Saavedra Stories: September 2011

How often do we say to someone, "I'll pray for you," and then in the busy hum of life, we forget? How often, when someone shares their burdens with us, do we stop to pray for them right in that moment? These were questions on Dave's mind when he decided to start a prayer team as a new Christian Service Outreach (CSO) at the Alliance Academy International (AAI).

The CSO program offers high school students a chance to volunteer and serve in the school and surrounding community through a variety of groups such as:

hospital visitation
serving meals to the poor
mentoring middle school students
playing with kids at an orphanage
running Sunday School and AWANA's clubs

The groups are sponsored by AAI staff and meet weekly. Dave's new group of eight guys and three girls is called Intercessors and meets every Friday during lunch.

Dave with most of the Intercessors. There are six sophomore
boys serving, which is an exciting reflection of the spiritual
leadership we see in that class.

Some students walk the campus, offering to pray for people they meet, while others are available to pray with people in Dave's room and to pray through prayer requests given during the week. The members include a young man who was an atheist when he first met Dave, a girl who had never prayed with someone face to face in her life, and a boy who was agnostic when he first came to the AAI. The intercessors just had a great team building retreat and are ready to dive into their ministry. Would you take a moment right now to pray for them, please?

Finishing a ropes course on the retreat.

A SPANISH SPEAKING NURSE AND MOM

It's what I want to be! Nearly five years after I (Beth) last wore my nurse's uniform, I am stepping back into my scrubs. The AAI needed substitute nurses and I welcomed the opportunity to be on campus with my husband and sons, as well as the chance to get to know more students and to hone my nursing skills again. I'm glad it's only occasional work, since I treasure my time at home with Aaron and Evangeline. But it's good to be meeting many of the students Dave talks about and to be practicing Spanish with my youngest patients, who often forget their limited English when their tummies are hurting!

I love seeing these beautiful faces on campus.

Another new venue has opened for me to speak Spanish: in a group for mothers of AAI students. Entre Nosotras (Between Us Women) began five years ago with just a handful of women and has grown to over ninety ladies who meet in four different groups during the week. Please pray for me on Thursday afternoons as I co-facilitate our group discussions of the book Una Madre Conforme al Corazon de Dios (A Mom After God's Own Heart). After spending the last few years in the mostly English-language bubble of home life with my kids, I'm ready (though a little nervous) to jump into more Spanish-language ministry.

AN ENGLISH SPEAKING SUMMER

Our whirlwind five weeks in the U.S. this summer were packed with beautiful celebrations and reunions. We wish we could have seen more of you and are grateful for the visits we did have. Thank you for your prayers and your time and for showing God's grace to us while we traveled. We are thankful for you, our English speaking friends!