We are so thankful for this opportunity you have given us to serve Jesus in Quito. As our transition continues, we are thankful for good health and God's safety provision over our family. We contribute everything good in our lives, to God's wonderful grace in answering your prayers. We hope you realize how important you are to this ministry and how much we appreciate your commitment to us and the work the Lord has called us to.
Our daily Spanish lessons continue to occupy most of our time. Luis, our instructor decided it was time to take a "field trip" with him and his son. He took us to Saquisili which is a small town south of Quito near Latacunga. It gave us an opportunity to see some of the Ecuadorian culture outside Quito, and also provided us with the opportunity to practice our Spanish. Each week they host multiple markets and sell livestock on Thursdays. The people there work very hard to make a living. 
With approximately only 3.8% of Ecuadorians being evangelical Christians, they have little hope towards their eternity. Their only hope is to sell some goods or items each day so that they can survive day-to-day. We have included a few photos to give you a feel for what the markets were like. (You can click on any photo to view an enlarged image.)
The volcano "Tungurahua" erupted again the morning we left for the markets, destroying some villages. As we traveled, the sky was filled with ash, and we passed many vehicles going north that were covered with ash. Click the link for more news: http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&q=Tungurahua.Last Saturday, Luis invited us to spend the day with his family in South Quito (quite different from where we live in North Quito). We were invited to his mom's house for an incredible Ecuadorian meal: mote, frittatas, choclo, plantains, papas, and fruit juices. It was a day of Spanish and Ecuadorian culture!!
Two weeks ago, we also enlarged our family. Our newest addition is a Golden Retriever puppy named Sam. They sell dogs every Saturday under a bridge not too far from where we live. We're hoping that by the time we need to relocate a new house in January, he'll be big enough to protect it. He's quickly made friends with Shadow and Pancho (the cat), so leaving may be a difficult time for him. You'll notice in the photo that Sam is wearing a Superman cape that Jonathan created on his sewing machine...... Super Sam! The 2006-2007 school year for the Alliance Academy begins August 31. New hire teachers report on August 25th for their first day. Cindy has been studying Spanish in the mornings and then walks down to school for afternoons of preparations. To date, she has 11 students: one from Hong-Kong, one from Korea, three from the USA, and six Ecuadorians. It is an exciting time for her as she begins her ministry here in Ecuador. We also met Jonathan's teacher who is originally from Danville, IL. She has served at the Alliance for 28+ years. Please pray for Cindy, David & Jonathan as they adapt to this new school, new friends, and new schedules. Doug will be continuing his daily language studies. Please pray for him in that he can retain and become proficient in this language quickly. He is unable to begin his ministry until he can communicate proficiently in Spanish.
We still do not have our Driver's Licenses. In the end of July we went to the office where we are all required to receive our "Censo" which is an Ecuadorian identification card. We were told that they would not be issuing any more Censos until the end of August. Apperently, they ran out of forms to print the Censos on, and they are waiting for more to be printed. Well, we can't get a Driver's License (which is an all day process in itself) without having a Censo. Just recently, we heard that the date for Censos has been extended out into September. When the forms do come in, there will be a huge backlog with individuals needing Censos.
The Franklin Graham Crusade will be in Quito on Sept 21, 22, 23. Please pray for this outreach and the effects it will have on eternity. There are many ways in which we can get involved. Our prayer is that a revival will come upon this city and spread like wild fires. As we go about our day, we see hundreds of people and our hearts break knowing that over 96% are going to hell because they don't know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
American Airlines is running their fall sale. You can travel through April 23, 2007 but you must book your flights by August 25, 2006. Check it out as there may be a great time and price for you to visit us in Quito. Our Mom's are joining us during the Christmas holidays. HURRAY!!!
Blessings to You!
Doug & Cindy
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