A Birthday and A Baby!

     We arrived back home in Ecuador on January 16th and things have been busy, busy, busy.  On the 19th, the following Saturday, we hosted a surprise birthday party for Dany, our adopted Ecuadorian son.  It was also one of our facilitators birthday, so we celebrated Leo's birthday as well.  

     Right before we left in December, one of our cooks, Anita had a baby girl.  It was very fun for us that she and the baby came to the birthday party.  She named the baby Daniela, the second baby named in Ecuador after our Danielle.  

Carlita, Leo, Dany and Katy
Feliz Cumpleanos!

Anita and little Danielita

Danielita, so alert!

The party guests, however I think we're are missing five from the picture.

Joy in the Provision

Our entire family was together over  Christmas.
L to R:  Viviano, Bridget, Anchor and Mackenna Aguilar.  Addison, Jay, Wyatt and Nicole Kimbler
Mary, Howard, Danielle, Jonathan and Kevin Scholl

Interesting to think about the final post on our blog for 2012.  It is always beneficial to take time to reflect on where the last year has taken us and then to look forward to all the possibilities 2013 may hold.  For us, our challenge has been and will continue to be, to find joy in our lives.  Not a superficial, "Polly Anna" type of joy but a deep, abiding joy and contentment in our circumstances.

I asked Howie what his thoughts were about the past year.  And he talked over and over about God's provision in our lives.  As hard as it is to live on support, it puts us in a position to see God work in amazing ways through His children.  For him (Howard), how this plays out is the practical provision in the lives of our children.  When Danielle's car broke down, the ability to repair it with minimal cost to her.  When Jonathan needed a new car, the car that came available for sale through a friend at a great deal beyond what Jonathan ever thought he could afford.

For me (Mary). His provision seemed much more extravagant,  when I was able to purchase a piano and then have it paid for by the end of the year by donations through  two small, different churches.  Do I need a piano?  The answer is, well no.  Do I want a piano?  The answer is absolutely yes, this is the one way that I can completely, freely and with abandon worship my Lord and Savior.  This is a provision above and beyond anything I would have asked for.

For both of us, the provision of mileage tickets to fly home this Christmas to be with our kids and grand kids.  My sister and her family were going to be gone to spend Christmas with her family and her home was available for us to use.  Let me try and describe how it is from our perspective.  Christmas day, all the family is here, minus one.  Then that evening the last little family arrives, they walk in the door.  For Howie it was the first time he met our new grandson, Wyatt.  Lots of noise, of course everyone wants to hold baby Wyatt and little Miss Mae.  Oh, the noise because everyone is talking at once.  Craziness, that only could be derived from five children, two spouses, four grandchildren and a Great- Grandpa.  That night when everyone was tucked in bed, I can't even describe how great it felt to have everyone under one roof, for just that one night, if it happened to be two then, wow, double the blessing.  For Howie and I this is God's provision, we don't need much, we don't expect this, but man, when this actually happens, we are thankful people, thankful children.  We also wonder if it were readily available to us, would we be near this thankful.  The conversations heard, the smell of babies right after their baths, sitting on the couch all smooched together.

Howie and I were just sitting outside talking about the upcoming New Year.  2013!  I believe many hotels don't even have a thirteenth floor, as airplanes don't have a thirteenth row.  With the whole fiscal cliff, I am wondering if it would be better to just "jump" to 2014.  And then the competitor is awakened in me and I say, "No!"  In spite of everything, we can make this be a great year. First John, chapter three says, "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth, verse 18.

Let's embrace 2013 and figure out ways to love in deed and in truth, not just word or talk.  What that looks like, may and will be very different for each of us.  The important thing is to figure out how God has called each of us to demonstrate Christ in deed and in truth to those he has put into our direct sphere of influence.

Finally, to  be people who are thankful for His provision and to express joy in our circumstances in spite of what exterior influences may be telling us.

Happy New Year dear friends.  May we define 2013 instead of letting 2013 define us.

English Class

This last October we were able to start our first English class here at El Refugio.  We can not even begin to describe to you how much we enjoy this time.  We meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00-9:00 pm.  Howie helps me out each week with our conversation and game time.  This has been such a fun thing for us to do together.  I  tell you these twelve students of ours are faithful, week after week we learn, practice and build.

I (Mary) wake up each day of class, anticipating our time together and when I arrive home I can not go to sleep as I think through what worked and what didn't.  Really, my journey of learning Spanish has greatly influenced how I teach the class.  I am just so thankful to God for this opportunity.

English Class in Calacali, Ecuador 

For nine of the students, english will be their second language.

Our "class time" has been modeled after our language school in Guadalajara.

For three, english will be their third language.

The Grace Center has been such a great setting for our class.

We told them, "Let's do something silly, this is what they came up with :)"

Let me demonstrate how difficult it is for these second and third language learners, and how one lesson can go off track pretty quickly, when I tried to explain the word "up".  I said a simple little phrase, "OK class, let's open "up" our english books...."   I have no idea who the author is,  however, thought you would enjoy viewing the english language from their vantage point for a minute.

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?

Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?

We call UP our friends.

And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.

We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

At other times the little word has real special meaning.

People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.

A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary.

In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used.

It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP.

When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP.

When it rains, it wets the earth and often mess’s things UP.

When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP,

For now my time is UP,

So...it is time to shut UP!

Ministry Video

Grace Chapel of Lancaster, California sent Shelbey Hunt, their Media guy, to capture on video what our ministry, El Refugio does and more specifically what it is Howard and I do. We are so thankful that Shelbey has chosen to use his talents and gifts in this way.

Scholls-Vimeo from Shelbey Hunt on Vimeo.

You know you're a Missionary when...

... you hoard things.  Some things can not be bought in country and you have to either bring them from the states or have someone bring them to you. "Pam" cooking spray is something that comes and goes from the shelves of our local grocery store.  We haven't been able to buy it now, since the first of the year.  Then, miracle of miracles it magically appeared at the grocery store.  When it did,  I didn't just buy one, although quite frankly one would have lasted us for at least 2-5 years.  Oh no, I bought three!!!  Because, who knows, it may disappear again.  And I learned from the first time that of all the products that has disappeared, this is one that is hard to get, because you can not bring something aerosol in your luggage.  

I was joking with a friend of mine, that unfortunately, being a missionary has taught me to be a great hoarder.  Note I didn't say "good",  I said "great".  For example, a couple of years ago, a friend from Quito called me to see if I had a can of green chilies she could have.  Notice the verb I used here is "have" not borrow, because she knew as well as I did that she can not replace this item because they can't be bought overseas.  And I'm not proud to admit it, but I lied.  Although at the time I had at least eight, yes eight cans of chilies in my pantry, I said, "No, sorry".  Why oh why did I do it?  Are you interested in the justification that took place after that?  It was going to be months before we had someone coming from the states, I use at least one can a week in a recipe I make and I was already going to run out....I like seeing that nice little stack of cans, it makes me feel secure.  Does it help you to know my friend called me on it, and I did give her one of my cans of chilies, bringing my inventory down to seven?

Have you ever noticed the symptom of the physical is actually a refection of the spiritual?  Really aren't we all just a little adapt at hoarding things in our lives?  During the time of the, shall we call it "the green chili" incident, God was convicting me about some attitudes I was holding on to, that needed to go.  The conversation went something like this..."you know Lord, really I am justified in having this unforgiving spirit, because the person really hurt me."  Or, "seriously Lord my feelings of anger are justified because..."  Because, because, because.  Those things in my spiritual life were like those little cans of green chilis, stacked nice and neat in my heart and I wanted to hoard them or hold on to them.  And God said, "No".

Recently, I heard a speaker make this statement, "You can not hold on to anything with nail pierced hands".  From first John 2:1-2, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."