Beep Beep...

The current WISE van

If I have not mentioned it before St. Vincent is notably hilly. WISE has a school van that gets from point A to point B (but does squeak down the road and it is collecting problems), it sits 8 people comfortably, though we are not afraid to get uncomfortable an squeeze in more.  However, with a growing student population it is impossible to fit all of the students into to school van.  WISE is currently in the process of raising money to buy a used truck. 

A Used Truck in St. Vincent costs about $10,000.  This will help transport groups, the growing number of students, building materials, and help replace the van.  Check out our website for a current amount of funds raised at http://windwardislandsschoolofevangelism.org/support.html.  Any extra support raised will be used for repair on the existing van.

If you would like to donate to our truck fund please send your payment to
WISE
c/o Andrew and Jenna Stout
P.O. Box 1741
Pittsburg, KS 66762
*Please put "truck" in the memo line.

If your church would like to help you could simply put out a gas can as ask members to help "fill the tank!"  Thank you so much for everyone's support!

A Pirate's Life for Me!

EK and I had a great time this weekend. We went out on our first "date night" since we moved to St. Vincent. We went to a quaint restaurant that overlooked the ocean. It was very peaceful as we were able to watch the sunset over the water with reflections of vibrant orange and pink.  We felt rejuvenated getting to spend time alone together off of campus since most of our days are surrounded by the students.

We were also thankful that we made it to and from the restaurant safely because EK is still getting used to driving on the opposite side of the road! He does a great job, I don't think I could do it; I would probably have a panic attack.

On Saturday we went to Wallilabou Bay with all the students and staff, which is a beach here where parts of  Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed.  It was cool to see the buildings and the landscape that were in the film, it made me feel closer to Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley :).

The students had fun swimming and dressing up in pirate clothes and taking lots of pictures.  I think all of them were destined to be models because they LOVE getting their picture taken. Some of us went on a little boat ride through the cove which was gorgeous. The vibrant blue waters were crystal clear and match beautifully with the lush mountainous backdrop. We went out on a small motor boat with our guide, Speedy.  He was a very nice gentleman who provided a lot of information about the area.  He told us about himself as well.  He was a fisherman; he told us he fished every morning in his ore boat.  He said he paddles about 2-3 miles off the coast every morning.  Sometimes he said he will only catch one fish but other times he will catch numerous, which he will sell in his village.

On our way back into the cove the motor of the boat became flooded and stopped working.  Good thing we had two ores so we got back safe and sound. 

Later in the day I reflected on how far Speedy paddles out to sea knowing that he might only catch one fish or even none, but he still does it every morning.  I was encouraged by his dedication. 

I thought about the disciples who were fishermen just as dedicated as Speedy, and after meeting Jesus they became "fishers of men."

^"18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And He *said to them, “^[h]Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. ²¹ Going on from there He saw two other brothers, ^[i]James the son of Zebedee, and ^[j]John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him." ~Matthew 4:18-22

Our prayer is that we can become more and more dedicated to be like Christ and to show other's Christ's love.

Below are some pictures of our time with the students!

All of the students arriving at Wallilabou Bay

Behind me is the pole that Jack Black swung from while he was trying to escape!

EK was being a pirate...Arrrr

The students playing dress up



This was on our boat ride, here is the rock from the beginning of the first film where there were 3 pirates hanging...

First Week, Complete!

Well we made it through our first week of classes! EK is teaching Old Testament History and Personal Evangelism I and II. I am working in the preschool Monday through Friday in the mornings and teaching English I.  During the week there were several times I thought... I don't think I would have believed it if someone told me a year ago that I would be living in another country and teaching an English class to all Haitian students, (some which are not completely fluent) and working with 3-year-olds in a preschool.  My thoughts were I would graduate with my Master's of Social Work and get a "social work" job somewhere in Columbia, MO or maybe in another state.  EK was working at State Farm and planned to continue working there and advance in his career.  However, God had different plans for us.


I am reminded of the verses "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.  While we may not always know what God's plans are for us or understand everything, we are thankful we have leaned on His understandings and not our own.  We do know that God is using our gifts here and that He is allowing us daily opportunities to grow closer to Him and  build relationships.  We have really enjoyed spending time with the students and getting to know them.  Here are some pictures of the staff and students below.



Here is all of the WISE staff

Here are the students at orientation
 

We continue to ask for prayers for our transition to a new country and culture. Please pray for both of us to make an impact on the students and community.  Please pray for EK and myself and that we can continue to support one another and confide in each other.