July 2024 Update
Happy Independence Day week! As many of you enjoy this holiday with friends and family, we pray you take a little time to read through this newsletter and ask God how you can support Love and Hope Foundation/Amor y Esperanza over the next few months with the upcoming initiatives, described below. In addition, read on to learn more about the Whitefield and Trinity mission teams' experiences in Quito as well as Pancho and Pitty's upcoming visit to Atlanta. Thank you in advance for your support! Lastly, don't miss the adjacent sweet photo of the cherished AyE "lunch ladies" taken by the Trinity crew - what great care they take of their students and teachers, as well as all of our mission teams!
The summer mission team from Whitefield Academy traveled to Carmen Bajo June 7-17! The unified prayer going in was "God - move mightily - your will be done!" and as always, He answered beyond what we could hope. From sweet songs of praise, creative classroom teaching time and fun outdoor recreation to meaningful quiet times in contemplation and devotion, evidence of the Holy Spirit was seen and felt by all present. As chaperone and teacher, Katie Kling, shared "[pray] for the Holy Spirit to KEEP MOVING, that Jesus' name would continue to be proclaimed, [for] the students to worship freely without restraint [and for] cross cultural friendships..." This year also saw a "first" as our dear Pancho was asked to baptize two brothers on the mission team. Family and friends from back home were able to join the moment via Zoom, and to say everyone involved was blessed by the shared experience would be an understatement. It's difficult to understand how bonded people can become in such a short time period unless it has been experienced firsthand. Needless to say, by the end of their week together, many students were overcome with emotion when time for goodbye came. All glory to God for connecting brothers and sisters in Christ!
Trinity Church's younger youth returned to Quito recently, serving there June 21-28! As one of the leaders, Emily Owen, put it "As the days have progressed here, I have seen these kids grow their Spanish knowledge and experience courage and freedom more and more each day. We as a team have spent a lot of time studying the Lord’s compassion as that is the theme of our camp programming, but the Lord has made it clear that freedom is something He wants to show us all this week." What a tremendous blessing! Trinity student, Georgia, summarized "when we arrived back at Amor y Esperanza we got dressed for bed then had devotional time as a dorm (rising 9th graders.) This was probably the highlight of my day as we sang worship songs and prayed together, as well as sharing deep and open testimonies of the day before. This was an incredible opportunity to get to know each other and our leaders...and realize that we are all broken people saved by Jesus with the need to lean and rely on one another." What more could we ask our students to comprehend?!
September is Kilometers for Quito time again!
If you have been a supporter of Amor y Esperanza for even a short while, you know that Kilometers for Quito (KM4Q) and Year End Giving are our two major annual fundraisers. After much thought and prayer, this year our collective distance goal will not be 4000 km - the distance to Quito from the Atlanta area and the target distance in all prior years - but instead 8000 km - the distance TO QUITO AND BACK!! Hand in hand with this change, our fundraising goal has increased to $80,000. We feel confident in these goals based on prior success, the increasing impact of AyE, and of course the trust we have in the Lord's ability to accomplish all that will bring Him glory and honor.
Teams are beginning to form now, so if you would like to run, walk, bike or roll for a good cause in September, please reach out to us at LHF.quito@gmail.com! We always covet prayer partners for this event, so stay tuned to learn how to join a team as a prayer warrior, and for many more details about KM4Q.
Pancho and Pitty will visit Atlanta in August!
We are eager to have the Zola family back state-side, so please mark your calendars for August 21-28. There is a lot of work happening behind the scenes to set up opportunities for Pancho and Pitty to connect with supporters, old and new. Be on the lookout for details about specific gatherings! If you would like the chance to meet with them while they are here, please let us know ASAP via email to LHF.quito@gmail.com.
How can you partner with Amor y Esperanza?
Pray! Current needs are:
Lives transformed in the Carmen Bajo community and on the construction crew
Fruitful Pancho and Pitty visit to U.S. in August
Strong strategic planning for 2024-2025
That connections made during the summer mission trips remain meaningful
One-time giving is always appreciated and helpful, too! Make a gift here.