Quito, Ecuador

Dear Family and Friends,

What a special week! Shelley had the opportunity to travel to Quito, Ecuador to learn more about a Spanish language program called NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute) that the Nazarene Seminary there has implemented. The Seminary here in San Jose is considering such a program so Shelley got to check it out.

Here are a few photos from the trip. As you can see the mountains are beautiful. Quito is at 9000 feet so Shelley found it a bit difficult to breath after walking up the seminary hills.
The NILI program is a Christian Spanish immersion program in Quito. The North American students live with Latin American students and have lots of neat travel opportunities in addition to top-notch language classes for 3 hours each weekday. Probably the neatest thing about the program is the ministry focus, with includes many opportunities to be involved in Christian ministry including evangelism, compassionate ministries and work projects.

There are slots for both university students to study as part of their university majors or for professionals wanting to improve their Spanish skills. It is a great program that we hope to done day replicate here in Costa Rica. Thanks to the leadership in Quito who were open to sharing the NILI program with us.

Of course, the equator is located in Ecuador (hence the name in Spanish!) and so no trip to Quito would be complete without a visit to the equator. It is true that water runs straight down the drain and does not swirl in either direction! I saw it for myself! A special thanks to Stan and Sherri Hall and also to Jen Staudt, missionaries who shared their homes and city with me.

David has been busy preparing for a team who will arrive on Monday evening. They are group from Trevecca University in Nashville, TN. It will be a great adventure as the team travels from just north of San Jose to a town called El Rama. They will go by bus and boat to reach this area and will travel approximately 14 hours on Tuesday to reach their destination. Pray for this team as they travel and minister in Nicaragua Southeast.

Kayley’s birthday is today – May 3rd – and she is waiting now for her friends to arrive so her party can start. The kids will enjoy games, cake, ice cream and of course, a piñata. Turning 11 is a big deal and we are so proud of Kayley for her sweet heart and kindness to others. She is known for her big smile.

Have a wonderful week and God bless you!
Shelley, David, Joshua and Kayley