Fall Festival 2012

Fall festival was a big success at school today. It is a day for kids to dress up in their Christian character outfits (Elleazah is the bee from Noah’s ark), host booths for carnival type games, and serve food- with the goal of raising money for their class, and training the students to work together in planning and executing community activities. Considering we are working with the seniors, our class is very focused on raising money for their class trip, which takes place at the end of May.  Elleazah had a great time at the fall festival. Though it is the rainy season right now, we had sunny skies. Elleazah was still a bit young for the games, but she did enjoy getting her face painted by the 9^th grade class. She also had her first taste of cotton candy. At first, she didn’t know what to make of the fact that the cotton just seems to melt in the mouth, but once she realized it was sweet, she was always ready of another taste! Needless to say, cotton candy will be considered a special treat , only eaten once in a long while.

Current events

Wow! Has it really been a month since we last posted?! We must be really busy or there really isn’t much going on- and in this case- there is a lot going on!

Steve has been meeting with a lot of students for a variety of reasons: going over their individual education plans, meeting with seniors to figure out college information since a number of the students this year want to study in the States, meeting with juniors helping them start thinking about college and tests they need to take to be accepted into college, and students who are struggling with social/emotional/ or academic needs. He is starting to observe in classrooms to hopefully help teachers teach in a way to meet the needs of struggling students. He is planning a variety of parent workshops to give parents strategies to help their students. And most recently, he spoke at chapel to the high school students on the topic of “Who is your King,” speaking from Luke 9:16-23. He challenged the students to reflect on how they are living their life to see what rules their life, who they believe Jesus to be, and do they trust Jesus as their king.

Marlayna has been enjoying teaching health to half the 9^th grade class and being in front of a class again. Though it is not in her content area, she has really enjoyed bringing Biblical application to the content. She has been able to help tutor a homebound MK student who recently had leg surgery. She meets with him 12 hours a week to help him keep up with his studies. She has also been able to continue building relationships with the students she is discipling and with another family who has twins around Elleazah’s age.

Speaking of Elleazah, she is quit the trouper! She goes to school when we are at school, she goes to tutoring when Marlayna goes to tutoring, and she does all this usually with a good attitude- and for that, we praise God! We know that this busyness is a short season in our lives and we are thankful she is doing well with the schedule. She loves drawing and coloring, which makes it easier for her to play by herself.

We recently went with the staff on a staff retreat, the topic was Integrity. Going into the weekend, it was easy to think highly of ourselves as having much integrity. But coming out of the sessions, we realize how sinful we are and how much area of growth that still needs to take place, Lord willing. The retreat was in hot country so we, especially Elleazah, really enjoyed the pools, and the small zoo, at the location we stayed in Melgar, 120 km south of us.

Be in prayer for:

1.       Next weekend, we will be going to Chinauta, 85 km south of us, for the high school fall retreat. Please be praying for the student’s hearts to be soft and willing to change throughout the weekend. The sessions will also be on Integrity: From the Inside Out.

2.       Healing for the student Marlayna is tutoring

3.       Continue to connect with students and discipleship

4.     Wisdom in parenting

ECA's Partnership with local missionaries

This past weekend we had a wonderful outing with many other teachers from ECA. We went just outside city limits and hiked to a peak. It was a gorgeous day for a small hike and we had such a sweet time of fellowship with others.

Another really exciting aspect of the day was to have the opportunity to hear from a missionary whom is closely affiliated with the school. Without ECA, his children would not have the education the parents desire for their children; nor would the parents be able to invest in their ministry as they are currently able to do.  Let me share about this ministry and how ECA is interwoven into this ministry (besides currently teaching a couple of their children).

The family is the Bartel family.  The goal of this ministry is to reach the street children with the love of Christ and provide a way out of the cycle of darkness that is passed on from one generation to the next… spiritually, emotionally and physically. The Bartels and their team go into some of the most dangerous parts of the city, where gangs are very prevalent, drugs and prostitutes are common, and violence is the norm.  They build relationships with the kids and the parents and share Christ’s love to them. One way they share His love is by running a safe center for the kids to come play. This place is called the ‘Jungle,’ which we wrote about in our October 30, 2011 blog post (click here to read that post about the Jungle). Last year, 180 kids came to the Jungle the night of Halloween. We praise God that so many children were in a safe place hearing about God’s love for them on such a dark night.  

After relationships are built, some of these children are able to go to an at-risk, alternative school  that primarily serves these high risk kids.  Because so many of the kids come from troubled homes, drugs, abuse, prostitution, etc., the kids struggle with school, learning, and interacting with each other. ECA has partnered with this school, providing outreaches with ECA students meeting during the school day with students to have Bible lessons, games, snacks, and sharing God’s love with these children of different backgrounds.

Some of the street children are also taken in to be ‘re- parented’ in a safe living situation. Though the child is off the street, it is hard to get the street out of the child. This can take a couple years before the child is at a point where they can handle being moved into a more stable and loving family home. Sometimes, governmental paperwork is completed for the child to be adopted, but other times, adoption is not an option. 

The last phase of the program is preparing the child for independent living. Though governmental care stops at age 18, like foster care in the States, this program continues with the child to make sure that they have at least a high school degree. Sometimes a child will be 22 before they are able to get a high school degree due to being so far behind in their schooling.

This program has had many success stories, for God’s glory, where children have moved on from the program, doing well on their own and are living out God’s love. Some of those children have become missionaries to other countries, many are giving back to help kids here in Colombia. Not all the children that go through the program are able to break from the curses and grips of sin. But even then, we know and trust that God has His hand in everything and He will be glorified in the end.

It is wonderful to hear how God is using the Bartel family to bring light to some of the darkest places of this city. To God be the glory.

We're getting back in the groove!

Well, summer break has come to an end and we are getting back into the grind of school and Colombian life. The morning following our arrival we attended teacher orientation for the next three days, had a school picnic where we met students and parents, and then came the first days of school!

Previously, we had written that Marlayna would be teaching Biology to 10^th graders, but as we have come to learn at this school, things are not always as they seem. Upon returning, Marlayna was asked to teach health to the 9^th graders rather than teach Biology. The reason for the switch was for a more conducive schedule for Marlayna to be with Elleazah and a lighter work load. We agreed and willingly accepted the switch. We have learned to be flexible at this school.

Our first available Saturday, we went large park here in the city. Though we have been to this park before,  we decided to take a different bus system to get there, one that was supposed to be easier… and it was! We are always encouraged when we successfully navigate the public bus system without any problems, especially when it is a new route to us. We had a wonderful day at the park, lots of sun and lots of fun! Elleazah loved the different parks to play on!  There were so many stairs for her to climb, many slides to go down, and a bunch of different swings to choose to ride!  

We praise God for a successful first week and a half back and a fairly easy transition back to life in Bogota!

June Update letter

Greetings Friends & Family,

Family Update—The last few months have been rather eventful. Marlayna had appendicitis at the end of March, right before spring break. She has recovered fine and is doing well. We have learned that Colombia does have health care similar to the States. To learn more about our appendicitis experience, check out our blog where Marlayna posted a detailed entry about the event. Marlayna’s sister also visited us, in God’s providence, she came during Marlayna’s recovery of appendicitis. It was a sweet time together, catching up on life, and showing her a bit of the country of Colombia around Bogota.

Roles at ECA—We were invited to speak to the parents of 5^th grade students at a retreat that they held to build unity amongst the families. It was a wonderful cultural experience and opportunity to get to know the families on a more personal level. It also gave Steve a deeper understanding of some of the 5^th grade boys whom he leads in a small group. We did workshops on how they can help their children transition from childhood to adolescence, how their methods of parenting are to change as a result, and we worked with the children on how to love your neighbor when they are tempted to or have an experience with gossip, exclusion, or teasing (which have been common problems in the 5^th grade class). Please pray that these families will grow in being a reflection of Christ’s church, that the parents will embrace God’s calling as as parents, and that the children will have a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. A number of the children do not have this personal relationship with Him.

Steve has had the opportunity to work with each high school senior to help them plan what is next for them after they graduate. A few high school seniors have been accepted to North American Universities. One of the main challenges for Colombians graduates is obtaining their student visa to attend school in North America. Due to some problems in the past with Colombians not returning to their home country, the U.S. embassy has made it a challenge for Colombians to get a student visa. Please pray for these graduates as they transition in a new phase in life: that they continually rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit and not their own understanding to direct them in major life decisions of friends, vocation, living situations, church, etc; and that their relationship with Christ will grow through the trials they will experience.

Educational service plans for students who experience various learning challenges were successfully developed collaboratively with the administration and parents. A few of the students Steve services went to the Amazon Rainforest over Spring Break to help provide basic medical care and do Vacation Bible School activities with the children. It was encouraging to see these students begin who they are as God’s creation and members of His Church and to be used by God to advance His kingdom in the Amazon Rainforest. Please pray that the students with learning difficulties would continue to reject what Colombian culture says about them (that they are a disgrace to their family and have less value than people without disabilities) and accept the truths that God uniquely created them with purpose and capable of bringing Him glory.

Discipleship—Since April, Steve counseled and discipled 5 young men (12^th, 9^th, 8^th, 7^th, and 4^th) and a 5^th grade girl. Some of the issues he began to address with these students include understanding the character of God and how that impacts us, prayer, priorities, family responsibility, organization, abandonment, our role in Christ’s church, reconciliation, problem-solving skills, understanding emotions, and how to make friends. He hopes to continue meeting with these students again next year. Marlayna finished the school year meeting faithfully with the 2 junior girls on conflict resolution, spiritual disciplines, and leadership. Please pray that the Spirit of God will continue to work in these students over the summer and that we will be able to reconnect with them quickly once school year begins in August.

The 11^th grade class did a 5 day/4 night service trip to Villavacencio, which is 2 hours (110 km) southeast from the edge of the city of Bogotá on the other side of the mountain. The students served at 5 schools teaching English through various activities. One of the schools was part of a refugee camp for children whose families had experienced persecution from the guerillas (FARC) or their indigenous tribes for being Christian. Some of the children are now orphans due to the persecution from these groups. Pray that the gospel will penetrate the areas controlled by the FARC and indigenous tribes and that the persecution will only fan the flames of commitment to Christ.

 The 11^th grade small groups have been much more focused now that we have been able to establish rapport with the students. For the girls, we ended the year finishing our study on building appropriate relationships with guys and setting both physical and emotional boundaries. For the boys, we started the theme of leadership and continued it on the 11^th grade service trip mentioned earlier. On the service trip we, the leaders, prepared a devotional and discussion time revolving around the 4 “trustworthy sayings” in the books of 1^st and 2^nd Timothy (1 Tim 1:15-17, 3:1-17, 4:7-10, and 2 Tim 2:11-13). These times were meant to help prepare the junior class to be the leaders of the high school and build a spirit of unity amongst the students. We plan on continuing this theme in the fall with these students. On the service trip we saw spiritual fruit in the lives of these students as they grew in their encouragement toward one another and their heart to serve for the glory of God and not their own glory or satisfaction. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for these students, as we know this growth and change only comes from God and the working of His Spirit. Knowing this, please continue to pray for the now 12^th grade class regarding their unity, spiritual leadership for the high school, and that their heart to serve may be focused on bringing glory to God and not what they can get out of it.

Looking ahead—We will be doing quite a bit of traveling for most of July and flying back to Colombia on August 1. The school year begins August 6. There is a possibility that Marlayna will be teaching a Biology class this next school year. Steve will continue his role as Guidance Counselor, Coordinator for Special Needs, and special education teacher for middle & high school. Please pray that we have safe travel and that our time reconnecting with friends and family resembles Ephesians 4:15-16. Please also pray that we will be able to connect with the new staff beginning their service at ECA in the fall. In addition, pray that the administration and school board will seek His wisdom in their decision-making this year.

Check out the Ministry Pictures page to "see" what we've been up to!

Thank you for your continued encouragement and faithful prayer!

Well, the school year is coming to a close. Steve was able to teach a psychology unit to the juniors and seniors. The content of the unit contained information about the different fields of psychology and how to evaluate secular psychology from a Christian perspective. The unit seemed to go rather well; he enjoyed teaching the unit and there were some good discussions that resulted from the lessons.

At the end of the week, we will go with our 11^th graders on a service trip to Villavicencio, which is about 135km Southeast of Bogotá at the base of the other side of the mountain, to serve local Christian schools in that town. We will be going to 4 schools, providing professional development to the teachers, teaching English to students and teachers and leading various day camps activities. Steve will be in charge of a group of students who will be leading games and activities and Marlayna will be with a group in charge of teaching English through science activities. Each group will share the gospel as it pertains to the activities. We are hoping to provide at least 30 hours of service for the 11^th graders over the 5 days.

We are looking forward to returning to the States for the summer and would like to schedule time with as many of you as possible. If you are interested in having us share what God has been doing here in Colombia with your friends, family, or church, we would love to do that, whether it be a social event or through an individual conversation.  Please contact us and let us know some dates you are available if would like to get together with us in the month of June. 

There are also plenty of positions still open at the school for next school year, http://eca.edu.co/get-involved/potential-teachers/current-needs. If you are interested in teaching or serving in Colombia, at ECA, please let us know and we will help get you signed up to come! We would love to have you come serve along with us!

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?"
5th Grade Family Retreat

Right around the time we were working through Marlayna's appendicitis, Steve received an invitation to be the guest speaker at a family retreat that some of the 5th grade parents were putting together. The parents wanted to do this retreat in response to the difficult time they and their children had at the 5th/6th grade retreat that ECA hosted. The 5th/6th grade retreat was the first time many of the parents had ever let their children spend the night away from home. A few parents had some difficulty letting their chicks out of the nest for a day, and as it turned out, the kids didn't seem to know how to handle their new-found freedom. We were told that the parents wanted Steve to give one workshop with the parents, and if we wanted to, another workshop with the children. After collaborating with the 5th grade teacher, middle school principal, and middle school chaplain, we decided to do a workshop on how parents can help their child transition from late childhood to adolescence. We (Steve & Marlayna) played around with some themes to do a workshop with the kids, but we didn't have a concrete plan or even certainty that we would be doing anything with the kids.


The retreat took place this past weekend, from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon. Being that this is Colombia, the schedule of the retreat was put together a day at a time each morning. In an attempt to have the most families participate in the workshops because some of them were not staying for the entire time, some coming late and other leaving early, it was decided around lunch time on Monday that we would do workshops for the kids and the parents later that afternoon. Fortunately, the 5th grade teacher had not left yet, so we were able to solidify a plan with the kids. Marlayna and Steve talked with the kids about the truth that if we claim to love God (which they all did) then we need to also love our neighbor: including others, meeting the needs of others, correcting and confronting others, and asking for forgiveness. The 5th grade class has been struggling with friendship and excluding others from activities. As a part of the workshop, we created real life scenarios and then discussed with them how each person's choices impacted everyone else, how we naturally blame others and deny our sin, and how to forgive one another. We then had the kids draw a picture or write about how the choices in the scenario could have been different so that each person would have shown love to their neighbor. We found out after the parent workshop, that the parents believed the problem of exclusion to be one of the major issues amongst the students. We praise God for the opportunity to be used by him to speak into the lives of the kids on issues that directly apply to their everyday life at ECA.


The parent workshop that Steve gave at the retreat was based on a number of the other parent workshops he had done early in the school year, primarily from workshops on How to Help Your Child Overcome the Stress in Their Life and another on the book Shepharding Your Child's Heart. If you have any interest learning more about or even receiving the powerpoint & notes of these workshops, feel free to email us: snmpence@gmail.com. We give Christ the praise for the encouragement we received and we ask that you pray with us for the families from the retreat, that they will continue to become a brighter reflection of Christ to the world and to one another.


On a side note, the retreat was a wonderful, refreshing cultural experience. The theme of the parent retreat came to life for us: it was the first time Steve was the guest speaker for a retreat, it was the first time Marlayna or Steve had ever sung Karaoke, it was the first time a scavenger hunt involved catching a live chicken, and it was the first time we tried to catch live fish with our bare hands in a swimming pool. We certainly hope we are given another opportunity like this to share in fellowship with other Christian Colombian families. You can see some pictures from the retreat on the "Ministry Pictures" page.