Dear friends and family,

All is well here in Puerto Cayo, Ecuador! This past Saturday was a wonderful day, we were able to officially begin our evangelism in the town of Puerto Cayo. We had a great time as we walked around the town in groups, inviting people to our presentation in the square with the help of our new Ecuadorian friends from Manta. It was our first official presentation and went very well as the people remained engaged and interested in our Gospel message through puppets, drama, and music. Afterwards, the kids were excited for an opportunity to buy ice cream and snacks from the little store in the village. Aside from evangelism, the kids have been doing great work on the site. Projects such as clearing the land and leveling it for the installation of a new foundation have been keeping them busy. Ethan Forsythe drew quite a crowd as he proudly held up a cool little iguana that was found on the worksite.  Sunday was also a big day as we rented a bus and headed for Manta for our first church service in Ecuador. Worshipping with the people of Manta was amazing and blessed us all. Mr. Mike gave a great sermon as Emanuel translated for his church. After saying our goodbyes, we headed to the mall for a great lunch in the food court. Many of the boys unwittingly ordered a little more food than they meant to due to the language barrier, luckily they all have big appetites. Michael, Mr. Tim, and Cayden all headed straight for the barber shop and got an Ecuadorian haircut. The rest split up into our travel groups and had a wonderful time shopping and trying new foods. Kaleb and Joshua Landon are now sporting their matching sunglasses, an interesting purchase that they are rarely seen without, rain or shine. Siah and Ronan especially enjoyed the chocolate crepes, while Savy stocked up on some interesting Yuca chips and Thomas drank an abundance of the iconic Ecuadorian coffee. After an exciting day at the mall, we packed it up and hopped on the bus headed for a different church where we would perform our presentation. Luckily, Cayden has displayed a gift for fixing electronics which came in handy when our saber (the device used to play music for the dramas and puppets) began to have difficulty. The presentation went wonderfully and blessed both the congregation and our kids as they were able to share the love of Christ. Lane graciously used her talent to translate Dade's powerful testimony, as well as to give intros to each act. The youth group in Manta thoughtfully made us all cute bracelets, complete with a cross and the colors of the country of Ecuador, gifts we will all treasure. The night ended with a bang as we stopped at a unique open air restaurant and ate some great food. A late arrival back home meritted a rare opportunity to sleep in until 7 the next morning. Having been blessed with such a great and refreshing weekend, we are all ready to face the coming week with new energy. We thank you all for your support and prayer, know that we keep you all in our prayers too. 

Dios te bendiga,

Victoria and Taryn

"Everything is going really well with our project and I'm growing a lot in God and my personal relationship with Him. I miss you family!" -Lane C.

"We're starting to get quite a bit done here and I am learning a lot about my relationship with God." -August E.

"Hey I am doing alright. I am so excited for our next opportunity to evangelize!" 

"Doing good, not as hot as I thought it would be. We started building a new kitchen and we are working on a soccer field. Miss all of you!" -Cayden G.

"I'm healthy, happy, and safe!" -Levi M.

"Ecuador has been so awesome, I'm doing great. Missing y'all!" Natalia S.

"I'm still learning and growing in Christ. God has been so present here." Dade G.