September 12, 2016

Are we going overboard on the updates? Maybe, however, we want to do our best to show you how awesome our God is! Giving updates also helps us journal so that we can go back on our super hard days and remember "God's got this!."
So...Enjoy!
Well, we are experimenting with different ways to communicate. We will try out the 'blogging' method for a few weeks and see how we like it. I will still be sending out a link to those of you who have signed up for our newsletters, but the mailing system we are currently using costs us money...and we are trying to be good stewards of the funds we have. Let us know if you prefer one method over the other :)

First Week of School at Alliance Academy International - Quito, Ecuador

The kids really enjoyed their 1st week of school. Unfortunately, Patrick's first day was Wednesday due to being sick. They have great teachers and we look forward to them growing academically and spiritually this school year.
Mr. Murphy has had a blast teaching PE to the 2nd through 6th grade students. The kids' parents have been talking about the kids being sore...so he feels like he is doing his job! The school is going through a lot of changes as they are now under the Ministry of Education (not really a ministry in our terms...) and this basically means the graduates will meet all of the requirements for the Ecuadorian government, as well as U.S. Standards. There are some benefits to this change, but it has been a very difficult process for the teachers and administration.
Please keep all of the children and teachers in your prayers as these changes are being made!

Ministry in Pisuli

FedEx Ecuador donated 250 backpacks full of school supplies and hygiene products to the students in the Pisuli neighborhood. This was a huge blessing to the families here! Contigo is so blessed to have so many generous donors!

Every Wednesday, Contigo hosts these children for an incredible time of play, worship, crafts, Bible lesson and a hot meal! This week's lesson was from John 3:16

On Fridays, Contigo hosts a Jewelry Program for the women in the community. The women are taught a Bible lesson and learn how to make different jewelry designs. Contigo provides all of the materials used in making the jewelry, the women make the jewelry and Contigo purchases the jewelry from the women. The income that the women make from this project is crucial to their family. One of the women didn't have running water in her home for her children and this program allows them to have running water in their home. There are so many stories like this. We are hoping to expand this ministry to other communities within Ecuador. I enjoyed spending time with these women who inspire me in so many ways!

As we enter into another week, I ask that you pray for these ministries we are involved with and that our daily actions reflect those of Jesus. We have our moments of weakness and we ask that you pray that we would live with a spirit of Thankfulness...always. We want our time here to be used exactly as God would have us use it. I pray we would be used in ways that we never could have imagined.

Patrick's Bible verse for last week was 1 Timothy 4:12: Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
My hope is that we can encourage all children to live by this scripture...and the young at heart!

I look forward to sharing more next week!
Love you all!
The Murphy Family