SAAVEDRAS SEND OUT 2016!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Saavedra Kids Update

Levi Matteo Age: 12 Grade: 6th Hobbies: Reading book series & playing strategy board games 2017 Goals: I want a big part in the sixth grade year-end play. I want to practice driving the car more (parent note: this only happens on private, off-road property!). I want to host lots of game nights with friends. I want to keep running the media (lyrics, sermon slides) at church. Luke Isaiah Age: 10 Grade: 5th Hobbies: Learning science facts and comic book sketching 2017 Goals: I want to start learning to drive. I want to design a video game. I want to do some big paintings on large canvases.  Aaron James Age: 8 Grade: 3rd Hobbies: Playing soccer and entertaining friends and family with humor 2017 Goals: I want to keep playing on my soccer team. I want to get better in math and social studies. I want to run a 5K road race. I want to have sleep overs with my friends. Evangeline Joy Age: 7 Grade: 1st Hobbies: Composing and singing songs and cooking with mom. 2017 Goals: I want to make every recipe in my Princess Cookbook. I want to play violin. I want to get baptized. I want to have a cooking-themed birthday. I want to read chapter books.

2016 Highlights 2017 Opportunities and Prayer Needs Beth’s News: In addition to being our lead pastor at La Viña, Oscar Palma is also a music teacher. He has long held a vision to open a school of music as a means of outreach into the community, as well as to train up musicians and songwriters to serve in the church and to shape and influence the broader Ecuadorian culture. God is bringing that dream closer to reality through an unexpected source: the influx into La Viña of Venezuelans fleeing the instability of their country. Recent arrivals have included several music teachers, a production studio owner, and a Christian business consultancy team.  With their expertise on board, Viñarte, our music school, will open in February (our kids will be some of the first students!). And our congregation’s first songwriting workshop yielded three worship songs toward a total of ten that we plan to record for a 2017 album release. Currently, most of the songs we sing are Spanish translations of well-known English worship songs, so we are excited to “home-grow” music that speaks from and to the heart of our Latin culture here. Please pray that the community of La Viña can complete these projects with great skill and creativity.  And pray that I can draft top-quality English translations of our new songs for our English-speaking service.  Thanks! Dave’s News: Please keep our school community in regular prayer as the regulatory and financial difficulties faced continue to mount. This has contributed to the planned departure (at the end of the school year) of a larger number of staff than usual, especially in leadership positions. Please pray for the hiring process occurring now to fill those positions, that God brings anointed people with the right fit of talents and passion.  And pray for our hearts as we prepare to say goodbye to good friends, while at the same time staying open to and invested in sustaining the school community. And speaking of prayer, a bright spot for 2017 is Dave’s work with several student leaders. He’s been training six students to increase student awareness and engagement with intercessory prayer. Starting in January, these students will be leading a weekly prayer meeting at which all secondary students are invited to pray for each other and the campus.  Please pray that these students will be encouraged and empowered in this much-needed student-led ministry. From All of Us:  Your prayers and financial support of our ministry in Ecuador with Reach Beyond mean the world to us! Thank you so much for partnering with us to make our work possible. We hope that you are encouraged to see your giving making an impact here in Quito. And we pray that you continue to see God’s love and transformation in your lives in 2017. May we all joyfully jump into the adventure that He has for each of us this coming year. With love and thanks, Dave & Beth, Levi, Luke, Aaron and Evangeline