Darwin is a recent graduate from AFLTS. He and his wife Kirsten are serving the Lord in Cuenca, Ecuador.
Queridos Familia y Amigos,
It is hard to believe we have been here for a month!!
Kirsten’s Welcome to . . . or Initiation to Ecuador? 
Two weeks after we arrived in Ecuador and the day before our 2nd anniversary, Kirsten woke up with a terrible pain in her right side. She had a similar pain in March and went to the hospital in the U.S., but the only diagnosis she received was the probability of a cyst that had burst or would burst soon. This time, in Ecuador, the pain was more intense and even a shot of pain medication from a doctor did not help. So, we went to the hospital around 8 am in the morning on August 3rd. The next 8 hours were spent doing many tests and waiting for all the results. Finally, after a clear ultrasound, the doctors saw that her right ovary was much larger than it should be, but they were not able to see why unless they did ‘exploratory’ type surgery with a camera. They prepared Kirsten for surgery, and Darwin waited with his parents and niece for 45 minutes in the waiting room. The doctors discovered a large cyst had strangled Kirsten’s right ovary. They proceeded to remove both the cyst
and ovary. The doctor said we should still be able to have children. I (Kirsten) was so happy when I woke up and the pain in my side was finally gone! Since the surgery was done with a small camera, Kirsten only had small incisions, and her recovery has been excellent. Praise God! She has to avoid carrying heavy objects, any type of ‘hard labor,’ and exercise for 3 months. We praise God for His timing. One doctor, who had worked in the U.S. before, told Darwin the approximate cost of a surgery like this in the U.S., and we would not have been able to afford it. Thankfully, we were able to pay for the surgery in Ecuador. Another praise is that Kirsten had about a whole month to recover before classes would start at the Bilingüe High School.
Our New Niece
Five days after I had my surgery, Johanna (Darwin’s sister-in-law) went in for a C-section to have their 2nd child. They had a healthy 8 lb. baby girl named Rebeca Elizabeth. Her brother Mateo spent the day (August 8th) at our house playing lots of games.
Driving School
Darwin started going to driving school on the 21st. In order to get your driver’s license in Ecuador, you have to attend classes for 15 days and then take a written and driving exam. He goes each afternoon to drive with an instructor for 1 hour and then attends lectures for 1 hour. Even though it is a little frustrating that he cannot transfer his driver’s license from Minnesota, he is thankful we had a manual car in the U.S. since he has to drive a manual for classes. Again, God knows how to prepare us for everything even though we cannot see ahead to all the little details. We do not have a car, but since we will be busy once school starts, we thought it would be best if Darwin could get his classes out of the way now.
Bilingûe and Church
We will have meetings at the Bilingüe during the last week of August before classes start September 7th. We look forward to starting our ministry there with students and also other professors as we get to know them. At church Darwin has been asked to lead a Bible study group once a week, help with visitations, preach about every two months, and lead the youth worship team. Kirsten will also be part of the youth worship team and attend the Bible study group with Darwin. We are excited to be welcomed back into the church so quickly and be involved in activities in order to get to know and to serve more people there. Kirsten was also invited to join an English Bible study with a group of ladies. She is excited to get to know ladies in that group, too, and have a place to speak English!
Prayer
PRAISES:
- Successful Surgery, many great doctors, and external healing
- Healthy new niece, Rebeca Paccha
- Healthy stomachs after one month
- Paz de Dios church that received us so well
PRAY FOR:
- Continued internal healing for Kirsten
- Health: for food adjustments and colds during the colder season
- Good communication and relationship between Darwin & Kirsten and Staff at the Bilingüe
- Continued, successful progress with Kirsten’s paperwork
- The means to buy a car which would come handy for our ministry here
- Safety as we go to different places (traveling, house, thieves, etc.)
- Thank you for your prayers. We have really seen God working in our lives (even in the surprises ☺).
God’s blessings as you serve Him daily in your work or studies.
In Christ,
Darwin and Kirsten
