ON YOUR SIDE

This little guy knows that Daddy is on his side!

What could be better than having someone truly know you and the dirt about you and still choose to be for you, on your side? Dave recently got a chance to play that role with one of his students at school.

More and more often, the Alliance Academy International (AAI) is a place of last resort for kids who have struggled at or even been expelled from other schools. Parents see the Christian guiding principles clearly laid out in the AAI curriculum and hope against hope that a spiritually grounded approach will help their children where other schools have not been able to help. This dynamic presents the AAI community with amazing opportunities to be part of positive life transformations, but it also brings the challenge of increasing numbers of behavioral problems.

Dave's heart sank when he saw the blatantly copied homework assignments turned in by J., one of his newer students. All first semester, he had worked to build a relationship with this young man, spending time with him, encouraging him to engage with the Bible and to pursue God. Now he knew the disciplinary role he needed to play might destroy the rapport he had worked so hard to create.

In an evening e-mail exchange, J. admitted to cheating and asked for mercy. The next morning, when J. came to school, he was too ashamed to look Dave in the eye.

"This is about more than cheating, J. This is about you betraying our relationship."

"I know. Are you going to tell the principal? I don't want to get kicked out."

"J., what you did was childish, and part of my job is to teach you to be a man. So, yes, as a man of integrity and honesty, I will be going with you to talk to the principal...  But let me promise you that I will be your number one advocate. I believe that this school is the best place for you and I will do whatever I can to help you stay here. J., this is like us and God. He knows exactly where we've been and what we've done and He's still on our side."

J. teared up, maybe from fear of the principal, but hopefully because his heart was softened by being seen in his sin, and loved just the same. During the resulting in-school suspension, Dave dropped by to bring J. a snack and make sure he knew that he was there for him. As part of J.'s consequences, he will also be meeting with a mentor - Dave - to help him stay on track. Please pray with us that this dear young man encounters God in a powerful way and that he surrenders his heart to the One who loves him best.

MORE RESPONSIBILITY, MORE OPPORTUNITY

Some of the precious young people Dave has the privilege to teach

Dave recently ramped up responsibilities at school, taking on the Bible Department Chair position, as the previous chairperson went on maternity leave and will not be returning next year. Several years teaching experience has given him lots of good ideas about the direction of the department, and he is diving in on creating a more defined curriculum, scope and sequence. There are some significant scheduling issues to address (every student must take - and pass - a Bible course for each semester of attendance in order to graduate) and hiring decisions ahead, so we appreciate your prayers for wisdom for him and the administration as they move forward.

SO GLAD YOU ARE ON OUR SIDE!

We are deeply blessed when we consider the many prayers lifted on behalf of our ministry by friends like you. Thank you so much for being on our side, partnering with us in the ministry of discipling young people in Jesus' name. You are essential partners in what we do!

Gratefully, 

Dave and Beth Saavedra and family

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!

We pray that you all had a Christmas filled with the peace of Immanuel, God with us.

The best Christmas present we gave to our own family was a trip to visit some missionary friends who live in the cloud forest (high altitude jungle) about two hours outside of Quito. We tagged along with them on their Christmas box deliveries to poor and remote villages (each box containing food to feed a family for about two weeks). What a powerful reminder to be grateful for the abundance in our own lives!

Anytime I (Beth) am faced with such stark inequalities, I struggle to understand why some of us have so much and some so little. I know that greater generosity is one response that God is calling our family to. But I also see that the suffering in the world requires the response of the entire community of God's people. He calls us to different careers and countries and pastimes, but as we each put our all into living lives that point to Christ, God will orchestrate our actions to bring his hope and mercy and love to the world.

So with deep gratitude, we thank all of you for pointing us to Christ this year with your prayers and giving and encouraging words. And our prayer is that all of us will point more clearly to Christ in the year ahead.

Happy 2011, Dear Friends!
Love from Dave, Beth, Levi, Luke, Aaron and Evangeline

NEW LIFE!

Sunday morning was filled with celebrations of life. Margarita, an Ecuadorian friend Beth has been discipling this past year, publicly declared her commitment of faith at her baptismal service. Then we affirmed God's work in her young children's lives by witnessing their dedication service.

What immense joy there is in walking alongside new believers! There are also many challenges and we ask for your prayers for Margarita as she grows in her faith. Please join us in praying for her as she single parents her kids (two and five years old) and as she seeks out community with other believers. Thank you for your prayers; they make a difference!

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Imagine being far from home and family at the holidays. Many of the women at Quito's prison are foreigners in that very situation. Our church here supports a year-round prison outreach in both Spanish and English in order to reach the maximum number of ladies. Beth will be headed to prison for the first time this December to lead music for a Christmas service for 300+ inmates. Please pray that the Spanish and English songs will bring comfort and joy, but most importantly, will communicate the freedom to be found in Christ!

Please also lift Beth up this month as she leads a musical kindergarten chapel and as she continues to play guitar regularly for women's Bible studies.

THE TRUE HARVEST

Thanksgiving is one of my (Dave's) favorite holiday, with food, friends and family. Even though the majority of my students aren't Americans and are unfamiliar with the Thanksgiving feast, they have helped me reflect this year on a deeper hunger: for the spiritual satisfaction of a life of eternal significance. Jesus' words to his disciples concerning food have made more sense to me this Thanksgiving:

God has given several of my students this year a passionate desire to do his will through missionary work. Over the summer, two of my students served as short-term missionaries. They were bursting with excitement to share with me how the power and hope of the gospel we talk so much about in class became real and alive during their trips to China and Tibet.

H., one of these students, is currently working with me on an independent study about missions, as she prepares to dedicate her life to missionary work in China. She is learning Chinese from V., a Chinese student of mine. V. also has her heart and mind set on bringing the gospel to her Communist family. She is taking my World Religions and Cults class and has mentioned on several occasions how helpful this course has been as she thinks about returning to China.

During this season of Thanksgiving I am grateful to be reminded by my students of the true feast set before us of doing God's will. May we all have the same passion to pursue God's design to reconcile all people to himself.

With thankful hearts, 

Dave & Beth Saavedra

PRAY FOR PEACE

Since writing the newsletter below, unrest has broken out in our country. While we do not feel endangered, school is canceled Friday and we do ask that you pray for a peaceful resolution. Please check your preferred major news sources (such as this article at CNN) for more details on the situation as it develops. Thank you so much!

PLANTING FOR THE FUTURE

"You sound like my grandma! I'll think about God when I get older!" When Mario* graduated from the Alliance Academy to study in Europe, following God was the last thing on his mind. Dave wondered if the seeds planted in his classes would bear fruit. This fall, Mario came back for a visit and amazed us with his transformation. "I hit rock bottom in Europe. It was such a spiritually dead place. But I remembered what you taught me in class." Mario is on fire for God today, involved in his church and eager to help other young people learn to follow God, especially in the hard places.

"I never knew how to read the Bible until I took your class," said Carlos during Dave's Discipleship course. "You make it come alive." Dave asks each student to have an adult mentor through the course and Carlos' mentor has commented, "I've known him for years and since he's taken Bible with you, his life has been totally transformed."

Your gifts help make it possible for Dave to pour truth into Mario and Carlos' lives and the lives of other young people who are at crucial moments of decision. Thank you so much for being a part of this exciting work. We couldn't be here without your partnership!

                                                       *names changed

PRAYER POINTS

• Energy and good organization for Dave, who is teaching more courses, with fuller classes than ever.
• Adjustment for two-year-old Aaron, who is really missing his older brothers now that they are both in school.
• Diligence and a teachable spirit for me (Beth) as I study Isaiah with Bible Study Fellowship and study the Old Testament tabernacle with the women's Bible study at our church.

TESTIFY!

Looking back over our seven weeks in the U.S.A. this summer, we are overwhelmed by the beautiful friendships that surrounded us. Thank you for the encouragement of sharing your lives with us. 

Sharing at church

Evangeline and Aaron's church dedication

The biggest surprise blessing for us was how much our faith was strengthened by hearing your stories and by being able to share ours repeatedly. It's so good to take time to step back and remind ourselves of God's faithfulness over time.

Evangeline learned to walk (and climb) this summer

Levi and Luke learned to ride bikes

All the Douglas family reunited for the first time in 3 years

Lots of summer fun

Over the summer, we saw God provide a free vehicle to use, ideal housing options for our family, many uplifting visits with friends, new clothes for our fast growing kids, fresh reading resources for Dave's classroom, and a free plane trip for me (Beth) to my brother's wedding in Canada, to name just a few. Also, God provided almost half of our summer fundraising goal through your generosity. We have so much for which to be grateful and we hope that "counting our blessings" lifts your heart up as well.

Love,

Dave and Beth Saavedra

ENCOURAGING TIMES IN HIGH SCHOOL

For a teacher, there is nothing like affirmation from a student! At times, teaching can be a very lonely job with just me and my teenage students day in and day out. But by God's grace this last month has been a time of tremendous encouragement. Students have come to me on a regular basis, with comments like this: "Mr. Saavedra, I've really enjoyed your classes this year. Which ones should I take next year?" Or "Mr. Dave, can you write me a recommendation for student government? I feel like you're one of the teachers who's gotten to know me this year." Or "Dave, can we get together for lunch to talk about something you said in class?"

The small group I lead on Fridays at lunch has just added another member, now totaling eight. Some of us recently played in a basketball tournament under the name "Combo Mixto" ("Variety Pack"). The title fits our group of two Ecuadorians, a Mexican, a Filipino, a Korean, a Peruvian, and two North Americans. What a picture of the diversity of the church!

Two co-workers recently came to observe my Acts class over several days and they both gave insightful and positive feedback. We all need to be seen and affirmed in our work, don't we? Praise the Lord for his encouragement this last month!

ENCOURAGING TIMES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

“Mister, it’s right there under the tree!  You just need to open your gift,” said an exasperated second grader. 

I’m getting more chances to flex my creativity as a chapel speaker. After I spoke in the high school chapel, I was invited to present to the 2^nd through 4^th graders. With the theme of “spiritual gifts,” the music teacher had several students lead musical worship with pianos, xylophones, triangles and tambourines - quite the joyful noise! Then I presented a short drama in which I was seated next to three unopened Christmas presents. By the shape of the wrapping paper, the students could clearly see I had a soccer ball, a pair of boots and a Bible under the tree.  Another teacher came into the scene to ask for those three exact items to donate to children in Haiti. After thinking for a while, I insisted I had none of those things.  At this point, all sixty children began to jump up and down trying to get my attention. “You need to open your presents!” This set the stage for a brief discussion on the need for Christians to use their spiritual gifts to love God and their neighbor. I’ve never taught elementary students before, and it was fun and refreshing to see such openness to God’s word.     

May you be encouraged, too, by God’s work in Ecuador!

And thank YOU for encouraging us through partnership in this ministry!

Dave Saavedra

CHAPEL CHANGES

There's nothing like change to grab your attention. At least that's the idea with the new Wednesday chapel format at the Alliance Academy International (AAI). Breaking from the traditional sing-songs-listen-to-a-speaker approach, the new setup seeks to tear down barriers between students, teachers, and God. Friend cliques have been reshuffled into chapel "tribes," assigned small groups that mix grade level, race, gender and beliefs. "Tribe leaders" (teachers and staff looking for the chance to connect more deeply with students) sit with their kids during the first chapel of the month, when a presentation is given. During the second chapel of the month, each tribe gathers to discuss the previous chapel. The third week is geared toward musical worship and the fourth week is for bonding activities (fun and service) in the tribes.

As we pilot this new schedule, would you please pray with us that:

• chapels aren't just cerebral, but used to change lives.
• older kids are able to mentor younger ones.
• tribe leaders can powerfully influence their students for good.
• teens are freed from negative peer pressure so they can ask questions from the heart. 
• staff and students alike engage deeply with their heavenly Father.

Dave gave the first chapel presentation this month, bringing in a big black "death box" that student actors passed through - with varying results - to illustrate beliefs about the afterlife. A humorous video, created by students, showed the excitement we'll feel when Christian friends are resurrected to be together forever. You can watch it below:

 

Please keep the spiritual growth of AAI students in your prayers. May the risen Christ be glorified in the young people here in Ecuador!

ECUA-ADVENTURES

"It was the hardest thing I've done in my life," Susie said, recounting her summit of Cotopaxi, the world's tallest active volcano. The last three months visiting Ecuador were filled with adventure for Beth's sister. "Tia Susie" has been a tireless babysitter, dishwasher and cultural explorer. We miss her presence dearly, as well as the constant reminders she gave us of what a beautiful and exciting country we now call home.

IT'S LIKE PUTTING ON GLASSES

That's how an Ecuadorian friend described reading a New Living Translation of the Bible for the first time. "M" is a new believer and brims over with great questions. When Beth gave her the study Bible to read, M said, "This is exactly what I've been looking for... I'm speechless."  Please lift M in your prayers as she looks to Jesus for wisdom and strength to parent two young children on her own. And Beth appreciates your prayers for time and opportunities to disciple M and other young moms in the community.

SUMMER PLANS

I (Dave) found myself day dreaming this morning about waking up in St. Paul this summer to the smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of our kids playing with their grandparents in the back yard. Please pray for us as we begin to put our summer plans together. Our major concerns right now are scheduling our time, finding a vehicle, and raising enough funds for the summer activities. We will be in the U.S. from July 2 until August 25 and are so excited to reconnect with family and friends in MN and IL.

With gratitude, 

Dave and Beth (Levi, Luke, Aaron, Evangeline & Susie)