Happy 2018 everyone!  We hope your Christmas and New Years were happy family filled times.  We had some times like that and a few sad moments too.  It is those sad moments that help you appreciate the happy ones even more.

After a December filled with Christmas parties – Cofan, church leadership, friends, homeschool and Sunday school – we were so thankful for some down time at the beach over New Years.  It was the first time we have ever spent New Years at the Ecuadorian beach, and we had a wonderful time!  We totally unplugged from all electronics, enjoyed the sunshine and surf and relaxed.  It was amazing!  We all actually felt energized when we got back home…Thank you, Lord!  It was a good thing as we had some longtime family friends meet us in front of our house as our car pulled in from the beach.  The “Borman Boardinghouse” started the new year off full swing!

Our Sunday classes started the year out great!  My 3-6 year old class had a large attendance this past Sunday.  We are studying the life of David right now.

Our youth class on Sundays has really been growing this year as well.

 

Pray for our coming Homeschool Teen Fellowship retreat in March.  This year we are holding it at El Refugio, a retreat and training center about 15 minutes from our house.  They specialize in team building with rope courses and other activities.  The dates for this is March 16-18.  The kids worked hard at our fall fundraiser and we have about $400 set aside to help with the costs.  However, we have some families who attend that struggle financially.  If you would like to help sponsor one of our students, a gift of $25 per student to offset the $60 attendance fee, would be greatly appreciated.  Send it to:

Christian Mission in Many Lands

P.O. Box 13

Spring Lake, NJ 07762-0013

Send the check written to CMML, but with a note saying it is for Ron Borman – homeschool retreat project.  Or you can go here:  https://www.cmml.us/donate   We receive 100% of all gifts sent to us.

 

Photos:  are of our Homeschool Family Christmas party with many of the youth playing “Pass the Present,” an annual favorite.  We have some very talented young people in our group who shared their talents in praise to the Savior at the party.

Prayer requests:

• Ron and Isaac (on break until Jan. 19) ministering down in the Cofan villages this week
• We are hosting a Cofan youth retreat here on our property the second week in February – wisdom for the leaders and open hearts for the students attending
• Our 6th annual Homeschool Teen Retreat March 16-18
• Furlough plans coming together this summer: we need to make sure we have house-sitters/caretakers while we are away;  and travel plans to come together in July – August.  If you would like us to visit YOU, please send us an email:  mdelmbormans@gmail.com  and we will see what we can do.  We will be in the Pacific Northwest, northern and southern mid-west and maybe over to the northeast coast!

Praises:

• A safe trip back to Mexico for Lydia.  She had a travel adventure, but is safely back and classes are in session
• We have airline tickets up to the States for May 8th!!  We also have the use of a car while we are there – two big items on our furlough prayer check list.
• SO THANKFUL for our wonderful car here in Ecuador that has been doing such a great job for us.
• So thankful for our wonderful beach weekend to recharge for the new year.