Come with us as we return to South America this summer to volunteer at La Casa De Fe, a home for abandoned and special needs children in Shell, Ecuador.

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ~Mathew 19:14

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Three Weeks To Go!! (Sara)

Note: since the three of us will be taking turns writing the blog posts, we will put the authors name in the title of each post.


Thank you so much everyone for you prayers and contributions for our trip. We now have raised almost $2100 $3000 and only have just over $1800 $900 to go!



We have been busily getting ready for our trip gathering ministry supplies, searching for songs, games and Bible lesson ideas, checking luggage restrictions, buying airline tickets, studiyng as much spanish as we can and daily remembering more things that need to be done before we leave. Time is going so fast! In three short weeks I will be in Ecuador and just two weeks after that Erin and Luke will arive!



While going through my files I found some videos from our visit to the orphanage last year. The videos are not edited, but I thought you might like to see some of the children and know their names. These are just a few of the children that to whom we will be ministering, through your prayers and financial support.



My Name is.....








This next video was taken durring our dance class with the younger kids. They loved to dance to the music, but had very short attention spans.




I can't wait to see all of those faces again!!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

We're going to Ecuador!!


Thank you so much for visiting out site. This is our first time having a blog and we hope to use it to keep you updated as we prepare for our trip to Ecuador and also to share stories with you while we are there. We will be posting updates in the weeks to come, but for now here is a copy of our fundraising letter.


Dios les bendiga,


Erin, Sara, and Luke


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Dear Family and Friends,


We pray that the Lord has blessed you with a wonderful year. We have had a busy time these last few months. Sara has been taking classes at Regis University as well as working as a Sign Language Interpreter. Erin just returned from a three week tour with Ballet Emmanuel where she had the opportunity to minister to many people across the Midwest.


Since returning from Ecuador last summer we both have felt God leading us to go back to continue ministering at the Casa De Fe orphanage. It is our desire to form a lasting relationship with the children and workers at the orphanage so that we can continue to share the Love of Christ with them.


We are thrilled to tell you that our brother Luke has felt called to minister with us in Ecuador this summer. One thing that makes his decision to come so exciting is that he can be a good male role model for the children, especially for the boys. Many of the children at the orphanage came from homes with abusive or absentee fathers.


Sara will be flying to Ecuador on May 18th to spend a few days with children and families that she knows through Compassion International before traveling to the orphanage. Erin and Luke will be joining her at the orphanage on June 1st, and we will all be returning on July 6th.


We estimate that the total cost of the trip for the three of us will be $3,900 (including airfare, local transportation, and living expenses), which equates to an average of $32 per person per day. Would you prayerfully consider sponsoring us for one or two days of this trip? Or whatever amount the Lord lays on your heart? If you would like to make a donation, please see the instructions on the side bar.


In preparation for our trip we have been learning Spanish so that we can better communicate with and minister to the people of Ecuador. We are also putting together activities and relationship building games that will help the kids develop some of the basic life skills that they miss while growing up in an orphanage. In addition to life skills we are planning on ministering to the children through bible school and academic classes, worship dance, field trips, and caring for the babies and special needs kids. We are also looking forward to helping with construction projects and building relationships with the orphanage workers.


We greatly appreciate your prayers for us while we are preparing for the trip and while we are ministering to the kids. Your partnership allows us to reach out in a powerful way. This year hope to use this blog to share stories prayer request with you while we are preparing for our trip, and while we are in Ecuador.


Blessings in Him,


Erin, Sara, and Luke