We thoroughly enjoyed our daughter Keilah’s two week visit! She arrived one day late on May 18th (a delayed flight left her staying overnight in Atlanta) AND without her suitcases (she got them a week later)….but we still managed to sneak in a few days at the beach, a week in the mountains, and even a day shopping at the Quichua market in Otavalo. Keilah just finished her first year at Bible School (NTBI) in Wisconsin, and is looking forward to going back in early August. On Monday we dropped Keilah, Kimberly, and cousin, Elena Shaub off at the airport to fly to Missouri to work at Whispering Winds Bible Camp for the summer. This will be Keilah’s fourth summer at the camp, and Kimberly’s first. WWBC has been a great place for the girls to work hard, serve the Lord, learn new skills, and also broaden their USA experience. We are already missing the girls---our house is sure quiet with just the two of us! (If you are interested to read either or both of their camp letters, click on their picture to download it. Keilah especially is seeking to raise some support to help her pay for her initial fees for NTBI for the fall semester, as the camp doesn’t pay her a salary, but only matches funds that come in her name. If you are interested in supporting either of the girls, checks should be made out to Bible Impact Ministries, and should mention Keilah or Kimberly's name in the memo; and sent to Whispering Winds Bible Camp - POBox 9 - St. James, MO 65559-0009. Thanks!)
The rains continued right through the month of May. We are thankful for the Lord’s protection and provision for an open road when we have needed to travel. Last week we heard the sad news that a local Ecuadorian fellow had died while trying to go across a landslide in the dark and rain. Apparently a mudslide or flashflood carried him and his motorcycle down into a swollen creek. The local folks are still looking to determine if he had a passenger with him or not. On Sunday Milton reminded the other believers that God holds our lives in His hands, and we can trust Him to protect us until He calls us home to be with Him forever. Normally such occasions fill the Awa’s hearts with fear—so it was a blessing to see these small seeds of faith growing in their hearts!Thanks for praying for the meeting in Palmira! On Sunday I was able again to teach there to a group of about 20 Awa. Paulino had (on his own initiative) asked the teachers for permission to meet in the school building, and we stayed in the downstairs area, carefully sweeping and arranging the desks when we finished. This is just a temporary reprieve, however, so conversations continue about building our own church building. Pray for Paulino and the other believers to have clear minds as they think thru this issue—the church will be much more effective if it stems out of their own desire and initiative! The community had allotted one tract of ground for an evangelical church, and another tract for a future Catholic church, but Paulino told me that recently the tract for our church was taken back and is no longer available. “But I’ll give some of my own land for a church if needed!” Paulino assured me.
On June 21st we will say goodbye to our coworkers German and LuzMarina Millan, who have staffed our Lita camp property for the last seven years. They are returning to a church ministry in their native Colombia in order to be closer to their daughters and to medical help for LuzMarina, as she struggles with several health issues. A big prayer request is for new staff for the Lita camp—and for future direction for how to best use this beautiful property. In the past it functioned as our Awa Center, but the local road has greatly lessened the need for hospitality for the Awa. In recent years the property has been used more as a camp retreat center for the national churches. For the moment we have hired a short-term caretaker family to watch the property, but if you know of someone who might be interested in such a ministry, we are looking for applicants! Being ministry-minded, having some experience with Latin culture, and knowing Spanish would be several key qualifications.
Prayer requests:
---Kathy has been asked to speak at a ladies’ one-day retreat in Ibarra on June 15th. She’d appreciate your prayers as she prepares to speak on the topic of being beautiful in God’s eyes.
---Our friends from Kentucky will be here mid-June for the annual medical caravan. We’d appreciate your prayers for these three days as we seek to work with the local government health system to provide good help for the Awa.
---We are thankful for God’s provision for Kenny--he is settled into his summer apartment in Virginia, and is now busily gathering furniture and kitchen items so that he and his roommates can eat something other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. ? Although he didn’t get the summer internship job he hoped for, the Lord has provided him a job at J.Crew which he will begin soon.
In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy
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