Life at 373 Juan Villalengua Ave.

So far, Bryan has done all the blogging. Today, I thought I would take advantage of Will’s nap time and write. Every day, countless times throughout the day, I think of thoughts I’d like to share. Contrasts in life in between Quito and life in western Montana. New discoveries. What the Lord is teaching me. However, Mr. Will keeps me quite busy. In fact, daily life here is more time consuming. Not that it is bad, just different. When we moved from Atlanta to Pendleton, Oregon, in December 2001, we had to get rid of our washer and dryer and move into an apartment where I became the dish washer and Bryan became the pack-mule that hauled the weekly laundry to the laundromat. Life is a little like that here. Our temporary two-bedroom apartment at the corner of Juan Villalengua and Vera Cruz (see the building in the third photo from the top--not a great photo) has a washing machine but no dryer. So every few days Will and I put on our hats (a must for sun protection), and we stuff our red carry-on suitcase with wet clothes, and walk the block and a half from our apartment building to the school dormitory where I can use the dryer on the third floor. Unlike in Pendleton, where I traveled by minivan, my transportation is my own two feet, and at times, a taxi cab. The benefits of walking are obvious, but also include some unexpected benefits. I am getting to know my neighbors and some of the street vendors that I pass along the way. First, there is Marcelo, the man who stands outside our building and helps people parallel park, earning tips throughout the day. Liliana and I pass each other as well. Liliana is the caregiver for my 90-year-old neighbor, who kindly helped me by sharing an extra tank of propane until we could return the favor. Then there is the female street vender whose 20-month old boy frequently sits with her on the street corner opposite our building (sometimes napping, sometimes finding trash with which to play while his mom eeks out a living selling fruits and nuts). Jonathan recently bought two toy cars, one for Will and one for the vendor’s toddler. What joy to see her eyes light up as she gave the toy to her little boy. (Will wasn’t sure about that! J) And then there’s Laura, the 60-something street vendor whom I met while standing in line at the pharmacy just inside the hospital while filling a prescription for Will. We bonded while standing in line, and now we stop to talk to her each day on the sidewalk. 

I love that people smile and greet one another. Many people are very friendly. Others are not so nice. The propane guy ran off with one of our full tanks of propane yesterday. That was an interesting way to start the morning. I might have run after him, but I was still in my robe. Liliana called the police, but no one ever came. Definitely a learning experience. But through each challenge, the Lord always provides. I now know to call a dependable Christian man who will deliver our gas. Propane lasts about two weeks. Five containers of water last about a week. For water, we call Alfredo. Just this morning, I was able to share with the dormitory housekeeper Rebecca’s amazing story of how the Lord brought Rebecca into our family. With each encounter, I pray that we would reflect the Lord’s love and light.

With our new transportation mode comes some new challenges. Crossing the major thoroughfares is in itself a death-defying experience. We are learning to pray “in all circumstances.” Last week, Jonathan had a close call as we left the local market, for which there is no real crosswalk or stop light. Somehow he had gotten behind a few people also waiting to cross. When there was a break in traffic, Will and I zipped across but Jonathan lost precious seconds trying to navigate around some slower moving pedestrians. I am sure that in spite of the fact that no one around me spoke English, everyone knew what I was telling Jonathan once we made it across. I was scared. So I promised myself that I would actually ask everyone to please pray for our daily safety. We are trusting the Lord for His faithful protection. That same night, He reminded me that He is ACTIVELY involved in answering those prayers for protection. As I lay in bed that night trying to fall asleep, I heard the unmistakable voice of the Lord clearly speaking to me, saying to get up and go check the gas knobs on the stovetop (something I had never thought about doing at bedtime). I immediately got up, and sure enough, one of the knobs was not completely turned off. That evening at dinnertime, Rebecca had asked to show me that she knew how to turn on and light the gas stove. Reluctantly, I let her. I took over the cooking, but somehow one of the knobs had not been turned off. After I discovered the knob was still on, we determined that only Mom and Dad will turn on and off the gas. The Lord is so faithful!

I love relearning the language that I learned in my youth. If I had to start learning Spanish for the first time now, it would be so much harder. So grateful that my Spanish is slowly coming back. I love getting to know the people that the Lord is putting in my path. I am enjoying the Ecuadorian cuisine and the sights. This weekend is Carnaval weekend. During the break, we will escape the concrete jungle with a family from Oregon who works at the school and will explore the natural beauty of a lake that sits atop an old volcanic crater. Stay tuned…

 

Getting Started and Venturing Out...more photos

Yesterday Bryan finished his first week teaching Physics and Physical Science. All in all things went well. He was able to begin building relationships with not only his students, but others serving at the school as well. It was a rush getting ready to teach three classes while apartment hunting and transitioning to a new career but by week's end he felt like he was starting to get some footing.  On Friday, we were able to find a townhouse that will meet our needs and give us some room to host friends and family (hint hint). We will have to wait until early April to move into it. Until then, we will be in our 2 BR, temporary apartment...next to the hospital where Will stayed for a few nights (with Viral Pneumonia) and about 200 yards from the school. The location of this apartment is great, but it is a little small and quite noisy at night with ambulances coming in.

There are some unexpected surprises which we are very thankful for. Evidently, several of Will's food allergies have gone away. He can eat bread and yogurt. Corn products don't appear to bother him either. Heather can even eat some bread products down here. We hear that Ecuador has outlawed genetically modified food. So, the wheat and corn products are not genetically engineered like they are in the USA. I assume that the same restrictions apply to dairy products...though we haven't ventured beyond yogurt yet. We think that this is why Heather and Will can eat these things. Another pleasant surprise is how easy it is to get around without having a car. Thankfully, taxis are inexpensive to ride in and like the taxi drivers in the USA, they don't speak English either.

We are excited to begin the other part of our ministry, which is working with the poor in the ghettos and street kids. We wanted to get started on that last week, but Bryan needed to focus on getting his feet on the ground with teaching first.

Jonathan and Rebecca are transitioning very well to school life. They have already begun to make new friends and are enjoying school...though they are a bit more tired in the afternoon when they come home than at the end of the day back in Montana when they were home schooling.

Below is a mix of photos that we have taken over the past several days. We just got WiFi at the apartment last night, so hopefully the updates will come more frequently. Some of the photos were taken at/close to the school. Others were taken today on a trip to the historic district at the center of the city.

Hitting the Ground Running

Good day everyone. We are starting to get settled down here in Quito. We have temporarily moved into a 2 BR apartment while we wait for something affordable to open up within walking distance of the school. Despite being on the equator, it is suprisingly cool at this elevation. Right now, its about 55 degrees outside (at 4:30 in the afternoon).

I have begun sitting in on my classes and have already had the opportunity to meet and begin developing relationships with the students. On the streets, I have been able to meet and talk with some of the local street/homeless folks who frequent the school area. All in all, we are off to a good start. I look forward to posting more photos and sharing more with you very soon!

In Country--First Pictures

Jonathan and I (Bryan) arrived safely with all of our luggage Thursday night and have been spending the first few nights in the local dorm while we process in and begin to learn our way around the area. My Spanish is better than expected, but there is still a long way for me to go! Today, Jonathan and I began gathering the basic necessities to get started. With the help of the kind folks here at the school, we have learned where the grocery stores and open markets are. It's really a lot of fun shopping at a store where everything is in a different language. It's also neat to see new kinds of fruits and veggies. This morning, I bought what I thought were some very nice blueberries, only to find out that they were chokecherries. What a bummer.

I can't wait for Heather, Rebecca and Will to arrive Tuesday. Please pray that I will find adequate living quarters between now and then. Our temporary housing that we were supposed to stay in until we can move into a permanent dwelling is not habitable. There is a chance that we could stay in the dorms on campus. It's not an ideal situation, but it would meet the basic needs. This would be a good option in that it would give us a better opportunity to begin building relationships with those around us. I'm going to attach some pictures that I took from the roof top of the dorm building. The mountain in one of the photos is actually an active volcano that mildly erupted just 9 years ago.

Ready to Go

Thank you all so much for your prayers over the past several weeks. They have been tremendously helpful. We have been able to wrap up most of the loose ends. Everything is on track. Jonathan and I (Bryan) are set to fly out this Thursday. This is our last Sunday in the USA for quite a while. I think that it is now just starting to set in. Heather, Rebecca and Will will leave on the 20th. We were very blessed to find tickets for them at a great price out of Orlando.

We already are missing you all so much and are looking forward to the time when we can see you again on a return visit. At the same time, we are excited that we will be able to start reporting on what's happening in Ecuador shortly.

Yesterday afternoon and evening, Heather and I were nearly killed or injured in two, separate near accidents. On the first one,  a huge 1/2 ton pickup truck driver wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him and missed hitting us (from behind) in our little car by inches when he swerved past us at 40 mph or so while we waited to turn right at a light after being cut off by an overly agressive driver trying to do the same. The second, more scary, incident occured on the way back to Heather's parent's house. We were about 50 yards behind a pickup church that was carrying a sofa and love seat. Now it is only carrying a sofa. The wind picked up the loveseat and deposited it on the interstate infront of us as we were approaching it at about 65-70 mph. Thankfully, we were able to swerve out of the way. From what I saw on the DOT page, there were no accident reports after our near miss.  We almost had a third (this time minor accident) going through a parking lot as someone backed out of their parking spot hitting our car in the process. At that point, we decided that it would be best if we just went back to the house. It sounds like the enemy was trying to take us out. This is a great example of how your prayers have helped protect us thus far.

Time to rest a bit before round 2...

Bryan

En Route to Ecuador

Good morning everyone. We hope that you all had a very wonderful Christmas! We are happy to report that we are on our way to Ecuador. The closing on the house went well. We (Bryan and Jonathan) made it safely to Georgia where we met up with Heather, Rebecca and Will. After spending Christmas with my parents, we drove down to Florida yesterday where we will reconfigure our belongings and make some last minute purchases for our journey down to Quito next month. Right now Jonathan and I plan to fly out on January 15. Heather, Rebecca and Will will follow a couple of days later.

We are so excited to begin our ministry down there and to share with you all the impacts that your support is making. Thank you for your prayers and financial support. So far, our relocation has been mostly uneventful. The only challenge encountered thus far has been a bearing in my car wheel that has evidently gone bad.

We will update you soon. We love and miss you all!!!

Packing up

I can't believe that we will finally be on our way in one week. The house closing is still on track to close next Thursday, though we will sign the documents Wednesday afternoon. All of the hurdles have been cleared on that end. All we need to do is to sign the paperwork and move the rest of our belongings into storage. We are so thankful to all of you who have been a tremendous support to us over the past several months. Now the big journey begins.

Our plan is for Heather, Rebecca, and hurricane Will to leave early Thursday morning and fly to Atlanta where they will stay with some friends for a few days. Jonathan and I will stay behind and do some last minute cleaning and packing on Thursday. I'll work Friday morning and then take off with Jonathan around 11 am and begin our drive across country where we will meet up with Heather, Rebecca and Will on December 22. We will spend Christmas with my parents in Atlanta and then drive down to Jacksonville on December 27 to spend time with Heather's family, rest up, and make final preparations for going overseas. Jonathan and I will fly out of Orlando to Quito around January 15. Heather, Rebecca and Will will follow 5-7 days later. This will allow for Jonathan and I to get some basic necessities (food, potable water, crib, bedding, chocolate etc.) for living down there and to learn our way around a bit. Our moving coordinator was able to locate a temporary place for us to live while we wait for our permanent home to become available in mid-March. We have already repurchased airline tickets for Heather, Rebecca and Will to fly to Atlanta. What a blessing it is to see the gas prices fall like a rock. There's a fair chance that we might see gas down to about $2.00/gal by the time we travel cross country. The decrease in gas prices alone is going to save us more than $100 in moving expenses.

Jonathan and I had an idea that might be neat. We are thinking about recording and posting short video clips to our blog that detail the move, our arrival in Quito, getting set up, starting work, plugging into the community outreach ministries, etc. We also plan to post pictures. Our initial thoughts are that we will do this throughout our time down there.

Moving Forward

Things are going well with respect to the move. We have completed our home inspection; the well test is done, and the appraisal has been completed. We are all getting so excited. Bryan is set to begin co-teaching the Physics class on December 1 online. He is looking forward to getting to know his students and also very much looking forward to plugging into the school's community service outreach program once we all get settled in. One of our new friends down in Ecuador is looking for an apartment for us to live in near the school. Please pray that she will find one that fits our budget while meeting our need for a 4th bedroom (or 3 bedrooms with an office will do.) We plan on holding off on purchasing airline tickets to Ecuador until after we close on our home. However, we will probably need to go ahead and purchase ones for Heather, Rebecca and Will to fly to Florida for Christmas while Jonathan and I drive across country.


Thank you all so much for your prayers during that difficult period between late July and early November. They made a huge difference.

One last thing, we are attaching a RCE support coupon to this post so that we will have one in case they happen to get lost in the move. Also, some of you might need one in the future. I tried to find a more visible spot to post it on the blog, but couldn't find one.

Please mail any support donation to the address listed on this coupon along with the account #3815

A New Buyer :-) and Elk Meat

Hi there. We've got some good news to report!!!

We've got a new buyer for our house as of yesterday afternoon. There are still a fair number of details to be worked out, but it looks like a good offer from a solid lender. The closing date is tentatively set for December 18. We plan on hanging out and not leaving until around January 2. The reason for delaying our departure is that we want to wait to purchase airline tickets to Quito until after the closing paperwork has been recorded. This choice to stay a couple of weeks longer is largely based on a desire to be extra-extra cautious given what happened to us back in July. My guess is that we could come and visit with you and the class on January 11--assuming that this timeline holds. I feel really good about this (peaceful).

We plan on holding off telling the school in Ecuador and my employer/dear friends here in Missoula the good news until after the home inspection which will be at the end of next week. We don't anticipate any significant problems given that the house was inspected just 4 months ago. We just want to play it as safe as possible.

Thank you all so very much for your prayers and support over the past 3 months (in particular). They have made quite a difference. It has been a trying time for our family. Please pray that the closing process will go much better this time around.

One last thing to mention is that earlier this week, before the new buyers showed up, I spoke with the school. We decided that I should begin teaching my Physics course online December 1. In hindsight, it looks like this will make a great transition for me. Pretty neat how God works

On a different note entirely, Jonathan got to go on his first real hunt last Saturday. 15 minutes into the season on opening day, he shot a cow Elk that weighed about 530 pounds. It's at the butcher. It looks like we will be bringing a cooler or two full of elk meat to Florida in January. I, Bryan, have been hunting the mountains around here for the past 6 years often driving to the remotest of locations to try to find an elk with no success. This year I drove 10-15 minutes down the road from my house, walk 2 1/2 miles, sit down with Jonathan. The sun comes up and there are 30 elk standing in a field 150-200 yards away from me. To enhance our chances of seeing an elk, I held off on buying my elk license hoping that they would know that I didn't have one. That way, Jonathan could get a shot possibly. It worked!!! Who says that reverse psychology doesn't work.

Making the Most of the Situation

Looking out the window sure makes me grateful that we have been placed in limbo in such a wonderful area with great friends. The fall colors are now at their peak with the Cottonwood and Aspen trees displaying bright yellow leaves. The mountain tops are glazed with a fresh coat of snow. The afternoons are still fairly mild (60s-low 70s). Perfect.

I've taken the time to get out into the woods a good bit over the past week or so. Jonathan and I got to see a big bull moose and cow moose running side-by-side on one of the mountain roads that I frequent. The deer are out and running all over the place. So are the bears, though I haven't seen any yet this fall. (It's always fun to sit back and watch the black bears lumber around looking for food in the fall.)

Jonathan's first hunting season begins later this week. In past years, he has had to watch me hunt. This year, he gets to try for a deer, elk or bear. This should be a lot of fun.

Regarding a status update to our move, nothing has changed since our last posting. The real estate market has begun to slow for the winter months. We will likely take the house off the market temporarily next month and list it as FSBO and on Craigslist through February before relisting it with an agent. Our thoughts are that it is becoming increasingly likely that the house will not sale until spring 2015 given the trends in the market conditions. When the market revives in March, we do not want a house that shows on the MLS listings it has been on the market for a year. (It might turn off some potential buyers.)

As noted in the previous post, we thank you so much for your prayers and support during this very difficult and trying time. If you are a monthly or occasional donor, we ask that you suspend donations until we can sell our house and be en route to the mission field. (It doesn't feel right to us for us to continue to collect support while we wait to go into the field.) Thank you especially to the two families who have allowed for us to use one of their extra vehicles while we wait. It's a bit difficult to get by on one vehicle now days since I work in town, some 20+ miles away from home!

Still in the Holding Pattern

Hi everyone. It's great to touch base with you all again. Over the past couple of weeks, we have been in contact with AAI working out a plan "C". We are relieved to report that they have been able to find a qualified substitute teacher to fill my position until we are able to move down there. We have also been able to give our apartment to another family in need of a place to live. This will prevent us from having to pay both a mortgage and rent payment each month while we wait. This is another answer to prayer. Thank you all for your prayers an support during this challenging time.

For now the plan is for us to stay put here in Montana until the house sells. As soon as it does, we will purchase plane tickets and be on our way! We have had several showings over the past month, but currently the market appears to be slowing back down following a brief uptick in traffic earlier this month. We hope that this is not the usual slowdown for winter, but are willing to accept it if it is. There is an increasingly real chance that our home might not sell until spring.

Financially, we are at full support. Thank you all!!!! That said if you are a monthly donor, we ask that you suspend donations until we are able to leave. (We feel awkward accepting new donations while being in this holding pattern.)

In the interim, we do have a critical need. In preparation for our departure in late July we sold our second vehicle for well less than it's value. We were 5 days from leaving town and needed to unload it. It was a 1996 Suburban, quite old, but good and reliable. So, the financial loss on it was not great. Thankfully, some dear Christian friends at our church let us borrow a vehicle of theirs thinking that our delay was going to be short-lived. We need to give it back to them very soon. This means that we need for God to provide us with another vehicle. Since we still plan to go to Ecuador as soon as possible, we would prefer not purchasing another vehicle only to have to turn around and sell it too for a loss in a several months. Besides, the financial situation that Farmer's State Bank put us in back in July makes it difficult for us to be able to take on a car payment.  If you know of anyone who is able to help, could you please put them in touch with us? Thanks.

Finally, could you pray for God to send us some encouragement? This is a difficult and discouraging time for us.

Thanks.

Bryan

Waiting in the Wings

Good afternoon. The past month has been a good lesson on learning to be content in our circumstances as we continue to wait for another buyer to come and purchase our home so that we can all hop on a plane and complete our move to Quito. Everyone has been such an encouragement to us during this stressful period. Over the past month, we have had only two showings. Several people have driven by to look at the outside of the house.

Our partners down in Quito have been an encouragement and support as well. Over the past month, we have had several conversations with them developing alternate plans to deal with our delay in getting down there. School is set to start in 4 days, and they are in a real bind. They think that they have someone who will be able to fill in for me until we are able to complete the move. They are going to hold our apartment for us for 2 months, which helps. The furniture purchased has already been delivered and set up. (We will still need to purchase a good bit more when we arrive, but at least there will be a bed and two sofas to get started.)

From a support level standpoint, we are at full support. We are truly humbled at the love and support that you have shown us through your giving. Thank you so much! Our plan is to not begin using any of the support funds until after we arrive in Ecuador. By waiting to utilize the support raised, the funds will be used in the most efficient and economical way possible.

Our friend and realtor has told us that the real estate market is beginning to show signs of life again in the area after the mid-late summer slowdown. She anticipates that the market should remain active through October before dying down for the winter. Hopefully, a buyer will come along sooner rather than later. We are starting to feel the pressure of needing to make a Go/No Go decision so that both my employer here in Missoula and AAI in Quito can make the needed plans for the upcoming year. For us to go, our house has to sell. The former buyers bank's actions have cost us so much that renting our house out is no longer an option. We probably will need to make this decision by mid-late September.

Please pray that we get a buyer for our house very, very soon.

Thank you,

Bryan

Waiting to Go

Here's an update of what is going on with our effort to get down to Ecuador to serve.

The morning after the sale fell through, a realtor showed up in our driveway with two potential new buyers. The next day, the family made a contingent offer on our house, and we accepted. In order for the deal to go through, they had to close on their house in Iowa which was supposed to happen last Friday. Problems arose on their end with closing on their home, and they  had to withdraw their offer at least temporarily. Their closing date in Iowa was reset to today, and it did not happen. They are working to resolve the issues on their end and plan to come back to make a new offer if our house is still on the market.

Meanwhile, we had to cancel all of our plane tickets and tell the school that our arrival has to be delayed. This puts them in a real bind, but there is nothing else we can do at this point until we close on our house with a buyer. They are going to have to find an interim teacher until I get there and have a chance to get semi-settled.

Thank you all for your tremendous support in helping us get to the mission field. Once we clear this hurdle, we can go. We even have our visas ready to go! It will be interesting to look back at these two most recent postings in 6 months to see how everything worked out.

Setback...

Heather, the kids and I went to closing on our home this morning at 10 am. After signing the documents, we learned that the lender for the buyer withdrew their funding. The deal fell through. To be honest, it was devastating. Jonathan and I were set to leave a couple of hours after signing. Later in the afternoon, we had learned more about what had happened to sway the bank. Someone who new the buyer walked into the bank to spread false information about him and the business that he worked for. The really sad story in all this is that earlier in the morning the (former) buyer and his wife had learned that they were expecting their first child. Please pray for the health of the wife and the baby and for God's provision for them.


The plan for us remains mostly unchanged, though there is now going to be a delay in getting to Ecuador. Our house is immediately going back on the market. Hopefully a new buyer will come forward in short order. As soon as the house sells and we close, we will be on our way.


Even in the midst of attacks such as this, I marvel at God's provision and the kindness of others. Shortly after the deal fell through, I called my former employer. They were so kind and compassionate displaying true friendship an support. They are going to allow for me to come back to work for several months while we wait. I am beyond words with gratitude.


We contacted the school in Ecuador to bring them up to speed with what transpired today. We are in the process of developing a game plan to have someone cover for me until we can get down there.

On the eve of departure

Hi friends. We are on the cusp of departing. Thank you so much for your support. It is amazing to see God do the seemingly impossible over the past two months. On the eve of departure, we stand at 91% support. We are so very touched by people's open hearts and support.

Saying good bye to our dear friends in the area has been so hard to do. It has brought us a deep sense of appreciation for the relationships that have been forged at church, at work, and in the community. At the same time, we are eager to see what is in store for us next in Ecuador. To be honest, I (Bryan) have been so busy over the past 3 months that I have not had the time to get excited. I am looking forward to the excitement that the next couple of weeks brings.

We do have one significant prayer request. The bank who preapproved the buyers of our home, Farmers Bank, got a case of cold feet less than 3 hours before closing. This presents a huge dilemma for us. Evidently, they want to see more information regarding the buyer's employment before giving the final green light to proceed with closing. This is something that should have been done weeks ago. Please pray for the situation to resolve itself and for the buyers whose nerves are shot at this point. Quite frankly, we are a little stressed as well. We really need a favorable solution withing the next 48 hours or I don't know what we will do. The cool thing is that God has brought us this far. There's been a lot of impossibly good things that have happened leading up to this. It would be odd if all of a sudden, the home sale fell apart--just 3 hours before closing.

Moving the Mountain

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been watching miracle after miracle occur. As soon as an obstacle appears, it is blown away. This is all very encouraging. God has been good to us. We currently sit at 75% of our total funding needed. The house is under contract, and we are well into the packing and storing process. Plane tickets have been purchased, and we have just sent away for our visas. We were able to find a home for our dog Kodah. It was great to know that he's going to a good home.

The plan is for Jonathan and I to leave Missoula immediately after closing on the house on 7/22. Heather, Rebecca and Will will fly to Atlanta and visit family and friends where we will meet up a few days later. From there, we will all travel down to Florida where we will prepare to fly down to Quito at the end of the month.

We are so sad to be leaving our dear, dear friends but excited to see what the next step in our journey has for us. I am hopeful that at least Jonathan and I will be able to travel up here next summer to give a report and see everyone. I hope that Heather, Rebecca and Will can come as well. We are really going to miss you all!!!

Our goal will be to update this site at least once every two weeks. We will be sure to post pictures when we can. Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement.

Some of you have requested information on how to make an online donation to our upcoming ministry. Here's a link to RCE, Resourcing Christian Education: http://www.rce-international.org/donate/. They will be handling all of our administrative duties. When making a donation, be sure to include our account number 3815 so that RCE will know whose account to deposit the funds into.

The Transitioning Begins

We've got some good news to report. After just a little over two weeks on the market, our house is under contract. Given the recent upturn in the market around here and the ensuing busyness, the closing process will take around a month and a half to complete. This could not fit better with our timeline. We were under the impression that the whole process between accepting and offer and closing on the house would take a month to complete, not 6 weeks. Based on that, we were under the impression that the ideal time to sell the house would be about a week and a half from now. God knew better. I'm glad that He's running the show on this. Pretty cool, eh?

Last Sunday my pastor, Jeff, was gracious to allow for me to present our vision to our local church body. It was a great encouragement to hear and feel the support from our friends in our dear church. Another friend of ours, Matt, has invited us to come up to his church to speak on July 6 in Thompson Falls, MT. That all said, we are at about 50% of what we need in financial support to be able to go in August, but the gap is steadily closing. We are able to conduct a follow up mailing last week and hope to hear from more partners in the next week.

In Ecuador, there's good progress to report as well. Our contact with the school has located an apartment near the school that will meed our family's needs just fine for a good price. We will see photos of it next week. Hopefully, we will have something to share that you can see. It's on the first floor and has a patio. Where there's a patio, there's usually grass/dirt. Where there's grass/dirt, there's going to be a garden. Here in Montana, I have to think of ways to keep moisture in the soil. In Ecuador, I will have to think of ways of keeping the moisture from saturating the soil (raised garden?) We have been able to tentatively get our hands on some furniture.

Our main tasks for the next week are to begin packing and to find a home for our Malemute, Kodah. He's been a great dog, but we can't take him with us. A dog with 9" hair + an undercoat would probably not do very well down there. He's 5 years old and likes to play with mountain lions at night if anyone is interested. He appears to be disinterested in bears and deer.

Moving along...

What an exciting time this is. It is also so very busy and hectic. The main challenge right now is to find balance in the middle of all the change. We have finally been able to get the house on the market to sell and have mailed out letters requesting both financial and prayer support for our upcoming ministry in Quito.

I have gotten a little bit more information about what our ministry down there will look like. I am to teach one class of Physics, one Physics lab, and two General Science classes. I am looking forward to meeting the kids that I will be teaching and to building relationships with them. Most are not Christians. They come from a variety of backgrounds. Some come from wealthy families of international business leaders or government officials; some come from the middle/working class; and some come in from villages along the Amazon river basin. What a variety. I hear that kids from 30+ nations are represented at the school. As excited as I am about this ministry, I am just as excited about the school's outreach efforts into the community to the poor and street kids and also to villages along the tributaries of the Amazon. I cannot wait to join with them in this ministry. Heather is excited as well to join in this.

 The support from friends and family has been great. Thank you all. If you are partnering with us through prayer, please continue to pray for strength and courage as we navigate through this radical change. It can be exhausting at times. To be honest, I am pretty tired already from getting the house ready to put on the market to sell and from sending out the support letters. Thankfully, Heather and the kids have been a tremendous help and support all along. Please also pray  that we will be able to raise the support needed ($2000/month total) so that we can respond to God's call. There are potentially some minor setbacks in that department. Right now, we have about 1/6th of what's needed for fully funded support. Finally, please continue to pray that our house will promptly sell and that we will have a contract on it from a buyer no later than 3-4 weeks from now.

I have been given an opportunity to share the vision for our ministry more in depth on June 8 at our church (Lolo Community Church). If you are able to come, we'd love to see you there.

Breaking News!

Heather and I are excited to announce that with God's help, we will be moving to Quito, Ecuador, in August to serve at Alliance Academy International (AAI). I, Bryan, will be serving as a high school Physics and General Science teacher as my principle mission. Alliance Academy International is a Christian, English-speaking, multi-national school that educates and ministers to nearly 600 students from more than 30 nations. The socioeconomic background of the student body is wide-ranging. Some students come from extremely affluent families from around the world, some from middle-class families, and some from extremely rural/impoverished areas, including tribes in the Amazon basin.


AAI is heavily involved in the community through various Community Service Outreach (CSO) ministries. In fact, all extracurricular activities are suspended each Wednesday afternoon to allow for the staff and interested students to go into the community and serve. More than 85% of the high school students at the school are involved. Through the CSOs, students and staff minister to street kids, orphans at a local orphanage, and the poor who live near the Quito trash dump. Other staff and student-involved ministries reach out into the surrounding communities--including villages in the upper Amazon basin along the Napo River (a tributary of the Amazon River) near the area where the Waorani tribe resides. The Waorani tribe is the same tribe that was documented in the movie "End of the Spear."


Quito, a city of approximately 3 million, is a city full of contrasts. While the city is striving to become an international city of commerce, there remain significant areas of poverty and need. Demographically, the city is divided into three sections. The northern portion of the city is the most modernized and affluent. The middle portion is the historical district. Southern portion of the city is the area of greatest need, the area where most of the poor reside. AAI is located in the central portion of the city.


We are humbled to be called into this ministry and are eager to serve. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us in our mission? In order to live and work in Quito, Ecuador, we will need your prayers and financial support. AAI provides teachers a stipend that covers nearly one third of living expenses. As full-time missionaries, we need to raise $2,000 a month to supplement the stipend. Bryan received a formal offer yesterday, May 15, leaving us approximately 10 weeks to raise financial support. We know that with God all things are possible. If this is something that you are able to do, please contact us  richardhenry2011@gmail.com for more information. Thank you so much. We look forward to sharing much more with you in the coming years!


Bryan and Heather

Moving Along

Over the past few weeks, I have had three interviews with Alliance Academy International in Quito, Ecuador. It appears that this may be a good fit for our family should an offer come in the coming days or weeks. I think that it will. I have been told that following the next interview an offer might be made. Regarding the other possibility in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, I have not heard from them in nearly two weeks. I am interpreting this as God's direction for us. Heather and I feel led in the direction of Quito, so this may just be God's confirmation.

We have been feverishly getting the house ready to sell. The inside of the house has been cleaned and painted. The decks have been redone. Our belongings have been downsized but will need to be further downsized prior to moving. Some nonessential items have been boxed. The house is finally ready to sell. We will first try listing it ourselves for a couple of weeks. If we do not receive any offers, then we will ask a wonderful friend of ours who is an agent to sell it for us. Passport documents have been filled out and are ready to send in. I have also readied my teacher's certification documents for submittal pending an offer. We have established contact with the agency who will be handling the administrative end of our ministry should we go to Quito: Resourcing Christian Education International. The time table is getting short to be able to make the move this year, but we have prepared as much as we can at this point. Soon we will be drafting support letters to send out. We also plan to list our home as well.

Here are a few prayer requests as we prepare to make the jump.

1. We need courage and physical strength to pull this off. This is a radical change from the "known" to the "unknown". Also, I am a little weary from preparing the house to sell, though not exhausted.
2. We need to sell our home for a decent price in a timely manner.
3. We need to close the gap on the support that needs to be raised by mid-July.

Thank you for your prayers! They have been a big help to us over the past few months while navigating the process.