Farnsworth Forum

After a hiatus that began on March 13 we resumed GO ENGLISH CLUB on Friday, October 23, from 4:00-5:00 pm with 14 participants.  It is exciting to see the children again after our break.  We wanted to get into a routine with home school and also allow the children who join us get adjusted to their new school year of virtual learning.  Along with studying the story of Joseph in the Bible, we have English learning with our team members Michelle and Callie in Pennsylvania.  We are so thankful for their wonderful help.  It is a blessing to have contact with our beloved English students again, and yesterday we had three children from Paraguay connect with us.  Truly international!!!  Please pray for us as we continue this endeavor every Friday afternoon.  Thank you.  ¡¡Muchas gracias!!

 Little by little some things are resuming here in Ecuador.  Some of our mission's affiliated churches have begun to hold in-person meetings (San Pedro, Chamanal, La Concepción, Río Verde, Atuntaqui); some other locations, such as our church plant in Otavalo, continue online meetings for now.  Please join us in celebrating the gradual "return-to-normal" in some places. Other activities are taking some more time to return to in-person mode.  One is the Centro de Capacitación Bíblica (Center of Bible Training), our Bible institute which meets Thursday nights from 7:30-8:30.  I am teaching a course on Expository Preaching again and have thirteen people taking the course.  Here I am with some of my students. We are so glad that we can continue ministry despite the challenges that the covid-19 pandemic has brought.  To God be the Glory!!!

 We are entering the "twilight zone" of virtual reality, this time, a virtual Sunday School.  For someone as non-tech saavy as I, this has been a virtual head rush.  I have actually had some people ask me for help in Zoom meetings.  That is rather hilarious to me and an indication of God's (and my kids') help. Last Sunday we started helping with virtual SS at our mother church, Puente de Amor, in Ibarra.  This allows us in Otavalo to offer a kids activity that, with our limited ministry workers, would not have been possible otherwise.   I was happy to inaugurate the first week's Bible story with the Parable of the Sower and the Seed from Luke 8; I should say that Monsie and I told the first Bible story, to give credit where credit is due. Jacob and Elias seemed to like the first week's activities, and that is the true test: if the kids enjoy it or not.  Otherwise, they will not return.  Here are some pictures from week one.  Please pray ...

Home school year 13 at the Farnsworth family home.  This year our two older kids decided to return to home school after one year in Christian school during our last furlough in the USA (2016-17) and three years in Ecuadorian public schools.  This year all public school instruction in Ecuador will be online, so it's "almost like home school" anyway.  Our oldest son is a senior this year, so home school will help to prepare him for his upcoming academic life in the USA.  Please pray for his future plans. Home school is a wonderful way to be involved in your kids' lives.  However, I must admit that it keeps us extremely busy.  Our daughter is a ninth grader, and our twins are in third grade, so we teach three different grade levels each day.  Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.  

Working as part of the VBS team and having Elias and Jacob in our small group gave Marisol and me great joy.  Still, we would have to say that the greatest part of VBS came from seeing Joel and Amelia serve on the team.  Both of them led small groups with another people.   There is no greater joy for Christian parents than seeing their children grow up to serve and love and follow Jesus. "1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2  so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3  Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord , the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4  Hear, O Isr...

For our family it was an honor to serve as secret agents (helpers) in the first ever Puente de Amor Church virtual VBS from August 25-28, 2020.  We share some pictures with you. Each afternoon we "met" for prayer before beginning VBS. Daniela and Edison served as the hosts of VBS each day.   Sofía, the wife of Marisol's cousin Josué, directed all the VBS activities. The continuing adventures of Secret Agent Tri (for Trinity) and his agent-in-training Berny kept all of us coming back for more. Marisol and Ned, Joel and Amelia all led virtual small groups to teach the Bible verse and the craft.  It was great to connect with the participants! Mary Magdalene even told the Bible story one afternoon. Doing games on ZOOM is NOT a limitation.  The sky's the limit!!! One day the craft involved "invisible ink" on paper.  The secret is using lemon juice and drying the paper in the sun, not a problem here in Ecuador as we are located on the Equator. Marisol's cousin...

Last week we went to the Condor Park in Otavalo, Ecuador.  It is about 20 minutes from our house.  Here Elias posed with a condor nest. You can see in this picture how long the condor's wing spread is.  The condor is the largest flying bird species on earth. Jacob could not be left behind.  The condor's wing span is up to 3 meters (approximately 9 feet). We started to walk through the park to see the different bird species.  Here I am with my lovely wife Marisol. A Farnsworth family selfie! In the park there is a good view of Otavalo, the city where we live. Twins and brothers and best friends! There are a male and female condor in the park.  The condor is the national bird of Ecuador.  There are less than 100 condors living outside of captivity in Ecuador.  The punishment for killing a condor is 6 months in prison.  Condors can weigh up to 33 pounds.  Females are generally larger than males.  The condor in the picture is a male. At...

Tomorrow we head to Lita for our annual Liebenzell retreat.  This year, due to social distancing, it is impossible for the entire team to attend. We always enjoy ourselves, swimming in the Lita River. Last year we had a game night.  I won for our team by singing "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High" in Japanese, judged by Anette Jarsetz, missionary kid from Japan. Table games are always a hit at the retreat, too, for Joel and Amelia. Elias, Amelia, Joel and Jacob liked spending time with Yuki Jarsetz, visiting with his parents from Germany. ALWAYS lots of food! Here are the Farnsworths with the Jarsetz Family.  We met Dave and Anette during their first Impact team to Micronesia in 2008.  We worked with them for a month in Palau.  It was so nice to see them again after eleven years. Family time with cousins Carolina and Paty and Marisol's sister Negui. Trampoline time with the other missionary kids. No activity in Latin America is complete without a game of FÚTBOL. MO...