Espinozas in Ecuador
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”
1 Chronicles 16:34
Dear Wallenstein Family,
Happy 2023! We are now two months in! We hope you are all doing well and looking forward to all this year has to offer. As this new year begins, we like to take a look back and see all the ways God was faithful in 2022 and we can say from experience, “God is good and His love is faithful”.
One of the ways He has continuously shown us His care is through your faithful, monthly financial support. We are so grateful: we love our life in Ecuador and the work God has given us to do and so we are glad we get to keep on doing it. We hope that you too can be encouraged by what you have been a part of this past year.
What was new this year:
The above photos represent the two major novelties in our life this past year.
Danilo! Our new baby arrived in May making us the happy parents of two sweet, funny boys. They keep us busy but we have been adjusting to parenting two little ones and have seen God’s faithful hand in giving us wisdom as we grow in our parenting skills. Tiago is a careful, friendly little fellow whose imagination keeps us smiling. Danilo is our little "bull-dozer" who is eager to be on the move and keep up with his big brother.
School Board at Hope of Bastion School: Also in the spring of 2022, Raul stepped out of his teaching position at the school to concentrate on his new role as president of the school board. We had 3 Salvadorian women join us as consultants as Raul and the school board worked to formalize many school processes and rework the organizational structure of the school to better fit the school’s size and current realities. This new role has been stretching for Raul and sometimes exhausting, but we have felt God’s leading and are encouraged with the progress made so far at the school. Please pray for wisdom for him and the school board as they are looking for a new principal as the current one (who served there for the last 20 years) is retiring. It is no easy feat to fill this position with someone with both the qualifications and the vision needed to guide the school.
What has continued:
Youth: We are grateful to continue to be involved in the youth group at the local church. This year we were able to go back to many of our pre-pandemic activities and so we were able to have our yearly Christmas party without restrictions! Since camp last year, there have been a handful of youth who have attended discipleship Bible studies regularly and these youth have become involved in helping out with Sunday school. It has been evident to us that these youth have grown in leadership skills, friendship with each other, and faithfulness in serving throughout this past year. We feel a continuous hope and pride in how they are making decisions that is at the same time tempered by the knowledge (build on experience) of how fast they can turn away to other things. Please pray for these youth as they are right in the years of forming their identity and deciding if that identity will revolve around Christ.
Sponsorship: Jessie continues to be involved as she can with sponsorship work at the school. This year we were able to find quite a few new sponsors and currently have the highest number of sponsored children ever! Please pray that we would find sponsors for those without and that each student would come to a saving knowledge of Christ through their Christian education, and interactions with teachers and sponsors.
Again, thank you for being a part of our ministry this past year. We would not be here without people like you participating in the ministry. May God bless you greatly as you continue to serve Him.
With love in Christ,
Raul, Jessenia, Tiago and Danilo
