ago.  This last Friday morning, while at the birthday party of a young cousin, he suffered a heart attack.  The family called for an ambulance, but he died before the ambulance arrived.  The memorial service was on Saturday and the funeral was on Sunday.  Due to a delay in information, Rick and I were not able to attend the services, but we hope to be able to continue ministering to the family over the months to come.  Daniel’s father, Raul, has many serious health issues and is not able to work.  While Daniel’s mother, Patty, works at Alliance Academy, she is the only bread winner in the family and the funeral costs are high.  Please pray for them in their grief, as well as for their financial needs.

Last Thursday was the first Social Skills group for 3rd and 4th graders at Alliance Academy.  We started out with four girls from 3rd grade, who all seemed to enjoy the time spent together.  We hope to continue on Fridays from now on, and will have at least 4 boys join the group this week.  Please keep the kids and the counselors in your prayers, as we seek to minister to the kids while still allowing them to have fun!  It should prove to be an enjoyable challenge.

We spent this last Saturday with our friends, the Greers (Josh, Joy, and their 4 month old daughter, Isabella), in two towns named Otavalo and Cotocachi.  Otavalo has one of the largest, indigenous, artesenal markets in the western hemisphere.  We were able to spend time with friends, as well as get some shopping done for friends in the States.  Cotocachi is a town dedicated almost entirely to leather goods.  While we did some shopping for friends there, too, we also decided to invest in early anniversary (August 31st) gifts for ourselves.  We both found nice jackets, at very reasonable prices, that we will be able to use often in Quito.  I am sure they will show up in some of our pictures eventually.

In Otavalo I was able to stock up on many different colors of yarn.  I am currently in the process of crocheting multiple hand puppets for the counseling department.  Those of you with facebook have probably seen pictures of one of the completed ones…  Yes, I know how much of a geek I am! :)  It is fun to be able to contribute in a crafty way, and the kids seem to like to really engage with the puppets.

May God bless and keep you all.  You are in our prayers, and we know that we are in yours.

Rachel Sams

Please pray for the family of a dear friend and co-worker of ours here.  Patty Uscategui’s 20-year-old son, Daniel, had a heart attack and passed away.  Patty has been such a tremendous blessing to us, and her family (who live just a block away) have become some of our favorite people.  Pray that they will receive comfort in their grief, and that an other-wordly strength will sustain them in their darkest of hours.

This week has been quite an eventful one, for us, the school, and the country of Ecuador.

Yesterday, Sunday, was election day for Ecuador.  A news article here will fill you in a little more. The people of Ecuador chose candidates for the president and vice-president, 124 members of the national legislative assembly, 221 mayors, 24 prefects and 1581 municipal officials.  The final result was the re-election of the president (Rafael Correa), the election of a new assembly (formerly called the congress), and the election of new mayors for several of the provinces.  While we were happy that the election process appears to have gone smoothly, I must admit that several of us were selfishly hoping for strikes (so that school would be canceled on Monday).  Alas, there were no strikes and school took place as scheduled.

I have spoken (via telephone and facebook) several times this week with my mother, who has gone to Pennsylvania to help my grandmother who has been ill.  They tell me that my Granny is home from the hospital and is doing better, but still struggles with breathlessnes and joint pain.  She is in good spirits, but tires easily.

Rick and I were guinea pigs for the students in his video class today, as they record interviews with different staff members for supplemental chapters for Alliance Academy’s promotional video.  Perhaps future teachers and staff will get to listen to our opinions on life in Quito, school growth, and traveling tips.  I hope whatever we said was useful!

Rick continues to teach jujitsu to a growing number of students.  His class now consists of one adult and three teenagers, all of whom show a good amount of enthusiasm and potential.  Rick hopes to continue to add to the class, and is excited about the possibility of testing for the first part of his second-degree black belt while we are back in Kansas this summer.

I, along with the other counselors, will begin a Social Skills group for students in 3rd and 4th graders this coming Thursday.  So far it looks like the group will be all boys!  Please keep us all in your prayers, as we try to get referrals from teachers and consent forms from parents.  There is a great need for this type of group, but little time and energy!

Rick has begun writing music again, after a hiatus of several years.  He has been working on one song in particular (with several ideas in the wings), and is hoping to spend some time in a recording studio with some friends over the summer months.

He has also been working on a graphic design project for my brother’s employer (DTS), and is almost done.  He has really enjoyed being able to do graphic design work of that quality, and he and Jason seem to have worked well together.  It has been a good experience, and the extra money he will make will come in handy over the next few months.

I am currently working on creating a manual for the Counseling Department of Alliance Academy, including our purpose statement and standard procedure.  Apparently this has never been done at AAI, and it is my hope to have the basic outline in place by the end of the year.  It will require a little bit of research and typing, but I think it will fall into place fairly quickly.

As Rick posted last week, our schedule for the summer is falling into place.  Many friends have offered their homes, and are looking forward to spending time with you all when we are there.

May God bless and keep you all,
Rachel Sams

Hey guys.

Rick here.  Decided to temporarily take over the reigns of the weekly email update, just to prove that I could do something on a deadline.  Of course, Rachel’s brother Jason will know that I’m doing this instead of working on a project for his company for which I have a pretty tight deadline.  Can’t have it both ways, dude.

Anyway, the past week was great.  We finished up Easter break, and it was very relaxing.  Like Rachel mentioned a couple weeks ago, we’d planned a trip to Cuenca, which is by far my favorite city in Ecuador.  But to be completely honest, when Craig came down sick, one of the first things I thought (right after “Oh dear, I sincerely hope he mends quickly”) was “Ooooo, might I get to sleep in for six days straight?”  Really was just what we both needed (Rachel and I, not Craig and I).  I got a lot of work done on an on-the-side musical project I’ve been pluggin’ away at recently, read a couple of books, ate a lot of good food, and took several naps.  We really didn’t want to go back to work on Wednesday, but three days before another weekend was better than five, by far.

Opción de Vida this week was crazy.  It rained harder than it has since before we moved here.  The streets were flooded, and traffic was virtually at a stand-still.  We normally make the 20-minute walk on foot, but this time we decided a school van would work better.  Getting there wasn’t all that bad, but the drive back (which should’ve taken 5 minutes) took 45.  Incidentally, I drove.  I was just a little stressed out.  Some of the tunnels had flooded out, and many of the major thoroughfares were parking lots.  About every other street in Quito is one-way, and they’re known to change overnight with no warning (or change in signage).  Driving the wrong way on a one-way street here is a three-day jail stay, so trying to find an alternate route back to school was an endeavor fraught with peril.  (I’m much to pretty to go to jail.)  The street boys were all wound up, and in retrospect it probably wasn’t a good day to bring hard-boiled eggs and food dye.  Many of the kids we work with are street performers (jugglers), and I don’t think there was an intact egg left when we headed out.  I’m sure next week will be better.

Speaking of school-related oddness, it’s “baby” week at AAI.  All the seniors have been paired up in “husband/wife” couples, and are taking turns toting a watermelon “baby” around for a week.  Evidently it’s a requirement that they “decorate” their fruity offspring, and the lengths to which the moms are going to accesorize their children is amazing.  I’ll be sure to take some pictures.

Rachel has asked that you pray for her Granny Anderson.  She’s not been in fantastic health for some time, and has spent the last couple of weeks in the hospital with complications from lupus.  She’s a fantastic lady.  We appreciate you remembering her.

There’s some good money news this month.  Donations are already at $1,200 for the month, and Rachel’s bro hooked me up with a pretty easy (if a little time-consuming) job for his company that will add another nice chunk of change to the coffers.  This will help significantly toward spending money for the summer.

Summer plans are starting to come together.  We’ll be flying into Kansas City on Friday evening, June 19th.  We’ll be in KC for two weeks.  During that time, we’ve already got a couple of parties planned, plus a possible short camping trip for me.  I’ve also recently connected with a few of my buddies from college, and we’ve got a cookout tentatively planned with that group as well.  I talked to one of my best friends just yesterday.  He and his wife have moved away from KC, but are going to (coincidentally) be back in town during the time we’re there.  The KC time is shaping up to be perfect.  Our tentative plans after KC call for a few days in Springfield with my folks before we (Mom, Dad, Rachel, and I) head out to Colorado to spend five days or so with my sis and her family.  Mom and I have even chatted about the possibility of a night with the whole bunch at the YMCA of the Rockies just outside of Estes Park.  (I know, I live at 9,300 feet in the Andes … I shouldn’t miss the Rockies, but I do.)  We’ll then drive back to KC with my folks and spend one night before flying out on July 14th to Tampa.  The time in Tampa will be a hazy blur of pool/book/food/sleep/repeat, which will be  mind-numbingly awesome.  Again with the coincidences … Craig and Amanda will overlap with our Florida trip while visiting her parents in St. Pete.  We hope to connect with them for one day anyway.  All in all, it sounds like it’s really going to be a great vacation.  Hope to see as many of you as we possibly can.

Pray for us as we start to wind the school year down.  The next seven weeks or so will be some of the most stressful of the year.  Rachel asks that you pray specifically for spritual protection and guidance.  Amid all the noise and clutter, it’s easy to lose sight of important things and to stop listening.  Thanks so much for all your prayers and support.

We love you much.

Rick