Thank you letter (from Desempre)

Dear Bob,
This letter is to express a special thanks to all the team from Hacienda El Refugio who helped us during our event on June 5th and 6th.
Your help was very important for the success of the training. We wish to recognize thank everyone of the Hacienda facilitators and staff for being extremely helpful and collaborative with us. Thank you for being such a good example of Christian brothers. In a special way we want to thank the extra effort and time given by Lorena, Juan Carlos, Abby, Howard and Mathew.
Every one of clients was impressed by the organization of the training, and amazed by the beauty of the place. You really are doing a great job at keeping the place in its best shape.
Additionally, I want to let you know that during those days three people of the Sanduchitos Pura Vida Team received Jesus Christ as Savior, and 112 people were exposed to at least some Christian thoughts.
It was great to see our both teams working together as one team, and we look forward to continue to organize events that would glorify God and enhance our professionalism.
Best regards,
Oscar M. Aguirre
GERENTE INTERNACIONAL
DESEMPRE S.A.

Lorena's Latest June 23, 2008

Men hard at work in my new apartment. The first photo is Danny (front) and David (back) gluing the bathroom accessories to the walls and door.

The second photo is Danny's dad installing the fan/light that goes over the stove.

The apartment didn't come with an oven, but I have to make cookies and banana bread (etc.)! So...I bought one from my friends Jose and Zarina who are getting married on Saturday!

This will be the third wedding I am able to attend here in Ecuador, but the first that both the bride and groom are Ecuadorian. They attend the same church I do (Iglesia Evangelica Biblica de El Inca or Evangelical Bible Church of El Inca).

First Baptist Church of Geneva sent 48 members from the youth group to El Refugio on Thursday last week. I was honored to be able to take 8 of them to one of our partnering churches that sponsors two of our facilitators: Mary and Esteben. The church plans to send at least one more of their youth to our next facilitator training August 3 to 8th, please pray. We split the Geneva youth team to attend 6 of our partnering churches.

Today and tomorrow the youth from Geneva and El Refugio (along with a few facilitators) held a children's outreach program. We are running three stations: Puppets, crafts and games. I believe we had around 100 children come today! I hope to get pictures for next week's update. The children who memorized verses (and are old enough to read) received new testament bibles in Spanish. Please pray for the impact in the local communities for Christ through this outreach.

Thursday and Friday afternoons we will be running a team building program with the Geneva youth and some of the facilitators we have trained. Saturday afternoon we will be running a team building afternoon retreat with people from Extreme Response.

I was able to meet with Doris this morning! She had a great experience in Singapore (Hagaii Institute for leaders). She asked me to pray for her mom who is having surgery on her eye. Her mom went to a Cuban traveling clinic because it was free and the results were that they did not perform the surgery well and she may have lost sight in this eye. The other eye has little visibility. Please pray for Doris' mother's eye surgery on Friday.

This Wednesday and Thursday I have meetings scheduled at two local universities. I am looking for a professional in the environmental department to come to El Refugio and help me learn about the wildlife and systems (for example: natural water system) on the property to better take care of the property as well as have specific and correct information for the Environmental Education classes that I am developing/teaching. Please pray for God to put the right professionals (from the universities) to come and educate me as well as be able to develop a partnership with them.

Last Tuesday I took the morning to go on top of the mountain and pray and ask God for direction. God revealed to me a number of things. One of them was to remain faithful to His word. When God's word is constant in my mind it helps me be able to handle the ups and downs of life with a right perspective.

John 15:7-8 "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Have a blessed week!
Lorena Ferrari