I’M COMING HOME
Not for long, but it’s still so exciting! I’ll be in the States from July 20 – August 7. I’ll be splitting these weeks between Greenville and Charleston, SC, and I would love to see as many of you as possible! I don’t have exact dates for when/where I’ll be yet, but if you reach out to me I’ll make sure to try to fit you in when I’m closest to you!
Part of this trip will be to fundraise some. Thank the Lord, I am still fully funded; however, I have several supporters who have only committed to a year and as their year wraps up (some started giving before I left for the field) I will need to find other people to join my team so I don’t go into a deficit. Please join me in praying that I will find likeminded people to cover ~$300/month, and if you know anyone who may want to join my team, please let me know!
I can’t wait to fellowship with you all (and eat Chick-fil-A) again!
TEAM RETREAT
In June, our team went to Guayllabamba for our annual retreat. This is a beautiful time where, as a team, we get to take a small step back from work and focus on health and growth. A small group from Woodbury Lutheran Church in Minnesota came down to host the retreat for us. Our focus was on how to process and prepare for the transition of leadership. As Hannah was leaving and Patty was taking over her role as director, it was the perfect time for this retreat. There were lots of tears and laughs throughout the retreat as we processed this next step, and overall it was such a wonderful time to grow together as a team and prepare for our future.
30th YOUTH WORLD ANNIVERSARY
Also in June, we celebrated 30 years of Youth World! This may look like a new name for some, but it is the name of the One Collective organization in Quito, Ecuador. My ministry, ESE (End Slavery Ecuador), operates under/with Youth World, so it was a pretty special celebration! We invited everyone who served here – past and present!
It was so amazing to get to meet the people who have helped to shape our organization into what it is, and for those who have left to see how it has continued. It was such a fun weekend celebrating all God has done here in the past thirty years!
PRAISE REPORTS
• continued electricity and power
• no more culture shock (usually)!
• my Spanish is continuing to improve
• my apartment and being able to host
• a wonderful time at the retreat with my team
• friends who have been the biggest blessing
PRAYER REQUESTS
• for the Lord’s peace, comfort, and guidance in learning to trust him more
• for safe travels for me and others who are traveling to the States this month
• our team as we continue to experience the transition from one director to another