Dear Wallenstein family,
Greetings from hot, sunny Ecuador!
FINALLY we are able to greet you from Ecuador again. God was (as always) very good to us and brought us safely back to Guayaquil on October 5th. After 7 1/2 months in Canada for Jessie, and 6 for Raul, we were finally able to find plane tickets that didn’t get cancelled on us and made it home! It was a long, tiring 25-hour flight, but thankfully little Tiago travelled happily which made the trip that much easier for his parents.
Which brings us to Tiago- he is now 7 months old and is a very contented, friendly little fellow. It was hard saying goodbye to family in Canada, but these past couple months have been full of quality time with Raul’s family.
We are very thankful for our time in Canada. Of course, we had hoped to spend more time seeing people and connecting with you, but unforeseen circumstances upset those plans. Thankfully, this pandemic was not unforeseen by God, and, as we are sure you have seen in your life, he has taken very good care of us through all the turbulence in the world.
So, what happens now? That’s a question we are asking ourselves too. Guayaquil was hit very hard by Covid 19 in the spring, but now things seem more relaxed. Church and youth group have resumed, but with social distancing measures in place. It’s a bit of a learning curve to learn how to live here with a baby as we are coming from the country side in Ontario where there were only a handful of Covid cases, to Guayaquil where many we know have been touched in some way by the virus.
Hope of Bastion School’s classes are online classes (mainly through Whatsapp) and it appears the school year will finish that way too. As most of our students do not have computers in their homes, Raul has not been teaching computer class. However, he is continuing with his role in school accounting and as school treasurer. Jessenia is still working in sponsorship, which also looks very different this year as she can’t work one-on-one with students the way she used to.
We want to say a BIG thank you for being part of God’s care for us. Your faithful support over the years, and especially during this one, is an encouragement and blessing to us. You teach us that we are not alone in the work we do down here, and each month you are proof of God’s provision for us. So THANK YOU very much!
Under his wings,
Raul, Jessenia and Tiago
Prayer requests:
Wisdom as we want to have a spirit of hospitality, while at the same time maintaining social distancing.
Wisdom for planning a socially distant Christmas party for the school and still get the students their presents from their sponsors. That they would feel special, loved and remembered during this difficult time.
For our community’s health and safety
For us as a couple to be a blessing to those around us
Bastion School Staff Meeting
Dinner with Raul’s family