Thought you might like this dandy photo of our second adopted son Karson back during Thanksgiving week as he makes an attempt at horseback riding on the flat spot on the side of a very tall volcano. He was a great sport about the whole experience. “Note to self,” he likely says in his head, “never wear shorts for horseback riding at 13,000 feet.”
See the puzzled look on the horse’s face as well. It is clear that he knows there is a Ukrainian high school kid aboard who cannot find both stirrups. See the friendly Ecuatoriano man trying to help him avoid injury from the first attempt to get in the saddle. See the jagged cliffs in the background that make your stomach queasy and your knees shake while taking it all in. See what a story a single photo tells.
So- our big family is split into at least two major places right now. I am officially back in the swing in Quito, Ecuador as of Sunday night about midnight. Things are underway at Alliance Academy. My beautiful bride Vickie is officially still in Birmingham for several more days working on solutions for our oldest adopted son as we walk through the reality of transition to adulthood for one of our kids whose biological parents did not love them well because they abused alcohol and drugs when these kids were embryos. So if I can say this, and if you will hear it, let it soak in right now. Your sins, and my sins, no matter how small or large they are, will affect people in ways beyond what you can ever imagine. Let me plead with you to turn to Christ to save you from the final and eternal horrific effect of sin if you have never done so, and if you have already done this let me plead with you to continually seek Christ to continually strengthen you with His life and lead you away from sin and it's effects. The same gospel that saves you, is the same gospel that strengthens you. Do this for the sake of the glory of God in someone you may not even know right now, and for the sake of all of us who are connected together in the family of the great King!
If you would pray for us and with us in the following ways, we would consider it an honor to have you do so for the glory of His name in us, and ultimately in the entire world.
-Pray for the gospel message to be clear in our lives and on our lips in the midst of difficulty of various types
-Pray for my Dad (Chris’s Dad) as he recovers from yet another hip surgery, and ask for miracles of healing of a persistent infection and endurance to make it through further treatment and hopefully a final surgery in another few weeks from now.
-Pray for my Mom and sister/brother-in-law and brother as they help and deal with lengthy hospital stays and issues.
-Pray for Vickie as she leads in modeling the gospel toward our family in Birmingham in the next few crucial days while seeking wise solutions for our adult child’s unique needs.
-Pray that God supplies resources for these days in many ways, and for my leadership toward our kids here and the school here for the next several days as I practice single parenting on this end.
-Pray for an upcoming opportunity to take an Ecuadorian brother along to Haiti at the end of January- that God would use this time greatly and provide resources for our trip.
-Pray for wisdom for all of us as we seek Christ to further conform our lives to His gospel for the sake of salvation to the nations!
Psalm 72: 18-19 "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory!
Amen and Amen."
Chris and Vickie
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