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.