10/13/10

Thank you for supporting our family and our ministry through prayer.  Here are our recent prayer requests:

• Stan is pastoring a local church in crisis and needs wisdom to build leadership in the church and to guide the church through the financial crisis it is currently facing.  
• Stan continues to need vision and wisdom to direct the NILI study abroad program (Nazarene International Language Institute).
• Stan appreciates the relationships he makes with the Seminary and NILI students through the classes he teachers.  Pray that God will continue to help him mentor and bless these students.
• Mary is a senior in high school and we are facing a mountain of decision regarding college.  There are a lot of complicated physical and emotional issues associated to transitioning to living in the States full-time without her family.
• Landon is transitioning back into Middle School after being homeschool.  It has been a bumpy ride.
• Sherri suffers from asthma which is frequently triggered by the high altitude where we live and the city's pollution.  Pray for continued health and energy.

God is our constant protector

Yesterday Sherri had a near miss while driving home from the Seminary.  The driver was evidently driving way too fast and lost control of his car.  Thankfully, Sherri was ahead of him enough to be out of danger.  However, it is a reminder to us of God's constant faithfulness to protect our family, especially on the streets of Quito.  For those of you who pray for us, we thank you and appreciate you so much!

Pray for us as we begin serving our 5th year:

• We are finishing our time in the States and fly back to Quito, Ecuador on August 18th. Pray for safe travels, no customs hassles, etc. We are taking some equipment back which a customs agent could get “sticky” about, but usually they don’t pay much attention.
• Mary’s school year: The school my daughter goes to is undergoing a lot of changes to meet the mandates of the Ecuadorian government. There are decisions still being made that could affect our deputation schedule next year. We are praying for the “least disruptive” situation possible.
• Landon’s school year: For the first time, we are homeschooling our son. Pray that we can make this transition smoothly. We also have an unspoken prayer request for him.
• Pray for the NILI program (the Spanish immersion program that Stan directs), the staff and students as we begin a new semester in about 2 weeks. Pray that God’s presence and protection will be real among everyone involved.
• Pray for Sherri (me) as I learn to juggle the homeschooling and my work for the mission. Totally do-able, but it will require a lot of organization/discipline on my part. Structure is very important for our family, and I’m the one that maintains it. Pray that I can continue to do that without being too stressed.
• New church: Our family needs to find a new church home in Quito. It is a bit complicated being missionaries but we know that God has the perfect church for us. Pray that we find a home soon.
  

1/6/09

·       As the next NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute) semester begins, pray for Stan, his staff and the students.  We pray especially that God will change the lives of our North American students as they live a semester among our national students.  

·       Pray for our daughter, Mary (16).  She has been sick for almost two months.  She was treated for bronchitis twice, but it seems to only go away for a few days and then she’s sick again.  She is now taking breathing treatments and we’re praying that God will heal her.

·       We are feeling led to help a new church plant, but are seeking God’s will for the right situation for our family.

·       We have been invited to the General Board in Kansas City in February to be commissioned as Global Missionaries.  We will be taking Landon (12) with us, but Mary has decided to stay in Ecuador so she won’t miss school or a ministry weekend.  Please pray for this time of blessing but also separation.

·       Pray for our national students at the Nazarene Seminary in Quito as they prepare for future ministry, and for Stan and Sherri as we work with these students.

Quick Update

Stan, Mary and Landon are all very sick with a bad cold:  fevers, coughs, sore throats, etc.  Please pray for quick recoveries.  Also, pray that Sherri won't get sick as she's the caretaker!

Also, Stan and Sherri have their missionary interview with the Regional Advisory Commitee on Wednesday morning.  This situation has several potential issues:  (1) Stan is sick and can hardly think or talk.  (2)  We'll be using Skype over the internet (and our internet connection isn't always strong or consistent).  (3) It will be completely in Spanish.  Please help us pray that God will minimize all of these potential "handicaps."  The interview is a part of the process for us to become commissioned as Global Missionaries with the Church of the Nazarene.  Pray that we'll have clarity of mind and tongue (our Spanish)!

New Prayer Requests

We haven't updated our prayer request list in a long while.  Here are some current needs:

• Safe travels and easy transition back into our latin culture.  Stan travels on 8/22 and me and the kids on 8/25.  This has been our first furlough since being on the field, and we all have mixed feelings about leaving our family in the US, etc.

• Remember Landon especially as he will be transitioning back into school this year (6th grade).  He was homeschooled last year and loved the independence that brought.  He will most likely have issues transitioning back into the strict structure/time frames of regular school.  He is also missing his cousins already.  He has had the hardest time adjusting to living in Ecuador.  He’s accepted it, but doesn’t love it.  So remember him in prayer.

• Stan continues to direct the Nazarene International Language Institute (NILI) a Spanish study-abroad program for US university students who come to Ecuador to study Spanish in an immersion situation.  Because this is a new program, there are still a lot of details to work out, improve on, etc.  Also, Kim Hadden is a Mission Corps Volunteer that begins her new role as NILI Student Life Director this August.  This is a job with a lot of responsibility, so pray for her stamina, health, patience, wisdom, etc.

• STNS:  South American Theological Nazarene Seminary:  our seminary is experiencing growing pains (which is a good thing, but requires wisdom and patience on everyone’s part).  Pray for the leadership and the students.

Current Prayer Requests

It is our privilege to count you as prayer partners in our work. Here’s a list of our current requests:

· We are taking a 3-week vacation to Missouri this summer so that we can visit with family and so Mary can attend NYC. We would appreciate your prayers for traveling mercies, and for a special time of reunion. This will also be our first trip home to see family in two years, so I know it will be bittersweet as we have to say goodbyes just after 3 short weeks (especially for my kids).

· Conflicts have risen between our scheduled home assignment (furlough) and Mary’s schooling (she’ll be in High School). Please pray we’ll get everything worked out soon.

· During our furlough, we’ll have transportation and housing needs. We know God will provide as He always does, but it is a concern as we will be literally crisscrossing the country during this time.

· Regarding our ministry, Stan has just been named the Director of the Nazarene International Language Institute opening at the Nazarene Seminary. This is in addition to his already busy schedule. Please pray for Stan to have the wisdom and patience to work with many different organizations and people to get everything running smoothly.

The profits from the institute will financially support the Nazarene Seminary so that more nationals can receive scholarships to study full-time in Quito. (Our students come from Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru, and they and their families make huge sacrifices for them to do this.) We fully believe that this institute is God's will, and we want to proceed in a way that will glorify Him. If you’re interested in attending or know someone who might be interested, check out http://www.studyinecuador.blogspot.com/ for more information.