Praise & Prayer – Feb 19

Praise

1. Sarah and Ed Trussell want to announce the arrival of Josephine Diane Trussell who arrived on Thu, Feb 15. Mother and baby are doing well, and Dad is helping out as they all learn new routines. Pray for their new family of three as they move into this new chapter of life. Grandparents arrive this week to celebrate and help out!
2. We are thankful for the investment the group of 14 Canadians have made here in Bogotá. Their time at ECA on Monday was special as they taught our PK-8^th students about Canadian money with the stories behind each bill and coin. Throughout the week, they have also been blessing many of the ministries that ECA is involved in: The Jungle children’s recreational center downtown, Hogar de Paz daycare center, the teen mom’s home Nuevo Nacimiento, ACOINPREV school in Suba, Buena Semilla children’s center in Egypt, San Rafael retirement center in Chía, etc. God has used this team, and we are grateful for their 11 years of faithful service to Colombia and to our ECA sphere.
3. For a great time on the HS retreat in La Vega at the beautiful Amigos del Campo. We had fun playing crazy games and enjoyed God’s amazing creation. John Romick (class of 2007) was our guest speaker, and he challenged us to have an eternal perspective while striving to grow in our walks with the Lord here on earth. Students were challenged in some practical ways to grow now while investing in eternity.
4. For the 7^th and 8^th Grade Retreat last weekend. The students, along with six HS T4:8 students and six teachers, went to Campamento Berea in Tenjo. The T4:8 students were in charge of the teaching and games. The students learned about what it means to have less of them and more of God, based on the passage of scripture in John 3:30. Through teaching sessions and small group discussions the students were challenged about what they focus on in their lives, about how much they focus on themselves, and also about how much faith they have in God’s power in their lives. The students were very impacted by this time.

They also played fun and messy games throughout the 2 days, and had a blast spending time together off campus, building relationships, and having some fun in the process. Pray that the lessons learned during this time would stick with the students and lead to real change.

Prayer

1. Pray that our 11^th and 12^th students who are taking the national SABER exam on Sun, Feb 25 will have clear minds, good memories, and excellent time-management skills during their all-day exam. For 12^th graders, their scores are very influential in university entrance processes, and we pray that their years of preparation will bear good fruit. Good reading comprehension is critical this day!
2. For the 600+ delegates who will be at the annual OBED convention on Fri-Sat, Mar 2-3 (pre-convention on Thu, Mar 1). Held this year in Cota at Nuevo Gimnasio Cristiano, this time of professional development for Christian teachers and administrators from around Colombia is a key time to motivate and train leaders in Christian schools who are influencing children and youth. PRAY for the speakers to be relevant and engaging, for the organizers to have logistics that flow smoothly, and for the delegates to have ready minds to receive what God has for them.
3. Allie Gómez, our 1^st grade teacher, has had a week of bed rest to try to stall their son from coming at least another week. Pray that the baby will continue developing and that he will be born healthy and ready for his life outside the womb.