Summer Tour Part 2

On the road again...

Man, we have been spending a lot of time in the truck lately!

This time we are headed to OKC for a few days. We are visiting my Jake's sister, Danielle, and here family. Also one of my best friends from Oregon lives in the area. Her and her husband just had a beautiful little girl, Olive, weighing in at 11 lbs! 

Soup got to come with us on this trip. It will be nice to spend time with her. A question we often get is whether of not Soup is coming down to Ecuador with us. The answer is yes and no.

She will be flown down sometime in February. Currently the only airline that we can fly her on is Delta. She will be flying in the cargo department and they have summer restrictions on flying animals. We also will be living in a small apartment in Quito (doing language training) until February and they don't allow pets. 

So until we move to the school property, our wonderful friend Katy Thompson will be play momma to our baby. 

Soup loves road trips!

31 Days

Only one more month left.

It is Friday and we have finished our A.C.E. curriculum training. Woohoo! It was a week jam packed of information and homework... yes HOMEWORK! We now fully appreciate and understand what our students will be going through because for our training, we worked following all the same procedures. It was difficult but informing and spiritually uplifting. We both feel more prepared and excited for the work that lies ahead of us. We are also more convinced that God is alive and working in this mission.

Wednesday evening we went and visited with Whitehouse Church of Christ in Whitehouse, TN. It is a small congregation that Jake attended when he taught atWhitehouse Christian Academy back in the day (10 + years ago). After class we had a meeting with the elders and presented our work and need in Ecuador. It was such an uplifting experience to hear people want to support us dispite being a small congregation and a maxed out budget. We thank God for the hearts of the people at Whitehouse.

In other news...
Many of you have inquired about updates on the status of our house.
Well, so far we have had three offers come in. Unfortunately, they were all substantially lower than what we were asking. One of them was even $30,000 less! We have made counter offers so we shall see what will come of them. Our wonderful realtor, Patti Lawing, has arranged an open house on Sunday, so we hope that will put the fire under the people who have made offers.

We have a couple more road trips ahead of us, one to OKC and another to San Antonio/Houston. After that we will be putting Jake's truck for sale. Let us know if you are interested or put the word out there for us! Red 2003 Chevy Silvarado 132k, everything works great!

We will continue to keep everyone posted!

Whirlwind Summer Tour Part 1

Today we started what I like to call, our whirlwind summer tour. 

For the next 38 days (ONLY 38 days until we leave....AH!) we will "home" for 9 of them. The rest of the time we are out of town, and sometimes out of the state, visiting friends, family and churches.

We left DFW this morning headed for Russelville, AR to visit our friends Brian and Amy Tindall. We only got to spend a few hours with them because Amy is 38 weeks pregnant and ready to welcome in their third child....at any moment. However brief, it was good to spend time with familiar faces that we love so much. 

We are now back on the road and headed to Memphis, TN to visit the Spellings Family. Randy is Jake's old time friend, former co-worker at Whitehouse Christian Academy, and best man at our wedding. We get to spend the Friday night and Saturday with them. 

*side note: Jake asks "is there ever a time where there isn't construction between Little Rock and Memphis?!?"

Sunday we will be off early in the morning to make it to Huntsville, AL, hopefully for morning services at Twickenham Church of Christ. We have a special delivery to give to them that afternoon. The rest of our belongings, all 13 bins of it, are going down with their youth group that is leaving Monday morning for Ecuador. They have 19 people going down to work at the school and orphanage!

Sunday evening we will head up to Nashville where we will spend the rest of the week with the Smith family, another friend of Jake's from his college days at Lipscomb (and a groomsmen!). Monday thru Friday we will be attending administers training for the A.C.E. curriculum, the program that School of Hope uses. Hopefully this training will better prepare us for our roles in Ecuador. 

We are headed "home" Friday night so we can attend the Winn family reunion (Jake's mom's side of the family)  Saturday afternoon. That will conclude summer tour part 1. I will update everyone as the tour continues.

In other news, did you notice the quotation marks around the word home? Well, I did that because as of last weekend, our home is the spare bedroom of Jake's parents' house. The closing of our house kept dragging on and on. It was supposed to be May 10th and kept getting pushed back further and further. We finally had enough of sitting on the floor to watch tv and eating with plastic utensils so we moved over. 

It ended up being a good this because the contract on the house fell through this week. There was something wrong on the buyer's end and didn't get caught until the last minute. That was a bit of a set back for us, and a whole lot of stress! But know that house is cleared and cleaned out and has been showing really well this week. We have had some 7-8 showings and pray for a good offer to come I sometime next week. 

It feels like Satan is attacking us and trying to discourage us. However, we are not discouraged. Stressed, yes but not discouraged. I like to think of it with a positive spin. God is continuing to show us that we are not in control. He is faithful and he has a plan, and it will all happen in His time. We just need to have faith and watch/listen for what he wants us to do. 

Speaking of having faith... Fundraising.

 We know without a doubt that we are called to move and work at the School of Hope. And because of this, we know that God will provide for us. We have heard of, witnesses and experienced so many stories of how God has provided financially in situations like ours. However, it is still hard not to stress about it. 

We currently have $13,665 fundraised toward our goal of $40,000 and $500/month pledged toward our monthly need of $2,500. So you can see, we still have a ways to go...especially for only 38 days! 

Please consider donating on our website. Funds go directly to Twickenham Church of Christ. If you donate more than $250, please include your address so they can send you a tax donation receipt.

Thank you to those of you who've already donated! 

And hey, leave a comment so we know you are visiting

Last Day at Sam

So this past Thursday was my last day at Sam Houston.  Okay, actually I just took my last three weeks off with built-up personal days, but I did turn in my keys and ID.  What do people do on their last days of work?  I guess we usually say our good-byes, clean up your office space, and take a long lunch.  My day ended up having students take finals, three more students make-up absence failure hours and two more students gain enough hours to start as juniors in the fall.  I did take a couple of moments to talk with teachers, faculty, and students.  I even put my feet up on my desk and talked on the phone for a few minutes to say I have actually done that.

My time in Arlington has been a multiplication table- 12 total years / 4 sections.  I started in 2001 at Crow Elementary teaching 4th grade for three years, taught 6th grade at Crow for three years, became an assistant principal at Atherton Elementary and stayed for three years, then the final three years as an assistant principal at Sam Houston High School.  I have fond memories of all three schools and the people and students I worked with over the years.

Did I know what I was getting into as I moved positions at each school?  No, not necessarily, but I did have a good idea at times.  I always joked that as a new AP, you have to enjoy your first year because you realize by the middle to end of that year the enormity of the job and you are no longer naive about what you need to do.  When I jumped from elementary to high school, it definitely took me the whole year and more to learn and be more comfortable with all that high school entails.  As crazy as it can be at Sam Houston, I will miss it.  The work at Sam Houston is some of the hardest work you can do as a teacher, administrator, and faculty member.  I will miss the work and the assistance we all would give to one another to help our students and community.  The East side of Arlington is all I have known here in the district and I appreciate all of the Sam Houston cluster and the work you do for our students on the East side (Team Texan, y'all).

I have had a couple of teachers joke with me about taking a break and moving to Ecuador.  I would respond... YES, doing a director job in a different culture, language, and curriculum while moving to a different country and fundraising my salary (support) is the break we all are looking for in life.  Do I know what I am getting into with this new venture?  No, not necessarily, but I do have some idea.  And I know that God will be with Tanya and I as we learn, make mistakes, and have success at times.  This is the "break" God has chosen for us to take and do.  It is such an awesome challenge and I know with many of you and God on board, many great things are ahead.  How long?  We will see what God has in store....

Interns

The School of Hope and Hacienda of Hope rely heavily on having interns from the states. If you have ever been curious of what it would be like to live out of the country serving the Lord, watch this video of the current interns.

The following is copied and pasted from the Hacienda of Hope website:

You are in that stage of life when there are often more questions than answers.  The typical college student changes majors more than once before their junior year.  Consider an experience that will open your eyes to a completely different world.  Experience the incredible beauty of the Ecuadorian Andes.  Understand the unique grace of the indigenous people.  

How could this experience influence your life choices?  Ask any of our former interns and they will tell you this is a life changing experience.  Your perspective will be forever changed.  This is a component of your education that will truly set you apart from the traditional graduate.

Nestled under the beautiful summit of Mt. Cayambe, the school is providing a positive impact to the community and changing the world view of the Ecuadorean culture.  Tabacundo is a community that contains a large number of poor families and the school is attempting to improve their financial situation.  About 60% of the current 184 students receive some level of financial support to be able to attend the school.  A number of the children from poorer families would be unable to obtain any education if not for the HOH Academy.  With the availability of a superior education including use of the English language, we expect to significantly improve the lives of the next generation for these families by preparing them for greater employment opportunities in Ecuador.  To this end, English speakers are needed to help in our school.  Fluency in Spanish is not required to participate in our intern program.

Ecuador is a beautiful and diverse country with a rich history that has an abundance of interesting cultural opportunities. Only an hour and a half southwest of the Hacienda of Hope is Quito, the capital city, which is replete with tourist attractions and activities. About 45 minutes north of the Hacienda is the Otavalo/Ibarra area, which is the main market area for traditional Ecuadorian textiles and other novelties. Hustle and bustle and an array of color surround you as you wander this quaint town and its surrounding market towns. The Hacienda is surrounded with opportunities for hiking and mountain climbing, with some of the most breathtaking views in the world. Other key tourist areas in Ecuador include: the Galapagos Islands, Tena (a jungle town with whitewater rafting and caves), and beaches along the coast.

Why?

Those of you who were at the Woodland West's Wilson Support Sunday (great name, hu?) got to hear about how we first heard about this opportunity to serve at the School of Hope and why we decided to go. Well, here is the story for the rest of you!


Let me back petal here just a little bit and give you some background information about us. Jake and I actually met on a missions trip. We were both on separate LST teams in Japan. We were in cities not too far from each other. Well, someone from my group knew someone from his group so we met up to do a FriendsCamp and the rest is history! During the past 7+ years (wow...its been awhile) between the two of us, we have done roughly 13 mission trips. We have always talked about doing some sort of long term work, but the right fit never came along.


Now jump to 2011. It was the end of July, Jake and I had just returned from 2 weeks in Mariupol, Ukraine on a Let's Start Talking (LST) mission trip.  Our church, Woodland West Church of Christ, was hosting Operation Ecuador, a yearly conference for the churches and people who support the work in Ecuador. We decided to go since Jake is on the missions committee at WW, had been Guayaquil, Ecuador in the past and we had the days off work (we are those people that like to jam pack our schedules full!). But let me tell you, this was no coincidence.

I was sitting next to my dear friend Katy Thompson, who does a lot of medical mission trips to Ecuador, and Jake was standing near the rear of the gym trying to keep awake from jet lag. A guy by the name of Justin Snyder (great guy and current director of the SOH) went up on stage to talk about the Hacienda of Hope and School of Hope. He explained what the SOH was all about and then said that him and his family were wanting to transition back stateside in the next 3-4 years. His exact words were to start tapping shoulders of people who you think are potentially good candidates to become the new school director. That was when Katy elbowed me and exclaimed, "Jake!". But my mind was already there.

In fact, my heart and my mind already knew that this was for us. The Holy Spirit was stirring inside of me and I knew that God was calling us to move to Ecuador. I remember it so vividly and the overwhelming feelings that I had. I had a hard time keeping it together. In that moment, I almost burst into tears thinking what this meant for us... We have to leave all our friends, family, jobs and belongings. But it was also something really exciting. God was calling us to this amazing adventure.

In the mean time a couple people went over and actually tapped Jake on the shoulder. One of those people was one of our elders! Now Jake, being the logical guy he is, was very calm and rational about the whole thing. He wanted to gather more information. So we went to the break-out session meant for the HOH and SOH. We met with Justin and some missions committee members at Twickenham Church of Christ. They gave us a lot of information and it intrigued us more. A couple months later, Jake and I took a survey trip down to the SOH and spent 4 days there becoming acquainted with the work.

The more we learned and prayed about it, the more convinced we were that this was it. This was what we are supposed to be doing. All the factors were falling into place and everything seems to be perfectly tailored for us.

You know, it is amazing to see God's work at hand. He knows us each so personally and so well. He knew my emotional heart and how to touch me. He knew that Jake needed to be the rational one and make sure that it was a good fit. He also knew the perfect timing in our lives and in our marriage for us to go on this great adventure with Him. God served everything to us on this silver platter, uniquely prepared and designed just for Jake and Tanya Wilson. How does one dare say no? 

God has a plan for our lives.  Something greater than the "American dream" of a high paying job, large house and multiple cars. God is calling us to trust in Him... to rely fully on Him... and jump into a life fully revolved around Him. It is and will be an adventure.

We are so very excited and feel truly blessed by this opportunity and those who have supported us. 

On our Wilson Support Sunday, Woodland West raised about $11,000 for our one time contribution and almost $500 of monthly support. There are not enough words to say thank you and how blessed we feel because of those who contributed. 

We are still needing about $13,500 towards our goal of $40,000. Please consider donating. Monies go straight to Twickenham Church Christ. 

Thank you

A BIG thank you to the faculty my Sam Houston High School who gave us this AWESOME money jar filled with "PayDays", "100 Grands" and over $400 in cash during our luncheon today.
I (Jake) have enjoyed spending the last three years working, learning and growing with you.

411

For those of you who don't have a lot of background information as to what the School of Hope or Hacienda of Hope is, here is the scoop:

• The Hacienda of Hope (HOH) orphanage was started by the Twickenham Church of Christ in Huntsville, Alabama.
• It currently houses 20 kids, but the plan is to start adding more soon.
• The School of Hope was started 7 years ago as a boarding school because of the difficulty in having a legal orphanage in Ecuador.
• The school quickly earned a reputation for excellence, largely due to its bilingual approach and now has an enrollment of 200 students.
• The School of Hope currently uses the A.C.E (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum. This is a Bible based curriculum that includes chapel, memory verses and weekly character traits.
• The HOH is currently being run by Jerry and Pat Snyder and the School of Hope by Justin and Amanda Snyder.

For more information on the Hacienda of Hope Foundation, check out their new website!

And some information as to our timetable:

• Our date of departure is July 29th, 2013
• We will spend the first few days of August in Lima, Peru for ACE curriculum training.
• During the month of August, we will be staying on the HOH property to be a part of teacher training and the first days of school.
• In September we will be moving to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, for language immersion training.
• We will move back to the HOH property in January and officially begin our time as Director/Teacher at the School of Hope.

Please continue to pray with us about our move and the work being done in Ecuador. God has done amazing things through the Snyder family and we are looking forward to continuing His work.

We are still fundraising for one-time contributions and monthly support. For more information or to donate, please visit our website.

Moving on and moving forward

So many changes and events going on at once!
Only 2 more days of school left. It's is an exciting time... The kids are anxious for the summer, to get away from teachers, and spend time with friends. I (Tanya) am ready to get sleep in! I also now understand why they joke that middle school teachers automatically go to heaven! Oh my. This year has tested my patience. I thought I was generally a patient person but now I've learned how much more patience I really need!

It has also been a bit of a sad week... Saying goodbye to my students whom I've grow to love and  even those kids that somedays you just tolerate. I've developed relationships with my advanced art club kids and several teachers. Plus, packing up the room I have spent the last 187 days in gives me a bit of a sad feeling.

We also have been packing up our house. We should be closing towards the end of this week and moving into Jake's parents house for the rest of our time here. We currently eat dinner and watch TV sitting on the floor. Yes, it is a rough life.

However, it is all a constant reminder for us of what we are committing to do. God has blessed us with things like our jobs and our house. But that is not what is important in life. The Gospel and sharing it's message is. But you don't have to leave your job and selling your belongings to spread the Good News. We are all called  to "go and make disciples" (Matt. 28:19). That could mean across the world or just across your street. Just GO!

57 Days

July 29th. That is our official date of departure.
It is a weird feeling, purchasing a one way ticket.

Our house echos when we walk or talk. It is empty. And that is a weird feeling too. But not sad. We ourselves don't feel empty. We are full of hope and excitement for what God has in store for us. We are ready for this new season in our lives.

We hope you will join us in prayer and follow us on this blog as we prepare to leave, in 57 more days, and as God uses us for His work at the School of Hope in Tabacundo, Ecuador.

If you are able to donate, we still are in need of one time funds and monthly contributions.
http://www.youcaring.com/schoolofhope2013