Building Update and Extended Vacation

The day after my last blog, the new church was complete enough to hold a service!  One of our local church leaders had been working with other church leaders in Fernando de la Mora and on Friday the 13th, an inter-denominational youth service was held under our new roof :)  It was exciting to see 10 churches and nearly 200 youth and families present and celebrating unity in Christ!

 As I mentioned in the last blog, the kiddos are on winter break right now.  It was supposed to be two weeks but last Thursday we found out that it had been extended another week.  We have been having fun playing games (with the world's smallest monopoly set!)

 and going new places like the zoo.  It was neat to see the animals (including the pregnant elephant below), but the most fun was definitely had at the gigantic trees we found in the park!  I know we're hard to see in this picture, but that just shows how massive this tree was :)

 It's been wonderful to experience God's amazing creations with our growing boys. (By the way, Isaiah hasn't grown THAT much, Landon is sitting on a small wall)

The last two weeks we had lots of homework to complete, but this week we're looking forward to some extra free time.  Isaiah is now 8 and Landon is rapidly approaching 6.  Next week we will also be welcoming a group of short-term volunteers from the States.  Three of our 4040 boys are currently in Cali Colombia experiencing the discipleship model we are using here first-hand.  We are looking forward to a boost in morale and energy with the return of the boys and the short-term team.  Please keep us in your prayers as we soldier on :)
Much love, the Fosters

Prayer and Construction

Happy July and summer to all our friends and family in the Northern Hemisphere!!  Although it is winter here in the South, we are pleased to find that "winter" is pretty mild (however with our thin "jungle blood", even the mild winter requires several layers and coats for us!) 

I sent out a group email a couple of weeks ago, but was not sure if it went through.  If you didn't get it, I wanted to make sure you all received our thanks for the prayers each of you lift up for us.

We were in not one, but two, very dangerous situations in our car that day and truly believe the hand of God saved us from any injury on both occasions.

First, a motorcycle tried to pass us on the right-hand side and ran into a parked car - right next to Isaiah's open window.  Except for ringing ears from the sound of the crash, the car and our family were unharmed.  Then, a few hours later as we were turning left into our house from a busy street, a city bus tried to pass us on the left.  Ryan said he is convinced the bus should have hit us, but miraculously it didn't.

We were concerned for the people on the bus who were thrown forward with the sudden stop.  One family approached us and said they would be filing charges against the bus company but we have not heard any more from them or the bus company.  

Thank you so much for your daily prayers on behalf of our family and safety.  We truly feel surrounded by God's protection!

I'm happy to share some really exciting news for our church in Paraguay - CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN!!!  We were finding it difficult to fit everyone in the small church building every Sunday so have started the building process.  So far, we just have funds for the floor and roof, but we know God will provide the rest.  Below are several pictures taken over the last week and a half (the current church building is the white building to the right of the photo).

I'm so grateful that we can be here for this time of growth!  There is much activity on the church grounds as the workers dig the foundation, mix and pour concrete, and smooth the floor.  Our male 4040s have been talking to the workers about the hope we have in Jesus on their time off and perhaps we will see growth in more than just a building :)
And, finally, I wouldn't want to post a blog without letting you know how the boys are doing.  As I mentioned earlier, it's winter here and the boys began their two-week winter break on Monday.  So far they have had two sleepovers, a day at the park, and a visit to a friend's house - and we're not even half-way through vacation!  Yesterday they wanted to help make dinner :)

 They also have LOTS of homework to do each day and Isaiah has been practicing his English reading.

Next week will be full as we are having ANOTHER sleepover for Isaiah's 8th birthday, various play-dates, and a trip to the zoo.  Landon's birthday follows soon after so the next blog will probably be about birthdays :)
We truly appreciate every one of you and the difference you are making by joining us in prayer!  May God bless you and increase your joy in Him each day!!

Engage article

Our family is currently being profiled in the Engage on-line magazine.  You can check out our interview here
On an unrelated note, the COLD has arrived!  It has been quite chilly lately and we are expecting it to reach freezing tonight.  We are praising the Lord for our heaters, warm blankets, and warm clothing!

Many good things

It has been quite a while since I wrote a blog and we've been busy - but with such GOOD things!!  I am feeling truly blessed as I sit down to write this long-overdue update on our family and ministry.  

First of all, on May 2 the Williams family arrived in Asunción.  They will be taking over as the new cluster support family for the 4040s.  Ryan and I have been so busy with our church-related positions and activities that we've at times felt like we were neglecting the 4040s.  Cole and Kelly are awesome and will be a great addition to the team!  They have two kiddos - Teddy is 4 and Reese just turned 3.  Landon and Teddy are already good buddies :)  You can check out their blog here.

A few days after the Williams arrived and we helped them furnish their house (finding them an apartment was an adventure!!  MUCH different here than in the States or even Peru), the boys celebrated Paraguay's Independence Day at school.  Both classes did a traditional dance and Landon was chosen to recite a poem with 3 other boys.  It's fun to be learning more about this new culture and country!

 Although Mother's Day in Paraguay was officially on Thursday May 17, the church celebrated on Sunday. I worked with the Sunday School teachers to help the kids learn a song and motions and they performed it during the service.  It was neat to see how proud they were and how much fun they had!
The church is growing so much (and we had a short-term team of college students here) that we had to hold the service outside.  What a blessing!  We are currently looking at putting up the roof for a new building so we can transition services outside, but I think we have officially "outgrown" the current church building.

 Here's a picture of Landon with his new buddy, Teddy :)

 So, as I mentioned above, we were very blessed to be able to host a short-term team of 24 college students for 2 weeks.  They were AMAZING!  They came with such energy and encouragement for us.  I also have to say that our 4040s did an extraordinary job of planning and leading the events that the short-termers participated in.  They worked in schools, plazas, soccer fields, and the street.  They painted and cleaned up the church grounds.  They helped us make new relationships and build upon existing ones.  Our hearts are filled with gratitude for these young people from Trevecca, Olivet, and Mid-America!
Below is a picture of the one event I was able to participate in (I was mostly locked up with the money and receipts!)  We went to a nearby school and spent 3 hours with the kids (kindergarten through high school) - playing soccer, painting faces and nails, jumping rope, and sharing our love with them.  At the end of our time, Felipe spoke to them about God's love and invited them and their families to church.

If you want to see more pictures of the events in Asunción these last two weeks, check out Extreme's Facebook page.
Isaiah made some special friends too :)

So,all in all May has been pretty wild but we are encouraged and ready to face the new challenges of a growing church and ministry!

Happy Easter!

Sometimes we get so caught up in our "regular" life and our "regular" worship that we lose sight of the amazing power of Christ.  In the weeks leading up to Easter this year I was reading the Lineage of Grace series by Francine Rivers.  These stories of the faithful women in the genealogy of Jesus helped me to re-focus on God's power and His hand in lives throughout the ages.  The same God that saved Rahab, redeemed Ruth, and forgave Bathseba is at work in MY life today.  

I know so many of you are praying daily for our family and I wanted to share just a few of the answers to prayer that God has provided in these last 3 months:

• A safe journey to Paraguay
• A beautiful, comfortable place to call home
• A vehicle
• January 11 - A large tree branch fell where one of our 4040s does his morning devotions.  He had moved to another, nearby spot right before the branch fell and was unharmed.
• January 17 - After being told there were no openings in the school of our choice, we received a call that there was a vacancy in the second grade  for Isaiah.  Both boys are able to attend a Christian, bi-lingual school.
• January 17 - A truck nearly rolled over in front of us on the highway.  It went up on the median and we were able to safely maneuver around it.
• March 16 - A strange man approached Landon at the gate and tried to entice him away.  One of the church members was nearby and called Landon to him. 
• March 16 - After 5 years on and off the market, our house in Nampa Idaho finally sold :)

We are so thankful to be covered in prayer!!!  In addition to the above answers to prayer, we have felt such peace and strength that can only be from God.  He is truly ALIVE and working in lives today!!!!

 Isaiah and Landon with our guy 4040s (Mike, Felipe, Juliano, and Leon)

Dyeing Easter eggs with Felipe and Mike

HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!!!

Random bits

Has it really been over a month since I last posted?!  I kept waiting for something "BIG" to happen but then I remembered that God isn't only about the big things.  We have a magnet on our refrigerator that says, "God wants to be a part of every little bitty, teeny tiny, itsy bitsy thing in your day."  So this blog will be about several of those random bits of our life here - all those little things that God cares about :)

A couple of weeks ago the Sunday School program held a yard sale.  People from the church donated used clothing, toys, and household items; then we sold them along with homemade cookies and empanadas.  We made a little over $100 and are excited to purchase some much-needed supplies for the kids with this money!

Emily and I decided to try on some of the donated items while we were setting up the sale :)

 Every Saturday the leaders from the church meet and spend an hour of sharing and prayer.  This special time is usually led by either Felix or Ryan.  Although we are not always able to see the immediate results, God is doing a mighty work in Fernando de la Mora and these leaders are an integral part of the growth process.  Please pray for them as we move from a church of less than 100 to a church of 1000 members!

 Our office :)  Notice the letters on the wall - Ryan's "Club de la Alegria" or "Joy Club".  It always makes me laugh!

 Finally, a praise and prayer request for our kiddos.  For the first time since we moved to South America in 2007, the boys are experiencing culture shock.  It's difficult to watch them struggle with this although we know it will pass.  We are grateful that they are fluent in Spanish and have made many friends here but they still miss their friends in Pucallpa and often talk about wanting to move back there.  Please pray for their adjustment and contentment here in Paraguay.
The praise is that, however slowly, they are fitting in here.  An interesting piece of the Paraguayan culture that Landon has already picked up is a love for terere.  Terere is a popular herbal drink made with ice-cold water.  Drinking terere is often used to share and chat with friends or to meet new people.  Our 4040s use it an evangelistic tool :)

As always, we are so thankful to have such wonderful people praying for and supporting us!  Many blessing to each of you :)

Kid Stuff and Prayer Request

A few weeks ago, Pastor Felix asked the 4040s to prepare a children's festival for the last weekend before school started.  The team was excited to do this for the community and planned an awesome event for the children of Fernando de la Mora!

We started the day at 7 AM getting the church grounds cleaned and set up.  As the children began to arrive at 9, they were placed into one of four groups (yellow, green, red, or blue).  At 10 we started with a time of singing and getting to know each other.  After the group time, we split up and rotated between four stations (art, Bible story, VeggieTales movie, and water balloons).  

 After a lunch of hot dogs and bananas, the kids all had the chance to participate in a relay race.  It was fun to see them working together in their teams!

 As any good children's program, we then ended the day with a hot-dog eating contest..... and more singing :)

 It was a great day and we met lots of new kids in the neighborhood - and their parents!  We pray that the church might be able to touch the lives of these families and that God would continue to work throughout the city.  Already some of these new contacts have attended the church and we are hoping to see more relationships formed in this community.

Last week, Isaiah and Landon started school.  They were a little nervous their first day but are enjoying attending a "real" school (they were both surprised that they had to raise their hands to talk in class!) and are making new friends.

 The school is a Christian bi-lingual school and they attend classes 8 hours each day.  Landon is in preschool and spends the first four hours of his day in English and the last 4 hours in Spanish.  Isaiah is in 2nd grade and does 4 hours of Spanish in the morning and 4 hours of English in the afternoon.  They have Bible classes every morning and weekly chapel on Thursdays.  We are so happy to have found such a perfect fit for our boys!

It's hard to believe we've only been here a little over 7 weeks.  It's been a wild ride, but things are falling into place and we're so thankful that God has blessed us with this ministry!  Satan, however, is not pleased with us and the whole team is feeling his attacks.  Please be in prayer with us for health, safety, and precious SLEEP. It seems nearly everyone on the team (including Isaiah and Landon) are suffering from an inability to sleep and we know how detrimental this can be - not only to our health, but also to our attitudes and the way we act and react to others.   

Thank you for joining us on this journey and lifting us up in your prayers!