Booher, Myles and Mary

~ Serving in Ecuador; South America ~

Dear everybody reading this, (we had a hard time thinking how to start this;)

 We hope your noses are clear and your toenails are trimmed. :0

We’ll start with a little follow up from our last email. We had a sweet time with Mama and Victoria, and the last week they were here, we made a trip to Toñampare after some transportation difficulties… Long story short, our canoe man didn’t show up, so we bumpily drove back home and flew in the next day. It was a long-term vision finally realized to be at our house there now that we’re married and have a baby. We were able to visit with some people there, including Adán, who is the Wao man that owns the land our house is on. There are various and sundry gossips going around about people not wanting Jesse and Tess and us to be in Toñampare, but it seems, so far, that it is just talk. We were pleased to see that our neighbors there, Mauricio and Juana, had taken excellent care of the place, keeping the grass cut, chasing bats out of the house, and what not what have you.

The day after we got back from taking Mama and Victoria to the airport, I went with Jesse and Felix (Nanki was in Toñampare and didn’t come out in time) on a trip to a couple villages northeast of here. We were gone for three days and had a really special time of fellowship together, and met some people that we got to share the Gospel with, as well as some Bible stories. It was the first time for Mary and me to be separate overnight, but the Lord was very near both of us, and Mary got to spend some time each day with the Boohers.

Our visa appointment in Quito ended up getting moved to this last Friday. We decided to go a day early, and camp Thursday night in Cotopaxi National Park, about one hour from Quito. Our campsite was situated in a little cluster of pines at the base of the active Cotopaxi Volcano, which rises to a breathtaking 19,347 feet. The Lord blessed us with a clear day, which is a rare treat there, and we spent the afternoon gazing upwards in awe and enjoying the cold wind and bug-free environment. We had a very special time as a family, though the night was rough, since, unexpectedly, Linnea got altitude sickness pretty badly. The next morning on our way out of the park, we learned that the campground is at 12,000+ feet above sea level! Our poor little baby with naive parents… :-/ 

At our visa appointment the next day, we were told that we lack one authorization (apostille) of one paper- our Oregon State background checks. So this week, we sent them via DHL up to Oregon, and we are hoping that Oregon will apostille documents just over six months old… We don’t want to think about what would happen if they won’t, let’s just say, muy complicado… So for now we’re waiting on that paper.

On July 3rd we celebrated our 1st Anniversary!

A few weeks ago we heard that we need to move at the end of July. So we’ve been asking the Lord, “Should we move into the jungle? Should we get a rental? If so, which one?”… We decided to rent a simple house in Shell. We found one without much looking that is only four blocks from here, and seems like a perfect fit for our little family. It seems most peaceful for us to have a home base out here, even if we do take trips and spend much of our time in the jungle. Praise the Lord for His provision!

The house comes entirely unfurnished, without any appliances except a water heater, so we’re starting from scratch in that regard. It has been an additional confirmation that just in time for these big purchases, the Lord has provided plenty of funds. Truly, He is our faithful Provider! It’s so encouraging to know we can trust Him.

Mary has been doing well, although she sometimes has blank-out moments which are frustrating for her. We are praying about getting another MRI to compare with the ones she got a couple years ago. 

So, I wrote last time about starting some more intensive discipleship with Nanki. After that start, for various reasons, it was a few weeks before we kept going with the study we were doing. He also started teaching me Wao, which is exciting for me, especially since he has a heart to teach it. But then a week and a half ago, after just getting going again on our little study program, he went back to Toñampare without warning… It’s been a little trying for me, though I know his culture is so different from where I come from. 

• Pray for Nanki, for the Holy Spirit’s continued work in him and discernment against family and cultural pressures. 
• Pray for me, for patience.
• Pray for Mary, also for patience with her health and where God has her right now.
• Pray for God’s will for our visas, and that we would have favor with the Oregon and Ecuadorian governments.
• Pray a lot for Simon and Any; we don’t know the details, but they are not doing well.

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18

“And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen!

 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

 Much Love, Myles and Mary and sweet Linnea Marie