HERE WE COME!

The school year finally wrapped and all six of us are in the U.S. for the first time in three years. We’re looking forward to the chance to see many of you and talk face to face about our lives and yours. We have a U.S. cell for the summer (847) 284-1367. Please give us ring or send an email if you have time for a get together! We will be in MN July 4-17, driving roundtrip to Colorado July 18-25, then back in IL July 28-August 10. We will be at Palos Bible Church, Palos Heights, IL, on July 3, Hope Christian Church, Shoreview, MN, on July 10 and 16, and Trinity Vineyard, St. Charles, IL, on July 31 and August 7. Summer travel in the U.S. stretches our budget to the max, so this is a super helpful time to consider an extra gift to our ministry. Thanks so much!

TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life… ” These words Peter spoke to Jesus keep coming to mind as I reflect on this past school year, which has been one of unexpected heartbreak.  From the tragic death of one of Dave’s students, to the painful departure of our pastor at La Viña, to the devastating earthquake that rocked our country and left hundreds dead and thousands homeless, we are still recovering. Yet I resonate with the rest of Peter’s answer to Jesus “…and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” We see God’s holy hand, in how he directed me (Beth) to step down from “extra” activities a year ago, so that I had more margin to navigate these challenges within our family and community. Dave has seen God’s provision in how his teacher-coach role this year has given him one-on-one time with his department staff, not just working through pedagogy, but also being a prayerful support for these teachers who influence so many young lives. 

One of the moments that really stirred our hearts was when the senior class (above photo) decided to change the celebratory/leisure-focused class trip (which they had spent years working to save up for) into a service trip to the coastal areas affected by the earthquake. Character formation is slow, long-term investment, so to see the fruit of maturity in these students’ lives is an encouraging sign of the Spirit’s faithfulness. The students even decided to leave seed money for subsequent classes to take service trips, as well. The rebuilding efforts here will take years, so we are praying that other students take this charge seriously.

Our Vineyard church has also been helping earthquake survivors who have come to Quito, as well as making trips to Canoa, a town that was 90% destroyed, to assist with clean-up, aid, and psychological services (above photo). People are searching for God and asking for not only physical help, but spiritual help. Some of our church members plan to continue to visit Canoa regularly, to help with both of these needs.

There have been a lot of tears, lots of questions, lots of struggle, but we keep praying Psalm 73:25-26 “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing that I desire but you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.” Thank you so much for your prayers, which lift our hearts, and for your financial giving, which sustains our work in Ecuador.

EARTHQUAKE UPDATE

Shaken Hearts, Steady Faith

Thank you so much to the many who have been in touch with us and let us know you are praying. Ecuador needs your prayers! The massive earthquake which hit the coast of our country on Saturday night was also felt here in Quito. After an endless minute huddled under the dining room table, praying with the kids, we came out unscathed. The same can be said for all of our capital city, but not for other places in Ecuador. The epicenter of the quake was about five hours east of us, where many areas already faced great economic challenges. Now, entire towns are in ruins (English coverage in Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article72581422.html). The latest government numbers show around 500 confirmed deaths, nearly 5,000 people injured, and many more unaccounted for and homeless. Our hearts are deeply grieved.

At the same time, we are grateful for the outpouring of support which has followed this tragedy. Our church, La Viña, held normal services on Sunday morning, and our community filled the building with prayer and gifts. Donations for the afflicted started filling the platform and the giving has been steady ever since. 

Sunday services a La Viña

A number of church members have family in the affected areas and a team from church will leave tomorrow morning to try to reach several of the more remote villages. Water, in particular, is sorely needed, as large areas have been without potable water or electricity since the quake. 

Our sanctuary fills with water and supplies

A team of physicians from our mission, Reach Beyond, left this morning to assist at one of the hospitals that is still standing on the coast. They plan to scout out needs and bring down more help where it is most needed.

Reach Beyond Latin America Crisis Management Team

Please pray for each of these groups, as well as the many other kind volunteers and emergency personnel who have arrived or are making their way into the disaster zone. Many of the winding mountain roads that lead to these coastal areas have been severely damaged by the earthquake and aftershocks, so please pray that help will be able to get through to those in need. We also ask for prayers for safety, since trucks taking supplies down have been robbed by desperate people. Thankfully, the military is coordinating escorts for the convoys in which our church and mission teams are traveling.

Should you wish to donate to the relief efforts, you can give in several ways. To support the relief efforts of Reach Beyond, give here: https://reachbeyond.org/ecuadorrelief To support the relief efforts of our Vineyard church, select the option "Ecuador Partnership" here https://vineyardkcnorth.ccbchurch.com/w_give_online.php.

We are immensely grateful for your prayers for our beloved adopted country. Please keep us in your hearts and prayers in the upcoming weeks and months, and please pray especially that Jesus' love and care will be clearly and tangibly expressed to the many whose lives have been shattered.

Thank you!
Dave & Beth   

MANY THANKS!

Dear friends and family,
As we look back on 2015 and look forward to 2016 we are reminded of what an incredible network of support you have been for us! Thank you for your faithful prayers and gifts as we mark the 9th anniversary of our arrival in Quito and begin our 10th year serving with Reach Beyond in Quito, Ecuador. Here are some pictorial highlights from 2015:

Dave's knee keeps getting better

Commissioned for new ministry

Beth celebrating with her BSF ladies

Dave with a newly minted AAI grad

Evangeline now does two wheels

Aaron is getting into reading

Levi rocks the State Fair

Luke feeds his fascination with creation

Levi's first mission trip

Three generations together in Quito

Celebrating Beth's parents' visit

A cloud forest zipline adventure

The Challenges & Opportunities of 2015

As we look back on 2015, we are grateful for the many new challenges and opportunities presented to us. 

• For me (Dave), the greatest challenge has been bearing witness to the hope of Christ as our community mourns the sudden death of a student. I had the privilege of meeting regularly with this young man and, as a result, have had a unique position to minister to his family and friends as they endure his death.  Please pray for me as I continue to counsel students and co-workers who have been significantly impacted by this loss.

• For Beth, a multiplicity of ministry opportunities have arisen, now that the children are at school all day. The major challenge for her has been to prioritize her activities with the time and energy given her.  Currently, she has been focused on the development of the new English-language service and small groups at our Vineyard church.  Please pray for her as she seeks to step wisely into various roles at church, such as growth group leader, worship leader, lay counselor, and teacher.

Looking Forward to 2016!

We are looking forward to the new blessings and challenges awaiting us in 2016. 

• Please pray for Dave, as his job provides him ample opportunity for mentoring both students and fellow teachers. He resonates with the words of Rick Bovey, our beloved dean of students, who is spending his retirement years volunteering at the AAI: "Wisdom! I have this ministry here in this fabulous school which requires wisdom which I do not have. Kids on their journey toward adulthood make a lot of crazy decisions and do a lot of crazy things. They come from homes that are broken. They have friends that influence them. They have raging hormones. They are immersed in a world system that opposes God and all things godly. They are locked into social media that is almost all g.i.g.o. - garbage in, garbage out. How does one get into their hearts and minds and spirits to point them to Jesus and motivate them onto a path of life and hope and joy and peace and love? It takes wisdom from God. It takes a team of people seeking wisdom from God. With HIM there is hope!"

• Please pray for Beth has she seeks to grow as a church leader. On February 14, she spoke at our church (in both English and Spanish services) on 1 Corinthians 13, and will speak again in May. The February recording is posted at http://www.vinaquito.com/index.php/escucha under ¡AMOR! if you want to listen. Also pray as she continues to host an Alpha series and as she meets with people looking for counsel and mentoring. THANK YOU!

RUMBLING AWAY!

A recent view from our roof

Lava is percolating under the flanks of the volcano Cotopaxi, thirty miles south of Quito. Volcanologists say this giant, which has slept for over a hundred years, could erupt any day. The plumes of smoke we can see from our roof confirm it! As we watch the English service of La Viña grow week by week, I (Beth) am reminded that so much spiritual growth is like the fire and steam inside a volcano, often unseen, but growing in power nonetheless. My prayer for our first Sunday service was just that someone besides our own family would show up! The emotional rollercoaster of hope and discouragement I’ve felt week by week (mentally reviewing whom we’ve invited and wondering why some don’t come) has shown me how very far I still have to grow in trusting God with whatever results come from our obedience. Yet while a few church services have felt quiet as Cotopaxi over the last century, we’re slowly seeing life wake up, even celebrating a good friend's baptism in a service that held 70 adults and kids. The Spanish service continues to grow, as well, and a third service (in Spanish) will be added mid-November. Praise God for that!

Beth baptizes a longtime friend

Please pray with us that we keep connecting with English-speakers seeking God and a faith-community here in Ecuador. We’ve been hosting a full growth group each week and would like to see another English group open soon. We also need more musicians and children’s ministry volunteers to help out as we grow. Finally, please pray for our hearts, that whether life is quiet or an erupting volcano, we will trust God and obey his call.

P.S. We aren’t in the path of potential lava flow here in North Quito, but people closer to the volcano have been evacuated for safety. Please pray for protection and provision for the many farmers and city-dwellers near Cotopaxi. Pray also that emergency-response plans the government is orchestrating would work smoothly and effectively to deal with any mudslides, ash fall, water cut-offs, and earthquakes. Thanks! 

LEVI TAKES A LEAP

Mopping up mud and feeding pigs are two activities our nearly eleven-year-old son, Levi, is looking forward to as he heads out on his first mission trip. His grandparents, Americo and Kathy, invited him along for a workshop with indigenous pastors in rural Chimborazo province, several hours from Quito. Please pray that God cultivates a servant heart in Levi, as he helps with cleaning, cooking, animal care, and the kids’ club run by the local church. We greatly appreciate partners to keep him in prayer as he is gone from October 28-31. Thanks! 

Church leaders of San Bartolo, Chimborazo,
where Levi will be an all-purpose helper

CAR UPDATE

A big high-five goes to those who have donated to our car fund. We are nearly a third of the way to our goal of $10,000. Our Trooper has been getting extra miles the last few months, as Dave runs the unofficial church shuttle for the Viña English service. This Sunday he made five trips back and forth from church. Please considering making a tax-deductible gift toward this project here, adding a comment that it's for the car fund. Thanks! 

A BRAND-NEW THING

For I am going to do a brand-new thing.
See, I have already begun. Don't you see it?
I will make a road though the wilderness of
the world for my people to go home.
Isaiah 43:19a  

“Let it go! Let it go!” exclaims a popular tune sung by little girls from the U.S. down to Ecuador. While I’d question of few of that song’s lyrics, God has certainly been asking this girl to “let go” of a lot in recent months: resigning from the school board, stepping out of leading music at church, wrapping up leadership roles with women’s ministries... 

The words of Ecclesiastes 3 resonate deeply, “There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth… a right time to embrace and another to part... a right time to hold on and another to let go…” (from The Message). Thankfully, even as I’ve been letting go, God’s been filling me with hope, looking forward to what he has in store for us next! 

Pastor Len gives us his benediction

Already, God has been directing us into a “brand-new thing”. For the past eight years, we have been blessed to be part of an inter-denominational congregation, English Fellowship Church (EFC). However, God has been orchestrating a move for us, reconnecting with our roots in the Vineyard Church (of which there is one - La Viña - here in Quito). With joy and tears, we were recently commissioned by our pastor at EFC to go out to serve with La Viña.  

Something EFC has done well, and which we hope to emulate at La Viña, is to use English as an evangelistic tool. Currently, La Viña’s services are exclusively in Spanish. However, there are many English-speakers in Quito, both ex-patriates and Ecuadorians who want to practice their English skills. We are thrilled to be joining in the effort to grow La Viña into a bilingual church, with an English service kicking off on August 23.  Dave and I are currently hosting a weekly “growth group” in our home and are praying for providential connections with people who are both spiritually seeking and looking for a place to speak some English. We would really value your prayers as we launch into this “brand-new thing”! Thanks!

 

A NOT-SO-NEW THING

Our ‘95 Trooper hit its 20th “birthday” this year, and is requiring increasingly frequent cash-infusions to keep it running. We are asking for help to purchase a newer vehicle—something that will seat all six of us, with room for a friend or two, since giving rides is a super helpful and appreciated way to serve the community and to network.                   

"Wario" the Trooper has served our family over six years.

Cars maintain their value here far beyond what they would in the U.S., so we may be able to sell our car for a decent sum. However, car prices are also sky-high because of importation and the low depreciation. When you see Ecuadorian car prices, you’ll wish you could bring your car here to sell it—too bad only new cars can be imported (with import taxes upwards of 40%)! Here’s a list of a few popular cars in the U.S. and what they’ve been selling for in Ecuador:

· 2005 Nissan Altima—$18,000

· 2006 Honda CR-V $23,000

· 2009 Toyota Corolla $21,000

· 2010 Ford F-150 XLT $33,000

· 2011 Honda Odyssey $50,000

· 2012 Chevy Cruze $25,000

Don’t see your car? See if you can find it on this site (click "filtrar por marcas" and then "mostrar listado completo" to find your brand).

To keep maintenance costs down, we’d like to buy something under 10 years old, which means we aim to raise around $10,000, to add to what we make selling our car. Our hope is to buy a Kia Carnival mini-van. You can make a tax-deductible donation to our account with Reach Beyond, specifying “Car Fund”. And even if you can’t give right now, would you please pray with us for this big need to be met by our big God?  We would be so grateful!

A number of our partners have needed to discontinue regular giving recently, so we're looking for friends to join the team! Click here to give. Your financial partnership with our work with Reach Beyond keeps us going! And your e-mails and calls keep our hearts going! We would love to know how we can pray for and encourage you, too!

Every blessing in Christ to you!

Dave & Beth & Saavedra kids

NOT SUPERWOMAN

Even walking in the rain is great with this guy!

“I need to tell you something, but I don’t want to hurt you.”  Our January date night had been full of reminiscing and dreaming up until Dave spoke those fateful words. “How do you feel about things at home?” he asked.    

Honestly, I knew life had been chaotic. I was in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) two mornings a week, in Entre Nosotras at school every other week, involved in the school board, and had led music six recent Sundays. With all the December social festivities, there hadn’t been much time for family. “I feel like things at home are slipping,” Dave gently continued.  

It was true. I couldn’t remember the last time I had reviewed spelling words with Aaron or practiced at the keyboard with Luke. And I felt awful about it. In BSF, we had just read that when marching out of Sinai, the Israelites organized their camp with God’s presence in the center of them. I had been convicted at that time that my “doing” for God was edging out my “being” in God’s presence—and being with my family. I knew I needed God at the center of my life again and that to get there, I would need to say “no”. I love to help others (read also: I’m a total people pleaser) so it’s tough for me to say no to activities and even harder to end prior commitments. Yet I know I need to trust God to provide for needs I cannot meet, and to lead me to the needs that he is actually calling me to meet—like serving my family. That hard conversation on our anniversary was a gift—to remind me that I am not Superwoman, but a child of God, who needs to keep listening, learning, and centering on Jesus. I’ve been reordering my priorities and phasing out some activities and I appreciate your prayers that I can hear and obey God’s direction for the future!

SAAVEDRA KIDDOS

Levi, Evangeline, Aaron (birthday boy) and Luke

Our children are enjoying school at the Alliance Academy International, though with the typical dramas of childhood, too. We are so grateful that they are learning in an environment jam-packed with Christian teachers.  Add in their grandparents living nearby, and they have so many wonderful role models in their lives. Our kids do periodically struggle with feeling lonely because of being from a different cultural and language background than nearly all their peers. Please keep their tender hearts in your prayers, that they would be brave and persistent in connecting across barriers to their classmates. Thanks!

Hiking outside the city

Carnaval (the Tuesday before Lent) is
celebrated here with water and foam fights

Crazy Carnaval hair

  

YEAR (and KNEE) in REVIEW

Merry Christmas from Ecuador!

Knee Injury Update: Walking Again!

 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16

I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me (Dave) as I recover from a ruptured ACL and a torn meniscus.  After a three hour surgery and a month of physical therapy I am walking again. 

Whoever told me that the first month would be very difficult wasn’t exaggerating.  There were sleepless nights, a few falls, debilitating fears and moments of intense pain. 

But there have also been numerous signs of God’s grace:  beginning with the surprising number of meals from friends, the concerns of my students, the countless prayers, and new insight into our walk with Christ.

There were two constants for the first several weeks after the surgery; pain and people asking me about that pain.  I never really knew how to respond to the question, “Does it hurt?” Hard pressed to explain what I was feeling, my default answer was, “Yes, but it’s good pain… I hope.” 

Even my physical therapist would insist on asking me how my pain was as she bent my reconstructed knee in half.  “Yes, it still hurts!  But it’s good pain…right?” I would say with a grimace. 

 At first I was unable to discern the difference between good pain - pain that strengthens - and bad pain - pain that damages.  Likewise it was difficult to tell the difference between comfort that restores and comfort that debilitates.

However, now that I am done with thirty sessions of therapy I have gained the wisdom to know when to push through the pain and when to back off, when to rest in comfort and when to flee from it. 

Learning to walk as a follower of Christ isn’t any different.  Wisdom is the ability to know when to embrace suffering that leads to the strengthening of our faith and to delight in His comfort when it restores our souls.  These two gifts, suffering and comfort, often seem to conflict with each other.  Through time, prayer and reflection we will learn to embrace both of them as tools in the hands of the great physician who longs for us to walk by the freedom of His Spirit.

2014 in Photos: 

Dave celebrated with grads of the class of 2014

We made it to Machu Picchu with Dave's family

We enjoyed a family reunion
 at Dave's uncle's home in Pucallpa, Peru

We gathered with the Bible Study Fellowship
small group Beth leads

We baptized our son Luke!

Thank you for your friendship in 2014. 

We look forward to journeying together in 2015!