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.