Highlights from our trips

 Last time we wrote that Covid was interfering with our plans for travel. Thankfully, we have fully recovered, and we were able to take our trips. Kristi visited David and Shelby and enjoyed getting to know our new granddaughter. Scott had to delay his itinerary a little, but he had a fruitful trip to Ecuador.

Here are some highlights:

Meetings with church leaders

 Workshop with pastors in Riobamba

 
Scott shared the message at a small church plant in Chaupi. The lady on the right and several children made a decision to follow Christ.

Scott was given an hour and half to participate in a radio broadcast.

 

 

It was a joy to celebrate a graduation for some of his Hebrew students.

 

Kristi with our granddaughters

 

Scott sold many books to help encourage biblical literacy.

 

Strengthening friendships

 

Visiting students

 

It was fun to join others in watching Ecuador play the opening game of the World Cup soccer tournament. Unfortunately, Ecuador’s team was eliminated today.

Unexpected Twist

 

We expected to write this update a little differently than what it’s going to be. We have had big plans for the coming week, but now they are adjusting due to an unexpected twist. Let us explain.

Shelby and David gave birth to our second granddaughter on October 20. We are proud to welcome Elisabeth Joy Edgren to this world—9lbs 4oz., and 20.5 in. Kristi has tickets to fly to California on Wednesday and visit them for a few days.

Meanwhile, Scott has been working hard to plan a trip to Ecuador to visit students and encourage pastors for three weeks. His ticket is for this Tuesday.

Unfortunately, we have both come down with Covid. Thankfully, we seem to have mild reactions to it. But it certainly throws a wrench into our plans. Kristi is still hoping to travel as planned. Scott is going to have to change his departure date and most likely will cut his trip down from three weeks to two. Please pray for us to recover quickly and for God’s will in our travel plans.

In the meantime, we continue to teach from home—not missing TOO many of our classes. Last night Scott’s students seemed impressed that he would care enough to teach them even when he’s not feeling well.

So far, Lindsey is feeling great! Please pray for her as she goes into a busy 2 week stretch of the final play rehearsals for the highschool play she is part of. She also is in the final stages of writing her Senior English Research paper.  

Pray for Lindsey regarding her future decisions for college. She’s in the middle of the turmoil that most seniors face about this time of year! We are really proud of her and she is looking at some great options. We simply recognize that the decision seems bigger than all of us, and we could use some divine intervention! Without that we don’t think we could adjust to the unexpected twists that are sure to come.

Stay healthy!

Scott and Kristi

Another home, Another school year

 In August, we celebrated 20 years since we first arrived in Ecuador. Our family has changed a little!

After what felt like a whirlwind of a summer, we are back in Kansas and settled in a different house in Newton for this school year. The past 4 years have been a bit crazy for us with lots of changes. This is our 5th house in these 4 years.  Lindsey began her senior year and is staying busy with being a volleyball manager and having a part in the high school play.

During the last weeks in Ecuador this summer, Kristi finally was able to meet face to face with the students she has been working with for the past two years. They enjoyed a morning of hanging out together, playing games and eating. She was also invited to speak at the sixth grade graduation.

Kristi starts school again on September 8. She will be working with both 4th and 5th grade this year. Fourth grade has 3 students and 5th grade has 7. The school is structured so that the students watch their Abeka videos each morning. Kristi’s task is to meet an hour a day with both 4th and 5th grade as well as meet individually each week with all 10 students. On Wednesdays, all the students will be meeting in person together in Quito and she’ll be joining them by video call. She grades their work, answers questions, reviews and ensures they understand what they are to be doing.

Last week we received a call from our Ecuadorian friends who are using our car in Quito while we are gone. They had been visiting some friends Saturday evening and left our car parked on the street since that was the only option. When they went out to leave, they found the car stripped, the dashboard as well as many things under the hood. Our insurance will cover it, though the way they do it is different than in the United States. They have the car and are working with a mechanic to fix the car back up again. Since the car is an older model, and many original parts are not available, they will be finding other options. Pray with us that they will get it fixed and running well again.

Last January, one of Scott’s friends asked him if he could teach a class on the Pentateuch again. Scott tentatively agreed to do it and never heard anything back until Friday night. He received a text that said he hoped Scott was remembering that he was starting his class on Saturday evening. So Scott has suddenly added a new class. The last time he taught this group, they resisted turning on their cameras and were super quiet. Things went pretty well on Saturday. Pray that Scott can find good ways to encourage them to answer questions and join in on discussions.

Lindsey chose to be baptized in Quito this summer and Scott had the honor of doing it for her.

One of the highlights of our summer was having Lindsey and two of her best friends spend 10 days with us. Lindsey loved giving them a glimpse into her growing up years and the days were packed with lots of things to see and do.

 

Summer in Ecuador

We are having a good summer being back in Ecuador. Before we arrived, we got to spend a week in Panama, for our Avant Latin America Conference. In 2019 Avant joined with the Camino Global Mission. Camino had quite a few missionaries working in Central America and this was the first time missionaries from both missions in Latin America were able to join together and get to know each other. We had over 170 in attendance. It was a very encouraging time. One of Avant’s new ministries is working to help raise up Latin missionaries and send them around the world. Please pray that many will be willing and able to go.

A large national strike began right before we arrived in Ecuador. The indigeonous people were demanding the government cut gas prices among other things. Many roads were blocked making travel almost impossible. Grocery store shelves became bare because trucks weren’t able to enter Quito. Thankfully the demonstrations were in other areas and our neighborhood mostly remained quiet. At times there were just a lot of horns honking.

Unfortunately, many of our plans had to be canceled. Scott was unable to go to Guayaquil for a conference he was to speak at. Kristi had hoped to attend an end of the year event with her students who she’s worked with for 2 years and never actually met face to face. Thankfully the strike ended after 18 days and now things are back to normal.

One of things canceled was our 6th grade graduation and they were unable to reschedule it until tomorrow. Kristi was asked to speak at the event, so pray for her tomorrow (Friday) morning.

Last Sunday Scott was privileged to help honor some students who finished a discipleship course.

After being separated from Lindsey all summer, we can't wait for her to arrive on Saturday night with 2 of her best friends. We have a lot planned for the time they are here. Lindsey is going to be baptized. The girls are going to spend 3 mornings helping with summer school for the group of homeschool students Kristi works with. We'll also show them around Quito and take them out of town for a couple of nights.

Scott enjoyed interacting with the leadership of the seminary which sponsors his newest online course.

Scott has continued teaching his Hebrew classes online this summer. His latest group started in April and has proved to be a really committed group of students. We have enjoyed being back at our church, English Fellowship Church. It is a very international church with people from around the world attending. Scott will be preaching this Sunday. Please pray for him as well.

Twice to Ecuador

What a beautiful time of the year it is! After living on the equator in Ecuador for so long, it is different being back where there are seasons of the year again.

Tonight I am sitting here at my computer enjoying the spring program that Edukasa, the little home school I am working with is giving tonight. I continue meeting with eight 4th graders every morning.

Scott had a wonderful two weeks in Ecuador!

He met with several of his students.

He presented 4 conferences to about 500 people.

He was interviewed on a Christian radio station.

One of his highlights was meeting with Marco and Carolina, a young couple who have studied with him in the past. They are working at a church, but their dream is to be missionaries. Right before Scott arrived at their home, they learned that Marco was accepted to join a team of Latin Americans who will be going on an exploratory 3-week missions trip to Turkey, Nepal and Kenya. Scott was able to rejoice with them in this next step. Pray that they will be able to raise the funds he needs for the trip. Pray that this trip will result in sending other missionaries from Ecuador to these needy countries.

Upon returning home, Scott started a new Hebrew class with students from two of the conferences he gave. He has started with 52 students. These first days take a lot of patience as Scott is helping them learn the platforms they are using to study online. It is common for numbers to dwindle quickly because of a lack of discipline to do the work required. Pray that God will give commitment to those who should stay in the class.

Another highlight from his trip was meeting with Segundo and María and sharing the gospel with them. Two of María´s brothers have been Scott’s students, but she and Segundo were not Christians. The brothers and Scott each took turns sharing the gospel with this couple and ended up praying with them as they made the decision to follow Christ. One of the brothers is going to lead them through a study on baptism, and they have asked Scott to baptize them this summer when we are back in Ecuador. Pray for growth in the lives of these new believers.

On June 7 we are headed to Panama where we will enjoy a week-long conference with fellow Avant missionaries to Latin America. From there we will continue to our home in Quito. We will spend about two months this summer in Ecuador with more ministry opportunities in person.

Delayed Return

 

We want to share some news with you about some new plans we have made. For the past several weeks we were struggling with knowing what was best for our family. In a nutshell we have decided to delay our return to Ecuador one year. As a junior in high school Lindsey has been really patient with the adjustments she had to make just before and during the pandemic. From kindergarten to seventh grade she was always in the same school in Ecuador, but then things changed. She was in the US for 8th grade and half of 9th. She was online in Ecuador for half of 9th and all of 10th. And now she is back in the US for this year. She only has one year left of high school and we want to help her finish well. She will continue to study next year at Berean Academy, graduate, and from there move forward with plans for college. We are both teaching online in Ecuador from our home in Kansas. It is working very well, but there is a lot we can gain by being in person too. Although our home base will be in the US for several months, we will also be making several trips to Ecuador to augment our ministry with a personal presence. Scott already has tickets for a trip from March 29 to April 12. We are planning a two-month trip together for this summer as well. And more trips are in the works for next school year. While we are here, a big part of us always longs to be back in our adopted country. Scott is excited about the chance to be back for a couple of weeks. He plans to spend much of the time on the road, visiting students in Ambato, Chimborazo, Cuenca, Pifo, Quito, Tabacundo, and maybe more. Pray for opportunities to come together in the best way possible. Pray for smooth travel both by air and land. Pray also for Kristi and Lindsey while they continue their normal activities in Kansas. The house we are living in is already promised to another missionary family for next year. We are currently checking other options for the best arrangements for after we return this summer. Pray that God will lead and provide regarding our housing.

On a family note, we are proud of the Berean Lady Warriors basketball team. They went to state this year and finished the tournament last weekend with fourth place! Lindsey hasn’t seen much playing time on the varsity team, but she did get to accompany the team to Manhattan anyway. We all enjoyed the extra excitement of cheering for our team in Bramlage Coliseum! And for a couple of days, our students in Ecuador received their instruction from a new location!

La Gasca Mudslide

 It hasn't been long since we wrote, but we want to give you another quick update.

As we were writing our last email, a disaster was underway in Quito. Ecuador always has heavy rains this time of year, but the last few days in the capital have been the wettest since 2003. A reservoir above part of the city overflowed resulting in a large mudflow in La Comuna and La Gasca, two heavily populated communities about two miles from our home. For those who are familiar with the city, they are located roughly below and slightly to the north of the TeleferiQo.

Sadly, at least 24 people lost their lives, 48 were wounded and others are still missing. The destruction of property was also very costly.

You can read a couple of articles here:

Here is a special report from Quito's newspaper with several images:

This is a collage of videos from the disaster. If you watch, please be aware that there will be some disturbing images.

• Please pray for the people who have been affected by the mudslide.
• Pray for our church in Quito as they are taking steps to help with the relief work.
• Pray for all of God's people to reflect his love at a difficult moment.
• Pray for God's Spirit to work at a time when people might be asking some big questions.

Collaborating Globally

One of the activities Scott asks of his Hebrew students is to read small portions of the Hebrew Bible together during their class time. His most advanced class is currently working through chapter 1 of the book of Jonah. They recently had an especially rewarding conversation when they noticed a play on words that shows up in the early verses of the book. They also found a word in Hebrew that seems to contribute toward a comparison between Jonah and Jesus. It is so rewarding to have their weeks of study begin to pay off in the way they read scripture!

Some of Scott's students have recently experienced difficult life circumstances that are threatening their ability to continue study, including a mugging and a stroke. Please pray for these students to be able to overcome the challenges in their lives. Pray that God will also keep all of the Hebrew students committed for as long as he would have them advance.

The Aleph with Beth material is being developed partially by a team of volunteers who want to see the Hebrew language available for the entire world. At the same time that Scott uses it for his students, he is able to invest in parts of it that are shared with others as well. He has already contributed to online quizzes in a couple of different formats. More recently, he is helping to translate the grammar lessons from English to Spanish. These written versions of the lessons accompany the videos that are available on YouTube. Scott has been collaborating with a young lady in Spain to do these translations, each contributing a different set of strengths. It's amazing to see how God is pairing together just the right people, and how it can happen from different corners of the globe! Pray that these tools can make a difference for the global church.

If you're curious you can see some of the resources here:

Video playlist

Grammar lessons in English

Grammar lessons in Spanish

Quizzes in Hebrew

Quizzes in Spanish

List of more ways to volunteer

Kristi continues meeting with eight 4th graders every morning. They are nearing the end of the 1st semester next week. January has been a rough month for some of them. Four of them and/or their families have had Covid. Thankfully this week everyone is well or nearly recovered. 

Please pray for one student who is really struggling with his family life. His parents are divorced and he is facing some really dark days. Pray that he as well as his family come to know Jesus.

We enjoyed our Christmas break with family. Luke was able to spend about 3 weeks with us, David, Shelby and Evelyn were with us about 10 days and Joel and Jaden just for a couple of days. We loved the time with each one of them, but especially the time to get to know our granddaughter.