Dios le Paga

Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador December 2007

Usually the first weekend of December we get all the Christmas decorations out and put the tree up. This year proved to be very different for our family here in Ecuador. We volunteered to help out with the annual dump Christmas party at Zambiza. The party is hosted by Extreme Response and I was struck by how well organized the day went. They we expecting around 3000 people and more like 3400 showed up.

To give you an idea of how the day went the people arrived and were given a wrist band with a color and a large zip lock bag with a string attached to hang around their neck.

They entered the dump site and they first got in line to have their picture taken with Santa. They then could play games, do a craft, or have their face painted. The zip lock bags were to put all their prizes in, like candy or small toys.

Then as the party concluded there were four buses and the people would get in line for the bus with the color of their wristband. They were then given a full bag of food which included staples for the Ecuadorian diet, the smaller kids were given a gift bag and everyone left with a sack lunch.

I can not tell you what a privilege it was to participate in handing out gift bags. The people were given the choice of a food bag or a toy bag. Children as young as 8 or 9 would choose the food. The significance of this choice affected my entire Christmas season, and helped keep perspective in my life.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl family

Extreme Response South Africa

Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador November 2007

I’ve been thinking about the prayer of Jabez, one part in particular. “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!’” I Chronicles 4:10. The common North American application of this prayer is one of a material outcome. I would challenge you to see this in a different light. Perhaps it was never meant to be financial, but rather a perspective, a world view if you will.

Let me give an example from our own lives. Howard and I were content with life in North America until God enlarged our territory to now include living in South America. We came to Ecuador seven years ago and fell in love with the people and the country. Because of God’s blessing us, we now have a heart for the needs of the people on this continent.

The second week of November, God “enlarged our territory” again when Howard was able to go on a charitable motorcycle ride with Extreme Response through South Africa. Our hearts now hurt for a people on yet another continent. The money raised from the ride was used to purchase three Yamaha AG200 motorcycles and replacement parts. The motorcycles will be used by two social workers and a pastor to travel a twenty mile radius in central Malawi to meet with various AIDS orphan groups for accountability, discipleship and evangelism. Because of the dirt roads and lack of pavement motorcycles are the best way for travel.

Howard was challenged and heartbroken after the trip. Story after story of innocence lost from the lives of children because of the AIDS epidemic. The little boy in the picture with Howard was found in a plastic bag in a garbage can, probably placed by his mother because he had AIDS. He is now one of the AIDS orphans in South Africa.

For whatever reason God continually chooses to “enlarge our territory” by always challenging Howard’s and my world view and increasing the capacity of our hearts for people with needs impossible to meet on our own. He has done this for us by never allowing us to fall into a comfort zone.

I encourage you to allow God to enlarge your territory as well. However that may look, if it is getting involved in your local neighborhood impact, using resources God has provided for you to alleviate the suffering of those less fortunate or something as radical as moving to another continent. I am so thankful God has chosen to bless us and our family and indeed enlarge our territory.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl family

Happy Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and we want you to know how much we are thinking of you as you celebrate with your family and friends. This is probably one of the harder holidays for us to be so far away. Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays, because each year we are reminded to take time and remember each of the things we are thankful for.

Last week at our team meeting we had a time of proclaiming God’s faithfulness in each of our individual lives and corporately as well. Many people know the biblical account of Moses and the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea and how God parted the waters. What may not be as well known is God parted the waters a second time when they crossed the River Jordan. You can read up on this in Joshua chapters 3 and 4. One act of significance is they were encouraged to pick up a stone of remembrance from the lake bed, so they and their children would remember exactly what God had done for them. So I started thinking about how good it would be to pick up a stone of remembrance for our family to commemorate the year God has just brought our family through.

Just a short year ago, we had arrived back in Lancaster from training with ITEAMS. To be honest we were a little discouraged, we truly felt God’s call on our lives and yet we were waiting for our full support to come in, so we could leave for Ecuador. Now, looking back I can see God’s faithfulness over and over again. From finding a rental for only three months to a job for Howard that also only lasted three months. Just enough time for us to raise the additional support we needed and fly out on the 26^th of February. We arrived in Calacali at a far better time than we could have arranged. There was a team at the camp however the “busy season” had not yet come so we had time to get settled into our home. We saw God’s faithfulness, as He provided for our home to be furnished, completely. Two families were heading home from the field and we were the lucky beneficiaries. On and on I could tell you of how we saw God’s amazing faithfulness to our family.

We also witnessed God’s faithfulness as He put together our support team. We are so thankful for each of you who financially support our family each month. You may or may not realize that each month we receive a statement from ITEAMS which itemizes contributions for that month. Every month without fail, God uses that list with your individual names to encourage and bolster our confidence in the ministry we are a part of here at El Refugio. We have come to think of you, our supporters, as “our great cloud of witnesses”.

On this Thanksgiving Day, we proclaim God’s faithfulness and continue to be thankful for each of you and pray God’s blessing to return to you in abundance.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl family

Weekly Wrap Up From CalaCali, Ecuador

Time has truly gotten away from us this month. Although our blog has been silent there has been a lot happening at Hacienda El Refugio. The first of the month found Howard and the workers expanding our guards living quarters. In the past the Cofan Indians have rotated the guard duty, one month on and one off. Starting September first, the camp hired Andres’ full time, which means he and Marlena will live here on the property full time. While the guards quarters were fine for a single man, changes were needed to accommodate a married couple. By the time the project was completed their living space was increased by double. This ended up being a really fun project, Howard let Marlena pick out the paint colors (Cofan orange) and found various pieces of furniture from around the camp to really make it a home for them.

Here is the fun part. Soon after they moved in, we were returning to the camp on a Tuesday evening. Both Andres’ and Marlena came out to greet us at the gate. They were beaming. A group of about six Cofan Indians had just left. They had hosted their first Bible Study. Not only were they thrilled with their new home, they wanted to practice hospitality as a natural response.

“I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” Philemon 4-7

Toward the end of the month, the camp hosted a small group from the Mid West who worked on all the electrical needs for the PTC (Professional Training Center). Up until that point the camp had been pretty quiet, so to have the group arrive was a welcomed blessing.

I was able to travel home for a bullet trip to put all the plans into place for Nicole’s wedding. I arrived and we spent the time running. We did in ten days, what I am sure most people do over the course of months. Kevin and Bridget were able to join me for a good part of it, and I soaked up the time with them. God is so good. Although I know we are exactly where we are supposed to be, the tension of living so far away from our older kids is always there. I am really proud of all three of them as they find exactly where God wants them to be.

As always we covet your prayers and appreciate your partnership with us as we minister. We also love hearing from each of you and news from your lives.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up From CalaCali, Ecuador

“God sees us as we are and at the same time sees us for who we will become.” Our pastor spoke these words last Sunday; the words resonated with me, because this exact point has been manifested in my life. Many of you know I recently completed my degree in education, what you don’t know is how many times I wanted to lay it down, due to physical, emotional or financial stressors. However, each time, Howard and I were convinced this was what God wanted me to do, even if it was to just teach my own kids. Many asserted it was simply a task in chasing the wind, an exercise in vanity if you will. Bearing in mind the opening quote, this week, after six years I now know why the Lord had me finish my degree in teaching. As a result I also know exactly why I am here in Calacali, Ecuador, to teach English.

I have five students and I can not describe to you how I am completely affirmed during those class sessions. This is who God has intended for me to be, a teacher to these Ecuadorians. I write this as an encouragement to the person who is struggling. Your view is limited, God’s is eternal, remember in an eternal perspective, years are just a blip. In the thing God has called you to be obedient, be obedient in that thing and trust Him for the outcome.

Home schooling is going so well this year, we are trying a new curriculum and absolutely love the change. We’ve settled into a fairly rigorous routine with school each day and then traveling into Quito for Spanish on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Plus, on Wednesdays, the kids are participating in a Christian Service Organization connected with the Alliance Academy. Danielle will be leading an AWANA group and Jonathan will attend a group of middle schoolers called Guardians. This is a good way for them to be with kids their own age.

Speaking of Jonathan, many of you know he has had some vision issues in the past. I am not kidding about two weeks after we arrived here, he lost his glasses. What to do, what to do. Again, we saw God’s hand in our lives as we found an Ecuadorian Ophthalmologist, who happened to study the issues related to his vision. We now have a current prescription for his eyes and I am happy to share, as he has matured, so have his eyes and for the first time he doesn’t have to wear bifocals. J

Also, on a very happy note, we are so pleased to announce the engagement of our daughter, Nicole to a young man named Jay Kimbler. They met at Cal Poly, where she managed the horse unit and Jay the beef unit. God, in His graciousness has supplied me with a plane ticket to go home in October to help with the plans, so as we know more information, we will be sure to pass that along. They are shooting for either a May or October 2008 wedding.

As always, we know we couldn’t be here without the faithful support and encouragement of you. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” I Peter 4:10

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up CalaCali, Ecuador

The Power of Time

When we arrived six months ago, many of you may remember there was a team here from Hume Lake Christian Camps in California, who started construction of a tree house here at HER. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the power of a team, this update is about the power of time. When the team left, they had put into place the basic structure for the two platforms of the tree house. Since that time our program team, the interns, workers and Howard have worked on the overall design. While there is still quite a bit to do, the tree house is now functional for individuals to use. Although, it is hard to tell from the pictures, the tree house sits about 40 feet off the ground. Really, it is amazing as to what can be accomplished in just six months time.

The camp vision statement is to function as a training and retreat center which facilitates a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, through nature and outdoor adventure. The tree house is yet another example of how this can be achieved. Ultimately, there will be two to three “pods” where people can go and spend quite time. There will be a “library” where a person can open a book and inside there will be the tools to accomplish a task they have been assigned. All designed to encourage the believer to go deeper in their walk with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We come now to the final days of summer. Our kids will start school on the 4^th of September. We all will start Spanish the same day. Pray for us as we move from talking in only the present, to the future and past tenses. Time to stop speaking as two year olds!

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl family.

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador, August 15, 2007

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador August 15, 2007

THE POWER OF A TEAM

We just finished with our last group of the summer. They came from the Detroit Michigan area and were our smallest group. (The minimum usually is ten people). There were eight people and their medium age was 39. To illustrate the impact even a group this size can have, I have included two photos. The first is Howard standing on the pad of the PTC (Professional Training Center) when the group arrived and what they accomplished in just eight days. We are thankful for this incredible group of people and their investment into our lives.

As we click off our six month anniversary, we are aware all the groups to visit Hacienda El Refugio, have been from the Mid-West. As we plan for next summer, we would love to have a group from any of the churches in California to plan a work trip. We would invite and encourage our west coast supporters to explore the possibility of coming for the summer of 2008. Basically what it looks like for a group to come is to have a minimum of ten people and eleven days. The group spends several days working here at the camp. They take a trip to the jungle where they either complete a work project or VBS. Then there are 2-3 days to experience Ecuador, mixed in. For example, groups usually visit Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the World) and Otavalo, an Ecuadorian market place. For every group it looks a little different, however we won’t know what it will look like for your church until you plan a trip

We are spending our final days with Nicole. She flies home next Thursday, so you can pray for us as we adjust to her leaving. She has accomplished so much with the horses and in just six weeks made such an impact. One of the men in the group just here had some physical limitations. Nicole arranged a horse ride. Afterwards, this man was glowing. He said, “I never dreamed I’d be able to go to the top of the mountain and see the view, Thank You!” That made it all worth it.

We think of you all so often and wonder how you are. I wrote a friend and said, “Just send me details of you life, that is what I love to hear about.” She did and I loved it! Which reminds me again, we could not be here without your faithful love and support.

As God is Our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

August 1, 2007

On Friday of last week HER hosted vet students from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The group consisted of around twenty, third and fourth year students and four Veterinary Doctors. They all belong to an organization of Christian Vets who make a bi annual trip to Ecuador to offer services for animals. The HER horses were some of their beneficiaries this year. Each horse received physical examines, rabies vaccines, and some had their teeth floated. To have their teeth floated is a dentistry term which means, they had their teeth filed down. For instance, one of our horses Espanola, had lost a top tooth and the bottom tooth was literally growing up into her jaw, which helps explain why she was having a problem gaining weight and just a little crabby. (Nicole is pictured with Espanola below). They also performed a worm count (you don’t even want to know how this is obtained) and found that every horse literally had numerous worms and the treatment is much more aggressive here because it never freezes, so the worms never die on the ground. One of the horses sadly received a grim diagnosis as the owners thought he just had warts, when in actuality it is an aggressive form of skin cancer and lymphoma. The cool part is before the vet students got here, Nicole had done her homework online and had already accurately diagnosed his condition. Now with the help of the Vet team, a reliable health care plan will be implemented for each of the horses here on the property.

For those of you who have kept up on our Blogspot, you will know that since Nicole has been here, she turned down a spot at Vet school for numerous reasons. While here she has been a whirlwind, preparing the horses and stables for the Vet group to visit. Then to watch her interact with the group and her obvious passion for the care and treatment of horses, we became convinced she should apply again next year. This belief was confirmed by the Veterinary Doctors who encouraged her to apply at their school and use them for a reference. Also, they felt she should list the time spent here as an equine intern, so that is another addition to her already lengthy resume. Who knows maybe she’ll return as our equine program intern!

Just a little update on what is going on near the middle of the world. Please let us know what is happening on your side of the equator.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Horse Stables Vet Group Jonathan & our baby Nicole & Espanola

Summer 2007

As many of you knew, Danielle and I traveled home to attend Nicole, our oldest daughters graduation from Cal Poly San Luis. The photo includes from left to right: My dad Bob Scherer, Danielle, my sister Suzie, (in front) my mom Kay Scherer, (behind her) my nephew Craig who attends Annapolis, Kevin, Nicole, behind her to the right, Ralph, Howard's dad, me and in front of me Ralph's wife, Helen. We had such a fun time celebrating the day with her and are so proud of her accomplishments. There was a large ceremony and then the individual colleges held smaller ceremonies, where Nicole received her Bachelor of Science degree.
During our time in the states, it worked out for my mom to schedule back surgery. The girls and I were able to help she and my dad move into one of their one bedroom apartments, so my mom wouldn't have to maneuver stairs during her recovery process. I am happy to report the surgery was a success, however I would appreciate prayer for my mom as the recovery has been a little slower than she had hoped.
I regret we weren't able to see very many people while we were there. I really believe God oversaw the timing though, so I could be there during this time with my parents. It has been years since we were able to just sit and enjoy talking with my folks. Even at 45, I still love to lay on the bed with my mom and share the days events.
Another subject I had not elaborated on was Nicole returning to Ecuador with Danielle and I. This was part of her graduation gift from us and we have loved every minute. She has been working with Howard on the training center for Leader Mundial. She also has been working with the eleven horses we have here on the property.
One week after Nicole arrived, she found out she had been accepted to a Vet school in Canada. She has gone through the process of weighing all her options and in the end has decided to turn the offer down for various reasons. I ask prayer for her as she decides what to, once she arrives back in California.
We would love to hear from you about the things you are doing during the summer of 2007.

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador - July 26, 2007

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

July 26, 2007

In the midst of all the building projects last week, the Geneva Youth Work team took two of the afternoons and held a Vacation Bible School for the kids of Calacali. The first day about 85 children attended, the second day there were closer to 100. In previous years the team has gone out into the barrio to hold the VBS, this year we invited the children to come to Hacienda El Refugio. Once they arrived the kids were split into three groups and rotated between different activities. The first activity was games held on the soccer field. The second was a puppet show held on the front steps of Casa Grande, presented entirely in Spanish. And the final activity the children did was a craft, where they made photo frames and visors. As the children worked their way through all three stations, the gospel of Jesus Christ was presented to them through songs, stories, and sharing. Juan Carlos was able to share the gospel with one of the children’s father and he accepted Christ as his Savior. I wish I could describe how fun it is to hear all the laughing and singing from both Ecuadorian and American young people.

Danielle and Jonathan with children from Calacali during the VBS

I am pleased to announce, I will start teaching Danny and David our Ecuadorian interns English three times a week. When I returned from the States, there was a young woman visiting here, who got the program going and really gave me the confidence to continue on with their studies. As soon as I feel confident with these two young men, I will start to teach Andres’, our guard and Holger, the head worker. Beyond that, Juan Carlos would like me to start with an evening a week just teaching any of the workers who would like to learn. I am so excited about all the possibilities. Pray for me as I put together a curriculum which is beneficial to the boys and meets their needs. Also, if anyone has any input, please send it along my way; I am open to all ideas and suggestions.

As Always, we covet you prayers and love to hear from you,
As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

July 21, 2007

Greetings to all of you from South America! While I was in the states, overwhelmingly I had people ask me to please restart the weekly wrap up. I will send a wrap up out each week and then post it on our blog. I would encourage you to check out our Blogspot, as a friend and supporter has updated it for us, you can find all our past newsletters and wrap ups in case you missed any. Thank you to Doug Wade for his help in moving us along on the information highway.

For those of you who would like to be removed from our mailing list, please respond to this email and in the subject line type remove, we will be happy to do so.

While Danielle and I were in the states, Howard and Jonathan were busy with the teams here at HER. The first was a father/son hiking team, fund raiser, which attempted to summit three mountains here in Ecuador. They were not able to finish the final climb, Cotopaxi, due to weather. This was a disappointment but the trip was successful in raising a significant amount for HER. A family team followed with seven families, who started the project of painting our Casa Grande as we revamp it for a welcome center. They also re-roofed one of our staff houses and cleaned our irrigation system. Right after them we had a group of kids from a mission organization who spent the time with us while their parents spent a necessary respite in Quito. Currently, we are at the end of our largest group, 39 kids and adults and this group has worked hard. They have had a total of seven workdays. They have poured the foundation for the Leader Mundial conference building, dug trenches for the electrical, dug the hole for the septic system and proceeded to finish much of the painting in Casa Grande. Currently, they are on their trip to the jungle, but that doesn’t mean the camp rests. Today, Saturday we have three different groups here using the facilities, a Quito Quest group, a group training to be Ecuadorian facilitators, and an Ecuadorian church doing some team building. Our camp mission statement is we are a training and retreat center which facilitates a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, through nature and outdoor adventure. As you can see this is done on a regular basis.

Many of you have asked about the situation with the water system. When we first arrived, Howard had discovered the water had diminished quite a bit. Last week, Howard and Holger (pronounced Ol’hare) one of the main workers went up on the mountain and checked out a water source that was used earlier when the camp was first started. The water was drinkable but had a lot of sediment in it. So they built a filter system by using a water tank with gravel and charcoal inside and installed it up in the canyon, called a quebrada in Spanish. They were able to build this filter system for under $250. The system is now in use and is keeping up with this large group we have here now, plus all the staff and short term people. For example, last Tuesday we had two groups here at HER and there were in excess of over 80 people, when Howard hiked up to check the tanks they were over three quarters full. He is very happy with the improvement and the campers are happy, when at the end of the day they are able to take a shower!

Needless to say, Danielle and I jumped in with our feet running when we returned. Also, Nicole our oldest returned with us, until the end of August. She got up the first morning and went to work with her dad. This has been so fun to have her here helping out. As always we recognize we are here because of your faithful love and support.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl family

Estados Unidos

Last Thursday, Danielle and I headed back to the states to attend Nicole's graduation from Cal Poly San Luis. Howard and Jonathan stayed put, as the camp is moving into the busy season. We had a wonderful time at graduation and were so proud to be there when Nicole received her Bachelor of Science degree.
Danielle is now at "Kickback", an after school is out camp, the youth group attend each year on the the Kern River. Kevin and I helped Nicole pack up her house and prepare to move to Tollhouse, California.

My mom is scheduled to have back surgery on the 28th at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, so I'll head over there and lend moral support to my parents.

Finally, I hope to help Bridget move into an apartment and get settled before we head back to Ecuador. Lots to do before we fly back home.

Really, we haven't been gone long enough for there to be "cultural" issues. My main luxury is to have the freedom to move about without the concern for sticking out. Wait, I take that back, I am in total Shock about the price of gas, I cannot believe people aren't screaming.

I've heard from several of you and enjoy your words of response.

Remember, God is our only Refuge.

Scholl Family Newsletter

Scholl Family Newsletter
June 2007
Serving God in Calacali, Ecuador
“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1


Honeymoon

May 26th marked our three month anniversary here in Ecuador. Many of you have traveled with us each week as we acclimated to life in another country. This is a good time for us to evaluate how we are doing and what changes should be made. When I started writing the weekly update some of you cautioned, as we became busier in ministry it might prove to be a challenge to maintain a weekly update and you were right. I (Mary) also became conflicted at “dropping in” on your emails each week. The solution we have found is to develop a blog site where I can still journal and you can access the entries at your own convenience. You can access our blog at http://www.howardschollfamily.blogspot.com/

Language Acquisition

Howard y Daniel Narvaez D

Danielle y Doris Balseca

Mary y Doris

We finished three months of Spanish with our two instructors Daniel and Doris. The decision was made to take a break for the summer. There were two reasons for this, the necessity to put the groups first that would be here this summer. And the second, Howard and I needed some time to assimilate what we had learned before we could move ahead in our learning. So, we take a break, speaking only in the present tense (Danielle not included), however feeling a bit more confident we are going to learn to speak Spanish.

Spanish is really an orderly language. However, there are some frustrations. For example, you learn verbs such as memorizer, dividir, and practicar which are easily understood to memorize, divide and practice. So you think to yourself, “Spanish is easy!” Then you run into a verb like manejar, huh? Yes, manejar it means “to drive”. To drive are you kidding me? Why not drivider? Or my favorite verb to forget, olvidar which means, “to forget”. The basic thing I have had to learn is when the verbs are easy, bonus, however more times than not they will have to be learned with some word association. For example, “to share” is compartir. In my mind I visualize compartments and those have to be “shared”. Please understand though this requires a lot more hard drive than remains on my brain! Pray for us as we practice over the summer and become more fluent.

Newlyweds

Marlene y Andres

Andres is one of the Cofan guard here on the property. Marlene is his new bride from Peru. They are the ones Danielle made the photo album for. Andres is studying to be a pastor and Marlene has a degree in linguistics from a university in Peru. Pray for them as they settle Marlene’s VISA issues. When they are not working here at El Refugio, they are busy working on translating the Psalms for the Cofan Indians.

The Cevallos Family

Courtney, Lillie, Marlie, Juan Carlos

An update on the Cevallos family, Juan Carlos gave a report at a recent team meeting and only expressed gratitude for how everything has worked out. Juan Carlos is one of our program director here at the camp. He has been very influential in bringing our two Ecuadorian facilitators to live here at the camp. He also works very closely with the Ecuadorian facilitators who come and help out with the various day camps.

Hacienda El Refugio

The camp continues to be very busy. In one week we had four different day groups. As always the variety of the groups is what, I believe allows the camp to be most effective. For example, we had a group of businessman, kids from a Korean school, a scouting group and finally a group processing through grief.

To top that off we head into our busy season with work groups coming from the states that will be staying here on the property, plus eleven different Quito Quest groups who each spend a day at HER. This translates to Howard being very busy making sure everything is up and running and supplies are ready for each of the work projects planned. As always we completely recognize we are serving at HER, because of you our friends and family who support us in various ways.
I will close with Paul’s words from Ephesians, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” 6:19 NIV.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family
Contact info–schollseven@gmail.com (we need your email address)
Support info – http://iteams.org/ Click on the Give link
Designate for the ministry of Howard and Mary Scholl
Blogspot – http://www.howardschollfamily.blogspot.com/

Website – http://www.youthworld.org.ec/ Click on the El Refugio link

Bienvenido!

Welcome to the Scholl Family blog spot. Our current generation will surely be known for how well they communicated and shared information. Just the fact you are accessing this blog illustrates how up to date you have become in the accessing of information. Thank You for taking the time and showing interest in what the Lord is doing through our lives at Hacienda El Refugio or better known as HER.

As many of you know, we have changed from sending out a weekly email to allowing you to access our journal entries at your own convenience. One of the exciting things about this is you will be able to hear not only from Mary but from the rest of the family as well. Plus there will be the new addition of pictures to share.

Again we thank you for sharing this journey with our family.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

May 18, 2007

Upon our arrival in February, the team started getting together every Tuesday night for pizza at Juan Carlos’ house. (On Tuesday all the pizza places in Ecuador have a two for one pizza deal). After a long weekend and prolonged negotiating, Juan Carlos was finally released Tuesday afternoon. And true to character, Juan Carlos and Courtney insisted we still gather at their house for pizza and fellowship. This was actually good for the team to talk and debrief the whole situation. Although he looked exhausted, Juan Carlos was able to share some very encouraging words as a result of the accident and the time in jail. The scripture that came to my mind is found in Philippians 1:12, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” This proved to be true in this circumstance. While the gentleman who Juan Carlos hit was in the hospital, he came to profess Christ as Lord. Then as Juan Carlos was in jail, he was upfront with the other prisoners and told them he was a believer. When I wrote last week that he was going to preach that is exactly what he did. At first they just wanted him to pray for them and then with each day Juan Carlos would do more and more. Time will tell the results of his time spent with the men in that jail cell.

Now, lest this update sound a little too Pollyannaish, know that there are still issues that need to be worked through. On Wednesday, the family of the man arrived at the Youth World offices demanding more payment and threatened to find Juan Carlos and put him back in jail if they weren’t paid. This is an unfortunate side effect of the system here in Ecuador. Please continue to pray for the Cevallos family and continued protection from further harassment.

On a lighter note, Danielle finished the photo album for Andres and Marlene. I am attempting to include a photo of Danielle and Marlene. Danielle learned how to make these albums last spring. The fun thing about this is, one of our Ecuadorian interns who I mentioned last week, David is an artist. So he went through and included all kinds of fun indigenous art work. We told him we knew it looked very American. We asked if he could please incorporate the Cofan culture into the album. He did a wonderful job; I wish you could see the final result.

Paul writes later in Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let our gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” vs. 4-7 NIV.

We are praying for you and that which you find yourself anxious and that you will find the peace Paul writes about.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

May 11, 2007

A few years ago, a friend of mine and I were taking our two daughters to the airport to attend summer camp. My friend’s daughter was a little nervous about flying alone for the first time. Cathy, my friend said to her daughter, “OK let’s name the things you are worried about.” At the time I was struck by how practical this was and have actually used it in my own life in the subsequent years. All this to say, when we were preparing to come to Ecuador and in the last three months, if I were to name my concerns, they would be as follows, to be stopped by the police, jail in Ecuador and to hit a pedestrian. Now I know the final one seems odd, but when you live here you see first hand how there are people everywhere. They run across the street, run into the street to sell things and jump off and onto buses and taxis all the time.

Unfortunately, my worst fear became a reality for one of our team members yesterday. Juan Carlos Cevallos, our assistant program director at El Refugio was driving into Quito for a staff meeting with two of our interns. Nathan, who is from our home church and is here until September was in the front seat, David who is one of our Ecuadorian interns was in the back. Juan Carlos was in the right lane on a 3 lane road when a person got off a bus from the middle lane. Nathan said it happened so fast that there was nothing Juan Carlos could do but hit the guy. The man suffered a badly broken leg and had surgery yesterday with a 4 – 6 month recovery process. Wisely, Juan Carlos had Nathan get back in the car and not speak to the police when they came. Because David is Ecuadorian, they were able to use him as a witness.

Ecuadorian law mandates that Juan Carlos be taken to jail and remain there until the man is released from the hospital which will probably be Monday. Once the doctor releases the man, the papers will be sent to the judge and Juan Carlos can then be released. His car has also been impounded until the end of next week. I tell you all this just so you will know a little of the craziness of the system here in Ecuador.

Juan Carlos is married to Courtney and they have two small daughters Marli and Lilli. To show God’s amazing provision for this situation, Courtney’s parents and brother arrived the night before so she is not alone. To demonstrate the character of this couple, when I called Courtney to see how she was doing she spent the time instructing me. She said, “Mary, if you get into an accident don’t ever let the police come because Ecuadorian law mandates they take both parties to jail until they clear it all up which could be up to three days. During our staff meeting Juan Carlos sent a text message and said not to worry he would be “preaching in the morning.” This is the kind of people God has called us to work with, truly an amazing young couple.

Please join us as we pray for Juan Carlos and his family, pray for the man he hit to recover quickly so they both can be released and go home to their families.

Also, could you pray for Nathan and David, initially they were both shook up but now seem to be doing well. They are both quiet guys so we just need to know how to help them process the whole situation.

As always we know we could only serve here in Ecuador because of your faithful support and prayers.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

May 4, 2007

Last Saturday, a small work team of eleven men arrived at El Refugio from Woodbury Lutheran Church in Minnesota and also a couple from North Dakota. The team had two primary work projects. To relocate the Quy (guinea pig) shed and to put in a septic tank for the new bathrooms located at the center of camp. Howard had a great time of working with these men and spending time getting to know them. As always the people who come on a team are varied in their experience and walk. Truly, that is what makes the time spent here interesting. For instance one of the men performs magic tricks; so he took time to teach Danielle and Jonathan various tricks. However, he wouldn’t teach them how he turned a one dollar bill into a five. (Wouldn’t we all love to know that secret?)

Ultimately, the goal is that God would bless their time here and the experience would impact them forever. On Wednesday, the team toured the various ministry sites and the visit to the dump really impacted them. To the point of physically making one of them ill, while this may seem a harsh reaction, it is real. Our North American sensibilities can not quite grasp that people, particularly children live in the dump in Quito. Yet, God in His infinite mercy has provided for these very people through the ministry of Extreme Response. If you would like to look further into this ministry their website is www.extremeresponse.org. Work trips, like this team experienced this last week are a great way to expose people to live larger than themselves. We all need to live larger than ourselves.

While the team was off visiting the various ministries, a group of about thirty people arrived to El Refugio who work for HCJB (World Radio) for a day of teambuilding. As I was out walking you could see grown men jumping rope and plenty of laughter echoing up the mountain. The point as always is, to impact these people by their time here, and that our staff would facilitate a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Howard turned 49 yesterday and really had a great day, where I think, they sang Happy Birthday to him at least three times throughout the day. Of course, he enjoys the honor of being the oldest member of the Youth World Team. There are two traditions that are usually carried out on a person’s birthday, to be thrown in the pond and to yes, I know this is hard to believe, a spanking with a belt. Well, Howard avoided both by keeping busy with pouring cement for the septic tank. I guess wisdom does come with age!

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

April 27, 2007

Our family has been known to slip and slide on a large black tarp with dish soap and even show up to the snow with plastic bags tied around the kids feet then slipped in their shoes. So when Howard asked for a white pillowcase to wrap around his neck so he could go collect honey from the beehives, I was not one bit surprised. Along with three other workers, they collected about 5 gallons of raw honey. Howard’s job was to be the “smoker”, which meant he stood the best chance of not getting stung by the bees. The whole thing just made me laugh and again illustrates how we ended up here in Ecuador. My husband with his “can do” attitude make him a perfect fit for this job, and really the workers already respond to him with the same sense of purpose.

The funny thing is I knew moving here was a fit for Howard; I wasn’t so sure about myself. And yet, I find myself absolutely loving the people and the country. Only God could put that love in my heart for the people here in Ecuador. I can’t wait until my Spanish is ample to go meet the people in the Barrio near us. As of now, we have a very vigorous waving relationship. There is one older woman who is always sitting on the same tree stump when we head to Quito. At first she wouldn’t wave, but now I’m pretty sure I am her new best friend. We knew coming in, the language would be our toughest obstacle, yet now our motivation is so high, because “we want” to communicate, more specifically, to communicate the life saving message of Jesus Christ.

Bridget headed home this week. Please pray for her as she transitions back to life in L.A. Pray specifically for a place to live, what school to attend next year and that her job will continue to be so accommodating. Finally, could you pray for her health, while she was here she really struggled with both the altitude and whatever “bug” was going around. Tuesday night, Don Victor, the senior member of the workers came to the house to pronounce a blessing on Bridget. Doris was here for my Spanish lesson and Howard asked her to interpret for us, and the really cool thing was, we didn’t need her to interpret, we understood! Then later as we drove back in from dinner, while Andres was opening the gate for us, Marlene’ came out and pronounced a similar blessing. Bridget was only here for less than two months, and yet so many already had welcomed her as part of their extended family.

One thing I forgot to mention last week is we have added another Spanish teacher. Daniel (pronounced Danielle which makes it a little confusing); Doris’ boyfriend is also an English teacher so he started last week for two hours with Howard. This has been good for Howard to “hear” a male voice and also Daniel is “muy tranquilo.” Howard is also a verbal learner, and Daniel spends a lot of time dialoguing with him. This also means Daniella (Danielle pronounced in Spanish) and I spend two hours each with Doris, so our acquisition has already increased.

This morning we got up early to go and get our Censos, which is the equivalent to a green card. We arrived before the office opened to get our numbers. We were one of the first to be called, only to be sent out to get pictures next door. When we arrived back we had to get new numbers and what should have been a quick process ended up taking the whole morning. I told the kids their school today was about government and “red tape!”

We appreciate each of you and are constantly reminded how much we rely on you,

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

April 20, 2007

As we come to the end of our second month here in Calacali, our family has settled into a nice routine. Howard is up and out of the house by 7:00 each morning to meet with the workers to get their day started. The kids and I work on school and Spanish homework. Once Jonathan completes his school work, he heads out to see if he can help his dad or the interns who are here. Danielle has a nice scrap booking area set up and works on that a little each day.

Andres, the guard at the camp here is a Cofan Indian and recently got married to a young woman from Peru named Marlene. One evening a couple of weeks ago, they brought their wedding pictures to the house and we had a fun evening of learning more about them and their cultural traditions. One of Danielle’s projects is to now make them a scrap book for some of their wedding pictures. Again, they knew just enough English and with our combined family, we knew enough Spanish to interact. Although, by the end of the evening my brain was completely fatigued!

At the end of the camp last week, Howard noticed the water tanks were almost out. Even though it is the rainy season the camp is still running low on water. So, Howard and Jonathan hiked up the mountain to check the water source. The news was not good; it is only putting out 4 liters/minute, where it was putting out 4 gallons/minute. In an attempt to figure out why, Howard and Jonathan went up the valley and discovered the water is coming out sixty feet below the collection point. So now the process starts to try and remedy the problem before future work teams arrive. Howard has also been spending time doing some tractor work. He has been mowing the new soccer field and the future paint ball field. As you can imagine with the rainy season the weeds are out of control. He also has been working on the road into and out of El Refugio.

This last Sunday was an election day in Ecuador. 80% of the population voted to allow the constitution of Ecuador to be rewritten. This is viewed as an overwhelming affirmation of President Correa. Pray for the leaders here in Ecuador and for protection, through what could be, at least a ten month process.

As always we covet your prayers and appreciate your partnership with us as we minister. We also love hearing from each of you and news from your lives.
As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

April 10, 2007

Howard and Jonathan woke up early on Easter morning to get a campfire started on the Mirador, a bald knob on the property of HER (Hacienda El Refugio). From this vantage point a person can see a couple of miles through the valley from where HER is located. We were joined by about 40 people from both the Youth World staff and friends for a time of prayer, praise and then Russ Cline preached an Easter message for us. Following the sunrise service, we gathered at the work team house for breakfast. The kids then had a time of games; well I have to qualify that, because actually the adults were playing the games right along side the kids. What struck me is how “normal” the day seemed with egg hunts and tosses, a completely carbed out meal and kids eating way to much candy. These traditions, I believe are what have made the transition for our family so smooth.

Monday rolled around and with it the start of a Middle School Camp with kids from the local English Fellowship Church. There were about 70 people (counselors and kids included). Our staff provided several hours of interaction with the kids each day. Jonathan wasn’t to sure he would join in, but as soon as the campers started to arrive he was up in his room packing a bag and I haven’t seen him since. It will be fun to get a first hand account of what it is like to be a camper at HER with his thoughts and perspectives.

This week also signaled the start of our kids “store” at the camp. Danielle and Jonathan have the opportunity to run a store for the campers here and earn a little spending money. We want to publicly thank Nathan and Francis Ross’ adult fellowship class for the amazing amount of “stuff” they sent down with Pat for the kids to sell. We sent a list and then they doubled it! Everything was a huge hit, in fact the first night they sold out of all the sour stuff. Now, we just have to figure out how to replenish their supplies for the next camp. They are also selling stuff provided by the Cofan Indians. This is a fun opportunity for the kids to interact with the campers and teach them some very fundamental lessons about money.

The week off from school was really welcomed. We have still continued with our Spanish and each week we change the schedule to meet our learning styles and paces. This is a nice way to say, Danielle needed to progress ahead of her parents!

Pray for us as we learn the distinction of the many words. For example I confuse jovenes, huevos, and jueves, so someday I’m sure I’ll need eggs but ask for either something young or Thursday. My personal goal this week was to actually give the clerk at the Supermaxi my phone number when she asked for it, rather than hand her my phone. I practiced all the way there, and then at the last minute had Bridget say it. So I guess sometimes we succeed and sometimes we don’t. I do know my phone number now….although I have no idea about my address!

Thank you again for you constant love and encouragement,

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl’s

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

April 6, 2007

As Howard and I prepared to move to Ecuador, I would frequently hear him invite people to please come and visit. Pat Tanner and Danny Gardner are the first two people to take us up on that offer. While Danny stayed with the Jensen’s, Pat stayed in our home. We had such a good time, but he forgot to bring two things, his camera and his wife (Jill)! Pat is our Associate Pastor at Grace Chapel and really spent the entire time affirming our family. The first day we drove about two hours south of Quito, to pick up some furniture. The plan was to stop and eat some ceviche and then head home. Pat in his wisdom, looked at the sky and said, “I think we should probably head for home”. Sure enough, the rain started about ten minutes away from home, we drove up the driveway and he and Howard literally threw everything in our garage. Here he had traveled twelve hours, only to help us move furniture again. We appreciated his help and friendship.

We were able to have Danielle and Jonathan complete the end of the year testing along with the Alliance Academy School kids. This meant Monday through Thursday we had to commute to town. This gave us a good idea of what the drive would be if we were to decide to have the kids attend school there. For the time, I believe we have made the decision to home school for one more year, which would allow us additional time to acclimate and learn the language.

In Ecuador and Latin America this is Semana Santa or the Holy Week which is observed by all in the Catholic Church. However, their focus is almost entirely on the events of Good Friday. There are pageantry type services held and parades in the streets throughout the day on Friday. Quite often, Easter passes with much less significance. Good Friday was a necessary part of the plan of salvation, but the point is Easter.

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”
Luke 24:1-6a NIV.

HE HAS RISEN INDEED! Pray for our ministry, that we can effectively communicate the hope of serving a risen Savior.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

March 30, 2007

We’ve had many firsts since we arrived in Ecuador. First meal prepared, first time ordering in Spanish, first time driving. Today, is no exception as this is the first birthday celebrated apart from one of our older kids. Twenty-three years ago today, we welcomed our oldest daughter, Nicole into our lives. Hard to believe how fast the time has flown. Our friends and family have been so generous in providing homes away from home for the older kids. While it is still hard, it is a comfort to know Nicole is celebrating her birthday with family.

Many of you will be happy to learn we received our shipment. Everything was intact and they even delivered on time. The best was unpacking our family pictures and placing them around the house. Along with the pictures and magnets that go on the refrigerator. The Cline’s came out Saturday to help us unpack and as they were leaving Raylin said, “It even smells like the green house (our house in Tehachapi).” I told her that was the best “compliment” I could receive. So little by little it is starting to feel like home.

Our language classes continue, we are completely educated with the ten uses of ser and the three uses of estar. I am happy to announce we can participate in any conversation that requires a question to be asked or answered!

In the midst of our language acquisition, and settling in, the camp continues to be used regularly. There have been groups here on Quito Quest Teams from Canada and a University from Tennessee, a group from HCJB has used the facility as well as a local Ecuadorian church. The groups either spend a day at HER or spend several nights. They are encouraged to hike on the various trails or participate in the different ropes courses available. Our house is located right on the property line, so it is not uncommon to look out the window and see people walking by on their way back down to the team house.

A primary focus of the ministry of HER is to teach and allow people solo time. What does that mean? Through solitude and silence each person is encouraged to hear God’s still small voice. The Bible has many examples where Jesus, during His earthly ministry, stepped away in order to seek God’s guidance. Now if this was an important discipline for the Son of God, it must be important to us, his disciples.

That is my encouragement for each of you this week. In this fast paced time that we live, take time to be still. Cultivate the discipline of solitude and silence before God. A good place to start is to do a word study from the concordance in the back of your Bible on these two words, solitude and silence and then allow God to speak. Especially now, during this Easter season where we remember Christ’s extravagant love demonstrated for us on the cross.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl’s

For further information on HER go to http://www.youthworld.org.ec and click on El Refugio

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

March 23, 2007

This has been a very productive week for us here in Ecuador. Howard found and bought us a car. I need to tell you the story surrounding the purchase though. Near us, there is a fairground type place where on the weekend they sell used cars. Howard had arranged two Saturdays ago, to meet our team leader, Bob, to look at cars. Unbeknownst to Howard, Bob couldn’t get through, due to a strike which had closed the road out to HER. Unfortunately, Howard had forgotten a phone. So Bob calls another team member, Juan Carlos to go “rescue” Howard. By the time Juan Carlos found him, Howard had already found the car he wanted, test driven it and partially worked out a deal. I guess between the little English the owner knew, and the little Spanish Howard knew, they had done OK on their own. Juan Carlos told me, “I know now I don’t need to worry about your husband.”

Spanish is progressing. Really, at this point it is a memory issue. In order to speak, write and read complete sentences we need to know the correct verb, adjectives and articles to fill in the blanks. Once we get our shipment we will probably resort to plastering everything with “post its”, until we learn the correct words in Spanish. I am excited about the possibility of teaching ESL here and have found there is a real need. Pray for me for the timing to start teaching.

Howard has settled into a good work schedule. He’s started with the basic maintenance of the tractor, truck and equipment and getting it all up and working. His days pass quickly; by time he works and then has his Spanish session, plus homework. Having Doris (pronounced Dorees), come here to HER (Hacienda El Refugio) is a luxury. We are finding though, it is a double edged sword because it is easy to get sidetracked from doing the homework required.

Last Wednesday, the 21st was an important day in Ecuador. It was the day of the Equinox, which means the Sun is at one of two opposite points on the celestial sphere where the celestial equator and ecliptic intersect (Wikipedia). Because we are so close to Mutad del Mundo (The Middle of the World), at exactly 12:00pm the sun was directly overhead and for 1 minute a person’s shadow ceased to exist. During our Spanish lesson, Doris went outside with a chair to illustrate that even the shadow of the chair disappeared. Thought you might enjoy that little tidbit.

For many of you who are knowledgeable about the many mission organizations here in Ecuador, you may want to remember HCJB (World Radio). There has been a lot of internal turmoil in the last few weeks. The end result could affect the future of Hospital Voz Andes. Pray for God’s wisdom for the HCJB leadership as they navigate these turbulent times.

Each day we are humbled by the apparent provision of God. We are thankful…to finally be here…for a team that is so supportive…for good friends…for a job that is made exactly for Howard’s gifting…to finally get settled in a wonderful home…for possibilities. I realized a couple of days ago, I actually anticipate the next day because of all the possibilities that exist. Possibilities to love…serve…minister. That is my prayer for each of you this next week, to realize all the possibilities God has available exactly for you.

As always, we recognize in order for us to be here, it takes the love and support of you, our friends and family.

As God is our Refuge, Mary, for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

March 16, 2007

We started our Spanish lessons this week with our tutor, Doris. We are hopeful that working one on one will work best for us. For the time, Howard and Jonathan meet with her separately, and then Danielle and I meet with her together, since our Spanish is somewhat the same. At the moment my head is spinning with all that we need to learn each day. I keep remembering Pastor Rafael’s comment, “Spanish is easy!”

We are happy to inform you that Bridget, our 21 year old daughter has joined us for the next three months. She is here on an extended leave of absence from her job. She joins us as designer, painter and most important, Algebra II teacher for Danielle. Pray for her as she seeks the Lord’s will in her life over the next few months.

This week our visas were registered. Now we can proceed with the task of buying a cell phone and a car, which will allow us more independence. With our visas registered, now our “stuff” can get through customs and hopefully be delivered the first of next week. Some of you may not know that we had reduced all our lively possessions for shipment to three pallets measuring 4X5. To say we look forward to its arrival is an understatement.

The big news of the week is we finally received rain! This is the rainy season and as yet, Ecuador is well below their season average. Rain is especially important out here at HER, with the need to replenish the water table which in turn helps our existing water system.

I have attached a letter we received from the wife of Casa Gabriel’s director, Debbie Douce. As many of you know, Youth World has several ministries. Phil Douse helped start Casa Gabriel in order to take kids in off the streets in Quito, Ecuador. I asked her permission if I could include it because it candidly illustrates the type of life the youth here in Ecuador are exposed. While it is easy for us to get caught up in the things of life we think are important, this is a reality check as to the dangers these kids face every day.

As always we covet your prayers and understand how important you each are to our ministry.
As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

Weekly Wrap Up from Calacali, Ecuador

March 9, 2007

As we finish up our first week and half, we are so thankful to finally be here after so long of a preparation. Our flight went smooth and we spent the first night at the Hacienda El Refugio or HER for short.

Two teams were here when we landed. One group, from Hume Lake is building a huge tree house out of steel beams. When it is complete it will really be quite phenomenal. The second group was training basically in search and rescue techniques. The interesting thing about the second group is there were some non believers and there was an opportunity to present the gospel to each before they left. This is a good example of why we are so captivated with the ministry at HER, because you have a very non traditional way to reach people who may never hear about the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

With these two large groups the water system was challenged because this is the dry season. Howard was up on the mountain assessing the situation and knows this will be one of his priorities to address. Howard met with the workers and started the process of overseeing these men. He needed to be here, each man has been basically doing as they saw necessary without an overall plan in mind. Pray for Howard, that the men will follow his lead and as he works at communicating with them in Spanish.

We all start our sessions with the Spanish tutor next Monday. We have all felt the need to understand and speak the language because of the barrier we feel. Danielle went to youth group on Sunday and they went to the Cinemark to do informal religious surveys. She was so impressed with the language skills of the American kids here and has a real desire to do as well.

Jonathan probably feels the most like he has come home. Unlimited mountains to hike and things to discover, we joked he may never set foot off the property again.

As I sit and write this I can look out our window and see cows on the mountain, which looks like a 90 degree angle. I have no idea how they don’t fall off! Last Friday, we all hiked up the mountain on the property to see the progress on the tree house and we just kept saying, “Can you believe we are finally here?”

One final encouragement from us to you is to do one thing out of your comfort zone. Bridget and I were talking last summer and I told her at that time I had no idea what my comfort zone was anymore. Well this last week our family had to step “even further” out of our comfort zone. Howard drove alone for the first time in Quito, without the aid of following anyone and having someone in the car with him. I grocery shopped in a store where everything is in Spanish. Now granted it took me 15 minutes to figure out what cooking oil to buy, the point is I came home with cooking oil.

We are thankful for each and every one of you. We are fully aware we could not be doing the work here without your love and encouragement.

As God is our Refuge, Mary for the Scholl Family