July graduations and an outreach!

July is graduation time in Cayambe, Ecuador!  We had 5 High School graduates from our youth group!  Glenn and I were able to attend 3 of the ceremonies - celebrating with 4 of the graduates and their families!

First we saw Jonathan graduate from Nelson Torres with the other day students...


Then we celebrated with Vicky, her boyfriend, Edison, and her family as she graduated from Cayambe's Technical School.  Edison's sister, Estefany, graduated at the same time and same day, so we couldn't get to her ceremony, but we're proud of her all the same!  Our coworker, David, was able to be there for her and her family thankfully!

One thing we loved about the graduations was the way families were honored and involved in the ceremonies.  Here, Vicky's parents put on her graduation cape and have a minute together before she receives her diploma.

 We also enjoyed attending 2 of the ceremonies with Gissela, the Ecuadorian missionary we work with.  She has SUCH a special relationship with the teens!

Then we attended Salvador's and Fabiola's graduation from Nelson Torres' Night School.  Here, Salvador and his family pose for the special occasion!  They are a very special and active family in our church.



Fabiola and her mom, Cecilia, pose with us after the ceremony!  They are both very special to us and Susie had the joy of being in a Bible study with them in Primero de Mayo. 

Our church was invited to the community of Cangauhuapungo for their family day in early July...



Our pastor, Pablo, here as the head clown, and Gissela, worked with our teens to present an interactive evangelistic outreach...they did SUCH a great job!

As is typical in Ecuador, the community responded to our program by giving back!  They not only fed us an AMAZING meal, but the men came and danced a traditional dance for us!

Gissela, Pablo and the teens ran games for the children and for the adults...

We presented a skit and puppet show, with help here from Glenn, Orlando and others from our church...

It was a special day watching our teens and our Word of Life Student, Alex, do the ministry with very little help from the adults!

It was a VERY special day for Vicente, one of our church deacons, here next to his daughter in pink.  He grew up in this community and has been longing to begin a church here.  The community responded very well to us and we trust we have an open door to return for more programs and possibly to begin a Bible study!

Our month ended with us in Florida, helping Glenn's parents with the HUGE transition of downsizing, selling their old home, and buying and moving into a new home.  God worked out the timing perfectly for us to help out at this VERY crucial time in their lives!

Glenn's parents say goodbye to their home of 21 years...

and with their dog, say hello to their new home, which is closer to Glenn's sister's home and in the same neighborhood of good friends of theirs! 

Thank you SO much for your prayers for us!

Cayambe in June - Fiesta Time!

June is THE month of fiestas in Cayambe.  They're called the San Pedro Fiestas del Sol en la Mitad del Mundo (Saint Peter Sun Celebrations in the Middle of the World).  But before you join us in the celebrations, meet our newest neighbor ...what a joy to look out the window each day and see him!

And meet Allie and Santiago...Allie is from Philadelphia Biblical University (now Cairn U).  She is here for two months living in Cali Cali, Ecuador, where Santiago is from.  We have gotten together with them three times, helping Allie to experience life and ministry here, helping her to see if and how God is calling her to overseas ministry.  We're actually going to see them again today!

Okay, on to the fiestas!  They started with a "Pregon" - the opening parade...

The Diabluma - a main character/the representation of evil

A mom and daughter in typical dress dancing together

A Race of Wooden "Coches" was on the fiestas schedule...and I got excited thinking there would be carriages - one of the definitions of "coche" - but it was more like a go-cart race!  It was fun though, because I watched it while talking with Dayana, and then her boyfriend Victor, and Glenn joined us after their Bible Study.

We decided to move away from the race to a quiet ice cream shop to talk....but an UNscheduled parade came by the shop!  Glenn, Victor, Dayana and I still had a great long talk despite the noise!

 Then there was the Rose Parade...one of the most popular parades.  We went with our neighbors Luis, Ale and Vero, and Alejandra, her kids and the family of her husband, Santiago...

The recently elected Queen of Cayambe throws a rose to child who asks for one

A local school for Special Needs children participated in the parade including a girl from our church who danced!

Every day life here was well represented in the parade...

by the roses that Cayambe is famous for!

But the highlight of the parade for us was seeing our good friend, Edwin, and his son, Esteban...

and our good friend and neighbor, Santiago!  What fun to know people IN the parade!

We didn't fully understand the importance of this bull in the Rose Parade until later in the week!

After the Rose Parade, we all headed to the 2nd National Open-Air Galloping Competition!

We had a great time just being together...

and watching the horses together in a beautiful area of Cayambe that we'd never seen!

 Finally, we made it to the "Popular Bullfighting" event - the first of more than five scheduled events focused on bulls!  We found out that "popular" means 'not professional'...anyone and everyone enters the ring!

One of the bulls...waiting to enter the ring...

Some of the many people who entered the ring at their own risk...

and some of the many people, like us, who stayed behind the wooden walls that were built that day!

Living here in Cayambe is exciting, full of culture and full of opportunities to share God's love, truth and hope!  Thanks for praying for us and supporting us!

May - In Florida, PA and Cayambe!

Our May started with a visit with Glenn's parents and his sister and her family in Florida...

We celebrated some birthdays and Glenn's parents' 56th anniversary and just enjoyed being together!

Most of the Wittmann/Pettitt girls enjoyed an early Mother's Day Tea together!

Then we headed to Pennsylvania...

We had special times as a family - here, celebrating the end of Rachel and Josh's finals at a park...

and here, in front of Rachel's West Chester home, on our way to her college graduation ceremony!

There were close to 2000 West Chester University graduates, but we spotted her in the crowd!

We were thrilled to be there and to celebrate with Rachel and with Susie's sister, Gail, her husband, Jeff, and with Josh - who have been such a support to Rachel in our absence!

We celebrated Josh's 21st birthday as a family too!

 We had the joy of seeing both of our children at work!  Gail and Jeff joined us for an amazing meal with excellent service (especially by the cute little bus girl!) at Gilmore's where Rachel works, and then Glenn and I watched Josh teach two classes of soccer with Soccer Shots...

Josh first taught some 5-8 year olds...

and then some adorable 3-4 year olds!  What fun!

Besides wonderful family times in PA, we were blessed to see some special friends on our brief visit..

Chris and Despe Sterious

Matt and Missy O'Malley with their two wonderful girls and newborn son!

Mike and Kari Morby with their awesome daughter and newborn son!

God also blessed us with the joy of seeing Peter and Shannon Baille and meeting their JUST born daughter!

While we were away Gissela worked hard with our youth in a Bible Competition with our association of churches.  We rejoiced with them when we heard how well they did - 2nd place overall!

Several church leaders and their families cheered on the youth as they recited memorized verses, answered Bible questions and taught Bible lessons!

When we returned to Cayambe we were able to attend a very special Ecuadorian celebration! 

The "Oath to the Flag of Ecuador.  Pledging faithfulness to the National Flag is the duty of every Ecuadorian, in an act full of patriotism and patriotic emotion.  All high school seniors are to commit themselves to be faithful to their country as the center of all activities."

Here, at Nelson Torres, the largest public high school in Cayambe, 425 seniors participated in the ceremony.

Three of the seniors attend the Primero de Mayo Church youth group, and it was a joy to celebrate with them and their families!

"In few moments the sacred tricolor flag shelters you, and you with your heart full of patriotism will be able to express the sublime phrase of commitment to the country, to answer in audible voice the requirement of the authorities – “Yes I vow!” In that is enclosed loyalty and respect for the patriotic symbols which represent the three values most esteemed of men and women- God, country and conscience."

It was a solemn ceremony, but a joyful celebration afterwards...much like a US graduation where pictures were taken with the many family members and friends who attended, and with classmates!