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