The inside of a banana tree when they cut it appears like
corrugated cardboard!
"Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30
God is there for you. Just call out to Him.
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Mission |
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Our Mission
To
follow God's will for our lives so that we can serve Him in all we do,
go wherever He leads, and share His amazing love with those around us.
2) Guayllabamba, Ecuador - Tulcanza Family - Local Missionary Church with two outreach locations
3) El Batan Missionary Alliance Church - Ninos de la calle en riesgo
4) Just For Kids Orphanage and School- Valle de los Chillos, Ecuador
5) Home of Hope - Malawi, Africa, Canadian Missionaries
6) Missionaries and mission trips that God plants in our hearts - Renee
7) Helping Hands Foreign Mission - Orphanage - Cochabamba, Bolivia
Photo Gallery
We visited the national park Otun Quimbaya, less than two hours
from our house and saw lots of wonders of nature.
The ferns are coated with a slimy film to keep the insects
from eating them while they grow.
A crop that is becoming more popular in Colombia
as coffee and banana profits decrease is pineapple!
This farm has approximately 600,000 pinas growing at different stages.
This little fellow was out in the park just hanging out on a fern.
Continue
to support missions around the world:
1)
Cusco, Peru - Romulo Tupa - Local Missionary; Lima, Peru - Pace Family2) Guayllabamba, Ecuador - Tulcanza Family - Local Missionary Church with two outreach locations
3) El Batan Missionary Alliance Church - Ninos de la calle en riesgo
4) Just For Kids Orphanage and School- Valle de los Chillos, Ecuador
5) Home of Hope - Malawi, Africa, Canadian Missionaries
6) Missionaries and mission trips that God plants in our hearts - Renee
7) Helping Hands Foreign Mission - Orphanage - Cochabamba, Bolivia
God
is blessed when we bless others.
Photo Gallery
We visited the national park Otun Quimbaya, less than two hours
from our house and saw lots of wonders of nature.
The ferns are coated with a slimy film to keep the insects
from eating them while they grow.
A crop that is becoming more popular in Colombia
as coffee and banana profits decrease is pineapple!
This farm has approximately 600,000 pinas growing at different stages.
This little fellow was out in the park just hanging out on a fern.
Monthly
News
Not the first place that we've lived that has monkeys in the trees, but definitely the closest to the action! We followed - or they followed us depending on your perspective - this troop of monkeys for about an hour through the jungle. We were blessed to see two of the ten different troops that live in the park. They only threw a few unmentionable items at us but as you can see, they were too far away to do any damage! The park offered several hikes through the jungle and we saw lots of birds and interesting vegetation.
We are finishing up school here in the next couple of weeks and then we head out to Ecuador and Bolivia to see what we can do to continue helping programs in need in those areas. After one more year here, we will be looking for another place to serve God. What we would like is a place where we can be have more hands-on opportunties and while Colombia hasn't really provided that for us, it has given us time to reflect and to learn to be patient for God's timing.
Even though it is poop, you have to admit it attracts some
of the most colorful bugs! Whenever I look at these I think about the
great Designer and know that it isn't just random chance that they are so beautiful.
<>
The fields were staggered so that they could be harvested at different times, essential when you have over 600,000 plants! All at this farm are planted by hand and cared for by hand. They create the furrows of dirt covered with plastic and then punch holes to put in the new starts.
We still have many more adventures in
us and lots of plans to see what is around us that we haven't noticed
yet! We went to lunch today in the next town over - you can see it
across the valley from our house - and had a wonderful meal with the
family of one of my students in a really neat restaurant in a nature
preserve. This student will be going to the states to spend time with
my brother and his family to practice his English and learn some
business skills. It was a great opportunity for him as college wasn't
his next step and my family was willing to partner with him to provide
the chance for something different. Coincidence or God lining up all
these lives to work together to help one another? Why are Steve and I
here? Why did his father come to me and ask if I had any ideas to help
his child? Why are my brother and sister-in-law involved with exchange
students in a tiny town in upstate New York? You know I'm going to say
God's plan because that is what I truly believe creates the connections
we have. Do I think there are different paths we can take? Sure. Some
are better than others and easier, and some we learn different lessons,
but all guide us to our final destination along with those we meet on
the path.
Our desire for you is to see God's plan for you revealed in your life and to take hold and embrace and enjoy it, knowing it was designed especially for you.
Cathy and Steve
Prayer
Requests and
Praises
Prayer
- continued development of Steve's teaching career and good classroom
- the family situation for the assistant pastor in Ecuador in Guayllabamba
- the pastor's daughter - Graciela - as she married a few weeks ago
- my cousin Howard's continued struggle with cystic fibrosis
- Steve's college classes as he works to achieve his degree
- for the teachers leaving and those that lost their jobs that new opportunities will arise
- safe summer travel and new opportunities
Praise
- opportunities to talk with my students about what they believe
- a chance to visit Bolivia again to visit Lily and look at the opportunities there
- Steve only has 5 classes left toward his degree
- to replace/repair our car suspension was less than $100!
- continued good health for Andrea as she is expecting in August
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Not the first place that we've lived that has monkeys in the trees, but definitely the closest to the action! We followed - or they followed us depending on your perspective - this troop of monkeys for about an hour through the jungle. We were blessed to see two of the ten different troops that live in the park. They only threw a few unmentionable items at us but as you can see, they were too far away to do any damage! The park offered several hikes through the jungle and we saw lots of birds and interesting vegetation.
We are finishing up school here in the next couple of weeks and then we head out to Ecuador and Bolivia to see what we can do to continue helping programs in need in those areas. After one more year here, we will be looking for another place to serve God. What we would like is a place where we can be have more hands-on opportunties and while Colombia hasn't really provided that for us, it has given us time to reflect and to learn to be patient for God's timing.
Even though it is poop, you have to admit it attracts some
of the most colorful bugs! Whenever I look at these I think about the
great Designer and know that it isn't just random chance that they are so beautiful.
<>
As
an end of the year lesson, my students watched the movie Simon Birch,
based on story of Owen Meany, a person with disabilties who feels that
he was created by God for a specific purpose. It was a wonderful
opportunity to generate discussions about what the students felt was
their purpose in life as they were graduating and heading out. It
was interesting for me which students felt that life was all just
random events and coincidences, with no connection of the events or
guiding force. For me, there have been too many events in my life that
have lead to this moment and will guide me on; being here in Colombia
with these students was intentional and part of a greater plan.
Last week we were able to visit a pineapple plantation run by the parents of one of our students. It was really interesting as like bananas, the pineapple doesn't grow from a seed but out of part of another plant.
For we are God's
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do Ephesians 2:10).
Last week we were able to visit a pineapple plantation run by the parents of one of our students. It was really interesting as like bananas, the pineapple doesn't grow from a seed but out of part of another plant.
The fields were staggered so that they could be harvested at different times, essential when you have over 600,000 plants! All at this farm are planted by hand and cared for by hand. They create the furrows of dirt covered with plastic and then punch holes to put in the new starts.
Pineapples have become popular as a new
crop as the market and production
of coffee, plantains, and bananas decreases its profit margin.
of coffee, plantains, and bananas decreases its profit margin.
“‘For
I know the plans I have for you,’ declared the Lord,
‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:1)
‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:1)
Our desire for you is to see God's plan for you revealed in your life and to take hold and embrace and enjoy it, knowing it was designed especially for you.
Cathy and Steve
- continued development of Steve's teaching career and good classroom
- the family situation for the assistant pastor in Ecuador in Guayllabamba
- the pastor's daughter - Graciela - as she married a few weeks ago
- my cousin Howard's continued struggle with cystic fibrosis
- Steve's college classes as he works to achieve his degree
- for the teachers leaving and those that lost their jobs that new opportunities will arise
- safe summer travel and new opportunities
Praise
- opportunities to talk with my students about what they believe
- a chance to visit Bolivia again to visit Lily and look at the opportunities there
- Steve only has 5 classes left toward his degree
- to replace/repair our car suspension was less than $100!
- continued good health for Andrea as she is expecting in August
return to home page