Greetings to all from the USA!

Greetings to all from the USA!

We arrived here (complete with 250 beautiful roses from Ecuador!) ten days ago, just in time for all the busyness of wedding preparations for Kimberly and Zach. We thank the Lord for many helping hands that joined in to make July 20^th a very special day! We enjoyed meeting Zach’s parents Greg and Tina Burt, who work in Thailand, along with several of their coworkers. The day was especially joyful as we not only joined two families, but also appreciated the fellowship of gathering with many other friends, the greater family of God.

 Presenting Mr & Mrs Burt!

 And now begins our six-month time here in the USA! For the moment we are staying at the Ethnos 360 Missionary Training Center in Missouri with Keilah and Jeremy, who are just finishing their first year here. We are having great fun practicing being Grandma and Grandpa with Ronin, who recently turned 1 year old! Many of Kathy’s family also live in this area, so we are enjoying the chance to see many of them (the last time we were here in this area was five years ago!) Mid-August we will head for parts further north and east, and some vacation time in Maine with my family.

 

Please pray for Andy and Chrissy Shaub back in Ecuador, holding down the fort while we are gone. In the last few weeks before we left, the Ecuadorian police and military made a big push to clear out the illegal miners from the gold mine near the village of Buenos Aires. The authorities escorted over 5,000 people out of the mining area, while many others fled on their own. We trust that our faithful God will use this effort to bring a more peaceful atmosphere to our region. News sources are saying that this gold deposit is likely the biggest in all of South America, perhaps the second largest in the world. We foresee big changes in the future for the Awa people and our quiet mountains.

 

Illegal Mining – Photo Ministry of Environment

 

We are blessed by your participation in our lives and in the ministry with the Awa. What joy it brings us to be able to see so many of you in the next few weeks and months!

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

Wedding photo credits: Morgan Humphrey

June in review

We are wrapping up our time here in Ecuador as we prepare for a six-month home assignment there in the USA! It seems that June has been a full month…

...We joyfully welcomed Andy & Chrissy Shaub back from their time States-side. Spending six months without them was certainly a lesson in co-worker appreciation! :-) Please pray for them as they experience this next six months here in AwaLand without us. We are thankful for Lukas, one of the German Impact program youth who spent the last year helping out here in Ecuador, who has decided to stay another year in order to help out with the Awa work. Lukas not only can help Andy with the physical work of mountaintop living, but also has a heart to start a youth group with the Awa young people.

...Many of the young Awa folks that we have helped this year to learn to use a computer and to practice the high school equivalency test, took their exams on June 19th and 20th. We haven’t yet heard how many passed this GED-type test, but it was a joy to be able to help them in this way and to build relationships along the way!

...Paulino’s wife Manuela and children continue to grieve the loss of their father and husband, but we have been encouraged to see her standing firm in her desire to follow God and to take care of her family. She has cows and pastures to take care of, fish ponds to keep the water running to, clearing and planting crops to tend to, as well as a large family to feed. Thanks for praying for her in this difficult time, and pray that as a church we would continue to find  helpful ways to accompany her in this time of need.

...Medical Caravan 2019 just finished up this week, with over 400 Awa from three Awa communities receiving help. This year was our first year to go to Rio Verde Medio, a small community where some of the poorest Awa in our area live. Along with the medical treatment there, a VBS program was held for the children, and some of our friends gave something like 70+ haircuts! We pray that we were able to show a love and compassion for these folks that testifies of who our God is.

...and I rounded out the month with a men’s retreat with the Kichwa from the church in Chirihuasi. Our friend Angel, who helped with the Palmira church construction, headed up this retreat and invited me to help with the teaching (in Spanish). What a blessing it is to spend time with these men, brothers in Christ and part of His family.  Even though I don’t speak Kichwa, I enjoyed hearing them sharing, giving testimonies, and singing in their own native tongue.

Next job is to pack up our house here in AwaLand and finalize those suitcases. We continue to work on our itinerary for the months we will be there in the USA, so do contact us if you would like to get a visit on the calendar. Thanks again for being a part of the ministry here!

In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy