Fall is the season to be in Upstate New York
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge
of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter:3
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Our Mission
2) Guayllabamba, Ecuador - Tulcanza Family - Local Missionary Church with two outreach locations
3) El Batan Missionary Alliance Church
4) Just For Kids Orphanage - Valle de los Chillos, Ecuador
5) Home of Hope - Malawi, Africa, Canadian Missionaries
6) Missionaries and mission trips that God plants in our hearts
7) Ninos en Riesgo Proejct - El Batan, Quito, Ecuador
Photo Gallery
Nature was in full swing everywhere we were this October
.
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.
Continue
to support mission projects around the world:
1)
Cusco, Peru - Romulo Tupa - Local Missionary2) Guayllabamba, Ecuador - Tulcanza Family - Local Missionary Church with two outreach locations
3) El Batan Missionary Alliance Church
4) Just For Kids Orphanage - Valle de los Chillos, Ecuador
5) Home of Hope - Malawi, Africa, Canadian Missionaries
6) Missionaries and mission trips that God plants in our hearts
7) Ninos en Riesgo Proejct - El Batan, Quito, Ecuador
Photo Gallery
Nature was in full swing everywhere we were this October
.
Even though the coffee is picked pretty much all year,
we still haven't actually seen someone in fields doing it!
we still haven't actually seen someone in fields doing it!
Monthly
News
One of the projects that is the closest to our hearts has truly been blessed to become a project of the current president of Ecuador. The Ninos en Riesgo are receiving help from the government to build an additional center where the kids that live on the streets can actually sleep and learn a trade to help them change their lives. Go to this link: http://www.alianzaelbatan.org/covi-imagenes.html to see some of what has been happening. Don't think that that means that all is well! I just received a message from the pastor responsible for the program asking if we had a group that could help this Christmas. Unfortunately, with the increased costs of airfare and other issues, we couldn't get a group together until next July. They have plenty of work and help for us to do, so if you are interested in being a part of this group, July 11th - 19th, please contact me at cathleen_carpenter@hotmail.com and I'll get you the details.
Some of the kids that benefit from the program
I had just had the
chance to visit for a few days and had been up in the quarry with my
dad and had enjoyed my time with him, but I still wasn't ready for it
to be the last time! I thank God that he still has plans for my dad
here on earth so if you get nothing else from this story, don't let the
things that don't really matter in the big picture keep you from using
your time to build relationships that matter.
.
I love the different colors that many of the buildings and houses are painted.
We heard from a tour guide that the colors are chosen by the woman to represent love
and happiness in her home and I am all for that as a lover of color!
We continue to seek
God's will for our lives in the next two years to decide whether to
stay here in Colombia, go elsewhere abroad, or return to the states. We
both say it depends on how much whoever is in power in government
decides to tax us! If the country allows any leadership to penalize
those that have planned carefully for retirement to help those that
didn't, socialism can't be far away. Our whole country was based on
people being able to work hard and benefit from the ideas and
inventions of others to be successful and yet it seems that it is more
important to be sure no one has to "sacrifice" anything and all is
"equal". We were married three years before we got our first house and
have owned one new car between us our entire life so the idea that
everyone has a "right" to certain things whenever they want them is
what will drive our country into more debt and social decay; that's my
soapbox for today.
Steve and Graciela in Salento
Prayer Requests and
Praises
The leaves were already down, but the scenery is still beautiful in Norwich, New York
Praises
- continued good health
- opportunity to return to the states for a short visit
- interest in a language group that will hopefully lead to other relationships
- my dad's accident not being really serious
Prayer
- Guidance on where God wants us to go from here
- For people to participate in Ecuador in future mission opportunities
- Graciela to be successful in her time here in Colombia with us
- my dad's recovery to continue to go well
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One of the projects that is the closest to our hearts has truly been blessed to become a project of the current president of Ecuador. The Ninos en Riesgo are receiving help from the government to build an additional center where the kids that live on the streets can actually sleep and learn a trade to help them change their lives. Go to this link: http://www.alianzaelbatan.org/covi-imagenes.html to see some of what has been happening. Don't think that that means that all is well! I just received a message from the pastor responsible for the program asking if we had a group that could help this Christmas. Unfortunately, with the increased costs of airfare and other issues, we couldn't get a group together until next July. They have plenty of work and help for us to do, so if you are interested in being a part of this group, July 11th - 19th, please contact me at cathleen_carpenter@hotmail.com and I'll get you the details.
Some of the kids that benefit from the program
We will also be
working with some church construction and programs at two other
outreach and mission churches during that time. You will be as blessed
as the people you bless if you participate in a mission trip!
On message that came across to me this week was about growing in your life and your walk with God. We have gotten to be such a society of "light" that I think sometimes that attitude carries over into our relationship with God. From light menus to no-fat sour cream and low-fat brownies, we are looking for less in a lot of areas, but maybe not seeing that we need more "fat" in others. I am constantly amazed that God actually wants a relationship with me, and then embarrassed and disappointed in myself for not taking the time to meet with Him.
I started a Girls Night Out this month for anyone from church or school that wanted to get together to eat and practice English as a way to build relationships and encourage those around me. We meet every Wednesday and hopefully it will be a blessing to those that attend. I think the hard part for some of the Colombians is that it is free and they are used to having to pay for extras so pray they don't let that stop them from participating!
The biggest event of the month was my dad (above) falling out of his deer stand up in the stone quarry behind our house. God was definitely there as it was one of the times my mom was with him and he had just taught her how to drive the four-wheeler. She had to go about a mile back down the hill for help and they life- flighted him up to the hospital in Syracuse. He broke several ribs, bruised a lung, and got a concusion along with various bumps and bruises, but is back home recovering. It was a bad thing but it couldn't have happened at a better time.
On message that came across to me this week was about growing in your life and your walk with God. We have gotten to be such a society of "light" that I think sometimes that attitude carries over into our relationship with God. From light menus to no-fat sour cream and low-fat brownies, we are looking for less in a lot of areas, but maybe not seeing that we need more "fat" in others. I am constantly amazed that God actually wants a relationship with me, and then embarrassed and disappointed in myself for not taking the time to meet with Him.
I started a Girls Night Out this month for anyone from church or school that wanted to get together to eat and practice English as a way to build relationships and encourage those around me. We meet every Wednesday and hopefully it will be a blessing to those that attend. I think the hard part for some of the Colombians is that it is free and they are used to having to pay for extras so pray they don't let that stop them from participating!
The biggest event of the month was my dad (above) falling out of his deer stand up in the stone quarry behind our house. God was definitely there as it was one of the times my mom was with him and he had just taught her how to drive the four-wheeler. She had to go about a mile back down the hill for help and they life- flighted him up to the hospital in Syracuse. He broke several ribs, bruised a lung, and got a concusion along with various bumps and bruises, but is back home recovering. It was a bad thing but it couldn't have happened at a better time.
The road up to the
stone quarry always reminds me of a place Robert Frost would write
about.
.
I love the different colors that many of the buildings and houses are painted.
We heard from a tour guide that the colors are chosen by the woman to represent love
and happiness in her home and I am all for that as a lover of color!
In Guayllabama, the
pastor continues to build the congregations in Cheka and Chimburlo.
Both are groups of new Christians that need a lot of guidance and
direction, so pray for the Holy Spirit to continue moving in those
places. Chimburlo is a unique community in that there isn't any type of
religious influence in the area, not even Catholic, and the people are
searching for answers.
One other "project" we have in progress is an exchange student staying with us from Ecuador from now until Christmas. Graciela is the daughter of the pastor in Guayllabamba and she just graduated from college in October. She is going to stay with us for two months to work on her English and hopefully increase her opportunities for employment.
The gang out at a
typical Colombian finca at the Parque de Cafe
One other "project" we have in progress is an exchange student staying with us from Ecuador from now until Christmas. Graciela is the daughter of the pastor in Guayllabamba and she just graduated from college in October. She is going to stay with us for two months to work on her English and hopefully increase her opportunities for employment.
Steve and Graciela in Salento
Sorry it took so long to get the October
News out! Steve and I both are continual taking classes online and
always seem to have some assignment due, besides our regular job stuff.
We are looking forward to great things happening the rest of the year
and hopefully more people to partner with us in the foreign mission
field.
Cathy and Steve Carpenter
Cathy and Steve Carpenter
The leaves were already down, but the scenery is still beautiful in Norwich, New York
Praises
- continued good health
- opportunity to return to the states for a short visit
- interest in a language group that will hopefully lead to other relationships
- my dad's accident not being really serious
Prayer
- Guidance on where God wants us to go from here
- For people to participate in Ecuador in future mission opportunities
- Graciela to be successful in her time here in Colombia with us
- my dad's recovery to continue to go well
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