Caps and Gowns and Concrete Dust

Well I need to ask forgiveness from you all. I know we have been blogging at a slow crawl, and some of you may have even thought we stopped altogether, but honestly we've got some good reasons for the delays. Honestly our hearts are full as we reflect for a minute...
 A few weeks back our firstborn daughter graduated from Mississippi State University. Wow we must be getting older with a college grad in our family! Then just days ago, our son Karson graduated from Hoover High School- quite an accomplishment after beginning his schooling in Orphanage 21 in Kiev, Ukraine. Then, last night, our daughter Kyndal graduated from Alliance Academy International in Quito, Ecuador! (Yep- she chose to give up attending her senior year at a wonderful US High School in obedience to Christ as we transitioned here last year)
We praise God, through His Son Jesus Christ, for all these gifts of His grace toward us. 
Pray along with us as we hold their hands gently, and as other loving people out of our spiritual community back in Birmingham, AL hold their hands gently, while these beautiful kids take next steps in school or work. We are asking that their lives would be used to spread His incredible joy and glory to the world as they enter new phases. This was my prayer last night at the commencement service, that He would use the class of 2012 to spread His glory in every corner of the Earth. Honestly, I am having to pause a moment as I write this while my eyes stop watering...


What else? Well - there has been no shortage of pulse-quickening adventure in the work in AAI and the Quito area. With Kelsey and Kirby being here in Quito for the last few days, it has been incredibly fun, and funny to share life in Ecuador with my two oldest daughters for a few days. I (Chris) have been a bit toward the "overwhelmed" side as I work to fill Chaplain team roles and counseling roles here at the school, and as I continue in talking with exhausted students, and teachers, and administrators here at year end, and as God gives moment after moment to lead people here toward greater trust in Christ and in His word. The motto that God showed us clearly back in 2009 as we adopted 3 older children in has become our ongoing theme. "Talk less, pray more." Vickie would agree. Some days, we are praying just so that we can put one foot in front of the other and continue up and down the mountains. Believe me that spiritual opposition to spreading the gospel is as real and serious as I can possibly communicate here, so when you bend your knees before the Lord, ask Him for sustenance from Christ for all of us here.


Last note...So we have this construction work going on in my office area here, in order to consolidate the Chaplains and counselors and HR team in more of a unified office environment. And we don't build much with wood and sheetrock here, but we do use concrete...blocks, that is.
So each day on the other side of a wood door, these amazing Ecuadorians have been beating and banging and sawing and placing concrete blocks...and I am enjoying the dust from all of it. It creeps outside and then comes in my windows, and it crawls under our doorways, too. This little distraction is just one of the many here to choose from as we seek the best ways to make disciples in kids and adults from 30 countries, all gathered in one school.


Looking forward to being able to pray face to face with all of you not too many days from now. We are so grateful for our loving friends and family in the USA: we believe that you are the strong earthly foundation of our ministry here in the other hemisphere. 


Chris and Vickie and family


"Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession." 
Psalm 2:8