September 06th, 2017

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Mission Outreach with the Casa Adalia gals!

We were privileged to bring the girls from Casa Adalia with us to serve on the coast! They did an amazing job teaching the women of El Redentor how to make a simple jewelry design. We were so proud of their willingness and desire to serve others! We hope to bring them with us on future trips to the coast and also get them involved in serving here in Quito, as well!
Please continue to pray for the residents, non-residents, staff and volunteers of Casa A. Join us in continuing to pray for complete restoration for these women!

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River Fun with the Kids in Rocafuerte

We enjoyed an afternoon with the children from Rocafuerte at the river. We usually take the kids to the beach or play in the streets, but they all begged us to go to the river and it was a blast!! This will definitely be a monthly gathering place!
I would like to share a little more about this river...
Up until 2014 there was not a single cistern or septic system in the community. Each household gathered water from the river or collected rain water, when it was available, to drink, bathe, cook etc. In 2014 we assisted them in completing a cistern and a septic system. We take so many things for granted. While we were playing at the river, we were joined by families bathing, gathering water to bring home, washing clothes, cooking and playing. This is their reality each and every day. When I say that these families teach me more than we could ever imagine teaching them...I mean it. We love these families dearly and we are so appreciative of them!

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Giving the Message in Esmeraldas

Scott shared the message with El Redentor in August and he continued his series on Discipleship. Using Matthew 16:24-25, he focused on different ways we identify ourselves with Christ, and how Jesus is actually wanting us to identify ourselves with Him, as servants to our Lord.  When you look at the men who spent the most time with Jesus during His walk on Earth, the majority of their letters start out something like this:
"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ..."
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."
"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ..."
"Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James..."
After considering what our lives should reflect if we are truly servants of our Lord, Scott focused on what Jesus said were the two most important commandments and those commandments should be impacting our lives daily as servants.  One of the last commands Jesus gave us before he ascended into Heaven was to go, baptize, and teach - Disciple.  We are looking forward to the opportunity to go back to Esmeraldas and continue the topic of discipleship.

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Christian Formation Communities

The Alliance Academy is starting discipleship groups for secondary students that they are calling "Christian Formation Communities".  The ultimate goal of each group is for teachers to spend time intentionally developing and calling out Christian leaders.  Scott was asked if he would be willing to lead a group, so naturally, he is using martial arts as the tool to form a community.  "The Armory" is the community that Scott will be leading, using martial arts as a common interest to challenge students physically and spiritually.  The end goal for the group is to have the students in the community lead an Outreach Training Camp at the end of the school year. 
What some of you may or may not remember...is that before we sold our taekwondo school Scott really felt like he was supposed to develop a curriculum focusing on Christian values within taekwondo and implement this curriculum into all of our classes. Soon after he finished developing the curriculum, God opened doors for us to finally serve in Ecuador full-time. Isn't it amazing how God works!? Scott is now able to use this curriculum exactly the way he was hoping to!

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Celebrating Madeleine's 12th Birthday at the Hot Springs

We celebrated Madeleine's 12th birthday at the hot springs just outside Quito! We brought 6 of Madeleine's friends to join us in the celebration and we all had a wonderful time. We are so blessed that our children have incredible friends here and don't mind a little brother tagging along. :) We were able to share with the kids about Madeleine's upcoming year of intentional discipleship and the challenges that go along with that! We are excited about this journey and pray she grows in incredible ways throughout this process.
Mental Challenge: Learn how to play the guitar...and lead a worship night just before turning 13!
Spiritual Challenge: Read and Journal through the entire Bible
Physical Challenge: Earn her Black Belt in taekwondo!

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The Kids' First Day of School at Alliance Academy International

Our kiddos started school this week! They are super excited about entering their 2nd year at AAI and we are trusting that this will be a year of incredible growth! Please join us in praying for all the  teachers, staff and students!

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JOIN US OVER THANKSGIVING BREAK!!

We know it's last minute...that's how we roll sometimes...but we would love to welcome you to Ecuador over Thanksgiving Break 2017! You will have the opportunity to serve along side of our ministry in Quito and on the coast of Ecuador in Esmeraldas, in addition to exploring a bit of this beautiful country! If you are currently sponsoring a child in our sponsorship program, this is a great opportunity to spend time with them! We hope to receive our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes by this time and you will experience first hand how much these boxes mean to these children!
The in-country costs are only $500! This is super low...and includes your in country transportation, 3 meals each day, lodging (nothing fancy) and a few exciting adventurous activities if you desire!
You can book your own flight from where you prefer to travel from! Please let us know if you are interested in joining us during this time!

We love you all and appreciate your continued prayers!
Blessings,
The Murphys