Thursday, March 31, 2011

So, How Can We Pray for You?

It's one of our favorite questions to be asked. As we head into April, I (Beth) keep thinking of the saying "April showers bring May flowers," and I am hoping that the showers we get this month are showers of prayer support that will flower into good news in the future.

So, how can you pray for us? Here's the scoop for April:

DAVE:
Time hanging out with the kids is always a treat!

  • It's the time of year when lots of students (and teachers) are feeling burned out. Stamina, or even better,  enthusiasm, is definitely needed.
  • A., a student who identifies as non-Christian, just thrilled Dave by asking him to fill out a college recommendation for an evangelical school. This young man is one of the most engaged students Dave has and recently told Dave that he never wants to miss his Bible class. Yay!  
  • Crime is still a very real issue for students. The family of one student is planning to move back to their home country after a traumatizing break-in and confrontation with thieves. Another student narrowly escaped pursuers on a motorcycle who were chasing him for unknown reasons.
  • Lunch and prep periods continue to be popular times for students to seek Dave out. It is a blessing that requires balance so that grading and class preparation can still get done.
  • The counseling department is hosting a day of seminars for students, with the theme "Controversial Topics - Things People Have a Hard Time Talking About." Please keep Dave in prayer on April 18, when he co-presents to high school boys about "Purity vs. Porn."


BETH:
Our three year old took this shot. It depicts my life pretty well!

  • I'm also going to present a seminar at the counseling summit. My topic is for the high school girls: "Healthy Female Sexuality." I'd like to be able to encourage students through the teaching and hopefully open doors to more mentoring relationships in the future.
  • Child-rearing is where the bulk of my energies go on a daily basis. Both Aaron and Evangeline have had major separation anxiety recently, which has been a test of patience.
  • Friendships with two young believers (and fellow moms), Margarita and Kim, are a source of real joy and opportunities to share about following Christ. The challenge is to find time to talk and pray and play together in the midst of busy lives.
  • I have been having recurring health issues with my eyes over the last few months and am looking into the possibility of corrective eye surgery. We want to carefully weigh options and make a wise decision about this.


ALLIANCE ACADEMY INTERNATIONAL:

  • The school is currently looking for secondary English and computer teachers, elementary teachers, an IT support technician, speech therapist and music teacher. Please help us spread the word! For more information, check out our web page.
  • For a neat overview of the school (and - at the end of the video - of the country of Ecuador), take a look at this new video:




THANK YOU SO MUCH for your prayers! What an encouragement to know our family and the students at the school are being faithfully remembered before our Father God! We are blessed to be serving together with you and we are eager to hear how we can be praying for you, too!

Peace of Christ,
Dave, Beth, Levi, Luke, Aaron and Evangeline Saavedra
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