English Class Video

El Shadday English Classes

Pic Update

Our new business partner! Friends of ours will be using Tootoy to carry water up the hill.

The road project is still moving forward. The surveyor came last week to take the measurement so they can make us formal plans to present so we can raise the funds to put in the new road.

 Hannah Barbeito has been working at El Shadday, and also helping washing sand for the filters. She is also the big sister to our girls, and they do a lot together.

When Snoot Photography was here we helped with a presentation of their previous work for the locals to view. The use the pictures to teach the people, and present the gospel.

 A lone crab showed up in the kitchen scaring Mom, the girls and Hannah, however, took the opportunity to enjoy a mid-day snack of fresh crab legs.

Damaris on far right, with visiting friends from Chile on far left

 

 

Damaris is busy working at El Shadday with about 450 kids. She is  setting up things for them in the area of psychology. They need someone to counsel, evaluate teachers and kids, deal with the emotional issues, and complete the paperwork for the program. This is the first time they have ever had someone to work in this area. Most of the work is the first time it has ever been done, but she is the perfect person for the job because she did the same job in Chile at a school there.

 

 

 

 

Our apartment

Well folks, our apartment is "livable" but not finished. However, God has brought guests galore! :)

 Damaris, from Chile, a psychologist working at El Shadday, is living with us until the middle of Oct. We also picked up Hannah this week at the airport. She will be living with us until Oct. 1st working with us on our water filter project and assisting the teachers at El Shadday and helping with Louis and Adrianna's youth programs. We also have a team of 6 people from Snoot Photography in Medellin, Colombia camping out on our deck. They are doing video documentation about life on the island. Showing the need for change with trash and sanitation, the lack of clean drinking and bathing water and even showing the workmanship and hardships for those here on the island. They are helping us promote our water filter project by putting together a video for us. 

So here is a photo update to show you what "home" looks like for those living and visiting us. It is a joy to our family to have Damaris and Hannah live with us and to open our house to those who have the desire to help in this community. May God use us all for His glory!

Enjoy the photos!

Exciting news from Bocachica!

Exciting news from Bocachica! We are blessed to have Hannah Barbeito spend her summer break from teaching to work along side us in the community.  We asked her to share somethings about herself and here is what she has to say:

"My name is Hannah Barbeito. I live in the countryside of south central Pennsylvania.  I get to spend lots of time with friends and family! I love listening to music, enjoying the outdoors and anything fun, creative or adventurous! I work at a local Christian School as an assistant kindergarten teacher and In my spare time I enjoy doing community service."

Please join us in praying for her as she prepares to come.

In Christ,
The Ariels

English Students

Here is a video of our English students!

Breaking Curfew

 The other night I was late coming home from a meeting with Luis our neighbor. Late being 12:30 at night. Our wives were waiting for us as we came in like teens sneaking in after breaking curfew. They wouldn't have worried had we gone anywhere else, but we had gone to meet with a fellow here on the island that is a bit exceptional. We have been working on a project to upgrade the road here that runs from Luis' mission foundation behind our house to the clinic at the bottom of the hill. Due to the poor conditions of the existing road we could eliminate a lot of work if we had a bulldozer to roughly define it so we can put a permanent finish like concrete on it.
 There are not any kind of machines like this in the village, but a very wealthy guy near Playa Mamon is building a tourist destination. By wealthy I mean they have the area heavily guarded with dogs and men with automatic machine guns. Luis had talked to the head construction engineer, and we had a meeting with him before about the use of the bulldozer. When we entered the first time, we waited at the gate with the armed escort, after he called the engineer we were met at the door and he asked us if we study the Bible. Odd question, but considering he knew we worked with religious organizations I guess it is to be expected. We replied yes, and he asked if we knew a lot, and I answered it depends on who you ask. I asked why, do have a question, and he said he has lots of questions. We proceeded to a cabana and talked about various aspects of Christianity in general. After about an hour or so we ended the conversation and he concluded with he will ask the owner to be sure we could use the bulldozer when we needed it.
 I must say this is the first experience of conversing over spiritual matters meanwhile being interrupted by the guy with a machine gun who had questions for the engineer concerning work details. The reason for the amount of security is due primarily to the owners amount of wealth, I can't imagine living with that kind of fear that would require that kind of protection. The fellows with the guns aren't young clean cut military men, these guys look like they are experienced. It is hard to describe what that looks like, but you know what I mean. The owner doesn't have an entirely good reputation about the source of income either.
 So on our second meeting when we went at 6:30 pm and didn't return till 12:30, the ladies here at the house had their imagination help them with the possibilities of what  could have happened. There were no problems, the engineer had more questions, and it took more time to answer them. Sometimes when a man is lost he doesn't like to ask directions, this fellow may have the same problem. He knows a lot about the bible, but after asking the questions, he really doesn't want an answer. He has an answer that isn't satisfactory, but really can't receive a new solution either. As a result we have the use of the bulldozer to repair the road; our wives are happy again, as long as that never happens again. The Lord still has work to do on the engineer with all the questions.

Courtesy of Geoff Gentry

 

Photo update

Here are some pictures of recent work with the local kids. Our neighbor, Louis, behind us is from Bogota, and works with kids in our area.




Kids after a study at the Louis' house

Saturday morning sports

 

 



































A friend of our blessed us with some fish from his latest catch, they normally go out 4 days and nights. This is our families favorite type, it looks like a lot but we ate this for lunch.

The kids liked the rainbow and the lightning storm in the same day

 We are also working on a guest house for visitors, it is one bedroom one bath.

This week we will be getting windows, and be doing the floor.








We also took pictures of our street to present to the community and local organizations. Our barrio is collectively working together to try and make the street more usable.

Question: What do you think this picture is?

here are before and after shots of our outdoor living area
Before:

After:

Answer to the above shot: Electrical wiring to a house from the main line on the pole. This was taken on the street, and that is a street light attached to the barbed wire for light at night.

Thanks for keeping up with us!
love the Ariels